James Williamson - "Never Far From Where the Wild Things Are"

Photo by Pacific Dream Photography

A few weeks ago we posted about James Williamson's foray into childrens' music with "I Love My Tutu." Now you can listen to the b-side of his collaborative single with Lisa Kekaula of The Bellrays, "Never Far From Where the Wild Things Are." Meant as a tribute to the iconic book Where the Wild Things Are, the b-side is decidedly louder and more rocking than "I Love My Tutu." The song was originally written by Williamson's son Jamie, and then worked out by James. It's much closer to Iggy & The Stooges than you would expect from a song about a kids' book, but that's what makes this so fantastic.

You can buy the single for "I Love My Tutu" and "Never Far From Where the Wild Things Are" via iTunes. Proceeds will benefit Project Hawai'i, which helps homeless children in Hawaii. This is the first of three collaborative singles James Williamson plans to release this year. 

Monday Mix: It's Our Birthday!

In the spring of 2013, Ken was finishing up with The Music Moms and we finally got to talking about doing a little music blog on the side on our own. It's become a nice little consistent project for both of us (even if Ken is really pulling the majority of the weight), and we appear to have a nice little dedicated group of readers so far. We really enjoy doing it and we hope you enjoy it, too!

We officially launched three years ago at some point last week. We thought it would be fun to make a quick mix of ten songs each of us found and love directly because of the blog. Give us feedback on some of your favorites - maybe if we get enough, we can have a new mix next week!

Now, just to get @ifitstooloud on Twitter for good... Until then, here's the tracklisting:

Ken's Picks:

Marlon Williams - "Hello, Miss Lonesome"
Mothers - "It Hurts Until It Doesn't"
Margo Price - "Hurtin' (On the Bottle)"
Big Thief - "Masterpiece"
Hop Along - "The Knock"
Shopping - "In Other Words"
Rayland Baxter - "Mr Rodriguez"
Ransom Pier - "Turn Your Head"
Bruising - "Emo Friends"
Julia Jacklin - "Pool Party"

Jeff's Picks:

Field Mouse - "Asteroid"
Jedi Mind Tricks - "Poison in the Birth Water"
HAERTS - "No One Needs to Know"
The Red Headed Indian/Kingsbury - "Please Come Home"
Chumped - "December is the Longest Month"
Kingsley Flood - "Set Me Off"
The Jazz June - "After the Earthquake"
Shakey Graves featuring Esme Patterson - "Dearly Departed"
Benjamin Booker - "Violent Shiver"
The Muffs - "Up and Down Around"

Durand Jones & The Indications - "Smile"

Photo by Casey Garnett

There is currently this great resurgence of true old school R&B, and I'm personally thrilled by it. The latest to be handed the torch is Durand Jones & The Indication. On their new single, "Smile," Jones' voice definitely earns comparisons to Leon Bridges. However, the music just has this ever so slight edge to it. It's not a hard or aggressive feel, but more of just a funkier feel. It's combining classic R&B with a dancier feel, but still with live instruments. The sound of the backing band reminds me a lot of The Roots. The whole feel of the track might be caused by the recording process: They recorded directly to tape in a basement in their hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. That's pretty much how this style of music should be recorded.

Durand Jones & The Indications self-titled debut will be out on Colemine Records on July 1. You can listen to "Smile" below. For more on Durand Jones & The Indicators, check them out on Facebook.

First Listen, Part Two: More New Releases for June 10

Here's the rest of this week's highlights:

Artist: WOMPS
Album: Our Fertile Forever
Quick Description: Hooky punkish stuff that is rougher around the edges than this cover would indicate.
Why You Should Listen: It's got a good punky vibe to it.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't love this as a whole, but it has some great moments like the opening track and "Ritalin," but this is one of those albums that I feel has some limited appeal. If you like dirty, old-school punk, there's definitely stuff here you'll enjoy. Really just not my genre.
Recommendation: Far from mandatory, but will have some appeal.

Artist: Peter Bjorn and John
Album: Breakin' Point
Quick Description: First album in five years for the "Young Folks" indie darlings.
Why You Should Listen: The trio knows how to craft a good indie pop song, for sure.
Overall Thoughts: PB&J are going to forever be defined by "Young Folks," which isn't a bad thing, but it does mean that we'll constantly be comparing their output to that song. So is there a "Young Folks" here? No, but there is a solid album that I feel is some of their better work. The band has become solidly consistent and this album continues that trajectory.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a listen.

Artist: Gemma Ray
Album: The Exodus Suite
Quick Description: New album from the songstress.
Why You Should Listen: Gemma Ray is always excellent at what she does, this is not an exception.
Overall Thoughts: I felt Milk for Your Motors was a highlight of its release week, and The Exodus Suite continues down that deliberately-paced path with some gorgeous songs from start to finish. The opening song, "Come Caldera," really sets the tone, and it's just a solid listen throughout. Maybe a little too long, but that's more nitpicky than anything else.
Recommendation: A highlight of the week.

Artist: Amy Klein
Album: Fire
Quick Description: Titus Andronicus member goes solo.
Why You Should Listen: It has the Titus urgency with a singer-songwriter feel.
Overall Thoughts: I'm not a huge Titus Andronicus guy, but this is an album that really grabs you by the shirt and makes you listen. "Fire" ramps up quickly, while songs like "Yes Men" come forward almost immediately. The sound is similar to her Don Giovanni labelmates in some regards, so there is a feel to this that will be familiar and, ultimately, worth your time.
Recommendation: Give this one a spin.

Artist: The Temper Trap
Album: Thick as Thieves
Quick Description: Third album from the Australian alt-rockers.
Why You Should Listen: "Sweet Disposition" was so good when it came out that this is at least worth some time based on that.
Overall Thoughts: Yes, Conditions was two albums and six years ago, but The Temper Trap is still doing something a little different in the mainstream alt-rock department. This album has its moments for sure, and if you're looking for that sort of sound, there hasn't been anything much like it highlighted lately.
Recommendation: Not for everyone, but worth a listen.

Artist: Band of Horses
Album: Why Are You OK?
Quick Description: Latest from the indie rockers.
Why You Should Listen: You still love "The Funeral."
Overall Thoughts: I'll say this much - for a band as buzzed-about as Band of Horses, and with a legitimate modern classic in "The Funeral" under their belt, I did not expect to hear an album that was this forgettable. I don't recall a thing from it, nor do I feel a need to come back to it. And, frankly, this might have been the case for a while for them. I don't know if I just don't get this band or if it's something else, but, in a week with a lot of interesting releases, this falls short.
Recommendation: Only if you're a fan.


Also out this week:

* Weird Dreams - Luxury Alone (Dreamy, retro pop rock).

First Listen, Part One: New Releases for June 10

A busy release week, but there's a lot of just kind of mediocre stuff. So let's get on with it, I guess...

Album of the Week:

Artist: Diarrhea Planet
Album: Turn to Gold
Quick Description: Solid sophomore indie punk effort.
Why You Should Listen: The band's name is the worst part of what they do.
Overall Thoughts: Diarrhea Planet's debut caught me off guard as one of the better releases within their genre last go 'round, enough so that seeking out the new album was a priority. They have certainly polished things up a bit, but still have that raw energy and enthusiasm that made their debut so great. Not too loud but still a crunchy punkish effort, it's far and away the best release of the week.
Recommendation: A fun listen, worth your time.

Artist: Darren Hayman
Album: Thankful Villages Volume 1
Quick Description: A series of songs from'inspired by British villages from the Hefner singer/songwriter.
Why You Should Listen: Hayman is always interesting, and this is a pretty unique project.
Overall Thoughts: I'm not going to say this works all of the time, and perhaps for many it might not even be some of the time, but this is clearly an interesting labor of love and almost a social documentary project all its own in a sense. If you're looking for a more passive listen, this won't be for you, and the interest might really only be solid for those with an interest in the topic.
Recommendation: An okay niche listen.

