If It's Too Loud...

We haven't brought you new music from Carissa Johnson since September, so we're thrilled that she has a new single out. "I Went to School for Psychology" was released last week and almost slipped by us, which would have been unfortunate. It's everything great about Johnson's music. It's a perfectly written track, and its simplicity is what makes it truly great. You get to focus on the lyrics, which might be some of Johnson's best to date. "I Went to School for Psychology" is instantly compelling, and is one of those songs that is without genre. This is going to work for you if you're into punk, folk, pop, singer-songwriter... really anything. And that's the true magic of Carissa Johnson's music. In a Facebook post, Carissa Johnson says of her latest single: "Sometimes people abruptly end long-term relationships without giving the decency of closure. So you re-enroll yourself in college and switch degrees from art to human beh...

Carissa Johnson is one of Boston's favorite singer-songwriters, even if she now splits time between here and New York. Her latest single with The Cure-Alls packs quite the sonic punch. "Millennium" keeps her garage rock/pop/punk sound intact, but something about the song feels much more raw than we're used to from Johnson. It's a fun and catchy rock song that has Johnson's emotions just spilling out. Johnson doesn't reinvent any genres with a song like "Millennium," but she has this certain quality that you know it's her as soon as a song starts. Her specialty is songs that exist right on the line between pop and rock, which this one certainly does. "Millennium" is the rare song that is going to satisfy the most snobby indie rock critic and someone who exclusively listens to Top 40. That's the magic of Carissa Johnson. Carissa Johnson says of her latest single: " This song was written after a very difficult and sudden break...

Doing Anything this Weekend? is a feature here at If It's Too Loud... where we feature some live shows in and on the far outskirts of the Boston area. Our main rules are that they have to be reasonably priced shows that you can attend last minute. They'll feature If It's Too Loud... approved bands, and we'll provide event links when possible. And since we're in outdoor music season, these events are weather permitting. If you're looking for last minute plans this weekend, we recommend: Friday May 24 Jake Blount, Nic Gareiss, and Sammy Wetstein Trio at Epsilon Spires, Brattleboro, VT Scissorfight, Viqueen, and Condition at The Press Room, Portsmouth, NH Glacier, Circus Trees, and Lesotho at Koto Asian Fusion, Salem, MA Stephanie McKay and Cliff Notez at Uncommon Stage, Boston Common, Boston, MA Saturday May 25 Carissa Johnson, The Fatal Flaw, and The Callouts at Askew, Providence, RI Minibeast, Fugue State, and Shirese at Gallery X, New Bedford, MA Sunday May 26 ...

Photo by Lucy Opazo Carissa Johnson is one of those rare artists that has an ability to move through genres while still sounding like themselves. The singer-songwriter's latest single, "I Surrender," still has the garage rock meets power pop sound we've always loved from Johnson, but this one has a little more of a pop sheen than we're used to. There's something about "I Surrender" that feels very 80's. It's a little New Wave, but still a rock song, sort of like Tom Petty's dalliances into the genre. But I could definitely see "I Surrender" being played at a climactic moment of your favorite forgotten teen movie. You can listen to "I Surrender" below. For more on Carissa Johnson, check out the artist's website .

Photo by Lucy Opazo Even though Carissa Johnson left Boston for New York, she'll always be one of ours. Her latest single, "Congratulations," continues her unbroken streak of just killer garage rock/pop songs. Johnson's music just hits this perfect space where it encompasses both rock and pop that no one else quite hits. "Congratulations" is a solid power pop track that leans heavily into its pop side while maintaining a punk edge. Plus, no one really writes a song like Carissa Johnson. It could not be catchier but still just rocks. The only problem when Johnson releases a new song is that we instantly want more. You can watch the video for "Congratulations" below. For more on Carissa Johnson, check out the artist's website .

