During the lockdown phase of the pandemic, Dave Homeowner started writing songs as an outlet. One restrictions lifted, he formed Luxury Teeth. The Baltimore band is set to release a new album, half live recordings and half studio recordings. "Vanity is a Fuck" is one of their studio tracks, and it's a burst of barely in control hardcore punk. As fast as the song is, it's propelled even faster by the vocals of Dave. This is punk based in the early days of hardcore. It's loud, it's fast, and it's hard. There is also a lot of creativity in the song that reminds me of some SST releases.
You can listen to "Vanity is a Fuck" below. DCxPC Live & Dead Vol. 3 is due out May 9 on DCxPC, and is available through Bandcamp. For more on Luxury Teeth, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.
Sheffield based rock band Deathworms are described as both "experimental post-punk" and "wonk-rock," and you can find out what that means when you listen to their latest single. "Strike Low" isn't quite as experimental as experimental post-punk might lead you to believe. It's more like a bizarro and darker sounding version of Yard Act. Dearthworms have a jagged and abrasive sound, although it does sound like they're trying (kind of) to make it sound more palatable. As the song goes on, it just kind of plows through you. It's not exactly out of control, but pretty close to it.
Dearthworms say of their new video:
“We felt like the best way to present our horniest song was with chaotic live footage and abstract violence. We cannot confirm who or what was under the spade.”
You can watch the video for "Strike Low" below. Sapsucker is due out July 26 on Redundant Span Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Dearthworms, check out the band on Instagram.
Controller are a New York City band that make "sad songs that people can dance to." They take their inspiration from artists like Whitney Houston, INXS, and Queens of the Stone Age, and if that doesn't convince you to listen, I don't know what could. Their latest single, "We're All Gonna Die," is indeed sad music that you can dance to. It's a high energy song that combines the light, dance friendly side of INXS with the aggression and grit of Queens of the Stone Age, with maybe a little industrial and post-punk thrown in. It's an undeniably fun song, despite the fact that it's about everyone dying.
You can listen to "We're All Gonna Die" below. For more on Controller, check out the band on Instagram.
Based in Paris, L'Impératrice is making dance music that is virtually irresistible. Their latest single, "Love from the Other Side," is a laid back and groovy track that will still inspire you to move. They get compared to other artists like MGMT and Gorillaz quite a bit, but I'm hearing the dance/alternative/mainstream crossover appeal of Deee-Lite quite a bit. They just have that something special that is going to work for fans of both dance and alt-rock, even though this is decidedly a dance track. Mostly because "Love from the Other Side" is just pure fun.
You can listen to "Love from the Other Side" below. Pulsar is due out June 7, and is available for pre-order here. For more on L'Impératrice, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
Sep 5 The Anthem - Washington, DC
Sep 6 Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA *SOLD OUT
Sep 7 Terminal 5 - New York, NY *SOLD OUT
Sep 8 Terminal 5 - New York, NY *SECOND SHOW ADDED
Sep 10 MTELUS - Montreal, QC *SOLD OUT
Sep 11 MTELUS - Montreal, QC SECOND SHOW ADDED
Sep 13 Rebel - Toronto, ON
Sept 14 The Salt Shed - Chicago, IL
Sep 16 The Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO *SOLD OUT
Sep 17 The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 20 Malkin Bowl - Vancouver, BC
Sep 21 Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
Sep 22 Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
Sep 24 Fox Theater - Oakland, CA *SOLD OUT
Sep 25 Fox Theater - Oakland, CA *SECOND SHOW ADDED
Hailing from South New Jersey is Wiseboy Jeremy. The artist does what is described as lo-fi underground hip hop, which is apparently our style of the genre. His latest single, "Sixthirty Five," is a laid back collage of sounds and samples. The music has a jazzy side to it, but is lightly layered with a chill beat and vocal samples. This is a style of hip hop perfect for those of us that fondly remember underground 90's hip hop but want it updated to the current century. Plus, Wiseboy Jeremy has one of the most unique voices and flows in rap today. He also oozes a natural charisma that is irresistible to fans of all hip hop genres.
You can watch the video for "Sixthirty Five" below. 365 is due out soon. For more on Wiseboy Jeremy, check out the artist on Twitter and Instagram.
"Beast," the latest single from Cliff Notez, came out last week, and I wanted to take some time to fully digest the song before writing about it. Cliff Notez is primarily known as a spoken word artist and an MC, and "Beast" doesn't fit into either of those categories. It has elements of jazz, folk, indie rock, trip hop, Adult Contemporary, and others (along with some light remnants of hip hop). Somehow, by incorporating so many musical elements, Cliff Notez has crafted something that is truly without a genre. It's both high art and able to appeal to mainstream audiences. Before you take a listen, I'm going to ask you to be sure to listen at least a few times. This is the type of song that reveals more to you the more you listen.
