If It's Too Loud...

Forgotten Fridays is an occasional feature here at If It’s Too Loud... where we go back and find the lost records of our glory days. We played these on our college radio shows, put them on countless mix tapes, and then forgot they existed. We go back and remind you of their existence, and help decide if they were any good. I absolutely loved all the tribute albums back in the 90's. This might be one of my absolute favorites. In 1997, Boston label Cherrydisc put out an all Boston tribute to Van Halen. As the title states, some of the covers are much less faithful than others. In fact, legend has it that The Elevator Drops submitted a cover that turned out to not be a Van Halen song. No one realized it until the very last minute and it got pulled. That's how much the people behind this compilation knew about the Van Halen catalog. We get not one but two versions of "Eruption." The first is The Reverend Ed Broms performing the guitar masturbation classic on a churc...

Photo by Ryan Shockey Davis Ireland's Maria Kelly is set to release an EP that chronicles her move from Dublin to Berlin. The first single off of that EP, "june," embodies the uncomfortable feelings associated with a move not just to a new city but a new country. Kelly's voice is absolutely beautiful and will suck you in. It's the instrumentation that is slightly uncomfortable. It's filled with twinkling electronic sounds and just the slightest hints of guitar. While sounding beautiful, it does give the listener a sense of discomfort and anxiety, but it's completely worth listening to. You can hear "june" below. Maria Kelly's new EP, notes to self , will be released on Veta Records. For more on Maria Kelly, check out her website .

I was a bit skeptical when I saw that Laura Jane Grace's solo project, Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers, was releasing a new album on Bloodshot Records. Bloodshot Records is the home of Lydia Loveless, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Banditos, etc, and I wasn't sure how Laura Jane Grace would fit on that label. With "Apocalypse Now (& Later)," she fits in perfectly. The new song isn't fully punk and it isn't fully country or folk, but neither is anyone else on that label. "Apocalypse Now (& Later)" is very reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen. It melds together the two sides of Springsteen (the bombastic classic rock anthems of "Born in the USA" and "Born to Run" with the folk/protest singer of Nebraska . And, seriously... is there anything else that anyone wants besides that? You can listen to "Apocalypse Now (& Later)" below. Bought to Rot , the new album from Laura Jane Grace & the Devouri...

Keep Safe Boston has been releasing these amazing and massive charity compilations for a little while now. They bring together a bunch of diverse Boston artists for a different cause each time. Past causes have included Fenway Health and RESPOND, INC, Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention. The latest compilation released back in August [editors note: WHOOPS!] is to raise money for Everytown for Gun Safety. As for music, KSB2018 is 36 songs and it includes some of our already favorites. Gray Bouchard (Salem Wolves) New Waves it up on "Savin Hill." Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys contribute "War Gospel," which has been a live staple as of late and on subject for the charity. The I Want You's contribution, "The Rise and Fall," tempers down their usual power pop perfection and amps up the funk and noise. And, with any 36 song compilation, there are always new favorites to discover. Horse Mode's "Spaghetti Lee" reminds me...

Better late than never? Artist : St. Lucia Album : Hyperion Quick Description : Return to form from the light indie poppers. Why You Should Listen : St. Lucia makes some really gorgeous, fun music. Overall Thoughts : Their debut? Awesome. Their follow-up? Definite sophomore slump syndrome? This? Very reminiscent of that first album with a number of songs that have an immediate addictive quality. This is an act that sounds like it has found its footing and might have an opportunity to launch into something bigger. Recommendation : Definitely worth your time this week. Artist : The Black Black Album : Gravity and Time Quick Description : Heavy-yet-light rock and roll music. Why You Should Listen : They're derivative of all your favorite recent acts. Overall Thoughts : I think I want to describe this as The Strokes through a filter of early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Death From Above, and The Dandy Warhols. I can’t decide if I just like it or if I kind of love it. ...

When you see that there's an artist named Dusty Stray performing a song called "You Couldn't Wait to See Me Cry," you know exactly what you're going to get: A downtrodden country song about heartbreak. And you'd almost be right. That's how Dusty Stray started the song off, but slowly it evolved into a more angry "synth-folk" song. I had never heard of anything that could be called synth-folk before this song, but that might be one of the better song descriptions I've heard in ages. It's a great ever so slight change to a classic genre that works magnificently. You can listen to "You Couldn't Wait to See Me Cry" below. Estranged,  the new album from Dusty Stray, will be out October 12 on Great Waters. For more on Dusty Stray, check out his website .

