Monday Mix: "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Weird Al" Yankovic, in a way, needs no introduction. He's put out a ton of albums since the early 1980s, and a bunch of memorable song parodies over the years. He has a new album out next week, so I figured we could welcome a mix of some of his best work (subjectively speaking). No commentary on this, just a good mix of parodies, originals, and polka medleys to get you through this summer workday. Toss it on shuffle and enjoy.

First Listen: New Releases for July 1

Another thin week with the holiday coming up this weekend.

Beverly - Careers: Beverly is the new project from former Vivian Girls/Dum Dum Girls/Crystal Stilts member Frankie Rose. Hopefully she settles in on this project, because it's a real winner. It has a lot of the elements we've come to expect from her past projects, and has the same similar 90s-alt rock sensibilities to go along with some really catchy, poppy tunes. It feels like a great summer record in a lot of ways, and, clocking in at under 30 minutes, doesn't come close to overstaying its welcome. A solid entry and worth your time this week.

Kingsley Flood - Live at the Armory: While Kingsley Flood is a blog favorite, I confess to not having listened to much of them. This live album, for me, was an excellent start. A good, rootsy body of work that really gives you an idea of their sound, and the rootsy atmosphere translates well to a live album. It's got me interested in hearing a lot more of them now, which I suppose might be the point. A good release, highly recommended.




Also out this week:

* Old Crow Medicine Show - Remedy
* Eno & Hyde - High Life

Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires - "Born in the U.S.A."

I've never really gotten the whole Springsteen thing. I really like Nebraska, but pretty much everything else I hear is just over the top, arena rock, which I pretty much universally loathe. The worst of all of this is the album loved by everyone in America but me Born in the U.S.A. This is why I'm so intrigued by the upcoming tribute album Dead Man's Town. It features more country twinged/folky acts covering the album Born in the U.S.A. 

The first, and title, track is the one I'm most interested, featuring husband/wife duo Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. Their version is downright haunting and minimalist, featuring little more than Isbell's vocals and Shires' fiddle. The result is beautiful and unsettling, much closer to the actual lyrics and the song's subject matter than Springsteen's album version.

Dead Man's Town will be released on September 16 on Lightning Rod Records. It will also feature Justin Townes Earle, Joe Pug, Holly Williams, Trampled By Turles, and more. To listen to Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires' cover of "Born in the U.S.A." just in time for the 4th of July, watch the video below.

Quarterly Report: More Albums We Missed So Far

Some of the albums we missed over the last few months...

Mr Little Jeans - Pocketknife: Mr Little Jeans has been a blogosphere favorite for a while, largely due to her cover of Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs" a few years back. I loved "Runaway" when she released it as a single a while back, and we finally get a full length that is very techno-aligned along with the songs that have put her on the map. If there's a downside to the album it's that some of these songs have existed for a very long time now and thus the album doesn't feel terribly new from start to finish, but it's still a minor complaint for what is really a solid listen from top to bottom.

Future Islands - Singles: Chances are you've probably already heard of this album, or at least the single "Seasons (Waiting on You)" via their fairly incredible David Letterman performance. While the sort of dark new wave thing doesn't always do it for me, this album is really solid from start to finish and is really going to end up being a leaping point of sorts for Future Islands. Absolutely worth some of your time if you haven't heard it yet.

Arc Iris - Arc Iris: The solo debut album from Jocie Adams, formerly of The Low Anthem, is sometimes a weird 70s amalgam and sometimes a really interesting chamber folk record, but always interesting. In a lot of ways, it truly defies categorization, and that's not a bad thing for Arc Iris on a whole. Assuming you can tolerate fast tonal/thematic shifts from song to song, you might find something to love in here even if it's not the whole. For me, this really hits a lot of solid points.

Courtney Barnett - The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas: It's cheating to call this a 2014 release given that it came out in Australia last year and combines EPs released in 2012 and early 2013, but it would be lax not to highlight the solid singer-songwriter here. The album is a pretty cohesive unit and includes plenty of folk, alt-country, and even some more folk-rock type songs like on "History Eraser." Ken wrote about her Lemonheads cover earlier this year, and if you're into the folky singer-songwriter space, this is absolutely a release to check out.

