If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Lisa Johnson This one is a Big Deal(TM). We all desperately want an Operation Ivy reunion, and we seemed to be just a step or two away back in February of last year when Jesse Michaels joined Tim Armstrong on stage for a rendition of the punk legends' iconic song "Sound System." We're not quite there yet, but the pair have formed a new band, Bad Optix. They've released a new single, and it's spectacular. Even if it wasn't a project featuring Jesse Michaels and Tim Armstrong, "Raid" would be considered a great song. It's a laid back but down and dirty ska song. At this point, they definitely can afford to make a shiny and clean song in a fancy studio, so the aesthetic choice to make this sound like an older recording is perfect. I can't imagine any fans of Operation Ivy, Rancid, or any other associated projects aren't going to adore this song. You can listen to "Raid" below. The single is out now via Hellcat Records ...

We both love covers here at If It's Too Loud..., and I have a certain fondness for 90's era Warped Tour punk, so when I heard there was going to be a tribute album to Rancid's 1995 classic ... And Out Come The Wolves , I knew I was fully on board. ... And Out Come The Lawsuits!  features Bay Area bands each taking on a song from the album. The first we can hear is Link 80's take on "Junkie Man." It's pretty much a dead on cover, maybe with the ska element cranked up a notch or three. That also means the song is a little more bouncy and fun, but that's kind of the point of covers, isn't it? You can listen to Link 80's cover of "Junkie Man" below. ... And Out Come The Lawsuits! is due out June 4 on Lavasocks and Sell The Heart Records. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp .  ...And Out Come the Lawsuits by Link 80

We throw the term "supergroup" around quite a bit here, but The Crew is a bonafide supergroup. It features Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman of Rancid, Fletcher Dragge and Byron McMackin of Pennywise, and Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies. (This might be the very first time I'm ever seen Muir's last name and him not referred to as "Cyco Miko.") "One Voice" is a call to unity in the punk scene, and it sounds exactly what a band made up of members of Pennywise, Rancid, and Suicidal Tendencies should sound like. It's a classic 90's punk song with vocals from Armstrong, Dragge, and Muir. It's a one-off all star punk jam, and just the kind of thing we could use as we enter what used to be Warped Tour season. You can watch the lyric video for "One Voice" below. The song is available digitally via Epitaph Records here . Physical copies were available via Stay Free Recordings but sold out very quickly.

Photo via Facebook The word "epic" doesn't usually apply to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but their latest single is epic in both length and scale. Coming in just shy of eight minutes long, "The Final Parade" is about three to four times the length of the ordinary Bosstones song. Dicky Barrett has called this new song "a love letter to ska music and the people that make ska music," and "The Final Parade" is certainly more ska than anything else the Bosstones have ever put out. This isn't ska-punk, and it's certainly not ska-core. And then there's the amount of guest stars involved in this song. It's a tired joke that ska bands consist of huge amounts of musicians, and the Bosstones alone have nine members ordinarily. How many guest stars could "The Final Parade" possibly have? If my count is correct, it's thirty one: Tim Armstrong (Rancid) Aimee Interrupter & The Interrupters Stranger Cole Angelo Moore (Fishbo...

A solid week. Album of the Week : Artist : The Secret Sisters Album : You Don't Own Me Anymore Quick Description : Long-awaited third album from the folkies. Why You Should Listen : This is a gorgeous, amazing album. Overall Thoughts : I won’t lie – the second Secret Sisters album didn’t grab me the way the first one did. This new album sounded promising given the early music that was released, and the whole album is a nice, familiar relief. I loved every aspect of this, which is why it’s my album of the week – it’s taken a few albums, but they’ve really perfected their sound. The harmonies are spot on, the music absolutely gorgeous. There is nothing negative I can say about this, and it’s an album that needs to be on your list for listening this week. Recommendation : A must-listen, easily the best of the week. Artist : Katy Perry Album : Witness Quick Description : Pop starlet's latest. Why You Should Listen : It's not what you think. Overall Thoughts ...

I really don't know what to make of this week: Lagwagon - Hang : Our 90s-tastic release week begins with a new album from Lagwagon, their first in nearly a decade. My teen years had a ska phase, but I could never really embrace the punk side, and Lagwagon is firmly there. If you've been missing out, there might be a lot here for you to love, but for me, this wasn't quite it. The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave : An album I queued up because I thought they were a different band (probably the Twilight Singers), this was actually a pretty high quality dour indie rock record. The vocals are really distinctive and the songs memorable as they sort of lodged themselves into my brain. I will definitely seek out more of their stuff, but for now, this new album deserves a listen in a somewhat thin week. Lily & Madeleine - Fumes : Lily & Madeleine are fairly prolific, with their third album they definitely expand their sound a little ...