If It's Too Loud...

There's just something about the first really nice day of the year in Boston. Winters can be brutal, and even if an eighty degree day comes early and we know it's going to get chilly again, there's just a certain energy in the city on that day. Plus, we're in the middle of the first Rock & Roll Rumble in three years, so there was magic in the air Thursday night at The Middle East. First up were The Freqs out of Salem, MA. I've been enjoying the trio's recorded music since discovering them last year, but I wasn't prepared for their live show. They are a monster live, with a very specific blend of metal meets alt-rock that is always much better in a club than a computer speaker. "Witch" is my personal favorite of theirs, and they both opened and closed with the song. The Freqs make fast and loud rock that is actually clever and interesting, which can be rare in the genre. They definitely made my list of bands I'll need to see again and again....

Photo by Pat Piasecki According to their press release, Ruin the Nite are Boston's "premier Dad Bod Rock Band." They were formed from the ashes of Goddamn Draculas, and have this party rock vibe that isn't punk but punk adjacent. Their new single, "Sang to Me," is dripping with punk attitude and has a punk edge, but this is far too melodic to truly even be pop punk. It's much closer to classic early rock and roll and R&B. The horns are truly of the stars of the song, adding a layer of class that smooths out the rougher edges. This is oddly making me think of a fictional punk prom band in some non-existent 80's high school movie. "Sang to Me" is all about harmonies, despite vocalist/bassist Chris Duggan's rough vocals, but that's what creates the true charm of Ruin the Nite. Chris Duggan says of the new song: "I think ['Sang To Me'] is basically a story about lack of communication in a relationship. It's about le...