Naomi Pilgrim - Naomi Pilgrim EP: I should write more about songs I'm obsessed with, because Naomi Pilgrim's "No Gun" was a really great song for me last year. Not really R&B but not really electronic either, it straddled the line exceptionally well and I've been so impatient for more music from her that the EP, while great, does nothing to satiate my desire for more music from her. It's another quick hit, includes "No Gun," and, at only 3 songs, is far from a significant investment of your time to try out. Definitely give this a listen.

Kid Cudi - Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon: Kid Cudi is doing some of the more interesting things in hip hop as of late, and while it doesn't always work (like his album before this), it's often interesting enough to at least give some time to. Satellite Flight was a surprise release that ended up being pretty successful for him, and it's certainly better than his recent efforts but still feels almost weird for weird's sake. It's very thematic in a lot of ways, so if the concept throws you off a bit, you might have a short leash with this album.

RAC - Strangers: RAC, formerly the Remix Artist Collective, put out their first real album this year. For folks who have made their fame on remixes, it's surprising how safe this album feels in contrast to what other electronic/remix artists are doing. It's not really boring, but it's certainly not anything exciting, nor is there much in the way of standout tracks to show, either. Kind of disappointing on a whole.

Water Liars - Water Liars: While it's often refreshing to hear a straightforward rock record that sounds as if it came out of the 1970s, it's often a risky proposition. Water Liars pulls it off admirably in their third album, channeling a lot of the classic rock tropes to put together a nice, shortish album that hits most of the marks. Worth a listen.

Carrie Ann Carroll - You Should Know: Given that there are a few good alt-country/rootsy albums that are really, really good, Carrie Ann Carroll's effort runs the risk of falling through the cracks, especially when it definitely toes the line between mainstream twang and the more independent-minded releases. The album is great, and has a number of great moments, but this might be something that's overlooked in the long run given its terrible cover and lack of a real hook to it. You shouldn't overlook it, though, it's a really solid album from start to finish that deserves more attention.

Fear of Men - Loom: Fear of Men definitely reminds me of something, and I can't quite place what it is. It's definitely some standard indie rock with some lighter, almost orchestral, overtones, but it always feels close to taking off and becoming something more without quite getting there. A solid release that might be worth a listen, I just hope that something can truly grab me from this one.

Sweet Apple - The Golden Age of Glitter: A side project of J Mascis, Mark Lanegan, and Bob Pollard, this is actually a pretty crunchy power pop record. Each song is pretty straightforward, very melodic, nothing too offensive at all. Truly, this seems to be more driven by Pollard and Mascis, so if you're a Guided by Voices fan in particular, you'll find a lot to like here. There's not enough great power pop being released lately, so the fact that this exists alone is reason to be appreciative, but this is definitely something that deserves a little attention.

Eternal Summers - The Drop Beneath: This is their second album, but my first experience with Eternal Summers. On The Drop Beneath, you have a hazy sort of indie rock happening on this. Reminds me of Stars in some places, but has a lot going for it on a whole. Definitely a solid release on a whole.

Kelis - Food: Kelis flits in and out of my consciousness. I remember liking "Caught Out There" a long time ago, and "Milkshake" is a decade old now if you can believe it. Food is not an album I was expecting at all, but it's actually an excellent R&B album from start to finish. Even if it's not your typical genre, it's worth a listen to give it a shot.

Davidge - Slo Light: Davidge is Neil Davidge of Massive Attack, and this is a solo album that is pretty modern drum and bassy. Not really something I loved on a whole, but it has its moments overall. Not too much to say about this one.

Royksopp & Robyn - Do It Again: Two great tastes that go great together. "Do It Again" a great dance track, "Sayit" a more challenging electro track, I expected some interesting things by this collaboration, but my only downside on it is that there are only five songs on this EP when I wish there were more. Robyn continues to be underrated in the United States in particular, and as awesome as this is, it might not help.

