We love cosmic country here at If It's Too Loud..., and this appears to be shaping up to be a cosmic country week. Ryan Curtis just released a new single, "Can't Take Back." It's definitely a country song, but it's also filled with more groove than you ever thought possible along with some fabulous psychedelic guitar work. I can't quite place when "Can't Take Back" sounds like it's from, but it certainly isn't 2023. The 1970's seems to be the default when discussing psychedelia, and especially for cosmic country, but that doesn't seem quite right, either. Curtis has created a sound that is both familiar and all his own.
You can listen to "Can't Take Back" below. Ain't Ever Easy is due out July 14 on American Standard Time Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Ryan Curtis, check out the artist on Facebook and Instagram.
Pop punk duo The Dollyrots are leaning heavily into the pop side of the genre with their latest single. "Missing You (I Can't Wait)" is more power pop than pop punk, which makes sense considering Stevie Van Zandt co-produced the single. This fits right into his wheelhouse of power pop meets garage rock. It's a fuzzed filled song that is impossibly catchy and just dripping with sweet sounding harmonies. "Missing You (I Can't Wait)" is just a fun pop rock song that has just enough edge to it to keep things interesting, even if the 1960's influences are powering through throughout the entire song.
Singer/bassist Kelly Ogden says of the new song:
"'Missing You (I Can’t Wait)' was unfinished when we brought it into the studio in NYC to record with Stevie Van Zandt. We share a love of 60s pop harmonies, and that sensibility turned the song’s outro into the trippiest vocal layering we’ve ever done. It’s always a treat to collaborate with geniuses."
You can listen to "Missing You (I Can't Wait)" is out now as a single via Wicked Cool Records. For more on The Dollyrots, check out the band's website.
Austin's Lauren Lakis is being described as a "shoegaze dark rock artist," and based on her new single that's very appropriate, but there is much more to her sound. "Terror Tears" is indeed a dark song with a shoegaze wall of sound that washes over you while you listen. But the noise is more noisy and aggressive than you would normally hear with shoegaze, even dark shoegaze. "Terror Tears" has more of an 80's Sonic Youth sound, especially with the whine and fuzz of the guitar. What makes Lakis' sound more interesting is that there's an unexpected pop element to the song. The vocals are more poppy than you typically hear in shoegaze or indie rock, which ends up sucking you in even more while listening.
You can watch the video for "Terror Tears" below. A Fiesta and a Hell is due out in the Fall via Green Witch Recordings. For more on Lauren Lakis, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook.
Just in case you couldn't get into the cosmic country of The Pink Stones enough, they went and teamed with Nikki Lane on their latest single. "Baby, I'm Still Right Here (With You)" is a duet between Hunter Pinkston and Nikki Lane in the tradition of classic country duets. Plus, The Pink Stones put the cosmic and cosmic country with this one. The guitar itself sounds impossibly trippy, and almost aquatic at times. (That might sound strange, but once you listen, you'll get it.) This song is a perfect throwback to 70's rhinestone country, but through a bizarro filter.
Hunter Pinkston says of his band's upcoming album:
“This record was me trying to take everything I love as a listener and a player and shove it all into one thing without it sounding random. There’s obviously a lot of country and rock in our music, but there’s a lot of gospel and soul and psych and dub. I really wanted to get all of those things living peacefully together in one record.”
You can watch the video for "Baby, I'm Still Right Here (With You)" below. You Know Who is due out June 30 on Normaltown/New West Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on The Pink Stones, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
June 22 - Macon, GA - Grant’s Lounge (w/ Esther Rose) June 24 - Athens, GA - Athfest June 30 - Nashville, TN - 3rd & Lindsley June 30 - Grimey's in store July 1 - Nashville, TN - Bobby’s Idle Hour (w/ Teddy & The Rough Riders) July 19 - Chattanooga, TN - Cherry Street Tavern July 21 - Charleston, SC - The Royal American July 22 - Savannah, GA - Over Yonder August 4 - Asheville, NC - AVL Music Fest
Hailing from the UK, Raisin Awareness are getting called pop punk, but I'm not quite hearing enough pop in their punk for that category to work for me. Their debut single, "Never Ending Story," is proudly melodic, but so is Bad Religion and no one is calling them pop punk. The song is catchy with some pop tendencies, but it has just enough of an edge to keep from being truly pop. It also has wonderfully fuzzy guitars and driving drums that are going to suck you right in. Plus, the lyrics are clever while still being political.
