If It's Too Loud...

Chances are we're going to cover most things Shakey Graves puts out, but if he's going to sing a duet with Sierra Ferrell we're definitely covering it. "Ready or Not" sounds like exactly what you'd expect a duet between Shakey Graves and Sierra Ferrell, but somehow better. The song sounds like a literal dream. It has this hazy, dreamlike quality to it not found in most folk/Americana... unless it's done by Shakey Graves. And then there is just the way that his voice and Ferrell's melt into each other. It's goosebump inducing to say the least. "Ready or Not" is as fun of a song as it is gorgeous. Buckle up and get ready to listen to this one! You can listen to "Ready or Not" below. The song is available via Shakey Graves' Bandcamp . For more on Shakey Graves, check out the artist's website . Ready or Not (feat. Sierra Ferrell) by Shakey Graves

Photo via Facebook It's nice to see an artist cover their friends and peers instead of just their heroes and predecessors. It's a throwback to the early days of rock 'n' roll when everybody covered everybody. Shovels & Rope are masters of the cover, releasing three albums of covers (so far!) As part of Dualtone's twentieth anniversary, they were asked to cover Shakey Graves' "Dearly Departed." The original is a powerful, uplifting anthem, with foot stomping drums and an absolutely scream-along worthy chorus. Shovels & Rope slow the song way, way down and turn it into a quiet ballad. It's an interesting choice, since Shakey Graves' original features Esme Patterson and would have been absolutely perfect as is for the husband/wife duo of Shovels & Rope. But, the best covers are ones where the coverer puts their own spin on the song, and that's ultimately what this one is. You can listen to Shovels & Rope's version of "...

The Green River Festival is always a highlight of any year. They've just released the line-up for the 2021 edition, and somehow this is just the initial line up. It's safe to say that this is by far their most exciting line-up ever! As always it skews heavily towards folk/Americana, but they've truly outdone themselves this year. Headliners for the three days are Jon Bastiste, Shakey Graves, and Ani Difraco, which would be thrilling enough. The other announced bands include long time If It's Too Loud... favorites like Drive-By Truckers, Deer Tick, and JD McPherson, alongside more newly discovered favorites like Sierra Ferrell, Twisted Pine, Rachel Baiman, and Bella White (who I just discovered over the weekend and haven't even had a chance to post about yet!) Plus, there are other artists we're big on like Valerie June, Mandolin Orange, Bonny Light Horseman, Charlie Parr, and Rebirth Brass Band that are all playing.  Green River Festival will run August 27-29 at...

Just a lot out this week, so we'll do highlights. Artist : Skating Polly Album : The Make It All Show Quick Description : New album from the indie rockers. Why You Should Listen : Skating Polly is similar to Speedy Ortiz in some regards, and they are poised to break out. Overall Thoughts : I liked Skating Polly’s last effort, which was a sort of car crash of musical sounds and styles that had me hooked. Even still, it wasn’t without its flaws, but that was more than okay – it was still a great listen. This new album feels a lot more organized and structured, and the result (while a little less chaotic) is something that really shows growth as a band without losing the sort of manic quality that sets them apart. Recommendation : A favorite this week. Artist : Parker Milsap Album : Other Arrangements Quick Description : New album from a favorite here. Why You Should Listen : You're looking for a little more adult alternative in your life. Overall Thoughts : We’v...

We're back into a strong swing after the American holiday... Album of the Week : Artist : Great Grandpa Album : Plastic Cough Quick Description : More female-fronted 1990s alt-rock, nearly as good as the rest. Why You Should Listen : Hits the right nostalgia buttons while still feeling new and fresh. Overall Thoughts : A question I never asked until I heard this album was “what if Speedy Ortiz was trying to be more like a grungy version the 1990s revival we’ve been seeing lately?” The answer appears to be Great Grandpa (who have the best band name I’ve seen in some time). The lead track hit my radar some time ago, and I’ve been waiting for this release for some time. It’s very, very good, and I’m impressed by the choices and risks it takes musically – the band could have played things a little safe and worked toward a poppy indie rock record with some radio friendly songs ready and waiting for that breakout, and they instead went with some really interesting song struct...

Remember when artists put a premium on b-sides and rarities? Every so often an artist would put out a full album of b-sides, alternate takes, demo versions, etc., but more often than not, you'd get stuck buying import singles for $10 each to get that one extra song that wasn't on the album, or even dropping $30 for the European version with an extra song or two.  Nowadays we have an artist like Shakey Graves who just gives out rarities and alternate versions on his Bandcamp. The Man From Taured contains a couple of demo versions and an alternate take, but the rest are rarities. My personal favorite is that these are completely stripped down songs, mostly just him with a guitar. A few have backing vocals, but that's really it. As someone who finds Shakey Graves far more compelling when it's just him with a guitar on stage as opposed to his backing band, this free offering is perfect. You can get your very own free copy of The Man From Taured  over at Shakey Graves...

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...

Last year was the year I finally was able to make it to the Green River Festival in Greenfield, MA after a few years in a row of false starts. Everything about the festival blew me away, from the music, the variety of food available, hot air balloons, the incredibly laid back environment, etc. You really get the feeling that the festival is organized by huge music fans that somehow tricked a bunch of bands into playing a show for them by opening it up to the public. This morning, the line up for the 2016 edition (which also happens to be their 30th anniversary) was announced, and this is their best one yet. While all three days boast an incredible array of bands (Friday has Peter Wolf and NRBQ and Sunday features the Wheels of Soul Tour which features Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, and North Mississippi All Stars plus Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear,) Saturday is the day I'm personally looking forward to the most. Any festival that has Dawes, Shakey Graves, Shovels and Rope, T...

We normally wait until Friday to post these but this one is pretty exciting so we can't wait. Yesterday, Shakey Graves posted a recent live concert on his Bandcamp. Considering it was recorded on 2/6/16, it's  very  recent.  Live at Levon's  was recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. According to the description on Bandcamp, " This is a live experiment, testing out a few new songs in their baby form and playing others in a different arrangement or manner." Because of this, the entire thing can't be downloaded in one chunk through a zip drive since the new songs can only be streamed. The previously heard songs must be downloaded individually. Funny how times change, since 10 years ago I used to download songs individually every day and I was thrilled to do it. Live at Levon's  is a great mixture of solo acoustic, electric, and full band performances. And, it's free. You can download and stream Live at Levon's over at Shakey Graves'...

As we get closer to the 2015 Newport Folk Festival, and as more artists are being announced, it's becoming more and more clear that this year is going to be a truly special one. We have some returning regulars like The Decemberists, Brandi Carlile, First Aid Kit, Shakey Graves, and Spirit Family Reunion, but the real excitement are some of the artists playing the Fort for the first time. Courtney Barnett was a fantastic early addition, and I've been wishing hard for J Mascis for years. I'm not so secretly hoping he doesn't go for an all acoustic set and he brings a few of his affects pedals with him. Just something about him playing one of his Dinosaur Jr songs acoustic and then hitting a pedal to bring this wall of noise seemingly out of nowhere is just thrilling to me. Last week they announced Tommy Stinson to the line up. I don't know if that makes it more or less likely that The Replacements will end up being announced, but a guy can hope. It's also the t...

A ridiculous amount of music came out this week, so let's not waste any time. Flying Lotus - You're Dead! : This is my first exposure to Flying Lotus and his brand of electronic jazz/hip-hop. It's not an album I feel like I can give a fair shake to, as it's way outside my areas of knowledge and typical listening, but I will say that I was grooving at a number of points during my initial listen. It's worth tossing in your rotation just to see what the fuss is about. O'Death - Out of Hands We Go : O'Death's third full length album continues to send them along the trajectory of this gothic-style alt-country that they do so well. Filled with a number of memorable songs and providing a bit of a unique atmosphere, this is an album that sounds unlike anything I've heard as of late, and really fits in well with a lot of what we tend to highlight here. Definitely worth a listen. Vashti Bunyan - Heartleap : I remember when Vashti Bunyan's second ...