Artist: They Might Be Giants
Album: Phone Power
Quick Description: A TMBG collection from their Phone-a-Song project.
Why You Should Listen: You need a TMBG cover of "Bills, Bills, Bills" in your life.
Overall Thoughts: While I recognize that Flood is a pretty great album on a whole, I can't say I've ever truly "got" They Might Be Giants, and collections like this just don't work for me on a whole for this. It sounds like a collection of what I expect the band to sound like, so I assume that's a good thing? Still, the cover of Destiny's Child remains a highlight...
Recommendation: Fans only, most likely.

Artist: Fitz and the Tantrums
Album: Fitz and the Tantrums
Quick Description: Third album from the sometimes-funky sometimes-modern rock band.
Why You Should Listen: Album does an excellent job of meshing the sounds of their first album with the sounds of the second.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't love the second album from this band as much as I really adored their first, mainly because I felt like the change in their sound was super abrupt. The new self-titled affair smooths the edges out a bit and results in something with great songwriting and a great sound on a whole, but without anything that has that immediate hook we've seen in the past. Probably a grower, but this is absolutely one I want to spend more time with.
Recommendation: A solid effort, worth a listen this week.

Artist: Garbage
Album: Strange Little Birds
Quick Description: New album from the 90s alt-rock favorites.
Why You Should Listen: That new Fuel album from a few weeks back didn't quite hit the nostalgia button the right way.
Overall Thoughts: It's tough to call any album like this necessary, but Garbage is a band that makes me happy whenever I hear "Stupid Girl" or "Only Happy When it Rains." This album, to their credit, sounds a lot like their early stuff. Unfortunately, that also means it sounds unnecessarily dated and the production values don't quite help. I won't lie - I was massively disappointed in this, to the point where I don't know if I want to listen again. It just didn't work, and I wanted it to so badly.
Recommendation: Skip this.

Artist: Eli Paperboy Reed
Album: My Way Home
Quick Description: Boston-ish performer has a cool, gospel-tinged album.
Why You Should Listen: This is just a fun album celebrating some great music.
Overall Thoughts: If you can't get into "Cut Ya Down," you may not have a soul. That's basically the way I felt about this album from an artist I was convinced was a rapper until, well, three days ago. Regardless, this might not work everyone (including those familiar with his older works), but this might be one of the best releases of this week regardless. Just a really enjoyable listen from top to bottom.
Recommendation: Everyone should give this a shot.

Artist: Wye Oak
Album: Tween
Quick Description: Surprise release from the band.
Why You Should Listen: You're more a fan of Civilian than Shriek.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't really expect Wye Oak to walk back from the more electronic leanings of Shriek, and this album is apparently a collection of songs written between those sessions. With that in mind, this is an absolutely grittier, more challenging listen, and that's not a bad thing at all, but the sort of beauty that I associate with Wye Oak isn't obvious here on first listen given the transitional issues the band was clearly in the throes of, so keep that in mind if you dive in. Certainly, however, one of the more ambitious listens of this week.
Recommendation: Worth a listen this week.

Artist: Ana Egge and the Senti-Mentals
Album: Say That Now
Quick Description: A roots-tinged affair.
Why You Should Listen: You're looking for something a little more traditional, but can't decide what.
Overall Thoughts: I'll preface this by saying that this isn't bad, it's just a little all over the place. When this album is working, it's really working well, but the big flaw in this as a cohesive listen is how all over the place it is. Sometimes it's more bluegrassy, sometimes it's more traditional country, sometimes the production makes it feel too modern. This inconsistency keeps it from being what it could be, in my mind, and means that you might not get a whole as much as parts from this that you enjoy.
Recommendation: Worth a run through.


