If It's Too Loud...

Photo by  Varvara Mikushkina While we loved the gorgeous simplicity of Rosa Bordallo's debut single, "Lost on the Coast," her follow up is decidedly more rock. "Citadel" isn't quite a punk rager, but compared to the previous song this one shreds. Beneath Bordallo's vocals creeps a growling guitar just waiting to be unleashed throughout the song. When it finally does it absolutely tears away, barely in control. The aggression within the song is due to the subject matter. According to Bordallo:    "'Citadel' is about Capitalist vultures in the concrete jungle. A balls-to-the-wall angry eff you to the 1 percenters who suck us dry. I wrote this out of frustration with the myth of New York ('if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere') that attracts bright and ambitious folk who may not realize what they're getting into until it's too late." You can listen to "Citadel" below. Reef Walker , the debut s...

Summer is over, which usually means the end of free outdoor concerts. Somehow New England decided to squeak out three more free shows this weekend, with something for every fan of rock based music! Boston Local Music Festival September 28 and 29 City Hall Plaza, Boston MA To me, this seems like a direct response to Boston Calling. It's right at Boston Calling's first location, and Boston Calling previously included a September show. This one features fifty Boston based bands over three stages for two days! With any festival this large, there are a lot of bands we're not hugely familiar with, but there are a bunch we know and love! You get the mainstream alternative rock of blindspot, the synth pop of Pyramid Thieves, the experimental hardcore punk of DNZL, the garage rock/pop of Carissa Johnson, the glam punk of The Knock Ups, the garage rock of Salem Wolves, and the Celtic punk of The Gobshites! New England Roots Festival September 28 Downtown Nashua, NH Now ...

Since the band featured Ric Menck and Paul Chastain of The Velvet Crush, I feel like I should be familiar with The Springfields. However, they only released five singles between 1986 and 1991, so I can forgive myself. Slumberland Records is reissuing these singles as Singles 1986-1991 , and we can listen to "Sunflower" right now. "Sunflower" is a gorgeous, shimmering indiepop song. It has equal parts the sunny pop of The Byrds and the twee feelings of Belle & Sebastian. It's a gorgeous song that sounds perfectly of its time and like it could have been released for the very first time last week.  You can listen to "Sunflower" below. Singles 1986-1991 will be released on Slumberland Records on November 15. The reissue can be pre-ordered here . For more on The Springfields, check out Slumberland Records's website .

Photo via Facebook We're a little late to The Devil's Twins bandwagon, but consider us fully on board. Their latest single, "Love Vigilante," is a bit more organic and rootsy than their typical releases. It's more Americana/blues, but Nicole Coogan's voice brings the metal, despite how laid back the song may be, especially at the beginning. Jeremiah Louf's vocals have a more laid back feel, giving the song a great intensity in comparison with Coogan's. And then the song brings in a killer hard rock electric guitar solo, melding the whole thing into a roots/blues/metal hybrid we all need right now. You can listen to "Love Vigilante" below. For more on The Devil's Twins, check out their website . If you're in the Boston area, they have an upcoming show at Atwood's Tavern with Carissa Johnson on October 12. That show cannot be missed.

Suitcase Sam has completely nailed the country/rock genre with his latest single, "Growing Up." Even though the song hearkens back to the early 70's glory days of that style, it feels completely timeless. According to the press release, Suitcase Sam wanted to make an album that sounded like it was released in 1972. Well... he accomplished that goal. "Growing Up" is a rambling country rocker in a style that doesn't quite get made like this anymore, and that's kind of a shame. Suitcase Sam says about the album: " When I was compiling the songs for this record, I was searching for sonic cohesion, a body of work that sounded like...a body of work. But looking back, in hindsight, I realize each song is about fucking off. Whether it’s jumping on a train or a bus and taking off without a care, or seeing that your situation is going sideways and having the insight to remove yourself before it all goes ka-bloo-iee!" You can listen to "Growing...