You can listen to "Beast" below. For more on Cliff Notez, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook.
P&B are the duo of Paris Ashwood and Bob Tinsley, who met at the University of Hull. Their latest single, "Waste My Time," is an interesting version of mainstream folk rock, but with just enough of an indie vibe to it to keep things interesting. Ashwood has lead vocal duties on this one, and she has a soulful quality to her vocals that reminds me a little of Aly Spaltro (aka Lady Lamb). P&B are the rare artist that is going to appeal to both mainstream music fans and indie snobs, particularly with Tinsley's indie rock meets blues guitar work towards the end.
Bob Tinsley says of the band's latest single:
“It’s always one of the last ones in our set & goes down well with the audience every time. Usually, it’s just the two of us playing it, so it’s great to finally give our listeners a fully-fledged studio version with a full band sound.”
You can listen to "Waste My Time" below. The single is out now via Warren Records. For more on P&B, check out the artist on Facebook and Instagram.
Weakened Friends have been one of my favorite bands from back when they seemed to be opening for every Boston 90's band's reunion show. They've come a long way since then, and are headliners on their own. Slothrust have been a band I've enjoyed for a while, and was blown away when I saw them last summer at the In Between Days Festival. When the two bands announced a joint tour, I was thrilled and knew I simply had to make it.
Weakened Friends opened the evening with an incredibly tight set that doubles as a career-spanning greatest hits set at this point. In the past few years, they've transformed themselves into full fledged rock stars (at least in the indie rock sense). They definitely had their own fanbase at the show, and there are obviously some diehard fans of both bands at the show. Songs like "Main Bitch" and "Blue Again" were excitedly sung by a sizable portion of the audience. One of my favorite part of any Weakened Friends show is watching singer/guitarist Sonia Sturino singing heavy, heartbreaking lyrics while bass player (and Sturino's wife) Annie Hoffman has the time of her life on the other side of the stage. Another favorite are the moments when the pair interact on stage during instrumental parts. For extra added fun, Sturino asked who was a fan of mom rock, and the trio busted out a cover of Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn." As always, a fun time was had.
For this tour, Slothrust was joined by Annie Hoffman pulling double duty on bass. The trio opened with the metal-adjacent instrumental track "Surf Goth" before playing the vibe laden "Cranium." After a couple of more songs, they started the main event of the evening: playing all of Of Course You Did to celebrate the album's tenth anniversary (which I completely forgot they were doing). Leah Wellbaum is cementing herself as one of the best frontpeople in all of indie rock, and this set showed why. She is a magnetic performer, and you can't help but be sucked in with whatever she's doing on stage. Plus, Slothrust play such a wide variety of genres during their set, from more alt-pop songs to neo-grunge, and they do it all expertly.
Once Of Course You Did had been played, Wellbaum left the stage for a bit while Hoffman and drummer Will Gorin started a bass and drum cover of "Over the Rainbow." Wellbaum rejoined after a bit covered with a shiny blanket and armed with a bubble gun. Once that was done, it was time to continue the covers with their fantastic version of Ginuwine's "Pony." "Maybe Maybe" closed out the main set, with a two song encore of "Horseshoe Crab" and "Planetarium."
It may have been the closing night of the tour, but Smothrust and Weakened Friends are one of the best double bills out there. This wasn't their first joint tour, and hopefully it won't be their last.
We've covered quite a few tributes to Justine Covault in the eleven months since her passing, but this is the first that actually features the late musician. Released yesterday on her birthday, "You're Still Standing There" is a cover of the Steve Earle/Lucinda Williams classic duet featuring Tom Baker and Justine Covault. It's a nearly perfect cover, right down to the inclusion of harmonica. It may not have been meant as a tribute to a great musician and greatly missed member of the Boston music scene, but unfortunately that's how it ended up.
On the Bandcamp post for the song, Tom Baker says of it:
"Justine and I started doing this song live a few years ago and liked it so much that we recorded it but never released it. Even though you’ve since left us Justine, with my heart turning upside down, I will always know You’re Still Standing There."
You can listen to Tom Baker and Justine Covault's cover of "You're Still Standing There" below. The song is out now via Rum Bar Records. For more on Tom Baker, check out the artist on Facebook.
The Ghouls just won the 2024 Rock and Roll Rumble, so we should probably let you know about them. The Lowell band appears to only have one official song out, "Hellbound." Their single is a high energy blend of alt-rock, punk, and power pop that doesn't quite sound like they're from Boston. It's a highly polished alt-rock song that sounds like it could get away from the band at any minute, but it's all being held together by a tight melody. It kind of reminds me of a grittier and more punk version of early Arctic Monkeys. It's a fun song that came out way back in September, so hopefully we'll be able to bring you more music from The Ghouls sooner than later!
You can listen to "Hellbound" below. For more on The Ghouls, check out the band's website.
I never thought I'd ever refer to a song from Perennial as groovy, but the noise punks have done that with "Up-tight." The noise punks have thrown themselves into their oldies influences fully on their new single. It's still punk and noisy, but it's filled with keys straight from your favorite 60's garage rock songs. Of course, it's still Perennial, so this hardly sounds like anything from that decade. It's more like the music from then reflected through a Perennial prism. "Up-tight" is going to inspire a dance party the next time you see Perennial play live, and you're going to need to be a part of that.
You can listen to "Up-tight" below. Art History is due out June 7 on Safe Suburban Home Records, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp. For more on Perennial, check out the band on Instagram and Twitter.
Austin's Melissa Carper might be my favorite current retro country artist. Her latest single, "Lucky Five," doesn't sound like it was recorded any time close to 2024. This is pure classic western swing, and has just as much jazz in it as it does country. It's timeless in the fact that it sounds like it could have been recorded anytime in the last eighty years. While many artists that go back that many decades for their sound have a little bit of a hokey or tongue-in-cheek feel, "Lucky Five" is filled with love for the music of the past. And Melissa Carper is the perfect person to revitalize that sound.
Melissa Carper says of her latest single:
"I have much personal experience to draw from in writing a song that speaks of learning from past relationships, growing as a human, and being able to know how to love better as you grow. I believe that any difficult experience that presents itself is just an opportunity to learn and face something in ourselves that needs to be confronted, in order to learn."
You can watch the video for "Lucky Five" below. Borned in Ya is due out July 19 on Thirty Tigers, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Melissa Carper, check out the artist's website.
I stumbled onto killgurls the way you discover new music in 2024: I found them on TikTok. The Sacramento band have this intense version of 90's inspired punk, but punk in the way Nirvana was punk. "Cradle," their new single, is noisy and fast, but with a ton of melody behind it all. Even though this is a brand new release, everything about this song screams 90's. This also includes the way the band looks (seriously, look at that band photo above... I had hair almost identical to that, and I'm pretty sure I had that sweater...) and the artwork for the single. This is music for those that still have a hard copy of 1991: The Year Punk Broke and know exactly where it is. (And also for our kids.)
You can listen to "Cradle" below. For more on killgurls, check out the band on TikTok and Instagram.
Los Angeles' Color Green have released a new single, and if you like psychedelia, this one is for you. "Four Leaf Clover" doesn't have that huge, classic rock sound you might typically associate with psychedelic music. Instead, the song is more roots based. It has an Americana meets indie rock sound, but, you know, psychedelic. "Four Leaf Clover" is an updated take on the Laurel Canyon thing of the 70's, with some folk and country influences. Color Green have crafted a new sound that may be based on a classic vibe, but that is much more modern sounding.
Guitarist/vocalist Korey Madden says of the band's upcoming album:
“We shaped it to showcase our range. All songs were written together as a band. It’s the four of us in a room and it features all of our voices.”
You can watch the video for "Four Leaf Clover" below. Fool's Parade is out July 12 on New West Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Color Green, check out the band's website.
In the past three years, Muzzins have hopped from genre to genre, incorporating elements of alt-rock, punk, jazz, hip hop, electroclash, R&B, funk, etc. in their music. The Boston band are masters of incorporating multiple sounds in songs, and their latest sees them pushing their boundaries even further. "We Can Be Together" is the most electronic song they've released so far. The song lives in the world between a rave and the chill out room at a rave, while also incorporating elements of indie rock in the song. "We Can Be Together" sounds like Radiohead's more electronic songs, but if they decided to be a party band and not change the world. If it wasn't fun, it wouldn't be Muzzins.
You can watch the video for "We Can Be Together" below. The song is currently available through Bandcamp. For more on Muzzins, check out the band's website.
