Bitch Queens - "Burn It Down"

Spaghetty Town Records have become a go to label for straight up unpretentious rock and roll. Our newest discovery from the label is Switzerland's Bitch Queen. Their new single, "Burn It Down," is just straight punk and metal inspired rock and roll. It's a little too screamy to be pure rock, but it's not quite hard enough to truly be metal. It's just a loud and fast rock song that's one of the rare tracks that metalheads and punks can enjoy equally. If I'm going to compare it to other bands, I'm going to go with Refused meets Supersuckers.

You can watch the video for "Burn It Down" below. Custom Dystopia is due out November 5 on Spaghetty Town Records. For more on Bitch Queen, check out the band's website.

Natalie Jane Hill - "Plants and Flowers that Do Not Grow Here"

Photo by Julian Neel

We've been digging the "cosmic Americana" of Austin, TX's Natalie Jane Hill, and her latest release solidifies that. "Plants and Flowers that Do Not Grow Here" is a beautiful although somewhat uncomfortable listen at times. The song has all the elements of being a pleasant listen. Hill's vocals are stunning, and the music beneath complements her perfectly. It should be a delightful listen, and it is. But... there's an odd intensity lurking underneath the quiet and beauty. There's just something slightly off and hypnotic that keeps you slightly on edge (although you're not going to want it any other way).

Natalie Jane Hill says of the new single:

“Plants and Flowers That Do Not Grow Here” is one of my more personal songs on the album. It’s about trying to navigate through a time of addiction while in a disassociated state. I had spent some time trying to distinguish reality from illusion, and I wanted this song to capture the dreamlike quality I was lost in."

You can watch the video for "Plants and Flowers that Do Not Grow Here" below. Solely is due out October 29 on Dear Life Records. You can pre-order a copy over at Bandcamp. For more on Natalie Jane Hill, check out the artist's Facebook.

Perennial - "Perennial in a Haunted House"

Photo by Omari Spears

Connecticut's Perennial plays punk rock. Their latest single, "Perennial in a Haunted House," is loud and fast. It goes right up to the edge of what could be called noise punk, but stays just melodic enough to not be noise rock. Plus, the song is kinda danceable, and not just in a pogo friendly way. There are some actual grooves in this song despite the screaming and driving drums and feedback. At less than two minutes in length, "Perennial in a Haunted House" certainly doesn't overstay its welcome, and leaves you desperate for more. This song is a lot of fun, and we don't know if we can wait until January for more.

You can listen to "Perennial in a Haunted House" below. In the Midnight Hour is due out January 1. You can pre-order a copy in a variety of bundles over at Bandcamp. For more on Perennial, check out the artist's Facebook and Instagram.

Melanie Curran - "Say That You Will"

Raised on an island in the Pacific Northwest and currently residing in New York City, Melanie Curran recently released a new single. "Say That You Will" is this multi-genre mash up that sounds unique and strangely familiar. The song is this ultra-stripped down country-ish song. I can't even refer to it as Americana since it doesn't quite fit that. At the beginning it's just Curran's not-quite-country twangy vocals with just a little guitar and a very occasional drum beat. Eventually a fiddle darts in out of nowhere to speed things up and turn it into an indie rock song, but not for long. And this might all fit into the slowest party jam of all time.

You can listen to "Say That You Will" below. San Benedito Beach is due for release on October 23 via American Standard Time Records. You can pre-order a copy over at Bandcamp. For more on Melanie Curran, check out the artist's website.

Screamin' Rebel Angels - "He's the One (That Rings My Bell)"

Brooklyn's Screamin' Rebel Angels play a loud, rockin' version of rockabilly. Their latest single, "He's the One (That Rings My Bell)," is pure rockabilly without sounding like the 50's. The song is just too aggressive without falling into the rockabilly/punk category. "He's the One (That Rings My Bell)" leans more towards modern garage rock with distorted guitars. It has that early rock 'n' roll edge that mutated into punk in the late 70's. Plus, singer Laura Palmer (who plays all instruments on the track) has an intense soulfulness to her vocals that really make her band unique and something you're going to want to hear.

