If It's Too Loud...

Photo by John Soa It's been a couple of years since we last heard from American Ocelot, but now the Boston band is back with a pair of new singles. "Dropped" and "Invisible Lines" are the kind of indie rock meets pop that we tend to go crazy for here at If It's Too Loud... The songs have strong roots in the 90's Boston alt-rock scene back when it was almost the next Seattle. It's that post-grunge/bubblegrunge sound where the guitars are still distorted and loud, but pop is starting to weasel its way in (not that we ever would have admitted that back then). American Ocelot still keep some of the indie rock grit on "Dropped" and "Invisible Lines," and you know those bands you bought a 7" from and then never heard again, but still love? That's what these songs sound like. Joanie Lynch (vocals, keyboard, and rhythm guitar) says of her band: “Band is family. I really love playing with people who are happy playing together! I a...

Photo by Alison Wonderland We're only two weeks away from Heavenly's first album in thirty years, and the UK legends have a new single for us to check out. "Scene Stealing" will remind you of why you always loved Heavenly, or make you an instant fan. It's a wonderfully twee song that's upbeat sounding and cheery. It's almost all pure harmonies and melodies, but there's this interesting edge just below the surface to keep the song from being too sugary. If you've always loved bands like The Magnetic Fields or Belle & Sebastian, "Scene Stealing" is going to make you dive headfirst into Heavenly's catalog while we wait for Highway to Heavenly. It's honestly like someone froze Heavenly in the 90's and dethawed them just when we need them the most. Rob Pursey says of his band's new single and video: "It looks innocent to start with, but it gets dark. Like a typical Heavenly song! ‘Scene Stealing’ is about YouTubers, so...

Last Friday, SkyTigers released their excellent new album Injustice for All. Wednesday night saw their album release show at Deep Cuts. Playing with them were two other bands I never would have expected to see play together, but it ended up working perfectly: Boston hardcore legends Tree and New Hampshire's favorite pop punks Hell Beach. Opening the show was Hell Beach. This was my first time seeing their new line up, without Megan Simon (Megan from Work) on keytar and vocalist Jordan Hill focusing solely on vocals. This new line up was every bit as killer as the previous one, and has an ever harder edge without keys. That being said, the songs are as catchy as ever, with fans right at the front of the stage shouting out to every word. As expected, Hell Beach were the most fun band on Wednesday night, and the extra edge to the songs ended up being unexpectedly welcome. They closed out the show with my personal favorite "Poison Mind," and I challenge anyone to find a punk ...

Hailing from Austin, Touch Girl Apple Blossom are getting ready to release their debut album, and from the first single alone, this could be one of our favorite releases of the year. "The Springtime Reminds Me Of..." is not only as sunshiny as the title suggests, but it's a wonderfully jangly single. The press release compares it to bands like Velocity Girl, The Feelies, and Juliana Hatfield, so you know we're going to be on board. It's just the right amount of quirky and twee, and fits right into the sounds like a lost 90's single sound that we can never get enough of. Besides the title, "The Springtime Reminds Me Of..." is the perfect sound for those of us who are desperately waiting for winter to be over, even though we still have about two more months. You can watch the video for "The Springtime Reminds Me Of..." below. Graceful is due out May 15 on K Records, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp . For more on Touch Girl Apple Blo...

Photo by Backwoodz Studioz For their latest collaborative single, ELUCID and Sebb Bash have released "Make Me Wise," a haunting and tense new single. What makes the song stand out is the twinkling sample used, which could be beautiful and charming other artists' hands, but not with this pairing. Plus, ELUCID's understated flow forces you to focus on the song even more, getting drawn deeper and deeper inside. I can't say that "Make Me Wise" is horrorcore, but if this was included in a scary movie it would sound a little too on the nose. ELUCID continues to be one of the most unique voices in modern hip hop, and his pairing with Sebb Bash is perfection. You can listen to "Make Me Wise" below. I Guess U Had to Be There is due out March 13 on Backwoodz Studioz, and is available for pre-order here. For more on ELUCID, check out the artist on Instagram . Upcoming tour dates with Armand Hammer are below the song and include a September 23 show at Arts...

Photo by Alec Pugliese For their upcoming album, Washington DC's Ekko Astral get political... in a way that only they can. According to the press release, the beltway is burning , "... plays out like a vignette, with Ekko Astral beckoning listeners into their fictionalized version of The Beltway (the area within I-495), in which Adam Sandler is a god-president and the DMV has become a demilitarized zone, a wasteland run by butt rockers and Soundcloud rappers." The first single, "lil xan goes to washington," is a burst of post-punk chaos with an almost whimsical sound. I think this would fit into the "laugh so you don't scream" side of things, and the song is one of the most fun and party ready political anthems we've heard in the past year. It's weird calling this song fun, but it could be exactly what you need right now. The aggression does come bursting out in a blast of noise towards the end, giving the song an LCD Soundsystem meets Soni...

Photo by Mitch LaGrow Our favorite "soul-jazz-funk organ trio" is back with a brand new single. Parlor Greens just released "Drop Top," and it's an ultra chilled out slice of those three genres in one. The organ is a little extra prevalent in this new single, although all three musicians (Adam Scone, Jimmy James, and Tim Carman) are given time to shine. If you're unfamiliar with Parlor Greens, you may be wondering how engaging can an instrumental song with only guitar, drums, and organ be, which is fair. But that's the true magic of this trio. They don't reinvent the sound and style of jazz, soul, or funk. They've simply perfected it. You can listen to "Drop Top" below. Emeralds is due out March 27 on Colemine Records, and is available to pre-order here . For more on Parlor Greens, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. Mar. 18 - Santa Cruz, CA - Moe's Alley Mar. 19 - Sacramento, CA - Torch Club...

