If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Dom Flemons Album : Traveling Wildfire Quick Thoughts : It might just be me, but it feels like Dom Flemons is perpetually flying under the radar and it's not fair. Traveling Wildfire , in some ways, is his most accessible solo effort to date, but that carries an implication that his other music isn't accessible, which isn't true. It's just that you can hear a song like "Big Money Blues" and wonder why he's not headlining every roots festival known to man. A great listen. Songs of Note : "Slow Dance With You," "If You Truly Love Me," "Big Money Blues," "Song to Jcb" Artist : Annabel Lee Album : Drift Quick Thoughts : Annabel Lee surprised me a bit. I didn't anticipate this being a surprise favoreite, but every song on this record is compelling and interesting in its own way, and in a busy week, shouldn't be missed. Great if you like the singer-songwritery side of indie rock. Songs of Note ...

I've been a fan of Dom Flemons since his days with Carolina Chocolate Drops, and have also been enjoying his solo work as well. His latest single, "Slow Dance With You," is exactly what we want from Dom Flemons. It's a country torch song that just feels timeless. It sounds like it could have been recorded from any time from the 1940's until now. It's timeless and sounds vintage without being even the tiniest bit old timey. "Slow Dance With You" is the kind of song your grandparents could have danced together to at their wedding, or even your kid's. It's a beautiful country ballad that you're not going to be able to get enough of. You can listen to "Slow Dance With You" below. Traveling Wildfire is due out March 24 on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. The album can be pre-ordered here . For more on Dom Flemons, check out the artist's website .

Busy week this week, apologies for the half-effort First Listen. Just WAY TOO MUCH MUSIC. Album of the Week * Esme Bridie - Today It Rains : Out of nowhere came this absolutely gorgeous album. A little on the pop folk side, Esme has a really strong and confident voice and presents a series of songs that remind me so much of some of my favorite folk acts. If you haven’t become enamoured with what she is doing by the time “Tower of Regret” comes along, I don’t know what to tell you. Easily the best of the week, and right at the top of my list for 2018 so far. Must Listens: * Squirrel Nut Zippers – Beasts of Burgundy : Back after what feels like forever, and it doesn’t appear that they’ve missed a beat. * Dom Flemons – Black Cowboys : An album of standards and old-timey roots music, a great indication as to why he’s one of the best going right now. * The Tillers – The Tillers : Traditional bluegrass with a more modern attitude. Extremely enjoyable. * Cavern of Anti-Matter ...

We love covers here at If It's Too Loud..., and we love Dom Flemons. Typically, he goes way in the past of American music for covers, but he recently released a video of his band and himself covering Wyclef Jean's "Bubblegoose." Wyclef is somehow both the most overrated and underrated artist of the last 20 years, and this is a great take on his song. Dom Flemons' version strays away from the R&B of the original and gives it more of a hip-hop/folk twist that would have made the original a much better song. In the middle they cram the chorus of Outkast's "Ms. Jackson." Not really sure why since it seems forced and distracts from the rest of the song, but it's there. For more info about Dom Flemons, including ordering his fantastic album from earlier this year, Prospect Hill , head on over to his website . He also has some dates coming up with Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders and Old Crow Medicine Show . You can also follow Wyclef on ...

Here at If It's Too Loud..., we love free music, especially when it's something we've recently raved about. Which is why we were thrilled to discover 2 of our recent favorites for free (or at least partially for free) on Noisetrade. Just last week , Jeff was gushing about Honey , the debut EP from The Red-Headed Indian. Turns out, you can download the entire EP for free right now over at Noisetrade ! Another album Jeff recently loved was Prospect Hill, the solo debut from Dom Flemons. He referred to it as "...  one of the better folk records [he's] heard in a while." Right now you can download 6 of the album's tracks on Noisetrade . Of course, if you're downloading their music for free, you should at least check out their websites for more info, including tour dates. You can find The Red-Headed Indian here  and Dom Flemons here . These might be the best free music you get all year.

A pretty stacked week this week for releases. Got a Girl - I Love You But I Must Drive Off of This Cliff Now : Got a Girl, the Dan the Automator/Mary Elizabeth Winstead project has been highlighted here at the blog before , and now that we have a full-length album, we can hear how well the initial song release matches the album. Overall, Ken is right that it feels a lot like the Lovage project, and while it may be a tad too long for my ears, there is more than enough here to really enjoy as a lounge-style electronic piece, and Winstead more than holds her own as a singer (which can be dicey for actors and actresses who try to cross over). Definitely worth putting in your rotation. Alvvays - Alvvays : I hate their name, and there's not exactly new ground forged in the debut album from Alvvays, but there's something very pleasant and reliable here that I appreciate. Polyvinyl specializes in this sort of indie pop, and Alvvays, even with the amount of hype and buzz they...