Doing Anything this Weekend? is a feature here at If It's Too Loud... where we feature some live shows in and on the far outskirts of the Boston area. Our main rules are that they have to be reasonably priced shows that you can attend last minute. They'll feature If It's Too Loud... approved bands, and we'll provide event links when possible. If you're looking for last minute plans this weekend, we recommend:
No one is making folk music quite like Kaia Kater is. For her latest single, the artist teams up with Aoife O'Donovan for "The Witch." The song is based in traditional folk, but it stretches into folk-pop and progressive folk territories as well. Those are three subgenres that don't typically play nicely together, but under Kater and O'Donovan's direction, "The Witch" melds all three expertly. It's a gorgeous and haunting song about how men have labelled women throughout the centuries. This is also the type of song you could listen to in the background for the vibe, but you will get a lot more out of the closer you pay attention.
Kaia Kater says of her latest single:
"I specifically wanted to write about the way men historically have branded women as temptresses, harlots, sirens and shrews, and then sought to reflect this visually – the letter A for adulteress, the burning of flesh to symbolize evil. The first woman labeled a witch in Salem was a Black woman by the name of Tituba. Usually these women died nameless and scorned. In my narrative, the woman who is branded a witch and burned at the stake survives her pilgrim’s punishment, and now seeks her revenge on those who sought to destroy her."
You can listen to "The Witch" below. Strange Medicine is due out May 17 on Free Dirt Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Kaia Kater, check out the artist's website.
Back in March when we brought you "Boss Man" from Istanbul, Turkey's Goblin Daycare, we weren't quite sure if we liked it, but thought it was interesting enough to share with you. With their latest single, "Liar, Liar," we're fully on board. This new single is an under two minute burst of frenetic punk energy, without having that overly tough guy attitude a lot of punk has. It's a noisy song with fuzzy guitars and some kind of synth squealing at various points. It's high energy and fun, while still being punk. "Liar, Liar" is obnoxious in the best possible way. Goblin Daycare are certainly not for everyone, but you're going to hope they're for you.
You can watch the video for "Liar, Liar" below. AGITPROP HOTLINE!! is due out May 10 on Dedstrange. For more on Goblin Daycare, check out the band on Instagram.
We tend to like music that lives in the world between alt-rock/indie rock and pop music, and that is perfectly illustrated by the latest from Yea-Ming and The Rumours. "Ruby" is a jangle pop song rebelling against society's concept of a perfect woman. The song has a light and playful feel, but it can't quite cover up the anger hiding below the surface. (The opening line is "I'm weak enough to give a fuck about Rudy," after all...) "Ruby" is a fun song fully in the jangle pop genre, but with enough of a punk attitude creeping in to keep things interesting.
You can watch the video for "Ruby" below. I Can't Have It All is due out May 24 on Dandy Boy Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Yea-Ming and The Rumours, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook.
Artist: Joh Chase Album: Solo Quick Thoughts: Joh Chase has gotten some worthwhile attention in this place as of late, with "Avalanche" a certified killer track, and I'm happy to inform you that their whole album is absolutely stellar. "Gone" and "TV of Your Mind" are both in constant rotation in my head, and this roots-esque singer-songwriter effort is not one to be missed. A mandatory listen this week. Songs of Note: "Gone," "Avalanche," "When I Got This Place," "TV of Your Mind," "Smoother," "To Forget You"
Artist: Willson Williams Album: Willson Williams Quick Thoughts: The duo of Kathryn Williams and Dan Willson (aka Withered Hand) come together with a record very much in the folk tradition, but with a little more polish and feeling than a lot of other albums like it. I found myself going back to a lot of songs here over the weekend, and it's a really solid listen that shouldn't be overlooked. Songs of Note: "R U 4 Real," "Sing Out," "Elvis," "Big Nothing"
Artist: The Carnivals Album: Fiesta Time Quick Thoughts: The Carnivals have provided me with the closest thing to the Two Man Gentlemen Band that I've heard in a decade. They're accomplished musicians that keep their tongue firmly in cheek without being overbearing or exhausting. If you can stop taking yourself too seriously, this is worth some time. Songs of Note: "Moonlight on the Levee," "Greasy Pole," "Low Tide Society," "My Key Don't Fit," "Alimony," "I'm Gonna Let It Show"
Artist: Lawrence Rothman Album: The Plow That Broke the Plains Quick Thoughts: Honestly, I came for the multiple guest spots, but stayed for a pure country album that just works. "LAX" is nearly perfect, "Poster Child" as representative as they come. Not a ton to say except that, if you like roots music, make time. Songs of Note: "LAX," "Poster Child," "Twin Flames," "R. Blood," "Drugstore Bummin'"
Artist: Arrows of Athena Album: The Ghost Archives Quick Thoughts: I wanted to give a shout out to Boston duo Arrows of Athena for putting out an awesome alt-rock record this week. This was one where I really went "whoa" a few songs in and got fully hooked by the end. Do not miss out on this, it's a great rock record. Songs of Note: "Life's Just Weird," "Insanity," "80's vs. 90's"
Fold Paper are led by Nigerian-born, Michigan-raised, and Winnipeg-based musician Chell Osuntade. The band's latest single, "Nothing to Report," is a frenzied post-punk track heavy in both noise and groove. The music sounds tangled together, with Osuntade's vocals and the drumming being the only things consistent throughout. In fact, the vocals and the music don't necessarily sound like they are meant to be heard at the same time, but somehow they end up working perfectly. This is the style of song just begging to be heard live, where it is sure to inspire some cross breed of dancing and moshing.
