Los Angeles' Go Betty Go won us over with "Keep Up," and now the Latina punk band are back with a new single. If we thought "Keep Up" was a shining example of melodic punk, "We Talk a Lot" goes a step further into melody. The song is filled with pop hooks without being pop punk, and includes some of my favorite "oh-oh-oh-ohhhhh"s of any punk song this year. It's an upbeat and sunny sounding track with guitars that still bite. Go Betty Go are a glorious example of power pop mixed with punk rock, and "We Talk a Lot" is an absolute joy to listen to.
Lead vocalist Nicolette Vilar says of the new song:
“‘We Talk A Lot’ is a song that dives into that feeling we all feel and have felt, when you're falling in love with a friend, partner, life, etc… and you just want to take off on an adventure together and have it never end. It's a wonderful place to be and hopefully, everyone has a chance to experience that at least once in their life. And if it hasn't happened to you yet, it's a glimpse into what it could be like and a way to look forward to the day it does happen. The song comes from a sincere place. I had so much fun illustrating and animating the lyric video for this song. I tapped into graphic skills that I hadn't done in years, so it was truly a fun project from start to finish.”
You can watch the video for "We Talk a Lot" below. Black and Blue is due out in early 2024 on Wiretap Records. For more on Go Betty Go, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.
For their upcoming album, Angry Blackmen (the Chicago based duo of Quentin Branch and Brian Warren) created a "... coming of age narrative centered around Black men navigating this wilderness known as North America," and received inspiration from Richard Matheson's post-apocalyptic novel I Am Legend. The first single off the album is "Stanley Kubrick." It's a progressive hip hop track that is uncomfortably sparse. At first it's vocals over a bare minimum of music, if any at all. It takes a while for beats to truly kick in, and even then the music is used sparingly, although it's a noisy burst of sound. "Stanley Kubrick" reminds me of early Public Enemy, where the music was crafted to purposely make you uncomfortable. Angry Blackmen are a thrilling group, even if it ends up not being your thing.
You can watch the video for "Stanley Kubrick" below. The Legend of ABM is due out January 26 on Deathbomb Arc. For more on Angry Blackmen, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter.
San Francisco's Strange Men are a duo that just released one of the shortest and most intriguing singles of the year. Róisín Isner and Ashley Clayton met as teenagers at a birthday party, and formed Strange men with Isner playing drums and Clayton playing an eight-string guitar/bass he made out of recycled wood, with both singing. "Hot Nights" was written in Isner's head as she waited for a bus on a cold San Francisco night. It's a seventy-second burst of indie punk. It's all fuzzed out guitars and driving drums, and in between the screaming chorus are some surprisingly lovely vocals from Isner. This is the kind of song that grabs you the way "Fell in Love With a Girl" grabbed me the first time I heard it, and I hope we hear from Strange Men sooner than later.
You can watch the video for "Hot Nights" below. The single is out now via Big Pink Records. For more on Strange Men, check out the band's website.
The upcoming Marianne Faithfull tribute album was an eclectic and unexpected list of artists including Cat Power with Iggy Pop, Peaches with Shirley Manson, Bush Tetras, Lydia Lunch, etc. The first single off the album is Tanya Donelly & the Parkington Sisters, which is more of an expected pairing, and Donelly and the Parkington Sisters covering Marianne Faithfull makes perfect sense. We loved their 2020 self-titled album, so even getting one more song from the quartet is fantastic. They cover Faithfull's "This Little Bird," and the cover is exquisite. Donelly's vocals have never been more haunting, and become even more so when harmonizing with the Parkington Sisters. The song is beautiful, but oddly discomforting at the same time.
Tanya Donelly says of the song:
"Marianne’s voice has always been one of my favorite instruments, from childhood through today, and her music and spirit have been life-long inspirations. I wanted to cover “This Little Bird” for its fragile and beautiful musical arrangement and melody, and the bittersweet story the lyrics tell. A total honor to get to sing and play this lullaby, and the Parkington Sisters elevate with their vocal and string magic. We’re so grateful to be able to pay tribute to this amazing singer/songwriter and woman."
You can listen to Tanya Donelly & the Parkington Sisters covering "This Little Bird" below. The Faithful is due out December 8 on In the Q Records, with all proceeds going to Marianne Faithfull as she recovers from long COVID. The album is available for pre-order here.
