If It's Too Loud...

In what is an absolute dream of a cover, "modernist punks" Perennial have covered The Kinks' iconic "All Day and All of the Night." The song fits perfectly into the new sound Perennial have naturally carved out for themselves. It's still a loud and rambunctious art punk song, but the original was also one back in its day. Perennial due the truly masterful cover option here where they stay completely true to the original while adding their own spin on it so it's more than a note for note cover song. This is a fun and joy filled cover, which any cover of "All Day and All of the Night" should be. This is one of those songs that I was immediately filled with glee when I saw it existed, and hearing it did not disappoint me at all. You can listen to Perennial's cover of "All Day and All of the Night" below. Perennial '65 is due out April 4, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on the band, check them out on Ins...

Photo by Lauren Piandes Last year saw Gray Bouchard & The Dedications cover Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas." Hopefully a cover from these guys will become an annual tradition, because this year sees them taking on The Kinks' fairly immortal "Father Christmas." "Father Christmas" is the kind of song you've probably heard roughly a hundred times this year if you've wandered out in public at all, but Gray Bouchard & The Dedications have a fresh take on the classic. As expected, the cover has a little more of a heavier take, but just slightly. "Father Christmas" might just be a perfect song for Bouchard to cover. It allows for a huge, glammed up rocker, and Bouchard puts a little extra menace on the infamous machine gun line. At times they threaten to go into an almost metal territory, but it stays faithful to the original classic holiday power pop original. You can listen to Gray Bouchard & The Dedications take on ...

Puddles Pity Party is undeniably popular, although I don't know if I've ever quite got it. It's too weird of a concept to be taken fully seriously, but he's far too talented to be a pure novelty. But, if he's going to join with Jake La Botz to cover The Kinks... how can I possibly resist that? The pair take on "Strangers," one of my favorite understated Kinks classic songs. It's somewhat reinvented with a country feel.  Puddles Pity Party says about the recording: " This song was written by Dave Davies. Our pal, Jake La Botz, stopped by the garage. We talked about life and living and his Buddhist meditation practice. Then we decided to play this song. It's been on my mind lately, although I've never played it before. Jake plays a mean guitar, and I love playing that outta tune Ban-Tar or whatever it's called. Let's hear it for Andrew and that Fog Storm 1200! I adore making art with these guys." You can watch the video fo...

Photo by Shervin Lainez I'm beginning to love Spotify's Singles Sessions. They typically feature an artist performing one of their own songs followed by a cover. As I'm sure you know, we love covers here at If It's Too Loud..., and considering we love Rayland Baxter and The Kinks, we're obligated to tell you about Rayland Baxter covering The Kinks. (Oddly enough, this is the second cover of The Kinks's "Strangers" we've brought you this year, the first being from Major Murphy .) Baxter's version is completely true to the original, with just the slightest hint of his country/folk sound. We're pretty sure if you're into either Rayland Baxter or The Kinks, you're going to want to hear this. And since you're obviously a fan of both, it's completely a must hear. You can listen to Rayland Baxter's version of "Strangers" below. For more on Rayland Baxter, check out his website . 

Photo by Michael Newsted I was completely unfamiliar with Grand Rapids's Major Murphy before we were sent their cover of The Kinks's 1970 classic "Strangers." But, we also didn't know about Courtney Barnett until she covered a Lemonheads song, so they're in great company. While The Kinks's original version of "Strangers" is a very slow piano heavy ballad, Major Murphy speeds the song up a little and turns it into a fairly upbeat Americana track. It's one of those rare cover songs that perfectly straddles the line between staying true to the original but still making the song its own. You can listen to Major Murphy's version of "Strangers" below. The song is currently available for a "Name Your Price" option with all purchases donated to the Fianza Fund which supports immigrants being detained on the southern border. You can get your copy here . For more on Major Murphy, check them out on Facebook and Twitter . ...