If It's Too Loud...

Today is packed with highly anticipated album releases. For us, one of the most anticipated releases of all is the latest from Sarah Shook + The Disarmers, Sidelong . This morning I woke up to an email from NoiseT r ade offering me some free music from Sarah Shook & The Disarmers. Songs From Sidelong + More  includes three songs from Sidelong  as well as three songs from Sarah Shook's 2013 solo album, Seven.  We've been raving about the songs we've heard so far from Sidelong . Her deep down country sound mixed with punk and indie rock resonates hard for us. I had never heard anything from her solo album, so being able to hear a few songs from that release is welcome. Those three are more traditional alt-country. Sidelong is the album that sets Sarah Shook & The Disarmers up as a completely unique sound. You can get your copy of Songs From Sidelong + More  over at Noisetrade . After listening to these songs, you're going to want to get your own copy of Sid...

Hailing from Richmond, VA, Dharma Bombs are pure throwback Americana. They cite The Devil Makes Three and Pokey LaFarge as influences, but I'm going at add The Two Man Gentleman Band and Squirrel Nuts Zippers as other comparable acts since they have a bit of the old timey swing sound, too. The first song off their upcoming debut album, "Pack Your Bags," is an interesting choice to introduce themselves. They're a six piece band, but "Pack Your Bags" is a minimalist folk ballad. Everyone gets a chance to shine, but almost separately. The horn section seems to get the most time as far as the instruments go, but it's mostly a quietly strummed acoustic song with forlorn male and female vocals getting the main focus. It's a beautiful song that is only going to build anticipation for their upcoming album. You can listen to "Pack Your Bags" below. Dharma Bombs' debut album, Old Time Romance , will be out on May 11 on Crystal Pistol Records....

We're pretty excited about the upcoming album from Justin Townes Earle. The man just doesn't release bad music. Hell, the man doesn't release anything mediocre. His new album, Kids In the Street , is due out on May 26. To get us excited for the new album, or even just to tide us over, he's offering the first three singles for a free download through NoiseTrade. Plus, there are three additional live recordings from his PledgeMusic sessions thrown in for fun.  The new songs reflect some changes in Earle's life. Since his last album, 2014's double shot of Single Mothers  and Absent Fathers , Earle has gotten married and is about to become a father. Kids In the Street  shows his growth as a songwriter. Instead of looking into himself, the songs look out into the world around him. Plus, he's letting his blues and soul influences out in these songs. It's not a huge change in sound. Kids In the Street  fits right in with Earle's discography of country/f...

Photo by Tim Harris James Elkington was born in England but now makes Chicago his home. He started out in bands like The Zincs and The Horse's Ha, but stopped writing music around 2011. Instead, he collaborated and played with the likes of Jeff Tweedy, Richard Thompson, Steve Gunn, and Tortoise. This sparked a new creative energy, and he's now set to release his debut solo album. "Make It Up" was recorded in Wilco's Loft in Chicago. His British accent and style of singing are going to remind you of Nick Drake. The main focus of the song is going to be his almost bluegrass style of guitar picking. Elkington is one hell of a guitar player, and this song really lets him show that off. Despite it being mostly acoustic, it still features a killer electric guitar solo. It's pure Americana being filtered through British eyes in an intriguing way. You can watch the video for "Make It Up" below. James Elkington's debut solo album, Wintres Woma , w...

Photo By Angela Clement Somehow The Stevenson Ranch Davidians have escaped my notice up until now. I feel bad, but I'm going to pretend that it's ok since they haven't released an album since 2009 (even though my main knowledge of music pre-dates 2009...). The most obvious band to compare them to would be The Brian Jonestown Massacre, based on their name and the fact that the two bands share guitarist Rob Campanella. Both bands also fit snugly into the psychedelia genre, although, based on their new song "Holy Life," The Stevenson Ranch Davidians are a little less rockin' and more pure psychedelia. It's trippy as hell without being hippie-esque. The video for the song features found footage of adults and children square dancing in the 50s or 60s with red, white, and blue and Illuminati imagery shown over the footage. You can watch the video for "Holy Life" below. The Stevenson Ranch Davidians' first album since 2009, Amerikana , will be...