For their latest single, Wyn & the White Light seem to be getting back to Wyn Doran's singer-songwriter roots. "White Noise" has that folk meets pop sound we discovered of Doran's nearly four years ago, but with a little more blues than normal. And then the rock kicks in propelled by drums, and the song takes on a whole new life and sound. "White Noise" is about when Doran ended up ill in a hospital run "covid hotel" last year, and the song reflects the sense of isolation and confusion she felt. The song is equally brutal and beautiful in its sound, and shows a side of Wyn & the White Light we haven't quite seen before.
You can listen to "White Noise" below. The band has teamed up with Barewolf Brewing in Amesbury, MA to celebrate the release of the song with a "White Noise" White IPA. You can celebrate both November 11 at Barewolf Brewing with a free all ages show starting at 7:00 pm. For more on Wyn & the White Light, check out the artist's website.
Switzerland's Malummi has one of the more unique sounds to their music out there. Their new single, "There is No Thing," is described as "... blending grunge elements with punk-rock," but that barely describes it at all. Sure, there are some punk tuned guitars in "There is No Thing" that are reminiscent of Sonic Youth, but in a very non-punk or grunge move, the vocals are the focus of the song with the instrumentation being in the background. The vocals have a very pop quality to them, but not in a bubblegrunge way. Malummi has crafted a song that combines modern day indie pop with grunge, which doesn't sound truly possible, they they did it somehow. There's an oddly hypnotic quality to the song, and even if a pop version of grunge doesn't sound like your kind of thing, you're going to want to check this one out.
You can listen to "There is No Thing" below. The Universe is Black is due out November 17 on Irascible Records. For more on Malummi, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook.
We've come to love Sara Noelle's annual Christmas songs, but it's also great to see her release a non-holiday song as well. This week she's releasing an EP of cover songs, and has made her cover of Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down a Dream" available as a pre-release single. One of my personal favorites of Petty's, Noelle's version is a slowed down, hazy, and dream-like version. It's more folky without truly being folk. It's more of a dream-pop meets folk sound, and Noelle gives a completely new take on the classic song. It's a lot less rockin' than Petty's original, but it's still an instantly compelling song.
You can listen to Sara Noelle's take on "Runnin' Down a Dream" below. Four Songs II is due out November 10. For more on Sara Noelle, check out the artist's website.
If you haven't heard them yet, you're going to thank me for introducing you to Mo Dotti someday. The Los Angeles band has this amazing blend of shoegaze mixed with alt-rock on their new single "For Anyone and You." The song has this crushing sound of classic alternative rock mixed with the gorgeous wall of fuzz you get with shoegaze. The guitar in "For Anyone and You" is exquisite. It sounds like some of your favorite J Mascis solos, but perfectly blended in with shoegaze. And then there's guitarist and singer Gina Negrini's vocals. She both fits the genres perfectly, but she bridges the cacophony of the alt-rock sound with the warm embrace of shoegaze, and is the glue holding the entire song together. Mo Dotti are a band you can expect to hear a lot more from around here, hopefully sooner than later.
You can listen to "For Anyone and You" below. The song is available now via Mo Dotti's Bandcamp. For more on Mo Dotti, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.
Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Come, The Martha's Vineyard Ferries, etc.) met Sarah Black (Kickball, Plain Jane, the Bleeding Hickeys, the Lie-Ons) and Jenn Gori (the Bleeding Hickeys, the Lie-Ons, Pointing Geenas) at a yard show in 2021 and further connected at 40 South St Vintage in Jamaica Plain. Black and Gori asked Brokaw to play guitar on one song of theirs, and he ended up playing on four. The three decided to form a band, dubbing it Lupo Citta, a name inspired by 1970's Italian horror and spaghetti westerns.
"White Bracelet" is an indie rock inspired punk song. It's a noisy punk song that has a deceptively laid back vibe. It feels more like friends having fun than an angry punk song. It's almost three minutes of guitars heavy with fuzz and distortion. The drums have a heavy groove to them, much more than you typically hear in punk and/or indie rock. The whole song kind of sounds like a Sonic Youth album cut that ends up being one of your favorite songs on the album.
You can listen to "White Bracelet" below. Lupo Citta's self-titled album is due out January 12 on 12XU, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Lupo Citta, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.
No one in Boston sounds anything like senseless optimism. Her latest single, "It's You," starts off as this laid back singer-songwriter track mixing folk and R&B in equal parts. Despite being laid back, there is this almost surprising intensity to her vocals, and the song just grooves hard. "It's You" is kind of like a dance song hidden in a folk song. And then there's an indie rock ending that sneaks in out of nowhere, with this glorious burst of noisy guitar. senseless optimism has such a unique sound and, if you haven't previously, you're going to want to check out immediately.
senseless optimism says about her latest song:
"This song explores a crumbling relationship, watching it disintegrate one piece at a time, and wondering about how it all began."
You can listen to "It's You" below. For more on senseless optimism, check out the artist's website.
The Mistons (aka the Portland, OR garage punk duo of Sean Croghan and Micah Kassell) recently added bassist Scott Fox to become a trio. The band has released a new single that is every bit as firey as the music we've come to love from them. "Brikka Brakka Firecracker" is the kind of garage punk song that is barely contained. It sounds less like a musical composition as it does three musicians desperately trying to contain this rampaging burst of music, and doing a mostly effective job but there are still some sounds running loose. In other words, "Brikka Brakka Firecracker" is a killer song.
You can listen to "Brikka Brakka Firecracker" below. Extended Play is due out November 17 on Nadine Records, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp. For more on The Mistons, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook.
Luiza Girardello wrote "The War to End All Wars" in February 2022 about the atrocities being committed in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now, it's release coincides with the war between Hamas and Israel. Girardello, who left her native Brazil in 2017 to study music in Boston at Berklee College of Music, combines rhythms from Brazil with jazz and alternative rock on her new single. "The War to End All Wars" leans more into jazz, but with plenty of alt-rock guitars. As jazz as the song sounds, the pacing sounds distinctly rock to me. It's a song that is unfortunately still relevant, both in its original intent and a new conflict.
You can listen to "The War to End All Wars" below. Luiza Girardello is making donations to both ANERA and JDC, which work with victims of the conflict on all sides. For more on Luiza Girardello, check out the artist's website.
Oakland's King Isis was taught piano by their great-great grandmother Omega King, who was one of the first black opera singers in Chicago. After years of classic training, King Isis is making music that combines R&B with rock. Typically that means R&B with some rock flourishes, but their new single, "Make It Up," lands squarely in the middle of the two genres. Unlike outlaw country which is usually too rock for country fans and too country for rock fans, "Make It Up" is going to work for both fans of rock and R&B. The song has this dark R&B vibe that is driven by rock guitars. It's a compelling combination that is going to inspire multiple listens just to try and figure it all out.
King Isis says of their new single:
“I wrote the first version of this song at home in Oakland, going through lows in love and life. I was experimenting with darker production and more droney melodies, which I felt encompassed the monotonous feeling of just getting through the motions that was my life at the time.’
You can watch the video for "Make It Up" below. For more on King Isis, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter.
Dischord is one of those record labels that I'll listen to anything they put out at least once. Their latest is post-dance-punk band Light Beams. The Washington D.C. band just put out a new single, "Friendly." This new single stresses the dance in post-punk-dance. The song is heavy on percussion with samples adding an accent to the song. This is the kind of song Dischord punk purists may hate, but they are simply wrong. Light Beams are pushing the boundaries of punk (even post-dance-punk), and if this wonderfully hypnotic song isn't enough to force you to start moving, you may not have a soul.
Vocalist/bandleader Justin Wm. Moyer says of the new song:
“I was covering a protest at the Supreme Court, interviewing a demonstrator who was very critical of the media. I had taken some photos of the scene and the protester started challenging me – physically challenging me – about my photos. This person was getting very angry, and I was getting very angry. But I realized that the situation could be defused easily by, well, keeping things friendly. So I gave this person my phone and let him delete all the photos he objected to (which weren’t going to be published anyway). I thought this was a good outcome. I’m not always good at dealing with anger and, in a different part of my life, the argument might have ended a different way. This song is about that – and any situation where emotions threaten to get too big for the people experiencing them.”
You can watch the video for "Friendly" below. Wild Life is due out November 3 on Dischord Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Light Beams, check out the band on Instagram. Current tour dates are below the video.
Somehow TORRES keeps surprising us with her music. The musical project of Mackenzie Scott has released a new single that features her vocals and acoustic guitar that would feel at home in a neo-folk song over a pre-programmed drum beat with sounds that at times are either a light squall of guitar feedback and electronic noises. The song has this haunting and unsettling feeling to it, despite sounding like it's trying to be upbeat. I'd say art doesn't always have to be a pleasant experience, but "I got the fear" can be a pleasant listening experience, except for the times it's not.
