If It's Too Loud...

Back in February we brought you "Bitch u look Good" from Denmark's Rebecca Lou. If that song was riot grrrl meets more straightforward rock, then her latest single fits right in. "I Wanna Be Your Everything" is loud, catchy as you can possibly imagine rock. It exists in this bizarre universe where hard rock can still be pop, in a way it hasn't for years, maybe decades. It's crunchy, has blissfully fuzzed out guitars, and distorted vocals, but it's still a pop song. It almost sounds like if Nirvana went on a huge Cheap Trick kick. In a world where music can either be earnest or fun, an artist like Rebecca Lou that can be both is quite welcome for us. You can watch the live video for "I Wanna Be Your Everything" below. For more on Rebecca Lou, be sure to check her out on Facebook .

Photo by Nicole Walker The two members of AD.UL.T first met in kindergarten in Leominster, MA (making them the closest thing I've had to a hometown band here on If It's Too Loud... since most bands in the area tend to cover Godsmack and Sublime...). When they were thirteen, they decided to form a band, but neither of their parents would let them practice at home. Once Brian (bass) was able to get her own apartment, their dream of starting a band finally came true. They've become known for having shows that are more performance art than traditional concerts, and Brian performing while wearing a zebra mask has become a trademark. Plus, the band was banned from performing at the dearly departed TT the Bear's. Their new single, "Pole Shift," is... interesting? It's a swirl of pure noise with haunting fuzzed out sounds that may be vocals, maybe? It sounds like a chilled out, trippy Lightning Bolt or if Guerilla Toss formed a cult. You'll know right aw...

It feels like it's been forever since we've been able to bring you new music from Vancouve r's lié. The self proclaimed dark punk band is back with a new song from their forthcoming album. "Country Boys" may sound like the title of the new single from whoever is popular in mainstream country these days, but with lié it's a noisy and bordering on disturbing burst of music. "Country Boys" is maybe one step away from being an all our rager, but it never quite goes fast enough. Instead, it's a tense song that may trigger your anxiety. And I mean that in a good way. All this, and it still manages to have enough melody to be almost catchy.  You can listen to "Country Boys" below. Hounds , the new album from  lié, will be out on July 6 via Mint Records in Canada and Monofonus Press elsewhere. It can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more on  lié, check out their Facebook . Hounds by lié

A lot of stuff out before the American holiday weekend. Album Release of the Week : Artist : Hatchie Album : Sugar and Spice Quick Description : Aussie indie pop. Why You Should Listen : This is probably the best indie pop release of 2018 so far. Overall Thoughts : It’s rare to list an EP for the best release of the week, but here we are with Hatchie, a side/solo project of sorts from the guitarist in Babaganoüj. This is super-dreamy, super saccharine indie pop with tons of infectious melodies. She’s rightfully getting some good buzz surrounding this release, and I personally can’t wait for a full-length. Recommendation : Don’t miss this one. Artist : Prefuse 73 Album : Sacrifices Quick Description : Latest from the glitchy electronic act. Why You Should Listen : Prefuse 73 has been a stalwart in the electronic music scene for decades. Overall Thoughts : I knew someone who was obsessed with Prefuse 73 20-odd years ago. Having kind of dove into weirder musical intere...

Now that we're past Memorial Day, it's time to start looking at what's out there for summer music festivals. We're going to skip the major national ones, because you already know about them, and their line ups keep getting less and less interesting every year. Plus, you'll be roughly 1/4 mile from the main stage, anyway. Instead, here are some of the more interesting, smaller music festivals in the Northeast (since that's where we're located)! The Thing in the Spring June 6-10, Peterborough, NH Peterborough, NH may not seem like the hippest town out there, but somehow they get some of the best indie bands together for a music/film/arts fest every year. This year, they include virtually all genres: noisy indie rock, folk, hip hop, etc. Some of our highlights are Sammus, The Huntress & Holder of Hands, Giraffes? Giraffes!, Wooden Dinosaur, and, closing out the festival, the double bill of Iris Dement and Bonnie Prince Billy. They somehow keep weekend...