Towards the end of Modest Mouse's headlining set on Saturday night, Isaac Brock commented that he can normally ignore about half of the bands during a festival, but In Between Days just kept making him want to watch every band from the very start of the day. I ended up having the same experience. When I looked at the schedule, there were some bands I wasn't that familiar with or hadn't been able to get into previously, so I figured I'd have some downtime to casually eat some food from the food trucks, or play some free classic arcade games at the pop-up arcade, but instead for ten hours (ok, at one point I did stop to shove a quesadilla in my face for five minutes) I was just blown away watching band after band after band! I got there a couple of minutes late, and Quincy's own Gypsy Moths were already rocking the Arbella Insurance stage. Their classic Boston garage rock set the stage for the festival perfectly without sounding anything like any of the other bands on...

If you've been reading If It's Too Loud... for a while now, you'll know that we love Carissa Johnson. We definitely aren't the only ones as she's one of the most buzzed about artists to come out of Boston in the past ten years. Every local music blog seems to explode every time she releases new music, and with good reason. Johnson has this perfect sound that mixes indie rock, garage rock, and pop in a way that can appeal to basically any music fan. At times it's a very mainstream sound, but even as mainstream or pop as Johnson's music sometimes gets, it always has just enough of an edge to it to keep even the snobbiest of us happy. Plus, Johnson can write a song like no other. As great as it has been watching her play in various small clubs in and around Boston, it's going to be fabulous to see her rock a large festival stage. You can watch the video for "Merry Go Round" below. For more on Carissa Johnson, check out the artist's website , a...

Sometimes there is a musical collaboration that is so perfect you have no idea how you've gone this long without it. As soon as I heard Carissa Johnson was guesting on the new single from Linnea's Garden, I was immediately angry I had to wait to hear it. Now that it's out, it was totally worth the wait. "In the City" is a phenomenal song between two of the brightest Boston has to offer (even if Johnson has moved away from the city). The song features Herzog and Johnson trading off verses and joining for the chorus. It has all of the indie rock/punk/groove sound we expect from a Linnea's Garden song, and then piles some more on top for the fun of it. The song has a post-punk/New Wave vibe, leaning into bands like The Police and Blondie, and even injects some ska into the guitar. "In the City" might be the most fun song to come out of Boston this year, and has us desperately hoping for a hometown double bill to see it performed live properly. You can w...

This past weekend might have been the craziest of all time for the Boston area, musically speaking. We had Taylor Swift taking over Gillette Stadium (and everyone's social media feeds) for three nights, Janet Jackson in Mansfield, Blink 182 at the Garden, and countless local rock shows happening every single night of the weekend. I assumed I'd have some FOMO at only making it out to one show, but when that show was the outstanding triple bill of The Downhauls, Stars Like Ours, and Swivel, I could not have gone wrong. I'm about to lose all my Boston rock credibility by saying this, but I did not know Swivel at all before they were announced as the opener for The Downhauls' EP release show. Last week I discovered that Carissa Johnson was in the band, and I assumed they were a new project. Turns out they've been around for at least five years and also feature Damone's Noelle LeBlanc, and released an EP back in December that we completely missed. This won't shoc...

Artist : Carissa Johnson Album : Blue Hour Quick Thoughts : We've been fans of Carissa Johnson here for a while, and this new album really seems to up the game a bit. It's a loud, brash slice of indie rock with hooks and melodies that stick in ways I didn't anticipate going in. This was one of the more anticipated listens for me this week, and it delivers in spades. One of the best of the week. Songs of Note : "Wasting Dreams," "Running Uphill," "Merry Go Round," "Tourist," "The Outline" Artist : Zuzu Album : Queensway Tunnel Quick Thoughts : I first caught wind of Zuzu with her 2016 debut single " Get Off ," a song that remains an all-time favorite. Five years later, we get the debut album we've been waiting for, and it's solid. She knows how to make some catchy songs along with some great guitar work, and I'm overall pretty impressed with this debut. Keep an eye out for her. Songs of N...

