13 New Songs You Need To Hear Before April 2014 Ends

Sometimes the rock world can get noisy, and we don’t just mean in decibels or fuzz. Often the signal-to-noise ratio is more noise than signal. But no worries; we read, listen to and watch everything so we can sort it for you. Here are some of our favorite new songs and videos of April 2014.

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BREATHE CAROLINA – “Chasing Hearts”

Chalk full of trendy slang, a down-pitched hypeman, tranquil dance beats and melismatic vocals courtesy of BC frontman David Schmitt and the scene’s own Justin Timberlake, Issues frontman Tyler Carter, this chill ode to friendship and “kicking it” gives us no viable reason why it couldn’t become a refreshing link between Katy Perry and the latest suspenders-pop phenomenon in your local pop station’s Saturday night remix chain. —Cassie Whitt

BULLY – “Milkman”

Channeling the jangle-pop sensibilities of Best Coast (but with way less songs about beaches) and taking vocal cues from '90s alt rock acts like the Breeders, Nashville newcomers Bully expand on their debut EP (released last fall) with this new 7-inch. A trained audio engineer and one-time intern of Steve Albini, frontwoman Alicia Bognanno brings an unparalleled bite to the track, which plays out like a nostalgic love letter to classic pop-punk, fused with a modern, lo-fi, anti-pop approach. It's a quick, energetic romp and a sure indicator that Bully are one band you definitely need to keep an eye on this year. —Philip Obenschain

CHIODOS – “Under Your Halo”

Devil , the reconstituted Chiodos’ debut for Razor & Tie, is close to perfection, offering vocalist Craig Owens’ confident vocal prowess, guitarist Thomas Erak’s 1000 horsepower shredding and keyboardist Brad Bell’s arrangements. But “Under Your Halo” is that rare thing, a swing toward the fence of mainstream success while still maintaining a personal band dynamic. The song has the resonance of a ’70s FM rock hit, while sounding remarkably contemporary. The string section is wonderfully decorative, Owens sings like he’s sending belated Valentines Day cards and the cumulative result will have you smiling. That the song is on the same album as the ugly, perverse and cool-as-feck “Behvis Bullock” puts a huge smile on my face. — Jason Pettigrew

EMMURE – “Like LaMotta”

Lyrics about passing out show flyers and demos in an Emmure song? There's always surprise (or outrage) when it comes to this band. It's musically what you'd expect: bipolar, swagged-out spoken word into gut-wrenching screams backed by breakdown-based rhythms. Just like a gym membership, Emmure's swole-inducing soundtrack has to be renewed every year. The video takes a “day in the life approach” as Frankie struts around Astoria lip-syncing the words, rocking a North Face jacket, which definitely isn't the craziest thing New Yorkers see all day. — Brian Kraus

FOXY SHAZAM – “Story Told”

Cincinnati rockers Foxy Shazam pulled a Beyoncé earlier this month when they released their fifth full-length, Gonzo, suddenly and without forewarning. On top of that, the record, which was recorded by the legendary Steve Albini, was made available for free. Gonzo is an important Foxy milestone for a number of reasons: It marks their first independent effort since their 2005 debut; it boasts a sonic deconstruction and minimalism in stark contrast to the group's more bloated recent efforts; and it was recorded live and in order, allowing its direction to be dictated by the songs themselves.Gonzo is the sound of a band finding their direction once again, and the closing track “Story Told” is, perhaps, the best example of Foxy's metamorphosis. An understated, hypnotic, quasi-ballad, “Story Told” alternates between restrained and explosive, serving as a perfect summation of Gonzo's reinvention. —Philip Obenschain

LOSTALONE – “Scarlet Letter Rhymes” 

LostAlone’s new album Shapes Of Screams feels like a historical action film accompanied by a 700-person orchestra, and choosing any one of the 12 stylistically varied songs to do the grandiose work justice is an impossible feat. So, I went the easy way—with the band’s latest single, “Scarlet Letter Rhymes.” (The first single “The Bells! The Bells!” was already featured in our November playlist.) This track alone, which vocalist/guitarist Steven Battelle wrote partially during a dream in which he was the captain of a flying pirate ship, is far from representative of the full album, though. Do yourself a favor andstream the entire thing. — Cassie Whitt

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MY MOUTH IS THE SPEAKER – “Your New Apartment”
If you follow me on Twitter (and you should, because I need to have my worth validated by strangers, so please add me: @scottheisel), I've been hyping up the new My Mouth Is The Speaker EP for the past few weeks. They're a Cleveland-area band who have been around for a few years now, opening local gigs for plenty of your favorite bands (i.e. Neck Deep, Weatherbox, Anthony Raneri, Spitalfield and Vacationer), but have just hit their stride with In Focus, and especially the lead track, “Your New Apartment.” It's like I Am The Avalanche covering Hot Rod Circuit, with a dusting of pop-hardcore sing-alongs that the Story So Far have excelled at. Gotta love it when local boys make good! —Scott Heisel

PLAGUE VENDOR – “Cursed Love, Hexed Lust”

Every time I hear the opening line of this song (“She's a preacher's daughter and a sinner's wife”), I'm reminded of that old Dusty Springfield song, “Son Of A Preacher Man.” Of course, the similarities end with mentions of religious career paths. Plague Vendor are frenzied and in-your-face—and one of the most exciting new faces in punk rock. “Cursed Love, Hexed Lust” moves between sultry, wailing choruses and rapidfire verses that harken back to frontman Brandon Blaine's hip-hop beginnings. Outside of the chorus, I can barely keep up with the words Blaine is spitting out, but damn, do they sound good. — Brittany Moseley

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE – “Lipton Witch” 

On Record Store Day this year, the emo gods descended from the heavens and brought with them a new song from Seattle’s Sunny Day Real Estate. With the “emo revival” being the toast of Tumblr, never has a new track from aging genre pioneers felt so timely and relevant. (It kind of makes you wonder if the band were aware of all this.) The song is a bit more uppity and warm than older, dreary favorites like “In Circles,” but the fact that it’s the band’s first new song in nearly 15 years warrants a listen alone. If you’re a fan of the genre, and you haven’t heard this yet, what the hell are you waiting for? Do you even revive, bro? —Matt Crane

THE USED – “A Song To Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work In Progress)”

The title “A Song to Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work In Progress)” may already have you scratching your head thinking “The Used and politics?”, but don’t worry. I hadn't expected it, but the two go together like Nutella and waffles—which go together damn good. (You’re welcome.) It sounds like it could be a track right off their debut album. The intense vocals initially give off that rough sound heard throughout last summer’s self-produced The Ocean In The Sky EP, but it leads into one hell of a chorus. I’ve long appreciated bassist Jeph Howard’s ability to not use his four-stringed-partner as a rhythm guitar so please pay close attention to that sexy bassline in the dance-worthy chorus. Be prepared to get some awkward stares as you uncontrollably shout “No way, no way U.S.A.!” while you’re walking down the street tomorrow. — Nick Major

ANTARCTIGO VESPUCCI – “I’m Giving Up On U2”

Full disclosure: I consider all three people who played on this record—vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Chris Farren (also of Fake Problems), vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jeff Rosenstock (ex-Bomb The Music Industry!) and drummer Benny Horowitz (also of the Gaslight Anthem)—not only punk celebrities but dear friends. So even if Antarctigo Vespucci's debut EP, Soulmate Stuff, wasn't actually any good, I would still give it the “good dudes, backed hard” label (because I have no journalistic integrity, as our website's comment section frequently reminds me). Luckily, I don't have to lie, because Soulmate Stuff is excellent, and its lead single, “I'm Giving Up On U2,” is pretty much the best Weezer song Motion City Soundtrack forgot to write. That's fancy rock-crit speak for holyfuckingshitthismaybetheperfectpopsongof2014solistentoitalready. — Scott Heisel

WILLIAM CONTROL – “Where Angels Burn”

Driven by a pulsing synthesizer pad seemingly lifted from Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime,” the final song on electro-goth sadist William Control’s Neuromancer is remarkably tender. But when he croons about how he’ll chase the object of his lust/love into Hell, he adequately conveys all of the stupid, crazy, psychotic, wounded things all of us feel in the pursuit and acquisition of love. It’s remarkably tender, grandiose and gothic, and when Control says in the spoken-word soliloquy at the end, “That place, heaven, will never exist as long as you are not by my side,” I believe him. Because I’ve been there. You? And what the hell is it with me and love songs this month. I’m gonna go find something to hate now… — Jason Pettigrew

WOVENWAR – “All Rise”

“You have the chance to rise again,” an empowered Shane Blay sings (not screams) on the debut single from Wovenwar—the new band featuring Blay (also of Oh, Sleeper) and the four members of As I Lay Dying who have not plead guilty to a form of attempted murder. With a title like “All Rise” (the first thing one hears when a judge enters the courtroom), it’s tough not to interpret the song as a commentary on As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis’ legal troubles. But all thoughts shift to the future as the dazzling duel guitars of Nick Hipa and Phil Sgrosso (silenced for too long) carve out a blazing soundscape of melodic radio metal. Blay also has an M. Shadows thing going on with his vocals, so, yeah, this one’s definitely going to radio. Good for them. —Matt Crane