If It's Too Loud...

We're pretty much guaranteed to write about any band that is described as "... an American rock 'n' roll outfit." The Astronots are from Los Angeles, and have this bizarre 60's meets modern sound. It's a high energy, incredibly fun dance/rock song that reminds me of being a throwback to music that was made in the 90's as a throwback to the 60's. And I mean that as a compliment. The song is inspired by a couple the band grew up with. As singer/guitarist Niko Giaimo explains: " They had an insanely beautiful Cinderella wedding, but not long after that the wife started cheating, and the husband was secretly gay and going out with his friends in women's clothes. They were both cheating on each other in different ways, and somehow, everyone knew about the cheating except for the couple themselves!!! They ended up splitting up and are now both happily married in new relationships!" You can watch the video for "Wandering Eyes...

Photo by Ally Schmaling We keep getting more and more into Boston's own Oompa, and "By You" is sucking us in even more. "By You" might just be the first hip hop song about visiting a therapist. It's the very rare mellow hip hop song that works for me. It could be because it features Anjimile on guitar, giving it a feel kind of like MTV Unplugged 's hip hop edition, which will always be a favorite of mine. You don't get to call too much hip hop groovy, but "By You" edges just barely into that description. Oompa's quick flow is a brilliant counterpoint to this guitar, and makes "By You" such a brilliant song. You can listen to "By You" below. Cleo , the upcoming album from Oompa, will be out August 10. For more on Oompa, check out her website .

Photo via Facebook Boston's These Wild Plains do a virtually perfect rendition of alt-country along the lines of Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown. