If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Sam Alexander-Gregg If you didn't already miss live music, get ready to after seeing this. shame have released a live video for the new song "BiL." Recorded at Brixton Electric, this is one of the very few live videos to actually capture the energy of a live performance. You can almost feel the power of frontman Charlie Steen through your computer screen. "BiL" is an intense alt-rock thrasher that leans heavily on the punk side of post punk. It combines noise punk and post punk that reimagines a band like Refused if they were less metal influenced. After seeing this video, your first priority once live music comes back will be to see shame in person. You can watch the live video performance of "BiL" below. The video is part of a forthcoming live session film recorded at Brixton Electric. For more on shame, check out the band's website .

Photo via Facebook Boston's Ruby Rose Fox has always made pop music, but it's always been her own interesting version of pop. It's much darker and experimental than the mainstream would ever allow, which is probably what draws me into it. Her latest single is somehow her most and least mainstream offering so far. According to a Facebook post, she's "...  been listening to a lot of bedroom pop, Nina Simone, and Andy Shauf," and "Your Old Ways" reflects that. It starts off slow in a jazzy way, getting you ready for a gorgeous torch song. And then these drums kick is, letting you know this song won't be what you expect. Then, the journey of "Your Old Ways" truly begins. On the same Facebook post, Ruby Rose Fox explains the meaning of the song: " Heart break and a pandemic definitely led me to a single conclusion. There is no amount of pain I can't survive. The fire always returns. The cup always fills. And so, we continue, we rec...

Photo via Facebook I know, I know. At this point we're all having election fatigue at this point, and just want this over. But, for those of us that grew up in the 90's obsessed with hip hop, the latest from De La Soul is a complete dream project come true. "Remove 45" is obviously an anti-Trump song, but, aside from that, it features Styles P (The Lox), Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Mysonne, and Public Enemy's Chuck D. From that line up alone there's no way I'm not going to bring this song to you. Plus, it's a great song. A lot of times a song with eight MCs with a message can be an overbloated mess, but everyone keeps this song under control and on focus. Each rapper gets a verse, interspersed with sound bites from the subject matter. In fact, "Remove 45" might be the best thing that everyone involved has released this century. You can listen to "Remove 45" below. You can find the song here . For more on De La Soul, check out their...

Ran completely out of time this week, so some quick hits: Top Releases : * clipping. - Visions of Bodies Being Burned (Puts basically any other recent rap release to shame.) * Zilched - DOOMPOP (A great, shoegazey, alt-rocky record. A favorite this week.) * Ben Harper - Winter is For Lovers (Gorgeous instrumental acoustic guitar work.) * Raye Zaragoza - Woman in Color (Solid country music from a voice with plenty to say.) * No Thank You - Embroidered Foliage (Great alt-rock, major step up from their debut.) * Sir Chloe - Party Favors Of note : * The Mountain Goats - Getting Into Knives (Very adult-alternative of them.) * Felix Hatfield - False God * Girlhood - Girlhood * Ela Minus - Acts of Rebellion * Loma - Don't Shy Away * Leah Barley - Bring Out Your Dead * Ruby Mack - Devil Told Me * Ivan & Alyosha - Ivan & Alyosha * Cherry Pickles - The Juice That's W...

Citrus Clouds have long been our favorite shoegaze/dream pop artists coming out of Phoenix, AZ, and their latest single helps solidify that. Maybe it's just that I'm writing this in the middle of a streak of drearily rainy New England late October days, but "Whoa" is hitting my mood perfectly. It has the kind of dark vibe that gives you hope it will one day be over. Plus, as with any truly great shoegaze song, droning guitars are front and center, slowly and slowly building into one of the most gloriously lovely noise crescendos I've heard in a long, long time. You can listen to "Whoa" below. The song is available as a single on Citrus Clouds's Bandcamp . For more on Citrus Clouds, check them out on Facebook . Whoa by Citrus Clouds

Multi-national neo-soul/jazz collective Seba Kaapstad are back with a new single off their upcoming album. "Konke" translates to "everything," and the song "Konke" is a celebration of everything. It features Zoe Modiga and Ndumiso Manana singing about the simple and not-so-simple things they want, which hits harder in the time of COVID. It's this incredible blend of soul, R&B, hip hop, and jazz that truly shows off every style and every genre. Just when you think the song is leaning more towards any style, it shifts ever so slightly into another while staying the course of the song. You can watch the video for "Konke" below. Konke , the upcoming album from Seba Kaapstad, will be out November 13 on Mello Music Group. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Seba Kaapstad, check out the band's website .

Remember earlier this month when we brought you RebUke , a three song EP of anti-Trump protest songs from Milo Aukerman recorded on ukulele because he wanted to get those songs out faster than he could with the Descendents? Well... we now have two of those three songs recorded with the band! Suffrage is a new two song single from the Descendents that includes the two songs "On You" and "Hindsight 2020." This time the anger in Milo's lyrics and vocals is matched by the music. The Descendents have never truly been an overtly political band, but on Suffrage they go all out with politics. There's no questioning what they mean with lyrics like "#MAGA MAGA / What a fucking joke." You can watch the lyric video for "On You" below. Suffrage is available now via Epitaph Records here . For more on the Descendents, check out their website/Tumblr .

Photo by Alexander Schipper New Zealand born and London based artist October and The Eyes may only be twenty three, but she's been producing and recording her own music since she was twelve. Her musical style is a self-proclaimed "collage rock," which is why her latest single is so hard to pin down. With influences like David Bowie, Bauhaus, Siouxsie Sioux, and Suicide, "Playing God" is a glorious mess of a cluster of noises. The song is definitely a pop song, but it's a nearly impossibly noisy one. It's a burst of celebration, but with an edge that is front and center. It's not rock, it's not pop, it's just October and The Eyes. October explains the new song: “ ‘Playing God’ is about the innate human desire for power and control but also our ability to cry ‘poor little ole me’ when it all gets too much .  We’ve seen it time and time again throughout the history of man, and perhaps it feels even more relevant now than ever witnessing the powe...

Photo via Facebook Note to all musicians: If you're looking to get written about here at If It's Too Loud..., it certainly helps to bring in Lydia Loveless to guest on your song. Divided Heaven, aka Jeff Berman, has released a protest song and brought in Lydia Loveless for additional vocals. The song lands on the more pop side of the current Americana sound, but Berman brings a unique feel to the genre. It could be the venom in his voice, or maybe just his voice itself, but "They Poisoned Our Fathers" sounds like a more rootsy Placebo. Jeff Berman explains the meaning behind the new song: "Touring during the trump years has been telling. I’ve had countless conversations with people who share their grief and abhorrence that a fascist president has emboldened the worst traits of many of our fathers, brothers, uncles, neighbors, and coworkers. 'They Poisoned Our Fathers' is meant to serve as a personal statement of resistance: resistance against trump, his p...

Photo via Miynt Stockholm's Miynt has a new single out that is truly hard to define. "Give me palm trees and inner peace" is a guitar driven pop song that is a little too pop to be rock and a little too rock to be pop. Plus, it definitely has too many weird little moments to truly be either. It almost sounds like a twisted version of artists like Liz Phair and Veruca Salt, but through an odd little filter. There's a strong mid 90's power pop feel to "Give me palm trees and inner peace," but a current, lo-fi version of that. You can watch the video for "Give me palm trees and inner peace" below. The song is available as an AA-side single with "Lovesong" via B3SCI Records. You can find the single available here . For more on Miynt, check out the artist's Facebook .

Photo via Facebook If you're like me and miss old school hip hop, you're going to want to check out the latest from Ras Kass. First of all, it features legendary rapper Masta Ace. When you include Masta Ace on a song, you get immediate old school cred. And then there's the song itself. "CULTURE.VULTURE." is pure old school. The song sounds modern while keeping a classic vibe. Sure, there is still the R&B style chorus, but it's a more of an early 90's R&B chorus so it's not overdone at all.  Rass Kass says of "CULTURE.VULTUR E.":  "[Producer Hi-Tek] came with the straight primal drums!  Ace's flow is liquid and Sapp hook smoothes it out on some Old School, Cold Crush harmony routine vibe. We do this shit for the Culture!" You can watch the video for "CULTURE.VULTURE." below. I'm Not Clearing Shxt , the upcoming album from Ras Kass, will be out November 6. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Ras Kass,...

We've been posting a lot of political music lately, but it's nearly impossible when so many artists we love keep releasing great political music. The latest is Rhode Island's The Huntress and Holder of Hands's new single. "Doctrine" is an intense slow burn of a song. MorganEve Swain's song feels like it's going to explode, but never quite does. It's just filled with a brooding, festering tension and anger throughout. While it does build, there is never quite that indie rock noise explosion you would expect, even though "Doctrine" leans much more heavily on the folk side of music than indie rock, while still having that noise lurking underneath, which is what we truly love about most of The Huntress and Holder of Hands's music. You can listen to "Doctrine" below. The song is available as a standalone single on The Huntress and Holder of Hands's Bandcamp . For more on The Huntress and Holder of Hands, check out the artist...

If you've been reading If It's Too Loud... for a while, you know that Halloween is my favorite holiday, and that I tend to go overboard with the Halloween playlist every year. Since this is pretty much all we have for Halloween this year, it's a monster (o pun intended) seventy one song, nearly four hour playlist! I've been making it since literally last November, adding songs as I stumbled across them. There are songs from longtime blog favorites (Speedy Ortiz, Wussy, Melvins, The Gravel Pit, Against Me!), newly discovered favorites (Heather Valley, Comet Pond, Tysk Tysk Task, Gino & The Goons), some classics (Bruce Springsteen, Jello Biafra, Dusty Springfield, Alice Cooper, Siouxsie and the Banshees), and more! Whatever you're doing Saturday night (or this entire week) to celebrate, you're gonna to find some spookiness to love here!

Photo via Facebook Dale Crover is the drummer for The Melvins, but is venturing out with an upcoming solo album. The first single for that album, "Tougher," is going to strongly appeal to fans of his other band. "Tougher" has the volume, sludgy guitars, and the discordance that his fans want, nay need. However, Crover isn't just mimicking the sound we expect from him. This new song has this odd 70's funk rock thing to it, almost like it's a bizarro song from Ram Jam or Rick Derringer, with some of the most killer bursts of noise rushing in out of seemingly nowhere. You can listen to "Tougher" below. Rat-A-Tat-Tat! , the upcoming album from Dale Crover, will be out January 15 on Joyful Noise Recordings. You can pre-order a copy of the album here . For more on Dale Crover, check out his website .

We're a week away from the new album from Lunchbox and the Oakland duo have another single from that album. "Over Way Too Soon" is everything we love from Lunchbox. It's an upbeat, almost summery draped in 60's AM radio vintage vibes and 90's indie rock sensibilities... which I guess is also vintage at this point. The horns in "Over Way Too Soon" are particularly groovy and truly create the ambiance of the song. Lunchbox explain their single and video:  "'Over Way Too Soon' plays with themes of love, death and impermanence against the backdrop of the ever-changing Oakland cityscape. Singer/ghost Donna McKean haunts guitarist Tim Brown across the sites of their shared personal past and the gentrifying public present. At once love letter to Oakland and requiem for lost love, the song and video are a pop meditation on how nothing, from favorite bars to sites of first dates, can ever stay the same. 'Over Way Too Soon' is about all th...

Photo by Ken Sears Two hundred twenty four days is a long, long time to go without live music. I'm the type of person that starts getting antsy if I go a full month without seeing a band play live, so the last seven months has been hard (obviously for a variety of reasons). Sure, live music has started to return, but drive-in shows don't really appeal to me aside from the novelty and outdoor patio shows with everyone eating while seated at tables doesn't feel safe to me. But an artist playing outside in a public park where it's very easy to socially distance? Perfection. Ruby Mack played this past Wednesday at the Great Falls Farmer's Market in Turners Falls, MA. A farmer's market might not be the hippest place to play, but it worked for these four artists. (They mentioned that their name comes in part from Macintosh apples, so...) It was just the four members of Ruby Mack playing unamplified under a tree on a late October evening with the weather in the upper 6...

Hailing from Liverpool, Eyesore & The Jinx released a standalone single earlier this month. This is a song that's become legendary with fans of the band, who have wondered about its very existence. "Accidental Weller" is a post punk meets mod song. It's a fun danceable track, despite having this growing aggression building underneath. There are bursts of pure noise that periodically jump out, almost without warning. It's a shockingly intense song, even though it seems like a lighthearted, upbeat track throughout. Josh Miller of Eyesore & The Jinx explains that "Accidental Weller" "...  is a cautionary tale about the urge for transformation in all of us. A timely reminder that you’re only ever a few snips away from a bouffant/ mullet hybrid that belongs on a Vespa with a Union Jack paint job, doing 40 mph on an A round somewhere just outside of Luton. A verbal hand on the shoulder, patting you gently, letting you know that whatever plans you ...

Photo by Janelle Wallace The Saskatchewan duo of Kacy + Clayton have paired with New Zealand's Marlon Williams on an upcoming album. Way back in 2018 (granted, only two years ago but it feels like decades) Williams left the summer warmth to head to Canada around Christmas for three weeks, which is when the bulk of the album was recorded. Now, nearly two years later we can hear the first song from that collaboration. "I Wonder Why" keeps that vintage oldies meets folk sound that we love from Williams. It could just be his voice, but everything that comes out of him sounds like a vintage crooner. This combines with a classic country sound, mixing two gorgeous classic American sounds into a song from a Canadian and New Zealander pairing. Marlon Williams says of the collaboration:  “We wanted to see if we could meld hemispheres. I’m bringing this Pacific style of country music with the harmonies and choral elements. Kacy & Clayton have a super identifiable sound. They emb...

The latest release from everyone's favorite Canadian post classic rockers is just pure straight up rock. "Honey," Partner's new single, is literally just a song about rocking. This is the kind of song that is usually reserved for bands like Flight of the Conchords and Tenacious D these days. And, sure... "Honey" isn't a overly serious song about a huge social issues, and it does have a sense of humor, but it's hardly a novelty song. It's just a huge rock song about rock. Bless Partner for that. And what exactly is "Honey" about? According to the band:  " Honey  is the origin story of Josée's golden axe. In this track we recall how she first found her way to our house and joined the band. It came with a note (from Josée's dad) 'This guitar sounds just like honey going down.' Get ready for some straight up rock n roll." You can watch the Wayne's World inspired video for "Honey" below. Never Give Up ...

Photo by Eunice Beck "Broken Wings," the latest single from Phoenix's Danielle Durack, is a pretty straightforward singer/songwriter, folk adjacent song. It's a little more pop and mainstream than the music I dig, but it's just a great little song. And then the crashing drums and crunchy guitars kick in, amping the entire thing up a few notches. What starts off as a pretty little song becomes a straight up rocker, and then fades back into the quiet. It does all this while still sounding like the same song and maintaining consistency.  According to Danielle Durack, the song is  “...  a kind of wry take on my questionable taste in men ," she explains. " The song is pretty self critical, like, 'why do you keep doing this to yourself?' But also pretty jab-y towards the men in question. It's about wanting something that isn’t good for me ." You can watch the video for "Broken Wings" below. No Place , the upcoming album from Danielle...

We've been all in for the resurgence in both brass and marching bands lately, particularly when they're playing covers of decidedly non-brass songs. Our latest discovery is Breakdown Brass. Way back in 2015, the Brooklyn based band (which features members of Anitibalas, Sharon Jones, Streetlight Manifesto, Charles Bradley, Valerie June, Lee Fields and more!) released their single "Monmouth" which included a cover of Dr. Dre's classic "Next Episode." In 2019, they reissued the single, this time with "Next Episode" being the A-side. Granted, the cover doesn't include Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, or Nate Dogg, but you're going to love it regardless. It's an instrumental version of the gangsta funk classic, and somehow it's even funkier. This cover will be nearly impossible to not love. You can listen to Breakdown Brass cover "Next Episode" below. You can get your copy of the single over at Bandcamp . For more on Breakdown Brass, c...

Artist : beadadoobee Album : Fake It Flowers Quick Description : Big on Tiktok singer-songwriter with an amazing album. Why You Should Listen : Don't let her buzz on an app we're all too old for steer you away from this. Overall Thoughts : Ken found her first with her great "I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus," but her song "Coffee" and a remixed version have a combined 782 plays on Spotify due to its prevalance on TikTok. But we're not here to talk about that, but rather this great album. It absolutely feels like a 1990s Juliana Hatfield record in so many ways, and it's super great. This is super likely to be a big hit this year, so get in on the ground floor (or at least what's left of it for those not on TikTok) and enjoy. Recommendation : One of the best of the year. Artist : Lauren Mann Album : Memory and Desire Quick Description : Canadian folkie back with another great record. Why You Should Listen : Lauren Mann has a history o...

Photo via Facebook Every so often we come across an artist that is taking a standard genre and just doing their own thing with it. They're not reinventing the entire world of music and what came before. They're working within the genre, but just doing their own unique thing with it. Felix Hatfield is currently doing that with folk. "That Kiss," which is a duet with Esme Patterson, is a folk song, but it's a folk song not quite like anything you've heard before, while still being solidly folk. Some of that unique feel is the use of horns and what might be windchimes, but that's not it. The entire structure of the song, while being traditional, feels completely unique the way Hatfield works it. The only true past artists I can compare this to is the Elephant 6 collective, which is high praise around these parts. You can watch the video for "That Kiss" below. False God , the upcoming album from Felix Hatfield, will be out October 23. For more on Fel...

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen Last month we brought you the new solo single from Aaron Frazer, best known as the drummer and second vocalist with Durand Jones & The Indications. Now, we have a new single. "Over You" keeps the soul that we love about Aaron Frazer's band, and somehow amps up the groove. The new song has a certain level of funk not typically heard in American soul. Frazer explains:  “‘ Over You’ is inspired by the legendary northern soul 45s that electrified dance floors across the UK in the 1960s .  Breakneck speeds and breakbeat drums challenged even the best dancers to pull out all the stops. Lyrically, ‘Over You’ captures a moment of despair in the darkest hour of a breakup. But sometimes to feel better, you just gotta shake your ass .” You can watch the video for "Over You" below. Introducing..., the upcoming Dan Auerbach produced album from Aaron Frazer, will be out January 8 on Dead Oceans/Easy Eye Sound. You can pre-order the album here . For...

Photo via Facebook There's been a resurgence of hip hop that eschews the standard trope of an obvious sample and an R&B chorus, and we're all for that. Our latest discovery is Angry Blackmen's new single "PROTOCOL!" At just over two minutes, the song has more in common with punk than mainstream hip hop. The music isn't exactly as rough as early hip hop, but it's not quite smooth either. It's a harsh yet mellow electronic burst with industrial sounding beats. This blends with the two members of Angry Blackmen's flow: They're laid back but intense. You can watch the video for "PROTOCOL!" below. HEADSHOTS! , the new album from Angry Blackmen, is available now via Deathbomb Arc. You can get a copy at the label's Bandcamp . For more on Angry Blackmen, check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter .

Massachusetts's Jake McKelvie & the Countertops are back with their unique blend of Americana inflected indie rock. Their latest single, "Clot the Wobblin," might be our new favorite of their catalog. It's a fast paced song that rambles on like a hyperactive Bob Dylan's prime 60's and 70's work, but mixed with the slacker aesthetic of Pavement. It has virtually no chorus... well, it kinda does. There are a few lines that are repeated twice, but in a song as verbose as "Clot the Wobblin," it's easy to miss that. Plus, the song is genuinely funny, which is rare in indie rock.  You can listen to "Clot the Wobblin" below. The song will be included on Jake McKelvie & the Countertops's upcoming album Here's What You Do , but for now you can get the single via the band's Bandcamp . For more on Jake McKelvie & the Countertops, check out their website . Clot the Wobblin by Jake McKelvie & the Countertops

It wouldn't be October without a new song from Charming Disaster. The gothic cabaret duo just have released "Houdini." It's a little more rockin' than their standard fare. It starts off with some heavy near-grunge guitars, but longtime fans need not be worried. There is plenty of the theatricality we've come to love from Charming Disaster. And while the song is about the famous magician Harry Houdini, "Houdini" isn't about one of his famous escapes. Instead, the song is a desperate plea from his afterlife (which fits perfectly into Charming Disaster's catalog). The band explains the song: "After WWI and the 1918 flu pandemic, the popularity of spiritualism and séances skyrocketed around the world, as nearly everyone had recently lost a loved one they longed to reach on the other side. The great stage magician Harry Houdini was no exception; he and his wife even had a pact that whoever died first would try to contact the other with a secr...

Photo by Colette Auger Considering Prateek's latest single is a straightforward song that leans towards the mainstream side of that genre, it's incredibly hard to categorize. It starts off with what sounds like steel guitar, so right away you're going to think Prateek has gone country. But "All the Stars" isn't country. Except when it is. The country side of the song fades out and then back in throughout the song and a more traditional modern folk sound takes over. This is what's great and unique about "All the Stars": It's not a country/folk song. It's a country song and a folk song. With his newest single, Prateek has truly outdone himself and truly deserves our attention. You can listen to "All the Stars" below. You can find the single via your preferred streaming service here . For more on Prateek, check out his website .

Brooklyn's Gustaf have been playing sold out shows around the country despite not having any released any recorded music. That's now changed with the release of their debut single "Mine." "Mine" is a burst of groovy art-punk, like a more raw version of The Julie Ruin or if Bodega decided to be less of a party band. That's not to say that Gustaf aren't fun. There is plenty of humor in this song, and it's one of the most dance friendly post punk songs we've heard in months. But "Mine" is dripping with some of the most biting attitude of this year, which is saying a lot. Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains the new song: "This song is about having a false sense of entitlement. Someone who feels attacked or like they're being pushed out of their own world and not getting the credit they deserve. Someone with a delusional sense of self whose anger and frustration is humorous like the superintendent in a college frat movie. T he openi...

Just in case you can't figure out who the latest single from LA folk punk artist Sunny War is about based solely on the name "Orange Man," Sunny uses plenty of sound bites to make sure we know. The sound bites are some of the more choice and memorable ones from the last five years, interspersed between Sunny's vocals which come across as playful and mocking. The single delights in the possibility of the subject being removed from office next month and is more of a celebration than anger. The song includes lyrics like " you’re such a waste /  of a heart and a spine /  and a pulse and a face /  and a soul and a mind" truly hammer the feelings of the song home. You can watch the video for "Orange Man" below. The song is currently available via Bandcamp with all proceeds going to Fair Fight Action and Food Not Bombs. For more on Sunny War, check out the artist's website .