Photo by Alice Smith Hailing from Glasgow, Hairband is a five piece band that have crafted this unique sound, which is nearly impossible in the rock world at this point. "Bubble Sword" has some pretty strong roots in post punk, but there is something more organic and almost roots based in the song. While post punk typically has a distinct groove, "Bubble Sword" has a wildly fun dance feel to it. It's almost like if And the Kids... went post punk. You end up with an incredibly joyous song with just enough of an edge to avoid being saccharine.  You can listen to "Bubble Sword" below. Hairband's self titled debut will be out on October 19 on Monorail Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Hairband, check out their Facebook and Twitter .

Photo by Whitten Sabbatini We're at the point with Jeff Tweedy that you already know if you're going to like any new music he puts out. Personally, I truly enjoy the vast majority of his recent output, and I know Jeff enjoys it much less than I do. "Some Birds" isn't going to bring any lapsed fans back onto the Wilco/Tweedy bandwagon. It's pretty standard Jeff Tweedy material, in that it's definitely based in American roots music but, of course, strays ever so slightly off path into semi-experimental territory. You can tell an artist's true importance when a critique of their new output is that it won't change your life. "Some Birds" won't change your life, but there is plenty for you to like if you give it a shot. You can watch the video for "Some Birds" below. Jeff Tweedy's new solo album, WARM , will be out November 30 on dBpm Records. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on what Jeff Tweedy is up to, che...

Photo via Facebook Earlier this year Haley Heynderickx released her debut album, I Need to Start a Garden , which is a strong contender for album of 2018 for me. You'd think one album would be enough for 2018, but Heynderickx is about to release a collaborative with Maine musician Max Garcia Conover. I'm going to borrow straight from the label's description for this one: "An organic farm in the middle of nowhere. Dry wind through dry leaves. Dogs sleeping endless siestas in the sun. Rain that never comes. And horses. Always horses. This is the scenery the critically acclaimed singer-songwriters Haley Heynderickx (Portland, Oregon) and Max García Conover (Portland, Maine) were dropped in by the Barcelona based label Son Canciones in September 2017. They were given one week to get acquainted, become friends, write six songs, record them and try to catch the ducks that hopped the fence. After five days of hard labor, they walked up the stairs to the dusty st...

Inspired by Donna Summer's disco classic "I Feel Love" comes the latest from Bugeye, "Is This Love?" The song is about the unhealthy obsession side of love that doesn't get sung about very often. The song is definitely a disco party song, but it sounds more 90's throwback than 70's. It has one foot firmly planted in the Britpop rock attitude of Elastica and the other in Deee-Lite's second coming of disco funk. The result is the perfect dance/disco song for people that claim they hate disco, if any of those people still exist.  You can watch the video for "Is This Love?" below. The song is available now via 31% Wool LTD. For more on Bugeye, be sure to check out their website .

Photo via Facebook According to Peterborough, NH's Footings's bio, they are "...  a band that is sometimes just one person and other times five people." The one person is Eric Gagne, who is usually joined by Elisabeth Fuchsia on viola. The other three members of the band include Rick from Pile, Jordan from Rick Rude, and Candace from Bunny's a Swine, which makes Footings a supergroup in our eyes. Their new song, "American Beers," is gruff yet beautiful Americana. It's based in traditional folk, but also adds in a heaping helping of indie rock. It includes this absolutely mesmerizing viola solo where there would normally be a guitar solo, which is always a nice change. The vocals don't harmonize perfectly... at first. The more the song goes on, the more perfectly they begin to fit together. The song is intensely mellow and is one of the more mesmerizing songs we've heard in a while. You can listen to "American Beers" below. F...

Photo by Cara Robbins Boston's Marissa Nadler is back with a new, very 90's reminiscent single. "I Can't Listen to Gene Clark Anymore" reminds me of the more ethereal side of the Lilith Fair. It's filled with very quiet, dreamlike instrumentation over soft, lush vocals. The song is about how certain musicians can be so connected to certain points in your life that you can't listen to them any longer without being transported to that time period. For Nadler it's Gene Clark. The song is filled with beauty, and not always the happy kind. Plus, Nadler brings in Sharon Van Etten in for backing vocals, giving the song an even more compelling depth. It's a beautiful song full of minimal orchestration, if such a thing is even possible. You can listen to "I Can't Listen to Gene Clark Anymore" below. For My Crimes , the new album from Marissa Nadler, will be out September 28 on Sacred Bones and Bella Union. You can pre-order a copy via Ba...

The latest single from Boston's Soft Pyramids is nearly impossible to define. "Until It Hurts" starts off with a drum track and vocals that sound almost like an off kilter pop song. And then the noise kicks in. This guitar squall derails the song until it becomes an even more dancey number. Then an almost late 90's world electronica song kicks in. It's such a swirl of different styles all coming and going throughout the song's entire six minutes that it's almost unnerving, if it wasn't so glorious. You can listen to "Until It Hurts" below. Lowrey Go Go , the new album from Soft Pyramids, will be released on October 5. You can pre-order the album on their Bandcamp . For more on Soft Pyramids, check out their website . If you happen to be in the Boston area, their album release show is October 7 at State Park in Cambridge.

It's becoming my own personal little cliche, but every time Hero Fisher releases new music I feel the need to reiterate my disdain for current pop music and my surprise at how much I like her latest release. "If I Die and Nothing Happens" will continue that trend, but I'm starting to realize why I like Fisher's music so much. Sure, it's pop music in 2018, but if this was twenty years ago this would be breaking out of the MTV Buzz Bin. This song has much more in common with Poe, Ruby, and Tori Amos's more electronic experiments in the late 90's than it does to Ariana Grande or Meghan Trainor. And, for me at least, that's a very good thing. You can tell right from the name "If I Die and Nothing Happens" is a dark song. Despite this, it's still upbeat with gorgeous moments. And you can dance to it. You can listen to "If I Die and Nothing Happens" below. Hero Fisher's second album, Glue Moon , should be released sometime...

As always, we're thrilled to hear any new music from Weakened Friends. With every new song from Common Blah , their upcoming debut album, the buzz grows stronger making this one of the most anticipated albums of the fall. The latest song, "Peel," starts off reminding me a little of very early Weezer with its crunchy guitar riffs over incredibly catchy melodies. (Since Weezer is no longer using that sound, it's up for grabs and we have no complaints if Weakened Friends decide to try it out...) The riffs get bigger as the song goes on and even show just the slightest hint of metal at one point. It's a huge fun sound that we 100% support! You can listen to "Peel" below.  Weakened Friends's debut album, Common Blah , will be out October 19 on Don Giovanni Record s. You can pre-order the album here ,  including a pretty sweet cd and t-shirt bundle for $24.99. For more on Weakened Friends, check out their  website . Current tour dates are below the son...

Photo by Liz Maney The second single from Nikkie McLeod's upcoming EP is a more traditionally structured song than her first, "Deep Cry," was. "Quarrel" moves towards more familiar instrumentation for mainstream American listeners, but there is still plenty of originality for us all. McLeod constructs a song that starts off as a laid back singer/songwriter track, but that simmers with this undefined intensity right below the surface. That lasts for almost four minutes, and then the song restarts as an almost orchestral song. It's an over six minute song that feels both familiar and experimental. You can listen to "Quarrel" below. Nikkie McLeod's new EP, also called Quarrel , will be out on October 30. For more on Nikkie McLeod, be sure to check out their Facebook .

The latest single from Boston's Daisybone is the kind of indie rock that just isn't made any more. "Choke" starts off fast and furious in the most fun way possible. From there it just goes on a boisterous romp, occasionally slowing down for what may be the chorus. Or it could this part immediately after that turns into a gang vocal. It's an insanely fun and bouncy track, jangly as it can possibly be, and impossibly catchy. And all of this is packed into less than two minutes. You can listen to "Choke" below. Gold , the new album from Daisybones, will be out on November 9. For more on Daisybones, be sure to check them out on Facebook  and Bandcamp . They'll be playing October 20 as part of The Town and The City Festival in Lowell, MA.