Photo by Jaina Cipriano I don't think it's possible for me to be more excited about a song than I am about this one. I come from a generation where the lines of rock and rap were just starting to be blurred by artists collaborating. It started with Run/DMC and Aerosmith, continued with Anthrax and Public Enemy, and peaked with the Judgement Night  soundtrack. For some reason, that kind of pairing seems to have faded in the past couple of decades but it looks like Boston is singlehandedly bringing it back! The latest is Carissa Johnson pairing with Cliff Notez on "Running Uphill." The new song is the ultimate Carissa Johnson song. It's pure garage rock with a strong, catchy as all hell pop element. Johnson has mastered dabbling in both rock and pop at the same time, and "Running Uphill" is the pinnacle of that. In perfect rock/rap collaboration tradition, Cliff Notez comes in towards the end and drops a verse. The music slows down for him, but unlike the ...

Thursday night saw Boston garage and punk legends coming together for an unforgettable night of music at The Paradise. Three of the four artists started their careers in the 1970's, with Carissa Johnson and The Cure-Alls being the only newbie to take the stage. It was a night of classic performances for a small but die hard crowd. Carissa Johnson and The Cure-Alls took the stage first. They were the unknown band of the night (although there was a small cluster of fans obviously there for them) but quickly proved they belong. Johnson has become one of the prominent songwriters in Boston, specializing in rock based pop songs with a heavy hint of garage rock. It was her band's first live show in roughly two years and they came out swinging. They played a mix of songs from their forthcoming album and some older favorites. With her band, the songs have a much more rock edge to them than when Johnson is playing solo which fit the theme of the night perfectly. Carissa Johnson and The ...

Carissa Johnson is officially one of the greatest rock songwriters currently active in Boston. Obviously her latest single, "The Sound," is going to be fantastic, we all know that. The only surprising thing about the new song is how New Wave it is. It starts off with an ominous synth line that sounds like a church organ. From there it's met with a driving beat and Johnson's vocals. Johnson is one of those singers I liked but didn't love at first, but the more I listen to her music the more her voice becomes one of my favorites. Despite how synth heavy "The Sound" is, this isn't an 80's throwback at all. Somehow Johnson has created a synth heavy New Wave song that sounds right at home in 2021. You can watch the video for "The Sound" below. Blue Hour is due out November 12. The album can be pre-ordered here . For more on Carissa Johnson, check out the artist's website .

Photo by Jaina Cipriano In a recent Facebook post, Carissa Johnson says that her upcoming album "... might be my synthiest one yet but it's also the most hardcore." The Boston singer/songwriter isn't wrong. "Wasting Dreams" is dripping with synths while still being an organic sounding rock song. Johnson has always had this amazing talent for crafting pop rock songs that still have enough of an attitude and an edge to be straight up rockers. Somehow "Wasting Dreams" sounds both rough and smooth. It's both pop and punk without being even remotely pop punk. If this new single reflects what's on the rest of the album, Carissa Johnson isn't going to be our little secret in the Boston area for much longer. You can watch the video for "Wasting Dreams" below. Blue Hour is due out November 12 on A Diamond Heart Production. You can pre-order the album here . For more on Carissa Johnson, check out the artist's website .

Photo via Facebook As soon as I heard that Carissa Johnson was going to be releasing a cover of Nena's iconic "99 Luftballons," I was filled with the kind of joy I haven't felt in months. Obviously Carissa Johnson is one of my favorite current Boston singer/songwriters and "99 Luftballons" is one of my all time favorite songs. Plus, I love covers, so it's a win all around. That joy was quickly doubled once I actually heard the song. Johnson's version is a perfect cover. You can tell she's having a fabulous time with this one, it's incredibly close to the original (although a little more guitar heavy, which isn't a bad thing), and it's the German version, which gives it a little more cred. Johnson is singing purely phonetically, and I'm sure anyone who speaks German would know, but being an ignorant one language American, it sounds good to me. Plus, I never realized how much Johnson's voice sounds like Nena. You're goin...

