Salem Wolves - "Shake"

My fervor for Salem Wolves has been fairly well documented here at If It's Too Loud..., and based on their new single "Shake," that won't be abating any time soon. "Shake" takes their amped up almost ready for stadiums garage rock and cranks it up a few notches. It's loud, and starts off very reminiscent of MC5's "American Ruse." That quickly goes away, and it becomes a song all its own. "Shake" is a fast, loud rocker with tons of noise and some stutters while it plows forward, stopping for nothing. It's also somehow the most accessible thing Salem Wolves have released so far.

You can listen to "Shake" below. The new album from Salem Wolves, also called Shake, will be out August 25. You can pre-order your copy on Bandcamp. For more on Salem Wolves, check out their website. If you're in the Boston area, you can see them live on August 23 at O'Brien's Pub and September 15 at Brighton Music Hall.

Salem Wolves Cover The Smithereens

When Salem Wolves were asked to contribute to a Boston based 80's tribute album, they chose to honor the late Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens. Their version of the 1986 hit "Blood and Roses" has been released, and needless to say it's a must listen. As expected, Salem Wolves's version is rougher and a bit noiser than the original classic. They bring their trademark arena anthem ready garage rock noise to the song, but it's somehow more pop sounding while being harder edged? It's a slinky, groove filled romp in noise, with frontman Grey Bouchard giving into his more pop sensibilities, and coming across like a working man's Brian Molko (Placebo) along the way. It does all of this while staying completely true to the original version.

You can listen to the Salem Wolves version of "Blood and Roses" below. The song will be part of BearTone Studios's upcoming 80's tribute album. For more on Salem Wolves, check out their website.

Gray Bouchard - Dedication Songs

Salem Wolves are known for their blend of bombastic, arena rock ready rock n' roll/punk anthems. You would assume that when their lead singer, Gray Bouchard, released a solo album, it would be more on the quieter end. You'd be right with that assumption, but this isn't your typical rock/punk frontman releasing an album of introspective acoustic songs. Instead, Dedication Songs still has a large sound of less heavy but still big, earnest songs. It's almost as if Billy Bragg took over U2 for an album in the 90's. "Nothing From Nothing" starts off the album with some quiet music box tinkering but builds into this huge power ballad. "You're No Better" might be the angriest power ballad of all time, with it's jerky rhythm and Pinkerton style confessional vibe. "Chasing After Honey" has a distinct 80's pop vibe, like a more rootsy Rick Springfield. There's enough of Salem Wolves's make up on Dedication Songs to satisfy their fans, but Gray Bouchard reaches out enough to bring in a whole new audience. This album can't be recommended enough.

You can listen to the album opener, "Nothing From Nothing," below. Dedication Songs is available now via Bandcamp. For more on Gray Bouchard, follow him on Facebook.

Gray Bouchard - "When I Was Yours"

Gray Bouchard, aka the frontman of Salem Wolves, occasionally releases some solo work apart from Salem Wolves. His latest, "When I Was Yours," is just about as far from Salem Wolves as you can possibly get. It's still rock, and it's still an intense song, but it shares very little sonically with his main band. It's more of an epic song, like it was meant to fill up ampitheatrers in the 90's. It has that big quality of bands like U2 or Live, but with a more grounded, raw feel, like a band that normally played The Rat had some pretty big dreams.

You can listen to "When I Was Yours" below. The song is currently available on the Resolution of Happiness // A Radical Resistance Compilation put out by Trimming the Shield Records. It features 19 total songs from bands like The Mammals, Garbage Point, and Ghastly with all proceeds benefiting Lambda Legal. You can get your own copy at Bandcamp. For more on Gray Bouchard and Salem Wolves, check out their website.

Salem Wolves - "From the Vault"

As we all prepare ourselves to finally have a full length Salem Wolves album next month (it's been over two months since we had our first taste of the album), we can now listen to a new song from Tooth & Nail. "From the Vault" is absolutely epic. It's the Salem Wolves' garage rock n' roll sound, but this song just is them swinging for the fences in the best possible way. It sounds like they are getting themselves prepared to go out on a stadium tour, and I mean that in the best possible way. The song is loud and both dirty sounding and polished.