A supergroup consisting of members of Sleater-Kinney and R.E.M. is pretty much a dream match up around these parts, Jeff being obsessed with R.E.M. and me being obsessed with Sleater-Kinney. Filthy Friends is just that, featuring Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney on vocals and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on guitar. The band also features Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, R.E.M.) on bass and keyboards, Kurt Boch (Young Fresh Fellows, Fastbacks) on guitar, and drums by Bill Rieflin (R.E.M., Ministry, Revolting Cocks). The pedigree of this band is insane. Their Record Store Day contribution, "Any Kind of Crowd," is now being offered digitally. If the phrase "Sleater-Kinney/R.E.M. supergroup" appeals to you, you're pretty much guaranteed to like it. The single goes a little more on the lighter, 90s poppier side of R.E.M. instead of the heavier Sleater-Kinney side of things. That's a bit of a disappointment for me (and probably a dream for Jeff), but the b-side,...

We're just over a week away from the release of Doug Tuttle's third solo album, and he's shared another song off of it. "Only in a Dream" is absolutely breathtaking. George Harrison has long been my favorite Beatle, and seeing as "Only in a Dream" sounds like an outtake from All Things Must Pass , I'm fully on board. Plus, seeing how Tuttle recorded the entire album in his Somerville, MA bedroom, the production is absurdly good to rate comparison's to Harrison's classic solo debut. It's a beautiful, gently strummed song with a guitar riff that loops around and just sucks you straight in. You can listen to "Only in a Dream" below. Doug Tuttle's third solo album, Peace Potato , will be out on May 5 via Trouble in Mind. For more on Tuttle, check him out on Facebook and Twitter .

A busy week! Album of the Week : Artist : Charly Bliss Album : Guppy Quick Description : Much-anticipated debut album. Why You Should Listen : You love that late-1990s indie alt-rock sound. Overall Thoughts : I’ve been obsessed with “Ruby” since it came out, so Guppy has been on my “most anticipated” list for quite some time now. My expectations for a debut album like this were probably higher than they should have been, but the reality? This is a really, really great record. I sent it over to Ken almost immediately, and he asked if they were a Letters to Cleo cover band which is a pretty appropriate comparison on a whole – the sort of female-led alternative rock of the 1990s is alive in Charly Bliss, and I’m very excited to spend more time with this one. Not a bad song on the album... Recommendation : ...and it’s absolutely one of the best releases of the year so far. Artist : Emily Bell Album : Kali Quick Description : Austin-area singer-songwriter's new EP. ...

Photo by Ken Sears It's not exactly fair to claim that an artist is sharing a new sound on their second album, but that's what I'm going to do with Benjamin Booker. His 2014 self-titled album was this brilliant blast of proto-punk mixed with Kurt Cobain and Delta blues. The first song we could hear from his upcoming second album, "Witness," mixed in some more soul and some hip hop elements (and featured Mavis Staples!) The second song, "Right On You," goes off in an even different direction. There are still some hints of Booker's classic sound mixed with some soul, but "Right On You" is a little more straightforward punk along the lines of X, while throwing a tiny bit of Sonic Youth noise in there. Once again, a very unexpected sound that makes perfect sense with Booker's progression as an artist. You can listen to "Right On You" below. His new album, Witness , is due out on June 2 via ATO Records. You can pre-order the ...

It's been a little over a year since Julie Rhodes released her pretty fantastic album Bound to Meet the Devil. Both of us loved her album, and, as anyone who reads this blog with any frequency knows, we also love covers. Luckily for all of us, Julie Rhodes released her cover of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind." Etta James is one of those artists I know shamefully little about, so I can't really compare the two versions to each other. Rhodes' version of the song is a seven minute plus soulful roots track. Her voice has never sounded more soulful than it has on this song. The song is far from falling into the current crop of soul artists. Her band keeps this a rock song, keeping on the Neil Young side of roots rock. This song is completely worth seven minutes (or an hour or two) of your time today. You can watch the video for Julie Rhodes' cover of "I'd Rather Go Blind" below. For more on Julie Rhodes, be sure to check out her website ...

I always hate to take a band's description straight out of their press release, but sometimes they just nail it. Blake Kendrick and Catherine Martindale were in Poeticat, until they decided to leave and form Coltana. According to the press release that accompanies their latest single, "Break Her," Coltana combines Bikini Kill and Arctic Monkeys. And that pretty much nails it. It's not a 100% accurate comparison, though. Coltana doesn't quite match the ferocity or rawness of Bikini Kill since they're a bit too polished, but they're also not quite the ready made hit makers that Arctic Monkeys are. Instead, you get something in the middle with a ton of tonal and tempo quick stops and starts that I haven't heard since the early days of the Arctic Monkeys. It's a combination that is jarring in an almost but not quite pleasant way. You can listen to "Break Her" below. The single will be available for purchase on May 19 via Poeticat Records....

Every so often we receive a music submission that we know we're going to write about before we even listen. Listerlit met as members of the Bushwick Book Club in Brooklyn. The duo writes songs inspired by different literary works, and feature guitar, bass, synth, traditional Korean drum, and accordion. That's pretty much all I need to know right there. Musically they're a bit hard to tie down. I would suppose there are some folk elements, but there's definitely a bit of a goth sound due to the use of synths. There's some elements of a stripped down PJ Harvey in there, too. Their latest EP, List of Equipment , is comprised of five songs about different books. "Ceremony" is a dark folk-ish song inspired by Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. The title track, "List of Equipment," is a throwback to the 90s throwback of 60s French pop inspired by Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  After that are songs inspired by the works o...

As we all prepare ourselves to finally have a full length Salem Wolves album next month (it's been over two months since we had our first taste of the album ), we can now listen to a new song from Tooth & Nail. "From the Vault" is absolutely epic. It's the Salem Wolves' garage rock n' roll sound, but this song just is them swinging for the fences in the best possible way. It sounds like they are getting themselves prepared to go out on a stadium tour, and I mean that in the best possible way. The song is loud and both dirty sounding and polished. You can listen to "From the Vault" below. Salem Wolves' debut album, Tooth & Nail , will be out May 5. You can pre-order your copy via Bandcamp . They're also running what might be the best deal for a pre-sale of all time. For $20 you get a digital download of Tooth & Nail , a physical cd copy, a special edition t-shirt, and beer koozie. It's seriously an absurd deal. For more on ...

Bettie Serveert might be the band I rediscover the most about for the past 25 years. Yes, that's how long Amsterdam's Bettie Serveert have been bringing us their blend of indie pop, a term that never would have flown back in the 90s. They always seem to be hiding out just out of my consciousness until a new album comes around. Well, they're back in since this Saturday, aka Record Store Day, will see the release of their 11th studio album, Damaged Good, on vinyl, which will be the only release of the album in a physical format in North America.   Bettie Serveert are now officially legends, and "B-Cuz," although the title of the song looks more like a Boyz II Men song, helps to cement that status. "B-Cuz" is as catchy as it could possibly be and lies in that realm of song that would have been a Buzz Clip back in the day but now counts as a fun pop song. You can watch the newly released video for "B-Cuz" below. Head out to your favorite loca...

A short week, likely due to the Easter holiday. Album of the Week : Artist : Lillie Mae Album : Forever and Then Some Quick Description : Your new favorite Third Man roots record. Why You Should Listen : You love good rootsy music with a raw feel to them. Overall Thoughts : Lillie Mae was on my radar due to some sort of Spotify mix. If you see her picture on her album covers, you’re greeted with a very specific expectation of a sort of pop sensibility, with her very modern look and such, but what you get instead is an amazingly solid set of country/roots tunes. I spent most of the album both surprised at its quality and really enjoying what I was hearing, and there might not be a bad song in the bunch. Lillie Mae, unsurprisingly, is signed to Third Man Records, and that probably explains why everything works so well here. She might be the 2017 version of Margo Price, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Recommendation : Best release of the week. Artist : Kendrick Lamar Al...

Photo via Facebook This was my third time seeing Sallie Ford live in less than four years, and her third band I've seen her with. Interestingly enough, this was her first truly coed band (The Sound Outside had an all male line up and her first solo band was all female.) While the all female line up had a similar sound to The Sound Outside, her new band has a distinct sound of their own. Considering Soul Sick  is the only album with the new band, and it is the new album after all, the majority of the night's set list came from the new album. The crowd may have been sparse (it was a late night Tuesday show with a crowd of female hipsters in their 20s and middle aged men, after all), but they were completely into the new songs like "Loneliness is Power," "Failure," and "Get Out." The crowd seemed more into the older material, but I don't see that as a knock on her new songs. Soul Sick  might be the best thing she's ever released, but son...

We don't normally post this late in the afternoon/evening, so you know it's a pretty big deal when we do. Dead Man Winter, Trampled By Turtles' frontman Dave Simonett's solo project, is offering up his latest album for free via Noisetrade. While Trampled By Turtles are a frolicking speedgrass band and a party every time they play live, Dead Man Winter is a more private, introspective project. Furnace  is an album about the end of Simonett's ten year marriage. With titles like "This House is On Fire," "Am I Breaking Down," and "You Are Out of Control," Dead Man Winter won't be your next favorite party time band. It's not all doom and gloom, despite the topic. Along with the sense of loss and failure, divorce also brings a sense of rebirth and hope, which is reflected on this album. Even if you've never been a fan of Trampled By Turtles, you'll want to listen to this album. If you're a die-hard Trampled By Turtles fa...

Photo by Kristian Svitak The new project from Kelley Deal (The Breeders, The Kelley Deal 6000) and Mike Montgomery (Ampline) is R. Ring. They've done some touring and released a few singles, but they are set to release their debut album on April 28. Right now we can listen to a new song from the album, "Steam." "Steam" is definitely not what I would expect from a band featuring Kelley Deal. (I'm not all that familiar with Ampline, so I can't compare it that way.) "Steam" is sparse, almost painfully so. Montgomery's vocals are the main focused, accompanied with a barely plucked guitar, Deal's background vocals (her "oooooooooo-ooooooooh"s are the hook of the song, and the very occasional string instrument in the background. Some of the other songs on the album are a bit more rambunctious, but "Steam" is quietly beautiful. You can watch the video for "Steam" below. R. Ring's debut album, Ignite the ...

Photo by poprockphotography "The Nail" is the song for people who say they love real country. It's a rollicking, rambling song about a terrible relationship filled with lots of arguing and drinking that you know is going to end, you just don't know who will end it first. But it's fun and exciting, so you stick with it for now. As with all good country, "The Nail" is fun sounding but lyrically it's depressing as can be. Plus, it fits right into the standard definition of outlaw country since it's probably a little too rocking for country and a little too country for rock. Plus, Sarah Shook's voice, while it does have a great twang to it, is a little too rough for country and would probably fit in better with an indie rock band. But, for those of us raised on indie rock who slowly grew to accept and love country in adulthood, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers couldn't be more perfect. You can listen to "The Nail" below, along ...

Back on May, 25 1968, Mary Bell strangled a four year old boy to death in Scotswood, England. It was the day before her eleventh birthday. In July, she convinced a friend to help her strangle another boy. He was three. She spent twelve years in prison for the murders because of her incredibly young age, and has lived the rest of her life under a new name. If you'd like to learn more about Mary Bell, My Favorite Murder did a great episode about her. It's episode Twenty Six Six Six . Now, Mary Bell is the name of a punk band out of Paris, France. (I guess if the name isn't being used...) Mary Bell, the band, is punk AF. Their new album, Mary Bell LP , is this incredibly noisy, loud, and ferocious mix. It combines the vocal discord of Bikini Kill, the raw guitars of The Melvins, and the raw energy of early Ramones. Plus, vocally, there is just a hint of Joan Jett in there. Every track on this album is as in your face as it could be, even a song like "The plague" ...

Hailing from Sicily, Clustersun are set to release their sophomore album next month. "Raw Nerve," the first single from Surfacing to Breath , is heavily influenced by classic shoegaze bands like Ride and The Jesus and Mary Chain. But it's not quite shoegaze, no matter how swirly the guitars might be. There's a classic rock psychedelia throughout the song, and it's a bit too heavy to be pure shoegaze. Plus, the band adds this epic, kinda glammed out element, like a Placebo song. And then the second half just devolves into this insane Sonic Youth style breakdown with the musicians going in their own directions, but somehow all staying together.  You can watch the video for "Raw Nerve" below. The latest album from Clustersun, Surfacing to Breath , will be out May 19 on Seahorse Recordings. For more on Clustersun, check them out on Bandcamp and Facebook .

Some solid stuff out this week! Album of the Week : Artist : Diet Cig Album : Swear I'm Good at This Quick Description : Debut from an indie-alt duo. Why You Should Listen : This is one of the great releases of the last few months. Overall Thoughts : After I listened to this amazing album, I went back to their first EP because I knew I had listened to it and I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t register with me. If you were thinking “that’s nice” with the EP, then strap in, because this debut effort is a much more full affair. Lots of that great 90s-esque alt-rock sound, but with a modern indie sensibility that is just so good. The lyrics are extremely current, which provides an extra novelty factor, and the overall feel of the thing is both immediate and fun. This is absolutely a duo to watch, and this is absolutely one of my favorite recent listens. Recommendation : Do not let this slip by. Artist : KOLARS Album : Kolars Quick Description : Poppy punky duo's...