If It's Too Loud...

Solid week this week: Album of the Week : Artist : Tacocat Album : This Mess is a Place Quick Description : New album from an indie favorite. Why You Should Listen : Tacocat has been on a lot of people's lists, but this could be the breakthrough they've been waiting on. Overall Thoughts : This is maybe one of my favorite things I’ve listened to this year. I’ve enjoyed what Tacocat has pulled together so far in their tenure, but this is such a step up from their previous efforts that it is almost shocking. From song one, “Hologram,” it’s a great indie pop record that doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t and results in songs with hook after hook after hook. Even the midtempo finale, which is a long-standing musical trope that can sometimes be exhausting, feels as good and fresh as anything else on the album. Best of the week, best of the month, and in contention for best release of the year so far. Don’t miss out. Recommendation : Easily the best of the week. Arti...

Photo by Gordon De Los Santos Back in 2017, Versing came out of nowhere and blew me away when they played with The Courtneys and Weakened Friends, and their album from that year, Nirvana , ended up being my #5 album. Now they're back with a new song. "Tethered" continues the sound that we loved from their previous album. It's a mid-to-late-90's alternative sound, what I keep describing as early Superdrag meets The Dismemberment Plan. But "Tethered" brings a new sound, and a bit more aggression. There's also a little bit of emo (emo as in Sunny Day Real Estate) and an almost DEVO-like hint of New Wave? It's a really interesting addition to their sound, and we can't wait to hear what's next. You can watch the video for "Tethered" below. 10000 , the new album from Versing, will be out May 3 on Hardly Art Records. You can pre-order the album here . For more on Versing, check them out on Facebook and Twitter .

It's getting more and more rare to just stumble into a band at a live show these days. Back in the pre-internet days, you'd go to see a band you loved and had absolutely no idea about the opening band. The first time I ever heard Mogwai was when they opened for Pavement at Lupo's in Providence, RI in 1997. These days, I'll see that some band I've never heard of is opening a show and look them up to see if they're worth checking out. Sure, you get to miss terrible openers that way, but you lose out on that blown away out of nowhere experience. Back in October, I went to see The Courtneys and Weakened Friends last minute, and got to experience that again with Versing. Back then I wrote that Versing reminded me of early Superdrag meets The Dismemberment Plan, and after hearing Nirvana , I stand by that statement. The songs on the album have the epic feel and power pop noise of Regretfully Yours and the slightly quirky alterna-punk of the latter. It's a fun ...

Halloween is my favorite time of the year. It's the only time of the year when visiting old cemeteries isn't "weird." It's "festive." That also means it's time for our annual Halloween playlist. Every year we try to avoid the usual "Monster Mash" and "Thriller," and instead bring you a playlist reflective of the kind of music we listen to all year round. We have classic alternative (Beat Happening, Dinosaur Jr, Tori Amos), neo-folk/country (Jason Isbell, David Wax Museum, Marlon Williams), classic rock (Bob Dylan, The Jam), some hip hop (Ghostface Killah, Swet Shop Boys), old school punk (The Cramps, Dead Milkmen, Ramones), and even some metal with Dead Cross. At just over two hours, it's perfect for Halloween parties, to put on during trick or treating, or to play during work to drown out your co-workers playing "Wereworlf of London." Happy Halloween!

Whenever a show I'm planning on attending gets cancelled, I always end up with a feeling of panic and a need to find another show to fill the void. After Jessica Lea Mayfield cancelled her tour and show this week at Great Scott, I started scouring the listings to see what else I could attend. Once I saw that blog favorite Weakened Friends had been added to the already tempting Monday night show for The Courtneys, I knew that would be the one.  This was my third time seeing Weakened Friends in a little over a year, and their live shows keep getting better. I wouldn't say it's because they're getting tighter as a band. They are a bit, but they're still just sloppy enough to be completely charming. "Miserable" and "Main Bitch" are still complete highlights of any set, with new song "Hate Mail" soon to be a much beloved addition, even without J Mascis on the live version. Weakened Friends seem to be having a blast when playing, particul...