If It's Too Loud...

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. If you're looking for last minute plans this weekend, we recommend: Friday April 5 Tree, Scissorfight, and Inverter at The Vault, New Bedford, MA Rock & Roll Rumble Preliminary Night Two featuring Type 66, Trailer Swift, Gut Health, and JATK at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA Hammered Saint, Diablogato, and The Shang Hi Los at Faces Brewing, Malden, MA Saturday April 6 Rock & Roll Rumble Preliminary Night Three featuring Lovina Falls, Wire Lines, Other Brother Darryl, and Condition Baker at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA 2nd Annual Townes Van Zandt Night featuring Paul Basile & Pete Camerato, Jake McKelvie, Dan Lambe...

Photo by Kiel Szivos Note to music promoters: If you want me to be sure to listen to your submissions, just compare the song to Weezer, The Rentals, and that dog. Those three were a holy trinity to me in the 90's, and I used to dream about a triple bill. Of course, the music has to live up to those comparisons, and the latest from JATK definitely does. The Boston based musical project of Matt Jatkola's new single, "Ana," mines 90's nostalgia both sonically but lyrically. "Ana" has that huge, fuzzy anthemic quality Weezer songs used to, the synth-filled joyfulness of The Rentals, and the harmonies of that dog. Plus, it references 90's trends like Jenco jeans and wallet chains. It reminds me a lot of Weezer songs like "Jamie" and "Suzanne," and not just because they all involve women's names. Matt Jatkola says of his new single: "Emotionally, 'Ana' is an homage to a golden era of life. Musically, 'Ana' is an...

Photo by Amber Primm JATK (the musical project of Boston's Matt Jatkola) has released a new single that is a reworking of a B-side from last year. "Don't Come Knockin'" first was released as a B-side for "Don't Call." It's a gloriously 60's sounding single that mixes old school pop and soul with a modern DIY indie rock vibe. There is an insane smoothness to the song with a slight modern edge to it. It's paired with a video that is presented as lost footage from the band's appearance on The Dick Griffin Goodtime Hour , which just amplifies the 60's vibes. Of course, the whole package has a distinctly 90's vibe. It's the kind of video that would have gone straight into the Buzz Bin, and has that perfect 90's thing where it's both a parody and a tribute to TV of that day. Matt Jatkola says of the new song: “It's a song about not feeling like the other person is ‘for real’ in a relationship – that you're in a n...

The latest from Boston based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Matt Jatkola (recording under the name JATK) expands on the idea of power pop. "Never Gonna Be Your Girl, Friend" is a synth heavy pop song along the lines of The Rentals and Tegan & Sara. This song is undeniably poppy and catchy without being pure pop. It's the kind of song that is going to grab you within the first twenty seconds and refuse to let go. This is an earworm of the highest quality. Matt Jatkola says of the new song: “In its simplest form, ‘Never Gonna Be Your Girl, Friend’ is about a person who feels like they will never be the right partner because of their gender. The lyrics play with ideas around gender, masculine and feminine language, and the fluidity of it all. A step further, the masculine and feminine articles in the song are designed to be easily changed, swapped, modified, omitted or otherwise reinterpreted.” You can listen to "Never Gonna Be Your Girl, Friend...

Photo by Aneleise Ruggles We're suckers for really well done power pop, and JATK (the project of Boston singer/songwriter Matt Jatkola) is quickly becoming a new favorite. His latest single, "Conscious Wonder," is a prime example of that. It's this giant, jangly as anything pop song that reminds me of mid-90's Matthew Sweet, Atlantic-era Lemonheads, and a little Gram Parsons thrown in. It's a gorgeous and sunny pop song literally perfect for this period of the summer (if it ever stops raining here in New England). If this was released in 1995, this would have been a pretty decent local radio hit. As with all truly great power pop, the sunny vibes of "Conscious Wonder" mask a much darker story. Matt Jatkola explains: “The lyrics are about hugging the line between existence and non-existence, and they touch on some heavy subjects about death and struggle. I wanted the sound of the track to encompass the feelings of joy and grief at once. Not an easy ta...

Photo by Aneleise Ruggles JATK is pronounced "Jack" and is the musical project of Boston's Matt Jatkola. This project is chronicling Jatkola's cancer journey. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in early 2020 is now in remission. JATK's latest single, "Japanese Butterfly," is a burst of mid-90's style power pop with some T-Rex style glam thrown in. It's all buzzy guitars swirling with some of the catchiest vocals around. "Japanese Butterfly" was written after Jatkola finished his cancer treatment which helps make it one of the most positive songs about cancer out there. Matt Jatkola says of the new song: “The music came really fast. I had the entire song structure, all the guitar parts, even the basis for the drums, bass, and vocal melodies demoed out within a couple hours. I knew this song was a full band rock song immediately. It's not modeled after any sound specifically, but there are elements that remind me of Cheap Tr...