You can listen to "He's the One (That Rings My Bell)" below. The song is available digitally and as a split 7" with Abby Girl and the Real Deal Side over at Bandcamp. For more on Screamin' Rebel Angels, check out the artist's website.

JOHN - "Stadium of No"

Photo by Paul Grace

The amount of noise a duo can generate can be quite impressive. Take the latest single from London's JOHN. It's just John Newton on drums and lead vocals and Johnny Healy on guitar and backing vocals. It may not quite be a Lightning Bolt level burst of noise, but "Stadium of No" is getting comparisons to both Metz and Sonic Youth. It's an intense indie rock rager with growling, metal style vocals. It's the kind of speed and noise you would get in an early 90's Sonic Youth song during their Geffen Records period. It's a giant and loud song that is making me yearn for my college years.

John Newton says of the new song:

“In parallel to the recurring motif of twenty-four hour work that runs throughout the album’s track listing, stadiums appear as hopelessly redundant monuments when they’re empty - only activated by the bodies that inhabit them. The song’s a nod to the often-overwhelming conditions of our present: a stadium-like crowd of opinions trying to shout on top of one another."

You can watch the video for "Stadium of No" below. Nocturnal Manoeuvres will be out October 8 on Pet Care Records and Brace Yourself Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on JOHN, check out the band's Facebook and Twitter.

First Listen: New Releases for 1 October 2021

Artist: Liz Lawrence
Album: The Avalanche
Quick Thoughts: Liz Lawrence writes extremely catchy songs, and this album is a loud, brash collection of 'em. If you were lucky enough to trip up on "USP" a few years back, you know what you're getting into here. Criminally underrated, if there's any justice this will be a mainstream hit.
Songs of Note: "Down for Fun," "Babies," "I'll Go On," "Where the Bodies are Buried"

Artist: Christo Graham
Album: Graham's General Store
Quick Thoughts: Ken sent this one over, and, man, I really enjoyed my time with this. It's got an earnest appeal that hits me right in my small town-loving heart. The album might not work for everyone, but if you like roots-tinged folk, you'd do yourself a favor in listening to this.
Songs of Note: "Phone a Friend," "Nothin' Works"

Artist: Molly Payton
Album: Slack
Quick Thoughts: Probably my favorite listen this week. Molly Payton puts together an album of alt-indie that feels fresh and polished, with songs that stick with you. I was singing "You Cut Me So Much Slack"'s chorus all weekend, and it feels like every other song on the album is a winner. Prioritize this one this week.
Songs of Note: "You Cut Me So Much Slack," "January Summers," "While You're Driving"

Artist: audiobooks
Album: Astro Tough
Quick Thoughts: audiobooks has never wasted too much time on trying to be mainstream accessible, but songs like "First Move" certainly make an effort and do a good job of balancing the strange and occasionally hyperpoppy songs. This is a wild album and one I really enjoyed this week.
Songs of Note: "LaLaLa It's the Good Life," "First Move"

Artist: GRMLN
Album: Laughing Shadow
Quick Thoughts: I wanted to highlight this one as GRMLN does some really great understated alt-rock. This album feels like it's from another era in how it's presented, and it's subtly awesome. Give this some time.
Songs of Note: "Los Angels," "Sandcastle"

Artist: Reb Fountain
Album: IRIS
Quick Thoughts: Real late-era Taylor Swift vibes in a few spots of this, most notably the title track. Reb Fountain is not a name I knew a week ago, but is absolutely one I'm paying attention to now - there's a real vulnerability and strength that go hand-in-hand to put something truly memorable together. I'm looking forward to getting back to this one.
Songs of Note: "Lacuna," "Iris"

Artist: illuminati hotties
Album: Let Me Do One More
Quick Thoughts: I loved loved loved the illuminati hotties debut, and the contractual obligation record is what it is. This proper follow-up is a little more manic and a little more robust, but still has the offbeat charm that I've come to expect. Still the best band name in indie rock, and this album has a decent chance of being a deserved breakout effort.
Songs of Note: "Pool Hopping," "The Sway," "Threatening Each Other re: Capitalism"

Of note:

* Ducks Ltd. - Modern Fiction (Repeatedly surprising.)
* Kid Gulliver - Kismet (Great local indie rock.)
* Brandi Carlile - In These Silent Days (Might be her best effort since Bear Creek)
* Velvet Starlings - Technicolor Shakedown
* Karine Polwart and Dave Milligan - Still as Your Sleeping
* Spearmint - Holland Park
* Strand of Oaks - In Heaven
* Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga - Love for Sale
* Boy Scouts - Wayfinder
* Tirzah - Retrograde
* Oompa - Unbothered
* Gustaf - Audio Drag for Ego Slobs
* Kitner - Shake the Spins
* screamcloud - Let's Break Something

* EPs:

* The Great Electric - The Great Electric
* The Persian Leaps - Drone Etiquette
*Hush Kids - Weatherman
* Jane Weaver - Sunset Dreams
* Snts - The Unfinished Fight Against Humanity Remixed
* girlhouse - the second ep
* Woolbright - Carousel
* Oliver Tree and Little Big - Welcome to the Internet

Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:

* Son Lux - Tomorrow's Reworks
* Natalie Bergman - Live at Electric Lady

Also out:

* United Defiance - Change the Frequency
* Ministry - Moral Hygiene

Dos Santos - "Alma Cósmica"

Photo by Jose Calvo

Despite not covering a lot of Latinx music here, we've been getting more and more into Chicago's Dos Santo. Maybe it's because they're considered an alt-Latinx band, but they're music just works for us. Their latest single, "Alma Cósmica," is a short two minute burst of a song where the only complaint is that we want more. There's a 1960's spy movie soundtrack groove under the song, over hypnotic lyrics and killer saxophone. It has an edge to it that isn't quite punk but has some of punk's roots. As someone who knows embarrassingly little Spanish, "Alma Cósmica" is an impossible to resist track.

You can watch the video for "Alma Cósmica" below. City of Mirrors is due out October 15 on International Anthem. You can pre-order the album at the label's Bandcamp. For more on Dos Santos, check out the band's website. There is an album release/Dia de los Muertos show happening in Chicago at Marz Community Brewing on October 30.

Bradley Palermo, Damn the Weather, and Lydia Loveless Cover The Righteous Gemstones

I never got into the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones, so I'm completely unfamiliar with the song "Misbehavin'" from the show. But, when you get Lydia Loveless to perform on a cover of the song, I'm going to pay attention. This cover features Bradley Palermo and Damn the Weather on a duet of the song. It's an upbeat, highly traditional folk and country song that seems to be written from the perspective of children singing about behaving so you don't get taken by Satan. It starts of with "two little country kids" doing all sorts of misbehavin' until they meet Satan and turn their lives around with brushing their teeth and washing their hands. Yeah... it's pretty phenomenal.

You can listen to "Misbehavin'" below. 

Eleanor Buckland - "October"

Photo by Laura Partain

You're going to recognize Eleanor Buckland from being a member of Lula Wiles, the Boston based folk rock trio. She's getting ready to release a solo album, and recently released a new single, "October." There's a lot to "October" that is going to appeal to fans of Lula Wiles. There's a lot of the folk rock thing going on here, but Wiles is also dabbling (ok, more than dabbling) more in both pop and indie rock. This is the kind of song that fans of artists like Kacey Musgraves and newer Taylor Swift are going to enjoy as much as traditional folk and Lucy Dacus fans. Even us crusty old music snobs are going to begrudgingly admit to liking, even though our enjoyment is a pure pleasure.

Eleanor Buckland says of the person she was when she wrote "October":

“I still have so much compassion for that young woman. Trying to figure out how to love and how to navigate heartbreak in those formative years. If I could talk to her today, I would tell her to escape up to Maine to re-center and to heal her heart.” 

You can listen to "October" below. You Don't Have to Know is due out October 29 on Soundly Music. For more on Eleanor Buckland, check out the artist's website. Dates for a short Northeast tour are below the song.

NOV 5 / NEW YORK, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall

NOV 7 / CAMBRIDGE, MA @ Club Passim (2 shows)

NOV 11 / PORTLAND, ME @ One Longfellow Square

NOV 12 / EXETER, NH @ Word Barn