If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Tobias Polanco Argentina's Buenos Vampiros' new album is due to come out in September, and they just released two new singles from it while we wait. "Mundo Raro" is a garage rock goes power pop single, just as fuzzy as it is melodic and catchy. It's one of those songs that feels both retro and modern, and it's only a few steps away from being a pop song. The second single, "Morir en Mi Tierra" is more of a Spanish torch ballad, with almost all of the garage rock we associate with Buenos Vampiros absent. They keep a punk edge to the song, though, making it still sound like it's them. Here are two wildly different songs from the same band that are able to sound like they're from the same artist. Just gives us more reasons to love Buenos Vampiros. You can listen to "Mundo Raro" and "Morir en Mi Tierra" below. El ultimo disparos is due out September 4 on Spinda Records and Casa del Puente Discos, and is available for ...

I've been a rabid Tysk Tysk Task fan since discovering them way back in 2019. Their sound has evolved from a sort of indie folk to woodland grunge to heavy shoegaze. Their latest single, "Harmless," takes the raw energy and emotion of 2022's You're Sorry More and combines it with their newer, more shoegaze leaning sound. It also ends up being their most punk sounding song yet. It's loud, it's fast, and it's just barely kept under control. Singer/guitarist Samantha Hartsel has this great quality to her vocals on "Harmless," where it's both melodic and dissonant, quite often at the same time. Tysk Tysk Task has an alls-tar line-up "Harmless," with Rick Martel (Chainlacing) on guitar, Keith Dusoe (Gut Health, Cowperson) on bass, and drummer Joe Milia (Burp., Mold.). Tysk Tysk Task continues to evolve their sound while sounding like themselves, and "Harmless" is a huge step forward while merging in their roots. You can lis...

Photo by Bjarki Guðmundsson Paper Tigers were everywhere a few years ago, playing both Boston Calling and In Between Days in 2022 and 2023, and receiving Boston Music Awards and New England Music Awards nominations. They've been quiet since then, but that silence ends today with a new single, "Go Out." This latest song is the first with their transatlantic line-up (members live in Boston and Iceland), and is an arena ready rock anthem. As pop-focused and catchy as "Go Out" is, it's also fully a rock song. It's reminding me of bands like U2 and Muse, but with a punk edge. It's also the kind of song you can pump your fist or dance to, whichever works best for you. For added greatness, the song also features Olivia Beatrice Martinez of Don't Tell Iris on guest vocals. It's a perfect re-introduction to Paper Tigers, and shows that after conquering Boston, they're ready to take on the world.  Paper Tigers say of their latest single: “‘Go Out’ ...

It's been a minute (or seven or so years) since we've heard from Stef Chura, a favorite around these parts. Reading about her new album, however, is sort of like that Vince McMahon meme for me where each detail about it is more and more exciting: new album in October - produced in part by Robert Schneider of Apples in Stereo - featuring multiple Elephant 6 alums - with lead single, "Danny," featuring both Mike Mills and Peter Buck of R.E.M.? Be still my heart! The song itself opens with a horn straight out of a Heartstrings -era Beulah record before the familiar Buck and Mills interplay comes in, and Chura sounds as good and confident as ever. Few lead singles have gotten me quite as excited as this one does, and it's a song I'm already hooked on. Dancing Alone on the Concrete is due out in October via Saddle Creek, and in the advance notes about the album, they write: Stef Chura’s been through a lot in the last seven years. Maybe you’ve been ...

Earlier this year, Annabelle Chairlegs released her excellent album Waking Up. The Austin artist included a vinyl exclusive song on the album, and now that song has reached streaming services as a single. "I Feel So Mad" is a fantastic mixture of indie pop and noisy indie rock. It starts out as a bluesy, kinda ramblin' track until it takes off into pure fuzzed out indie rock. It's been a bit since I listened to Waking Up , but this latest single stands up with anything else on the album, and might actually be my favorite from that release. If Annabelle Chairlegs has fallen out of your attention with everything else going on in the world, "I Feel So Mad" is a great reminder to give her another (or a few more) listens. You can listen to "I Feel So Mad" below. The song is out now via TODO. For more on Annabelle Chairlegs, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. SEPTEMBER 04 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Psych Fest† 05 ...