Photo by Jackie Freeman Vermont's Robber Robber might just be the future of post-punk. The quartet's latest single, "Watch for Infection," is an oddly slinky and fully intense song. There are elements of Sonic Youth's No Wave sound, electronic music, indie rock, and punk throughout the song. Musically, the track is foreboding, and you spend the entire song waiting for it to explode. Nina Cates' vocals add a certain sense of beauty and almost a pop sheen to the song. Without being loud or aggressive, "Watch for Infection" is an intense track. Long before the vocals kick in, you're going to be mesmerized by the hypnotic qualities of the song. If you're looking for a burst of positivity and joy, this isn't the right song for you, but that's kind of why we love Robber Robber. Nina Cates says of her band's latest single: “Real emotions and moments inspired the feelings of ‘Watch for Infection,’ but the story is made up. Internal dialog...

Photo by Eleanor Petry Chinese American Bear is the duo of Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten. They just released a new single that is a pure delight. "All the People (所有人) ," is a whimsical indie pop song sure to make even the grumpiest indie music snob smile. The song captures pure joy in musical form, and it's just a fun song. It's also cleverly put together, which is the part that is most likely going to appease the snobs. I normally bristle at music that is labelled "pop" or "uplifting," but Chinese American Bear have crafted something that is quite simply magic with their latest single. At a time when we could all use some extra positivity in the world, "All the People  (所有人) " is here for us. Bryce Barsten says of his band's latest single: "All The People (所有人) is probably my favorite song on the album.  It’s so fun, light, cool, and a little weird. It’s a song for everyone. All the people. It has some fantasy vibes, musically an...

Photo by Kat Bean Philadelphia's Poison Ruin have a new single out, and this one is huge. "Eidolon" is a monster of a song that is both punk and metal. The song might lean a little more into punk than metal, but it's still perfect for headbanging. It's a four minute track that barrels over and through the listener by pure force. Plus, the song has some of the best shredding out there today. It's a mixture of thrash and doom that's going to make you enjoy the song whether you want to or not. "Eidolon" is one of the most exciting songs I've heard in the punk/metal genre for quite some time, and if songs about bleak medieval imagery is your thing, welcome to the Poison Ruin fanclub. Lyricist/guitarist Mac Kennedy says of his band's latest single: “‘Eidolon’ is about being stuck in a broken reality, a cog in a fate-machine doomed to play out the same cursed loop until it fully breaks down. The ones who had the power to affect change have aban...

Photo by Calli Westra Brooklyn's Hiding Places are originally from North Carolina, and that sound is all over their latest single. "Waiting" has a strong alt-country meets dark indie rock sound. The song is as hypnotic as it is heartbreaking. Even if you're not paying attention to the lyrics, the vibe of the song is overwhelmingly dark and somber. There's plenty of country twang and indie rock fuzz throughout the song, with the music carrying the weight of the song as much as vocalist/guitarist Nicholas Byrne's voice does. The song is stunning, both in its beauty and mood. I feel like I've been sitting on "Waiting" for a while now until I could fully wrap my head around it. Hiding Places has something truly special here. Nicholas Byrne says of his band's latest single: "Hiding Places’ first bassist, Anthony Cozzarelli, left the band in July of 2022. I wrote the chorus the day before Anthony left the band. I recalled the slow death of my ...

Photo by Owen Lehman If you played me the latest single from MX LONELY and told me it was a reissued lost song from the 90's, I would completely believe you. "Anesthetic" starts off with a distorted guitar and Rae Haas' vocals before erupting into a grunge-ish burst. It's very mid-90's, when songs would still have heavy guitars along with a slightly poppier feel. There is also the wave of fuzz that washes over you associated with shoegaze. It's filled with pounding drums, fuzzed out guitars, and some wonderfully hooky vocals. This one is reminding me of Veruca Salt and Salt. Plus, as aggressive as the song can be, it still has that 90's slacker vibe which hits me right in the nostalgia. You can watch the video for "Anesthetic" below. All Monsters is due out February 20 on Julia's War, and is available to pre-order here . For more on MX LONELY, check out the band's website . 

Photo by Kalie Pontes Los Frankies are a Los Angeles based band that includes Frankie Clarke and Frankie Salazar. Their latest single, "Gunna Wanna," is a party banger that reimagines the early 00's garage rock revival/indie sleaze movement as party music. It's a lot of fun, and might be the loudest and fastest ode to cannabis in existence. This is a rock song you're going to want to dance to because of its energy and bouncy rhythm. There is also an interesting 70's homage part of the song, giving the whole thing a T. Rex meets The Strokes sound. Los Frankies have something great with "Gunna Wanna," so crank this one up and enjoy. Frontman Frankie Salazar says of the band's latest single: “'Gunna Wanna' is a love song to the ever-faithful Mary Jane. After long rock and roll nights and sun-baked afternoons, it drifts in as a green reprieve — a slow, soulful meditation on the herbal blessing from the gods. "Hard driving and locked in, ...

Friday saw the release of No Straight Line in the Universe , the first new album from The Grownup Noise since 2020's Lonely Days. It's a fantastic album, full of nostalgia filled songs that feel smart and clever. To celebrate the release, the band played a true all ages show at Deep Cuts with Happy Little Clouds and comedian Josh Gondelman. (How all ages was it? During Josh Gondelman's set, the entire front row was made up of elementary school children, causing him to adjust his set for language and subject matter.)  Focusing on the just released album, The Grownup Noise played a delightful set showcasing everything that makes the Boston band great. New songs like "We Become Roses" and "See You in the Hall" were captivating and upbeat. This is the rare band that can make energetic music that is this quiet. Twee is definitely the proper description, and The Grownup Noise take that sound and make a captivating set. Even though they don't play shows ver...