Roo and the Howl - Me/We: I forget how I tripped up on this, but Roo and the Howl is the solo moniker for 25 year old Bekah Wagner, and it's an indie pop delight with folk and country undertones from start to finish. A lot of catchy songs, her voice is gorgeous and haunting, there's little negative I can say about this. Possibly one of the better albums of the year.

Ariana and the Rose - Head vs Heart: A pop EP if I've ever heard it, each song feels catchier than the next. Those allergic to radio-friendly pop music will want to avoid this one, but if you're looking for someone who sounds like they're ready to break through, you could do a lot worse. Personally, it's great guilty pleasure music, so I'm recommending it anyway.

Lera Lynn - Lying in the Sun: I liked Lera Lynn's first album, Have You Met Lera Lynn, from a few years ago, and her new EP is more alt-country goodness. It feels very methodical, and the tone of the album feels pitch-perfect. Overall, a solid EP and I hope it means we're getting an album sooner than later.

FM Belfast - Brighter Days: Listen, I don't know what to make of this. FM Belfast is an Icelandic band that I don't think we're supposed to take too seriously, but they're also pretty great in their own way. They certainly aren't pulling from the Bjork/Sigur Ros playbook, but it's almost as if it's pop music for people who hate pop music. I do know that my 15 month old son loves dancing to the title track, and that the album has stayed in somewhat-steady rotation for months, so there's something here, regardless.

Monday Mix: Numbers Are Against Us

I'm not sure what inspired me to go about making a mix with numbers, except that I've wanted to do it for about 15 years now and never got to it. So here's a bunch of great songs with numbers in the title. Hopefully there are a few new things in here for you to enjoy.


Aimee Mann - "One": A cover from the Magnolia soundtrack, she takes the Harry Nilsson classic and somehow makes it her own without betraying the original. It fits in extremely well with the tone of the film and soundtrack, too. A favorite cover of mine.

The Two Man Gentlemen Band - "The Square Root of Two": While I'll always think of The Two Man Gentlemen Band as a band that does songs about history, they also have quite a few math songs in their repertoire. While this doesn't achieve the heights of their great "Prime Numbers," this is still a cute math-based love song.

Kathleen Edwards - "Six O'Clock News": The only artist to get two slots on this playlist, "Six O'Clock News" largely put Edwards on the map. Her first single from her awesome Failer from (wow) twelve years ago, it remains a personal classic.

Sunny Day Real Estate - "8": Sunny Day Real Estate was quite pioneering in their time, but I honestly found them hit or miss. When it didn't work for me, it really didn't work, but when I like a song of theirs, I'm all in. Of all the songs I do like, "8" is by far my favorite. I love the drums in this song in particular, I love the build in the beginning, and the verses always grab me. Awesome song.

Kathleen Edwards - "12 Bellevue": While the first few songs of Failer got me on board with Kathleen Edwards, it was "12 Bellevue" that probably propelled her into a favorite of mine. I love the horns, the whole package.

Har Mar Superstar - "12:12": Har Mar Superstar doesn't get enough credit for his white boy R&B, and, although he really needs to put his shirt on, his album from last year had a number of memorable cuts including "12:12."

The Phenomenal Handclap Band (featuring Lady Tigra) - "15 to 20": This is a song I loved from when I had satellite radio. I can't say I loved a lot of what this group did on a whole, but this song is a really solid standout. It may have been in a camera commercial at some point?

The Dandy Warhols - "16 Tons": A fairly interesting version of the folk song popularized by Tennessee Ernie Ford in the 1950s, it doesn't sound like anything else The Dandys did, but in terms of fascinating covers, this isn't bad...

The Apples in Stereo - "20 Cases Suggestive Of...": Back before Hilarie Sidney left The Apples in Stereo, she would usually get a shot singing lead on one of the songs on each album, and they were almost always among my favorites. This specific song is one of my favorite Apples songs period, and was one of the first songs to get me truly excited about indie rock in general.

Gorillaz - "68 State": A Gorillaz b-side that I always liked, it's a much more straightforward dance track than most of what they do, but still pretty solid.

