If It's Too Loud...

Photo by  Léa Grégoire Bleu Reine is Paris based musician Léa Lotz. According to the press release for her latest single, her sound is "... rooted in both nostalgic grunge-coated dream rock and a fierce passion for layered synth pop..." That description fits "Cavalier Seul" perfectly. The song is a hazy and dreamy song that leans heavily into shoegaze, but with a hypnotic and noisier side. There's also some traces of trip hop throughout the song, but with a whine to the guitar that's both dissonant and beautiful. Bleu Reine takes some of our favorite musical styles and mixes them up in a new and fresh way, making the song both nostalgic and new. You can watch the video for "Cavalier Seul" below. Bleu Reine's new album is due out January 2027 on Geographie. For more on the artist, check her out on Instagram and Facebook .

Photo by David Milan Kelly Last summer, Winter released the excellent Adult Romantix , which closed with "hollow." Now, the Samira Winter-led project has returned with a reworking of the song, "hollow (mixtape version)." The original version was a haunting, minimalist track perfect for ending an album. "hollow (mixtape version)" is more of a full band/rock version of the track. This one fits in more as a shoegaze song, albeit a peppier and poppier version of the genre. I can't say that I prefer either version more than the other, but it's great to have two takes on such a great track. Plus, it's a reminder of how fantastic of an artist Winter is. Samira Winter says of her latest single: “It was really fun getting to reimagine this song in the studio and explore new edges of Romantix. I originally wrote it in a faster tempo so it was cool bringing this version to life, leaning into the more sulky crimson palette of the album.”  You can watch the...

Photo by  Clémentine Schneidermann Manchester, UK's Westside Cowboy have a great take on the whole indie rock thing. Their latest single, "Pin Up Boys," is a loud and rockin' track with just the slightest hints of country twang. This is indie rock with a focus on the rock that we haven't seen in quite a while. The abrasiveness of the song mixes with an unexpected melody. Bands that immediately come to mind while listening to "Pin Up Boys" are The Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers mixed with the Pixies. Westside Cowboy are the kind of band that are going to be beloved by indie rock hipsters with a potential massive crossover potential for more mainstream rock fans. Vocalist Reuben Haycock says of the band's latest single: “‘Pin Up Boys’ was written a year and a half ago using an acoustic guitar, a drum machine sample pad and some screwdrivers as drumsticks. It is by far the longest serving song on the album and the one that we have played the most liv...

Photo by Liz Sadkowski Country is a music genre that's perfect for nostalgia. The latest from CR & The White Lights pushes that fact to its max with their latest single, "Yearbook." The New Jersey alt-country band opens up the new song with a reference to Windows 95, and from there its an ode to friendships lost throughout your life. It captures that melancholy of realizing you have completely lost touch with some of those that meant the world to you in your younger days, and have no idea where they are now. It's an alt-country anthem amped up by pedal steel and a fiery guitar solo. It's a powerful song that's going to have you reminiscing about some of your former closest friends. You can watch the video for "Yearbook" below. My Old Self is due out July 17 on Magic Door Records, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp . For more on CR & The White Lights, check out the band on Instagram . 

Photo by Lan McArdle Spike is the synth-pop project of London's Hannah McLoughlin. The project's new single, "Dying on the Vine," is a dreamy and pop focused track leaning slightly into darkwave territory. It certainly doesn't sound like it was recorded in 2026, or even this century. This one throws back to the 1980's, and has that perfect tempo for lightly dancing or just swaying a bit. I'm not quite ready to call "Dying on the Vine" goth, but it's at least goth adjacent. It's a little too bit upbeat to truly be goth (although I personally find most music considered goth to be cheery). This is our first time covering Spike here at If It's Too Loud..., and we're already looking forward to hearing more. Hannah McLoughlin says of her latest single: "Dying On The Vine started with two samples, the drums and a melodica line, both looped throughout the song. I had the chorus melody for Dying on The Vine and decided to use those wo...

Hailing from Foligno, Italy, TIGER! SHIT! TIGER! TIGER! are an indie rock/post-punk band. The trio's latest single, "Glue," sounds a lot like Sonic Youth in the 1980's. It's a slow build track dripping with menace, and just waiting to erupt into pure chaos. The whining and droning guitar creates an intense feeling of anxiety, but is also oddly calming (if your brain is wired that way). It also has some shoegaze elements to it, as well of a hint of Explosions in the Sky. The song never quite erupts into the threatened explosion, but it still has a satisfying ending. "Glue" feels more like the Fall than the heat wave we're currently experiencing in New England, but we hope you don't mind a song out of season. You can listen to "Glue" below. Dissolve Here is due out in the Fall. For more on TIGER! SHIT! TIGER! TIGER!, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram .

Photo by Ebru Yildiz Margaret Glaspy has something truly special with her latest single. "That Rose" is a top notch bluesy folk-pop/singer-songwriter track. It's polished with huge crossover appeal, and instruments kind of meander in and out as needed. But, despite how lush the song is and how many instruments are involved, there is something intimate about the song. It's easy to drown out the flourishes and only focus on Glaspy's vocals and guitar, almost as if she's singing just for you. No matter how big "That Rose" is, it feels like it's just for you and Glaspy. It's a unique talent from a fantastic singer-songwriter. Margaret Glaspy says of her latest single: “ Songwriting feels like running down a mountain for me, There are lots of snap decisions to be made so that you don’t break your legs. This song felt like that to make. Once I started it just kept picking up pace and I had to bob and weave so as not to fuck it up. It had a life and...

Photo by Levi Price Slothrust are fantastic at making giant alt-rock songs, and their latest single is no exception. "Burn the Deck" is a monster rock song with a little sprinkling of pop. It's also oddly theatrical, which is kind of Slothrust's secret weapon. The song is driving and filled with tension. Instead of loud/quiet/loud, it's more rock/pop/rock. Vocalist Leah Wellbaum has never sounded better than she does in "Burn the Deck," and her vocals are what is going to fully pull you in. This is a great song from a band I always feel like we were late to discover, but we're fully on board for now. Leah Wellbaum and Will Gorin say of their new single: “‘ Burn the Deck’ is a song encouraging people to dismantle the current systems keeping them in a cage of their own making.  It’s a surrealist disruptor's anthem that beckons listeners to carefully consider what they are consuming and challenge their notion of who is really driving." You can ...

Photo by Jeff Fowler You'd think the novelty of getting new music from Dinosaur Jr would have worn off since we're now two decades into their reunion, but it never does. The Amherst, MA alt-rock legends are back with "Several Got Away." It's not breaking any new ground, and it's exactly what we want and expect from Dino Jr at this point in their career. It's a solid alt-rock track, maybe a little less noisy and abrasive as their 80's releases, and more along their major label 90's music, but that's hardly a bad thing. Dinosaur Jr have slowly aged gracefully, and sound like an older and wiser version of themselves without losing everything we've always loved about them. Plus, "Several Got Away" has the requisite blistering Mascis solo. Director Guy Kozak says of the video for "Several Got Away": “I wanted to do something a little tongue-in-cheek with a kind of ‘backyard movie’ feel that could fit in nicely with the existi...

Photo by Xander Lewis Our most anticipated new album of this week comes from mary in the junkyard, and now the London band have a new single out to help satiate our desire for the new album. "Blood" is a dreamlike indie rock track that sees vocalist Clari Freeman-Taylor showing off her speak-singing abilities. The song is hypnotizing, with fantastic guitarwork to fully suck you in. It's an almost ramblin' kind of song, or at least as ramblin' as you can get with indie and alt-rock. It's almost an epic, if it wasn't just a tiny bit too mellow to hit the epic mark. I've been a huge fan of mary in the junkyard since I first heard "marble arch" in 2024, and "Blood" could end up being my favorite from them. You can watch the video for "Blood" below. Role Model Hermit is due out July 3 on AMF Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on mary in the junkyard, check out the band on Instagram . Upcoming tour dates are...

When you see a band called The Odyssey Cult, and a single titled "The Yeti's Eyes," you kinda know what you're in for. However, The Odyssey Cult is a supergroup featuring Ethan Miller of Howlin Rain, Ben Flashman of Comets on Fire, Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth, Anthony Taibi of Carlton Melton, Brigid Dawson of Osees, Paula Frazer of Tarnation, Inna Showalter of Magic Fig, and Zoh Amba. The group's latest single, "The Yeti's Eyes," is a rough and tumble version of psychedelic, experimental garage rock. It's a noisy and swirling track that's both lush and ragged. The song charges towards the listener, barely under control... but that's a great thing in the hands of these musicians. This is what the Stooges could have sounded like if they formed in San Francisco and not Detroit. Ethan Miller (guitar, loops, vocal) says of the band's sound: “I hear bits and pieces of all our groups over the years in there like a witch’s cauldron boiling a...