Chell Osuntade says of his band's new single:
"It's kind of a reckoning with the notion of people not supporting you or believing in what you’re doing; but then your name lives on their tongue and they always wanna know what you going on…it’s weird, the paradoxical feeling of being talked about yet overlooked so; nothing to report.”"
You can watch the video for "Nothing to Report" below. The song is out now on Royal Mountain Records. For more on Fold Paper, check out the band on Instagram and Twitter.
Happy Little Clouds' latest single dates back to singer Jac Mestel's college days. Described as "melodic, soulful post-grunge," "I Don't Suppose" is pop leaning, but has its roots in hard rock. Mestel's vocals are almost pure pop and soul, but the guitar is filled with fuzz and grit. The result is a hard rock song that is fun and more than a little playful. "I Don't Suppose" is kind of like a soul singer fronting The Gits. As an added bonus, the song ends in this absolute unexpected cacophony that sort of resembles a punk breakdown and a Sonic Youth noise freak out, but a pop version of both.
Jac Mestel says of the band's latest single:
“I wrote this song back in college when I was naive and first figuring
out how to navigate early adulthood. I really felt behind my peers in so many ways, most notably in
dating as a young queer person.”
You can listen to "I Don't Suppose" below. For more on Happy Little Clouds, check out the band's website.
We've been mesmerized by the singles we've heard from La Luz's upcoming album, but nothing has grabbed up quite like "I'll Go With You." The song is slow and hypnotic, almost painfully at times. Somehow La Luz let vocal harmonies drive the psychedelic nature of this song, even though it also leans heavily into doo wop and 60's girl groups. For those of us that grew up listening to a ton of oldies and then indie rock as we came of age, a song like "I'll Go With You" is just pure heaven. Plus, the song is equal parts beautiful and uplifting, but also surprisingly foreboding.
Lead singer Shana Cleveland says of the new single:
"This song is heavily influenced by Yanti Bersaudara, a group of Indonesian sisters who released some of my very favorite music originally released in the mid 60s and early 70s. Lyrically, this song is a retelling of a dream I had one night when I had gone to bed with the melody of this song in my head. I had some different words in mind, but this sweet little romance dream took over."
You can watch the video for "I'll Go With You" below. News of the Universe is due out May 24 on Sub Pop, and is available for pre-order here. For more on La Luz, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
05/23 Barcelona, ES @ Sala Upload
05/24 Madrid, ES @ Tomavistas Festival
05/25 London, UK @ Wide Awake Festival
05/30 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile (Record Release Show)
07/27 Portland, OR @ Project Pabst
08/30 Brighton, UK @ Brighton Psych Fest
08/31 Manchester, UK @ Manchester Psych Fest
09/01 Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh Psych Fest
09/03 Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew
09/05 Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere
09/06 Sart-Messire-Guillaume, BE @ SMG Music Fest
09/07 Asten-Heusden, NL @ Misty Fields Festival
09/08 Amsterdam, NL @ Indiestadt x Sugar Mountain @ Paradiso
09/10 Cologne, DE @ Bumann & SOHN
09/11 Hamburg, DE @ Prinzenbar
09/12 Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
09/13 Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur
09/14 Zürich, DE @ Bogen
09/26 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
09/27 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
09/28 St. Paul, MM @ Turf Club
09/30 St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill
10/01 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
10/02 Nashville, TN @ The End
10/03 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Purgatory
10/04 Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
10/05 Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall
10/06 Washington, DC @ The Atlantis
10/08 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
10/09 Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere - Hall
10/10 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
10/11 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
10/12 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
10/13 Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
10/28 Denver, CO @ Marquis
10/30 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/31 Boise, ID @ The Olympic
11/03 Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl
11/06 Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's
11/07 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
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