If It's Too Loud...

Norway's Level & Tyson have their sophomore album coming out in September, and you can check out one of the fuzz pop band's newest songs now. "No Fun My Head" is a beautiful, noisy burst that combines Psychic Hearts  era Thurston Moore with early Superdrag. The whole thing sounds like Sonic Youth deciding to take a swing for the fences and craft a top 40 hit. It wouldn't have made it, of course, but the intent was there. With its swirling, fuzzy as hell guitars, it will be the most 90s song you hear all day even if you play your 90s alternative Spotify playlist all day. Level & Tyson's new album, Gruesome Twosome, is due out September 25 on DIG! Records. You can listen to "No Fun My Head" below. Also, be sure to check out their website and Facebook to keep up with them.

We're proud to present the premiere of NYC based singer/songwriter John Fatum's debut single, "Pounding of the Rain." This may be John's debut solo single, but he's been kicking around for a while now as the co-founder of Dala Records and the percussionist for both The Rad Trads and Fatum Brothers. While those bands are much more jazz based, he's going in a much for folky direction for his solo album. "Pounding of the Rain" is a laid back track, definitely on the more mainstream side of the current folk scene. I don't mean mainstream in a bad way, so maybe accessible is a better term. It has a touch of a Willy Mason vibe, and has the rarity in folk where the vocals and verses are just as compelling as the instrumental parts. It's a truly fully fleshed out song, with impeccable production for an independent musician. It's great to see such as accomplished and seasoned musician branching out in a new direction at such a young age. T...

What better way to end a rough week than with new music from Laura Stevenson? 2013's Wheel  was one of the only albums to show up on both of our best of the year lists, and with good reason. 2011's "Master of Art" is my absolute favorite song of the century, so we're thrilled she has new music coming out. The first song we can hear off her new album, "Torch Song," is an absolute blast. She's reaching back a little farther than usual, as this one borrows heavily from bands like The Bangles. It's beyond catchy and charming and is sure to hit all the nostalgia buttons you feel for both 80s alterna-pop and mid-90s power pop. What more can you possibly want? Laura Stevenson's new album, Cocksure , is due out October 30 on Don Giovanni Records. Head on over to her website for more information. She's also heading out on tour with Matt Pond , another favorite of ours. You'll want to check out that show when it comes to your nearest ci...

Picture via Facebook I'm kind of all over the place when it comes to metal. I'm by far from a metalhead, but there is a handful of metal that I absolutely love. If their new song, "Kingdom Came," is any indication, Worcester, MA's Mountain Man might be the rare kind of metal that I end up loving. It's surprising because Mountain Man (not to be confused with the Vermont folk trio of the same name ) edge into the screamo genre, which I hate. What saves them is their edging into the realm of Refused, who I love (new album aside). They seem to have a little more in common with hardcore and punk than traditional metal. A lot of metal is very controlled, with musicians focusing more on showing off than emotion. Mountain Man are the pure controlled chaos and feedback you usually see in indie noise rock from the 90s. "Kingdom Came" also has multiple tempo changes throughout its epic 7 minutes. They might be the Helmet or Quicksand of the new millennium...

I'm always amazed by how many great bands keep coming out of Minneapolis. The Electric Circus released their EP back on April 1st, and just debuted their first video from it for "You Know I Know." "You Know I Know is a burst of old fashioned heavy 60s psychedelia. It's more on par with Pink Floyd and the Jimi Hendrix Experience than the lighter hippie stuff that normally gets labelled psychedelic. The heavy organ on the track also reminds me a lot of Iron Butterfly. It's perfect for anyone who likes their jam bands heavy and trippy as balls. You can check out The Electric Circus' debut EP on their Bandcamp . Make sure to follow them on Facebook since they should have another release in the next couple of weeks. The video for "You Know I Know" is below.

Photo via Facebook Motorhead don't usually fit in with what we cover here, but I'm a huge fan, and it's a cover, so why the hell not, right? To close out their upcoming album, Motorhead are covering The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil." It's the most obvious choice for any metal band due to the nature and title of the song. It's kind of almost a cliche at this point. But Motorhead practically invented every cliche in metal and hard rock, so they can rock this all they want. It's exactly what you would expect in Motorhead covering The Stones', which is a great thing. Even if you only want to listen ironically, you'll probably end up loving this song. That is the power of Lemmy. Bad Magic is due out this Friday, August 28. You can listen to "Sympathy for the Devil" below. Make sure you go to Motorhead's website for tour dates. They are a must-see live.

Another quicker-than-normal week as I'm coming off of another trip. Album of the Week : Artist : Gardens & Villa Album : Music for Dogs Quick Description : Strange, compelling synth rock/art pop. Why You Should Listen : You reminisce about some of the weirder pieces of the Elephant Six Collective; you commonly say "this album would be great with more keyboard." Overall Thoughts : I listened to this and thought it was a little weird, but not long afterward I realized how much of it stuck with me and how ambitious the entire listen was. Taken as a whole, it's a great piece. Some of the individual parts are strange, and I wouldn't recommend putting this on shuffle, but for those who enjoy the Full Album Experience, this is really solid and interesting. Recommendation : As album of the week, it's definitely worth a listen in what's a strange week overall, but it may not be for everyone. Artist : Drinks Album : Hermits on Holiday Quick Descr...

The side project/moderate supergroup featuring Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom, Mike Gent of The Gentlemen, and Ed Valauskas of The Gravel Pit already have a new single out. This time around the A-side, "Too Thin," is sung and written by Mike Gent. It's a chilled out, mid-tempo track that's a great foil to Bill Janovitz's contribution, "Red Line." "Red Line" is a much faster, more rockin' song featuring a killer guitar solo. Both songs fit in perfectly with The Needy Sons' straightforward bar band feel. It's great seeing two established musicians and songwriters coming together to just have some fun with music on these songs. Hopefully next month will bring us some more. You can check out The Needy Sons on Bill Janovitz's Bandcamp . You can also check out h is website for all your other Bill Janovitz related needs. Too Thin/Red Line by The Needy Sons

Hailing from the greater Worecester, MA area, I'm always a supporter of the local music scene. Unfortunately, most of the Worcester music scene is made up of bad cover bands, bad metal, and Insane Clown Posse fans. Enter Secret Lover. They're this really hard to define indie band that's part sultry 60s doo wop and crunchy psychedelic noise. I came up with that description and I absolutely hate it. Some of the best ways to describe the band's sound have nothing to do with auditory words. For example, on their Bandcamp they have "graveyard" and "spooked" as tags. And that describes them perfectly. It's both sunny and dark sounding, noisy and beautiful. You need to check them out. For more information on Secret Lover, check out their Bandcamp and Facebook . Listen to "Sometimes My Wine Becomes My Lover" below.

We've been pretty gushing in our love for Rayland Baxter's new album, Imaginary Man. In case all that love hasn't been enough to convince you to check it out, Noisetrade is currently offering the Yellow Eyes Tour EP  for a free download. On it you'll get "Mr. Rodriguez" and "Yellow Eyes" off of Imaginary Man  as well as two songs from his back catalog. It's a perfect primer in case you haven't trusted our immaculate taste yet. In order to download a free copy of Yellow Eyes Tour EP , go to Noisetrade. Once you realize how fantastic it is, go to Rayland Baxter's website to order your own copy and find out when he'll be coming to a town near you.

Ever since she mentioned it on Marc Maron's WTF podcast back in March, I've been anxiously waiting to hear Kim Gordon's collaboration with Peaches. It's finally out in the form of the video for "Close Up." The song "Close Up" is nearly a duet between the two. Gordon mostly handles the chorus along with a little more, while the verses are Peaches' duty. The song is a bit more minimal than I would have expected, since usually Gordon is associated with walls of noise. The video shows Peaches as a wrestler battling the wrestlers of Lucha VaVoom and Gordon as her disinterested and annoyed manager. It also has some poopy humor that you probably wouldn't want co-workers seeing you watch, so NSFW. Also, I never thought I'd type "Kim Gordon" and "wrestling" in the same sentence. Peaches' new album, Rub, is due out September 25 on I U She. Check out her website for more information.

Dead Leaf Echo has a new single coming out on September 15, and it's fantastic. On first listen it sounds like your typical neo-shoegaze that we cover the crap out of here. But "Lemonheart" is even more layered than shoegaze, with a glaze of noise over the whole thing and multiple vocals swirling around each other to hold it all together. It truly heightens a genre that's existed for decades now and really deserves a listen. You can hear "Lemonheart" below, with tour dates below that. Make sure you pre-order the 7" on Dead Leaf Echo's Bandcamp , and check out their website . "Lemonheart" is due out September 15 on Moon Sounds Records. 08.22 New Haven CT @ Cafe Nine w/ Landing 08.23 Brooklyn NY @ Alphaville w/ Single Lash 09.19 New York NY @ Berlin 7" Release / Desert Stars Pre-Party 09.25 Pioneertown CA @ Desert Stars w/ The Lemonheads 09.26 Pioneertown CA @ Desert Stars w/ Swervedriver 09.27 San Diego CA @ The Hideo...

With the upcoming re-release of Bikini Kill's debut album, Revolution Girl Style Now! , we were promised three previously unheard songs. One of them can now be listened to! "Playground" starts off slow and ultra-sludgy, more like Dinosaur Jr's first album or Mudhoney than Bikini Kill. Around the 2:30 mark things really kick in with a thirty second blast of hardcore. It all ends after 3:33 seconds, and legend has it that's because the tape ran out, which is the punkest thing I've ever heard. And, of course, it has Kathleen Hanna's brilliant vocals throughout. The reissue of Revolution Girl Style Now! is due out on September 22, which is the old school Tuesday album release date. You can pre-order it now in various packages on bikinikill.com . 

There are two things we truly love here at If It's Too Loud...: Free music and covers. That means when a band releases a free album of covers we're all over that. Boston's folky quartet Grey Season just released one, and it's pretty terrific. For a folk band, there are some pretty obvious and classic choices like Bob Dylan and The Band, along with some other classic artists not usually associated with folk, such as The Rolling Stones ("Sweet Virginia," one of my personal favorites) and The Doors. They also selected some newer, contemporary covers (Father John Misty and Iron & Wine). For folk purists, they even do some traditional folk covers like "Moonshiner." Grey Season has that more mainstream rock-ready folk sound you hear from bands like Houndmouth and The Felice Brothers, but that's meant in the best possible way. You can get your very own copy of Undercover  by joining Grey Season's mailing list . To try it out before you make ...

Over the weekend, Talib Kweli joined the ranks of legacy artists releasing surprise free albums. It's been a great move for longstanding artists who may have fallen out of the public eye a bit and haven't really had much excitement surrounding their last couple albums, like Nine Inch Nails and Wilco. Plus, the album is called Fuck the Money , so it kinda needs to be free. Fuck the Money  isn't a great album. "Echoes" and "Baby Girl" delve a little too far into R&B territory with their choruses. But it's a really good album, particularly for free. It's too bad what's dull is really dull, because what is good is really good. "Leslie Knope" is just pure minimalist rape gold. "Fuck the Money" starts off with this odd autotune blast of the phrase "Fuck the Money," but redeems itself with fantastic verses by Kweli and  Cassper Nyovest. "Fall Back" reminds me of vintage Public Enemy, but an ultra-chill...

A very interesting week. This will be quicker than normal, though. Album of the Week : Artist : Rayland Baxter Album : Imaginary Man Quick Description : Well-crafted Americana/folk music. Why You Should Listen : When Ken praised two of the songs on this album, he wasn't kidding - the rest of the album is just as good. Overall Thoughts : Seriously, I can't say enough good things about this album. Whether it's an album of the year candidate remains to be seen, but it's a pretty perfect piece of work and I've listened to a lot of folk music this year. Recommendation : If you listen to one album this week, make it this one. Artist : FKA Twigs Album : M3LL155X Quick Description : New EP by strange off-center artist FKA Twigs Why You Should Listen : You liked her previous album; you enjoy challenging music. Overall Thoughts : I mean, it's an FKA Twigs EP, so you know what you're getting. It's weird and different and it deserves a lot of tim...

Sisters Chelsea and Justine Brown make up the core of Summer Twins. The desire to form a band came before actually forming a band, and in October they have their sophomore album due out. "Demons" reminds me of the retro girl groups that seem to come out every few years, like The Pipettes or Those Darlins'. "Demons" comes across as a more polished version of that, throwing back to 50s sock hop music and 60s garage rock. And then the guitar comes in, and it's just a dirty noise rock blast. While Summer Twins might look back at the past, they're not a retro act at all. It's a perfect mixture of retro and today. Summer Twins' second album, Limbo, is due out on October 2 on Burger Records. You can listen to "Demons" below. For some more information on Summer Twins, check out their website and Bandcamp .

It's been a while since we've heard from He's My Brother She's My Sister. In the past couple years the members have welcomed a baby and a couple got married. They're back to making music, and have just come out with their first new song in years! "Easy Days" is literally the perfect summer song, particularly for late summer when it seems 80% of everyone you encounter is on vacation, and no one seems to really want to do anything remotely productive. It just oozes southern California in a way no band has since the Beach Boys. It seems a little more straightforward than some of He's My Brother She's My Sister's previous songs, but it could represent some serious growth for the band. "Easy Days" is available for download on Bandcamp . Sure it's $2.00 for one song, but all money it brings in goes to Musicians on a Mission , which helps disadvantaged kids learn to play a musical instrument. You can listen below, and if you're i...

Photo by Ken Sears With the release of their 5th album scheduled for release in October, blog obsession David Wax Museum have unveiled the title track. "Guesthouse" is a wonderfully positive tribute to all the people that have welcomed the band into their homes while on tour. It has a carnival vibe to it, and also celebrates the Mexican culture that, while embracing it fully in their music, the band has never been fully a part of, but a welcome guest. "Guesthouse" has a very slight growth in it, which shows that Guesthouse  will be another step in David Wax Museum's constant evolution. From album to album there isn't a huge shift in band direction, but when you go back two or three you see an impressive array of growth. I can't wait until October for Guesthouse to be released officially. Guesthouse is due out October 16 on Thirty Tigers. You still have four days to pre-order on their Indie Go Go campaign , and get some very cool bonuses. Make sure ...

Queens, NY's Ransom Pier blew me away with their first single, "Turn Your Head," and quickly threatened to become a blog favorite, which is pretty amazing for a band that formed earlier this year. Well, they're about to release their debut EP, and I'm pretty sure they've reached blog favorite level. They mix this great combination of indie roots and soul, which is something I didn't know I needed in my life.  The album starts off with "I Must Say," which is a mixture of The Black Crowes' The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion  and Sallie Ford. They have this great classic folk-rock sound while sounding completely modern. It's perfect for anyone who likes any portion of the Americana genre. "Love's a Bitch" might be one of the best soul anthems of the year, second only to Leon Bridge's album. This is a great debut, even if how recently the band formed drives me a little insane. If They Can't Take a Joke  is...

Looks like we might be exiting the summer doldrums. Album of the Week: Artist : Langhorne Slim and the Law Album : The Spirit Moves Quick Description : Latest album from the folk revivalist. Why You Should Listen : You enjoy upbeat folk music with a retro feel. Overall Thoughts : I'm not sure I'm willing to call this Langhorne Slim's best album yet, but it might be in the discussion. "Strangers" in particular is a bit of a barnburner and the whole album feels cohesive and modern while retaining that sort of retro touch. Langhorne Slim doesn't get enough credit for what he's doing, and this should be a mandatory listen. Recommendation : Absolutely the best listen of the week, highly recommended. Artist : HEALTH Album : Death Magic Quick Description : First album in close to 6 years from the noise rock group. Why You Should Listen : Noise rock is your thing; You like music that tries to push boundaries but doesn't really do it. Overall T...

Photo by Rachel Enneking With his 3rd album bearing just his name coming out next month, Lou Barlow has shared the first single, "Moving." It's a very minimal song, with instrumentation consisting of a detuned ukelele and some keyboards. It's a moody song (presumably) about his decision to uproot his life and move from Los Angeles back to western Massachusetts. If 2013's Sebadoh album Defend Yourself  was Barlow's divorce album, Brace the Wave  could be his moving on with life album. It's very fitting that this would be one of his more minimalist semi-acoustic offerings.  Brace the Wave is due out September 4 on Joyful Noise Recordings. You can listen to "Moving" below. For more information, including tour dates, head on over to www.loobiecore.com . 

The dog days of summer are truly upon us. Album of the Week : Artist : Have Gun, Will Travel Album : Science From an Easy Chair Quick Description : Interesting indie rock album with roots influences about Shackleton's excursion 100 years ago. Why You Should Listen : You like concept albums or albums that tend to subvert typical expectations. Overall Thoughts : In what is a very short week for releases, this is a lot of fun but would likely be overlooked otherwise. It's got a lot of really great moments that make it worth your while, though. Recommendation : Probably the one essential album for this week. Artist : Titus Andronicus Album : The Most Lamentable Tragedy Quick Description : New album by indie art rockers. Why You Should Listen : You're enjoyed Titus Andronicus before; challenging indie rock is sometimes your thing. Overall Thoughts : Titus Andronicus hasn't ever really done it for me, and this album has a lot of good moments mixed in with som...