If It's Too Loud...

Mighty Poplar are a new roots supergroup that features Andrew Marlin from Watchhouse, Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge from Punch Brothers, Greg Garrison from Leftover Salmon, and Alex Hargreaves from Billy Strings. The five musicians formed the new band out of a love of improvisation through bluegrass. Their debut single, "Up On the Divide," was written by cowboy poet and songwriter Martha Scanlan. This is pure roots music done to perfection, but that's hardly a surprise considering the pedigree of the musicians involved. You know how some songs just feel like friends hanging out and playing music instead of a more formal arrangement? "Up On the Divide" has that sound, but done with world class musicians. Something tells me we'll be following Mighty Poplar very closely around here. You can watch the video for "Up On the Divide" below. Mighty Poplar's debut album is due out March 31 on Free Dirt Records, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on...

Long hours means a double dose of music this week. Artist : Adia Victoria Album : A Southern Gothic Quick Thoughts : We're big Adia Victoria fans here, and this album came out of nowhere a bit for me. I wasn't expecting new music, and I definitely wasn't expecting A Southern Gothic , which has a true feel that mirrors its title while still bringing the sort of songwriting and musical know-how that Adia Victoria always brings. Right now, I wouldn't be shocked to see this on both of our best-of lists this year. Songs of Note : "Troubled Mind," "Magnolia Blues, "Mean-Hearted Woman," "You Was Born to Die," "Whole World Knows," "Carolina Bound" Artist : Ruby Fields Album : Been Doin' It For A Bit Quick Thoughts : The album title accurately describes what this album sounds like, even though this Aussie singer-songwriter is only 23. There is some great indie rock here throughout. I enjoyed her initial seven ...

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen Just when we start thinking we couldn't possibly be more excited for the upcoming album from Sierra Ferrell, she goes and releases a song like "Bells of Every Chapel." This new single has this impossible amount of charm and is gloriously old timey country. It's the kind of old timey country that could very easily fall into hokey territory, but Ferrell is a master of dancing on the line just before hokey and making music that is fun. How much fun is "Bells of Every Chapel?" It includes some bird sounds towards the beginning that sound like they could be out of a classic early Disney animated movie, and it works perfectly. I have no idea how Ferrell can pull off music this enjoyable and charming without crossing the line into overdoing it, but she's a master of this trick. Plus, she brings in Billy Strings for some back-up. In a Facebook post, Sierra Ferrell says of the new song: "The way this song came about is kinda funny. I ...

Another busy week, so let's play two! Album of the Week : Artist : Phoebe Bridgers Album : Stranger in the Alps Quick Description : Debut album from a buzzy singer-songwriter. Why You Should Listen : You will love her. No question. Overall Thoughts : I’ll be honest: I only added this to my playlist rotation for this week because the title of the album made me laugh out loud. Ken had the same reaction to it when I told him to listen to it, and if a good album title gets this into a few more hands, all the better, because this is a GREAT folk album. Easily the best release of the week, Phoebe Bridgers successfully balances an often-sparse instrumentation effort with some really melodic stuff and interesting… well, everything. It’s a hard space to innovate in, and Bridgers is making a definite effort in modernizing a genre that is very rooted in its past. She’s a little profane, a little fun, and ridiculously talented... Recommendation : ...so make this a priority listen...

Photo by Michael Weintrob As much as we might love the whole bluegrass/Americana revival thing here at If It's Too Loud..., a lot of it can end up sounding pretty similar. New takes on the genre are always welcome, although if you tweak it too much, it ruins the whole point. That might be why I love the new song from Billy Strings. "Turmoil & Tinfoil" is definitely bluegrass with some hints of psychedelia. That alone doesn't exactly make it unique. Lots of bands have discovered mixing bluegrass and psychedelia gives you a great career on the jam band circuit. What makes Billy String unique is that he plays it like he's in a thrash metal band. Bluegrass/psychedelia/thrash might sound like a trainwreck of a combination, and it very well might be, just not when Billy Strings plays it. You can listen to "Turmoil & Tinfoil" below. Billy Strings' debut album, also called Turmoil & Tinfoil , will be out September 22. You can pre-order it n...