Photo via Facebook The latest single from Photocomfort has one of the more unique backstories I've heard in a while. I'm going to do the lazy journalist/cut and paste thing, but I really love the way Justine Bowe tells it on Facebook: " Dear   # GillianJacobs , I wrote you a song, and it's out today. People used to stop me and tell me that I looked like you. I didn't see it until you dyed your hair a bit darker and took on roles where you began to struggle. I had just left a good gig where I was touring around the country with people I loved. I made an entire record that I never released. I went through a breakup, lost my writing partner, and turned dow n a couple of offers to grow my band thinking I could do it all on my own. Nothing was working (I wasn't either). I was starting to suspect that I had already failed, my musical career was done, and who am I but my music? Who am I without the success of my music? Who am I without people who listen to my ...

I personally don't connect the UK to funk. It's possibly the one style of music that doesn't scream England to me, but that might change with Young Jack's new single. "Move" is a loud, energetic blast of funk. It's soaring horns and blues riffs upon some of the grooviest drums you've heard in years. It also has a distinct psychedelic sound, but in a very 90's British band way. Think Gomez goes funk. It's a sound that defies the young age of the band members, but Young Jack makes it work. You can watch the video for "Move" below. I can't seem to find any information for the single's official release date, or anything besides dead links for Young Jack, so hopefully something will pop up soon.

Photo by Andy Goodwin This is a pairing I didn't even know was possible, and now that I know it exists I've become obsessed. Robbie Fulks is basically a modern alt-country legend. He's been releasing great music for so long and so consistently that it's quite easy to take him for granted. Linda Gail Lewis is the younger sister of Jerry Lee Lewis. Honestly, I had no idea she existed or was making music or her own, but now that I have discovered her, I'm diving deeply into her back catalog. The duo did a few songs together on her 2016 album Heartbreak Highway (What can I do, What can I say , and now they're joining up for a full album together later this year. "Wild Wild Wild" sounds like exactly what you expect (and want) it to sound like. It's the down home alt-country of Robbie Fulks mixed with the vintage rock n roll you want from a member of the Lewis clan, especially Jerry Lee's younger sister. Robbie Fulks and Linda Gail Lewis might ...

The newest single from NYC's The Due Diligence is one of the most upbeat, danceable songs you'll hear all year. If there was such a thing as modern rock radio, and we lived in a just world, "Life is Hard" would be the summer song of 2018. It's this glorious blend of The Beach Boys' more upbeat hits and the shorter songs you'll find on Built to Spill's The Normal Years. You can picture the hipsters twisting away to this song without a shred of irony. Of course, you can't truly have a song this cheerful and uplifting without pain, and the upcoming album from The Due Diligence, which includes "Life is Hard," is inspired by the loss of songwriter Isaac Gillespie's grandmother. You can listen to "Life is Hard" below. Life is Hard , the album, will be out June 22 on Paper Garden Records. It can be pre-ordered here . For more on The Due Diligence, check them out on Facebook . Life Is Hard by the Due Diligence

Every time Ruby Rose Fox releases new music, it ends up being something truly special and unique. Normally I avoid anything that can be categorized "pop" like a bus full of cranky toddlers, but Ruby Rose Fox has her very own twist on the genre. Her new single, "American Daddy," has an old school soul feel to it, but a very modernized version. I almost hesitate to refer to it as "old school," but something about it just feels classic. It has an organic feel that most "pop" music doesn't have today. Even if pop and soul aren't your thing, you truly owe it to yourself to give "American Daddy" a shot. You can listen to "American Daddy" below. Salt , the new album from Ruby Rose Fox, will be out June 22. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on Ruby Rose Fox, check out her website .

