If It's Too Loud...

Rapper, singer, producer, musician, OG Lowell music scene supporter, and holder of probably a dozen other titles D-Tension has a new Christmas single out. "Broke for Christmas" is a honky tonk style country song about being broke for Christmas. It's a fun song that takes on a pretty serious struggle many are going through this year. It sucks you in with humor, and while the song is truly funny all the way through, the listener is going to be left thinking of how rough this particular Christmas is for many of our fellow people. I believe this might be D-Tension's first foray into country, and he totally nails it.  You can listen to "Broke for Christmas" below. The song is available via Bandcamp . For more on D-Tension, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook . Broke For Christmas by D-Tension

Our favorite Cambridgeshire garage punks are back with a new single just in time for the holidays. "I Will Panic if I Want to Shirley" isn't exactly a Christmas song, but it does take place at Christmas, so we're counting it. This new song is a noisy mid-tempo track filled with harmonies about how stressful this time of year can be. The song is dripping with menace and The Baby Seals' trademark humor. If anything, the harmonies seem to be used to help keep the chaos within the song at a minimum until it no longer can, which also fits the theme of the song. Last year's Chaos was one of my favorites of the year, so we're thrilled to see The Baby Seals continue to make killer music. Front woman Kerry says of the band's latest single: “... The song’s about something that happened to our drummer, Amy. She’s autistic, and that can sometimes lead to confrontations or misunderstandings with strangers. Just before Christmas last year, she took her car in for it...

It always sounds like hyperbole when I say it, but there simply isn't a talent out there like Ezra Furman. It's nearly impossible to fit the Boston artist's new album into one, or even ten, genres. Goodbye Small Head is a collection of twelve songs that meander through different styles and sounds, all while still sounding like they belong together. That's probably why Furman gets labelled a singer-songwriter so much. No other description even comes close to her sound. Throughout the album, you get indie rock, folk, pop, electronic music, punk, and many more styles. Plus, there's something so unique about how Furman structures a song. Every song feels so immediate and vulnerable. Goodbye Small Head is one of the most intimate albums I've ever heard, which fits right in with Furman's style. This is a fantastic release by one of the best out there. Songs of note: "Grand Mal," "Jump Out," "Power of the Moon," and "Veil Song...

Ken mentioned in his post about McKinley Dixon's record that rap fans had a lot to love this year, and he was right. Three of my top 10 albums this year are rap albums, which 2006 Jeff would be incredibly confused about. Best of the lot, though, was clipping., who offered the latest masterclass in what has been a truly epic run of albums over the last few years. The sci-fi / horror motifs are not as forward on this one as others, but the sort of techno-futurism that permeates this record in an era of AI and enshittification shine through and serve very much as a record for this time and of this time, and there's something to be said about meeting the moment when it doesn't feel like anyone else does. "Dominator" into "Change the Channel" sets the tone of the record, with "Run It" a sort of New Jack Swing by way of Philip K. Dick deconstruction. "Code" a prescient critique of the technological present, "Polaroids" and ...

Photo by Jackie Freeman Vermont's Robber Robber have just released a cover of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds," my own personal favorite Elvis song. If you aren't expecting this to be a note for note completely faithful cover, you're correct. Robber Robber turn the 1969 number one song into a bizarre indie rock burst. Musically, it goes off into a vastly different direction that sounds nothing like the original. The lyrics and vocals remain faithful to Elvis', and unlike many similar covers from the 90's, Robber Robber aren't using their cover to mock a classic. This is no novelty, and you can tell they're fans. This version of "Suspicious Minds" is a lot of fun, and a great way for Robber Robber to end their 2025. Robber Robber say of their latest single: “We went through an Elvis phase where we listened to a bunch of Elvis for a couple of weeks and watched those two movies about him and Priscilla, and ‘Suspicious Minds’ has always...

Photo courtesy of Big Harp Big Harp, the duo of Chris Senseney and Stefanie Drootin-Senseney, are back with their first new music in ten years and their first on Saddle Creek since 2013's Chain Letters. Their new song is a cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry." It's a stripped down, acoustic, almost folky version of the iconic track. While acoustic covers are pretty much a cliche at this point, Big Harp do it quite well. Even though it's an acoustic version of the post-punk/New Wave classic, it's recognizable from the first strummed chords. This is a great version of "Boys Don't Cry," and we're thrilled to welcome back Big Harp. Chris Senseney says of his band's new single: “Our daughter has gotten really into The Cure in the last couple years, so this song has kinda been floating around our heads. The original is perfect as it is, but it’s such a solid song that it can work in a lot of contexts. And like any really well put-togeth...

I don't think I'm happier for any band in 2025 as I am for Weakened Friends. We started covering them way back in 2015 when they were pretty much the official opener any time a 90's artist came through Boston, and 2016's EP Crushed was my #10 release of that year. For Feels Like Hell , the Maine band seemed to decide to make a hit album, and they're being rewarded with sold out headlining slots in the same venues they used to open in. It's well deserved, since Feels Like Hell is a great album. It keeps the raw edge that we've always loved about Weakened Friends, and adds even more pop hooks while somehow being louder than their previous releases. "Nosebleed" might be my favorite song of the year, and if you miss the angst of the 90's, Weakened Friends are here for you. They somehow managed to wrangle Buckethead into shredding on "NPC," and the whole thing closes with a grungy cover of "Torn," which is the most fun cover song...

