If It's Too Loud...

I'm fairly new to Save Ferris fandom. I obviously knew of them in the 90's, but they always seemed too pop for my taste back then. Over the past few years, I rediscovered them, and it turned out I was wrong. They're fantastic. Even though I saw them again for the first time in twenty-six years last summer, once they announced a show at Taffeta Music Hall in Lowell, I instantly wanted to go see them again. This may have been my third time seeing Save Ferris, but I kind of feel like it was my first. Deftones fans pretty much made it impossible to enjoy them at the Warped Tour in 1998 (and considering I'm pretty sure Monique Powell was the only woman performing that day it feels especially egregious), and last year's show outside in Portsmouth, NH felt a little restrained in hindsight. Saturday night in Lowell was a much heavier and more punk performance with Powell being able to be herself more, including some fairly unhinged (in the best possible way) stage banter. I...

Photo by Fabien Castro My current love of Save Ferris makes me furious at my 90's self for being too snobby to truly enjoy them back then. Last summer I went to see the third wave ska legends as a casual fan on a whim, and was completely blown away by their live show. This year they're back with a new single, "Get Dancing." This is a laid back ska song with Save Ferris' trademark pop hooks, and it's quite literally the perfect song for summer. It's upbeat, but in a chill way. We're just finally getting some warmth here in New England, and "Get Dancing" could very easily become my personal soundtrack to the start of New England summer. It feels more like a modernized version of classic ska than a third wave track. Maybe it's because I went to every Warped Tour from 1996-2002, but this is exactly what summer sounds like to me. You can watch the video for "Get Dancing" below. For more on Save Ferris, check out the band's websit...

Lately I've been making more of an effort to see bands I've never seen before and bands I haven't seen in decades. Save Ferris are kind of both. Technically I did see them at the Warped Tour way back in 1998, but I was too snobby to appreciate the SoCol ska legends at the time. Plus, they played before the Deftones, and Deftones fans were extra meatheady that day. In recent years, I've grown to appreciate Save Ferris more and realized that the only reason they're more "mainstream" than their peers is because Monique Powell is a better singer than most other 90's ska bands. Once I saw that I could finally get a do-over up at Portsmouth at The Music Hall's outdoor stage, I jumped at the chance. Save Ferris opened up with their latest single, "Lights Out in the Reptile House." It can always be a bit dicey when a band that's been around for well over twenty years plays new songs, but "Lights Out at the Reptile House" is a solid ...

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. And since we're in outdoor music season, these events are weather permitting. If you're looking for last minute plans this weekend, we recommend: Friday August 16 Me in Capris, Sailor Down, John Galm, and Cape Crush at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA Worshipper, Zip-Tie Handcuffs, Mother Iron Horse, and dropbear at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA Savoir Faire at The Galactic Theater, Warren, RI Lions and Lavender, Tysk Tysk Task, Red Ledger, and The Fool's Agenda at Bit Bar, Salem, MA The Ghouls, MOLD, The P.A.'s, and Ralph n' Sean at Sparetime Recreation, Whitinsville, MA Saturday August 17 Save Ferris and Kings of the W...

During their first run, I considered myself too cool for Save Ferris. They were just too pop for what I enjoyed at the time, but I've since revisited them, and they were always great, and I was a snobby idiot. Luckily, the third wave ska legends are once again back with new music and an upcoming tour! "Lights Out in the Reptile House" is a ridiculously fun song heavy on both ska and pop. Plus, it has a certain unexpected theatricality to it. It's an infectiously catchy song that kind of sounds like it could be from an upcoming ska musical... but a really fun and great one. If you've always loved Save Ferris, "Lights Out in the Reptile House" is going to prove you right. And if you're a relative newbie like me, welcome aboard! Singer Monique Powell says of her band's new single: "We're incredibly proud of 'Lights Out In The Reptile House' and can't wait for our fans to hear it. This song captures the essence of Save Ferris and...

Back in the 90's, I was too cool to be a fan of Save Ferris. Looking back, I was apparently wrong as they were one of the more fun third wave ska bands, which is saying quite a bit. The band is back with their first original song in six years, and it's a holiday song! "Xmas Blue" might be a Christmas punk song, but unlike most punk or ska holiday songs, this one isn't bratty or sneering at the holiday. It's more of a Christmas themed break up song, and it's one of the more fun break up songs out there. Possibly because it reminds me a bunch of vintage Letters to Cleo, just... you know... ska. Singer Monique Powell says of her band's latest song: “I wrote the song about someone I knew that went through a hard divorce, and even two years later was still so obsessed with his ex-wife that it was borderline stalking." You can listen to "Xmas Blue" below. Save Ferris is promising more new music in 2024, and I promise to not think I'm too c...

A busier than normal week, so I'm splitting this into two days. Album of the Week : Artist : Sallie Ford Album : Soul Sick Quick Description : New album from a favorite here that will just have you asking "Sallie, who hurt you and how can we destroy them?" Why You Should Listen : Sallie Ford somehow improved on what she was doing, and she was already doing some amazing stuff. Overall Thoughts : Man, Sallie Ford's been through from stuff, huh? That was really my first reaction as I listened to this album, a bunch of songs that feel confessional, that drip with hurt and pain, that just feel really heavy. And yet this ends up being beautiful with a lot of inspirational tones and gorgeous music. The whole sort of bluesy thing she was doing takes a bit of a backseat here, but this isn't some sort of singer-songwritery acoustic "woe is me" record, either. It's something a lot more special than that, and it's something everyone really just n...