Also out this week:

* Colvin and Earle - Colvin and Earle (Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle, does what it says on the tin)

Captain Casanova - "Futures"

Hailing from Denmark, Captain Casanova have just released a new single, "Futures." On first listen, "Futures" is a fun, poppy, yet raucous version of 90s classics by Dinosaur Jr and Nirvana, with just a hint of Pavement's slacker sound. However, singer and guitarist Rasmus Bredvig explains the song is "... written as an explanation and a goodbye to the son of my former girlfriend. It's a really unique subject matter for a rock song, and not exactly what you'd expect to hear in a noise-heavy jam. 

"Futures" is available now via iTunes via Tapetown Records. For more information on Captain Casanova, check out their website, and be sure to watch the video for "Futures" below.

Green River Festival 2016 Must See Acts

Now that we're just a month out, the Green River Festival has announced their schedule for 2016. It's a doozy of a line up, and with any all day festival with three stages, some major decisions will need to be made. Luckily for you, we're here to help you along and pick some of the must see acts of Green River 2016. (Note: We're only going to make it for Saturday and Sunday, so those are the two days we'll focus on.) Also, if past history with festivals are any indication, these plans could be completely scrapped once the music actually starts. Tickets are still available for the Green River Festival. You can get yours, and see the entire line up and schedule here.

Lula Wiles
The three members of Lula Wiles met at Maine Fiddle Camp, which apparently is a thing. They honed their talents at Berklee College of Music, and are now this beautiful traditional Americana group. While most Americana groups tend to be either a throw back or progressive, they really bridge the gap between the two and play traditional folk with a modern pop sensibility. 
Lula Wiles are playing two sets on Saturday. The first is a quickie to open the day on the main stage from 12:40-1:00. They play a longer set from 3:20-4:05 on The Parlor Room Stage.

And the Kids
I first caught And the Kids opening for Sallie Ford. Ok, well maybe I just caught maybe 3 songs of theirs. But it was a great three songs, and I've been obsessed ever since. At Green River, I'll finally get a chance to see a full set of their weirdo dance folk. They have a unique, fun sound, and are just about perfect to be what starts to pull the crowd out of their early afternoon music haze to get moving.
And the Kids are playing the Main Stage Saturday from 3:30-4:20.

Shovels & Rope
This one get a bit personal for me. I had fully meant to check out Shovels & Rope both of the years they played the Newport Folk Festival, but I got completely sidetracked by bands that played opposite them. Since those artists were Frank Turner and Benjamin Booker, it's nothing personal. Each time I caught the very end of their set, and I've been determined to catch a full set of their fiery country/garage rock/rockabilly set. This year I finally (hopefully) will.
Shovels & Rope play the Main Stage Saturday from 4:40-5:50

The Suffers, The Felice Brothers, and Oh Pep!
I can't believe that these three bands are all playing at literally the same time. The Suffers and The Felice Brothers were a huge draw for me once the line up was announced, and Oh Pep! are my big discovery as I checked out the rest of the line up. Deciding will be next to impossible, but here is what I plan on doing, and this might just work for me. I've seen The Felice Brothers do their rowdy folk rock thing, plus they're playing at Prescott Park in August, so I might have to miss them. I've never seen The Suffers and their amazing soul, so I have to see them. But I can't miss Oh Pep!'s fun, dance party folk, so... I guess half of The Suffers and then half of Oh Pep!? Maybe since Oh Pep! are from New Zealand I should catch just a bit more of them? Like I said, this is the most frustrating decision of the entire festival.
The Suffers are playing the Main Stage Saturday from 6:15-7:15. The Felice Brothers are playing the Four Rivers Stage from 6:25-7:40. Oh Pep! is on The Parlor Room Stage from 6:35-7:25. Good luck!

Shakey Graves
I almost debated putting Shakey Graves on this list, because you know you're going to see him. How could you not? His live show surpassed buzzed about and has pretty much landed on religious pilgrimage. Yet, he's somehow someone I've always missed at other festivals. This year I'm ready to have my life changed, even though he broke up Julie and Matt.
Shakey Graves plays the Main Stage Saturday from 7:35-8:45.

