If It's Too Loud...

A busy week, so we splitting the check. Co-Album of the Week : Artist : Shopping Album : The Official Body Quick Description : Newest album by a blog favorite. Why You Should Listen : It's like your favorite odd bands from the 1980s come alive in 2018. Overall Thoughts : Ken has been riding the Shopping bandwagon for close to five years now, and I've thought they've been fine up to now, but this album feels like a great leap forward for the act. Sometimes it feels like Gang of Four's "Anthrax," sometimes it's like my favorite Oh-OK songs, but this is just a stellar album this week that I can't wait to dive back into. Recommendation : Easily the best of the week. Artist : Sure Sure Album : Sure Sure Quick Description : A lo-fi indie pop debut from last week. Why You Should Listen : You're wishing you lived back about 15 years ago musically. Overall Thoughts : A fairly uneven listen, Sure Sure does a fairly interesting not-quite-lo-f...

I have a little bit of a confession. As much as I say that I like They Might Be Giants, I haven't exactly kept up with their recent career. When I've heard more recent songs of theirs, I've enjoyed them, but haven't exactly listened to full albums with any regularity. I don't really have a reason, except I don't really know where to start with their newer albums. If you're like me, we're in luck. Alternative legends They Might Be Giants are currently giving away Up to Date, a collection of some of their newer songs. While NoiseTrade has been specializing in three to five song EPs lately, this is a twelve song release that is being given away completely for free. If you've ever liked anything They Might Be Giants have put out in their absurdly long career, you're sure to end up liking most, if not all, of everything here. You can get your own copy of Up to Date  for free via NoiseTrade . For more on They Might Be Giants, including a 75 date...

A busy release week, but there's a lot of just kind of mediocre stuff. So let's get on with it, I guess... Album of the Week : Artist : Diarrhea Planet Album : Turn to Gold Quick Description : Solid sophomore indie punk effort. Why You Should Listen : The band's name is the worst part of what they do. Overall Thoughts : Diarrhea Planet's debut caught me off guard as one of the better releases within their genre last go 'round, enough so that seeking out the new album was a priority. They have certainly polished things up a bit, but still have that raw energy and enthusiasm that made their debut so great. Not too loud but still a crunchy punkish effort, it's far and away the best release of the week. Recommendation : A fun listen, worth your time. Artist : Darren Hayman Album : Thankful Villages Volume 1 Quick Description : A series of songs from'inspired by British villages from the Hefner singer/songwriter. Why You Should Listen : Hayman ...

This is a ridiculously busy new release week, so let's just go through what we can today, and we'll get to the rest tomorrow. The Ballroom Thieves - The Wolf in the Doorway : Ken sent this over to me saying he felt it was too Lumineers for his taste, but I can't really agree. Yes, it's got hints of the sort of strident folk/rock hybrids that have been so pervasive in the music culture as of late, but the only real negative thing I can say about this debut is that they don't do enough to set themselves apart. They come across a lot like The Wind and the Wave without being so aggressive, or perhaps a less interesting Civil Wars, and, while being good is fine and all, it misses the mark in possibly being great on first listen. Definitely take a flyer on this, though, it may have a lot of growth potential. They Might Be Giants - Glean : I'm perfectly within the wheelhouse of who should be a fan of TMBG. Still, maybe I'm just a little too young to have re...

I hate Christmas music. It's pretty dull and repetitive. But, this weekend you'll be subjected to work holiday parties and family and/or friend's holiday parties. Then next week someone will insist on putting Christmas music on in the background while you're wrapping presents and then opening presents. How many times can you be expected to listen to Mariah Caery's "All I Want for Christmas?" As an alternative, here is the If It's Too Loud... 2014 Christmas Playlist. It features some lesser known songs from The Sheila Divine, Emmy the Great and Tim Wheeler, Jessica Lea Mayfield, a cover of Wham's "Last Christmas" (the greatest worst song ever recorded), and we had to end with "Christmas in Hollis." Enjoy!

They Might Be Giants have offered a free live download of their first album! Taken from recordings of their 2013 tour, they are offering a track by track version of their self-titled debut from 1986. It's a great offering for loyal fans, and a great way to introduce newer listeners to their music. It's also a great way to promote their upcoming headlining tour, for which tickets are going on sale this weekend. But, hey! Free TMBG! To download First Album Live, you'll want to go here . It will cost you an email address, but you'll probably want to be on TMBG's email list, if you aren't already. You can also check out their website to get any more info, including their aforementioned tour!