Tyler Jordan and the Negative Space - "Ballerina"

Austin's Tyler Jordan and the Negative Space occupy a space that fits right into our wheelhouse here at If It's Too Loud...: They have a classic, Americana rock sound that's reminiscent of Tom Petty, but they blend it with the laid back indie rock of bands like Pavement. Their debut single, "Ballerina," was produced by members of another of our current musical obsessions, Big Thief. "Ballerina" is a pretty straightforward rock song, with just enough slight quirks, a killer riff that goes throughout, and quite possibly the most epic false ending of the year. It's pretty much a guaranteed favorite song for anyone who reads this site with any regularity.

You can listen to "Ballerina" below. For more information on Tyler Jordan and the Negative Space, check them out on Bandcamp and Facebook.

Workforce - "Hollywood Lips"

Workforce first formed in Boston way back in 1988 after the break up of James Straight's previous band, Doppler Effect. After releasing two albums of 80s heavy electronic music, the band went into hiatus in 1996 after the release of Come Out! They got together to play a show in 2010, and have slowly started working on some new material.

Workforce have always been at their best when they skewer American culture. One of their new songs, "Hollywood Lips," is a perfect example, mocking Hollywood's obsession with a cartoonish version of perfection only achieved through plastic surgery. Rather than trying to update their sound to a more "hip" version of today's electronica, this is pure vintage Workforce. This could easily be a lost recording from 1988, and I mean that as the most sincere compliment.

You can listen to "Hollywood Lips" below. They are promising a new album this year. For some more information, check them out on Soundcloud and Facebook.

First Listen: New Releases for April 22

A surprisingly slow week considering how busy the recent weeks have been.

Album of the Week:

Artist: Jason Wilber
Album: Echoes
Quick Description: Some solid singer-songwriter tunes.
Why You Should Listen: Jason Wilber has a sound that's a little unexpectedly unique.
Overall Thoughts: I don't know when this album hooked me for good, but I will say that a good cover tacked on at the end will leave a great impression overall. If you start with his take on "I Am the Cosmos" and go back from there, you might get a better understanding of Wilber's sound and approach. This is a pretty great album on a whole, and is the only thing that sounds like this that I heard this week.
Recommendation: Absolutely worth your time.

Artist: The Legendary Pink Dots
Album: Pages of Aquarius
Quick Description: Latest album by the long-standing rock band.
Why You Should Listen: They've been around for over 35 years, so they're probably worth a listen on their own...
Overall Thoughts: ...but this one is perhaps a little more weird/off than their typical offerings. This is not to say that LPD is not experimental on their own, but there's just something that doesn't quite work with this album even if I can't put my finger on it. While big fans might find a lot to offer here, I don't see myself coming back to it.
Recommendation: Worth a listen, but might be for fans only.

Artist: Guided by Voices
Album: Please Be Honest
Quick Description: Reunion(?) album from the indie rock legends.
Why You Should Listen: If you like indie rock, you're listening to Guided By Voices.
Overall Thoughts: That was a quick hiatus. GBV's 174th album is ultimately more of the same power-poppy, hook-heavy affair that we come to expect from the band/Robert Pollard. In a sense, there's not a ton to say about this as the story is less about the album and more about the band's reunion.
Recommendation: If you like GBV, you'll like this. Otherwise, there are a number of albums to start with before this one for this band.

Artist: A$AP Ferg
Album: Live Long and Prosper
Quick Description: Possible breakthrough album from one of the A$AP Mob members.
Why You Should Listen: Always an interesting listen, this is going to be one of those underrated/undernoticed rap albums of the year.
Overall Thoughts: The first thing you notice when this album comes up is the guests Ferg gets on this album from all walks. Old school rap artists, dubstep DJs, it runs the gamut. What Ferg has done with this album, though, is kind of special in that it's a pretty strong artistic leap with both a lot of chances being taken and a lot of successful risks as well. Like with A$AP Rocky, the track with Skrillex is the standout, but this whole album is really worth your time. In a year where a lot of the rap/hip-hop/R&B music discussion is being dominated by Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, and now Beyonce, this is not an album that should get overlooked.
Recommendation: One of the best of the week, and the best rap album in a while.

Artist: Lush
Album: Blind Spot
Quick Description: First release in 20 years from the shoegaze favorites.
Why You Should Listen: That this exists at all is a big deal in and of itself.
Overall Thoughts: At four songs, it's a little short, but it's a nice release nonetheless from a band I know people are excited to hear from. It's not breaking any new ground, but that's okay! I just hope we see more from them before long. As someone who has an affinity, although not love, for shoegaze stuff, this is still a pretty solid release.
Recommendation: Find time for this one.

Artist: California
Album: California
Quick Description: Some pop punk from members of Green Day, Jawbreaker, etc.
Why You Should Listen: It's a curiosity if anything.
Overall Thoughts: I mean, it's a perfectly viable pop/punkish record, not really a vanity project, but my overall feeling was that I really couldn't get into this, and it felt kind of unnecessary. If you're fans of the artists, you might get something out of it.
Recommendation: Perfectly serviceable, but not mandatory.

Artist: Plastic Flowers
Album: Heavenly
Quick Description: Lovely retro-tinged dream pop.
Why You Should Listen: If you wish your music had more 80s-style reverb...
Overall Thoughts: ...this is your album. It's a solid listen, I liked a lot of it, but it definitely wears its influences on its sleeve, and that might be a turnoff to some. For me, I absolutely loved the album and I can't wait to spend more time with it. Pairs well with the Lush EP.
Recommendation: Worth a listen, especially this week.

Artist: Paper Tiger
Album: In Other Words, Pt. 1
Quick Description: An instrumental-ish soundscape project from a member of Doomtree.
Why You Should Listen: Doomtree is awesome, and so is this.
Overall Thoughts: At four tracks, it's really a quick hit, but it's a lot of really great instrumental stuff that hits right where I was looking. It's a solid listen if you're into this sort of electronic instrumental stuff, and it doesn't have a real hip hop vibe to it if that's a turnoff. You'll know in the first few moments if this is your thing, but I thought it was really well-done.
Recommendation: A great listen.

Also out this week:

* Nicolas Godin - Contrepoint (member of Air does super experimental stuff)

These Wild Plains - "Old Reasons"

I first discovered These Wild Plains when I heard they were going to be part of the night of the Boston Music Awards honoring Evan Dando by performing a partial tribute set to Evan and the Lemonheads. Considering a Lemonheads cover is how I discovered Courtney Batnett, These Wild Plains are in pretty fantastic company.

Their newest single, "Old Reasons," is everything I love about These Wild Plains. The Lemonheads' influence is pretty obvious, particularly with Dando's more country-infused songs (which I somehow never realized exactly how country they were back in high school...). There is also a huge sampling of 90s alt-country bands like Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown. It's really a touch of everything we gush about obsessively in one band, so we're pretty confident you're going to love it.

You can listen to "Old Reasons" below. You can purchase a copy at These Wild Plains' Bandcamp, and for more information on the band, check out their website.

Paws - "Gone So Long"

Let's get this part out of the way right away. The new Paws album is produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink 182. I have nothing against Mark Hoppus or Blink 182 per se, but when one of my favorite noisy punk bands gets produced by the man who helped usher in the sugary mall pop punk genre, I'm right to be a little concerned. I think we all know what happened to H2O when they signed to a major and had to make the pop album. At least with "Gone So Long," the concern is unwarranted. Is it a little more polished than their previous albums? Definitely. Could it be a little too polished? Maybe. Is it still fun noisy punk? Yes. At some point every band starts to clean up their sound a bit. Goo was more polished than Bad Moon Rising, and while some people hated it, they're both considered Sonic Youth classics now. This might help Paws sell some more records, but they may also deserve it.

The third Paws album, No Grace, is due out June 17 on FatCat Records. You can listen to "Gone So Long" for yourself below. For more information on Paws, check out their website, and pre-order No Grace here.

Brief Candles - "Provisions"

It's been far too long since we've heard from Milwaukee's Brief Candles. Luckily for us, teh band has released the first single from an upcoming full length. "Provisions" starts off simply enough. Brief Candles do this beautiful blend of pop leaning shoegaze (I have previously described it as a cross between Guided By Voices and My Bloody Valentine), and "Provisions" furthers that perfectly. It's mid-tempo, jangly, and just enough to bop along to. And then something happens. Shoegaze songs always have these little parts that seem like the song might devolve into chaos, but they never do. It's just not what shoegaze does. But then "Provisions" does. It ends in what can only be described as Sonic Youth trying to cover Iron Butterfly. And it's glorious.

Brief Candles' next full length isn't due until the fall, so get ready to listen to "Provisions" a ton while we wait. Luckily, you can do that below. You can also find some more information on their Bandcamp. 

First Listen, Part Two: New Releases for April 15

Here's the rest from this week!

Artist: Clairy Browne
Album: Pool
Quick Description: Clairy Browne goes solo with a record that's surprisingly poppier than anticipated.
Why You Should Listen: Her work with Clairy Browne and the Rackettes is great.
Overall Thoughts: This is about as nontraditional a traditional modern pop record will get. On one hand, this feels like it could fit right on modern pop radio, but, on the other hand, this has a classic/edgier sensibility better delegated to the alt-pop space. You mix in songs like "F.U.B." and you get an album that feels both all over the place and kind of perfect. I honestly loved it, and I'm looking forward to more time with it, but if you're looking for something more straightforward, this might not be it.
Recommendation: A great listen, but clearly not for everyone.

