If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Nicola Bee We tend to love everything Frenchy and the Punk puts out, and their latest single is certainly no exception. "War on War" fits with in with the post-punk cabaret style of the duo which consists of Samantha Stephenson and Scott Helland (Deep Wound, Guitarmy of One). This one goes back to the more gothic New Wave style and is wonderfully synth heavy. I always seem to compare Frenchy and the Punk to Siouxsie and the Banshees meets Concrete Blonde, but that comparison always seems to work. If you miss the more theatrical side of post-punk and New Wave, "War on War" is going to be for you. Plus, it's the most danceable of the current crop of political songs we've brought you. Samantha Stephenson says of her band's latest single: "This song is not only about war but also the deterioration of truth and destruction of progress. It's the belief that the majority of people in this country and the world do not want to go backwards and d...

Photo by Wendy Rosales she's green have been releasing a series of singles that have encompassed just about every subgenre of shoegaze, and their latest harkens back to the first of theirs we ever covered. "Paper Thin" is an absolutely gorgeous and quiet shoegaze song. You still get the wall of sound associated with the genre, albeit a more gentle version. It's a lush and delicate song that is awash in melancholy. If you tend to enjoy music on the mote chill and gloomy side, "Paper Thin" is for you. she's green aren't quite drifting into the realm of goth on their latest, but the vibes are definitely there. Zofia Smith says of her band's latest single: “‘paper thin’ explores the power of lust in a dying relationship: how it can be confused for love when in reality, the relationship has already faded." You can watch the video for "Paper Thin" below. Swallowtail is due out July 10 on Photo Finish Records, and is available for pre-ord...

Lovewell are a Massachusetts/New Hampshire band with a massive sound that's going to make you nostalgic for the 90's. Their latest single, "Less than Forever," is a masterclass in the loud/quiet/loud dynamic. It starts off with an explosion of the more mainstream side of mid 90's fuzz and noise before settling into a more melodic and less aggressive sound. The guitar is still fuzzed out and drones on in just about the most perfect way possible. "Less than Forever" is a perfect version of that alt-rock starts to edge into pop without losing any of the distortion or aggression part. It's kind of reminding me of a combination of Hum and Superdrag, which makes Lovewell a favorite for us. You can listen to "Less than Forever" below. Everything You Ever Wanted is due out June 12 on SVU Records/Another Year Collective. For more on Lovewell, check out the band on Instagram . Less than Forever by Lovewell

Photo by John Carluccio Alt-rock/post-hardcore legends Sparta are back with a new single off an upcoming album. If you love Sparta, you're going to love "Crater." It's an epic rock track with jerky, buzzing guitars and a huge scream-along worthy chorus. Despite sounding like pure, vintage Sparta, "Crater" doesn't sound like a 00's throwback. It shows a natural progression for the band, and is exactly what you want them to sound like in 2026. It's a tiny step slower and more mature, but aren't we all at this point? Sparta are the rare band from their generation that will have you excited for a new album, as "Crater" stands up with all of your favorites from them. Frontman Jim Ward says of his upcoming album: “This is a love record.  I want it to leave an impression, and at this point in my career, that's what I yearn for. I'm working so hard to make something meaningful to me, and I really want people to get a chance to feel ...

Photo by Stacie Huckeba For her latest single, India Ramey has chosen "We Ride at Dawn," a spaghetti western song about women's bodily autonomy being stripped away. The Nashville artist has crafted a classic country song with an unfortunately modern message. This is the kind of song that you can enjoy just on a surface level with its vintage sound. The power of the song is audible without paying attention to the lyrics, but once you focus on the words, "We Ride at Dawn" is an instant feminist anthem. Ramey has created a powerful and uplifting anthem that is much needed in 2026. You can watch the video for "We Ride at Dawn" below. Villain Era is due out May 8 on Copaco Records/Blue Elan Records. For more on India Ramey, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. 5/1 - WMOT Finally Friday @ 3rd and Lindsley - Nashville, TN 5/5 - Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl - Nashville, TN 5/6 - Robert's Western World (w/ The ...

Istanbul born and France based artist Lal Tuna is back with a new single. "Afternoon Tram" feels like a dream. The song is wonderfully fuzzy, and has a dream pop/shoegaze meets doo wop sound. Lal Tuna croons over a fairly stripped back, jangly guitar to start the song off, and when the drums come in the entire song takes a step up. It seems a lot of the songs we've been covering lately has been finding beauty in dissonance, and "Afternoon Tram" continues that trend. If the song had kept being a slower, fuzzy track, it would have been a delight and one of our favorite of the year. But then it explodes into a cacophonous burst of noise while keeping the same vibe going. Lal Tuna has quickly become a favorite here at If It's Too Loud..., and "Afternoon Tram" only makes us adore her more. You can watch the video for "Afternoon Tram" below. Don't Forget Me is due out June 5 on Modulor Music and Nothing Is Mine. For more on Lal Tuna, check ...

