In advance of its fourth album, It’s Got to Be Now, set for release in April, Boston-based Aloud will take to Great Scott alongside Brooklyn’s Cold Blood Club. While the retro rock four-piece will likely debut some new material at the show, you can expect plenty of the classics as well: the band’s first three discs (and especially its most recent, Exile) were critically acclaimed by publications including Driftwood Magazine and Stereo Subversion. Eight-piece indie dance outfit Cold Blood Club will play in support of a new album as well, previewed by recent single “Down.” If you want to get a taste of Aloud’s sound before the show, check out Elmore Magazine’s premiere of the new single “A Little Bit Low” here, then check out both bands at Great Scott on January 11. – Jake Reed

Hear it here first: Connecticut-based Ula Ruth has just released the track “Shake It Off” in advance of its upcoming EP Restless Nights, set for release on January 14. The EP has already delighted critics at the Celebrity Café and Rust Magazine, and “Shake It Off” doesn’t disappoint. With a bass line crafted for blasting through a car stereo and a growl that can compete with alternative rock’s best vocalists, the song has what it takes to dominate rock radio. Check out “Shake It Off” below and, if you’re up for a road trip, stop by Ula Ruth’s record release show at the Mercury Lounge in New York City on release day. – Jake Reed

I’m usually not a huge fan of straight-up instrumental bands, but Massachusetts-based Nashoba has proved me wrong in a big way. Their unique guitar melodies and super-tight rhythms are quite impressive. They remind me a little bit of American Football, but without the vocals to distract the listener from the talented musicianship taking place. The band are currently touring the east coast, with a show tonight at Cold Spring Hollow in Belchertown, MA. They were supposed to play a show last night in Allston, MA at O’Brien’s, but the gig was cancelled due the recent snowstorm.

For updates about that tour (and other band info), head on over to their Facebook page.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

The story of how Hartford-based Violent Mae came to be is an interesting one. Becky Kessler asked Floyd Kellogg to act as producer for her first solo album with no intention of collaborating further. Their chemistry in the studio was instantaneous, and the two quickly joined forces to create their self-titled debut LP, released in November. At times, their music is spacy, textural and discordant. For instance, take a listen to the eerie climactic bridge of the slow-moving “Man In The Country.” The pace picks up on other songs, such as the catchy indie-pop gem “Hole In My Heart.” Kessler’s deep vocals separate her from other female indie singers, sounding like a less dramatic, more authentic Lana del Rey. Download the album on Bandcamp now and check out Violent Mae at BAR in New Haven, CT, on January 15. – Jake Reed

For its latest release, Rich People Food takes on one of the biggest rap songs of 2013, recently named Pitchfork’s top track of the year: “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake and Majid Jordan. The cover takes the song from sensual R&B ballad to dance-floor ready jam, aided by a sax-heavy bridge and vocalist Brian Bernhard’s rock radio croon.  Synths glitter and gleam, giving the song a new sound stripped of any shred of R&B (save for the snap percussion in its first 20 seconds). Check out the video below – Jake Reed

Connecticut-based Chillingsworth’s name lends a hint to what it sounds like: on “It’s a Boy,” released on December 28, the band sounds, for lack of a better term, chill. Opening track “Vacillate” leans towards John Frusciante’s soft, textural guitar work on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “By the Way,” with a relaxed tempo providing the backdrop for featured rapper Billy Rodriguez-Lopez. Synth player and saxophonist Heydar Ensha adds an important element that helps the band stand apart from the pack of New England indie bands. If you don’t believe me, check out the sax riff that commands all attention its way on “Bruno Mars.” The “It’s a Boy” EP is available to download on Bandcamp now – Jake Reed

Rejoice, local music fans: the 2014 New England Music Awards nominees have been announced. Local stars will align at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on February 22, and the show’s nominees include a range of talents from Harvard, Mass. singer-songwriter Ashley Jordan (Country Act of the Year) to Boston Calling openers Bad Rabbits (Best in State: Massachusetts). Deer Tick, the Mallet Brothers Band, Gentlemen Hall, Della Mea and Kingsley Flood will duke it out for the night’s top prize: Band of the Year. Hosted by comedian Steve Sweeney, the event will also feature performances by bands including Nemes, Dressed for the Occasion and recent Deli New England featured artist Sarah Borrello. Tickets for the event are available online now, and you can check out (and vote!) for the nominees here. – Jake Reed

While its last record, "Home," was released in April of 2012, the Brighton-based Novel Ideas is preparing for what could be a big 2014. Recent photos posted to Facebook reveal that they’ve been recording a successor to “Home,” and they’ll follow two shows in Brooklyn at the top of the year with a set at the House of Blues’s Foundation Room on January 9 alongside the Long Lost and the Adventures Of. While it would be easy to write the Novel Ideas off as just another country band, they bring together twangy electric guitars, a beautiful backdrop of fingerpicked chords and singsong melodies by a trio of vocalists – with this band, there is something for every listener. – Jake Reed

This coming Saturday, January 4, local rockers Fax Holiday will be showcasing some new material and releasing their latest EP, Big Fear, at Roggies in Brighton, MA. “Big Night”, the first single from the EP, is currently available for free streaming/download on their bandcamp page, and from the sounds of it, these guys have been putting in some serious work to revamp their sound. The production and recording quality on “Big Night” is so clear and crisp–it definitely makes for a great listen. I also dig the addition of a piano and strings on this track, giving the song a dreary, sleepy feel–perfect listening for a rainy day.

Head on over to the Facebook event page for more information about the record-release show. Big Fear will be available on 10-inch vinyl as well as digitally starting January 4th thanks to Boston-based art collective De-Efodiar. For those of you who are really impatient, fret not–you can pre-order the vinyl now through the band’s bandcamp page.
 

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

UMass Amherst-based singer-songwriter Sarah Addi’s new track “The Hitchhiker,” from her forthcoming EP, is one of the best songs to come out of Western Massachusetts all year. Addi, a singer, pianist, and ukulelist, showcases her smooth, mellifluous voice on the track, underpinned by her own ukulele strums, crystalline guitar arpeggios from fellow Amherst musician Mitch Bordage and harmony vocals by Annie Bayer. The song itself is very well-composed, but a tour through her Soundcloud page shows that she’s more than adept at putting her own spin on others’ songs as well. Her EP, which remains untitled, should be out next year. If you’re in the Pioneer Valley, you won’t want to miss this honey-voiced songstress the next time she lights up a stage. – Ben Bosco

“Self,” Faces In The Floor’s newest EP released on December 20, revolves around its titular theme: its three tracks are called “Self Worth,” “Self Loathing” and “Self Control.” The first combine’s the persistent time signature changes of math rock with a mosh pit-ready chorus, while the pace slows down on “Self Loathing,” which finds vocalist Chris Eckert asking, “Should I have been a better friend? Does the sadness end?” The final track, “Self Control,” is the EP’s most gripping, with sharp, speedy guitar work that wouldn’t sound out of place in System of a Down’s discography. “Self” can be purchased on Bandcamp now – Jake Reed

Have a great holiday! We’ll be back on December 26th.