Friday (On a Tuesday) Freebie: Kitten Forever's Discography

I may be wrong on this one, but I believe Kitten Forever was the very first band that ever submitted their music to us in the early days of If It's Too Loud... It's been two years since we've been able to bring you any new music from them, and, unfortunately, we don't have anything new. When Bandcamp was waiving their fees for artists back on May 1, I saw Kitten Forever post about putting up leftover tour merch on their Bandcamp, and I decided to check it out. The first bit of good news is that they had a $5.00 t-shirt actually in my size, but that doesn't do much for you folks. What is great for everyone else is that their entire discography is available as a free download on Bandcamp! This includes seven albums, two singles, and a rarities compilation (titled Rarities, obviously) are all yours right now! Kitten Forever might be my absolute favorite kind of punk: It's loud, sloppy, has a great sense of humor, and is the pinnacle of the current neo-riot grrrl bands out there today. The aforementioned Rarities includes a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" that you'll only recognize because of the "Since you've been gone!" that gets screamed out for the chorus. My suggestion would be to start with their 2018 album Semi-Permanent and move your way backwards. You won't regret spending this week listening to Kitten Forever.

You can watch the video for "Hell Hole" below. Kitten Forever's discography is available for the "Name Your Price" option over at their Bandcamp. If you choose to download it for free, be sure to consider buying some very reasonably priced merch, and give them a follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Allegra Krieger - "Rot"

Photo by Liz Maney

We were mesmerized by Allegra Krieger's single "The Push and The Pull," so we're obviously thrilled to have a second single. "Rot" is far more upbeat than the title would suggest. It's the style of singer/songwriter tunes that dominated the 90's. It's much more Liz Phair than being folk. It's a relaxed mid-tempo jam, even though it has some of the most punk rock lyrics you've heard in a while. The song is about climate change deniers. With lyrics like "White savior behavior puts on a good political show / Find a honey, make a kid / They say it’s a kind of love like you’ve never known / Yes, everyone is talking now / So sure and so loud it’s impossible to recall / How the ocean disavowed / The ignorance of all men standing proud and tall / But you don’t want to think, you don’t want to think," it's like Kreiger is channeling Bad Religion's attitude but tricking us all with her sweetness.

You can listen to "Rot" below. The song is available now via Northern Spy Records. For more on Allegra Krieger, check out her website.

The Slow Painters - "Egon"

Photo by Sigurd Fandango

The Slow Painters formed in Norway sixteen years ago, but are just now getting around to releasing their first album. A press release compares them to The Las meets Husker Du, and based on their first single there's no way to argue that. "Egon" has that early dream pop/Brit pop sound of The Las with the noise and aggression of Husker Du. Those might sound like nearly impossible genres to blend, but The Slow Painters do it by landing squarely in the middle. They don't commit too strongly to the beautifully dreamy side of things or the discordant side, and instead land in an area all their own that feels strangely familiar and leaves you feeling at home, even though you know you've never been here before.

You can listen to "Egom" below. The Slow Painters's self-titled debut album will be out August 28 on Keepsecretrecords. For more on The Slow Painters, check them out on Facebook and Bandcamp.

Le Ren - "Love Can't Be The Only Reason To Stay"

Photo by Mariah Hamilton

Normally describing a song as a waltz would turn me away from it, but most songs aren't by Le Ren. "Love Can't Be The Only Reason To Stay" is quiet but compelling. Le Ren's vocals just draw you in with the cadence of her guitar. As quiet as it is, this isn't a quiet folk song. The warmth and power of Le Ren's voice keeps it from being twee or too folky. I say that, but "Love Can't Be The Only Reason To Stay" is a relatively standard folk song that is truly lifted by the vocals. This song is hopefully a teaser for incredible things to come.

You can watch the video for "Love Can't Be The Only Reason To Stay" below. The song is available as a single via Secretly Canadian. For more on Le Ren, check her out on Instagram.

Atwater Punx - "Ghost Town"

Stacy Jones has one of the craziest musical careers of anyone I know of. He's the former/current drummer of Letters to Cleo, former drummer of Veruca Salt, singer/guitarist in American Hi-Fi, musical director for Miley Cyrus and The Chainsmokers, and the touring drummer for Matchbox Twenty. So obviously he needs another musical project: Atwater Punx. This new band sees him joining with his wife, Kristen Wagner Jones (Shut Up Stella). The couple started working on music together after the birth of their son, which they'd do during his nap time or after he went to bed. They've released a new song, "Ghost Town." "Ghost Town" has elements of bands like Rancid mixed with some of the dance punk of Le Tigre, but combined with the more pop side of things that Jones has been dabbling in lately. It's a really interesting mix, sounding nothing like any of his usual musical projects. It's also about watching Los Angeles shut down overnight due to quarantine. 

You can listen to "Ghost Town" below. The Flea Draws Blood, the debut EP from Atwater Punx, will be out May 28. For more on Atwater Punx, check them out on Instagram.

