If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Laura Partain You're going to recognize Eleanor Buckland from being a member of Lula Wiles, the Boston based folk rock trio. She's getting ready to release a solo album, and recently released a new single, "October." There's a lot to "October" that is going to appeal to fans of Lula Wiles. There's a lot of the folk rock thing going on here, but Wiles is also dabbling (ok, more than dabbling) more in both pop and indie rock. This is the kind of song that fans of artists like Kacey Musgraves and newer Taylor Swift are going to enjoy as much as traditional folk and Lucy Dacus fans. Even us crusty old music snobs are going to begrudgingly admit to liking, even though our enjoyment is a pure pleasure. Eleanor Buckland says of the person she was when she wrote "October": “I still have so much compassion for that young woman. Trying to figure out how to love and how to navigate heartbreak in those formative years. If I could talk to her t...

Artist : Olivia Rodrigo Album : SOUR Quick Thoughts : The running joke of the moment is that lot of us older folks are looking at this album and saying "crap, we're old." Because we are, and this is a young up-and-coming artist from the Disney starlet factory, and we all loved Billie Eilish and don't want to make it weird, I guess. But this album? Yeah, it's pretty good. I can forgive some questionable production choices (the album sounds somewhat hollow and light at times, and overly compressed at others), but the songwriting is tight and some of these are real bangers. It's a solid pop album from someone who is making music for our children's generation and that's okay. You might not relate to "drivers license," but so what? Songs of Note : "brutal," "drivers license," "good 4 u" Artist : Lord Huron Album : Long Lost Quick Thoughts : This is a really interesting album. It's rootsy folk stuff, b...

Artist : Lula Wiles Album : What Will We Do Quick Description : Folky, rootsy goodness. Why You Should Listen : Lula Wiles is doing something pure and lovely. Overall Thoughts : We missed this one last week and regret it, because it’s great. Think a low-key Wolff Sisters – expertly-crafted folk/roots music with some beautiful harmonies and instrumentation. It’s a great listen for a host of reasons, but mostly because it’s one of those under the radar listens that deserves wider attention and praise. Don’t sleep on this, especially if you’re into folky tunes. Recommendation : A must-hear. Artist : Weezy Ford Album : Sugarcane Quick Description : Long-awaited debut album from the blues rock indie artist. Why You Should Listen : Weezy Ford absolutely makes her own sound in a well-worn genre. Overall Thoughts : We got into Weezy Ford due to her sibling, Sallie, but Weezy’s long-awaited debut album forges her own path. Sure, it’s still bluesy rock, but Weezy feels like she’...

Now that we're just a month out, the Green River Festival has announced their schedule for 2016. It's a doozy of a line up, and with any all day festival with three stages, some major decisions will need to be made. Luckily for you, we're here to help you along and pick some of the must see acts of Green River 2016. (Note: We're only going to make it for Saturday and Sunday, so those are the two days we'll focus on.) Also, if past history with festivals are any indication, these plans could be completely scrapped once the music actually starts. Tickets are still available for the Green River Festival. You can get yours, and see the entire line up and schedule here . Lula Wiles The three members of Lula Wiles met at Maine Fiddle Camp, which apparently is a thing. They honed their talents at Berklee College of Music, and are now this beautiful traditional Americana group. While most Americana groups tend to be either a throw back or progressive, they really bridg...

As I'm sure you are all aware, the two things we love the most here at If It's Too Loud... are covers and free music. This week, Red Line Roots announced the third volume in their Locals Covering Locals series, which features roots artist in the northeast covering other artists from the northeast. Unlike Locals Covering Locals Volume 2 , I am completely unfamiliar with all of the performing artists and have only slightly heard of some of the covered artists on Locals Covering Locals Volume 3. Nothing immediately jumped out at me like Sarah Borges covering The Lemonheads, but that can lead to some great discoveries.  The Meadows Brothers version of Eric Lichter's "Typical" reminds me of a more energetic version of The Milk Carton Kids. Molly Pinto Madigan covers "Oh My Darlin," originally by Mark Kilianski, and if you're a Mary Lou Lord fan, you need to check her out. Seriously. Lula Wiles rendition of "Song for Alice" sounds like it sho...