This was a very weird release week, as the gap between good and bad was very, very wide. Only focusing on the good this week: Album of the Week : Artist : Maximilian Hecker Album : Wretched Love Songs Quick Description : Dream folky is back with a new album. Why You Should Listen : Hecker is basically unknown in the United States and should really be a more popular. Overall Thoughts : I don't know if this is meant to be a sequel of sorts to his debut, Infinite Love Songs (which is probably a top 20 album all time for me), but it is certainly reminiscent in a way a lot of his more recent work has not been. This is Hecker at his dreamy, light best, and I can totally see this as one of those albums I send over to my longtime friends and say "hey, remember that guy I was obsessed with 15 years ago?" Recommendation : A must-listen, and there's plenty of room on this bandwagon to boot. Artist : Pharis and Jason Romero Album : Sweet Old Religion Quick Descr...

Photo by Brittanny Taylor Every so often we're stumble across an artist, and as we hear more from them we can tell we're going to become obsessed with them once the new album is released. The newest single from Providence, RI's NOVA ONE is further cementing the new project from Roz Raskin as one of our fledgling obsessions. I grew up on the oldies my parents listened to, and still listen to a lot of those songs with zero irony. Any artist that combines oldies with indie rock will quickly become a favorite. "if you were mine" leans just slightly more in the direction of indie rock, especially the beginning. It starts out as a lo-fi indie ballad, in the singer/songwriter side of the genre. But, by the time the chorus starts, it edges its way into doo wop territory. For the rest of the song, NOVA ONE weaves between the two sounds perfectly, almost making two songs into one seamlessly more than it is a mash up of styles. You can listen to "if you were mine...

It's been a little while since we've brought you some new music from She Makes War, but luckily Laura Kidd's project is back with a cover of Culture Club's classic "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me." This cover does go off in its own direction away from the original 80's iconic classic. Instead, this cover goes full 90's with loud, reverb heavy, crunchy guitars. It's not quite industrial and it's not quite grunge. Instead, it lives somewhere in the middle. It genuinely sounds like something recorded in 1996 and forgotten until today. If you know us at all, that is meant to be very high praise. You can listen to She Makes War's cover of "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" below. It's available as a single now via My Big Sister Recordings and can be purchased here . For more on She Makes War, check out her website .

Photo via Facebook For the past few weeks, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have been teasing a big announcement coming up. Last week, the announcement of new music was made. The Bosstones unveiled a new single, "Wonderful Day for the Race." It continues in the Bosstones's current theme of positive music that truly started with their 2016 cover of "What the World Needs Now is Love." In this case, "race" means "human race," and is a message of love and understanding. "Wonderful Day for the Race" also continues the Bosstones's sound. There is no deviation from vintage Bosstones with their new song, which is pretty much perfect. This feels like the kind of song that we'll all like but not love, until we see them play it love. The Bosstones have always been a band you should see live, and I'm looking forward to getting to see this one played in person. Plus, it boasts one of the best false stops in recent memory. You can wa...

I fully expected to hate The Rock'n'Roll HiFives. In fact, I wanted to. Their lead singer, Eilee Centeno, is sixteen. Her thirteen year old brother plays drums. The rest of the band? Their parents. Guitarist/dad Joe Centeno played in bands before he became a dad, and the whole thing sounded like it would be this cutesy family band fueled by the dad's nostalgia.  But... their new single "Hold On" is actually pretty great. It's not revolutionary by any stretch, but it's good, solid guitar driven power pop. Eilee's vocals have this great attitude to them, most likely because she's actually a teenager and isn't just trying to tap into teen angst. "Hold On" isn't for you if you want something avant garde or groundbreaking. But if you just want some fun throwback rock in the realm of Cheap Trick and The Runaways, you'll find it here. You can listen to "Hold On" below. The new album from The Rock'n'Roll HiFive...