Mackenzie Scott says of her latest single:
“A collective dread has been mounting. Everyone I know is having a brawl with the universe, with themselves…wars, climate catastrophe, a pandemic, the worldwide regression on human rights, the political hellscape — it affects everybody, and I know we’re all feeling it in waves of varying degree all the time. I think it’s really important that we find a way to get our hopes back up. I’m here to try to help light the way if I can. Most days I really believe humanity will find a way. But there’s a nagging anxiety that maybe that won’t happen. One has to wonder if it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that a species that believes it’s doomed will doom itself.”
You can watch the video for "I got the fear" below. What an enormous room is due out January 26 on Merge Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on TORRES, check out the artist on Facebook and Instagram. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Wed. Jan. 17 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop * Thu. Jan. 18 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall * Fri. Jan. 19 - Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar * Sat. Jan. 20 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement * Mon. Jan. 22 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Purgatory) * Tue. Jan. 23 - Durham, NC @ Motorco * Wed. Jan. 24 - Washington, DC @ The Atlantis * Thu. Jan. 25 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry * Fri. Jan. 26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere * Sat. Jan. 27 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair Fri. Feb. 2 - Paris, FR @ Le Hasard Ludique Sat. Feb. 3 - Bruges, BE @ Cactus Club Mon. Feb. 5 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Upstairs Tue. Feb. 6 - Cologne, DE @ Bumann & SOHN Wed. Feb. 7 - Berlin, DE @ Privatclub Thu. Feb. 8 - Munich, DE @ Milla Sat. Feb. 10 - Baden, CH @ One of a Million Festival Mon. Feb. 12 - Manchester, UK @ YES Tue. Feb. 13 - Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew Wed. Feb. 14 - London, UK @ Oslo Wed. Mar. 20 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge ^ Fri. Mar. 22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court ^ Sat. Mar. 23 - Boise, ID @ Venue TBA Tue. Mar. 26 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos ^ Wed. Mar. 27 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ^ Fri. Mar. 29 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord ^ Sat. Mar. 30 - Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room ^ Mon. Apr. 1 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah ^ Tue. Apr. 2 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar ^ Thu. Apr. 4 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada ^ Fri. Apr. 5 - Austin, TX @ The Parish ^ Sat. Apr. 6 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs) ^
Boston's favorite "soft punk" TIFFY has a new single out, and it's shockingly pop, even by her standards. "Lost in the Shuffle" is more of a pop and dance track than the previous singles we've heard from the artist's upcoming album. It's a dreamy track that might be more sway-able than danceable. But the song has a distinct groove that still falls into the soft punk category. It reminds me a little of if Palehound decided to go disco. "Lost in the Shuffle" is the kind of song that is both beautiful and fun, which can be rare in the world of music.
You can watch the video for "Lost in the Shuffle" below. So Serious is due out November 3 on Totally Real Records/Dollhouse Lightning, and is availabkle for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on TIFFY, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat 11/4 - Loading Dock Littleton, NH
Thu 11/9 - Nova Arts Keene, NH
Fri 11/10 - Deep Cuts Medford, MA / Boston
Sat 11/11 - bkONE Tom Kane Theater/Industry City Brooklyn, NY
Fri 11/17 - WSCA Portsmouth, NH
Sat 11/18 - News Cafe Providence, RI
Toronto's DijahSB has one of the more interesting styles in hip hop today. The MC has released a pair of singles, "Don't Touch!" and "I'm Blooming" that touch on their life as a black, non-binary rapper. "Don't Touch!" has that late 80's positive hip hop sound that reminds me of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest meets the modern sensibility of an artist like Oompa. It has an upbeat, jazzy sound that throws back to classic hip hop while still sounding modern. "I'm Blooming" is a more laid back track that still has that jazzy vibe, but in a more Guru-esque kind of way. Both songs may have an old school thing going on, but neither sounds like a throwback track.
DijahSB says of their new tracks:
“These two tracks are essential to the theme of this album, I’m excited to have this album out. I’m turning 30. I feel like I’m going to be stepping into a new era and this album will help usher me in.”
You can listen to "Don't Touch!" and "I'm Blooming" below. The Flower That Knew is due out November 17, and is available for pre-order here. For more on DijabSB, check out the artist's website.