R.E.M. - "Star 69": R.E.M.'s fifth single off of used CD bin stalwart Monster, a weird song about stalking that references that old thing you could do on your phone to dial back who called you. The song still holds up even if the technology didn't.

Turin Brakes - "Emergency 72": Turin Brakes have been a favorite of mine for a while, and this song from their first album was one that I didn't love to start, but it did end up growing on me and became a favorite.

Reel Big Fish - "241": Because sometimes you just need to have a ska song on a mix.

Boards of Canada - "1969": If we're going to call a Boards of Canada song accessible, this might be the closest we can get. It's a fairly straightforward electronic song, especially for them.

Shout Out Louds - "1999": I had many, many friends who were into Shout Out Louds, and this is the song that got me on board with them. I don't consider myself a huge fan, but this song still grabs me every time I hear it.

Varsity Drag - "1999": A song I can thank Ken for, Varsity Drag is a great 1990s alt-rock throwback, and this song is pretty representative on a whole.

Silverchair - "Anthem for the Year 2000": Yes, I like this song, shut up. This was their first comeback song of sorts, and yeah. No excuses, no regrets.

Nina Gordon - "2003": Nina Gordon, previously/currently of Veruca Salt, went off to do some solo work in the early 2000s. Her first album, Tonight and the Rest of My Life, was extremely poppy, but I couldn't get enough of it, and "2003" was one of my favorites. I can't say the album truly holds up long-term, but I still enjoy bits and pieces of it.

Childish Gambino - "3005": The lead single from Donald Glover's second proper rap album, Because the Internet, it's pretty representative even if it's a little strange from a fairly challenging album.

Elf Power - "100,000 Telescopes": A somewhat drony indie rock song to finish things off, Elf Power always held a weird spot in the Elephant 6/psych rock landscape, and this song in particular really demonstrates what they could do when they weren't making ridiculously catchy tunes. I always liked this song, even if it was far from their best.

First Listen: New Releases for June 24

A very thin week this week, but an unexpected favorite has emerged from the list, so let's dive in.

Phox - Phox: This wasn't even on my radar until Ken sent it over to me, and I immediately fell in love. It's sort of reminiscent of the best of Freelance Whales in many regards, although I find the band incredibly difficult to put into any specific category. It's a really accessible album with a lot going for it, some pretty memorable songs (I'm quite partial to "Raspberry Seed" on first listen), and a lot of interesting things to make repeat listens something to look forward to. Easily my favorite new release of the week, and the best of recent times I think. Highly recommended.

A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Sea When Absent: I consider A Sunny Day in Glasgow to be a little more challenging than most of what I listen to, and this album seems to continue along those lines. I enjoyed Autumn, Again, and this one is one I definitely need more time with, but is also one I want more time with. A pretty solid shoegaze record.

Bassnectar - Noise vs. Beauty: I like a few of Bassnectar's remixes, but I'll be honest - listening to this album was a very stark reminder as to why I really don't do dubstep. Fans of the genre may like this, but it didn't work for me.

Circulatory System - Mosaics Within Mosaics: Circulatory System is an Elephant 6-related band that always seemed to be on the periphery of the periphery of the overall collective. The new album, the first in five years, continues along the same complicated psych soundscapes that you might come to expect, and, for me, it's a nice reminder of what I loved about the more experimental arms of the groups. Worth a listen, but it's not going to be for everyone.

Download a Free Live Album Sampler from Kingsley Flood!

Boston's own Kingsley Flood have one of the traits of my favorite bands: While their albums are good, their live show is amazing. They basically blend the popular neo-folk movement of the day with the fun and edge of pop punk. (And by pop punk I mean the kind found on Lookout Records back in the 90s). 

That being said, imagine my joy when Kingsley Flood surprised us all earlier this week by announcing a new live album (Live at the Armory) would be out next week! And that right now you can download a sampler of the album for free through Noisetrade! By now, you all know how much we love free music at If It's Too Loud..., so this is a complete no-brainer for us. The two songs of theirs I saw last year at the Newport Folk Fest were a highlight of that day, so this is almost a consolation prize for missing their full set.

