If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Jason Forster The Unheard Ones were a Baltimore emo band that lasted between 1995 to 1997, and played a total of thirteen shows. Their studio recordings have remained unreleased, until this Friday when Handstand Records releases Stories and Songs. While we wait to hear that, they've released a single to check out, and it's going to blow your minds. "Eight Minute Absolution" is a little over two minutes, and it defies what is considered emo for the past twenty five or so years. It's loud, it's noisy, it's abrasive, and it's a band pouring their hearts out onto tape. There's a reason The Unheard Ones are compared more to Gang of Four, Mission of Burma, and Joy Division than what is typically considered emo. If you think of Dischord Records when you hear the term emo, "Eight Minute Absolution" is perfect for you. Tim Kabara (vocals/guitar) says of the band's latest single: 'Eight Minute Absolution' isn't eight minute...

Boston's Pink Slip have a brand new single out, and it's giving us some serious flashbacks. If you had a ska phase in the 90's, you're going to love "Finger Food." It's high energy ska punk, and it's just as fun as you remember the genre being in your formative years. It's a two and a half minute burst of horns and joy, and it's going to make you not care that ska isn't considered hip these days. If you enjoy "Finger Food," you're right and everyone else is wrong because this is simply a fun song that captures everything you loved about ska in high school and college. Plus, this recording captures the fun of Pink Slip's live performances. You can listen to "Finger Food" below. The song is exclusively available via Bandcamp . For more on Pink Slip, check out the band on Instagram . They'll be playing October 2 at Faces Brewing Company in Malden, MA. Finger Food by PINK SLIP

When Ken and I started this blog 15(!) years ago, we saw the name of it as a bit of a joke. Yes, at 35 and 30 respectively, we weren't too old for being obsessed with music and hitting All The Concerts yet, but we were more and more likely to be among the oldest people at the club, and probably five years late to the music blog heyday anyway. This month, however, Ken turned 50, and he did something we've talked about on and off for quite some time: booked a show. Three of his favorite artists, and, as it turned out, three artists I had never seen live before. Spoiler alert: it was great (and don't let my poor photography skills tell you otherwise). First up was Battlemode, a chiptune band. Last chiptune band I saw was probably as part of a LiveSexAct triple bill at the Middle East at some point in the early 2000s, so to say I'm not exactly up to date on chiptune is definitely true. The good news? Battlemode absolutely killed it. With one member doing his thin...

Lorne Behrman wrote his latest single, "They Won't Take Us Alive," about a fictional couple unravelling while a loved one dies of cancer. Shortly after, he was facing his own cancer diagnosis. Despite the grim subject matter, the song straight up rocks. It's a mid-tempo anthem for those that want their rock and roll with a punk edge. You're going to be reminded of artists like Lou Reed (especially with Behrman's speak-singing delivery) and Jesse Malin. This is dirty rock and roll dripping with punk attitude, and certainly doesn't sound very 2026. The guitar solo reminds us of the 1970's in a very NYC way.  Lorne Behrman says of his latest single: “A year ago, I found out I had prostate cancer. At the time it was so minimal, that it didn’t require treatment. Over the year though, it progressed a lot, and I had to have surgery. It’s been a challenging time for me, with a lot of uncertainty and pain. The punky spirit and resilience of this song have stuck...

Photo by Zane Rubin Colemine Records is a label that has more recently earned my trust. They might be the main reason we cover so much neo-soul here at If It's Too Loud..., and their latest release is from The Charities. The California Central Coast band just released "Movin' On," which is a perfect example of modern soul music. Is has the perfect retro sound, tweaked just the slightest bit to sound a little modern. This is the type of song that could have come out any time in the past six decades, and it even ends in a fade out that sounds more 1970's than anything from this century. If you grew up on oldies or are just discovering soul music, The Charities are going to be you latest favorite band. You can listen to "Movin' On" below. The single is out now on Colemine Records, and the 45 can be pre-ordered here . For more on The Charities, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Oct 21 Wed - Epstein F...

Photo by Fleurette Estes If a band is on Dischord, I'm always going to give them a shot, and odds are they are going to be ridiculously great. Our latest Dischord discovery is Bed Maker, and their new single "The Mark." The song almost sounds like chaos, but upon further inspection it's incredibly tight. It's loud and dissonant, but there's almost a certain level of pop craftsmanship in the song. The same goes for its b-side, "What Boy Where." These are two artsy punk songs that are as tight as the finest math rock. As in your face as Bed Maker's latest songs are, they're also oddly accessible. Plus, they contain some of my favorite guitar solos of the year. If I needed to compare this single to other bands, I'd go with The Gits meets Le Tigre. Bed Maker say of their latest single: “Like many of our songs, ‘The Mark’ and ‘What Boy Where’ are crafted from observations of life. These two songs were fueled by examples of inequity in the trea...

Dublin's telekura take on AI content and LinkedIn life coaches on their latest single. "big nothing" is a synth heavy song that mixes alt-pop and alt-rock. The song has an absolutely huge sound, and fully rocks no matter how prevalent the synths are. It's a monster sound that is begging to be played at festivals and larger theaters, and is fully infectious. Seriously, the entire song is a three minute earworm that will be stuck in your head all weekend (which you won't be complaining about). "big nothing" is a giant, fun, impossibly catchy song, and the perfect way to discover a band like telekura. We can't wait to hear more from these folks! Frontwoman Rachel Tan says of the band's new single: “It’s about coming up short against what’s considered a properly-functioning adult . This really began as a rant against these ‘life coaches’ on LinkedIn and how they seem to have a framework on how to succeed in life." You can listen to "big not...

Photo by Renee Newman Boston DIY indie rock heroes Gollylagging have a new single out that is going to win over a lot of holdouts over to their bandwagon. "Red Fish" is everything that made us fall in love with the genre decades ago. Slightly off guitar tunings, slacker vocals, swirling noise, and that sense that this is the coolest band you've ever heard (by them being the exact opposite of cool) are all here. The song has a crunch to it that just hits me on a primal level. The whole thing comes across like a more chaotic version of Pavement. There has been a sense in the Boston scene that Gollylagging have been waiting to break out to the next level, and "Red Fish" shows that they are more than ready. Joe Regulbuto (vocals, guitar) says of his band's new single: “' Red Fish' is about a stretch of my life where I felt awkward in a lot of social interactions. I was getting the feeling that a lot of people are too focused on being 'cool.' This...

Photo by Jinny Park South Korea's Dabda are back with a new single from their upcoming album, and have announced a North American tour! "Choo Choo" is a delightfully chaotic single that isn't quite like anything we've heard before. This one is more along the lines of indie rock, but with plenty of their unique pop focused sound. The song is all over the place, and is absolutely epic in scope. Dabda have packed more than you can imagine in a four and a half minute song, and at times you'll want to bop along, and at others you'll be banging your head. At times you'll wonder if this should be a ten minute jam and is just playing at too fast of a speed. As someone who listens to a lot of (probably too much) new music, it's a delight finding a song like "Choo Choo" than continues to surprise and remind you of why you love music so much. Vocalist Jiae Kim says of the band's latest single: “When I can’t stop reflecting on myself, I feel like...