Lead guitarist and vocalist Jo D says of the new single:
"When you actually sit down and think about how fucked the world is and that you’re part of that mess, it can feel overwhelming. Some of us have gotten very good at justifying our actions due to their convenience, or some of us simply stick our heads in the sand.”
You can watch the video for "Never Ending Story" below. The song will be available on Currant Times which is set to be released on Lockjaw Records. For more on Raisin Awareness, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram.
London's I, Doris are described as "mummy-core" and "kitchen-punk," so I don't even know how we're supposed to resist that. (Not to mention that all members go by the stage name Doris.) Their new single, "HRT," isn't quite as fast or punk as I expected it to be. It's more along the lines of ? and the Mysterians than what we'd normally call punk. "HRT" is a blast of a song, though. It's keyboard heavy with strong leanings towards early garage rock and post-punk. And I can gurantee that it's the best song about hormone replacement therapy you've ever heard.
Bassist and songwriter Doris (aka Cassie Fox) says of her band's new song: "so many people with wombs face an uphill battle in obtaining the healthcare they need. 'HRT' is about the struggle to be taken seriously and the fight to access the care we need to live our lives on our own terms. Also, it’s a disco banger. Now, what was I just saying?”.
You can watch the video for "HRT" below. The single is available now via Loud Women. For more on I, Doris, check out the band's website.
Wednesday night Deer Tick kicked off their monster tour supporting their fantastic new album Emotional Contracts in Portsmouth, NH, which was John McCauley's birthday (aka Flag Day). It ended up being a brilliant and exhilarating night of music even though it had one of the rockiest of starts.
The stage at Cisco Brewers is basically a parking lot with a stage at the end in the middle of an industrial park. But it's actually set up really nicely with a grassy hill over on the side for lounging and better views of the stage. I got there right as opener Rafay Rashid started, playing a laid back version of alt-rock meets roots music. They only played four or five songs when someone from the venue took to the stage to announce they had to pause the show due to thunderstorms passing through the area, for everyone to head indoors, and it would probably last about an hour.
It turned out to last about two and a half hours. There was little to no communication between the venue and the assembled crowd as to what was happening, and I know I assumed the show was being called off. The evening was advertised as lasting until 10:00, so as that hour came closer and closer, I became more discouraged and annoyed. I know no one can control a storm, and I certainly don't want anyone hurt, but communication would have been nice. I started wishing I had picked literally any other way to spend my evening, and debating joining the people who had already bailed on the night. Finally, I noticed a large number of people near the door head outside, so I wandered out to see if anything was happening. Turns out they were hurriedly setting up the stage for Deer Tick to finally start the show around 9:50.
Deer Tick had a monumental task to make the evening worth it, and they were more than up to the task. Before they started, there was an excitement in the crowd I haven't felt in years. It was a mixture of giddiness that all that waiting wasn't for nothing, and that Deer Tick have earned a die hard following in the past decade plus. They took the stage wearing party hats and with the crowd serenading John McCauley with a terrible rendition of "Happy Birthday." And then the rock started.
Surprisingly, the band didn't play anything off of Born on Flag Day. They started off with two songs off of the upcoming Emotional Contracts, and despite how new the songs were, the crowd knew them by heart. In fact, three of the first five songs were from the upcoming album before Deer Tick busted out a version of Jimmy Lloyd's (or NRBQ's) "I Got a Rocket in My Pocket," which is such a perfect cover for them. They also covered Santo & Johnny's "Tear Drop" later in the set, but it was played so closely to the end of another song that most people didn't notice, even after McCauley pointed it out.
