Last summer, I went to a Northside Festival showcase somewhere in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and landed myself in a regrettable conversation about Pile. It was with a dude who, while clearly well-versed in the Northeastern rock scene, was really just another asshole with a Bandcamp page and something to prove. As a female-bodied individual who likes noisy, abrasive rock music, I’m used to dudes commanding me to “Listen to Moss Icon!” as if I haven’t been a fan since, I don’t know, high school? Instead of “Hey do you like ____?” I’m usually “helpfully” told to “check this out.” All bitterness aside, this dude tried to tell me that he was unfamiliar with Pile, and therefore they couldn’t possibly be a good band. “Are they aware that their name rips off the seminal post-punk band PiL?” he asked. I didn’t know what to say, because I had never heard anyone pronounce Public Image Ltd.’s acronym so… incorrectly. I stared at him, semi slack-jawed, and then shrugged and said something snarky like, “Oh, I am certain that they are very aware.” It was a lame comeback, but it’s all I had in that moment.

Pile are arguably the most influential rock band amongst their local Boston scene, but they’re talked about less frequently than some of their eager apprentices. “Tin Foil Hat” is the fourth single we’ve heard off of Pile’s soon to be released You’re Better Than This, which means that nearly half of the 10 track album is out there, floating around the internet, just waiting to be listened to. “#2 Hit Single,” “Mr. Fish,” and “The World Is Your Motel” comprised a good introduction to “Tin Foil Hat,” which is definitively the most clamorous song on the new record. Frontman Rick Maguire seethes and grunts throughout, like he forgot how to use words and just decided to resign himself to the song’s immense instrumentation. I’ve been seeing that guy who scoffed at Pile everywhere since the summer of 2014. Hell, I’ve since spotted him at a Exploding In Sound shows, and I consider it evidential proof that Pile are going to take over the world in 2015 (or at least sell more records this time around). I dedicate this brand new Pile song to you, nameless dude! Enjoy. You might’ve never heard of them, but they definitely exist.

You’re Better Than This is out 3/3 on Exploding In Sound. Pre-order it here.