If It's Too Loud...

Let's face it. Most of us aren't going to the Newport Folk Festival this year. Tickets now go on sale before Christmas, and sell out virtually instantly. Plus, while the ticket prices aren't that outrageous as far as festivals go, staying in or around Newport for a weekend during the summer is a very expensive proposition. But, if you like listening to first class Americana music at an outdoor festival in southern Rhode Island during the month of July, we now have a second option. In what appears to be its second year, the United Folk Festival takes over Wilcox Park in Westerly, Rhode Island on July 1st. Usually free, outdoor concerts in public parks are limited to band concerts and geriatric jug bands, but the United Folk Festival is bringing some of our favorite artists, all for free. The line up includes Blitzen Trapper, Langhorne Slim, Woods, The Low Anthem, Elvis Perkins, My Bubba (who might be your next favorite band), and many more. It's nine hours of a free ...

Photo via Facebook Bands like The Get Up Kids and The Anniversary are guilty pleasures for me. I always felt that I was a little bit too old to be into them back when both were at the height of their popularity. This was really driven home at a Get Ups Kids show I went to at the Worcester Palladium in 2001, which was the very first time I felt old at a show. I was 25.  I was thrilled and hesitant when I first heard that there was a new supergroup formed from members of both The Get Up Kids and The Anniversary. Radar State features Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic of The Get Up Kids and Josh Berwanger of The Anniversary. Adam Phillips of Architects is on drums. The band has released the first song off their upcoming EP. "Spinning Wheel" sounds like classic, old school Get Up Kids, the kind of emo you can listen to in your 30s or more without embarrassment. It's just fast enough to have a punk edge but melodic as can possibly be. We'll see how the entire EP is with three...

A slow week with the Memorial Day holiday. Artist : Swet Shop Boys Album : Sufi La Quick Description : EP from the former Das Racist folks. Why You Should Listen : A significant improvement from their debut. Overall Thoughts : Given that everyone liked Das Racist, the spinoff of their dissolution was a welcome event. But the first Swet Shop Boys album, for me at least, lacked the necessary staying power to really hold up over numerous listens. We get a quick EP from them this week, and I think this is the release we were hoping for – it has some great beats, some fun lyrics, and felt like the total package. I don’t know whether this is a preamble to new music or castoffs from the last album, but this has me exctited for the group all over again. Recommendation : Worth your time this week. Artist : Justin Townes Earle Album : Kids in the Street Quick Description : Latest from the independent country troubadour. Why You Should Listen : JTE typically has well-crafted song...

The Sticks from Brighton (UK, not the Boston neighborhood) refer to themselves as a "not very rock band." The band recently unearthed a lost album that was never released. They've released one song from it before it is released. "Come Back" is stripped back as can possibly be, with barely any instrumentation. There's barely a beat that can be heard, with guitar and bass that almost take turns. It's a fully fleshed out song, but it's the bare minimum that could be called post punk, which is already a genre based on minimalism. But this is so sparse and minimal that it's almost a post punk mixed with folk hybrid. It's an absurdly refreshing and unique sound, which is beyond welcome. You can listen to "Come Back" below. The Sticks' new/forgotten album, Why Bother , will be out on June 2 on Faux Discx. You can order a copy now via Bandcamp . For more on The Sticks, check them out on Facebook .

In what seems to be a recurring theme, for a limited time NoiseTrade is offering two singles from The Secret Sisters' upcoming album as well as a song from their PledgeMusic acoustic session. It's a collection of three songs total, but it's great to tide us over while we wait for The Secret Sisters' long awaited new album. The Secret Sisters might have the most perfect retro country/folk sound out there, to the point that even their originals sound like they might be covers of classics. It's all harmonies and gorgeous melodies. You Don't Own Me Anymore Singles Pack + PledgeMusic Sessions offers you "Tennessee River Runs Low" (which we brought to you back in March ) and "He's Fine," which is offered in both album versions and the PledgeMusic Sessions version.  You can get a copy of  You Don't Own Me Anymore Singles Pack + PledgeMusic Sessions for a limited time via NoiseTrade . You Don't Own Me Anymore will be available on June...

We're just over a week away from the release of Pega Monstro's new album, and we have a new song with a tweaked sound to check out. Our favorite garage rock sister duo from Portugal have released a new song, "Cachupa," and while it still has some of Pega Monstro's garage rock sound, it's a bit more tame and has more than a little bit of a dream pop sound to it. It still has classic garage rock guitars in it, but there's more of a dreamy, psychedelic element to it, almost as if it's being played through a haze. The dreamy, psychedelic sound is slowly drawn out more and more as the song continues. Plus, it clocks in at almost six and a half minutes, so it's practically the length of three normal garage rock songs. It's a welcome change to their sound while still sounding like a Pega Monstro song. You can listen to "Cachupa" below. Pega Monstro's new album, Casa de Cima , will be out June 2 on Upset the Rhythm. You can order your...

Photo by Ken Sears Back in the 80s and 90s, an album would be announced, and you'd have one single released before the album. With the current music industry model, you get 2-4 singles released before the album is, since there is really no such thing as radio or video airplay anymore. The only challenge with this model is you can really burn yourself out on an album before it's even out yet. I doubt that will happen with the upcoming album from Benjamin Booker. "Believe," the third single released for Witness , Booker goes full on soul. The proto-punk blues meets Nirvana sound of his 2014 self titled debut is gone on this track. This is pure neo-soul, and what's most shocking perfectly is how Booker's ragged voice fits both heavier rock songs and soul. The accompanying video was shot in Providence's Columbus Theater with an orchestra and gospel choir. Benjamin Booker's new album, Witness , will be out June 2 on ATO Records. You can watch the vi...

Photo via Facebook If you told me that Downtown Boys would be toning down their sound on their upcoming Sub Pop debut, but I'd end up still loving it, I'd have scoffed in your face. Luckily, you'd end up being right. "A Wall," the first single off Cost of Living , runs at about half speed of most of the songs on 2015's Full Communism. All things considered, by punk standards, it's a fairly tame song. Victoria Ruiz's vocals are still unhinged and go against the melody of the song. Oh... did I mention that there's melody? You can feel the influence of producer Guy Picciotto: The bass feels Fugazi level heavy. Plus, the left leaning politics are still there, with the title "A Wall" being about an obvious subject. This is the exact moment a punk band starts growing up a bit, while they're still keeping their edge. You can listen to "A Wall" below. Downtown Boys' new album, Cost of Living , will be out August 11 on Su...

A busy release week, but also a busy weekend for me, so this is somewhat truncated. Still, some real highlights: Album of the Week : Artist : !!! Album : Shake the Shudder Quick Description : Latest from the dance-rockers. Why You Should Listen : !!! is always amazing, and they've really hit their stride as a band. Overall Thoughts : It's rare for an album to both be album of the week and for me not to have a lot to say about it, but here is the new !!!, and they've got a pretty solid sound going at this point. They're not weird anymore, and they kind of have a great type of sound that doesn't take a ton of risks anymore. So, while we don't get legendary tracks like "Pardon My Freedom," we do get songs that hook you in immediately like "Dancing is the Best Revenge." !!! are a band out of time in a way - I'm into it. Recommendation : Always wonderful, and this is a must-listen like all of their stuff. Artist : Cayetana Al...

Apparently other countries are in full on protest song mode, too. She Makes War (aka Laura Kidd) is back with a brand new single, "I Want My Country Back." It's a rant against the hate being forced upon British citizens with racism and xenophobia. (Maybe we can relate on this side, too?) Musically, this is pure mid 90s alternative rock along the lines of Letters to Cleo and Veruca Salt gone political with a chorus of: So let’s make Britain great / Get your fake news from the Daily Hate / Close your eyes - let them feed you to the wolves / You deserve it / Right now you can download a copy of "I Want My Country Back" for free until the British general election on June 8th. It is out on Strataville, and you can get your copy here . Laura Kidd has released a manifesto on the meaning behind the song. That can be found here . For more on She Makes War, check out her website .

Considering no hope/no harm features Aaron Perrino of The Sheila Divine, somehow this is the first time we've brought you one of their songs. Last Thursday, the news broke early in the morning that Fox News founder Roger Ailes had died. Somehow, later that very same day, no hope/no harm released a brand new song called "Roger Ailes Is Dead." Perhaps they have an entire series of songs about the deaths of celebrities just on file and ready to go, much like news channels already have obituary videos ready to go for multiple celebrities. Just plug in a few facts at the very end, and they're ready to go. "Roger Ailes Is Dead" is a bouncy and mopey song, much in the way that The Smiths and The Cure are both bouncy and mopey. The song even borrows the artwork (and most likely song title) from The Smiths' classic The Queen is Dead. Basically, if you have a jones for both The Smiths and the kind of late 90s pre-emo that will probably get lumped into emo ev...