You always hear about guitar driven music being dead, but then you hear a song like Michael Jablonka's "Flump." Hailing from London, you might know Jablonka from his days playing with Michael Kiwanuka. "Flump" starts off with this driving drum beat and killer riff, and just takes off from there. While it is filled with heavy guitars, it's not exactly a metal or even hard rock song. On its heavier side, it reminds me of the proto punk of MC5 meeting the chugging drive of grunge. However, there is an overwhelming melody to the verses and chorus that bring to mind the 70's power pop of Cheap Trick. My only complaint with "Flump" is that, with it's short just under three minute duration, it ends a little too abruptly and just as it sounds like something brilliant is about to happen. Maybe next time... You can listen to "Flump" below. "Flump" is available now as a single via Lost in the Manor. For more on Michael Jablonka...

It seems odd to me that the current resurgence of acoustic music/Americana hasn't been combined with hip hop, since the kids seem to be into both. It surprises me more that a great example of how well this can work is coming from England. Only Takes A Day combines hip hop beats with an acoustic guitar. Their latest single, "Reach," is a laid back song with an intense rhyme provided by Shaanvir Rehal. It reminds me of The Streets meeting the folky side of G. Love & Special Sauce. It's a sound that works surprisingly well even though the combination does have some coarse moments, but those are some of the best parts. You can watch the video for "Reach" below. For more on Only Takes A Day, check out their Facebook and Twitter .

A slightly calmer week. Artist : Illuminati Hotties Album : Kiss Yr Frenemies Quick Description : Alt-indie debut from a buzzworthy act. Why You Should Listen : You wish your indie music was a lot more fun than it has been lately. Overall Thoughts : This is one of my most anticipated releases of the spring, having been addicted to “(You’re Better) Than Ever” since I first heard it. The album is a fun, raucous debut with plenty of alt-rock notes to go with an indie, almost DIY sensibility. The band isn’t breaking any new ground, but it’s good to hear a band come into the conversation seemingly fully formed. And they have maybe the best band name I’ve ever heard, so there’s that, too. Recommendation : My favorite this week. Artist : Aiden Moffat and RM Hubbert Album : Here Lies the Body Quick Description : An artsy collaboration from some Scottish music icons. Why You Should Listen : You're a fan of Arab Strap or contemplative folkish stuff? Overall Thoughts : This...

This weekend in the Boston area, and in a bunch of weekends to come, Porchfest arrives! Porchfest features local artists - musical and non-musical alike - performing in yards and porches in various Boston-area neighborhoods. I don't know if I'll be able to make any of them, but the lineups are stacked with so many acts that, if you have an afternoon to stroll around town, you're bound to find something you enjoy. Porchfest kicks off in Somerville this weekend with dozens of acts all over the place. Friend Of The Blog Travels With Brindle will be performing tracks from her Alex Lahey ukulele cover album , a video from which is below: The whole idea of a Porchfest is new to me and kind of neat, and I would personally love to see one happen in the Worcester/Central Mass area in the future. Maybe next year? Porchfest dates are below: May 13: Somerville, MA May 19: Plum Island, MA June 2: Newton, MA June 9: Arlington, MA June 9: Brookline, MA June 16: Boston F...

Photo by Mason Fairey I have no idea what is going on in Australia and New Zealand, but those two countries just keep on giving us amazing 90's inspired guitar bands. The latest is The Beths, who hail from Auckland. Their new single, "Future Me Hates Me," is the perfect song to drive around to in the summer. It's energetic, bouncy, and has some of the most perfect fuzzed out guitars you've heard in ages. Of course, there is the title, so that means it's a fun song about sadness, which is my favorite kind of song. As singer Elizabeth Stokes says: "   There’s a lot of sad sincerity in the lyrics... That relies on the music having a light heart and sense of humor to keep it from being too earnest." You can watch the video for "Future Me Hates Me" below. The Beths' debut album also called Future Me Hates Me  will be out August 10 on Carpark Records. It can be pre-ordered here . For more on The Beths, check out their website . Their cu...