Photo by Ken Sears Freshgrass definitely has changed since the last time I made it back in 2012. The courtyard where the main stage was is now the smallest stage and the main stage is now in a large field. Well, large compared to a courtyard. As far as an outdoor festival is concerned, it's still relatively small giving the entire fest an intimate feel. The food choices have definitely improved, too. In 2012 we only had the museum cafeteria which quickly ran out of a lot of choices. Now we could choose from a variety of food trucks and caterers spread through the grounds of MASS MoCA.  I was unable to attend Friday evening, so this will be a Trampled By Turtles free review. I'm going to focus on my favorite aspects of Saturday and Sunday, with plenty of pleasant surprises and new discoveries. Rhiannon Giddens Having seen Caroline Chocolate Drops a few times in the past, I fully expected Rhiannon Giddens to be good, even great. Somehow I didn't expect her performanc...

Artist : Low Album : Double Negative Quick Description : Latest anticipated album by the slowcore indie act. Why You Should Listen : Low has been required listening for close to two decades. Overall Thoughts : To say this is one of the more highly -anticipated releases of the fall would be an understatement. Low has a very clear aesthetic, and they have deviated from it twice – once in Drums and Guns, a great record with a lot of challenging bits, and now this. In a way, if Low were to produce their idea of Kid A, it might sound a bit like this. It’s abrasive and weird, it has an almost David Lynchian feel to the entire atmosphere. A few songs in, I was not on board. Toward the end, I was still unsure as to whether this was brilliant or absurd. The only thing we should be able to agree upon is that it is musical art in the very sense of it, and while it may not be the best of the week (or even necessarily good after we collectively give it a few more listens), it is somethin...

Photo by Amanda Cheng Atwood's Tavern in Cambridge, MA has become one of the go to places for roots/Americana music in the Boston area. Just about every night of the week you can head over there and have an idea of what you're going to see. That's why I was so surprised to see that New Zealand's The Beths are playing there on October 10. The Beths are decidedly not a roots act, and we've been loving their debut album Future Me Hates Me , calling it one of the best albums of the summer. Their fuzzy, loud, and melodic indie rock may be a bit jarring to regulars at Atwood's, and we can't wait to be there. You can pick up your ticket to see The Beths at Atwood's Tavern on October 10 here . It's not often a band comes all the way from New Zealand to play an 85 person club for $10, so you'll want to get these ASAP. If you need more convincing, check out their new video for "Little Deaths" below. If you're not in the Boston area an...

Just five months after their latest release (April's All Beat Up ), Boston's The I Want You are back with a new EP and video. "Some Psychics" keeps the power pop sound that we love from The I Want You, but it's not the typical 70's power pop sound most people go for. This one is pure early 80's power pop. The video intentionally looks like early MTV, and as far as the song itself goes, think of a dirty sounding Elvis Costello. It sounds sleazy the way tv shows like Three's Company  look sleazy now. The song is about various types of psychic power and figuring out if the powers come from the head or the heart.  You can watch the video for "Some Psychics" below. Some Psychics , the EP, will be available tomorrow, September 15. (I guess no one told them about Fridays being global release days?) You can get it on the band's Bandcamp . For more on The I Want You, check out their website . If you happen to be in the Boston area, they're...

Photo by Emulsion Lab I'm pretty sure Motherhood are the first band we have ever covered from Fredericton, New Brunswick. (Being American, I'm not even sure I could find New Bruswick on a map...) The band have recently released a new single, "Pick of the Pugs." It tells the tale of a painter who starts heavily drinking after a break up and ends up painting the outside of his ex's house. Of course, he claims he's not bothered by the break up. The song has the indie rock feel of the country side of Pavement, but only if they were heavily influenced by oompah bands.  You can listen to "Pick of the Pugs" below. The song is available now via Bandcamp . For more on Motherhood, check out their website . We included the tour dates on their press release below the song. Pick of the Pugs - Single by Motherhood Sept 17 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Desperate Annie's Sept 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie Sept 19 - New York, NY @ Piano's Sept 2...

Considering how much I love free music and covers, and how obsessively I follow Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, I can't believe this one slipped by me. Every so often Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys will allow their fans to choose songs for them to cover via their Patreon. The latest batch has been made available to us all. Under Your Covers is a twelve song collection that runs the gamut of what you'd expect from a fan chosen covers album. There are the covers that were obviously carefully chosen specifically for the band (Rasputina's "The New Zero," Primus's "The Toys Go Winding Down" which could easily be the name of a song by The Army of Toys...), classic rock favorites ("Baba O'Riley" from The Who, Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More," "10538 Overture" by Electric Light Orchestra), and then the ones that are just fun (Imagine Dragon's "Who We Are," ...