Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear Cover Fleetwood Mac

Photo by Ken Sears

Back in December, I headed out on a Sunday night to see Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear at Brighton Music Hall. The show was being taped by Front Row Boston, a show on WGBH, our local PBS affiliate. Some videos of the show have been trickling out, and yesterday they posted their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams."

This version of "Dreams" might be what it takes to give Fleetwood Mac another shot. Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear's version is slowed down to about half the tempo of the original, and it truly gives "Mama Bear" a chance to shine. It's much more folk than Fleetwood Mac's rock, but this version is truly lovely and heartfelt. 

To watch the video for Madisen Ward and The Mama Bear's version of "Dreams," you'll have to head over to Front Row Boston's website. While you're there, be sure to check out some more of their live videos. It's all professionally shot, multi-camera recordings of concerts in and around Boston, including some of our favorites like Lady Lamb, Punch Brothers, Rubblebucket, First Aid Kit, and Dropkick Murphys.

Dumptruck - Live at CBGB's '86 & '88

For a fan of the Boston music scene, I'm embarrassingly unfamiliar with Dumptruck. Formed in 1983, the band is considered to be one of the original college rock bands (I have such a bizarre fondness for that label.) After a string of bad luck, the band broke up in 1991, and released their final album in 1994. Seth Tiven released a couple more albums under the name Dumptruck in 2000 and 2001, and Rykodisc reissued the band's first three albums, and a compilation was released in 2006. Not much has seemed to happen since then.

That's why I was so pleasantly surprised today, when way down at the bottom of an email from Noisetrade I saw a link for a free live Dumptruck album. Everyone knows how much we love free music here at If It's Too Loud..., and this album is no exception. I always meant to check out the reissues when they came out, but for some reason they just slipped my mind. Live at CBGB's '86 & '88 is the perfect way to introduce yourself to the band, or reacquaint yourself. Hailing from the days of REM, Dumptruck remind me a ton of what we now would call alt-country, and they paved the way for Whiskeytown and Uncle Tupelo. Basically, if you read this blog, you'll need to hear this. In other great news, this is to prep us for a new Dumptruck album due this spring!

To get your copy of Live at CBGB's '86 & '88, head on over to Noisetrade. For more info on Dumptruck, check out their Facebook.

Magic Shoppe - "City Alight (Yeah)"

"City Alight (Yeah)," the first single from Boston's Magic Shoppe's upcoming EP, is the very best kind of psychedelic rock. It's the kind of psychedelia that both the indie rock fans and the hippies can like. It's trippy as hell, but has this weird sense of darkness behind it. With its swirling guitars, it sounds like if shoegaze was filled with hippies. It also reminds me a lot of The Beatles' "Within You Without You" minus the sitars.

Interstellar Car Crash is due out on February 5. You can listen to "City Alight (Yeah)" below, and be sure to check out Magic Shoppe's Bandcamp, Facebook, and Twitter for more information. They also have a few tour dates below the song.

Feb 03, Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA

Feb 04, Palisades, Brooklyn, NY

Feb 06, Great Scott, Allston, MA

Guerilla Toss - "Diamond Girls"

Photo by Ken Sears

It's very rare that you can ever use the terms "noise" and "party" to describe music, but that's exactly what Guerilla Toss do. With "Diamond Girls," the first single off their upcoming album Eraser Stargazer, they own that distinction. The song opens up with a tribal beat and a looping electronic squeal, then Kassie Carlson's vocals kick in as a taunting chant of "Who do you know?/ Ha ha ha." There is so much going on in the song it's nearly impossible to keep it all straight, but you'll want to try. It's the kind of song that might give you a headache the first time you listen, but it's completely worth it. And you'll happily listen again almost immediately.

Eraser Stargazer is out March 4 on DFA Records. Listen to "Diamond Girls" below. For more info on Guerilla Toss, check out their Bandcamp or Facebook.

Mothers - "Copper Mines"

Photo by Erez Avissar

After raving about "Too Small for Eyes" and calling their forthcoming album When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired one of my most anticipated albums of 2016, we have another new song from Mothers to check out.

"Copper Mines" isn't quite as sparse or minimal as "Too Small for Eyes." In fact, it's a fairly straightforward mid-tempo indie rock song. What truly sets it apart from standard indie rock fare is Kristine Leschper's voice. It lives in this world between a traditionally beautiful voice and the discordant-but-interesting voices of the J Mascis' and Marissa Paternoster's of the world. When she's not singing, the swirling guitars keep you sucked in.

When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired is due out February 26 on Grand Jury Music. Listen to "Copper Mines" below, and be sure to check out their website and Facebook.

Saying Farewell to David Bowie

In the three days since the death of David Bowie, virtually everything that could possibly be written about him has. I was going to make a pass on writing, because what could I possibly add? I'm definitely a fan, but by no means am I the biggest fan. But... how can I not?

