If It's Too Loud...

Silly me not assuming that Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys would have a special Halloween song this year. "It's Only Halloween" defies the standard special Halloween songs by actually being really good. A lot of bands might put out a song just for Halloween, but it'll be a rush job that's cute but just a throw away. "It's Only Halloween" is a modern day "Monster Mash," except all the monsters die in their version. Plus, it mentions more modern movie monsters like Freddy Krueger, Predator, Michael Myers, etc.  You can listen to "It's Only Halloween" below, and get your very own copy at Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toy's Bandcamp . For more on Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, check out their Facebook . It's Only Halloween by Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys

Photo by Shervin Lainez Our fandom of Lady Lamb has been extremely well documented here at If It's Too Loud..., so we're thrilled to be able to share a new song with you. "See You," from the forthcoming Tender Warriors Club  EP is a throwback for Lady Lamb, of sorts. It's much closer to her more stripped down self released albums back when you could only get her music at shows or Bandcamp. It's not quite as stripped down as her home and video store recordings, though. That seems to be the theme of the entire EP, as it's main focus is on intimacy and vulnerability. That intimacy seems to be stretching to Lady Lamb's touring, as well. She's just announced dates for her Living Room Tour (although it does include proper club dates as well), and is taking submissions to be a part of it. She's not sticking with just living rooms, so if you have a space that can hold 40-75 people, go here are see if you can host a show! You can listen to ...

Providence's Jillian Kay is pretty tough to label. I think most people would call it folk, since it's mostly quiet and acoustic. Plus, she's a female singer-songwriter and all. And I guess the label kind of fits. But her new album, nothing between us , is far too challenging to be standard folk fare. First of all, the album is super lo-fi. The entire thing comes across sounded pretty muddled, particularly the vocals. What's weird, is that leads to the entire charm of Kay's sound. Her voice is beautiful, but oddly beautiful. You may first hear it and be pushed back by the sound a bit, but by the time you get halfway through "stay better," the album opener, you're all in. She also doesn't fit into the freak folk movement. Most of that is pretty twee and caught up in being artsy for the sake of being artsy. Kay is vulnerable while still being bad ass and powerful. You can download your own copy of Jillian Kay's stellar new album nothing betwee...

I love Halloween. It's by far my favorite holiday, but musically it always gets the shaft. Sure, you're going to hear "Monster Mash" roughly 1000 times this weekend, but not much else. Last year, I snagged Rodney Anonymous of The Dead Milkmen's Halloween playlist , but this year I decided we needed our own. While metal is always an obvious choice, I tried to keep it to a minimum (Danzig), while focusing on our alternative classics (Jane's Addiction, The Magnetic Fields, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), classic rock (Alice Cooper, Screamin' Jay Hawkins), and some of our newer favorites (Brown Bird, Speedy Ortiz, Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys). Running at just around two hours, it's perfect to put on in the background for parties this weekend or while you're handing out candy on Monday. Enjoy!

Photo credit: Nick McKinlay Two of my absolute favorite releases of the year (and both strong contenders for album of the year) are Big Thief's Masterpiece and Julia Jacklin's Don't Let the Kids Win. Another thing we love here at If It's Too Loud... are cover songs, so imagine my delight to see that Julia Jacklin has covered Big Thief's "Paul." It doesn't seem like modern artists cover their contemporaries the way that artists in the 50s and 60s used to, so this is a rare choice, but a great one. Jacklin's version of "Paul" stays completely true to the original, and is a complete homage and show of admiration for Big Thief's song. Let's hope this leads to a Big Thief version of "Pool Party" or "Coming of Age." You can watch Julia Jacklin perform "Paul" below. For more information on Julia Jacklin, check out her website. For more on Big Thief, check out theirs.

When I first see a band is named Ragweed, I immediately assume they're going to be one of the more pop-minded bands to come out of the current neo-folk movement, maybe a new Of Monsters and Men or The Lumineers. Surprisingly, Ragweed out of Brighton, UK doesn't fit into that category at all. Instead, their new single "Rust Box" is pure messy, scrappy early 90s era grungey punk. The immediate comparison to make is Nevermind  era Nirvana, but it's a bit too polished for that. It's closer to the bands that immediately popped up in Nirvana's wake, so it's more poppy than Nirvana but not as packaged as Bush or Our Lady Peace. I probably would have hated this in 1994, but 20 years later it feels oddly comfortable. You can watch the video for "Rust Box" below. The single will be officially released on November 4th via Milky Bomb Records. For more info on Ragweed, check them out on Facebook or Twitter .

A lot of new releases this week, so we're off to the races! I can't decide on an album of the week because there are SO many different albums out this week and they all fit a different niche. As I started a new job and haven't quite figured out the whole "balance writing about the new releases" thing, I'll give some highlights this week. Hoping to stay on a better schedule soon! Albums I Liked a Lot! : Artist : The Dean Ween Group Album : The Deaner Album Quick Description : Dean Ween has a new project... Why You Should Listen : ...and it's a lot like Ween. Overall Thoughts : Ween is admittedly an acquired taste. I get that they're not for everyone, but man, when they're on? They're on. In 2016, when I'm on the wrong side of 35? It's not amusing the same way "The AIDS Song" made me giggle in my early 20s, but something needs to be said about the fun juvenile songs that are peppered throughout this record. I s...

If you're going to call your band Salem Wolves, you're contractually obligated to release some form of Halloween song. One of the more obvious songs to cover around this time of year is the eternal Screamin' Jay Hawkins classic "I Put a Spell On You." Considering Salem Wolves play a version of dark rock n' roll that's more than a little tinged with punk, rockabilly, and surf rock, you'd expect a fairly straightforward cover, but Salem Wolves truly make this song their own. The first half is far more stripped down and bare bones than I would ever expect, but by the second half they break the song open into a noisy power ballad with singer Gray Bouchard sounding like a gospel singer over pure bluesy chaos. You can listen to Salem Wolves' cover of "I Put a Spell On You" below. You can also get a copy of your very own for free over at their Bandcamp page . If you're in the Boston area, be sure to check them out tonight at ONCE Ballr...

Photo via Facebook Without any true rhyme or reason, Howard Stern put together a 50th anniversary tribute to The Beatles' iconic album Revolver. Airing on his Sirius XM station, the tribute featured the kind of artists you'd expect Stern to recruit: James Taylor, Jewel, Cheap Trick, etc. Sticking out to me apart from the rest was J Mascis. Not being a subscriber to Sirius XM, I figured J's version of "Doctor Robert" would be lost to me. Luckily, Dinosaur Jr archive site FreakScene.net  has posted it on YouTube. Now... this isn't exactly Mascis' finest work. The song feels just a wee bit overproduced with a string section coming in out of nowhere, and he's trying to harmonize the vocals too much. No one is really listening to Mascis for pretty vocals. But the last minute and a half is just pure J Mascis guitar solo heaven. At the very least, it's an interesting curiosity, and a must listen for any fan of Mascis and/or covers. You can listen to...

Photo via Facebook As a Halloween treat to us all, Rodney Anonymous of The Dead Milkmen is slowly rolling out "The Halloween Demos." I think I'll do the lazy journalist thing here and use Rodney's own words to explain them: I’ve probably written fifteen or sixteen songs this year. Of those, I’ve submitted at least a dozen to the Milkmen as demos. Out of those five or six will probably land on the next Milkmen album if I’m lucky.  That’s the way songwriting works in our band: everybody writes and  submits songs (or parts of songs) and we keep a few and the rest are never heard form again. It’s pretty much the same process the Duggars use to decide which of their children they’ll allow to live. Normally, I don’t share my demos with people outside of the band. This is because the songs always tend to sound better after the other guys contribute to them. Or, in the case of the songs that get scrapped, I relieved that I was sparred the embarrassment. That said, ...

Jeff has had much more luck than I have with Spotify's Discover Weekly playlists. I seem to mostly get bands I listen to regularly, and maybe some ok stuff sprinkled in. This week, I finally found a song I've been obsessed with all week. A Los Angeles band that hasn't released a debut album yet, Valley Queen released a single back in August. While "In My Place" is the A-Side, the B-Side is what sucked me in. "High Expectations" is this laid back, California-style modern folk song. I'm not really a lyrics guy, but that's what actually drew me in. "I'm not going to fake an orgasm in texting conversations" might be a lurid line, but coming out of singer Natalie Carol it's pure poetry. The whole song is an interesting take on modern dating. A line like "Women sending pictures like a resume, hoping that they qualify" shows a side you don't hear much about. Don't get me wrong, "In My Place" is also a grea...

Regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, I think we can all agree that this election cycle has been an absolute shit show. Most people seem to despise one or both main candidates, and there isn't a whole lot to get excited about politically. That might change, since at least this election has inspired the first new Le Tigre song in over a decade. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Kathleen Hanna can probably guess that she's not exactly the world's biggest Donald Trump fan. Le Tigre have chosen to throw their support totally behind Hillary Clinton with the song "I'm With Her." It's an upbeat dance track, exactly what you'd expect from Le Tigre. If this election brings us nothing else, at least we have a new song from Le Tigre. Maybe this whole year has been worth it.  For everything Le Tigre, be sure to check out their website . Also, check out Kathleen Hanna's more current band, The Julie Ruin, on their website , too. The ...

I don't believe Sean Lennon has previously outright rejected being compared to his father the way other musicians with famous musician parents have, but he never actually encouraged it. That seemed to change earlier this year with the release of The Claypool Lennon Delirium's Monolith of Phobos , his most Beatles-like work yet. Back in August, the band (which also includes Les Claypool, obviously) played at the House of Blues in Boston. I wasn't able to make the show, but luckily WGBH's Front Row Boston  did, and they captured an absolutely mind-melting cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows." It's a pure psychedelic showcase for Lennon. He basically has the voice of John, the guitar chops of George, and the noise rock pedigree of someone who's toured with Sonic Youth. It's nearly eight minutes of wonderful, and you need to hear this. What's truly bizarre is that Sean Lennon has been dismissed for just about two decades as just being John Lennon'...

Photo via Facebook Kristin Hersh's solo albums tend to be where she explores her quieter, more acoustic music. The noisier more abrasive sounds tend to get channeled into Throwing Muses, and the really noisy stuff becomes 50 Foot Wave. That's not the case with her new song, "Soma Gone Slapstick."  "Soma Gone Slapstick" isn't that far removed from her other solo work. The intro starts with about 10 seconds of acoustic guitar, but then some drums and a chugging guitar chord comes in. It's still very much in the singer-songwriter realm, but it's a very interesting change.  Kristin Hersh's upcoming album, Wyatt at the Coyote Palace , will be a two disc set packaged with a book of essays and lyrics. It's due out on November 11. You can watch the video for "Soma Gone Slapstick" below. For more information, check out her website .

And the rest! Artist : Moby and The Void Pacific Choir Album : These Systems Are Failing Quick Description : New album/project from Moby Why You Should Listen : Moby used to make some fairly essential stuff, and this is a return to interesting form. Overall Thoughts : I feel like Moby kind of ruined his brand in a way with Play , which was a good album, for sure, but was such a departure from his early work ( Animal Rights being the noted exception) that it seemed to set him on a weird trajectory in the longer term. These Systems Are Failing has a bit of a noise/industrial feel to it and thus doesn't feel like a recent Moby album, but still feels like an older one in terms of structure and interest. This was a favorite of mine this week, and I would highly recommend that, if you just saw the name Moby and scrolled on by, to give this a shot. Recommendation : A really great listen this week. Artist : Conor Oberst Album : Ruminations Quick Description : Lo-fi, stripp...

An interesting release week! Album of the Week : Artist : Kingsley Flood Album : Another Other Quick Description : New album from the local favorites. Why You Should Listen : Kingsley Flood has near-mastered the indie rock landscape... Overall Thoughts : ...and if there's any justice, this will be their breakthrough. The band has a collection of songs, some of which we've heard on other EPs, that just flow together really well and show some consistent songwriting chops and, perhaps more importantly, a more robust and consistent sound that hasn't been there for them up to this point. No, there's no "Set Me Off" here, but that's okay - the whole album is a pretty solid achievement and a surprise even for me, who is a genuine fan of this band and who was anticipating a new full length. You owe it to yourself to hop on the bandwagon now before they blow up and become huge. Recommendation : A must listen this week. Artist : Swet Shop Boys Album ...

This week saw the debut of Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers) take over as host of NPR staple  A Prairie Home Companion. I was always shocked that more "hip" bands didn't do the show back when Garrison Keillor was the host, since it's hokey, old-timey format seemed to be a perfect fit for most of the current crop of Americana artists. That might finally be happening with the new, younger host, as Thile's first show featured the big guns of Lake Street Dive and Jack White. Best of all is Jack White brought out Margo Price for a rendition of The White Stripes' "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)." While the original had more of a gospel feel to it, this version felt like the song might have started out as a Carter Family song. Just add some twang and the beyond classic feel of Price's voice, and any song can be an old standard. You can watch Jack White and Margo Price perform "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lone...

Photo by Levi Walton This was a very pleasant surprise this morning. Apparently Otis Bperiod was on tour with Dinosaur Jr earlier this year to document the band. He put together a documentary that just went up for free on YouTube. It's really rough black and white footage of the band, shot single camera style, but it's a ton  of live footage along with the band fooling around backstage. The backstage footage is great to see as a fan since most Dinosaur Jr coverage tends to focus on the band not really getting along. This is an absolute must for all fans of Dinosaur Jr, and it's free. Like I said, the video is a pretty rough quality, but it's a feature length Dinosaur Jr tour documentary, so who really cares, right? You can watch the full Dinosaur Jr - Bits and Pieces on YouTube below. I'd personally recommend watching it on your tv if you have the capability. For more on Dinosaur Jr, check out their website , and be sure to follow Otis Bperiod on Facebook . ...

Photo by Zak Bratt Hailing from Detroit, MI (somehow I'm surprised that there is an underground music scene in Detroit, even though that makes perfect sense), comes Stef Chura. Her new song, "You," might become your favorite song of 2017. It starts out as relatively standard singer/songwriter fair, albeit really fantastic relatively standard singer/songwriter fare. But underneath it all lies this brooding quality. And then the noise starts to kick in, and then drift away, just to come back later. She's along the lines of Colleen Green and Lady Lamb, as an artist who defies the easy folk label by just having this raw edge of punkish indie rock, but with just a hint of Kristin Hersh thrown in. Stef Chura's debut album, Messes (which is definitely going on my most anticipated albums of 2017 list), will be out January 27 on Urinal Cake Records. You can listen to "You" below. You can pre-order the album at Urinal Cake's website . For more on Stef Ch...

Photo by Mike Rozycki The new single from The Wave Pictures strikes pretty close for us all in the Boston w e've lost a ton of legendary music venues in the last couple of years, so a song  about losing a beloved hangout to development strikes a chord with us. "Pool Hall" is this groovy 90s tinged indie rock song. Dave Tattersall's vocals come across like a crooning Stephen Malkmus or a less rock star version of Jarvis Cocker. It's a chilled out, bluesy sound that is really unique in the world of indie rock, and I'm really looking forward to hearing more from these guys. The upcoming album from The Wave Pictures, Bamboo Diner in the Rain , will be out November 11 on Moshi Moshi. You can watch the video for "Pool Hall" below. For more information on The Wave Pictures, check out their website and Facebook . You can pre-order Bamboo Diner in the Rain here .

Aaaaaaaaaand we're back! Artist : Julia Jacklin Album : Don't Let the Kids Win Quick Description : Debut album from a favorite here. Why You Should Listen : She's a modern throwback in all the best ways. Overall Thoughts : We've spilled a lot of digital ink on Jacklin over the last year, so to finally have a solo album is great, and the fact that it's meeting and exceeding expectations is just icing on the cake. This was very nearly my album of the week, and the promise that came with "Pool Party" and "Leadlight" was fulfilled, plain and simple. Recommendation : Listen to this album. It's a must. Artist : Springtime Carnivore Album : Midnight Room Quick Description : Second album from another retro-styled duo. Why You Should Listen : When the melodies are on, they are on . Overall Thoughts : I fell in love with this act with "Name in the Matchbook" from their debut, so seeing a new album was exciting. This continu...

Photo by Cat Stevens The lead single from Wolf People's upcoming album, Ruins , might be the creepiest thing we've covered here at If It's Too Loud... On first listen, "Ninth Night" is a heavy blast of psychedelia. It's trippy, but it rocks at a medium pace while being oddly, almost hypnotizing in a weird pop way. The song is almost fun. But... there's something uncomfortable about the song. Turns out the song takes its lyrics from an old incantation from the 1700s that burglars would use to lull victims into a deep sleep. Oh, and they did thins while holding a Hand of Glory, which was the stolen hand of a hanged man dipped in wax. Knowing that gives the lyrics  “Let those who rest more deeply sleep /  Let those awake their vigils keep / Oh hand of glory shed thy light / Direct us to our spoils tonight" a whole new meaning. Ruins is due out on November 11 via Jagjaguwar. You can pre-order it here , and watch the video for "Ninth Night"...