If It's Too Loud...

The summer slowdown is here, but we're finding a lot of stuff to listen to anyway. Album of the Week : Artist : Oliver the Crow Album : Oliver the Crow Quick Description : Edgy, interesting folk music. Why You Should Listen : You have been waiting for the proper Civil Wars torch taker, and this might be it. Overall Thoughts : I will preface this by saying that Brown Bird was a unique occurrence that will never be replicated, but boy do OtC come close. A nice, raw, folk record that includes some front-and-center cello to mix it up, this is definitely a favorite of the week due to its unique nature and the interesting songwriting and sounds coming from this record. Recommendation : A real interesting, pleasant surprise. Artist : T. Hardy Morris Album : Dude, The Obscure Quick Description : Difficult effort from the Dead Confederate lead. Why You Should Listen : Morris has made enough good music so far that he's earned a listen. Overall Thoughts : Morris has be...

We last heard from Scotland's Megan Airlie back in February and we're thrilled that we finally have a follow up to "After River." Her latest single, "Honey," isn't quite as bare bones as "After River" is. It's still sparse compared to most songs, but "Honey" has more of a full band sound. The increased instrumentation gives the song a much more lush feeling. It adds to the blues/jazz sound that Airlie started hinting at with her previous song. There is a distinct early Lady Lamb meets Lake Street Dive sound. Plus, we still have her voice which somehow stands out even more with the extra instrumentation.  You can listen to "Honey" below. The song is available now as a single on  Bandcamp  via Bloc Music Recordings. For more on Megan Airlie, check out her Facebook and website .

The one nice thing about discovering a band almost a year after their most recent release is that you don't have to wait as long for their next release. Back in March we told you about  Hitlist, the May 2017 release for The Only Things. While everyone in the know had to wait a little over a year for the follow up, we only had to wait three months! Dandelion  picks up right where Hitlist  left off. It's seven songs of loud, clever, and fun rock. A song like "Windows" is a bouncy, hard hitting song with some of the catchiest and most melodic gang vocals we've ever heard. It's right on the line of pop punk, but pop punk you won't be embarrassed to listen to. That seems to be the main theme of the songs on Dandelion : A lot of hard rock can be kind of cringe-worthy. But songs like "Now I Know" and "Arrows" don't end up that way. The Only Things have created an album that rocks, but not in a dumb, childish way. It's a rare thing...

Photo by Chris Weiss Indie rock bands basically make up 84% of Brooklyn's population, so in order for a band to stick out they have to bring something unique to the table. If we're writing about them, Wilder Maker must be one of those bands. Their newest single, "Drunk Driver," starts out as a quiet, mellow song. It reminds me quite a bit of what I love about Big Thief. A lot of their songs also start out quietly and then just build into an explosion. But "Drunk Driver" never explodes. It stays quiet and mellow while building in intensity. It changes ever so slightly sonically but completely in tone. It reminds me of horror films like It Follows or Hereditary  in how they can crank up the mood and tone without a big event or loud noise. You can watch the video for "Drunk Driver" below. Zion , the new album from Wilder Maker, will be out July 13 on Northern Spy Records. You can pre-order your copy over on Bandcamp . For more on Wilder Maker, c...

We've been loving the art rock meets dance music vibe of BODEGA, and their latest single is no exception. "Gyrate" is absolute fun. For us aging Generation-X hipsters, it reminds me a bunch of Bis without the cutesy aspects of that band. Of course, the origin of the song is quite interesting. According to singer Nikki Belfiglio: " When I was a little girl I used to masturbate in public (once at a JC Penny perfume counter). My parents, not wishing to shame me told me I shouldn’t ‘gyrate’ in front of other people. My song uses the language of Top 40 pop to celebrate self-sustainability and female pleasure. ” The only complaint I has is that with it's under two minute length, the song is over just as it gets started and you've decided you love it. You can watch the video (which was also directed by Nikki Belfiglio) for "Gyrate" below. BODEGA's debut album, Endless Scroll , will be out July 7 on What's Your Rupture? You can pre-order your co...

