If It's Too Loud...

Adding to the list of band names taken from celebrities, Donna Bummer are a brand new band hailing from Burlington, MA. They appear to only have one song out, "Washout." Being a grumpy old man, I wouldn't exactly call "Washout" punk, although I'll allow for popular opinion since I know most people will. It's super, super  catchy, reminding me a lot of 90s emo like The Promise Ring or Sunny Day Real Estate. The song also has guitars that are a bit too crunchy for traditional emo. That brings a touch of an Archers of Loaf vibe. You can listen to "Washout" below. For more information on Donna Bummer, check them out on  Bandcamp  and Facebook . Washout by Donna Bummer

I doubt I would be this excited about a song that's apparently about having to urinate during a romantic interlude, but when the song is a collaboration between Paul Westerbeg and Juliana Hatfield, exceptions can be made. I mean, I had no idea this was in the works, and it's PAUL WESTERBERG AND JULIANA HATFIELD. "1/2 2 P" starts off with just a guitar and Westerberg and Hatfield harmonizing perfectly. It's both not what I expected from them and exactly what I want from a Westerberg/Hatfield pairing. I never would have picked them as dream collaborators, but holy shit was I wrong. Apparently there is also a forthcoming album. No word on when, but it certainly won't be soon enough. You can listen to The I Don't Cares first song, "1/2 2 P," below. Maybe if you check out the respective websites of Paul Westerberg and Juliana Hatfield , you'll catch some breaking news on The I Don't Cares.

I am super excited about the new James Bond movie coming out on Friday. I've been a fan of the series for as long as I can remember, Daniel Craig is probably my favorite Bond at this point, and Sceptre is basically something I am heavily looking forward to seeing as soon as I can. What else is great about the Bond movies are the theme songs. Yeah, some are pretty rough, but others are actually really solid. So what better way to present an often-rare Monday Mix than via a completely subjective ranking of the Bond themes. The countdown, as well as the Spotify playlist, is worst to first. Enjoy! 23) Gladys Knight - " License to Kill ": One of the few Bond themes not on Spotify (thus the tribute in the playlist and the YouTube link here), the fault of this one is how uninspired it sounds as well as how poorly it holds up over time. Gladys Knight deserved better. 22) Madonna - "Die Another Day": I typically look fondly upon Madonna's full dive into...

This week Friday Freebie is a pretty great one. Shovels & Rope are making their absolutely great 2014 release Swimmin' Time  available free for one week. This is an album we would highly recommend you buy, so to have it available for free is pretty fantastic. In case you're not familiar with their music, they're this absolutely brilliant mix of garage rock, folk, and rockabilly. If you read this blog with any regularity, you'll want this. You can get your free copy of Swimmin' Time for free over at NoiseTrade . And, of course, any time a band is kind enough to give you free music, make sure you check out their website , and follow them on Facebook and Twitter .

If "Panama Hands" is any indication, Pure Beauty are the exact type of college party band the 90s were filled with. I don't mean the type of cover band that did half assed Spin Doctors covers ever Thursday for free beer. I mean the band that discovered the funk of Parliament and Funkadelic from PCU , got super into ska (like we all did), and has that one guy secretly edging the band into the realm of jazz without anyone knowing it. They're just fun enough for the meatheads but smart enough for the music geeks. Plus, they'll get the ladies to dance, so everyone is happy. Pure Beauty are set to release their debut EP on November 20 on Marshall Teller Records. You can pre-order it now , and listen to "Panama Hands" below.

Photo by Justyn Strother Marlon Williams can sing. Not in an American Idol way; I'm sure they'd hate him. He just has this haunting voice that's mesmerizing for anyone that likes actual music. The New Zealander has his debut solo album due out in February. One of the songs on it, "Hello Miss Lonesome," fits many of the alt-country and folk stereotypes. Chugging guitars sounding like a locomotive, almost yodelling vocals for parts... but his voice is just what sucks you in. There is also the odd (but perfect) choice to have some feedback squalls towards the end to add just a hint of 90s indie rock. It's definitely a must-listen. Marlon Williams' self-titled debut is due out February 19 on Dead Oceans. You can preorder a copy here , and be sure to check out his website for more information.

I would have loved to review the new Joanna Newsom album, but she is quoted as saying that Spotify, the If It's Too Loud music option of choice, is "the banana of the music industry." So instead we have a pretty short week ahead of us. Album of the Week : Artist : John Newman Album : Revolve Quick Description : Second album from the British soul singer. Why You Should Listen : You're still on a high from his excellent singles from his first albums and his collaborations with Rudimental. Overall Thoughts : I was really, really disappointed with his 2014 debut , and seeing that he had a new album out didn't exactly leave me with warm thoughts. The new album, though? Really good! Much better songwriting, with songs that play to Newman's strengths more than trying to balance a line of how he started out. I may be grading it on a bit of a curve because of the week we're in and how much I wanted to like this, but the album is absolutely worth your t...

This is a pretty great Friday Freebie for you all. The Blake Babies are currently offering a free download of a concert from 1989 on Noisetrade. If you're unaware of the Blake Babies, they were (are?) a Boston band featuring Juliana Hatfield, Freda Love Smith, and John P. Strohm. The band is currently putting together some expanded reissues of their catalog, and found this in the archives. They found a live concert recorded on 5/9/1989 and decided to put it up for free. It was recorded for Emerson College's WERS, so the quality is really good, especially for 1989. It's really something you need to have. And it's free! To get your copy of Live 5.9.1989 , head over to Noisetrade . Also, be sure to sign up for the band's mailing list on their website to keep up on the reissues.