To download Live at the Armory Sampler, head on over to Noisetrade. For more info on Kingsley Flood, please check out their website and catch them live at the Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, NH on July 16!

Monday Mix: Monday Remixes

I love a good remix, so today I'm offering up 20 of my favorites. For best results, throw it on shuffle, crank up the volume, and get something done while you're grooving. With many of these, there may be some language you'd want to avoid, so there's your warning.


Beastie Boys - "Body Movin'" (Fatboy Slim remix): I feel like this might have ended up being the actual single for this song way back whenever, but, like so many Fatboy Slim remixes, I feel like this far exceeds the original. Once you've listened to enough remixes, you recognize the Fatboy Slim fingerprint almost immediately, so if this sort of big beat thing isn't for you, well...

Ellie Goulding - "Lights" (Bassnectar remix): One of the few appearances of modern dubstep on this list, I do feel as if this version of "Lights" is also superior to the original, leaving the basic melody and structure intact while adding an element of urgency that the original lacks. This largely put Goulding on the map, so there's certainly nothing wrong with this.

Yelle - "Comme Un Enfant" (Freaks Radio mix): I confess to only knowing Yelle because of a series of really bizarre internet videos, but I've truly come to love what she does. I don't understand a word she's saying, either, but that doesn't matter. This is one of my favorites of her remixed versions.

Florrie - "Call 911" (Fred Falke remix): I found this song through Spotify radio ages ago, and the remix turns it into a pretty basic club anthem, and it just works for me. I love this song.

Gorillaz - "19-2000" (Soulchild remix): While I was unsure as to whether the Beastie Boys remix ever became a single, I know that this version of "19-2000" was the one that hit the radio. It really should have been the album version, as the version on their debut was really kind of plodding and slow. This makes it feel like a fun club song.

Groove Armada - "I See You Baby" (Fatboy Slim remix): Again with the Fatboy Slim, this (I believe) was in a car commercial at some point. Regardless, this version is much more danceable and fun than the original, and I think it's just better across the board.

Janelle Monae - "Tightrope" (Wondamix featuring B.o.B. and Lupe Fiasco): What can I say about this remix? For one, it has Lupe Fiasco in it, which is great. For another, Janelle Monae drops a fairly fun rap verse. For a third, the funk/soul aspects of the original are put aside in favor of a stuttering beat that, while perhaps not superior to the original, is different enough to offer a whole different take on Monae's breakthrough track. I love this.

Morgan Page featuring Lissie - "The Longest Road" (Deadmau5 vocal remix): This remix of the Morgan Page/Lissie track from a few years ago gets a bit more of a beat and some interesting happenings along the way. I love this song anyway, and I find this remix to be an interesting one.

Shirley Bassey - "Goldfinger" (Propellerheads remix): Shirley Bassey is a national treasure, and she experienced a sort of resurgence when Propellerheads used her on "History Repeating" back in the 1990s. They also remixed a handful of her Bond themes, and this one is a personal favorite of mine.

Jenny Owen Youngs - "Fuck Was I" (Morgan Page remix): Jenny Owen Youngs has had a few cool remixes, but Morgan Page's take on the otherwise ballad-like "Fuck Was I" turns it into a much more airy, pleasant tune. I love the background instrumentation on this remix more than anything else about it.

Yelle - "Que Veux Tu" (Madeon remix): Another Yelle song I don't quite understand, but still love. Also comes with a weird internet video.

R.E.M. - "King of Comedy" (808 State remix): I understand that I'm cheating a bit by including this yet again after putting it on a mix a few weeks ago, but it fits. Yes, it's still dated. Yes, it's still good.

Cornershop - "Brimful of Asha" (Norman Cook remix): If I had to choose my favorite remixes, this would absolutely be at the top. There's an extended version out there that's even better, but for this purpose, it'll do. The original song is still in there, but it's barely recognizable in a sense, which might be what makes it great.

Florence + the Machine - "Dog Days are Over" (Yeasayer remix): This is admittedly a weird one, but I still like it. It makes for a very strange tonal version of the hit song, and that it's Yeasayer doing the remix is a little weird as well.