On the anniversary of the release of Nevermind , The Sheila Divine released a new single, "Kurt Cobain." According to a Facebook post from singer Aaron Perrino: " I remember the first time I heard Smells Like Teen Spirit on WBNY in 1991. I drove to the record store the following day, which was September 24th 1991, as they were unboxing Nevermind. Nirvana was my favorite band after that for quite some time. I wrote this song called Kurt Cobain imagining what he might be like if he were alive today." "Kurt Cobain" is a mid-tempo song that sound optimistic, but asks if Cobain were alive today " Would he be a middle aged legend slightly balding /  Railing against corruption and the greed /  Or a millionaire rock st ar with a winery /  Island hopping on a yacht at sea." It also asks if Jimi Hendrix would be " An elder statesman with a sound of rage /  Railing against all that we’ve become /  Or a baby boomer me too what is mine is mine /  D...

We've been heavily into The I Want You for some time. Their blend of psychedelic, glammed out power pop is kind of our jam here. Their latest EP Ferris Wheel is more of exactly what we want. It's four fun as can possibly be rockers from the late 70's/early 80's time period of power pop while somehow keeping a modern edge. They even throw in some New Wave in songs like "Watershed" just to try to hit every single musical urge you might have. "I Want You to Be Happy" is slowed down a bit, but they crank up the groove that much more. You can watch the video for "Ferris Wheel" below. Ferris Wheel , the EP, is out now via Bandcamp . For more on The I Want You, check out their website . 

Photo by Courtney Brooke Hall Boston's Hallelujah the Hills have a new single, and it's everything we hoped for. "Folk Music Is Insane" is a rollicking blend of near-folk and near-noise rock. For the majority of the song, it's a rambling folk rock number, with plenty of piano and fiddle. It would never be confused with traditional folk, but it's on the lines of more mainstream modern folk without sounding pop. And then these odd and great flourishes of noise come hammering in. It's these two parts that sound completely different from each other yet blend together perfectly that makes "Folk Music Is Insane" an instant favorite for us. You can listen to "Folk Music Is Insane" below. I'm You , the seventh album from Hallelujah the Hills [How on Earth has one of my "new" bands released seven albums already?], will be out sometime in the Fall. For more on Hallelujah the Hills, check out their website .

A fairly busy release week: Artist : Tracy Shedd Album : The Carolinas Quick Description : Dreamy, fuzzy indie pop. Why You Should Listen : Tracy Shedd has a unique voice and presentation overall. Overall Thoughts : I don't know why this caught me so well this week. Maybe it's because of the summery feel to go along with the 80-plus degree weather this past weekend, maybe it's because I was looking for something that felt brighter and more optimistic on the surface? Either way, this was a superlative listen this week and one you would probably enjoy in any week. Recommendation : A definite highlight this week. Artist : Fitz and the Tantrums Album : All the Feels Quick Description : Mainstream dance/soul rock group back for more. Why You Should Listen : If their popular success got you off the bandwagon, this is a good opportunity to get back on board. Overall Thoughts : I haven't stopped being a fan of Fitz, but I can understand why songs like "Han...

If you're writing a press release trying to get our attention, it helps to state " Benjamin Spike Saunders  wants to do standup, but he’s too much of a coward. Instead, Benjamin decided to stick to what he knows: button collecting, making creepy dolls, and writing music in his room" and " ‘Tonsil Wife’ is his first ill-fated shot at stardom."  Now that our attention has been gotten, let's focus on the song "Delicate." Saunders nails the self-recorded bedroom genre perfectly. "Delicate" sounds like exactly what the title suggests. It's a quiet, heartfelt indie rock gem. While you're listening you feel like you're invading Saunders's privacy by how intimate it feels. What's great about modern recording is that it still sounds well produced. This is hardly the cassette recordings of our youth.  You can watch the video for "Delicate" below. Tonsil Wife , the upcoming release from Benjamin Spike Saunders, wi...

Puddles Pity Party is undeniably popular, although I don't know if I've ever quite got it. It's too weird of a concept to be taken fully seriously, but he's far too talented to be a pure novelty. But, if he's going to join with Jake La Botz to cover The Kinks... how can I possibly resist that? The pair take on "Strangers," one of my favorite understated Kinks classic songs. It's somewhat reinvented with a country feel.  Puddles Pity Party says about the recording: " This song was written by Dave Davies. Our pal, Jake La Botz, stopped by the garage. We talked about life and living and his Buddhist meditation practice. Then we decided to play this song. It's been on my mind lately, although I've never played it before. Jake plays a mean guitar, and I love playing that outta tune Ban-Tar or whatever it's called. Let's hear it for Andrew and that Fog Storm 1200! I adore making art with these guys." You can watch the video fo...

Photo via Facebook Boston's Michael Christmas has just outed himself with his new single, "Triple H," named after professional wrestler/Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and creative for WWE, and Vince McMahon's son-in-law. "Triple H," the song, is far more laid back than the wrestler's personality. It's that trademark laid back vibe that has makes up Christmas's charm. "Triple H" is a kick ass hip hop song about partying while being broke... which is a pretty common theme for Christmas. The song doesn't seem to have much to do with the wrestler, except for the occasional mentions of his name, the "suck it" at the beginning, and mentions of not playing "the game" during the chorus. You can watch the video for "Triple H" below. It features Christmas in a Degeneration-X shirt wrestling with two guys dressed as the Dudley Boyz. For more on Michael Christmas, check him out on Twitter . ...

Coming from Montclair, NJ, Hit Like a Girl play a fantastic version of indie rock and dream pop fronted by Nicolle Maroulis. Their debut album, You Make Sense , was released back in 2017. It's filled with eight fantastic songs dancing between the line of being pure pop and indie rock. "It's Always You" is a bouncy alternative pop/rock song that sounds like straightforward early Belly. "I'll Understand" slows it down a bit into an earnest near emo meets Lady Lamb song. They even bust out some killer power ballad adjacent material with "The Song I Hoped You'd Never Hear." You can listen to "It's Always You" below. You Make Sense is available now for the "Name your price" option over at Bandcamp . While not technically available for free, you also need to check out their 2018 album What Makes Love Last , which is available for $1.00 via Bandcamp . As always, if you choose the free or even $1.00 options, be sure to f...

Usually after twenty five years, even the loudest of bands slow down a little bit. No one told that to Providence's Lightning Bolt. Their latest single, "USA is a Psycho," is a bludgeoning, brutal loud song. The drumming is just relentless and pounding, and the guitars drive straight into your skull with abandon. Also? It's groovy as all hell and makes you kinda want to dance. It all swirls into a pulsating psychotic mixture of pure noise and fun aggression. Aka it's classic Lightning Bolt. You can listen to "USA is a Psycho" below. Sonic Citadel, the upcoming album from Lightning Bolt, will be out October 11. You can pre-order the album via the band's Bandcamp . For more on Lightning Bolt, check out their website . Sonic Citadel by Lightning Bolt

Back in June Jessica Lea Mayfield released tape demos part 1 , and three months later she's bringing us TAPE DEMOS PART 2. The latest is a five song collection of solo home cassette demos Mayfield is currently working on. Songs like "ALL MEN" fits the typical acoustic solo demo we'd expect while "I'M DOING FINE" is surprisingly reverb heavy. These demo collections aren't really meant for new or casual fans. These are extremely rough and meant for the type of fans that would have bought import singles or giant box sets in the past to make sure they have everything. These offer a great look into what Mayfield is working on while we wait for her next full release, and it'll make hearing the finished versions that much more interesting. You can listen to "DON'T EVEN TRY ME" below. TAPE DEMOS PART 2  is available now via Bandcamp. If these do well enough Mayfield is teasing a full band demo for part 3. For more on Jessica Lea Mayfiel...