Artist: The Coathangers
Album: Nosebleed Weekend
Quick Description: Some great power pop from a female trio.
Why You Should Listen: Listen to "Perfume." If you're not in love with it within 30 seconds, why are you here?
Overall Thoughts: Seriously, one of the highlights of this week for me was this album. There's a classic girl pop sensibility to the harmonies while still being a little rough around the edges. They're a punk trio with some history behind them, and, while I don't know their older stuff, longtime fans might be turned off by the polish here. It's not a punk album in the most basic sense, and that's okay, because it's still pretty great.
Recommendation: An album of the week contender.

Artist: Kevin Morby
Album: Singing Saw
Quick Description: A country/folk record with a singing saw. Really.
Why You Should Listen: Morby is an established singer-songwriter with an interesting take.
Overall Thoughts: Kevin Morby has been in a few bands I'm not familiar with, and this album sounds a lot like a 1970s folk album at times, but with some modern flairs. Plus, a singing saw, which is not something I've heard in modern music in about a decade, and certainly not seriously. This album, while a pleasant listen, doesn't do a lot to set itself apart in a busy week, but those who haven't found anything in this space worth hearing this week should try it.
Recommendation: It's good, but not worthy of being at the top of your listening pile.

Artist: East of Venus
Album: Memory Box
Quick Description: Indie "supergroup" combines powers to offer a great classic alt-rock record.
Why You Should Listen: Four established musicians bringing their influences to the table is always worth a listen.
Overall Thoughts: At some points this sounds like Dire Straits, at others R.E.M., and that alone makes Memory Box worth some of your time. It's expertly crafted, and the result is an album that hit more than a few nostalgia buttons along the way. Really, if you've enjoyed any sort of rock music over the last 30 years, you owe it to yourself to give this a listen because it's going to really remind you of some great music and walk away with a few great songs along the way.
Recommendation: A must listen this week.

Artist: Eskimeaux
Album: Year of the Rabbit
Quick Description: A quick-shot EP from an indie pop band.
Why You Should Listen: We didn't talk about it much last year, but O.K. was a solid album and this also has some great highlights.
Overall Thoughts: The only downside to this release is that it's only six songs. A quiet affair in many regards, songs like "WTF" and "Drunk" jump out as highlights immediately and make me want to go back to their old stuff. In a crowded week, this is worth finding some time for.
Recommendation: A good listen.

Artist: Hallelujah the Hills
Album: A Band is Something to Figure Out
Quick Description: Latest album from the Boston-based indie rockers.
Why You Should Listen: Hallelujah the Hills is quickly becoming a favorite at this blog, and this album is more of the quality stuff we're enjoying.
Overall Thoughts: A solid band with some interesting songs and clearly a lot of work being put into what they're doing, the new album shows a continuing amount of polish from a band that's doing some great things and aren't getting enough credit for it. I'd love for this to be their deserved breakthrough, and this should absolutely grab you from the first few notes.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a listen this week.

Artist: Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop
Album: Love Letter for Fire
Quick Description: The man behind Iron and Wine teams with another singer-songwriter for a great folk album.
Why You Should Listen: Both of these artists have solid reputations, and this team-up is high quality.
Overall Thoughts: At first blush, this feels more like an Iron and Wine album, but, as it progresses, we get the feeling of how this is truly a collaborative effort. I've been a fan of Jesca Hoop for some time, and this ends up being something that has a lot of emotional weight to it as well as having the kind of quiet musicality that Sam Beam does so well. This isn't something to be missed, so check it out.
Recommendation: Another solid listen this week.


Also out this week:

* Sunns - Hold Still

First Listen, Part One: New Releases for April 15

A busy week of new music, which seems to be typical for the moment! 1 of 2 as has been the case for a while.


Album of the Week :

Artist: Sturgill Simpson
Album: A Sailor's Guide to Earth
Quick Description: Latest album from the buzzed-about country act.
Why You Should Listen: If his previous album was his roots breakthrough, this might end up being his mainstream one.
Overall Thoughts: We've, to this point, not been on the Sturgill bandwagon here. It's not that he's not good at what he does, but I haven't personally felt the connection to his work the way a lot of other people have. Metamodern Sounds felt very sterile to me in particular, and I was expecting more of the same from this new album this week, and I didn't get it. His sound is still classic (the cover of "In Bloom" absolutely nails it), but there's a little bit of a layer of something here that I felt was missing before, and it makes it much more interesting. This is an album you're probably going to hear a lot more about, so get in on this one while you can.
Recommendation: A definite must listen for this week, even if it wasn't truly great.