Photo by Ken Sears Rubblebucket was a band that I somehow decided were a jam band without ever hearing their music. That was my mistake, as instead they're this super fun indie dance band. I know some people consider them ska, but I'm not buying that. Ska adjacent, sure. Regardless, after I saw them at the Green River Festival this year, I'm officially a convert and I recommend their live show for all. Fugazi, on the other hand, were this super-serious D.C. post hardcore band that while I love them, I wouldn't consider them a party band. That's why I'm not completely sure how I feel about this cover of "Waiting Room" by Rubblebucket. While I'm really late to the party on this one (it came out in June), I just discovered it and can't tell if it's brilliant or a total trainwreck. Either way, it's a really interesting take, and it's probably a blast and I'm just being a grumpy middle aged curmudgeon. Check out the video for...

Anyone who's been reading this blog with any regularity knows that I'm pretty much obsessed with both The Dead Milkmen and Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys. As soon as tickets went on sale for The Dead Milkmen I knew I was going. Once they added the Army of Broken toys, that was a huge bonus. This was the third time The Dead Milkmen have swung through Boston since they first reunited in 2008, so I was curious to see how they'd do. The first two times are usually glossed over with the pure excitement of seeing a band you didn't think you would ever have the chance to see. Once a band is on their third pass and second reunion album, they're just back. Of course, the Milkmen were still spectacular for this show, playing with more energy and passion than any other reunited band I've seen in years. While they played a good chunk of their newer material, they delved far into their back catalog and pulled out some near forgotten classics. "Nutritio...

This was a ridiculously full week for new releases, along with some really anticipated stuff and some real surprises. Let's dive right in: Album of the Week : Artist : YACHT Album : I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler Quick Description : Latest album by the indie-synth act, first featuring Claire Evans being the sole lead singer. Why You Should Listen : You feel like you've been missing out on fun music in your life. Overall Thoughts : There's definitely some attitude featured on this album, no doubt, but this is just an album that felt really fun on first listen. A number of standout songs across the board and an album I've wanted to jump back on board with as soon as I can. If you heard "Plastic Soul" from last year, you know the direction this is going, and this isn't really an unexpected listen from them. Easily the best thing I've heard this week, and absolutely one that I expect to see at the end of the year on some lists. Recommend...

I know next to nothing about Weezy Ford, except for the following two things: 1. She's Sallie Ford's sister. 2. She has two songs on Soundcloud . I've looked for some kind of web presence for her. Maybe a Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp... all the usual places, but all I've found is this Soundcloud. Normally, we music journalist types like to report a little more on an artist's background, but these songs are insanely good, so I wanted to make sure you heard them. "Phantom Lover" definitely has some similarities to her sister's music, but Weezy is a little more stripped down. It's a barebones indie rock doo wop sound. Her voice seems a little hesitant on these songs, and that just adds a layer of vulnerability. It's really good, and you should check it out.

Halloween is my absolutely favorite holiday of the year, and I'm always looking for songs besides "Monster Mash" to listen to. This year, Rodney Anonymous posted his Halloween playlist over at www.deadmilkmen.com , and I threw it all on a Spotify playlist for us all. It has some fairly obvious ones, like Social Distortion's "Mommy's Little Monster," but there are also some surprises. White Zombie's "I'm Your Boogie Man" seemed too obvious, while there are some fairly obscure picks like Dead When I Found Her's "No More Nightmares." It's perfect for parties and background music while handing out candy. The Dead Milkmen have two upcoming shows: Tomorrow night at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA and October 30 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia. For more information, head on over to their website .

For their fifth album, David Wax Museum are back with a significantly tweaked sound. The Mexican influences are mostly hinted at for Guesthouse , and there is a heavy (for David Wax Museum at least) addition of electronic elements. This all works amazingly well. "Dark Night of the Heart" in particular is almost a trip hop track with folk instruments interspersed. "Guesthouse" might be the song that fits into the David Wax Museum catalog the best. It's quite keyboard heavy, but the style fits into their previous songs where Suz plays the accordion. "Time Will Track Us Down" is one of their loveliest ballads, with just an acoustic guitar and David and Suz harmonizing throughout. They even tackle their parenthood with "Everything Changes." It's a subject that has made some of the greatest songwriters of all time stumble on sappiness, but David Wax Museum turns it into a joyous celebration. For me, the standout track is "Singing to...

At this point in 2011, I had already seen David Wax Museum twice: The Newport Folk Festival and earlier that month at the Arlington Street Church on December 2. While I consider the Arlington Street Church show the single greatest concert of my 21 year regular concert going career, I consider this show at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge to be the most special I've seen of theirs. (Besides, Jeff already wrote about the Arlington Street Church one first...) On a personal note, it was the first concert I had attended with my now-wife. Aside from that, it was completely different than the other two previous times I saw David Wax Museum. After seeing them at an outdoor festival for 10,000 people and a large church, seeing them in a barely lit basement club with 105 people was a revelation. They completely altered their presence and sound to fit the space. Instead of playing huge to get the attention of the guy standing in a beer line 100 yards away, they got smaller and more intimate. In...