The latest single from the collaboration between L'Orange and Jeremiah Jae looks at a returning veteran's post war flashbacks and every day life back as a civilian. It's a very little looked at subject in the music world. "After Alley Life" makes this dark subject matter into a fantastic hip hop track. Somehow the song reminds me if Puff Daddy and the world of Bad Boy made a completely serious and dark song, and somehow succeeded. It's a perfect blend of L'Orange's minimalist yet flush production and Jeremiah Jae's laid back but intense vocals. You can watch the brilliantly animated video for "After Alley Life" below. The animation is done by Eric Power. Complicate Your Life With Violence , the upcoming album from L'Orange and Jeremiah Jae, will be out October 4 on Mello Music Group. You can pre-order the album here . The album is divided into three parts: recruitment, war, and the dark effects this causes. For more on L'Orang...

Photo by Annabel Mehran Wilco have been releasing solidly good music for decades at this point. Unfortunately, their more recent albums have received a lot of criticism. While I've enjoyed Wilco's more recent output, nothing has really grabbed my attention and rocketed to a best of list. "Everyone Hides" might change that. This new song definitely isn't breaking any new ground. But as Wilco strips away the excess and gets back to basics, you get to rediscover what you've loved about them. "Everyone Hides" isn't quite a throwback to their early alt-country beginnings, but it's solid Americana. There are hints of the noodling and odd noise of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot , but other than that it's expertly done straight up Americana rock music. You can watch the  little bit too cutesy but would have probably been a Buzz Bin  video for "Everyone Hides" featuring the band taking part in a game of hide and seek throughout Chicago landm...

South London's HAWXX are a bit more metal than what we normally cover here at If It's Too Loud..., but every so often we let the metal flag of our [ok, my - Ken] youth fly. "The Lie" is a thunderous metal/hard rock song about Brexit and the current political climate in England. I'm not hearing a lot of what constitutes the mainstream metal of today. Instead it sounds like early 90's alt-metal equally mixed with glam. By glam I don't mean hair metal, but bands like T-Rex. It's an interesting and unique mix that I'm surprised we haven't heard much of before.  You can listen to "The Lie" below. For more on HAWXX, check out their website .

Photo by Cara Robbins The title track from that dog.'s first album in twenty two years is an odd choice for a single. that dog. has always had a few slower, almost orchestral songs on their albums, even dating back to their 1994 self titled debut (just listen to "She Looks At Me.") But "Old LP" is propelled mostly be Anna Waronker and Rachel Haden's voices, with violins making up much of the music. "If You Just Didn't Do It," the first single from Old LP , was much more of a traditional that dog. single, but "Old LP" seems more like their traditional album closers. It's an interesting choice, which makes the upcoming release of Old LP more intriguing. You can listen to "Old LP" below. Old LP , the new album from that dog., will be out 10/4. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on that dog., check out their website .

Unlucky for me, I got a little busy/sidetracked this weekend, so some quick hits: Must listens: * Jenny Hval - The Practice of Love : Jenny Hval continues to corner her area of the weird performative arts with this latest album, a vivid and atmospheric listen that paints a really interesting picture on a whole. As with her other work, it is absolutely an acquired taste, but I have fully bought in and I’m a big fan of this one. * Candy Ambulance - Traumantic : I loved this. Felt like a grungy mid-1990s album that would have likely fit in as the odd younger sister of Hole or Veruca Salt or something. There’s a great attitude about this that turns this record into something more noteworthy, and ended up being one of my favorites this week. * Long Beard - Means to Me : I do love my share of dreamy folk music, and Long Beard does it right. This is a gorgeous listen with a lot of memorable moments, and is something that I feel like might stick with me for a while. Of all the new ...

