If It's Too Loud...

This was a busy week, but a really disappointing one. A handful of good albums, and a lot of disappointing and/or otherwise non-noteworthy efforts. So don't consider this a habit, but I'm treating this week a little differently. But first, the best of the week: Album of the Week : Artist : Banks and Steelz Album : Anything But Words Quick Description : Side project from Interpol's Paul Banks and Wu Tang's RZA. Why You Should Listen : The mix of collaborators is enough to give it a listen... Overall Thoughts : ...and the quality is enough to keep it around. It, like a lot of collaborations, is certainly imperfect, but this is just a solid listen across the board. The production is interesting, the songs pretty solid, and it's overall just a great listen this week. What's surprising for me in particular for this is that RZA's been around forever and Interpol a fair amount of time as well, but this feels fresh and energetic in a way a lot of co...

I feel the need to apologize to all of you. I accidentally sat on this release for a few months and inadvertently kept it from everyone. I first told you about J. Allen last year with his fantastic single "Bring Her Back Home." Back in early spring, he released an EP titled Worry Not. While it does contain "Bring Her Back Home" and its b-side "L.B.C.," There are four brand new songs. All six songs are these painfully beautiful and sparse compositions. This is one of the reasons independent artists are so magical: A major label would insist on filling it with strings and keyboards. J. Allen chooses to let these songs breath. Allen has the chops and can write a melody right up there with the more mainstream current folk acts, but he keeps the true heart of folk intact. Worry Not is one of the true rare releases that can satisfy a top 40 audience and us music snobs. You can listen to the album version of " Bring Her Back Home " below. For more...

Service is a band so new they don't have a true release out yet. They're based out of Indianapolis and NYC, first coming to my attention since Russell Simins, drummer for Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, is a member. Right now they have a three song demo on Soundcloud. I'm going to go the lazy route and take the description of the band's sound straight from their Facebook page, because when you're right, you're right: post-punk then punk again. The first track, "Worth Waking Up For," starts off with a feedback squall, and then aggressive, ominous post punk bass and vocals. It sucks you right in with the promise of ferocity to come. And then the guitar solo comes in. It's not a pretty solo. We're not talking "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" here. It's this ugly, drilling sound that's less played and more forced. But it's glorious. "Good Wife" has this fun, plodding beat, but then it keeps vomiting all over itself in a...

Here's the rest for this week! Artist : Lydia Loveless Album : Real Quick Description : Fourth album from a blog favorite. Why You Should Listen : Lydia Loveless is a must listen around these parts. Overall Thoughts : I'll be the one to say it - this doesn't do much for me. Both Ken and I loved her last album, Somewhere Else , but for me, this is a continuing trend against a more polished and less rootsy sound that isn't what I'm looking for from Loveless (or, really, anyone else). It's shocking in its sterility, especially from an artist who wasn't afraid to push the envelope content-wise. I asked Ken what he thought, and it sounds like he likes it more than I but isn't fond of the pop skew either, so it's a definite "meh" from these parts. Too bad, too. Recommendation : Not essential, but might be in your wheelhouse. Artist : The Minus Five Album : Of Monkees and Men Quick Description : Scott McCaughey's love letter t...

We've got a lot of albums out this week! Enough where we're gonna split this onto two days... Album of the Week : Artist : Thalia Zedek Band Album : Eve Quick Description : Latest album from an artist widely considered to be an underground legend. Why You Should Listen : Best release of the week from an artist that should be heard anyway. Overall Thoughts : I blame myself for not having any prior knowledge of Thalia Zedek or any of the bands she was in. Ken sent this over, though, and wow . This is a methodical, enjoyable listen from start to finish, feeling both complex and straightforward in its structure. The term "underground" often carries harder punkish connotations, but this feels more like some well-structured indie rock than anything, and it hit just right for me. Absolutely worth your time this week. Recommendation : A must listen. Artist : AJJ (Andrew Jackson Jihad) Album : The Bible 2 Quick Description : Latest album from the folk punk a...

