If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Sunny War Album : Armageddon in a Summer Dress Quick Thoughts : We are big Sunny War fans here, so this latest album, which feels a little more accessible in comparison to her kind of angular take on singer-songwriter folk, is a welcome listen this week. A lot of good stuff here, with "Ghosts" being a true highlight on first listen. Songs of Note : "Ghosts," "Watching Contradiction," "Debbie Downer," "One Way Train" Artist : Heather Nova Album : Breath and Air Quick Thoughts : Heather Nova is basically a folk legend at this point, which makes the quality of her latest album a welcome surprise. She hasn't lost a step, and songs like "Ebbs and Flows" and "Ghost in My Room" show her experience while also not feeling like a retread. Many artists would have fallen into a rut six albums earlier, and here she is doing some of her best on her 13th. Check it out. Songs of Note : "Ebbs and Flows,...

Photo by Jocelyn Pacheco Phoenix's Glixen have quickly become our favorite heavy shoegaze band, and songs like "all tied up" will show you exactly why. This new single might be the most classically shoegaze song they've released to date. It sounds like it could be a lost song from the Loveless sessions. It's filled with a heavy wall of fuzz and lumbers along at a midtempo pace. As always, Aislinn Ritchie's vocals have a slight pop sheen to them, even if they tend to take a backseat to the music surrounding her. This mixed with the absolutely punishing drums throughout "all tied up" make it a heavy shoegaze instant masterpiece. Aislinn Ritchie says of her band's latest single: “‘all tied up’ is about feeling completely consumed by someone.  We definitely wanted the song to feel enveloping. There’s a subtle tension that builds throughout with a push and pull between the guitars and vocals. The song hits hard with its emotional depth, yet breathes w...

Photo by Jocelyn Pacheco Phoenix's Glixen have quickly become one of our favorite heavy shoegaze bands. Their latest single, "lick the star," starts off a little bit different. At first the song is a lovely, cinematic track that is quiet and almost lulls you into a trance. Eventually the noise comes in, and with "lick the star" it's like a sonic sledgehammer crashing into your face. Of course, it's shoegaze so it's still a warm embrace no matter how heavy the crash of noise ends up being. It goes from ultra-quiet to a chaotic whirlwind gathering around you. In other words, it's a fantastic song from a new favorite here at If It's Too Loud... Aislinn Ritchie says of her band's latest single: “This song is special, it begins with a mellow sonic bath of an intro and explodes into a whirling wall of sound and melody.  Also, we are excited to announce our first full US headline tour. This is going to be a very busy and fun year for us!” You ca...

Photo by Jocelyn Pacheco Earlier this year I became enamored with Glixen, the Arizona based shoegaze band that has been amassing a fanbase with amazing singles and a jaw dropping live show. Their latest single, "Sick Silent," is everything we love from Glixen. It's all the fuzzy haze and wave of sound washing over you that you want with shoegaze, but with the crunch and aggression of grunge. Shoegaze tends to either be more chilled out music perfect for a hangover, or on the heavier side. Glixen lands firmly on the heavier side, despite singer Aislinn Ritchie's vocals being perfect for the laid back version of the genre. If you're just discovering Glixen, "Sick Silent" is a perfect jumping on point, and if you're already a fan you're going to adore this as much as you know you're going to. Aislinn Ritchie says of her band's new single: “We recorded ‘sick silent’ with Sonny Diperri in Juniper Hills, CA.  ‘sick silent’ is like a meadow in a...

Photo by Nick Balanon Phoenix's Glixen are rapidly becoming my favorite new shoegaze band, and if you haven't jumped on board their bandwagon with me, "lust" will force you to. This new single has that absolute giant wall of sound that just washes over you that is the hallmark of all truly great shoegaze. Aislinn Ritchie's vocals add to the dreamlike quality of the song and threaten to lull you into an unending hypnosis. But, unlike a lot of other music in the genre, "lust" straight up rocks with pounding drums that force you to focus and pay attention and buzzsaw guitars to counteract the warmth of the song. Glixen are like if Deftones decided to try out shoegaze and nailed it so effortlessly that they gave up nu metal. If Glixen aren't gigantic by the end of the year, there is no justice in the world. Aislinn Ritchie says of her band's latest song: “'lust' is about the yearning and wanting of somebody and the rush that that person makes...

Glixen Photo by Ken Sears It's truly tempting to make a joke about going to see three Gs on Thursday night. Since I discovered Glixen earlier this year, I've been swept up in adoration for the Arizona shoegaze band, and wondered if they'd make it all the way up to New England for a show. Once I saw they were touring with Glitterer, I knew I had to check them out at Crystal Ballroom. Plus, local phenoms Gollylagging were slated to open, and I've been meaning to check them out for a while. Gollylagging Photo by Ken Sears Gollylagging opened the show with a short burst of a set. I've been hearing about how great they are live, and they did not disappoint. They played a high energy variety of indie rock with a slightly aggressive edge. It was loud, and noisy, and set the tone for the evening perfectly. They definitely had fans in attendance and won over those of us not familiar with them. They even inspired a short mosh pit at one point. It was the kind of local support...

Photo by Jesse Beecher Shoegaze continues to evolve as a genre, and bands are popping up more and more in locations we don't typically associate with shoegaze. Our latest discovery is Arizona's Glixen. The quartet have just released a new single, "foreversoon." The new song has all of the classic elements of shoegaze. It's a dreamy and lush track that makes you feel like you're being swept up in a wave of sound. But "foreversoon" is also filled with a crunchier guitar than normal. Somehow, the distortion and dissonance in the guitar adds to the dreaminess of the track. Instead of jolting you out of the feeling and vibe, it lulls you even deeper into it. Lead vocalist Aislinn Ritchie says of the new song: “‘foreversoon’ represents blissful moments of new love and intimacy.  The song harnesses melancholy chords, layered with fuzzy red melodies and gliding guitars that pull you in deeper. I wanted my lyrics to feel like a conversation that expresses my ...