Artist: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Album: PersonA
Quick Description: Latest album from the indie folk act.
Why You Should Listen: You liked more than "Home" and can tolerate some plodding folk tunes.
Overall Thoughts: I can't be kind about this: it isn't good. This is the sort of project one might expect from an act that's trying a lot of ideas and can't quite get them to stick. I've been a fan of Alex Ebert/Edward Sharpe since the Ima Robot days and this is just a hard miss across the board.
Recommendation: Skip it.

Artist: PJ Harvey
Album: The Hope Six Demolition Project
Quick Description: The companion to an art project from an indie/alt-rock favorite.
Why You Should Listen: Even if she hasn't been great for some time, PJ Harvey's output is always a must-listen.
Overall Thoughts: I haven't really truly loved a PJ Harvey album in a decade, and this is more of a concept album than a straightforward rock and roll album, but this both feels like the PJ Harvey I fell in love with 15 years ago and something new and fresh. It's early to say whether any of these songs will hold up on their own, but, for now? A solid listen.
Recommendation: Pretty good, especially if you're a fan.

Artist: Mr. Lif
Album: Don't Look Down
Quick Description: New album from the Boston-based rapper.
Why You Should Listen: I feel like Mr. Lif has been around forever, and he brings a great album here.
Overall Thoughts: Mr. Lif hasn't released an album in a long time, and he offers some solid old school hip-hop here that feels fresh without falling into a lot of the traps we've seen other classic acts deal with. Nothing jumps out at me as a classic on first listen, but the Del the Funky Homosapien collaboration is pretty solid. Overall, if you like rap music, give this a listen.
Recommendation: Pretty great!

Artist: The Hackensaw Boys
Album: Charismo
Quick Description: First album in ten years from the roots group.
Why You Should Listen: The Hackensaw Boys put on a great live show, and their albums are just as fun.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't realize it had been so long since they released music, but a few songs into this one and I realized pretty fast how much I missed them. A solid listen that roots fans here will enjoy, but you should really see them live to get the full experience. A great listen this week.
Recommendation: A solid listen.

Artist: The Del McCoury Band
Album: Del and Woody
Quick Description: Del McCoury band puts Woody Guthrie lyrics to music.
Why You Should Listen: Del McCoury is a legend, and the this sort of collaborative effort seems to always go right.
Overall Thoughts: There's a classic country sound here that might not be what everyone is looking for, but in terms of a pretty solid listen on a whole, you could do worse. There's plenty to like here on a whole, but (especially with some of the other roots-based albums out this week) this might get lost in the shuffle. If you're a big fan, bump this up, but...
Recommendation: ...worth a listen only if you're not into other stuff this week.

Artist: Har Mar Superstar
Album: Best Summer Ever
Quick Description: Indie funk/soul chameleon goes early pop.
Why You Should Listen: Har Mar Superstar is always interesting even if this is a little outside of where he normally sits.
Overall Thoughts: I had a lot of trouble with this one, in part because I came to it with some expectations and in part because I'm not sure whether it's good or not. On first listen, it feels like a miss - often muddled, kind of dirty, not where I wanted it to be. Whether it improves on further listens remains to be seen, but with other poppy albums out this week, I don't know if this has a spot.
Recommendation: Maybe for fans only, be wary.



Also out this week:

* Surgical Meth Machine - Surgical Meth Machine
* Cate Le Bon - Crab Day

Margaret Glaspy - "Emotions and Math"

Photo by Ebru Yildiz

While her previous releases were a bit more folk oriented, "Emotions and Math," the newest single from Margaret Glaspy, leans more toward the pop side of Americana that Lucius and Thao & The Get Down Stay Down have mastered. What sets Margaret Glaspy apart from the others is her voice. She has this soulful voice that also has an energetic 90s slacker vibe to it. Think of Susan Tedeschi meets Courtney Barnett. It all creates this element of both the familiar and unique blending together.

Margaret Glaspy's debut album, Emotions and Math, is due out June 17 on ATO Records, and is available for pre-order. For more information on Margaret Glaspy, check out her website, and listen to "Emotions and Math" below.

Grave School - "Eugene, OR"

Grave School's "Eugene, OR" will be the best short song you hear all year. The video clocks in at 2:06, but about 30 seconds of that takes place before the music kicks in. For the minute and a half that the song lasts, it's pure catchy 90s inspired pop rock. It reminds me a ton of whitechocolatespaceegg era Liz Phair meets The Anniversary. It's raw, and confessional, with swirling jangly guitars, and just as you decide you love the song and are dying for the second verse, it's all over. 

"Eugene, OR" is the fourth installment of The Native Sound Private Press Series. You have until April 18th to order a 7" of your very own. After that, no more orders will be taken, and it will never be reprinted. You'll also get a download of Grave School's EP, so just hearing more from these guys might make it worth it. You can order your own copy here. For more on Grave School, you can follow them on Twitter or Facebook. Also, Grave School features Gina from Sheer, who we've already babbled on about back in the fall.