Winterpills
After an entire day of music on Saturday, you might want to sleep in a little, maybe go out to brunch to chill out a bit, and get to the festival later in the afternoon. But then you'd miss Winterpills. You're going to want to check them out. There are a ton of bands doing the folky indie rock thing these days, but Winterpills do it really, really well. Just check out their release from earlier this year, Love Songs, and you'll be dragging yourself to the campus early on Sunday to check them out.
Winterpills play the Four Rivers Stage Sunday from 1:10-1:55.

Mal Devisa
For Green River to place an artist like Mal Devisa on the Main Stage is pretty bad ass. She's folk, but not really. She takes the most traditional of all American music and completely throws it off kilter, including elements of hip hop without percussion. It's bizarre and absolutely perfect. 
Mal Devisa plays the Main Stage Saturday from 2:10-2:40.

Margo Price
I can not wait to see Margot Price live. Her debut album, Midwest Farmer's Daughter, came out earlier this year and has generated the best kind of buzz. Everyone seems to genuinely love her 70s era style take on country, and really legitimately, too. It's buzz by fans, not false buzz from record companies. Plus, add in her already nearly legendary performance on SNL, and Price might be the runaway hit of the entire shebang this year.
Margo Price is playing Sunday from 3:35-4:35 on the Four Rivers Stage.

Descendents - "Victim of Me"

For the first time in 12 years, we have a new song from the innovators of pop punk, the Descendents. It's not a bad song by any means, and it's miles ahead of the new material their contemporaries churn out every couple years, but I'm not completely sold on it. "Victim of Me" is far more thrashy than I would have expected, especially given their (relatively) laid back sound on 2004's Cool to Be You. Most of the songs on that album were calmer and dealt with settling into adulthood and middle age. "Victim of Me" is far louder and faster, but what throws me off a bit is how melodic the chorus ends up being. The two aspects don't mesh as well as I'd like them. That being said, there's no way I'm not thrilled for a new Descendents album.

The new Descendents album, Hypercaffium Spazzinate, will be out on July 29 on Epitaph Records. You can hear "Victim of Me" below. For more info on the Descendents, and to check out some pretty sweet pre-order bundles, check them out on Tumblr.

First Listen, Part Two: More New Releases for June 3

Here are the rest of the releases for the week!

Artist: Tegan and Sara
Album: Love You to Death
Quick Description: Newest album by the twin sisters.
Why You Should Listen: Tegan and Sara have been consistently great for a long time now, and this album is no different.
Overall Thoughts: Tegan and Sara have been mixing it up lately, and the synth-heavy pop rock of their previous album leads way to the logical progression of Love You to Death, which embraces that aesthetic quite well while having some definite Carly Rae-style hooks throughout. It's a very modern pop record in a lot of ways, and that isn't a bad thing unless you're really missing the "Time Running" days of over a decade ago. Definitely a solid listen this week.
Recommendation: Worth your time, quite good.

Artist: Kino Kimono
Album: Bait is for Sissies
Quick Description: Indie singer-songwriter stuff with involvement from members of Sonic Youth.
Why You Should Listen: The names associated with this make it interesting enough to give it a shot.
Overall Thoughts: This is a strange album. It's strange not because it's bad, or not especially because it's good, as it's just okay. What it is, however, is ultimately less interesting than what you'd expect from a project like this. You can sometimes hear the Sonic Youth influences here and there, and there are some different parts here and there, but, ultimately, this just feels like another indie singer/songwriter project without much to distinguish it from a lot of others.
Recommendation: Not essential, but maybe worth some time if you're really into the acts involved.