You can listen to "From the Vault" below. Salem Wolves' debut album, Tooth & Nail, will be out May 5. You can pre-order your copy via Bandcamp. They're also running what might be the best deal for a pre-sale of all time. For $20 you get a digital download of Tooth & Nail, a physical cd copy, a special edition t-shirt, and beer koozie. It's seriously an absurd deal. For more on Salem Wolves, check out their website.

Salem Wolves - "Can't Wait"

Photo by Scott Murry

Last week Bandcamp announced that they would be donating their share of music sold last Friday on the site to the ACLU. To help this along, Salem Wolves debuted their new song, "Can't Wait" on Friday and announced they would be donating all the profits they made through Bandcamp all weekend to the ACLU. It's now Tuesday, so... oops? Dropped the ball on that one a bit.

Anyway, "Can't Wait" is the first song we can hear from Salem Wolves' upcoming album, Tooth & Nail. "Can't Wait" is everything we want from Salem Wolves: It's rockin' with this badass groove throughout. In fact, this is the most they've shown off their surf rock side, and there's more than just a hint of doo wop in the song. In fact, this is by far the most polished we've heard Salem Wolves sound. There are little bursts of controlled chaos, but it reminds me a lot of early 80s Ramones.

You can listen to "Can't Wait" below. To get your own copy, head on over to Bandcamp. Salem Wolves' have been hinting on their Facebook that some of the recordings on Bandcamp are going to be going away soon, so be sure to get their stuff while it's still available. As for live shows, Salem Wolves are playing February 25 at Out of the Blue Too Art Gallery and March 11 at The Sinclair. Both of those are in Cambridge, MA.

Ken's Most Anticipated Albums of 2017

Photo by Emily Ulmer

that dog.
Title and release date TBD
I've been a die hard That Dog. fan for over 20 years, to the point that I went to see them open up for the Foo Fighters way back in 1996. The band broke up in 1997, and reunited for a handful of reunion shows in 2011. Now, thanks to a Kickstarter that raised double what they were looking for, that dog. is set to release their first album in 19 years. Reunion albums, particularly ones where the band has taken almost two decades off, can be pretty iffy, but I'm staying hopeful on this one.

Ryan Adams
Prisoner, February 17
A new Ryan Adams album is always something we get excited for, but this one has a little more buzz for than usual. If you've ever been through a divorce, you start getting obsessed with other peoples' divorce stories. Prisoner is Ryan Adams' divorce album, recorded written as least partly during Adams' very high profile divorce from Mandy Moore. With song titles like "Do You Still Love Me?" and "Anything I Say to You Now," it could skew a little bit on the emo side of things, but I have faith in what Adams' can pull off here.

Sallie Ford
Soul Sick, February 10
Sallie Ford's newest album, and first with her new band, promises to be a great one. Part of me hates to say this, but I'm drawn to songs about personal struggles and difficulties. She has said that Soul Sick is about "... insecurity, anxiety, and depression." Ford's blend of modern, indie rock soul is already filled with her vulnerability. Soul Sick promises to be one of the best albums of 2017, and possibly Ford's career.

Crystal Fairy
Self-Titled, February 24
I love supergroups. There's just something so exciting about some of your favorite artists all coming together to make music together. Buzz Osborne of The Melvins is in more than his share of supergroups, but this time he's joining with Melvins' bandmate Dale Crover, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of At the Drive In and The Mars Volta, and Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes. Judging by their song "Drugs on the Bus," Crystal Fairy will be just as heavy, groovy, and trippy as you want them to be.

Salem Wolves
Tooth & Nail, release date TBD
We've been following Salem Wolves' for a while here at If It's Too Loud..., and every one of their singles has been something we've celebrated. This year they're finally going to release a full album, Tooth & Nail. An entire album filled with their trademark garage punk mixed with surf sounds like a dream. We're looking forward to anything Salem Wolves' put out this year.

Salem Wolves Cover Screamin' Jay Hawkins

If you're going to call your band Salem Wolves, you're contractually obligated to release some form of Halloween song. One of the more obvious songs to cover around this time of year is the eternal Screamin' Jay Hawkins classic "I Put a Spell On You." Considering Salem Wolves play a version of dark rock n' roll that's more than a little tinged with punk, rockabilly, and surf rock, you'd expect a fairly straightforward cover, but Salem Wolves truly make this song their own. The first half is far more stripped down and bare bones than I would ever expect, but by the second half they break the song open into a noisy power ballad with singer Gray Bouchard sounding like a gospel singer over pure bluesy chaos.

You can listen to Salem Wolves' cover of "I Put a Spell On You" below. You can also get a copy of your very own for free over at their Bandcamp page. If you're in the Boston area, be sure to check them out tonight at ONCE Ballroom in Somerville and December 10 at Great Scott in Allston.

Salem Wolves - "Shameless"

After releasing a ton of fantastic singles over the past couple of years, Salem Wolves are finally set to release their debut album. (Of course, it's easy for the guys who just listen to the music to think a debut album has taken too long when we don't have to record or pay for it...) Tooth & Nail doesn't seem to have a release date yet, but you can listen to its first single, "Shameless." 

"Shameless" is the perfect Salem Wolves song. It's furiously dark, gritty surf inflected punk with some serious pop leanings. Being this poppy and heavy is impossible for 99% of the bands out there, but Salem Wolves pull it off wonderfully. "Shameless" isn't going to break any new ground, and they don't need to. 

You can listen to "Shameless" below. Salem Wolves have a couple of shows coming up at the end of the month: August 27 at Ralph's in Worcester, MA and August 29 in their namesake Salem, MA at OPUS. For more information, check out their website. 
 

Salem Wolves - "Peach"

We've been pretty free with our love for Salem Wolves here at If It's Too Loud..., and that love is only growing with their new single "Peach." It expands a bit more on their more poppy version of garage punk by adding a bit more of a glammed up sound. In fact, there are more than a few moments that are straight up T. Rex inspired. It was recorded in the Converse Rubber Tracks Boston studio. It's everything you want in a Salem Wolves song: It's fast, gritty, but with just the right amount of melody and gloss to make it fun.

For more information on Salem Wolves, be sure to check out their website or Facebook. "Peach" is out now on MegaHex Records. You can download the song for free on their Bandcamp.

Salem Wolves - "Teenage Wonder"

Salem, MA's Salem Wolves are back with another single, "Teenage Wonder." This one is a pretty straightforward rock n roll anthem with heavy punk elements. It feels like a song that would have been played at The Rat in Boston any time in the early 80s. You get the sense of breakneck ferocity even though the song never quite rips it out that heavily. We might be a little late posting this since a press release describes it as "... the soundtrack to a stoned-and-sunburned summer night." Oops. Hey, the end of the summer gets busy!

You can listen to "Teenage Wonder" below. Also, be sure to check out Salem Wolves' website for more info (including tour dates), and their Bandcamp for more releases. 

Salem Wolves - "More Weight!"

Giles Corey was convicted of being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. While many victims were hung, Corey was subjected to pressing since he refused to enter a guilty or innocent plea. He was stripped naked, laid in a pit, and had heavy stones placed on boards on his chest. For two days the sheriff asked him to plead guilty or innocent to witchcraft. Corey replied with only two words each time: "More weight." More rocks were added each time, until Corey died after two days of this torture.

Leave it to Salem Wolves to immortalize Corey's last words in song. "More Weight!" is a groovey hard rocker that reminds me of Death From Above 1979 as a garage rock band. It's fast and heavy like 60s hard rock. It's a fitting tribute to America's first rebellious badass.

If you're not too old to be able to drop everything and go to a show last minute, Salem Wolves are playing at TT the Bear's in Cambridge tonight (Tuesday). Also, TT's closes forever in 18 days, so get there and say goodbye while you can. If you can't make it tonight, they also play KOTO in Salem, MA Friday night. For more information on Salem Wolves, check out their Facebook and Bandcamp. Listen to "More Weight!" below.

Salem Wolves - Black Books

A band being named Salem Wolves from Salem, MA with a song called "There Be Wytches" could be horribly, horribly wrong. Luckily, Black Books, the new EP from Salem, MA's Salem Wolves, is a solid release. It's garage rock tinged with a slightly poppier sound, but a lo-fi vibe, which gives it a Sebadoh meets garage rock sound. That fits my taste perfectly. "I Saw Hell" is a Rocket From the Crypt style rocker with a touch of glam. "Rumblr" is the thrash rock version of "I Want Candy." Black Books comes highly recommended.

Black Books is currently available through Salem Wolves' Bandcamp at the beloved "name your price" option. I don't believe they have a website, but you can like them at their Facebook page. If you're in the Boston area, they have a show coming up on April 4th at The Beachcomber in Quincy, and May 3rd at O'Brien's Pub in Allston. You can watch the video for "Rumblr" below.