"California," the latest single from Mountain Lions, is mostly straightforward neo-Americana leaning on the more mainstream side of things. It's a pleasant sounding, upbeat track. It could almost be described as "sunny," but not quite. What's definite is there is not a shred of mopey in the song. It sounds like something I would absolutely hate, but I don't. Somehow Steven Diaz takes something could could be ordinary and mundane and instead crafts a song that stops just shy of that. It has something special in it that I wish I could explain properly. Maybe it's charisma or a unique twist in the tune (or it could be that they hail from Chapel Hill, NC), but "California" will draw even the grumpiest of us in. You can listen to "California" below. We Are , the new album from Mountain Lions, will be out on August 10. For more on Mountain Lions, check out their website and Facebook .

A slower week, but one with some pretty impactful releases. Album of the Week : Artist : V. V. Lightbody Album : Bathing Peach Quick Description : Debut solo project from a Chicago-area singer-songwriter. Why You Should Listen : You wish Lucy Dacus would tone it down a bit? Overall Thoughts : This is an album that is a little hard to describe. It's kind of folky, but has some edge to it? The project of Vivian McConnell, she clearly has some great songwriting chops that make you pay attention from the first few notes, and this kind of came out of nowhere for me in terms of how much I liked it. If you like the folky stuff, or even the more contemplative singer-songwriter efforts of late, you should give this a listen. Recommendation : Best release of the week. Artist : The Carters Album : Everything is Love Quick Description : Surprise-yet-anticipated collaboration between Beyonce and Jay-Z. Why You Should Listen : Love it or hate it, this is what people will be tal...

We were pretty huge on Julia Jacklin's 2016 debut Don't Let the Kids Win.  While she doesn't have a new solo album on the horizon, she's involved in another band that does! Phantastic Ferniture started back in 2014 when Jacklin and ten friends pledged to start a band together on her birthday. The next day four of them remembered, so a band was formed. The band played what was supposed to be their first and last gig four months later, but ended up getting together when they could to play together. Thus, Phastastic Ferniture was born. Jacklin describes the new band this way: “I’d gone straight into folk music, so every experience I’d had on stage was playing sad music with a guitar in my hand. I thought, I would love to know what it’s like to make people feel good and dance.” Their new song, "Gap Year," definitely fits that description. It's far more upbeat and rocking than anything from Don't Let the Kids Win , and is just fun rock music that happens ...

Photo by Michael Baca Our love of covers is pretty well known here at If It's Too Loud..., but this may just be a first for us. We've been loving Providence's Downtown Boys for a while now. Their cover of Bruce Springsteen's classic "Dancing in the Dark" is a personal favorite, and now they're back with another cover. They've recently unveiled their cover of Selena's "Fotos Y Recuerdos" which is a Spanish language cover of The Pretender's "Back in the Chain Gang." It was originally recorded during the sessions for Cost of Living , their most recent album, but didn't make it on that album. One of our favorite artists releasing a cover of a cover? Happy Friday, everyone! You can listen to Downtown Boys's cover of "Fotos Y Recuerdos" below. For more on Downtown Boys, check out their Facebook .

The same week we get a new song from Kristin Hersh, we can hear new music from another member of Throwing Muses! Once (and possible current?) Throwing Muses bassist Fred Abong is taking some time off from his college professor duties and has recorded his first solo release, Homeless . It's a six song collection of stripped down, just slightly off kilter solo singer/songwriter music. It's almost fairly standard, but just the slightest bit off to keep things interesting. "Rattler" is almost an epic, and could easily be turned into a large venue filling rocker, but it works equally well as a stripped down solo song. "Equinox" is a painfully quiet song that draws the listener inward in a way I haven't heard since Elliott Smith.  You can listen to "Rattler" below. Homeless will be available on June 29, although you can listen to (and pre-order) the entire thing at Fred Abong's Bandcamp. For more on Fred Abong, check out his website and Twit...

There's something so familiar about Bear Grass's new song, "Unawake," yet something so completely unique and special. The song brings in some of our favorite musical elements, but mixes them up in a way we've never quite heard before. At it's very core is some fairly standard singer/songwriter kind of stuff, with some of these amazing melodies and hooks. Singer Katie Hammon's voice is this fresh from the dryer blanket feeling instrument that just draws you in. But there is this odd distortion throughout the song that pulls you away and further in at the same time, along with some shoegaze style swirls. It's a majestic indie rock song while still almost being a pretty mainstream folk style song. You're pretty guaranteed to love this one. You can listen to "Unawake" belong. LEFT, the new album from Bear Grass, will be out August 10 on Five Kill Records. You can pre-order it via Bandcamp . For more on Bear Grass, check out their website ...