We've been seeing a ton of bands getting together and putting out compilations the past month. Recently,  Quarantine Age Wasteland: A Benefit for Boston's Small Venues was released as a way to raise money to keep Midway Cafe, O'Brien's Pub, Once, and The Jungle able to reopen once it is safe to do so. Last week's closing of Great Scott just drives the need for such a benefit to exist even harder. Quarantine Age Wasteland: A Benefit for Boston's Small Venues leans more on the punk side of the Boston musical spectrum and includes 30 tracks. It starts off with the folk punk of Mickey Rickshaw. Carissa Johnson donates the straight up pop punk rock song "So Far So Good." Skytigers bring the metal heavy thrash punk with "Affordable Garbage." Big D and the Kids Table provide the requisite ska song (and cover) with their version of "Freeze Up." The Stigmatics have a killer garage rock style pop punk song with "American Dream."...

Finally, some new music! Lots of EPs this week for whatever reason, though... Artist : Moon Hooch Album : Life on Other Planets Quick Description : Buskworthy brass rock. Why You Should Listen : A fun party-style sax record with some interesting parts to go along with it. Overall Thoughts : Wow, what a way to kick off the new year! I didn’t know about Moon Hooch before this week, but having spent a little time in Skerik’s back catalog last week, sax-based oddities have been my jam as of late. Moon Hooch is probably best described as Too Many Zooz informed by electronica, even though it sounds like most-to-all the instruments are live and everything is organic. It’s a album I couldn’t help but dance around to, and is an instant favorite this week. I’ll be digging into their back catalog for the foreseeable future, I’m sure. Recommendation : A must-hear. Artist : Alexandra Savior Album : The Archer Quick Description : Retro-style music from a great singer-songwriter. W...

Boston's Carissa Johnson has cemented herself as one of the best songwriters out there, and her latest single with The Cure-Alls just helps to prove that. "The Upside" is among the best of Johnson's blend of garage pop rock. It's huge verses, huge guitars, and even huger choruses. "The Upside" has a great punk edge to it, while still being one of the catchiest songs you'll hear all year, with some of the greatest vocal harmonies around today. You can watch the lyric video for "The Upside" below. For more on Carissa Johnson & the Cure-Alls, check out their website .

Summer is over, which usually means the end of free outdoor concerts. Somehow New England decided to squeak out three more free shows this weekend, with something for every fan of rock based music! Boston Local Music Festival September 28 and 29 City Hall Plaza, Boston MA To me, this seems like a direct response to Boston Calling. It's right at Boston Calling's first location, and Boston Calling previously included a September show. This one features fifty Boston based bands over three stages for two days! With any festival this large, there are a lot of bands we're not hugely familiar with, but there are a bunch we know and love! You get the mainstream alternative rock of blindspot, the synth pop of Pyramid Thieves, the experimental hardcore punk of DNZL, the garage rock/pop of Carissa Johnson, the glam punk of The Knock Ups, the garage rock of Salem Wolves, and the Celtic punk of The Gobshites! New England Roots Festival September 28 Downtown Nashua, NH Now ...

Today two fantastic mostly local music festivals were announced in the Boston suburbs. Both have plenty of If It's Too Loud... approved artists and are highly recommended.  Brite Lites Music Festival Night Shift Brewing, Everett, MA 7/27/19 Happening just over two weeks from now is the second edition of the Brite Lites Music Festival at Night Shift Brewing in Everett, MA. Headlining the day's festivities are longtime blog favorite Weakened Friends. Far from just being a showcase of 90's inspired indie rock, the festival also features the folk/Americana stylings of The Wolff Sisters and two "how are they not international megastars?" Boston hip hop artists Cliff Notez and Oompa. Oompa in particular is ridiculous live, so make sure you get there early enough to catch her. There are also a few artists we're not familiar with, but what's a festival without a few discoveries? Speaking of getting there early, the event is free before 11:00 am, and $10 at...