People have a lot of capital-o Opinions about Ethel Cain, ranging from her early edgelord presence to her oft-eerie post-Americana sound. She put out an EP of what is best described as drone ambient songs, Perverts , early in the year, and while it was compelling enough as someone who listens to too much drone and too much ambient, I don't think we were prepared for what it ultimately foreshadowed. Willoughby Tucker is described as a concept album, but it's more of a conceptual journey. Across 10 tracks and nearly 74 minutes, you end up floating down this river of slowcore acoustic songs filled with love and lust, conspiracy and concern. Opening track, "Janie," sets the tone without actually setting the tone at all, and it's only once we get to "Nettles" (one of the best songs of the year) that the disparate sounds come together into a package that turns this from an interesting curiosity to one of my favorite things ever. There's so much w...

Photo by Nico Lareau .idk. is the moniker of London born and Maryland raised rapper, singer, and producer Jason Mills. His latest single, "SCARY MERRi," might be the least Christmas-y Christmas song we've covered this year. It's a hip hop banger that could be played all twelve months of the year, with only the word "holiday," the occasional reference to Christmas Eve, and the "Jingle Bells Batman smells" intro giving it away. This is underground hip hop perfection, and if you love the type of rap we usually cover, you're going to love this one. It also doesn't hurt that .idk. has one of the smoothest flows around in 2025. .idk. says of his latest single: "This project goes more in-depth into my incarceration, the mentality during the events that led to it, and the mindset I had while inside. It confronts that reality head-on, blending sharp lyricism with raw storytelling about incarceration, betrayal, spiritual conflict, and the moment...

Photo by Zander Fieschko Sylvia Black is described as a "post-punk and psychedelic blues femme fatale," and her latest single will show you why. "Long Gone Gardens" is a moody and gothic track with heavy bass lines. It's wonderfully hypnotic, and as intense as it is, it's also eerily soothing. The song is going to appeal to fans of artists like Siouxsie and The Banshees, and although there are some distinct 80's vibes to the song, those vibes are through a modern prism. "Long Gone Gardens" is mesmerizing, and perfect for those of us that find joy and pleasure in darker songs. Sylvia Black is one of those artists we're quite likely to become enamored with rather quickly. Sylvia Black says of her latest single: “The track is a reflection about a choice that seemingly lets you lose everything but puts you on a new path to find salvation again in another form.” You can watch the video for "Long Gone Gardens" below. Shadowtime is due o...

2025 seemed to be a year that hip hop stepped up, and multiple albums were released that moved the genre forward in unique ways. My personal favorite hip hop album of the year is McKinley Dixon's Magic, Alive! There's nothing out there today that sounds anything like this album. It's a mix of hip hop and jazz, with elements of noise rock, choral groups, and maybe a dozen other styles. Hip hop this experimental and creative doesn't usually have mainstream appeal, but I truly think most hip hop fans could fine something to like about Magic, Alive! if it reached them. The songs swing from laid back and chill to more intense bangers, and sometimes are both at the same time. It's like a modern equilvelent of artists like Gang Starr or A Tribe Called Quest. Plus, the album features appearances from Anjimile, Quelle Chris, Ghais Guevera, and more. McKinley Dixon gave us one of those albums that keeps blowing minds more with each and every listen, and gets better every time...

I will preface this by saying that I don't believe there's a way to be a casual fan of Ezra Furman. She has produced so much great music over the decades that this latest release, Goodbye Small Head , feels less like a release and more like an event. A lot of people will ride or die for Ms. Ezra Furman, and this record shows exactly why. There is a raw, almost feral energy to this record that we haven't seen from Furman at length before. She howls, she growls, she spits out lyrics as angry as anyone (and who wouldn't be angry right now?). This record works because of this ferocity, as the emotion and drive that she puts forth give the extra juice to already great songs to turn this into a great experience. Yes, "Power of the Moon" is the likely highlight here, but it's just as easy to point out the way "Submission" works, the raw emotion of "You Mustn't Show Weakness," the harsh reality of "Grand Mal." It's an a...

Photo by Nick Pegg We love post-punk and power pop here at If It's Too Loud..., but those two sounds rarely coexist. Enter Montreal's The Fake Friends and their latest single. Their latest single, "Sucker Born Every Minute," has all of the dissonance and jerky qualities of post-punk with the melodies and catchiness of power pop. There are also some vintage garage rock keyboards in the song. In other words, there is a lot going on in "Sucker Born Every Minute," but The Fake Friends pull it off. The result is a fun song that doesn't quite sound like anyone else out there while still sounding kind of familiar.  You can watch the video for "Sucker Born Every Minute" below. Let's Not Overthink This is due out February 13 on Stomp Records, and is available to pre-order on Bandcamp . For more on The Fake Friends, check out the band on Instagram .

Photo by David Doobinin Boston isn't considered one of the cooler cities. Everything shuts down insanely early, we're not exactly known for our dining, and many of our musicians leave for New York, Los Angeles, or even Philadelphia to make it big. However, we occasionally get magical events like Juliana Hatfield hosting her album release show at the one hundred capacity The Burren on a Sunday night. I wasn't sure what to expect with Sunday night's show. Was it a solo show? Would Hatfield have a band? Was it a regular show, or would she focus on the new album? Turns out she played as a trio, and it was a mixture of new songs, favorites, and underappreciated classics. The focus of the show was the just released (and excellent) Lightning Might Strike , and although I was a fan of the album after the first listen, after hearing her classics played alongside the brand new songs, the new album is as great as anything else she's ever released in the past forty or so years....