Artist: Problem Patterns Album: Blouse Club Quick Thoughts: I tripped up on "Letter of Resignation" a few weeks back and fell for it hard. The anticipation on this album was warranted, as it's a nice hit of interesting and melodic punk with some great attitude and musicality. The songs are short, the band is tight, and this is just a great listen in a week full of them. Songs of Note: "Letter of Resignation," "Big Shouty," "Pity Bra"
Artist: Summit Point. Album: Faults of Memory Quick Thoughts: I wrote about this last week, and the only thing I have to add is that it gets better on each listen and might end up a favorite of the year. Don't miss it. Songs of Note: "Whatever You Want," "Watching a Timer," "Fray"
Artist: Carla Geneve Album: Hertz Quick Thoughts: Carla Geneve has a mysterious air about her music. I don't know why that's where my mind goes whenever I listen to her, but she sounds like the soundtrack to a secret being hidden. As for this new album, if "Jesus Take the Wheel" doesn't work for you, I feel for your soul. This is a gorgeous listen from someone consistently great. Songs of Note: "Drive Carefully," "Jesus Take the Wheel," "Bills," "Pisswreck"
Artist: Sam Quealy Album: Blonde Venus Quick Thoughts: As much as hyperpop was an underground attempt to subvert pop music, it's interesting how pop music continues to head in the hyper direction (and how many hyperpop acts are moving toward the mainstream). So, in a way, Sam Quealy is playing 4-D chess with this record, as it subverts pop expectations by leaning extremely hard into it. It's like shoehorn theory where it's so 'round the bend that it comes back around again, and I loved it. I don't think you can take a song like "BIG CAT" seriously, and yet this album demands some serious attention for its whole approach. A mandatory listen this week. Songs of Note: "Watch Me Now," "Not a Dream," "Seven Swords," Valentine," "BIG CAT"
Artist: Wildermiss Album: Levitate Quick Thoughts: Ages and ages ago, "W.I.F.I" popped up on some Spotify playlist and I loved it. To finally get a full-length that largely meets the expectations "W.I.F.I." set is impressive, with songs like "Choice" rivaling my favorites of the week. It's a busy week, but this deserves a spot in your rotation. Songs of Note: "Gettin' Old Rock and Roll," "Choice," "W.I.F.I.," "I'm Okay"
Artist: Maybel Album: Gloam Quick Thoughts: While the long-standing gimmick here is that these are "first time" reviews, I didn't realize how much Maybel grabbed me until a second listen earlier this week. This is some heavy, beautiful folk music featuring gorgeous Byrds-style harmonies and instrumentation that feels lush even in its lightness. A beautiful album and easily the best folk-adjacent record this week. Songs of Note: "Ember," "Splinters," "Passing Through," "For Nothing"
Artist: Iris Pope Album: Awakening Quick Thoughts: A shout-out this week to Iris Pope's debut EP, which is only five songs long but doesn't slouch. Every song rings true by no small part due to Pope's gorgeous vocals, and I can't wait to see what comes next for this singer-songwriter. Songs of Note: "back to today," "7 am," "jack's song," "far from holy"
We've known that no one else in Boston quite sounds like the dark electronic music of Ex-Hyena, but with their latest single that's even more true. "Reptile" is both more experimental and more mainstream than their typical releases. It starts off with this strange and uncomfortable intro, and then the vocals kick in, making it even weirder. It reminds me a little of Lead Into Gold. "Reptile" then makes an even stranger twist by going in a mainstream direction. It starts to sound like an 80's mainstream synth hit before going back and forth a few times. Ex-Hyena have always stood on their own in this city, and this sees them moving even more in their own direction.
You can listen to "Reptile" below. The song is available on the Back from the Grave - Vol. 2 compilation out now via Darkness Calling. You can get a copy through Bandcamp by naming your own price. For more on Ex-Hyena, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.
After just a couple of singles and their performance at the Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, I thought I knew what to expect from Not Bad Not Well. The Worcester, MA band have a heavy alt-rock sound reminiscent of At the Drive In, and would continue that sound for a while. Their latest single fits into that description, but "Afterglow" ends up being not quite a ballad, but at the very least ballad adjacent. It's a surprisingly gorgeous song and has a sound that mixes post-hardcore with sunny southern California classic rock. It's not a sound that typically comes from the land of nu-metal and cover bands, so it's refreshing to see a Worcester band blow our minds with an unexpected sound three singles in.
You can listen to "Afterglow" below. The song is currently available through Bandcamp. For more on Not Bad Not Well, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook .
.png)