30h!3 featuring Katy Perry - "Starstrukk": I'm cheating a little bit in calling a radio remix featuring a pop star as a remix, but, compared to the original, there's no contest. This is more polished, more fun, and I still hate that 3oh!3 has kind of lost their touch a bit.

Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce - "Telephone" (Passion Pit remix): The idea of Passion Pit remixing Lady Gaga and getting it commercially released is kind of shocking. You hear the Passion Pit influence almost immediately, and it's a pretty interesting remix on a whole.

Fatboy Slim - "Star 69" (Rogue Element remix): If you've listened to the other Fatboy Slim songs on here by now, you know what you're getting. I've always been drawn to this one as well, it's just a fun party track.

Jenny Owen Youngs - "Woodcut" (Age of Rockets remix): This is probably one of the few non-dance tracks on this mix, as it takes a sad-sounding folky song and turns it into a really interesting audio soundscape. One of my favorite remixes.

Garbage - "Queer" (Rabbit in the Moon remix): The classic Garbage song gets a more trancey, dancey look. Rabbit in the Moon does a lot of really good remixes, this one is quite good.

Au Revoir Simone - "Dark Halls" (Best Fwiends remix): Au Revoir Simone does a lot of keyboard-specific stuff already, so to have a bit of a glitch beat thrown behind one of my favorite songs of theirs is hardly a bad thing. They have a few remix albums out now, all of which are worth the time.

Friday Freebie: Hallelujah the Hills - Have You Ever Done Something Evil?

You may recall us highlighting the new album from Hallelujah the Hills on First Listen a month ago. This week, the band opted to place the new album, Have You Ever Done Something Evil, as a name your price release at their Bandcamp.

This album is worth a few dollars of your music budget anyway, but they are offering it up for free. So if you want a decent punkish album by some Boston upstarts, check out their Bandcamp page and get to downloadin'.

First Listen: New Releases for June 17

Another slow week as we enter the summer, but there are a few new highlights out there.

The Two Man Gentlemen Band - Enthusiastic Attempts at Hot Swing & String Band Favorites: Blog favorite The Two Man Gentlemen Band is back with a new album of "Hot Swing and String Band Favorites," which is something they've done live for a while now. It's the typical high quality from The Gentlemen we've expected, and it's also nice to know that scoring Disney cartoons hasn't really impacted the band on a whole. Definitely another solid release from one of my favorite groups.

Yuko Yuko - Babes: I only heard about Yuko Yuko from some other music blogs. It's lo-fi Casio-style electronic music, and almost feels ironic to a fault. I don't hate this, mind you, but I can see it being pretty grating to some listeners. With that said, if you can accept the premise, there are some solid songs on here worth hearing.

Say Hi - Endless Wonder: Say Hi is a band I never really listened to, even though they've been around for a while now. Really just a solo project, I admit that Endless Wonder hooked me in with the first song on the album, "Hurt in the Morning," and really works from start to finish. From what I've read, this album is a bit of a departure for them, so if you're a fan you might be thrown off, but I'm personally glad I gave this one a shot. Solid album.

The Antlers - Familiars: Another band I've generally avoided, Familiars reminds me of a lot of contemplative, deliberate indie rock bands while also not really reminding me of anything at all. It's a good album, but it's one I need more time with to really formulate a solid thought on.

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence: I really disliked Lana Del Rey's first album. I didn't get the hype, didn't find her to be that interesting, "Video Games" bored me, and so on. The last thing I expected was to actually enjoy Ultraviolence, but I do. The album seems to have a point, and it may, perhaps, meander here and there more than it has to, but in terms of someone I had written off, this is a pretty solid listen. I recommend people give it a shot, at the very least.

Willie Nelson - Band of Brothers: The AV Club says this is Nelson's 48th album, and that this one is noteworthy as he wrote 9 of the songs on the album. Willie Nelson is really a national treasure at this point, and you pretty much know what you're getting from Willie, and this album's no different. Plenty to like, and he's still going strong.




Also out this week:

* Boris - Noise