If It's Too Loud...

Photo by  Shantel Mitchell Breen This may not be the official first single off David Wax Museum's highly anticipated new album, but it is a professionally recorded and shot video, so it will do for now. David Wax Museum were recently in Austin (most likely for SXSW) and stopped by for a Jam in the Van session. Of of the songs they recorded is "Uncover the Gold," which will be on their upcoming album. "Uncover the Gold" seems like a standard, mostly mainstream folk song on the surface. And it would be a great song if that's what it is. As you listen to it, you start noticing the horns bring in the Mexican folk they normally do in a David Wax Museum song, but they join in with Suz Slezak's fiddle in an odd almost indie rock noise harmony. It helps to make a really cool song something even more intriguing.  You can watch the Jam in the Van version of "Uncover the Gold" below. David Wax Museum's new album, Line of Light , will be out in ...

Photo by Rachel Demy In today's bizarre cover song news, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service) has covered Minor Threat's "Filler." Personally I'd like to hear a completely faithful Gibbard cover of the straight edge hardcore classic. That's not what this is at all, and it's one of the more interesting covers of the year. The first clue that Gibbard's version of "Filler" is very different is the three minute length, which would be a Grateful Dead level epic for a Minor Threat song. Instead of a blistering hardcore song, it's completely redone as a piano ballad. Does it work as more than a curiosity or novelty? Unsure, but it's certainly interesting. You can listen to Ben Gibbard cover "Filler" below. For more on Ben Gibbard, check out his website .

Obviously roots/Americana music is undergoing a huge resurgence in the past ten or so years. A lot of that tends to be fairly repetitive. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. There's only so much you can do with standard folk instruments. There are other bands that have completely shattered the genre, only being able to be called folk because of the instruments they use. And then there's a band like RI's The Low Cards. Their latest single, "Wolves," has the structure of traditional folk music but their own unique voice. "Wolves" is too experimental to be truly traditional but also too traditional to be experimental. It's beautiful but also more than a little dissonant. Plus, it features MorganEve Swain (The Huntress and Holder of Hands, Brown Bird) on strings! You can listen to "Wolves" below. The song will be included on  Pilgrims Wake , the upcoming album from The Low Cards. For more on The Low Cards, be sure to check out their ...

Hailing from Sydney, Goodside's debut single might be the definition of dream pop. "I've Been Feeling Something Lately" is a hazy, swirling song that is cemented firmly in the mid-90's then alternative/now pop sound of bands like Belly. It's catchier than possible and a joy of a song. The title may sound as if it's about developing feelings for someone, according to Casey Logemann: "When I wrote I’ve Been Feeling Something Lately, I was in a rut and had stopped playing music entirely. I had this burst of excitement to write for the first time in years, it made me feel like myself again.”  She continues “ I didn’t want to create pressure surrounding my creative process, I just wanted the music to be fun. That’s sort of what the song is about and also why I started   Goodside. " You can listen to "I've Been Feeling Something Lately" below. Goodside's debut album will be out later this year. (Side note: Goodside features memb...

Photo by Michael Worchel Megafauna are a uniquely unique band. Their latest single, "Is There Anything Else," is a burst of noise propelled garage/prog rock. It plows forward, veering off into its own little directions, but always coming back to an original base. Megafauna also display an incredible level of musicianship, which you don't see a lot in garage or noise rock. They absolutely shred, but in their own unique way. And the kicker of it all? It's bizarre and catchy noise rock, which is virtually unheard of. You can listen to the epic "Is There Anything Else" below. Ghost Coast , the new album from Megafauna, will be out May 24. For more on Megafauna, be sure to check out their website .

Photo by John Andrews Olden Yolk's latest single, "Grand Palais," reminds me of a very specific slice of the 90's. It was a very brief time (in Boston, at least) when indie rockers started trading in their ironic t-shirts for thrift store polyester shirts. "Grand Palais" is all fuzzed out and groovy, and, to keep the Boston theme, reminds me of a pre-major label Jack Drag. According to the band, the song is  “... about the frivolous search to seek some semblance of spiritual understanding in various places, things, and people outside of ourselves. Much of the song was written through improvisation in the studio alongside percussionist  Booker Stardrum , whose frantic drumming is a driving force in the song. Weaving vocals, synthesizers, and tempo switches all encapsulate the dual feelings of desperation and euphoria found within this type of pursuit." You can listen to "Grand Palais" below. Living Theatre , the new album from Olden Yolk,...

"2:15," the latest single from Pittsburgh's The Gotobeds, hails back to the slacker days of the 90's. It's a fun indie rock song that feels like Pavement trying (and mostly failing) to write a straight up hit song. Of course, I'm from the generation where hits are for squares, so I mean that in a good way. It's a song that threatens to explode, and doesn't quite, but almost does. You can watch the video for "2:15" below. The video was directed by guitarist TFP, who has this to say about it: "Hey, thanks for checking out my cool lil video for ‘2:15.’ Wow, I can’t believe I actually finished this thing. What an undertaking. I worked on this off and on for two years on a crappy freeware animation program that would crash if the clip was longer than a few seconds. The number of hours I put into this thing are countless and, honestly, I’d rather just get maced again. Enjoy!" Debt Begins at 30 , the new album from The Gotobeds, wi...

