If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Dream Nails Album : You Wish Quick Thoughts : A fun, fuzzy February listen, I didn't really know / remember Dream Nails before Ken sent this one over and it is just a really great alt-rock record. "This is Water" is a standout, for sure, but I definitely want to highlight "House of Bones," which has some great harmonization with the mechanically great instrumentation. Don't sleep on this one. Songs of Note : "This is Water," "Organoid," "House of Bones," "The Information" Artist : Ratboys Album : Singin' to an Empty Chair Quick Thoughts : Ratboys are always pretty great, but this new album feels like a massive step forward for them in all the best ways. In an era where bands like Wednesday can flit between genres without a moment's notice, Ratboys somehow finds a way to ensure their roots-informed indie rock remains consistent even when leaning further into any particular direction. Hone...

For their latest single, Big Richard have chosen to cover David Olney's 1991 song "Millionaire." It's a very faithful version of Olney's original, with Big Richard's being just a little more bluegrass. Decades later, a song about greed is only more timely, with maybe the only edit needed would be upgrading it to "Billionaire." The line about owning the President feels especially timely in 2026. The cover feels a little more desperate and angry than the 1991 version, which fits the times we currently exist in. "Millionaire" is a great single, and a perfect new release for Big Richard. We're definitely looking forward to their soon to be released album. Bonnie Sims (mandolin and guitar) says of her band's upcoming album: “Big Richard is so much about our energetic delivery, and so I think it's been really important for us as a group to figure out how to do that for a record." You can listen to "Millionaire" below. P...

Big Richard are a Colorado based bluegrass quartet that get their name from the "... 'big dick' energy [they are] reclaiming from male bluegrass bands." Their latest single, "It's Gonna Fall/Old Daingerfield" is a high energy and fierce song that's actually two songs played together. "It's Gonna Fall" contains lyrics about environmental disasters that could very well exist in a punk rock song. "Old Daingerfield" is a killer instrumental burst that demands any listener's attention. Musically, Big Richard land somewhere between traditional bluegrass and progressive bluegrass. It's a modern take on the genre that still keeps the sonic roots intact.  Cellist Joy Adams says of the band's upcoming album: “We made the album all on tape and did it all in these single-shot performances. The collection of songs, we wanted to take our most hard driving, heavy hitting songs, we wanted to craft a banger set list. Like, if we ha...