I just discovered Sammy Brue on Saturday when he opened up for Justin Townes Earle and The Sadies, and then shared the experience with all of you on Tuesday. Almost right on cue, Sammy Brue and NoiseTrade are offering our very favorite thing: Free music! If you Google Sammy Brue, you're going to find a ton of articles with headlines starting with "13 Year Old Guitar Prodigy..." and "14 Year Old Guitar Prodigy..." He's now 15 and about to release his debut album on New West. To get an idea of his sound, you can download I Am Nice Singles Pack + PledgeMusic Acoustic Sessions. The two singles from hsi upcoming album, "I'm Not Your Man" and "I Know" completely reflect the two sides of Sammy Brue I saw on Saturday. "I'm Not Your Man" is more Americana and roots based, while "I Know" is far more mainstream and pop, while still being a folk song. How you feel about each song will completely depend on your personal...

Even though The Woggles have been around for two decades, I always swear that they've been around for much, much longer. That's because, unlike most garage bands, The Woggles don't sound like a band coming up after the Ramones.   They sound like a band that influenced the Ramones. This is pure 60s style British invasion garage rock. Their newest song, "Fire Thief," fits this perfectly. It's melodic music you can dance to. It's polished while still being rough enough to rock. There are harmonies and killer riffs galore. This is the perfect sound for any summer in the past 50 years. You can listen to "Fire Thief" below. The Woggles' latest album, Tally Ho! , will be released August 11 on Wicked Cool Records. For more on The Woggles, be sure to check out their website.

When I use the terms art rock and noise rock, I'm going to be talking about insanely loud, aggressive, and pretty much unlistenable music. It might be electronic blips, or it could be feedback and insane drums, but either way it's not (traditionally) pleasant music. No one told Gold Dime that. Gold Dime is a project from Andrya Ambro from Talk Normal. Her new song, "Shut Up," is definitely artistic noise rock, but it's almost soothing. Almost. There is still plenty of odd electronic noise, feedback, swirling guitars, and disjointed beats throughout, but it's bordering on pleasant. First of all, there is actual singing in the song, which is rare in this genre. Also, all of the noise elements are used in small doses, sprinkled throughout the song like little treasures to be discovered as the song unveils itself to you. It's as if noise rock is trying to go top 40. You can listen to "Shut Up" below. Gold Dime's first album, Nerves , will b...

Photo via Instagram Any day we get to bring you something new from Courtney Barnett is a pretty good day, even if it's not exactly new. "How to Boil an Egg" was written eight years ago back when she was 21 and doing open mics. While working on her upcoming album, she decided to finally record the song. It didn't fit on the album, so now it's being released as part of the Milk! Records Split Singles Club series. "How to Boil an Egg" sounds like classic Courtney Barnett, but even though it has been reconfigured and just now recorded, it feels younger than her normal work. The guitars are impossibly jangly, giving the song a bouncy, upbeat vibe despite lyrics like "Trying hard to see the point in anything at all." On second thought, this might be the most perfect Courtney Barnett song yet. You can listen to "How to Boil an Egg" below. For more on the Split Singles Club, go here . To find out more on what Courtney Barnett is up to...

After taking nearly 32 years off, Worcester, MA's favorite psych-pop rockers have been much more active and are back with a new digital single and video, "Sometimes Sunnydaze." If you've been paying attention, The Prefab Messiahs bring this great blast of psychedelia to garage rock. "Sometimes Sunnydaze" tone both the psychedelic and the garage rock side of their sound. What's left is virtually perfect late 60s power pop. Think of Alex Chilton, but more on the lines of The Box Tops than Big Star. There are great instrumental breaks sprinkled throughout the song to remind you of the band's more rockin' side. Plus, it's a song about enjoying staying inside on beautiful days, so it's the perfect song for the upcoming season! You can watch the video for "Sometimes Sunnydaze" below. You can buy it now over at the band's Bandcamp page . For more on The Prefab Messiahs, be sure to check them out on Facebook .

Justin Townes Earle Photo by Ken Sears Saturday night was an odd night in the Boston area. It was a painfully chilly night, a full 10 degrees cooler than the seasonal average. Plus, a lot of college students have moved out of the area already. For a large city, Boston can feel like a ghost town starting in mid-May, which can suck the life out of the area. As far as the show went, it ended up starting a full half an hour before the initial announced time for the doors to open. In a really strange move, when I arrived about 15 minutes before Sammy Brue opened, there were three times as many people in the balcony than on the floor. Luckily, the music won out over the oddities of the night to make it one of the best shows I've seen in ages. The Sadies did double duty as openers and Justin Townes Earles' backing band. They've always been one of those bands that I just couldn't get into. Their albums have been fine, but just nothing that has connected with me. If you fe...