We don't usually cover music news here on If It's Too Loud..., but this is Letters to Cleo after all, so... Today Letters to Cleo announced the release date of their new EP, which will be their first new music in 17 years! (17 years? Holy shit that makes me feel old...) The EP is due out on September 30, and you can pre-order it now through their Pledge Music campaign. As with the usual download/vinyl/t-shirt/poster bundles that come with pre-orders, Letters to Cleo have raided the archives to offer some insanely rare items and a total memory lane for me. They have unworn ringer buggy shirts! The 1992 "Here & Now" indie release 7"! Promo posters for Aurora Gory Alice, Wholesale Meats & Fish, and Go! Plus there are the VIP concert experience at their five announced shows and private house concerts available, which makes me wish this blog was big enough to pony up the $15,000 for one of those. Letters to Cleo is promising even more rare items once they ...

Photo credit: Nick McKinlay Regardless of how you decide summer ends, it is definitely coming to a close in the next week or so. Luckily for us, fall tends to mean better and more frequent music releases. Right now, we have another song from Julia Jacklin's debut album. As with the previous two, I'm not lamenting the end of summer if it leads to us being closer to the release of Don't Let the Kids Win. "Coming of Age" is a little more alt rock than the previous songs, but it still squeezes just enough Americana (despite Jacklin being from Australia) to fit right in. It's a fairly straightforward bop along rock based pop song, with jangly guitars (and one that creates a feedback swirl throughout nearly the entire song). It's one of those perfect for summer songs even though the album comes out in the fall. Although, it's spring for Australia, so maybe that does make sense. Julia Jacklin's debut album, Don't Let the Kids Win, is due out...

After releasing a ton of fantastic singles over the past couple of years, Salem Wolves are finally set to release their debut album. (Of course, it's easy for the guys who just listen to the music to think a debut album has taken too long when we don't have to record or pay for it...) Tooth & Nail doesn't seem to have a release date yet, but you can listen to its first single, "Shameless."  "Shameless" is the perfect Salem Wolves song. It's furiously dark, gritty surf inflected punk with some serious pop leanings. Being this poppy and heavy is impossible for 99% of the bands out there, but Salem Wolves pull it off wonderfully. "Shameless" isn't going to break any new ground, and they don't need to.  You can listen to "Shameless" below. Salem Wolves have a couple of shows coming up at the end of the month: August 27 at Ralph's in Worcester, MA and August 29 in their namesake Salem, MA at OPUS. For more informa...

I'm hoping this week is evidence that we're out of the summer slump! Album of the Week : Artist : Ruby the RabbitFoot Album : Divorce Party Quick Description : New album from folkie-turned-pop artist. Why You Should Listen : A shift in sound works out really well. Overall Thoughts : We first got a hint of Ruby the RabbitFoot's change in approach with her cover of Madonna's "Take a Bow" from last year , and I found the early songs released from this to be a little jarring. But hearing the album in full, I was feeling like this is sort of like what we might expect Madonna to sound like if she were just starting out now (and that's before getting to album highlight "Wild Cherry Chapstick," which opens with a declaration from Ruby where she admits to having a "sex dream about your brother"). This is a really solid listen and one I'm really looking forward to spending a lot more time with, it's a fun one. Might be jarring ...

To continue his collaborative singles series, James Williamson (Iggy and the Stooges) has teamed with Petra Haden (That Dog, The Haden Triplets) for "Blues Jumped the Rabbit." While his previous single with Lisa Kekaula was traditional Hawai ian and ch ildren's music, his collaboration with Petra Haden is very traditional blues and folk. It' s a wild change from the proto-punk riffs Williamson churned out in Th e Stooges a nd Haden's 90s alternati ve That Dog and much more in line with The Haden Triplets. It's a beautiful and melancholy s ong. Also, the single benefits Project Hawai'i which benefits homeless chil dren in Hawai i.  You can listen to "Blues Jumped the Rabbit" below. For more information on James Will iamson, check o ut his website . For more on Petra Haden, check out hers . "Blues Jumped the Rabbit " is available digitally now with a p hysical release date of August 1 9.  

