If It's Too Loud...

I've been a huge fan of Benjamin Booker for over a decade now. His self-titled debut was my top album of 2014, and I've been impatiently waiting to hear what he would do after 2017's Witness. It was a long wait, but LOWER , released earlier this year is a strong contender for 2025's album of the year, and honestly gets better with each listen. Once I heard he was playing Crystal Ballroom, I knew I had to see what he would be like live in 2025. Booker took the stage with a drummer and Kenny Segal on roughly five different types of keyboards and DJ equipment. The trio formed a triangle on stage and started off with a sample about playing music for yourself, and to make sure you enjoy how it sounds. That was obviously a message to the audience, as Booker's current sound is virtually unlike anything he's played before... or really anyone else has done before. If anything, Booker has become an even more amazing performer since I last saw him at TT the Bear's back...

Artist : Benjamin Booker Album : Lower Quick Thoughts : Well, this was unexpected in all the best ways. We've been high on Benjamin Booker since he first hit our radar, and he kind of disappeared for a few years. What I don't think anyone saw coming was a raw, hip-hop beat-drenched return that feels immediate and prescient for These Times in particular. I initially thought that this may have been produced by Dave Fridmann of The Flaming Lips in terms of its drums and approach, to give a comparison of sorts. Either way, this is absolutely the best listen of the week and the first truly superior album of 2025. Don't miss it. Songs of Note : "Black Opps," "LWA in the Trailer Park," "Rebecca Latimer Felton Takes a BBC," "New World," "Same Kind of Lonely" Artist : Mogwai Album : The Bad Fire Quick Thoughts : Mogwai is fairly legendary for their brand of shoegazey post-rock, and The Bad Fire continues their basically ...

Photo by Trenity Thomas Compared to the previously released singles from LOWER , "SLOW DANCE IN A GAY BAR" is the most straightforward of Benjamin Booker's recent singles. The song is a relatively straightforward slow jam, drenched in the worlds of soul and R&B. There is just the slightest rock edge to remind you of Booker's earlier albums, and just enough of an experimental sound to fit in with the other songs we've heard off his upcoming album. Each single from LOWER has been completely unexpected, so what could surprise us more than a fairly traditional soul song, even if it's still a little experimental? Benjamin Booker says of his new single and video: "You know, sometimes you find yourself in a death hole, surrounded by bones and rotting flesh. It feels like every second is a shovel-full of dirt flung on your head—the worms are laughing at you, hungry, ready to eat.    "But then, out of nowhere, the impossible happens. A laddeer appears. Yo...

Photo by Alex Edep We're thrilled that Benjamin Booker is set to release his first album in seven years, and especially so since the pre-release singles aren't anything like what he's done before. "Same Kind of Lonely" doesn't have much in common with the powerhouse blues of his self-titled album, or even the more experimental and genre defying follow up, Witness. This new single is combining too many genres to be able to mention them all after a single listen. You're going to hear elements of indie rock, soul, hip hop, doo wop, glam rock, art rock, ambient, and many more. "Same Kind of Lonely" should be a complete train wreck of too many styles, but Booker draws them all together with a master level of creativity. Sure, the song is a bit rough at times, but that feels more by design than lack of skill. It feels like we missed a few musical steps in the seven years since Booker officially released music considering how much of a departure "S...

Photo by Trenity Thomas I was a huge fan of Benjamin Booker's 2013 self-titled album and his 2017 album Witness. The dirty, fuzzy, raw blues of his first album fit nicely with the more polished sound of his second. Now, Booker is finally back with new music after a seven year absence, and he's completely reinvented his sound. His upcoming album was co-produced by underground hip hop producer Kenny Segal, and the first single isn't quite hip hop but isn't exactly not hip hop. "LWA IN THE TRAILER PARK" is a noisy version of hip hop meets indie rock and possibly some industrial. Booker is crooning throughout the song in a fashion more like Prince than his previous work. The song is layered heavily in fuzz with a beat that almost hits too hard at times. The whole thing is impossibly trippy and dreamlike, while being fairly jarring at times. "LWA IN THE TRAILER PARK" isn't anything like what I expected when I saw new music from Benjamin Booker in our ...