Li'l Andy specialize in a haunting, dark, old style of country that many try and only come off as hokey. Li'l Andy nails this style like few can in this century. His latest single, "Out On the Old Highway," is a heartbreaking song about travelling late at night on rarely used highways. I'll let his press release explain the song: "A few summers ago, I drove from Renfrew County, Ontario to play a show in Montreal. With no air-conditioning in my car, I decided to make my journey at night.   All throughout that long drive, I kept my eyes peeled for deer, moose, foxes or any other critter that might dart out into the road. Their green eyes eerily flashed by in my headlights as they hid in the bushes along the shoulders of Ontario and Quebec’s less-well travelled highways. Roads with names like County Road 23 or Route 303 . Highways no one uses anymore now that newer, bigger stretches of road have been built alongside them.    I could see that these weren’...

Photo via Facebook I'm not quite sure why, but I never expected to hear Thurston Moore cover New Order. He decided to take on the last song from Power Corruption and Lies , "Leave Me Alone." For a version without synths, Moore's take on "Leave Me Alone" is completely spot on. It's filled with acoustic guitars and is far more orchestral than anything I would have ever expected from the No Wave legend. It's a lovely and (for him) quiet recording. Towards the end there is some noise brought, but for the most part, "Leave Me Alone" is a beautiful orchestral version of a New Wave classic. You can listen to Thurston Moore's version of "Leave Me Alone" below. The song will be available as the B-side to three separate upcoming 7" records that will be available November 8 via Moore's Daydream Library Series. For more on Thurston Moore, check out his website .

Portland, OR's duo Fox Medicine describe themselves as "bubblegum doom," and that might be the most accurate description of a band I've ever heard. Their latest single, "Comfort Pony," is a slowed down, sludgier than you could even imagine plod of a song. It's a blend of the sludge of the Melvins, the distortion of Sonic Youth, the epic grunge of Soundgarden, and the fuzzy industrial metal of Helmet. And this is all crammed into three minutes. This is definitely not the right s ong for everyone, but if it sounds like it could be your thing, you're going to become completely obsessed with it. You can watch the video for "Comfort Pony" below.  Procédures Mystiques, the upcoming album from Fox Medicine, will be out November 8. You can pre-order a copy over at their Bandcamp . For more on Fox Medicine, check out their website . 

Ever since Lucy Dacus announced her 2019 holiday singles project, I've been waiting for one of her more interesting holidays: Bruce Springsteen's birthday. I came to Springsteen later in life, and I can't say I'm fully on board, but I now get it. To celebrate Bruce's birthday on September 23, she's released a cover of "Dancing in the Dark." At first the song starts out like a typical Lucy Dacus song: In that world between folk and indie rock, almost haunting. But the song slowly starts picking up (which is also a Lucy Dacus trait), but in a more traditional, straightforward rock way. Like a Springsteen song. Dacus pulls off the rare cover that stays true to the original while making it her own song, which is impressive since her music isn't close to Bruce's. You can listen to Lucy Dacus take on "Dancing in the Dark" below. There are still forthcoming songs for Halloween and Christmas. For more on Lucy Dacus, check out her website ...

Boston's very own Baabes are back with a new EP we almost missed. Ratchet Ass Dance Party is an eight song burst of, as they claim on their Bandcamp,  "SLEAZY GARAGE PUNK ROCK N ROLL." It's obnoxious, and has just barely enough melody to not be a complete mess of noise. It's almost... catchy? But the thing with Ratchet Ass Dance Party  is that it is a dance party waiting to happen. Baabes are definitely noise punk in the most textbook definition, but this release is better for dancing than moshing. But just barely. And it's probably not what you want to try playing for your normal co-workers. You can listen to "You'd Be Smart to Kill Me Now" below. Ratchet Ass Dance Party , the latest EP from Baabes, is out now and is available via their Bandcamp . For more on Baabes, check out their website . Ratchet Ass Dance Party by BAABES