If It's Too Loud...

It's been five years since the release of No Light Ever , but thankfully Boston's Glacier are back with a new single. "The old timers said they'd never seen nothin' like that" is a nearly ten minute epic instrumental sludgefest that never overstays its welcome. The song starts slowly, with a building intensity that just gets more and more foreboding as it trundles along. But when the song explodes, it makes the wait all the more worth it. It turns into a sludge-filled thrash-soaked masterpiece of giant, heavy metal and noise rock goodness. Even though the song is heavy and dissonant, "The old timers said they'd never seen nothin' like that" has an odd beauty to it, as well. You can listen to "The old timers said they'd never seen nothin' like that" below. A Distant, Violent Shudder is due out September 6, and is available to pre-order in various bundles via Bandcamp . For more on Glacier, check out the band on Facebook and ...

Photo courtesy Hayley and the Crushers We're used to the retro punk meets surf rock sound from Hayley and the Crushers, but their latest single changes that up quite a bit. The band recently relocated from California to Detroit, and "Blood and Treasure" harkens back to Hayley Crusher Cain and husband/bass player Dr. Reid Cain ESQ's origins in a country band. The new song has a 60's girl group goes country sound, and while it may be more laid back and country than we're used to, it still sounds like a Hayley and the Crushers track. Sure, it's country based, but it still has that girl group goes pop punk sound we love from our favorite "poolside glitter punks." Hayley Crusher Cain says of her latest single: " When two people get together, their love is totally unique. It creates an experience that can never be replicated. It's fitting that this EP hits hard in so many ways, but also has a slow and tender side (with 'Blood and Treasure...

With Superdrag playing reunion shows this week, it's natural to wonder if there will be new music from the band coming out in the future. The answer is kinda? The upcoming John Davis solo album was intended to be and written as a Superdrag album, but the recording was done sporadically and eventually fizzled out. Joining Davis on the new solo project are Stewart Peck (Pegclimber) and his son Henry Peck. The first single, "The Future," sounds like vintage Superdrag. It's a tad more laid back and reserved than their 90's releases, but it stands right up with the classics. There are even some guitar licks that remind me of "Destination Ursa Major." Even though this is a John Davis solo project, Superdrag die hards are going to adore it. John Davis says of his new single: "I guess it sounds extremely pessimistic to say, 'I don't wanna know about the future,' but that's just where I was at the time. Sometimes the “now” is crushing your so...

We loved dropbear's debut EP, Spiralized , back when it was released in 2022, and now the Boston band is back with the title track of their upcoming album. "Magic City" is this absolutely perfect mixture of shoegaze, alt-rock, and pop. The song has that layer of fuzz we love about shoegaze, with the slightly off-tuned guitars that make the genre so addictive. It also packs a heavier punch than you traditionally get with the genre, but also a heavy dose of melody and catchiness is abundant throughout "Magic City." It's the kind of song where you're not quite sure if you should stand still to take it all in, pogo, and straight up dance, and all are correct. You can listen to "Magic City" below. The album is due out "while we're still wearing shorts and tank tops." For more on dropbear, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . Magic City by dropbear

Photo by Joanna Tillman Baltimore duo Ed Schrader's Music Beat are sharing one of the more unique singles we've heard in a while. "Roman Candle" is about a nineteen year old Schrader sneaking into Woodstock '99 and watching candles that were intended for a vigil to honor the victims of Columbine be instead used to set fires. After the press tower collapsed, Schrader boarded a bus and was dropped off near a Denny's. "Roman Candle" has a bit of a New Wave and darkwave sound to it, and will most likely appeal to fans of bands like New Order and Depeche Mode. However, it doesn't sound like a throwback the way a lot of post-punk that borders on New Wave does. Ed Schrader's Music Beat is a virtually brand new take on that sound. Not many artists can take a five decades old sound and make it this fresh, but they pull it off admirably.  Ed Schrader says of their new single: “It was a far cry from the Garden of Eden. That experience defined what I did...