Mixol is a twenty-four year old singer-songwriter/witch based in Beijing. She attended Berklee College of Music in Boston before attending Tokyo College of Music. Now she's set to release her debut EP and has a new single out. "we jump, our carnival" shows off some of Mixol's influences. She cites Kate Bush, Bjork, and Fiona Apple as influences, and you'll hear all of those in "we jump, our carnival." The song is highly theatrical and sounds gigantic. It's whimsical and will swirl around you throughout, more so as the song gets more intense the longer it goes on. Mixol starts this one off as a relatively straightforward piano alt-pop song, and from there it both devolves and evolves into something completely different and unique. You can watch the video for "we jump, our carnival" below. The Fool is due out June 15. For more on Mixol, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Jimmy Del Ponte Viruette have become one of the more interesting bands to come out of Boston in the last few years. Their latest single, "SWAYA," is a kind of jerky sounding punk that is also filled with melody and is surprisingly laid back. At times the song borders right on being a pop song, but it's just a little too unique and quirky for that. It's a perfect example of a song being both discordant and beautiful at the same time, with much of a beauty taking over throughout. "SWAYA" ends up being a fun, pretty, laid back, and undeniably dance friendly song. Seriously, you don't want to sleep on Viruette. They are quickly becoming a local favorite. Frontman Harry Burgess says of the new single: “It’s a song about being awed in the presence of  arresting beauty, and the dynamic of perceiving it in  the moment. We’ve tended to write songs about  reckoning with the complexities of heightened  moments - this one’s about luxuriating in one,  playfu...

It feels crazy to write this, but it's 2026 and we have new music from The Dambuilders. The Boston alt-rock legends have released a reworking of their 1994 single "Shrine" and a new b-side, "I Hope We're Not Too Late." The band reformed in 2025 with two new members, guitarist Sean Eden of Luna and violinist Claudia Chopek of Bright Eyes and Father John Misty. "Shrine 2026" doesn't change too much from the original except it has some modern production, but still sounds like it could have been released in 2026, and is guaranteed to give you some serious mid-90's 120 Minutes flashbacks. "I Hope We're Not Too Late" is the more mellow of the two songs while still sounding like it belongs in The Dambuilders' catalog. This would be the VH1/Adult Contemporary version of the classic Boston rockers' sound, and I mean that as a good thing. This is one of the most underrated bands from the 90's Boston alt-rock boom, and we...

My expectations for Monday night's Tigers Jaw show were fairly high, possibly too high. I missed Something in the Way Festival on Saturday, but their set that day was the talk of Sunday. All day I kept hearing people talk about how great they were, so I instantly wanted to check them out next time they came through the area. Luckily I didn't have to wait that long since they played The Sinclair on Monday night. Tigers Jaw's set started off good. Really good, but not quite the level of great I was expecting. I was enjoying it, but thought they might have been more than a little overhyped. And then the third song, "Head is Like a Sinking Stone," kicked in, and suddenly I fully understood the hype. From there my casual fandom multiplied, and I was completely invested in the show. The crowd erupted for virtually every song, and after they played "Never Saw It Coming," it was an all out frenzy for the band. As a (formerly) non-diehard fan, I was surprised by ...

Photo by Kristin Sollecito Montreal art-punk collective La Sé curit é  have a brand new single out that we think you're going to love. "Snack City" is a hyperactive and ridiculously fun ode to food. It's more than a little quirky, and if we had to put a label on it we'd go with post-punk, but there is a lot going on in this one. It kind of sounds like Bodega and DEVO jamming on a Weird Al song, which is apparently my new favorite genre of music. "Snack City" is the perfect antidote to the chin-stroking rock snob, because I don't think anyone can resist the party that La S é curit é  have given us with their latest song. Get away from other people for the next three minutes and dance your heart out. We could all use a song like "Snack City" these days. The band says of their latest single: “We wrote the song when we were hungry.  The segment ‘J'ai faim, j'ai faim, [...],’ which translates to: ‘I’m hungry, I’m hungry, [...]’ was the b...

Photo courtesy Smitt E. Smitty Boston garage and art-rockers Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones return with a new single. "Big Ass American Car" is a killer track originally done by Trick Williams that brings the weirdo art vibe to garage rock. It's the kind of song that has all of the elements of a straightforward garage rock song, but that wouldn't exactly be the Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones' way. It's a little dark, a little funny, and all rock and roll. If I had to compare "Big Ass American Car" to any other artist, it would be Frank Zappa's songs that made it on Dr. Demento. "Big Ass American Car" is a fun song that takes a biting look at American culture in the form of a kick ass rock song. Smitt E. Smitty says of his band's latest single: “‘Big Ass American Car’ is a song about the culture of cars in America, and the American culture in general. When the popularity of American-made cars started to diminish between the...

Photo by Steph Reid Naarm/Melbourne artist Tilly Vickers Willis has a new single out that is going to be a must listen for many of you. "Aching Never Leaves" is the type of song title that you already know you'll love before even pressing play. The press release for the song describes it as "Portishead-reminiscent," and we certainly can't argue with that. While the song does have some elements of classic trip hop, it has a much more organic sound. It feels like the artist is including some pieces of jazz and even bits of folk into the song's sound. "Aching Never Leaves" is a mesmerizing song and gets even more so the deeper into it that you get. We're looking forward to bringing you more new music from Tilly Vickers Willis hopefully sooner than later. Tilly Vickers Willis says of her latest single: “It's written in the moment of grief, from the perspective of someone who's really in it. They're trying to hold onto that, to stay ...