Photo via Instagram I'm not familiar with Puerto Rico's AJ Davila or his band Davila 666, but since his new single features Benjamin Booker, I obviously have to at least check it out. "Always Something" is a killer jangle pop song with some serious 1960's vibes. It's on the poppier side of the garage rock spectrum. It's not all sugary sunshine with "Always Something." Davila injects just enough of an edge in the song to keep it interesting. Plus, Booker's guitarwork has been missed around here, so it's great to get some more even if it's just as a guest star. You can watch the video for "Always Something" below. The song is available now as a single via Hotel Records. For more on AJ Davila, check out the artist's Twitter and Instagram .

Photo via Facebook It's been three long years since we've heard anything new from Benjamin Booker. In that time he relocated to Australia and started a family, so it's safe to say he's kept busy. Now, he's finally given us some new music. "Black Disco" continues Booker's musical evolution. His debut album was a hyped up garage/blues rocker, and Witness was a bit more polished and smooth. This new song still has heavy blues elements, but it's virtually unrecognizable from his output six years ago. "Black Disco" is much slinkier, and while it's still strongly a rock song, there are some elements of pop and trip hop in here. According to a Facebook post about the new song, it's about anxiety which could explain the disjointed feel of the track. And I mean that in the best possible way. You can listen to "Black Disco" below. The song is available on Benjamin Booker's Bandcamp with all proceeds going to the Souther...

While I don't regret seeing Wonder Woman over the weekend, 20 new releases and a lot of overtime at work left me with little time to write. A day late and a dollar short, here's an abbreviated highlights version of this week's releases. Must Listens This Week : * Benjamin Booker - Witness (Best release of the week. We loved his debut, and somehow he's gotten even better. It's scary good) * Marnie - Strange Words and Weird Wars (A favorite of the week, strange and striking album) * Alt-J - Relaxer (Maybe their weakest effort so far, and still one of the best of the week. Their singles always make more sense in the context of the album) * Rachel Baiman - Shame (Fun, addictive Americana) * Chastity Belt - I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone (The darker side of things with the recent resurgence of female-fronted alt-rock. Really great) * Dispatch - America, Location 12 (A solid comeback, and an album I'm really into) * Marika Hackman - I'm N...

Photo by Ken Sears Back in the 80s and 90s, an album would be announced, and you'd have one single released before the album. With the current music industry model, you get 2-4 singles released before the album is, since there is really no such thing as radio or video airplay anymore. The only challenge with this model is you can really burn yourself out on an album before it's even out yet. I doubt that will happen with the upcoming album from Benjamin Booker. "Believe," the third single released for Witness , Booker goes full on soul. The proto-punk blues meets Nirvana sound of his 2014 self titled debut is gone on this track. This is pure neo-soul, and what's most shocking perfectly is how Booker's ragged voice fits both heavier rock songs and soul. The accompanying video was shot in Providence's Columbus Theater with an orchestra and gospel choir. Benjamin Booker's new album, Witness , will be out June 2 on ATO Records. You can watch the vi...

Photo by Ken Sears It's not exactly fair to claim that an artist is sharing a new sound on their second album, but that's what I'm going to do with Benjamin Booker. His 2014 self-titled album was this brilliant blast of proto-punk mixed with Kurt Cobain and Delta blues. The first song we could hear from his upcoming second album, "Witness," mixed in some more soul and some hip hop elements (and featured Mavis Staples!) The second song, "Right On You," goes off in an even different direction. There are still some hints of Booker's classic sound mixed with some soul, but "Right On You" is a little more straightforward punk along the lines of X, while throwing a tiny bit of Sonic Youth noise in there. Once again, a very unexpected sound that makes perfect sense with Booker's progression as an artist. You can listen to "Right On You" below. His new album, Witness , is due out on June 2 via ATO Records. You can pre-order the ...

Photo by Ken Sears Benjamin Booker covering Howlin' Wolf is a complete no brainer. Booker's hyped up delta blues and gravelly voice is perfect for covering the blues legend. Booker's version feels a bit more stripped down than the original, even though it seems to be using the same instrumentation. It could be that Howlin' Wolf's is produced to sound more slick, and Booker's is meant to sound raw. Either way, it's a perfect cover. You can listen to Benjamin Booker's cover of "Spoonful" below. It will be available on the Resistance Radio: The Man in The High Castle Album  compilation, which features modern day artists covering classics. The album will also feature covers by Beck, Sharon van Etten, Angel Olson, The Shins, Karen O, and more, so you know we'll be all over it. The album will be out on April 7. To pre-order it, head over to Amazon . Benjamin Booker will release his new album, Witness , on June 2. Check out his website fo...