Like most people in my age range, I first really discovered David Bowie through the 1986 film Labyrinth. Of course I knew that David Bowie existed before that, but not much more. Even surrounded by Muppets and kidnapping a baby, we all just knew that The Goblin King was cool. I'm not going to say I was rooting for The Goblin King to win, but if Sarah had decided to stay in the dreamworld, I would have been 100% cool with it.

As a child in the 80s, I knew the hits of the day like "Let's Dance" and the duet of "Dancin' in the Streets" with Mick Jagger. Those kind of kept me away, until I first heard The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Finally, the music I heard matched the coolness of the man. That's also when I discovered 1997's Earthling, his foray into jungle and 90s industrial music. He is the main reason I love when am artist completely switches genres between albums.

Blackstar, what we now know is Bowie's final album, was a bit weird when we all first listened to it last week. We've always been so used to Bowie playing characters or writing from another perspective. A line like "Look up here / I'm in heaven" was searched for meaning, when the real meaning was right there in the words. There has been a lot of speculation and clickbait headlines asking if Bowie meant this as a goodbye to his fans and if he wrote it about his impending death. I can't imagine anything but. 

The death of David Bowie hurt a lot of people even more than they expected. I know I certainly felt it, and still do. On Monday morning, I reached for my phone while still in bed, and started to check Facebook like all grown adults should. I had a number of notifications, and I clicked on the first to see a headline announcing David Bowie's death. I couldn't believe a friend had fallen for such an obvious hoax, and that the local NBC affiliate posted what was obviously not real. It wasn't until the second, and then third, and then just dozens of other posts that I realized it was real. David Bowie was gone from us at the age of 69. Whenever I had read his age, it always shocked me that he was that old. Every single time I read it I was shocked. At the same time, if someone had told me that Bowie was involved in the WWI Christmas Day soccer game, I would have probably believed it. He just seemed timeless and eternal, like he always had been and always would be. Sadly, I was wrong.

It's not just that it was completely unexpected. When Lemmy died last month, it was sad but not entirely shocking. He had been having health problems for a while, and cancelled a number of shows in the past year. But Bowie kept an 18 month battle with cancer completely out of the public eye. That's an amazing feat in today's share all/TMZ culture.

Seeing as it's impossible to truly put together a tribute playlist that will make everyone happy, I decided to share some of the more interesting David Bowie covers I've heard through the years. What's truly special about this list is how diverse the artists on it are. You'll find 90s alternative, 80s new wave, goth, metal, punk, emo, folk, today's up and coming bands, and more here. It just shows the reach his music truly had, and still has. I finished it off with "Sector," a song by Maine band Rustic Overtones that Bowie appeared on. If you're interested in the story of how one of music's biggest icons came to appear on an album by a little known band from Maine, check out the story in the Portland Press Herald.

Marlon Williams - "Dark Child"

Photo by Justyn Strother

As we get closer to the US release of Marlon Williams' debut album, we have a new song to check out. While "Hello Miss Lonesome" was more of a raucous Americana track, "Dark Child" is more slower paced traditional singer-songwriter fare, albeit in a very dark way. It starts off pretty minimal and quiet, with nothing really making it stand out besides Williams' striking vocals. Around the 3:00 mark, chaos starts forcing its way out. The song is still slow, but gets loud and surprisingly aggressive for a bit. Based on how "Hello Miss Lonesome" ended, this might be his trademark.

Marlon Williams' self-titled debut is due out in the US on February 19. You can pre-order it through Amazon. For more info on Marlon Williams, check out his website, Facebook, and Twitter. Check out the video for "Dark Child" below, and you can find his current tour dates below that.

Mon. Jan. 18 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Thu. Jan. 21 – London, UK @ St. Pancras Old Church
Fri. Jan. 29 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club – SOLD OUT
Sun. Jan. 31 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Mon. Feb. 1 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Tue. Feb. 2 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar
Wed. Feb. 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar
Fri. Feb. 5 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Sat. Feb. 6 – Toronto, ON @ Dakota Tavern
Mon. Feb. 8 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement
Tue. Feb. 9 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Wed. Feb. 10 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
Thu. Feb. 18 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie (Festival Les Nuits De L’Alligator)
Sat. Feb. 20 – Nantes, FR @ Le Stereolux (Festival Les Nuits De L’Alligator)
Sun. Feb. 21 – Mérignac, FR @ Krakatoa (Festival Les Nuits De L’Alligator)
Mon. Feb. 22 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106 (Festival Les Nuits De L’Alligator)
Sun. Feb. 28 – Perth, WA @ Perth International Arts Festival
Sat. March 5 – Melbourne, AU @ Melbourne Zoo
Wed. March 9 – Auckland, NZ @ Powerstation
Fri. March 11 – Sydney, AU @ Taronga Zoo
Sat. March 12 – Lonestar Valley, TAS @ A Festival Called Panama
Sun. March 13 – Mon. March 14 – Adelaide, SA @ Womadelaide
Tue. March 15 – Sun. March 20 – Austin, TX @ SXSW

First Listen: New Releases for January 1 and January 8

Combining a few weeks due to the slow release start. I will likely do the same for the next two weeks as well.

