If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Daisy & Tomos Ayscough "Candelabra," the latest release from mary in the junkyard, is a quiet and contemplative acoustic track written by Clari Freeman-Taylor when she was seventeen. It's much more stripped down than what we're used to from the indie rock trio, and is painfully quiet. At times Freeman-Taylor's vocals are sung, other times they are spoken, and others it's barely more than a whisper. Maybe it's because of what we're used to from mary in the junkyard, but I kept expecting the song to explode into a crescendo of noise or at least louder rock... but it never does. When a song is as fantastic and engaging as "Candelabra" is, you certainly won't miss any volume. Clari Freeman-Taylor says of the band's latest single: “‘Candelabra’ was written many years ago, it was one of my first sad songs...it has all of my teenage angst written into it.” You can listen to "Candelabra" below. Role Model Hermit is due ...

Photo by Charlie & Charlie London's Man/Woman/Chainsaw are back with a new single off their upcoming debut album. We loved 2024's Eazy Peazy , and its indie rock with string instruments sound. With "Nosedive," they've added a heavy synth element instead of the normal indie rock instrumentation. The result is a rather dance friendly, almost party jam. This feels like a more mature style of dance music, as well as a heavily organic one, even with the synths. "Nosedive" builds and builds from a relatively restrained near pop song into an absolute epic that will have you checking to see if they're playing anywhere near you any time soon. (Unfortunately for us Americans, they currently only have European tour dates.) Emmie-Mae Avery (vocals and synths) says of the band's latest single: “It's is a song about longing for both comfort and freedom simultaneously in a relationship through the metaphor of being an injured bird needing shelter. We tu...

Bear Grass (aka the project of upstate New York's Katie Hammon) has a new single out that's a departure from their most recent one. While "Sound" was a sparse track leaning more into chamber pop, "Shake Me" is a more involved song. It's more of an alt-folk pop track that skirts the mainstream. It's a lush, mid-tempo song that feels empowering, with multiple instruments that come in and out whenever they're needed. It could just be the use of horns, but "Shake Me" kind of sounds like if Neutral Milk Hotel decided to try to write a hit song. Bear Grass have always been considered a folk band by default, and this latest one shows them both ignoring and expanding genre restrictions.  You can listen to "Shake Me" below. Distance is due out later this year, with a new single being released every six weeks leading up to the album's release. For more on Bear Grass, check out the artist's website . Shake Me by Bear Grass

Photo by Jina Moran Somerville's TIFFY (aka the band led by multi-instrumentalist Tiffany Sammy) has a new single out today. "Scam Likely" keeps the indie rock goes pop sound we've always loved from TIFFY. The song has a great groove to it within the guitar, and it's a mellow indie rock track with the slightest hints of twang. It sounds like an updated version of artists like The Lemonheads or Fuzzy. Plus, it's about receiving scam phone calls, which feels like a very 90's subject matter even though it's a modern problem. "Scam Likely" is a pop and fuzz filled rock song, and it continues TIFFY's streak of releasing killer singles we can't get enough of. You can listen to "Scam Likely" below. The song is currently available via Bandcamp. For more on TIFFY, check out the artist's website . TIFFY will be performing live May 2 at Purgatory in Brooklyn, NY as part of the AAPI Indie Musicians Showcase, May 9 at Porchfest in So...

This summer, Coffin Curse Records and Punk Rock Radar will be releasing a Green Day tribute album, and right now we can share Hell Beach's contribution to that compilation. The New Hampshire band have released a cover of "Android" from 1992's Kerplunk! It's a straightforward cover, with Hell Beach singer Jordan Hill even adopting some of Billie Joe Armstrong's vocal deliveries. If anything, Hell Beach's version might be a little more smooth than the original, but other than that it's a perfect tribute to Green Day's original. This is a fun one, and it's a perfect way to introduce Green Day fans to their new favorite punk band from New Hampshire! You can listen to Hell Beach's version of "Android" below. For more on Hell Beach, check out the band on Instagram and Facebook. They'll be playing The Middle East this Saturday along with Against All Authority and Direct Hit. Android by Hell Beach

Los Angeles' Dolly Creamer is led by singer-songwriter Sarah Harris, and have just released a video and single, "Kiss Me." The press release says that the band's sound combines grunge, country, and punk... and that truly sums it up. The song has twang in spades, but it's also fuzzed out and distorted and is over-flowing with punk edge. It's a completely unique sound that almost has a mainstream quality to it. Almost. Taking those three genres and combining them into one sound turns them all into bizarro versions of themselves, but in the best possible way. All things considered, "Kiss Me" is surprisingly poppy, and chances are you're going to get this one crammed inside of your brain after a few listens. You can watch the video for "Kiss Me" below. You Make the Revolution Irresistible is due out May 19 on Slouch Records. For more on Dolly Creamer, check out the band's website .

Photo by Smitt E. Smitty Boston rock and roll quartet Little Billy Lost have returned with a new single about the constant threat of gun violence. Considering the subject matter, "Under the Gun" is a pretty straight up rock song that could be a bunch of fun... if you aren't paying attention to the lyrics. It's a gritty song that's more 70's classic rock and power pop than garage rock. Despite the grit, "Under the Gun" has a certain sheen to it, and it filled with harmonies. And there is a fantastic guitar solo in the song. This is my own conjecture, but it seems like an upbeat song about the constant threat of gun violence we live under has become normal, and just part of every day life. Fred Pineau (guitar/vocals) says of his band's latest single: “‘Under The Gun’ is specifically about the never-ending cycle of school shootings in our country. It’s topical, and I believe speaks to an issue that we as a country haven’t been able to address yet, b...

