Savoir Faire - "Sweet"

I truly hate just lifting a description from an artist's press release, but sometimes they just nail it. According to the press release for Savoir Faire's latest single, Sarah Fard's musical project is "... floating somewhere between jazz and art rock." "Sweet" perfectly reflects that description. Fard's vocals definitely bring the jazz sound, but in the way that Fiona Apple sings jazz. Musically the song definitely has jazz roots, but it meanders throughout a musical spectrum that kind of reminds me of Tori Amos with less piano and a killer guitar solo. "Sweet" is a unique song that deftly delves into art rock while still being accessible to a fairly mainstream audience. 

In the same press release, Sarah Fard says of the new song:

“'Sweet' is a rejection of the term so often thrown upon myself and other women. Throughout my career, I've been consistently told that I am 'sweet'. Though well intended, the term carries with it undertones of 'weak,' 'gentle,' or dare I say 'complacent'. 'Sweet' asserts that, though I may have a sweet exterior projected onto me, I am not as soft as I appear."

You can listen to "Sweet" below. The song is available now as a single via Bandcamp. For more on Savoir Faire, check out the artist's website.

Mint Green - "Body Language"

Photo via Facebook

It's been a while since we've brought you an original song from Mint Green. The Boston band has been releasing a bunch of covers lately, and no complaints from us but it's great to have a new original song from them. "Body Language" puts the pop in pop punk. It may have the crashing drums and guitars you would normally associate with pop punk, but the vocals, especially the harmonizing, is pure pop. I may tend to be the anti-pop guy here at If It's Too Loud..., but "Body Language" is nearly impossible not to love. It's all the angst and edge associated with punk but the beauty you get in a pop song. Seriously, punk is not known for beauty, but Mint Green's vocals, especially when harmonizing, and mesmerizing. 

You can watch the video for "Body Language" below. The song is available as a single via Pure Noise Records, and can be found here. For more on Mint Green, check out the band's website.

Emma Lee M.C. - "Campfire"

We first discovered Emma Lee M.C. almost two years ago with the release of "Hugo Pinnell (Mosh)." Hearing that song was wildly exciting, as it was one of the most exciting hip hop songs I had heard in a while. Now with the release of "Campfire," we know the Uganda born Harlem raised M.C. is one of the rappers we need to start getting thrilled about. "Campfire" has the noise of classic Public Enemy. With that noise comes a sense of urgency that I've been personally missing in hip hop. There's a high pitched whine that sounds like an alarm going off throughout the song, and with a beat that resembles marching, the Public Enemy comparisons are fitting. But this isn't a throwback to 1988 at all. Emma Lee M.C. also sings in the song and adds in a little but of R&B. Normally that's something I can't personally get into, but Emma Lee M.C. makes it work even for us middle aged hip hop fans.

You can listen to "Campfire" below. Boom Bap Metropolis is due out later this year. For more on Emma Lee M.C., check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter.

Sad Daddy - "Arkansas Bound"

Photo by Melissa Brawner

Sad Daddy are the kind of country band that can record in a cabin in Arkansas and sound like they did without it being cutesy at all. Their latest single is the Melissa Carper written and sung "Arkansas Bound." This song is just pure down home country and folk. It's the kind of song that could very easily have been a throwback or referred to as old timey, but Sad Daddy make it sound modern despite the fact that it is timeless. Although it could have been recorded any time over the last seventy or so years, something about "Arkansas Bound" feels modern.

Melissa Carper says of the new song:

“‘Arkansas Bound’ was inspired by living in the big city and longing to go back to a slower pace of life in the country, surrounded by nature. I was making a lot of trips from Austin, Texas, back to Arkansas at the time and once I would hit those winding country roads in the Ozark Mountains, a sense of relief would come over me. I’ve been drawn to cities to find the inspiration of various music communities but I really have never loved living in a city. I have spent a good deal of time in and around Eureka Springs, Arkansas, which is a tiny town in Northwest Arkansas, in the Ozarks. There is something about the country there that keeps drawing me back in.”

You can listen to "Arkansas Bound" below. Way Up in the Hills is due out January 28 and can be pre-ordered/pre-saved here. For more on Sad Daddy, check out the band's website.

Schedule 1 - "Show Your Children"

Schedule 1 are a "melodic punk band from Vancouver, BC." There must be something in the water up there, because even a melodic punk band comes out sounding pretty damn dark. Their latest single, "Show Your Children," has plenty of jangle to the guitars and much more actual singing than you would expect with punk. But Schedule 1 sound like a very early version of The Cure decided to go a little more punk than New Wave and come out the other end sounding much more post punk. If that description appeals to you, you're going to love this. It has all of the energy of punk, but with a lot more fuzz than you normally get and with the edges softened just slightly. 

You can listen to "Show Your Children" below. Schedule 1's self-titled 12" is due out January 28 on Dirt Cult Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Schedule 1, check out the band's Facebook and Bandcamp.