Photo by Shervin Lainez Rayland Baxter seems to be one of those artists that is intent on changing up his sound with every new album. With his new song, "Strange American Dream," he's dropped most of his folk/Americana/country sound in favor of a more 90's singer/songwriter feel along the line of Ben Lee. In the past year or so, we've seen a bunch of our favorite folky artists experimenting with a more mainstream, sometimes even pop, sound, to varying levels of success. "Strange American Dream" is one of the better experiments. It still keeps enough of Baxter's folk charm. While it veers off in a different direction from  Imaginary Man, it's not a complete change of direction. If you've been a fan of his, I can't imagine this knocking you off the bandwagon. You can listen to "Strange American Dream" below. The latest album from Rayland Baxter, Wide Awake , will be out July 13 on ATO Records. For more on Rayland Baxter, che...

Any time we can bring you new music from one of Kristin Hersh's projects is an exciting time for us all. With an album upcoming later this year, Hersh has released a new single off it, "Breathe In." One thing we know from "Breathe In" is that the new album won't be one of her quiet acoustic releases. The track is dripping with what sounds like a tremelo effect on the guitar. When it doesn't have the effect, the guitar has a distinctly crunchy feel, and just about every element of the song, including Hersh's voice, has it's turn to distort. The song has a hypnotic and not entirely pleasant feel, although it's not entirely unpleasant, either.  You can listen to a rough mix of "Breathe In" below. The song features Fred Abong of Throwing Muses on bass and Wyatt True (aka Hersh's son) on drums. The new album from Kristin Hersh, Possible Dust Clouds , will be out later this year via Fire Records. For more on Kristin Hersh, check o...

Photo via Facebook We first became aware of Service, the newest band from Russell Simins, drummer from Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, back in August 2016 . That's when they released three demo songs on their Soundcloud. Almost two years later and we still don't have an official release, but there are two more rough demos kicking around. "Cold Light" is my personal favorite of the two. It's a little more hypnotic and driving of the two, while being more mellow if that makes sense. It's somehow post-punk and psychedelic at the same time. "Be Alright" is a little more straightforward. It's catchier and a bit more groovy, but still a loud, fuzzed out garage rocker. You can listen to "Be Alright" and "Cold Light" in their rough demo forms over at Service's Soundcloud page . For more on Service, check them out on Facebook  and Twitter . And let's all hope they move from rough demos to first official release in the near f...

A slower week after last week's big one. Artist : Soft Science Album : Maps Quick Description : Shoegazey pop rock. Why You Should Listen : This is the best release from last week that we missed? Overall Thoughts : We missed this from last week, and I’m glad I tripped up on it. It has some alt-rock elements mixed with some shoegaze, and there are simply hooks for days on this. In a week where I liked a lot of things but didn’t love anything, this would otherwise be my album of the week. As it stands, though, this is a stellar listen that should have some real longevity in my rotation, and it’s different than a lot of what I’m hearing lately. Recommendation : Worth your time. Artist : Lykke Li Album : so sad so sexy Quick Description : The European alt-popper is back with something truly great. Why You Should Listen : Lykke Li has always pushed boundaries and made some great music. Overall Thoughts : It’s been a while since we heard from Lykke Li, and this is a f...

Odetta Smith might just be re-writing the rules for the traditional female singer/songwriter with a banjo genre. Sure, she's playing a banjo, but I wouldn't call "Sweet Teeth" folk, bluegrass, or even really Americana. There is a bit of a mainstream feel to the song, and it is beautifully done mesmerizing harmonies in the vocals, but I couldn't call it pop or rock, either. Plus, it's banjo music and something about it is distinctively badass. I guess this is the music that comes when an artist grows up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan surrounded by punk and hip hop, going to shows at CBGB's, and being raised on her parent's soul and classic country records.  You can listen to "Sweet Teeth" below. Old Rockhounds Never Die , the new album from Odetta Hartman, will be out on August 10 on Northern Spy Records. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on Odetta Hartman, check her out on Facebook and Twitter .