Artist: Fear of Men
Album: Fall Forever
Quick Description: New strange indie pop record.
Why You Should Listen: Their first album was good, and so is this.
Overall Thoughts: While I started out somewhat ambivalent about Loom, it did end up growing on me over time. Fall Forever is a better album in many regards, as it appears Fear of Men have found their footing a bit. It's still a little weird and off-center, but that's what makes it interesting on a whole, and probably worth listening to. It's just a shame it's out in such a busy week.
Recommendation: A good listen, maybe not a priority.

Artist: The Kills
Album: Ash and Ice
Quick Description: First album in five years from the indie rockers.
Why You Should Listen: Alison Mosshart is a must listen regardless.
Overall Thoughts: I've never been much of a Kills guy, even though I love The Dead Weather. So this album didn't connect 100% with me, but there was a good amount I did like. It's got the dark edge I perceive from what they do, but bigger fans might find something more here than I did. Not a bad listen.
Recommendation: Worth your time if you're a fan.

Artist: Mourn
Album: Ha, Ha, He
Quick Description: Second short album from the post-punkers.
Why You Should Listen: You like PJ Harvey, you like darker post punk.
Overall Thoughts: I was into Mourn's first album even though I thought it was too short. At 26 minutes, so too is this album, but there's a nice edge to it that I don't remember from their first attempt. The first song on the album, "Flee," absolutely sets the tone for me and this is one I expect to keep in the rotation for a while.
Recommendation: A great listen this week.

Artist: And the Kids
Album: Friends Share Lovers
Quick Description: Second album from the Northampton act.
Why You Should Listen: This is a significant improvement over their already-good debut.
Overall Thoughts: The big flaw in Turn to Each Other was the lack of that extra... something. Whatever it lacked, Friends Share Lovers brings it, with a bright tone and some really solid songwriting. A favorite of the week for me, this is a great example of what indie pop can be - even when imperfect, there's just a lot to like here, and you'll know it within the first few tracks. Sometimes it carries a weird 80s alt-rock vibe, sometimes it feels more modern and complex, and that's ultimately what makes it great.
Recommendation: A solid recommendation.

Artist: Amber Arcades
Album: Fading Lines
Quick Description: Great, great pop rock from a Dutch performer.
Why You Should Listen: It's arguably one of the best of the week.
Overall Thoughts: This album ticks a lot of boxes for me, so there is an inherent bias I have toward female European performers doing some poppy rock music, but this album just brings it. The title track gives you a good indication of what to expect, but the whole album just screams fun for me in a way I didn't expect. Absolutely worth your time this week, especially if you need a palate cleanser of sorts from some of the darker/heavier stuff.
Recommendation: A must listen this week.

Artist: Leland Sundries
Album: Music for Outcasts
Quick Description: Folk rock with a retro feel.
Why You Should Listen: You like a more traditionalist bent.
Overall Thoughts: I'll be honest, I didn't really get this. I can't tell if the tongue is in cheek on this, or if there's something more to it, but in terms of an album has some sort of retro-roots feel to it, I just didn't connect. And, in a week as busy as this one, there are better options at play.
Recommendation: Skip this.


Also out this week:

* Western Centuries - Weight of the World

Courtney Barnett Covers The Lemonheads (Again!)

Photo by Danny Clinch 

Two years ago I first discovered Courtney Barnett when she covered The Lemonheads' "Being Around." That started off a beautiful relationship of fandom, and I've become pretty obsessed with Barnett ever since. I loved the cover, even though "Being Around" is probably my least favorite Lemonheads song, and it's pretty much guaranteed to be played at every single Lemonheads/Evan Dando show you ever go to.

Well, she's back with yet another Lemonheads cover. This time she has an acoustic version of "Paid to Smile," one of my favorite lesser known Lemonheads songs. Nothing is changed in the song. It's a faithful, nearly revenant cover. Let's hope this leads to a Courtney Barnett Lemonheads tribute album. And, if she's taking requests, could we suggest "Mallo Cup" or "Ride With Me?"

You can listen to Courtney Barnett's version of "Paid to Smile" below, at around the 5:50 mark of the video. For more info on Barnett, check out her website.