If It's Too Loud...

This week Friday Freebie is a pretty great one. Shovels & Rope are making their absolutely great 2014 release Swimmin' Time  available free for one week. This is an album we would highly recommend you buy, so to have it available for free is pretty fantastic. In case you're not familiar with their music, they're this absolutely brilliant mix of garage rock, folk, and rockabilly. If you read this blog with any regularity, you'll want this. You can get your free copy of Swimmin' Time for free over at NoiseTrade . And, of course, any time a band is kind enough to give you free music, make sure you check out their website , and follow them on Facebook and Twitter .

If "Panama Hands" is any indication, Pure Beauty are the exact type of college party band the 90s were filled with. I don't mean the type of cover band that did half assed Spin Doctors covers ever Thursday for free beer. I mean the band that discovered the funk of Parliament and Funkadelic from PCU , got super into ska (like we all did), and has that one guy secretly edging the band into the realm of jazz without anyone knowing it. They're just fun enough for the meatheads but smart enough for the music geeks. Plus, they'll get the ladies to dance, so everyone is happy. Pure Beauty are set to release their debut EP on November 20 on Marshall Teller Records. You can pre-order it now , and listen to "Panama Hands" below.

Photo by Justyn Strother Marlon Williams can sing. Not in an American Idol way; I'm sure they'd hate him. He just has this haunting voice that's mesmerizing for anyone that likes actual music. The New Zealander has his debut solo album due out in February. One of the songs on it, "Hello Miss Lonesome," fits many of the alt-country and folk stereotypes. Chugging guitars sounding like a locomotive, almost yodelling vocals for parts... but his voice is just what sucks you in. There is also the odd (but perfect) choice to have some feedback squalls towards the end to add just a hint of 90s indie rock. It's definitely a must-listen. Marlon Williams' self-titled debut is due out February 19 on Dead Oceans. You can preorder a copy here , and be sure to check out his website for more information.

I would have loved to review the new Joanna Newsom album, but she is quoted as saying that Spotify, the If It's Too Loud music option of choice, is "the banana of the music industry." So instead we have a pretty short week ahead of us. Album of the Week : Artist : John Newman Album : Revolve Quick Description : Second album from the British soul singer. Why You Should Listen : You're still on a high from his excellent singles from his first albums and his collaborations with Rudimental. Overall Thoughts : I was really, really disappointed with his 2014 debut , and seeing that he had a new album out didn't exactly leave me with warm thoughts. The new album, though? Really good! Much better songwriting, with songs that play to Newman's strengths more than trying to balance a line of how he started out. I may be grading it on a bit of a curve because of the week we're in and how much I wanted to like this, but the album is absolutely worth your t...

This is a pretty great Friday Freebie for you all. The Blake Babies are currently offering a free download of a concert from 1989 on Noisetrade. If you're unaware of the Blake Babies, they were (are?) a Boston band featuring Juliana Hatfield, Freda Love Smith, and John P. Strohm. The band is currently putting together some expanded reissues of their catalog, and found this in the archives. They found a live concert recorded on 5/9/1989 and decided to put it up for free. It was recorded for Emerson College's WERS, so the quality is really good, especially for 1989. It's really something you need to have. And it's free! To get your copy of Live 5.9.1989 , head over to Noisetrade . Also, be sure to sign up for the band's mailing list on their website to keep up on the reissues.

Photo by Ken Sears Rubblebucket was a band that I somehow decided were a jam band without ever hearing their music. That was my mistake, as instead they're this super fun indie dance band. I know some people consider them ska, but I'm not buying that. Ska adjacent, sure. Regardless, after I saw them at the Green River Festival this year, I'm officially a convert and I recommend their live show for all. Fugazi, on the other hand, were this super-serious D.C. post hardcore band that while I love them, I wouldn't consider them a party band. That's why I'm not completely sure how I feel about this cover of "Waiting Room" by Rubblebucket. While I'm really late to the party on this one (it came out in June), I just discovered it and can't tell if it's brilliant or a total trainwreck. Either way, it's a really interesting take, and it's probably a blast and I'm just being a grumpy middle aged curmudgeon. Check out the video for...

Anyone who's been reading this blog with any regularity knows that I'm pretty much obsessed with both The Dead Milkmen and Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys. As soon as tickets went on sale for The Dead Milkmen I knew I was going. Once they added the Army of Broken toys, that was a huge bonus. This was the third time The Dead Milkmen have swung through Boston since they first reunited in 2008, so I was curious to see how they'd do. The first two times are usually glossed over with the pure excitement of seeing a band you didn't think you would ever have the chance to see. Once a band is on their third pass and second reunion album, they're just back. Of course, the Milkmen were still spectacular for this show, playing with more energy and passion than any other reunited band I've seen in years. While they played a good chunk of their newer material, they delved far into their back catalog and pulled out some near forgotten classics. "Nutritio...

This was a ridiculously full week for new releases, along with some really anticipated stuff and some real surprises. Let's dive right in: Album of the Week : Artist : YACHT Album : I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler Quick Description : Latest album by the indie-synth act, first featuring Claire Evans being the sole lead singer. Why You Should Listen : You feel like you've been missing out on fun music in your life. Overall Thoughts : There's definitely some attitude featured on this album, no doubt, but this is just an album that felt really fun on first listen. A number of standout songs across the board and an album I've wanted to jump back on board with as soon as I can. If you heard "Plastic Soul" from last year, you know the direction this is going, and this isn't really an unexpected listen from them. Easily the best thing I've heard this week, and absolutely one that I expect to see at the end of the year on some lists. Recommend...

I know next to nothing about Weezy Ford, except for the following two things: 1. She's Sallie Ford's sister. 2. She has two songs on Soundcloud . I've looked for some kind of web presence for her. Maybe a Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp... all the usual places, but all I've found is this Soundcloud. Normally, we music journalist types like to report a little more on an artist's background, but these songs are insanely good, so I wanted to make sure you heard them. "Phantom Lover" definitely has some similarities to her sister's music, but Weezy is a little more stripped down. It's a barebones indie rock doo wop sound. Her voice seems a little hesitant on these songs, and that just adds a layer of vulnerability. It's really good, and you should check it out.

Halloween is my absolutely favorite holiday of the year, and I'm always looking for songs besides "Monster Mash" to listen to. This year, Rodney Anonymous posted his Halloween playlist over at www.deadmilkmen.com , and I threw it all on a Spotify playlist for us all. It has some fairly obvious ones, like Social Distortion's "Mommy's Little Monster," but there are also some surprises. White Zombie's "I'm Your Boogie Man" seemed too obvious, while there are some fairly obscure picks like Dead When I Found Her's "No More Nightmares." It's perfect for parties and background music while handing out candy. The Dead Milkmen have two upcoming shows: Tomorrow night at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA and October 30 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia. For more information, head on over to their website .

For their fifth album, David Wax Museum are back with a significantly tweaked sound. The Mexican influences are mostly hinted at for Guesthouse , and there is a heavy (for David Wax Museum at least) addition of electronic elements. This all works amazingly well. "Dark Night of the Heart" in particular is almost a trip hop track with folk instruments interspersed. "Guesthouse" might be the song that fits into the David Wax Museum catalog the best. It's quite keyboard heavy, but the style fits into their previous songs where Suz plays the accordion. "Time Will Track Us Down" is one of their loveliest ballads, with just an acoustic guitar and David and Suz harmonizing throughout. They even tackle their parenthood with "Everything Changes." It's a subject that has made some of the greatest songwriters of all time stumble on sappiness, but David Wax Museum turns it into a joyous celebration. For me, the standout track is "Singing to...

At this point in 2011, I had already seen David Wax Museum twice: The Newport Folk Festival and earlier that month at the Arlington Street Church on December 2. While I consider the Arlington Street Church show the single greatest concert of my 21 year regular concert going career, I consider this show at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge to be the most special I've seen of theirs. (Besides, Jeff already wrote about the Arlington Street Church one first...) On a personal note, it was the first concert I had attended with my now-wife. Aside from that, it was completely different than the other two previous times I saw David Wax Museum. After seeing them at an outdoor festival for 10,000 people and a large church, seeing them in a barely lit basement club with 105 people was a revelation. They completely altered their presence and sound to fit the space. Instead of playing huge to get the attention of the guy standing in a beer line 100 yards away, they got smaller and more intimate. In...

Photo by Madeline Harvey Setting up camp on an 18 acre ranch in TX, Emily Cross and Dan Duszynski began working on their sophomore album as Cross Record. One of the songs that came from that time is "Steady Waves." "Steady Waves" starts off as pretty standard ethereal singer/songwriter fare, with only Cross' striking vocals and guitar. That is enough to pull you completely in, as her voice is simply captivating. Slowly an electronic hum or reverb slips in, followed by the plinking of piano keys. After about a minute, the guitar gets heavier and then fades back out, only to come roaring back with crashing drums. It's a more unified version of the loud/quiet/loud blueprint of the Pixies.  Cross Record's second album, Wabi-Sabi , is due out January 29 on Ba Da Bing Records. You can listen to "Steady Waves" below. As always, be sure to check out the band's website , Facebook , and Twitter . You can pre-order the album here .

Photo by Chrissy Britt Coming off their debut album, Sheer have just released the video for "Uneasy." A song about battling social anxiety, this song absolutely must be heard. It's such a throwback to the mid-90s, blending parts of Galaxie 500 with Belly and just the slightest touch of The Promise Ring. It's all swirling fuzzed out guitars and the catchiest power pop in ages. It's a mix of dreamy, aggressive, and vulnerable. Plus, the drummer wears a shirt for The Queers in the video, so instant 90s cred! Sheer's debut album, Uneasy, is due out November 20th on The Native Sound. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp . Also, make sure to follow Sheer on Facebook  and Twitter . I honestly can't recommend this song enough.

David Wax Museum - Unfruitful from Kitchen Sessions on Vimeo . I'm pretty sure Ken got me into David Wax Museum fairly early on as a local band. Their song " I Have Wasted My Life " really got me hooked, and when Everything is Saved came out, all the better. It was the full, complete album I had been waiting for from the band, and happened to have a pretty killer song on it as well in "Unfruitful." I don't know if it was the imagery or what that got me hooked on the song, but when I finally got to see the band perform it at the Arlington Street Church in December 2011, well... I mean, by now you've listened to the video above. The song is a fun, crazy piece of work in someone's kitchen in the Boston area. Now translate it to a giant room. Or a church. And the band is entering the audience, and everyone knows the words, and there's the sing-a-long part at the end. Just brilliance. The song is perfect from start to finish, really....

This Friday is the release date for the new David Wax Museum album, Guesthouse.  To help celebrate its release, this week we'll be looking ahead to the upcoming album and looking back to some of our favorite David Wax Museum related memories.  "Forgiveness" might be the most traditional of all the new songs on David Wax Museum's upcoming album, Guesthouse.  While it is missing the trademark Mexican guitar sound you typically hear on their songs, it is at least half sung in Spanish. Instead of the Mexican guitar, "Forgiveness" includes a very heavily electronic presence. Although it's more of a ballad, it's an exciting shift in sound that is dominating a lot of the band's newer material. Guesthouse is slightly tweaking a band's sound and is a perfect way for the band to continue to grow without being stale. Guesthouse  is due out October 16th. You can pre-order it  here . Also, be sure to check out  their website  for their upcoming mega...

A slower release week than we've been used to. Still some gems, though: Album of the Week : Artist : Duncan Sheik Album : Legerdemain Quick Description : Latest album by the singer/songwriter/Broadway hero. Why You Should Listen : This is his first album of original, non-theatrical music in close to a decade, and he's come a long way since "Barely Breathing." Overall Thoughts : Duncan Sheik has been one of my favorites for a while. I think the fact that I love theater as well as folkish music doesn't hurt, but Duncan Sheik always ends up surprising me. The latest album actually dabbles in some electronic instrumentation a bit, but still retains a lot of the songwriting beauty that we've come to expect from Sheik. This album won't get the love it deserves, and that's a shame, because this is a really strong release and arguably some of his best work since Phantom Moon in this space. Recommendation : An overwhelmingly positive recommendatio...