There are roughly a few thousand covers of Prince's beyond classic song "Kiss" out there, but Joan As Police Woman's isn't like any other. It's a complete reworking of the song. Instead of an 80's dance masterpiece, Joan As Police Woman does it as a stripped down indie/folk/soul song. It's as minimal as can be, but still with Prince style vocals. It's an oddly groovy and unique take on the original. It's a must listen. You can listen to Joan As Policewoman's version of "Kiss" below. The song will be included on JOANTHOLOGY , a three disc career retrospective for Joan As Police Woman, which will be out on May 24 on Play It Again Sam. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Joan As Police Woman, check out her website .

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...

The latest single from Columbus, OH's Caamp might be just about perfect. "Penny, Heads Up" is an impossibly charming slice of folk/Americana. The song feels like sitting around a campfire with friends (which I hesitate to say because their name makes that comparison far too easy), just listening and singing along to music. It's happily intimate in that way. "Penny, Heads Up" is mainstream, but that could just be because it feels so familiar and comfortable.  You can listen to "Penny, Heads Up" below. By and By , the upcoming album from Caamp, will be out July 26 on Mom + Pop. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Caamp, check out their website . Current tour dates are below the song. 5/9/2019 - Brighton, United Kingdom - The Great Escape Festival 5/10/2019 - Cologne, Germany - Artheater 5/11/2019 - Hamburg, Germany - Turmzimmer 5/13/2019 - Stockholm, Sweden - Brooklyn Bar Debaser 5/14/2019 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Hotel Cecil 5/16/2019 ...

Photo by Zach Bauman Berwanger is the latest musical project from Josh Berwanger of The Anniversary and Radar State. His latest single, "Bad Vibrations," is perfect for fans of his other projects while still being completely different. It's a chill dance rock song with a ton of harmonizing and back up vocals. It's fun, but not in that embarrassing ways a lot of dance music is. This is dance music for (somewhat) grown ups. Berwanger says of the song: “On this new record, I often use the word "you”, but I’m actually referring to "me". In other words, I'm talking to myself. This song is about my social anxieties because I usually feel awkward in public. Which makes me think I sometimes give off bad vibrations when most likely I'm just spaced out, off on another planet. Or maybe a better example is how Garth feels when Wayne ditches him on set in Wayne's World.” You can watch the video for "Bad Vibrations" below. Watching a Gar...

I've been obsessed with Sebadoh since college, and I'm always thrilled whenever I can hear anything new from them. "sunshine" is the latest from their upcoming album. It's a Lou Barlow written and sung track, and what is most surprising is how normal it is. As far as Sebadoh goes, "sunshine" is as mainstream as they get. It's still a Sebadoh song, just a straightforward midtempo Lou Barlow love song, and a great one. You can watch the video for "sunshine" below. Act Surprised , the new album from Sebadoh, will be out May 24 on Dangerbird Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Sebadoh, be sure to check out their website .

Photo by Kiki Vassilakis A lot of psychedelic rock is very, very serious. Upstate NY's Front Biz is not. Check out this from their band bio:  Front Biz, LLC, is a shell company for an intergalactic real estate firm, primarily focused on laundering money through an Earth-based rock band. Don’t worry; they’re the good guys in this story. With analog syncopations and guitar riffs algorithmically programmed to stream alongside the Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Chicano Batman, Kenny Rogers, and other psychedelic avatars, the quartet fights fearlessly against the Russian bot-driven influx of sad bands in the simulation. Their new single, "Little Mutants," is an absolute blast. It's a mixture of psychedelic rock, garage rock, soul, and who knows what else sprinkled in. It's a dance party just waiting to happen, and while the song is ridiculously fun, Front Biz are fantastic musicians. Keep on eye out on these guys. You can listen to "Little Mutants" below...

Photo by Eat Humans As with all of the singles from her forthcoming album, the latest from Faye Webster is quite difficult to describe. Musically, "Right Side of My Neck" is very country/Americana based. There's quite a bit of steel guitar that solidifies that. But then there's Webster's voice. She just doesn't just even the slightest bit of twang or anything that resembles country. If anything, she sings in a gorgeous soft R&B style. While combining R&B and hip hop with country seems to be the goofy viral trend of the minute, Webster does it just slightly in an honest, non-gimmicky way. "Right Side of My Neck" might be a perfect song. You can listen to "Right Side of My Neck" below. Atlanta Millionaires Club , the new album from Faye Webster, will be out May 24 on Secretly Canadian. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Faye Webster, check out her website . Current tour dates are below the song. Fri. May 3 – Mobi...

Photo via Facebook The latest single from Ontario's Anna Wiebe is both familiar and yet completely original sounding. "Fortune" starts off sounding like a pretty standard folk rock sound, but quickly starts veering off in its own direction. It has a slow, deliberate pace, almost quirky, but not quite. From there it starts teasing some more intensity and noise waiting to break out of the plodding beat and pace of the song. It bounces between folk rock and teasing a more noisy, heavier sound. It does all this, and the song just grooves throughout. This back and forth is just fantastic. You can listen to "Fortune" below. It's from Anna Wiebe's upcoming second album which is due in July. For more on Anna Wiebe, check out her Facebook and Twitter .