Gum Country - "Tennis (I Feel Ok)"

Photo by Gum Country

Considering how much we've loved The Courtneys here at If It's Too Loud..., it's safe to say we're going to want to hear any other musical projects its members put out. Gum Country (featuring Courtney Garvin) has released a second single off their upcoming debut album, and we're in. "Tennis (I Feel Ok)" is a synth heavy lo-fi track featuring fuzzy guitars. It's impossibly upbeat without being saccharine. It's a cheerful indie rock track, which can be a rarity, but is more than welcome right now. The sheer joy of the song reflects the subject matter. It's about Garvin discovering how much she loves tennis. As she says:

"Kinda goofy, but in all honesty my relationship with tennis is so meaningful to me on a spiritual level. It’s my meditation practice. The game makes you present, you're repeating movements, and finding a rhythm. And it’s so creative. I think all athletes are artists. Plus you get to be outside, getting exercise, hanging with friends and all of those things are so good for you. So the song is pretty much about how tennis just makes my life better. I love tennis. If anyone reading this wants to play (after the pandemic) please hit me up."

You can listen to "Tennis (I Feel Ok)" below. Somewhere, the debut album from Gum Country, will be out June 19. For more on Gum Country, check out the band's website.

Tysk Tysk Task - "Red Flags"

Despite releasing their debut full length last month, Tysk Tysk Task have released the demo of a new song. "Red Flags" is a rough demo. You're going to start listening and be turned off by how rough it is at first, but give it a minute. (Indie rock got its start like this, so there's a certain warm and fuzzy nostalgia that I get from hearing demos like this.) Slowly the harshness of the recording becomes part of the song. How scratchy and fuzzy it is lends itself to the aesthetic of the whole thing, and increases the uncomfortable mood, which is part of the whole pleasure of Tysk Tysk Task. "Red Flags" is a rough and painful break up song, and having the recording be rough and painful adds to the overall listening experience.

You can listen to "Red Flags" below. The song is currently available on Tysk Tysk Task's Bandcamp. For more on Tysk Tysk Task, check out the band's Facebook and Instagram. Also, singer Samantha Hartsel has just released a book of poetry and an accompanying experimental musical piece. You can find that here.

Dinosaur Jr Covers Ram Jam

Photo via Facebook

Somehow I am just discovering this exists. Way back in 2012, Dinosaur Jr included a cover of Ram Jam's immortal "Black Betty" on I Bet On Sky... in certain markets. That cover has never been available digitally until now. Dinosaur Jr's cover of "Black Betty" is as glorious as you'd expect. I mean, "Black Betty" may be the greatest rock song ever recorded, and this version of it includes J Mascis guitars. What more could you possibly want from anything in your entire life? Plus, there's no way Dinosaur Jr didn't have an absolute blast playing this. Let's hope that when concerts come back, this becomes a live staple for Dino Jr. And let's hope they recreate the original's video.

You can listen to Dinosaur Jr's even better than you can imagine version of "Black Betty" below via Spotify. It also comes with a live version of Bug's "Pond Song." For more on Dinosaur Jr, be sure to check out their website.

Moscow Apartment - "Halfway"

Hailing from Toronto, Moscow Apartment are mainly a duo of best friends. Their latest single, the mellow yet intense alt rocker "Halfway" is about a falling out the two had. According to a press release:

"One day we had a big fight and Pascale wrote the beginning of our new single, 'Halfway' as a way to ask Brighid for forgiveness. Brighid wrote the second verse and worked on the chorus, giving birth to this song. We produced 'Halfway' with Guillermo Subauste (mixed by Scotty Hard) and approached its recording in an experimental and relaxed mood.

This past fall, the two of us had a really big falling out that was pretty scary in terms of it being hard to take time away from each other when we have an intense musical relationship on top of all the typical drama that teenage best friends go through."

The resulting song is undeniably captivating. You can feel the tension the two friends must have felt as they used their musical connection to rebuild their personal one. It's hesitant and beautiful and quite simply a must listen.

You can watch the video for "Halfway" below. It will be included on Moscow Apartment's upcoming EP Better Daughter. For more on Moscow Apartment, check out their website.

Squirrel Flower Covers Caroline Polachek

Photo by Maria Gelsomini

It may be the b-side of a new single, but considering how obsessed we are with covers, we kinda need to cover this one. Squirrel Flower has recently released a single titled "Take It or Leave It," and for the b-side she has included a cover of Caroline Polachek's "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings." Despite this being a cover, this sounds like it could have been included on Squirrel Flower's 2020 album of the year candidate I Was Born Swimming. For a cover, this one fits the artist perfectly. 

Ella O'Connor Williams (aka Squirrel Flower) explains the story behind the cover: “For the last show of my truncated tour in March, my band and I decided to play a cover of ‘So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings’ after rehearsing it once during sound check (we are all huge Caroline Polachek fans),” says Williams. “It was the last song I played live before quarantine. I got home from tour and immediately recorded it in my basement.”

You can listen to Squirrel Flower's cover of "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" below. You can also check out "Take It or Leave It" here. For more on Squirrel Flowers, check out the artist's website.