A much more standard week this week. Album of the Week : Artist : Girlpool Album : Powerplant Quick Description : Folk rockers turn up the noise a bit. Why You Should Listen : This is a positive evolution for this duo. Overall Thoughts : Album of the week this week, even though it’s following a trend of a lot of recent releases I’ve loved. 2017 is quickly turning into the year of woman-led rock music with a message, and Girlpool is lining up for their shot at the throne with this effort, which is bigger and grander sounding than their folk-heavy debut from a couple years ago. Truth be told? I like this version of them more, and I suspect you might as well. Great for fans of their old anti-folk-style stuff as well as those who are looking for the next great indie listen... Recommendation : ...this is worth some time in your rotation. Artist : Dharma Bombs Album : Old Time Romance Quick Description : Good ol' jazzy tunes. Why You Should Listen : You miss the Squirr...

Photo via Facebook I know a lot of people hate Spotify, but when Spotify releases a single that includes Wilco covering Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?," they're all right by me. With the post headline of 'Wilco Covers Nick Lowe," you pretty much know if this will be for you. And, if you think you'll like this, you probably will. Wilco's version is a step or two slower than Elvis Costello's trademark version, which is exactly what you'd expect from the current version on Wilco. It's the most dad rock take on what is a dad rock classic, chugging along with Wilco's trademark new blend of Americana but with enough noise popping up every now and then to keep things interesting. It was recorded at Spotify Studios, and it feels like a live recording, especially when Jeff Tweedy's voice cracks every so often. You can listen to Wilco's cover of "(What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love an...

Snail Mail, aka Lindsey Jordan of Baltimore, MA, does 90s throwback indie rock perfectly, especially considering she wasn't even alive in the 90s. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Snail Mail is 17. (When I stop to think of the kind of music that I would have been doing when I was 17, and that was in the 90s...) Snail Mail's EP, Habit , was released back digitally in 2016 and somehow evaded our attention. Luckily, it's about to be released on vinyl so it has popped up on our radar. Habit  is going to be perfect for anyone that is loving the current 90s indie sound being brought back to the forefront by Courtney Barnett and Palehound. Her voice is a mixture of Juliana Hatfield and Liz Phair, with just the slightest bit of Kim Gordon thrown in. Musically, it's also pretty similar to those three artists. It has a much more melancholy aspect to it, and could almost fall into the singer/songwriter category if the guitars weren't so perfectly jangly. You can l...

As much as I love garage rock, at least 99% of it has the same basic sound repeated over and over. Banditos are the rare exception to that rule. Their latest song, "Fine Fine Day," isn't rough or aggressive as most garage rock. It's pretty lighthearted and trippy. But, trippy psychedelic garage rock ends up being really flowery and hippie sounding. "Fine Fine Day" is much too fast to fit in that style. Banditos have this song that's too poppy and trippy to be garage rock, but too fast to be psychedelic. Oh, did I mention it has a southern rock vibe to it,too? The result is a rare fresh take on a few genres that are each multiple decades old. You can watch the video for "Fine Fine Day" below. You should make sure you watch it, too. It's a very simple idea and concept, but it's one of the more fun music videos I've seen in years. Banditos' new album, Visionland,  is due out June 23 on Bloodshot Records. For more on Banditos,...

None of these things sound like they belong together, but just trust me on this one. Starting on May 16, PBS and BBC will start airing a documentary series called American Epic, which is put together by Jack White, T Bone Burnett, and Robert Redford . It looks back at the 1920s, when record companies would send representatives travelling across the country to record new musicians. The series ends with a film on June 6 called The American Epic Sessions  which will feature Willie Nelson, Beck, Alabama Shakes, and more recording on the same equipment from the 1920s.  Right now you can watch a preview of the series featuring Nas and Jack White reworking Memphis Jug Band's 1928 classic "On the Road Again" as a blues/hip hop hybrid. In the video, Nas explains that he considers this song to be the birth of hip hop, based on the vocal stylings of the original. One of the highlights of the new version might be a musician using a jug to almost beat box.  American Epic  w...

Photo by Marie Lin While they did release a compilation of EPs earlier this year, as of right now Sheer Mag have yet to release a proper full length. That is all about to change, as they just announced the July 14 release of Need to Feel Your Love .  Sheer Mag have a unique sound. While the Philadelphia based band is widely considered to be punk, they have a lot more in common with 70s Motown like The Jackson 5 than they do The Clash or Minor Threat. That's truly evident with the first single off of Need to Feel Your Love, "Just Can't Get Enough." It's a fun, wildly danceable song, and I just can'r even imagine anyone moshing at all to this, and let's not forget that I was going to shows in the 90s when people were moshing to Letters to Cleo and G. Love & Special Sauce. I think the most punk aspect of "Just Can't Get Enough" is attitude. Somehow they turn what feels like a truly earnest love song about being in love into this in you...