Experimental rock supergroup The Odyssey Cult (featuring members of Howlin Rain, Comets on Fire, Sonic Youth, Carlton Melton, Osees, Tarnation, and Magic Fig) have a new single out that is a delightful example of heavy psychedelia. "Back to the Cave" is a loud powerhouse of a song. It mixes 60's psychedelia with the heaviness (and psych elements) of early Black Sabbath, along with the noise and raw energy of Sonic Youth and The Stooges. The whole thing sounds like a bunch of 60's hippies tried witchcraft and made a horrible, horrible mistake... a mistake for them. For us, we get an amazing and mind-blowing new single that rocks hard while still swirling around us in a hazy way. You can listen to "Back to the Cave" below. Vol. 3 is due out August 21 on Silver Current Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on The Odyssey Cult, check out the band on Instagram .

Photo by Natia Cinco Cool or not, we tend to love cover songs here at If It's Too Loud... Progressive bluegrass band AJ Lee & Blue Summit are set to release a new all covers album, and just released their version of Sheryl Crow's iconic "Soak Up the Sun." Jeff has always been a champion of Crow's first couple of albums, and I'm just getting over my indie rock snobbery and admitted how great her music is after last year's Boston Calling. A progressive bluegrass cover of "Soak Up the Sun" is pretty much a perfect fit, and AJ Lee & Blue Summit keep all of the pop hooks of Crow's original while adding just enough of their own sound to it. It's a great and fun cover, and both versions of the song are perfect summer songs.  You can listen to AJ Lee & Blue Summit's version of "Soak Up the Sun" below. Cover to Cover is due out September 11 on Signature Sounds, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on ...

Photo by Sarah Cass You're going to want to prepare yourself for this one. "Not How I Hoped," the latest single from Sera Cahoone, is great. Like... really great. It's a heartbreak ballad that combines folk, singer-songwriter, and a little blues and country. As soon as Cahoone's vocals kick in, you're instantly hooked and hanging on her every word and inflection. This ends up being one of the most mesmerizing songs of the year, without doing anything but being a great song. It's the kind of song that anyone that has ever experienced heartbreak will end up loving, from the biggest indie snobs to the most mainstream music fans. "Not How I Hoped" has the kind of universal appeal of Lucy Dacus' "Nightshift." The reward of having a music blog is when you find a song that you know is going to end up beloved by many, and this is one of those songs. Sera Cahoone says of her latest single: "This song flew out of my broken heart many moo...

Boston's Honey Cassette just released their debut single, and it's perfect for those of us that love 90's alt-rock. "Piece of Mind" is a track that's just as fuzzy as it is poppy. It has guitar licks that reach for the stars while still staying grounded in dissonance. They get compared to Guided By Voices and Built to Spill quite a bit, and you'll definitely see why with this song. It has that punchy and poppy quality of Guided By Voices along with the almost there guitar heroics of early Built to Spill. "Piece of Mind" is an intriguing song that's going to make you want to hear more from Honey Cassette. Luckily, they have an EP coming out next month so we won't have to wait long. You can listen to "Piece of Mind" below. Intermittent Bursts of Light is due out August 11, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Honey Cassette, check out the band on Instagram . They'll be playing as part of Nice, a fest th...

Photo courtesy Yep Roc Records It's hard to believe that Eli Paperboy Reed has been consistently making great music for over twenty years now. His music keeps sounding fresh, and he's become a veteran of the neo-soul movement. His latest single, "Love You More," is a duet with up-and-coming artist Zaniah. It has a little bit more of an R&B sound than his typical release, but it's still a killer soul song. It's a positive song that helps remind you why you love music so much. It's a bit of a cheesy love song, but when one is done as well as "Love You More," that's not necessarily a bad thing. We can pretty much guarantee we'll cover anything Reed puts out, and when it's this good, it's a pure pleasure. Eli Paperboy Reed says of his latest single: "When I was 21 and still living in Boston I sang with a gospel group, The Silver Leaf Gospel singers. The group had been founded in 1945 and all of the members were at least 50 ye...