If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Charles Gall Now here's a collaboration that I didn't expect but are absolutely delighted by. UK experimental post-punk meets indie rock artists Mandy, Indiana have collaborated with abstract hip hop artist billy woods on their latest single. "Sicko!" works insanely well, possibly because Mandy, Indiana have always flirted with electronic music and hip hop in their sound, so collaborating with billy woods works perfectly. This is the kind of single that sounds like it belongs to both artists equally, and it's a fairly batshit (in a great way!) sounding track that merges both styles into one that is nearing perfection. As someone who spent their formative years obsessed with the Judgment Night soundtrack, I'm always in favor of rock and hip hop artists working together, and "Sicko!" is one of the best of these pairings I've heard in years. Mandy, Indiana say of their collaboration with billy woods: “We wanted to create something with an a...

Photo by Charles Gall Mandy, Indiana are one of the hardest bands to describe. The Manchester, UK band's latest single, "Cursive," has an undeniably killer beat to dance to. It's letting an impossible number of genres play in the same song, easing between indie rock, dance, hip hop, New Wave, drum and bass, noise rock, and some other sounds throughout. Sometimes the song will lean more into one or three genres, with everything sounding like it all belongs together perfectly. Even though I stated that the genres ease into each other, "Cursive" is far from a mellow track. Mandy, Indiana get intense on this one. You're going to be inspired to move, even if you have no idea how you're supposed to with this one. If this description sounds even the slightest bit intriguing, you're going to love "Cursive." Simon Catling (synths) says of his band's latest single: "‘Cursive’ is probably our most collaborative track to-date. Whilst Scott...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz There's something about Marissa Nadler's music that is simply magical. Her sound is both timeless and out of time, both modern and vintage. Her latest single, "Light Years," is the most folk-based of her recent singles, but I couldn't exactly call it folk. It sounds like it could have originally been found in a centuries old scroll, or it could have been a lost recording from the more experimental side of the 1960's. But it certainly doesn't sound like 2025... although it absolutely does. Nadler's style is such a unique one, with just barely enough roots in the familiar to keep her at least somewhat accessible. Hers is a singular voice that we simply can't get enough of. You can watch the video for "Light Years" below. New Radiations is due out August 15 on Sacred Bones, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Marissa Nadler, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below and include a Fe...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz Marissa Nadler is known for making beautiful but dark music, and her latest single is no exception. "Hatchet Man" is a "cosmic murder ballad" that could be listened to as a pretty song, but once you pay attention to the lyrics, the song has a wildly different meaning. Of course, the music and sound of "Hatchet Man" also exposes the dark side of the song. As moody and ethereal as the song is, its stunning beauty could possibly mask just how dark the song is. Long time fans of Nadler's are going to love "Hatchet Man," and this one will definitely win over some new ones, too. Marissa Nadler says of her latest single: "Hatchet Man’ is about a sinister character bringing a woman home—not for romance, but to murder her—while the narrator, his partner, is made to witness it unfold. Ultimately, the storyteller escapes, adrenaline flooding her veins. The sweet, lilting melody of the chorus offers a stark contrast to the verse...

Photo by Nick Fancher Fresh on the heels of 2021's fantastic The Path of the Clouds , Marissa Nadler is set to release a new EP The Wrath of the Clouds. It's made up of three originals that were originally written for the album and two covers. The first single is one of the covers: The Alessi Brothers' "Seabird." The Alessi Brothers are an artist I'm not familiar with at all, but a tiny bit of research tells me that they're a late 70's soft rock duo. Marissa Nadler covering 70's soft rock is intriguing at the very least, especially since she's a master of dark and moody ethereal indie rock. Nadler's version of "Seabird" is a blast. It's far more pop than anything I've ever heard her release previously, but keeps that Marissa Nadler vibe enough that her long standing fans are still going to love it. After a release as dark as The Path of the Clouds , it's nice to see Nadler let loose and have fun on a song. You can list...

There's nothing quite like a good murder ballad, and no one is going to do one quite like Marissa Nadler. Her latest single, "Couldn't Have Done the Killing," surpasses what we would normally describe as haunting. It's a completely modern take on the murder ballad, with Nadler's vocals sounding more hypnotic than they ever have. It's filled with distorted twanging guitars and a lush wall of sound that completely encompasses the listener. It's a gloriously beautiful song even as it tries to push you away at times. It all ends with a wonderfully discordant indie rock guitar solo. If you aren't fully on board with being a Marissa Nadler stan (the kids still say stan, right?) by the end of this one, you have no soul. You can watch the Unsolved Mysteries  and In Search of... inspired video for "Couldn't Have Done the Killing" below. The Path of the Clouds  is due out October 29 on Sacred Bones and Bella Union. You can pre-order/pre-save th...

Photo by Nick Fancher We're obviously huge Marissa Nadler fans here at If It's Too Loud..., and her latest single is making us even more rabid. "If I Could Breathe Underwater" is this brilliantly lush and cinematic song. It's an unbelievably gorgeous song that feels like floating. It's spacey and ethereal, with the music perfectly fitting Nadler's dreamy vocals. Plus, there is this odd, disjointed almost surf like guitar helping to tie the whole thing together with harp. Nadler's music has always been painfully beautiful, but "If I Could Breathe Underwater" is a whole new level. Marissa Nadler says of the new song: “ When I wrote ‘If I Could Breathe Underwater,’ I was contemplating the possibilities of possessing various superhuman powers: teleportation, shapeshifting, energy projection, aquatic breathing, extrasensory perception, and time travel to name a few.  As a lyrical device, I married those powers with events in my life, wondering if ...

Photo by Nick Fancher Marissa Nadler has kept herself busy during the pandemic. Suddenly experiencing wanderlust while being stuck at home. She learned to play the piano, and wrote many of the songs on her upcoming album on piano instead of her usual guitar. She also binged a lot of reruns of Unsolved Mysteries , which helped inspire the first single from the album. "Bessie, Did You Make It?" takes the standard murder ballad and makes it about female empowerment and survival. "Bessie, Did You Make It?" is haunting (This is a murder ballad by Marissa Nadler, after all), but it's also strangely warm. If you can imagine that instead of a cold spot, ghosts created an ideally warm, comfy hug, you can imagine the texture of this song. You can watch the video for "Bessie, Did You Make It?" below. The Path of the Clouds is due out October 29 on Sacred Bones and Bella Union. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on Marissa Nadler, check out the artist...