I know, I know. It's Monday, not Friday. But sometimes life gets in the way of us letting you know about great free music. The Mountain Goats are bringing Oh Pep! out on the road with them next month and they've teamed to bring us the free We Who Walk Behind the Rows: 2016 Tour Sampler. It features four songs from each band, including Oh Pep!'s fantastic "Doctor Doctor" and The Mountain Goats' odes to wrestling "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero" and "Foreign Object." Oh Pep! and The Mountain Goats are a great pairing for a sampler and a tour. Oh Pep!'s dreamy take on folk pop is just different and similar to The Mountain Goats' more standard mainstream Americana to keep things interesting. You can get your copy of We Who Walk Behind the Rows: 2016 Tour Sampler for free via Noisetrade . For more information on Oh Pep!, check out their website . The Mountain Goats also have a website you should check out. We've also included the...

Jonny Fritz feels like he should be a household name. The artist formerly known as Jonny Corndawg (I've typed Corndawg instead of Fritz at least three times already) has played Newport, recorded with Dawes as his backing band, and sang on Middle Brother's "Middle Brother." While he's known, he's not your aunt knows his name famous yet.  Fritz takes another shot at superstardom with his upcoming album Sweet Creep. It was produced by Jim James of My Morning Jacket and he once again enlists Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes to record the album, which they did in three days. The first song, "Are You Thirsty," is just about as laid back and spacey as current country and folk gets. Fritz has this unique ability to sound both retro and futuristic at the same time.  Sweet Creep will be out October 14 on ATO Records. You can watch the video for "Are You Thirsty" below. For more information on Jonny Fritz, check out his website . 

Photo by Don Perry If my only complaint about "Entertain Me," the previous song from Nots' upcoming album Cosmetic , was that it was too short at seven minutes, imagine how I feel about their new under three minute song. But "Inherently Low" works at 2:52. It's a little more straightforward post-punk than "Entertain Me" was, while it still has some of the more spectacular Sonic Youth style noise that I've heard in over ten years. It's a pretty spectacular second song from what is shaping up to be an album of the year contender.  The second album from Memphis' Nots, Cosmetic, is due out on September 9 on Goner in the US and Heavenly Recordings in the UK. You can listen to "Inherently Low" below. For more information on Nots, check them out on Facebook . You can also pre-order Cosmetic on iTunes .

Another slowish week, but with one highly anticipated release and one awesome surprise. Album of the Week : Artist : Field Mouse Album : Episodic Quick Description : New album from an indie/dream-rock blog favorite. Why You Should Listen : Field Mouse's debut album was my favorite album of 2014 . Overall Thoughts : Episodic is not Hold Still Life . It's a little more raw, a little more mature, and a lot of the reverb/dreamlike status of it has been put aside. The changes are really solid, though, and the result is an album that, on first listen, I am really into. The slow trickle of songs over the course of the last few months acted as a solid preparation of what came, and the result is just a great album across the board and one that might be a favorite of this year again. If the first Field Mouse album didn't quite do it for you, definitely give this a shot as it has a little more polish. But if you're already a fan, you're going to find a lot to lik...

Photo by Danny Clinch American Band is either going to propel the Drive-By Truckers into superstardom or push them even further into cult band status. They've never shied away from airing their politics, but there's a big difference from "... goddamn Reagan's in the White House..." and their latest song, the Patterson Hood written and sung "What It Means." "What It Means" is about possibly the most sensitive subject in America today: The shootings of unarmed black men. It was written in the wake of the Ferguson decision and the death of Trayvon Martin, but it could be about any of the recent deaths. The most specific it gets is about Trayvon Martin: "And that guy who killed that kid down in Florida standing ground / Is free to beat up on his girlfriend and wave his brand new gun around." The Drive-By Truckers aren't fucking around on this album. American Band is due out September 30 on ATO Records, and make sure you pre-ord...

Photo by Hilary Harris You don't usually think of Seattle and country music going together. Seattle is typically loud, and even when grunge was considered groundbreaking it was still grounded in classic psychedelic rock. And it's dark. Seattle bands just sound dark as hell. Well, Evening Bell are a country band from Seattle. And, since they're a country band in Seattle, it's dark country grounded in psychedelic classic rock. Also, Caitlin Sherman, one of Evening Bell's main singer/songwriters, brings her fascination of film composition to the songs, giving them this grand and majestic cinematic quality. Most country in 2016 either falls into the mainstream bro country or a complete throwback to classic country. Evening Bell are the increasingly rare blend of country that sounds completely fresh and unique.  Evening Bell's debut album, Dying Stars , will be released August 12. You can watch the video for "Tail Light" below.  For more information o...