Kentucky's S.G. Goodman has released a cover of Butthole Surfers' 1996 megahit "Pepper," and it's everything you expect it to be. Goodman keeps the song instantly recognizable yet completely her own with her cover. You'll most likely recognize the song from the guitar into, but the spoken word vocals will solidify it. It's a countrified version of the song with foreboding guitar throughout. The cover is every bit as weird as the original, possibly even more so since it's a bizarre freak country jam. If you're on the fence as the song starts, you'll be won over by the twanged out jam at the end. We're huge fans of Goodman's here at If It's Too Loud..., and her take on "Pepper" proves we're right. S.G. Goodman says of her cover of "Pepper": “‘Being I was a young child when I first heard Pepper, I am certain that I loved the excuse to request a band where I could say 'Butthole' without consequence. To be...

Sick Gazelle is the experimental group of Bruce Lamont (Yakuza), Eric Block (Veloce), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), and the recently added Douglas McCombs (Tortoise). They've recently released a brand new single that is fairly mainstream as far as experimental music goes. "Hippies" feels like a freeform jazz meets noise rock jam. It's a disjointed yet smooth and groovy track, heavy on the psychedelic vibes and trippy sounds. Bruce Lamont's saxophone is what holds the track together, providing both the most dissonance and the smooth groove. This is a good one, and listeners with more open minds are going to love it. You can watch the video for "Hippies" below. Veld is due out June 26 on Vampire Blues, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Sick Gazelle, check out the band on Instagram .

Boston's The Endorphins are back with a new single that's going to give those of us that were around in the 90's some serious flashbacks. "MIRAGE" has a certain mid to late 90's sound to it. It's a mid-tempo, heavily fuzzed out track that reminds me of 1994-1997. Grunge had started to fade out, and a more pop focused form started taking over the airwaves. (What we now refer to as "bubblegrunge.") "MIRAGE" is a little shoegazey, and a little bit post-grunge. It's reminding me of a mixture of 90's Weezer, Hum, and Nada Surf. The Endorphins have also snuck an unexpected groove in just below the surface.  You can watch the video for "MIRAGE" below. For more on The Endorphins, check out the band's website .

Photo by Sofia Seguar Las Robertas are a Costa Rica based band, and they just released a brand new single. "Everything I Wanted to Be" shows off their 60's psychedelic meets shoegaze sound. The song has a light and hazy feel, with the fuzz of shoegaze coming across in an almost sunny way. By going back to the 60's and psychedelia, Las Robertas have evolved shoegaze into yet another style. The band's influences include The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Lush, and Ride, and those will all be evident with "Everything I Wanted to Be." A lot of shoegaze these days tends to be mixed with pop or a heavier sound, but Las Robertas are moving it in a completely different direction. Something tells me we're going to end up being diehard fans by the time their album comes out. You can watch the video for "Everything I Wanted to Be" below. All We Need Is Now is due out June 26 on Kanine Records and Spinda Records, and is available for pre-order here . For mo...

Photo by Miryam Weiss and J Kimball Boston's Jesus the Dinosaur has a new single out that meshes folk, pop, and rock into their own sound. "Empty Space" is a laid back track that is probably closest to folk pop. It's endlessly engaging, with just enough flourishes to keep it from being too pop, while still working for both a more mainstream audience and the music snobs. It's reminding me of a mix of Dawes and Cuddle Magic. "Empty Space" could be considered power pop, but with the power part scaled back. What's truly telling for this new single is that it feels much shorter than its two minute length. Each time I've listened I've been surprised that it's already over. Jesus the Dinosaur have made something special with this one. Tommy Ng says of his band's latest single: “The lyrics are about spending time alone, and doing your own thing. This is something I’ve always had to do to maintain my capacity for dealing with the world, and to...

Photo by Shem Roose You might know Bob Wagner as one of the guitarists in Mike Gordon of Phish's solo band. Now the Burlington, VT singer-songwriter and guitarist is set to release his debut solo album, and has released a brand new single. "Richest Man on Earth" is a murder ballad even if it doesn't sound quite like what you think of when you hear the term murder ballad. Wagner's song may be melancholy, but it's far prettier than your typical murder ballad. It includes some flourishes that are more jam band than Americana, but it's the kind of song that will appeal to fans of both. "Richest Man on Earth" borders on being folk-pop or on the mainstream end of folk, and that's hardly a bad thing when a song is this good. Plus, it feature pedal steel from Laur Joamets from Sturgill Simpson's band, and you can't go wrong there. Bob Wagner says of his new single: “I was driving home after buying a 100-year-old Oscar Schmidt rubber bridge gu...

Poison Ruin have released one of the most intriguing punk/metal albums of the year with Hymns from the Hills. Lots of bands blur the lines between punk and metal, but no one does it quite like them. Their tour has brought them to a few venues around New England, and considering how much I love The Stone Church in Brattleboro, VT but rarely get there, that was the date I chose to check out. Poison Ruin are an absolute beast live. It's loud, it's heavy, and it's great. Just pure, no nonsense punk mixed with metal. They play shred heavy rock without being overly showy. What's truly great about Poison Ruin's music, and in turn their live show, is how diverse their sound can be. Some songs are more punk, some are more metal, and some had an undeniable groove that leaned into funk. This is the kind of band that attracts hipsters in ironic mullets and metalheads in unironic mullets. And both crowds make complete sense at a Poison Ruin show, and both had a great time. It wa...