Friday Freebie: The Dirty Truckers - Three Shots EP

According to the description on their latest EP's Bandcamp page, The Dirty Truckers provide "... a sonic wall of '70s FM thunder welded by earnest blue collar rock n' roll." The Boston band's newest release, Three Shots EP, is three songs (naturally) that combine rock in country in a way you haven't quite heard before. It's a unique mix of alt-country and power pop, with all of the edge and punk attitude of alt-country but with huge melodic guitars and some of the catchiest hooks around. It's like bands like The Replacements and Drive-By Truckers decided to smooth out their sound a bit. It's distinctly a country rock EP, but more like Gram Parsons by way of Steve Earle.

You can listen to "Turn Your Head Around" below. Three Shots EP is out now on Rum Bar Records and available for the "name your price" option over at Bandcamp. If you do choose free, be sure to give The Dirty Truckers a follow over on Facebook.

Guerilla Toss - "Cannibal Capital"

Photo by Ebru Yildiz

Guerilla Toss have always been one of the more interesting bands we've covered. Back when I first discovered them opening for Mission of Burma in 2015 they were more of a guitar noise band, and since they've evolved to more of an electronic noise band. The band introduced multiple songs as "party songs" back at that live show, which seems to be the thread that unites their entire catalog. 

The latest from Guerilla Toss seems to unite both sides of the band. "Cannibal Capital" opens more as a guitar driven noise rock song, but quickly changes to one of the most oddball dance jams you've ever heard. It keeps some of the more guitar rock elements throughout, but this is distinctly a dance song, albeit not like anything you think of when you think of dance music. For a band that has always been playing "party songs," this is the most party we've ever seen them. 

You can watch the video for "Cannibal Capital" below. Famously Alive is due out March 25 on Sub Pop Records, and can be pre-ordered/pre-saved here. For more on Guerilla Toss, check out the band's website.

Tomato Flower - "World to Come"

Photo by Tomato Flower

The latest single from Baltimore's Tomato House starts off fairly normally. It's pretty standard modern mellow indie rock. "World to Come" sort of meanders around itself, taking the listener on a pleasant little journey. And then it changes enough to get a little more weird. Extra instruments seem to come in (or the existing instruments ramp up a bit), and Austyn Wohlers' vocals take on a choir-like sound. The change isn't exactly subtle, but it changes without altering the vibe of the song at all. "World to Come" is on of the more endearing indie rock songs of 2022 so far. If you like your indie to have more harmony than noise, Tomato Flower can't be missed.

You can listen to "World to Come" below. Gold Arc is due out February 11 on Ramp Local and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Tomato Flower, check out the band's Facebook and Instagram.

Raw Poetic - "Sunny Water"

Photo by Earl Davis

We were big fans of Raw Poetic's 2020 collaborative album with his uncle Archie Shepp and Damu the Fudgemunk. This year he's releasing his sixth solo album and we can now check out the first single. "Sunny Water" is more straight up hip hop than the jazz/hip hop hybrid album Ocean Bridges, but it's definitely not your average hip hop song. It has that free feeling of jazz without sounding like jazz. Musically, it doesn't really sound like hip hop, either. The beats are more restrained than I've ever heard in a rap song before. It's jazzy without sounding like jazz and hip hop without being an obvious rap song. Raw Poetic is pushing boundaries on this one, and we can't wait to hear more.

Raw Poetic (aka Jason Moore) also has a hard time describing his upcoming album in a press release:

“I still can’t fully describe what kind of album this is so I’ve now reserved myself to telling people it’s a ‘Jason’ album. I wanted to tell people what the hell is going on through my head sometimes; how I feel as a guy from Northern Virginia. Sometimes it’s invisible, other times invincible. Sometimes loved, sometimes hurt. Once we got started mixing and matching ideas, well… it became something that I am very proud of.”

You can watch the video for "Sunny Water" below. Laminated Skies is due out March 18 on Def Presse, and can be pre-ordered/pre-saved here. For more on Raw Poetic, check out the artist's website.

Shane Parish - "Black Eyed Susan"

Photo by Courtney Chappell

The upcoming album from Shane Parish is one of the more interesting releases we've come across. Liverpool is a collection of traditional sea shanties re-imagined with electric guitar and drums. The collection of songs was originally arranged for an acoustic guitar but were then recorded with electric guitars. Far from being a TikTok trend, a song like "Black Eyed Susan" sounds like no sea shanty you've ever heard before. It's an experimental instrumental showcase for Parish's musicianship. While most experimental guitar based music tends to focus more on noise, Parish takes the familiar and completely reworks it in a dark and hypnotic way. There aren't many artists out there that could release a six and a half minute instrumental sea shanty and make it one of the most compelling listens of the year, but Parish has gifted us all with that.

You can watch the video for "Black Eyed Susan" below. Liverpool is due out March 4 on Dear Life Records and can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp. For more on Shane Parish, check out the artist's website.