Album of the Week:

Artist: David Bowie
Album: Blackstar
Quick Description: Final album by the rock icon.
Why You Should Listen: David Bowie is a must listen anyway, but as the final bow in his career, it takes on a little more weight.
Overall Thoughts: I listened to this on Friday and texted Ken that the album was strange, but we expect strange from Bowie. It's got some jazz infusion, it's a quiet album while still having some strength and purpose to it. I didn't love The Next Day, and Bowie has always been hit or miss anyway, but it's hard to consider this album on its merits alone now that we basically know that this was a farewell to those of us who had the honor of listening to him. I saw David Bowie live about a decade ago and he was an absolutely wonderful performer, and, while I don't have the sort of love for Bowie that a lot of my friends do, the world absolutely feels a little darker without his being part of it. This is the type of album I wish all my favorite artists could say goodbye with.
Recommendation: As if I could choose anything else, but in terms of something deserving on its own merits, it still qualifies.

Artist: Lost Film
Album: Temporary EP
Quick Description: Dreamy folk-pop.
Why You Should Listen: The folks at The Native Sound continue to offer quality, listenable music, and this is no different.
Overall Thoughts: This is a little more stripped down than perhaps I'm looking for, but as a four-song EP, it's just the type of nice quick hit I was actually happy to hear when it came in on the first of the year.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a listen for the new year.

Artist: Villagers
Album: Where Have You Been All My Life
Quick Description: A live-ish reworking of old Villagers tunes.
Why You Should Listen: Hearing some old songs in a new light is always fun if you're familiar with these songs, but even if you don't know the songs, some are really beautiful.
Overall Thoughts: I had heard their second album last year but didn't have anything to say about them. The songs are equally familiar and different on this recording. Sometimes it's a little haunting, other times optimistic, but I really like this on a whole. There are a number of solid highlights here worth finding, and it's great that this could probably be recommended even in a busier release week.
Recommendation: A solid listen.

Artist: Hinds
Album: Leave Me Alone
Quick Description: Is garage pop a thing?
Why You Should Listen: You like gritty pop rock; female-fronted bands are your thing.
Overall Thoughts: I can't say this is perfect, or even great. But it's great at times, with a lot of high points, and when it's on it's absolutely on. It's an interesting listen for a debut from four young Spanish women and will absolutely appeal to a lot of people who like the grungier side of things.
Recommendation: Might not be for everyone, but an interesting listen nonetheless.

Artist: The Grascals
Album: and then there's this...
Quick Description: A new album from an award-winning bluegrass act.
Why You Should Listen: Traditional bluegrass is rarely bad.
Overall Thoughts: For someone who considers himself a bluegrass fan, I'm surprised this is not a group I was aware of, especially given the awards they've won and such. This is a very straightforward, traditional bluegrass record, and that's perfectly fine. I really enjoyed it even though it might not be something with a lot of lasting power for me, but it's always great to find a new gem.
Recommendation: Essential listen for bluegrass fans this week.

Artist: The Duke of Norfolk
Album: Three Days From the Wolf Month
Quick Description: An at-folk musical adventure.
Why You Should Listen: You like the atmospheric and the difficult at times.
Overall Thoughts: This is definitely the weirdest of the releases this week, and even then, it's a fairly centered effort. Vast in spite of its acoustic instrumentation, it definitely feels Scottish in some ways and is something I did like even if it's one I need more time with. It definitely has the opportunity to be a grower.
Recommendation: Take some time with this one.

Octagrape - "Hightropics"

I first discovered Octagrape opening up for Sebadoh back in 2013. It was one of those increasingly rare times that I go into a show completely blindly to the opening band and ended up being blown away. Now they're back with a new album due next month, and a new song called "Hightropics." It's a perfect introduction to art rock/psych/no wave/noise sound of Octagrape, complete with droning vocals, and tinny, crunching guitars. It's a straightforward song, albeit one that's hiding behind a ton of noise and distortion. Somehow the guitar riff ends up being the catchiest part of the whole shebang. 

The new Octagrape album, Aura Obelisk, is due out February 15. You can pre-order it now through Bandcamp. Be sure to listen to "Hightropics" below.

Monday Mix and Song Debut: The Dandy Warhols - "You Are Killing Me"

I'm a big Dandy Warhols fan. At some points, they might be in my top five bands of all time, and at others they do some really strange stuff that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense (looking at you, Odditorium). So hearing this new song from the band that was sent over to us, what's fascinating about it is the straightforwardness of the whole affair. On one hand, it feels like a lot of bands could churn this out (which is something you can't say about "Not If You Were The Last Junkie on Earth," for a contrast), but this still has a very compelling attitude and structure to it that I've kept going back to.

They have a new album on a new record label coming out later this year, and I'm absolutely looking forward to it. For now, though, consider Monday Mix an introduction to one of the more underrated bands out there: