If It's Too Loud...

This is exactly the type of news we need while I watch snow fall in my New England neighborhood. Last year was the inaugural In Between Days festival. It was a one day festival with a great line up. For the festival's second year, they're expanding to two days and releasing one of the best line ups we've seen in years. The headliners for the festival are Modest Mouse and Lord Huron, with other If It's Too Loud... approved artists including Metric, Trampled By Turtles, Sunny Day Real Estate, Blitzen Trapper, Slothrust, and more! Plus, it includes an absolutely bonkers mix of local artists including Weakened Friends, Paper Tigers, Dutch Tulips, Carissa Johnson, Mint Green, Sweet Petunia, and more! Plus, there will be a vintage vendors market, a retro arcade, a vinyl record pop-up shop, and more. Taking place at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy August 19 and 20, In Between Days is shaping up to be the New England summer festival of 2023. The gauntlet has definitely been...

I've only made it out to the Freshgrass Festival once, way back in 2012, but it looks like I'm going to have to get out there again this year since their always great line up is extra fantastic this year! Set on the grounds of Mass MoCA, which is one of my favorite museums around, Freshgrass is a niche festival specializing in bluegrass and roots music, but definitely pushing the boundaries of what is considered either. The festival features such If It's Too Loud... approved artists like Trampled By Turtles, Yonder Mountain String Band, Rhiannon Giddens, Steep Canyon Rangers, Alison Brown, Della Mae, Molly Tuttle (performing with Keith Little), and Leyla McCalla, who I discovered at Freshgrass 2012. One of the headliners are the absolutely legendary Indigo Girls, who I normally wouldn't see on my own but I'm thrilled to have the chance. Plus, they have artists they haven't announced yet, which doesn't seem possible. Besides just music, the festival feature...

We don't normally post this late in the afternoon/evening, so you know it's a pretty big deal when we do. Dead Man Winter, Trampled By Turtles' frontman Dave Simonett's solo project, is offering up his latest album for free via Noisetrade. While Trampled By Turtles are a frolicking speedgrass band and a party every time they play live, Dead Man Winter is a more private, introspective project. Furnace  is an album about the end of Simonett's ten year marriage. With titles like "This House is On Fire," "Am I Breaking Down," and "You Are Out of Control," Dead Man Winter won't be your next favorite party time band. It's not all doom and gloom, despite the topic. Along with the sense of loss and failure, divorce also brings a sense of rebirth and hope, which is reflected on this album. Even if you've never been a fan of Trampled By Turtles, you'll want to listen to this album. If you're a die-hard Trampled By Turtles fa...

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down (Photo by Ken Sears) Located in Portsmouth, NH, Prescott Park is this absolutely beautiful and scenic public park right on the river. While just about every public park in America will have weekly music, it's usually the local marching band or jazz ensemble, mostly for senior citizens and families with small children. Prescott Park Arts Festival put on amazing shows every year with a TON of If It's Too Loud... approved artists.  I've only made it up there once for a Carolina Chocolate Drops show in 2013, but it hasn't worked out. This year I'm planning to make the trek a bunch. One of the best parts is the cost. They get a lot of acts that I'd normally be priced out of (you know, the $50+ range), but they only ask for a suggested donation around $10. Sure, you can cruise right in without paying anything, but you really should to keep this alive. You can see their full schedule here , with more to be added. This is a list of ...

After a few slow weeks, the record companies are apparently back to work. Plenty to look at this week: "Weird Al" Yankovic - Mandatory Fun : "Weird Al" is basically a musical institution at this point, so if you're into what he does, you already know it. For me, this album was an improvement over Alpocalypse in part because I (unfortunately) know a lot of the songs he's pardodying this go 'round - it's less rap/R&B heavy and it has a lot of songs that were tough to miss. The polka is, of course, superlative as well. As I said, you know what you're getting with "Weird Al," so your enjoyment will be based solely on that, but for me? I'm glad he's still doing what he's doing. Puss n Boots - No Fools, No Fun : Norah Jones continues being a chameleon of sorts, this time collaborating with two other women to form Puss n Boots, a traditional country band. The songs are good and unexpected without being out there - it...

In it's 28th year, the Green River Festival is one of the best kept secrets in the New England concert scene. It doesn't have the name recognition of Lollapalooza or the Newport Folk Festival, but that fits Green River just fine. Western MA has long had a mysteriously great live music scene, combining national touring bands with a small town feel. The Green River Festival has long been the centerpiece of the scene. This year will be no exception, and might just be the best line up Green River has seen yet. Saturday features Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Lucius, Puss n Boots (featuring Norah Jones), The Lone Bellow, Poor Old Shine, Grant-Lee Phillips, and more. Sunday is just ridiculous, with Josh Ritter & Royal City Band, Trampled By Turtles, Hurray for the Riff Raff, multi-national rapper Ana Tijoux, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper (and you all know how I feel about her), The Deadly Gentlemen, and more.  Plus, there's the added extra of hot air balloons. You can ...