Photo by Cam Cavagnaro Boston's TIFFY is back with more "fuzz tinged dream rock!" "Mirror" is the artist's latest single, and is a dreamy indie rock song just dripping with pop. The song seems to cycle through styles, never quite letting you feel comfortable with just one song while keeping the vibe constant throughout. It's starts off as a fun pop rock track, and then adds in a surf rock and doo wop sound, punk pops in at one point, and some 80's rock guitars make an appearance before being replaced by a more indie rock sound. "Mirror" is a great song that is complicated enough for the music snobs and catchy enough for more pop focused fans. Tiffany Sammy (aka TIFFY) says of her latest single: " The song is about the comfortability people feel maintaining the status quo. " You can watch the video for "Mirror" below.  2 is due out August 2. For more on TIFFY, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook .

Photo by Connor Turque Burlington, VT's Robber Robber have their new album due out this Friday, but we have one last single to check out before it arrives. "How We Ball" is a chaotic post-punk meets indie rock track. It's high energy all the way through, with a disjointed sound that comes across much more fun than you typically get with a song this noisy. It's a raw track that might be the most punk and most straightforward (relatively speaking) that we've heard from Robber Robber so far. Despite being a little over three minutes long, the track feels like a much longer epic. It might just be because songs with this much energy usually only make it for two minutes or so. Singer/guitarist Nina Cates says of the new song: “This song is about how we have to present ourselves. It's a playful look into saying the right thing and thinking about how you come across to others. Sometimes it's so simple and sometimes you go home feeling like you said all the wro...

Friday night's The Dollyrots show at Sonia in Cambridge had one of the oddest vibes of any show I've ever been to. First, there were signs up everywhere in the venue saying that there would be moshing at the show, so dance at your own risk. I've never seen these signs at any show at Sonia or The Middle East, so that was a bit odd. It might have been because when the show was advertised as all ages, they truly meant all ages. The crowd went from grizzled, graying punks to preschoolers wearing Bluey shirts. There was a high contingent of elementary school aged kids at the show, and maybe because of that, there was no moshing.  With or without moshing, The Dollyrots put on a killer show. Their blend of punk and garage rock leans quite heavily into the pop side of the genres, and their live show sounds even better than their recordings. Maybe it was because a good chunk of the crowd skewed much younger than a typical rock show, but there was a charged energy missing with most s...

Photo by Erin Olivia Media "binti" was originally released as a solo single on Dunums' first solo single in 2011. Last summer, Sijal Nasralla reworked it with some friends as a full band song, and re-released it earlier this month to raise money for Palestinian mutual aid, and have since raised $5000. The song is an absolute epic post-rock masterpiece. Despite not being traditionally punk, "binti" is one of the most punk songs of the year. It's accentuated with what sounds like an enormous band, and is kind of like if Neutral Milk Hotel were more rock and angrier. Dunums are going to be a band we'll be excited to keep an eye on just based on how great of a piece of art "binti" is. Sijal Nasralla says of "binti": "When I was 12 I saw Mohammad Al Durra get shot on tv in his father’s arms in Gaza and it destroyed me. He was also 12. In 2008 I sat horrified with the story of Amal, Kanan, Mona, and Mahmoud – four child survivors of a ...

During their first run, I considered myself too cool for Save Ferris. They were just too pop for what I enjoyed at the time, but I've since revisited them, and they were always great, and I was a snobby idiot. Luckily, the third wave ska legends are once again back with new music and an upcoming tour! "Lights Out in the Reptile House" is a ridiculously fun song heavy on both ska and pop. Plus, it has a certain unexpected theatricality to it. It's an infectiously catchy song that kind of sounds like it could be from an upcoming ska musical... but a really fun and great one. If you've always loved Save Ferris, "Lights Out in the Reptile House" is going to prove you right. And if you're a relative newbie like me, welcome aboard! Singer Monique Powell says of her band's new single: "We're incredibly proud of 'Lights Out In The Reptile House' and can't wait for our fans to hear it. This song captures the essence of Save Ferris and...

