If It's Too Loud...

A punked up cover of "Jingle Bells" could (and has) gone horribly wrong, but luckily this one is done by Bleached. This isn't an attempt at being badass and mocking the holiday classic. Instead, Bleached's version is a burst of fun and pure joy, which is what a Christmas song truly should be. But that's always been the charm of Bleached. They're a fun, modern version of punk that is still punk enough to make old, cranky punks happy. It's a little noisy, and a little aggressive, but it's still the kind of fun Christmas song that you can put on a family playlist and your parents and even grandparents would be ok with it.  You can listen to Bleached's version of "Jingle Bells" below. The song is currently available via Dead Oceans. For more on Bleached, check out the band's website .

Some good stuff this week! Artist : Mal Blum Album : Pity Boy Quick Description : Superlative indie rock from a favorite here. Why You Should Listen : Straddles perfectly the line between old and new. Overall Thoughts : We’re been low-key fans of Mal Blum for a while now, and this new album is pretty much the perfect tone not only for the current indie/alt landscape, but for a couple of aging hipsters like ourselves still clinging to the rock music of our youth. While many acts deliberately attempt to operate in the musical ideas of the past, MB gives the impression of making the music she’s interested in making, and it shows in a superlative album this week. Recommendation : It will be a highlight in nearly anyone’s rotation this week, so don’t miss out. Artist : BEA1991 Album : Brand New Adult Quick Description : Offbeat electronic effort. Why You Should Listen : This is one that is often hard to describe. Overall Thoughts : I’ve highlighted a few odd indie electric...

Photo by Nicola Rowlands The latest single from Los Angeles based Bleached isn't quite what we'd expect from them. First, they appear to now be a duo as opposed to the trio that recorded 2016's Welcome the Worms. Second, "Shitty Ballet" is fair more chill than anything off their previous album. It's a quiet, kinda quirky acoustic ditty instead of the updated sound of The Donnas that we had come to love. It takes a little time, but you slowly adjust to the new sound and begin to genuinely love it on its own. And then the rock kicks in at the end, bringing us back to what we've always loved about Bleached. You can watch the video for "Shitty Ballet" below. For more on Bleached, check out their website . Upcoming tour dates opening for Refused and The Hives (!!!!) are below the video. Mon. May 20 - Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater * Tue. May 21 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant * Wed. May 22 - Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall * Fri. May 24 - Denver...

So many new releases, so little time... Nothing crazy stands out this week, though. Artist : Bleached Album : Can You Deal? Quick Description : Bleached goes for a cleaner, power pop sound. Why You Should Listen : Bleached has been really good for a while, and this continues that trend. Overall Thoughts : This EP probably isn't the shift that I think it is, but it feels like it is anyway. The first two songs are among the best they've done, and this is just a solid, quick listen for some alt-rock tinged indie. If "Flipside" doesn't get stuck in your head, I don't know what to tell you. Recommendation : A great listen this week. Artist : The Knitts Album : Retreat Quick Description : 15 years later, we're still trying to emulate The Strokes. Why You Should Listen : You're into non-ironic straightforward rock music. Overall Thoughts : This isn't good. And it's not bad in a "it's passe" way (though it is) or that ...

Photo by Nicole Anne Robbins One of our favorite 90s throwback artists are back. Bleached have a new EP called Can You Deal? due out on March 3. The title track is exactly what we want from Bleached. "Can You Deal?" is poppy and catchy, but with a plethora of 90s alternative noise behind it. I always see them described as punk, but to me they're more dream punk. They have all the swirling guitars and spacey melodies of dream pop, but just a little more aggression than that moniker would allow for.  In addition to the Can You Deal? EP, Bleached are releasing a Can You Deal? zine. The zine will feature contributions that define a who's who of the current genre ignoring indie scene including Alice Glass, Lizzo, Kate Nash, Tegan Quin, Allie Hanlon, Sadie Dupuis, and more. Bleached's Jennifer Clavin had this to say about the project:\ I create music and art because I need to. To express, to bond, to reconcile, and to connect. And to use my voice. To have it rec...

We've been digging Bleached here at If It's Too Loud..., so we're pretty excited that Jennifer from Bleached has released two acoustic covers to benefit Planned Parenthood. Here is Jennifer's explanation of her idea behind the covers from a Facebook post: After the election, I went to the desert with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, sadness, and anger. I decided to record covers of 2 songs that perfectly capture my feelings regarding our political state. Barry McGuire's ‘Eve of Destruction’ was written in 1965, and 50 years later could not be more relevant. It’s a warning of the fascist, racist, violent and unjust world we were living in then, and are living in now. Ramones' ‘Bonzo Goes To Bitburg’ shares the embarrass ed, offended, and disgusted feeling a lot of us have every time we see Trump on our television. We are living in a time where we can anticipate federal funding to public health resources terminated. I have been using Planned Parenthood...

Another busy release day equals another two-parter. Album of the Week : Artist : Bleached Album : Welcome the Worms Quick Description : Well-crafted indie power pop. Why You Should Listen : Bleached's first album was a favorite of the year for us a few years back, and this is even better. Overall Thoughts : I admit to being a little cold to the lead single, "Keep on Keeping On," upon first hearing it. When I brought this album up, though, it just lodged itself into my head and didn't let go, and took 9 of its friends along for the ride. This is a great power poppy, 80s-alt-tinged record that just scratches all the right itches, and really has no business being as good as it ended up being. A solid follow-up to their first album, and one I'm really loving. Recommendation : Best album of the week, no doubt. Artist : Weezer Album : Weezer/The White Album Quick Description : Tenth album by the alt-rock band. Why You Should Listen : You think their po...

Photo by Nicole Anne Robbins Our excitement for the new Bleached album continues to increase with the release of the video for "Wednesday Night Melody." The song continues their Bangles meets Veruca Salt sound from "Keep On Keepin' On." For a fun twist, "Wednesday Night Melody" brings this odd hair metal power ballad feel to it. Imagine a Motley Crue ballad with crunched out guitars, and you're just about there. It bridges the gap between my favorite music and my favorite guilty pleasure. I'm pretty convinced I'll become obsessed with Bleached by the end of 2016. Plus, the video features the rest of the band finding singer Jennifer Clavin dead, only to still make it to a gig Weekend at Bernie's style. Welcome the Worms is due out April 1 on Dead Ocean. Be sure to check out the video for "Wednesday Night Melody" below, along with tour dates below that. For more info on Bleached, be sure to check out their Facebook or web...

Photo by Nicole Anne Robbins Jeff sent over 2013's Ride Your Heart  to me, and while I really really liked it, I didn't quite love it. With their next album, I just might start to love Bleached. "Keep On Keepin' On" lives in a world where female punks look back at The Bangles and The Go Gos with the same reverence they do Bikini Kill and Bratmobile. It's an edgy song, but it's still fun and has killer hooks. Picture if Veruca Salt listened to more Blondie than AC/DC. Bleached's new album, Welcome the Worms, will be out on April 1 via Dead Ocean. You can watch the video for "Keep On Keepin' On" (which features a bitchin' Captain America shirt) below, and below that are their current tour dates. For more info on Bleached, check out their website here . Mar. 15 - March 19 - Austin, TX @ SXSW   Mar. 29 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones Mar. 30 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah Apr. 2 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Apr. 4 - Aus...