Photo by Ken Sears The tease that Benjamin Booker gave us a few weeks back has come to fruition: We finally have a new song from Benjamin Booker. "Witness" is very different from the songs on his self titled 2014 debut. At least with "Witness," the firey MC5 meets Nirvana hyped up rockabilly sound is replaced with soul. I'm sure that's more than partially due to Mavis Staples' guest starring for the chorus. Booker and Staples doing a song together is an absolute fantasy pairing for me. Booker is channeling James Brown on this song, with just the slightest hint of hip hop. Of course, that could be because early 90s rap borrowed quite heavily from James Brown and soul, but the sound just edges in for me. It's an interesting change in sound, while still keeping in step with Booker's roots. Benjamin Booker's new album (I'm thrilled to be able to say that), which is also called Witness , is due June 2 on ATO Records. You can listen to ...

Photo by Ken Sears It's been way too long since we've heard anything new from Benjamin Booker. It's been almost two years since we heard his cover of "Walkin' After Midnight" and almost three years since the release of his debut album. In one Instagram post, he announced that he has new music to share (at a show coming up next month) and he also shared a cover of Penny & The Quarters' "You and Me." The song was originally recorded back in the 70s, but was mostly unknown until a rediscovery in the 2011 film Blue Valentine. But, the truly important thing is we have something new to listen to from Benjamin Booker. Granted, it's an acoustic Instagram video, but it's still something new from Booker. You can watch Benjamin Booker's cover of "You & Me" below. For more on Booker, check out his website . Let's hope we have a new album by the end of the year. You and Me again Santa Ana! Playing the @observat...

Photo by Ken Sears Covers are one of our favorite things here at If It's Too Loud..., so The A.V. Club's AV Undercover is cherished every season. This week they bring us Benjamin Booker (my personal favorite album from last year) performing Patsy Cline's absolute classic "Walkin' After Midnight." It's a perfect cover, staying completely true to the feel of the original while adding his own touch to it. You get classic country mixed with Booker's blend of Detroit protopunk Delta blues. If you don't love this, you have no soul. Watch Benjamin Booker's performance of "Walkin' After Midnight" below. Head on over to The A.V. Club to see all of their AV Undercover performances , and Benjamin Booker's website for more information on him.

Via Facebook For anyone who doesn't know, last week is was announced that Cambridge, MA club TT the Bear's was closing this summer after over 40 years. This might be the first club closing to truly upset me. By the time I was regularly going to shows (1996?), The Rat was catering to mostly punk and hardcore bands, and Avalon and Axis were always the bigger, corporate clubs (even though they've been replaced by the even more corporate and gigantic House of Blues). TT's had an equal love of national and local bands, and felt like a home base to bands like Letters to Cleo and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper even as they got too big to play a 325 person club. For an example of how great this place was in the late 90s, check out the ad to the left. Jennifer Trynin, Allstonians, Velvet Crush, Boss Hog, Bikini Kill, and a Squirrel Nut Zippers/Magnetic Fields double bill in less than 2 weeks??? Plus, it was the site of the legendary Pixies/Lemonheads pairing on "nu muzik"...

As the Newport Folk Festival slowly starts rolling out there 2015 line up, and we sit under 4 feet of snow in the Northeast, it's a great time to look back at last summer's Newport Folk Festival. Suddenly, the absurd amounts of rain on Sunday start to seem quaint, and we start looking forward to this summer and this year's Newport Folk Festival. You can check out our Newport Folk Festival 2014 photo diary over at our Facebook page . Here's hoping to see you all at the Fort this year! For more information on this year's Fest (Friday tickets still remain), head on over to the Newport Folk Festival website . If you can't make it, there are some great Newport Folk Festival Presents shows coming up, mostly in Boston but also in Chicago, Nashville, Napa, and New York City. Check out these here .