I recommended some podcasts long ago, and two music-related podcasts are ones I've been listening to recently/for a while and I've been meaning to share here: Switched on Pop : If you've been keeping up with First Listen, you know I have a bit of a sweet tooth for pop music. Pitch, highlighted in last year's post, posted an episode of Switched on Pop that spent about 25 minutes on the musical structure of Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You," comparing it to "Call Me Maybe" and delving into the theory behind the songwriting structure, the lyrical points, and so on. I was a music major in college, so the musician in me geeked out a bit, but it's impossible listen to this and not have a deeper appreciation for the pop music we can't really escape. I'm about a quarter of the way through the episodes right now, but the Taylor Swift episode (which discusses her evolution as a songwriter) and the Carly Rae Jepsen episode are both re...

This Friday is the release date for the new David Wax Museum album, Guesthouse. To help celebrate its release, this week we'll be looking ahead to the upcoming album and looking back to some of our favorite David Wax Museum related memories.  "Don't Lose Heart" tackles some truly tricky subject matter for a musician: The hardships of being a musician. The average listener can't exactly relate to the issues of touring, such as "sleeping in a different bed every night," but it does strike the much more universal chord of doing what you absolutely love and not caring about the problems that come up. As someone who sits in a cubicle and fantasizes about more just about every day, it's beautiful to hear from someone who had the guts to take the less common road, struggled through it, and still loves it. You hear too many stories from musicians complaining about touring in their individual buses while staying in $500 a night hotel rooms, and here is th...

Photo via Facebook Since Eddie Spaghetti had been diagnosed with throat cancer earlier this year, the last thing I was expecting was word of a new Supersuckers album. Today we were surprised to learn that not only is there a new album coming out, but it's due next week! Holdin' the Bag  will feature a duet with blog favorite, Lydia Loveless. "I Can't Cry" is a lot more serious and introspective than the normal Supersuckers cowpunk fare, but I suppose facing mortality will do that. That's not to say it's all sad and bleak. Even though the song features the chorus "It doesn't matter how hard I try, I can't cry," Spaghetti also wrote the line "Your dick is in the dirt" for Loveless to sing. And now I start dreaming of a co-headlining tour... Holdin' the Bag is due out October 16 on Acetate Records. You can listen to "I Can't Cry" below. For more information, check out The Supersuckers' website , and if y...

I almost don't know what to make of The Wharves. The way I am about to describe their new single is going to sound awful, but somehow it works. "NAZ" starts off with thunderous but minimalist drumming (think Meg White), and then combines the vocals and harmonies of a folk band like Mountain Man with the post-grunge (and harmonizing) of That Dog or Cake Like with that sense of dark and dread of a slower Black Sabbath song. I know, I know... It sounds like a total mess, but it works so well and melds into this haunting and hypnotic cohesive song. You really need to check this out. You can watch the cat heavy video for "NAZ" below. (Also, cats in the UK chase green lights apparently? Mind blown). After that, you'll want to check out their Bandcamp and follow them on Facebook or Twitter . The "NAZ" 7" is due on November 13 on Upset the Rhythm. You can pre-order it here .

Brilliant Beast are back, this time with a full length due out on November 6th. The Minneapolis band, started by brother/sister pair Hannah and Jordan Porter, have made the first single, "Like Dreaming," available to listen. "Like Dreaming" is virtually perfect with equal parts fuzzed out droney shoegaze and pop sensibilities. This time around, there is a darker element and a sense of foreboding lurking around the edges of the song. Maybe it's just the Halloween anticipation inside of me, but this feels like the soundtrack to an indie horror film, especially the way it cuts out at the end.  Brilliant Beast's debut full length, Dissolve, is due out November 6. For more information, check out the band's Bandcamp and Facebook . You can download "Like Dreaming" on Soundcloud , and watch the just released video below.