Considering this came out way back in January, we kinda dropped the ball on this one, but better late than never, right? Even without that delay, it's been four years since Maximum Soul Power  came out, so we're thrilled to have any new music from Vermont's finest proto punk band comprised of the offspring of Death. On Don't Look Back EP , Rough Francis seem a little bit slower and mellow, but only just a little. The opening title track feels a tiny bit restrained but is still a rocker just waiting to break free live. "Hangin' On" almost channels The Stooges covering The Kinks. "Waiting" is where Rough Francis finally breaks free and break out like a cartoon train furiously careening down the track, but towards a party, especially halfway through once the guitar solo kicks in. It's the song on the album that almost captures the joy and energy Rough Francis exude when you see them live. Almost. You can listen to "Waiting" below. ...

Photo by Mason Fairey After seeing yet another article claiming that people stop discovering new music after the age of 30, I listened to this new song from The Beths and I'm thrilled that doesn't apply to me. Seriously, those people are hardcore missing out. "Happy Unhappy" is this brilliant slice of sunshine filled alternative pop, the kind they used to make in the mid 90's. It starts out with this bouncy guitar riff and even bouncier "Oh oh oh"s. It's all incredibly glorious harmonies and crunchy guitars. What more could we possibly want? Oh, right. Killer fuzzed out, swirlking guitar solos, which we get later on. Anyone that misses out on checking out this song should be pitied. You can listen to "Happy Unhappy" below. Future Me Hates Me , the debut album from The Beths, will be out August 10 on Carpark Records. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on The Beths, check them out on Facebook and Twitter . Tour dates are below...

Photo by Ela Stiles Australia is in such a guitar rock revolution that we'll literally give any band from that country a shot. As soon as I saw Deaf Wish were from Melbourne, I knew I wanted to listen, and we should all be glad I did. "FFS" is a revelation. The song just drips with attitude and groove. The guitars are ripped straight out of a early 90's Sonic Youth song, and guitarist/vocalist Sarah Hardiman sounds like Joan Jett doing her best Bob Dylan impression. It's a combination of pure intensity and one I simply can't seem to get enough of. My only complaint of the song is it abruptly ends at two minutes nineteen seconds, which doesn't feel like nearly enough. You can watch the video for "FFS" below. The new album from Deaf Wish, Lithium Zion , will be available July 27 via Sub Pop. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on Deaf Wish, check them out on Bandcamp and Sub Pop's website .

I think it's fairly safe to say that Bill Janovitz isn't a fan of Donald Trump's. He's released a song on his Bandcamp called "Mar-A-Lago" which is about our current President and his favorite weekend vacation destination. As Janovitz says about the song: "' Mar-A-Lago' seemed like it should be the title of a yacht rock/soft rock/country rock song from the 1970s, so I wrote and recorded one." It might be the most mellow and soothing protest song ever recorded. It includes references to Robert Mueller and how Melania Trump was possibly missing for a month. Of course, the song was released the same day Melania made her first public appearance in nearly a month. It's most likely a coincidence, but we're going to go ahead and give Janovitz credit for finally forcing her to come out of hiding.  You can listen to "Mar-A-Lago" below. The song is currently available on Bill Janovitz's Bandcamp for $1 with all proceeds going...

Photo by Christopher Sims Hailing from Singapore, Sobs are set to release their debut album and just might take the dream pop world by storm. Their new single, "Telltale Signs," is more indie than pop, but has a sunny, bouncy feel that is missing in a lot of other music in the genre. Those of us that were around in the 90's are going to hear a more lush version of The Sundays. While The Sundays were a little more on the acoustic/folk side of things, Sobs have much more gorgeously swirling noise throughout "Telltale Signs." Celine Autumn's vocals are a perfect accompaniment to the music, with neither fully taking focus from the other for more than a few seconds. This song is truly a must listen. You can watch the video for "Telltale Signs" below. The debut album from Sobs, also called Telltale Signs , will be out June 22 on Middle Class Cigars. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp . For more on Sobs, check them out on Facebook and Twitter . ...