I've been going to see Deer Tick for thirteen years now, from dive bars to festival stages and venues in between. This was the best I've ever seen them. The finally feel poised to just explode into the (semi) mainstream, and they deserve it. The show was finally called off at 11:15 due to noise ordinances, and McCauley kept profusely apologizing for not being able to play their entire set. John, if you're reading this, none of us minded. You played a brilliant show for nearly ninety minutes and played seventeen songs. You could have just ended the show and no one would have felt shorted. I'll definitely see you next time.
Note to music promoters: If you want me to be sure to listen to your submissions, just compare the song to Weezer, The Rentals, and that dog. Those three were a holy trinity to me in the 90's, and I used to dream about a triple bill. Of course, the music has to live up to those comparisons, and the latest from JATK definitely does. The Boston based musical project of Matt Jatkola's new single, "Ana," mines 90's nostalgia both sonically but lyrically. "Ana" has that huge, fuzzy anthemic quality Weezer songs used to, the synth-filled joyfulness of The Rentals, and the harmonies of that dog. Plus, it references 90's trends like Jenco jeans and wallet chains. It reminds me a lot of Weezer songs like "Jamie" and "Suzanne," and not just because they all involve women's names.
Matt Jatkola says of his new single:
"Emotionally, 'Ana' is an homage to a golden era of life. Musically, 'Ana' is an homage to a golden era of alternative rock. 'Ana' could be an idea. 'Ana' could be a person.
You can listen to "Ana" below. For more on JATK, check out the artist on Facebook and Instagram.
I'm truly mad that it took so long for CHAI to click with me. The Japanese quartet have just released a new single, which is a tribute to the 90's dance craze in Japan. "Para Para" even sounds like a 90's R&B hit. Seriously, this could not sound more like something that was released in the 90's. It has that smooth jam feel you'd hear from artists like TLC and SWV. For a song that is meant to invoke 90's nostalgia, "Para Para" does its job perfectly. I implore you to drop your indie snobbery and just enjoy the absolute fun that CHAI will bring you.
Vocalist/keyboardist Mana says of the band's new song:
“There’s not a deep meaning to that song, it’s really just about the dance,” says Mana. “As long as you can feel the two-step, any dance is possible! Let your body just move to your dancing heart ♡ When your body moves to the beat of your heart, you’ll realize that the world is smaller than you think, and all your problems are easier than they seem. ‘Cause two-step and music is the best way to communicate in this world ♡ Let it START! CHAI’s two-step dance music ☆☆”
You can watch the video for "Para Para" below. CHAI's self-titled album is due out September 22 on Sub Pop Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on CHAI, check out their website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat. Sept. 23 - Boise, ID @ Flipside Festival Sun. Sept. 24 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Mon. Sept. 25 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge Wed. Sept. 27 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent Fri. Sept. 29 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Mon. Oct. 2 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall Wed. Oct. 4 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Fri. Oct. 6 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw Sun. Oct. 8 - Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom Tue. Oct. 10 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage Wed. Oct. 11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s Fri. Oct. 13 - Mexico City, MEX @ Indie Rocks!
I first discovered Tre Burt opening for Haley Heynderickx in Providence, and I've been a fan ever since. On his latest single, "Santiago," Burt has released a rollicking folk rocker. It's a fun and upbeat song that is surprisingly keyboard heavy. It's reminding me of early Wilco. It's fitting since the song is about Burt's relationship with his grandfather, Santiago, who passed away earlier this year. It's a beautiful tribute to a beloved family member that focuses more on the joy the two shared instead of mourning. "Santiago" is the kind of song that will make you instantly want to hear more.
Tre Burt says of his new song:
“The song actually started out as a writing prompt that my friend gave me over the phone during my solo writing retreats at the cabin. She said ‘write about Santiago’ and it ended up being a good stage to talk about some heartache I was going through. But it wasn’t just heartache, there was also a lot of joy which is why it sounds upbeat, I guess.
You can watch the video for "Santiago" below. Traffic Fiction is due out October 6 on Oh Boy Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Tre Burt, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
9/23: Healing Appalachia - Lewisburg, WV
10/7: Los Angeles Folk Festival at The Ford - Los Angeles, CA