Photo by Pan Alves Experimental lo-fi Brazilian band Oruā so und even cooler than that explanation sounds. Their latest single, "Caboclo," has all of the lo-fi/DIY sound of your favorite indie rock bands, all of the noise and sonic left turns you'd expect from an experimental rock band, and the groove that just exudes from Brazilian bands. It's all put together in a way to make "Caboclo" one of the more exciting listens of the year, even if the song is inherently laid back. Experimental, lo-fi music isn't exactly known for its strong groove, but O ruā ar e going to make you question why it isn't more common. Oru ā  says of their new single: " Caboclo is a warrior who came from the forest and is said to be the son of a European settler and an Indigenous Brazilian. In the common Brazilian universe, Caboclo is a runner and does everything he can to survive. "In the center of Rio de Janeiro in 2024, Caboclo received a bullet, died on the spot a...

Photo by Loren Lenox It's a Friday, and that means we could all use a song like "Fat Doll" to get us pumped for the weekend. The latest single from Brooklyn based queer glam rock artist Josephine Network is a glam rock number that owes quite a bit to predecessors like T. Rex. "Fat Doll" also has more than a little grit in its glam, so to me it sounds like T. Rex meets Thelma and The Sleaze. Josephine Network have crafted a "... celebration of transfeminity doubling as an ode to big girls who rock," and turned it into a killer party ready rock anthem. Even if that doesn't describe you, you'd have to be devoid of a soul to not love "Fat Doll." Josehine Network describes her new single as " “ a fun body-positive banger that breaks through Ozempic-era beauty norms with the power of rock and roll." You can watch the video for "Fat Doll" below. The song is currently available via Bandcamp . For more on Josephine Network,...

Photo by Will Bradford Hailing from Maine, Sparxsea is making indie-pop that doesn't quite sound like anyone else. Her latest single, "Roses in the Street," combines piano syths, acoustic guitars, and programmed drum beats into a surprisingly organic singer-songwriter goes indie pop song. The song merges such diverse sounds into such a compelling composition that is strikingly fresh yet familiar. It's like a melding of trip hop, mainstream 90's folk-rock, and modern indie pop. Sparxsea feels like one of those artists that you're either going to dislike or be infatuated with, with very little in between. Sparxsea says of her latest single: “This is a ‘darkest before the dawn’ song. That last hour before dawn, before that rose breaks through the concrete into the street and becomes something beautiful for people to appreciate. I write about what I need to get through hard times, words that I need to hear. It's a song about abundance. There’s enough love out ...

Photo courtesy of Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures Boston's Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures have crafted one of the more unique yet mainstream sounds coming out of the city for their latest single. "Tomorrow Morning" has a psychedelic and glam sound, but it's also laced with a heaping dose of soft rock. The song is trippy and glammed up, but it sounds like something that could have been played on an easy listening station decades ago. Plus, there's an unexpected alt-rock meets jam band thing going on here. "Tomorrow Morning" is well worth a listen, and it's certainly one of those songs that shares more with the listener on repeated listens. What should be a jumbled mess of sounds instead works magically in Derek Smith and the Cosmic Vultures' hands. Derek Smith says of his band's latest single: “I always sort of go back to a song after I have written it and realize it can have many different meanings or mean something completely differ...

Sometimes it's good to step out of your musical comfort zone a bit, and that's what I thought I was doing Wednesday night at The Sinclair with The Greeting Committee. The just released Everyone's Gone and I Know I'm the Cause is a little bit more poppy than I'm used to, but is still a great album. Once I got into the venue, I wasn't sure what to expect. First, the crowd was much younger and more mainstream than I'm used to. I was hardly the only attendee sporting some grey in my beard, but it was a young crowd. Plus, it was the type of crowd that was shouting along to the Chappell Roan songs in between bands, and doing the hand gesture/dances that apparently go along to the songs. Like I said, not my usual crowd for a show. But... then the music started and none of that mattered. The Greeting Committee and quite simply a stellar live band. They were kind of like a more energetic Alvvays or a less punk Mannequin Pussy. Singer Addison Sartino is one of the mos...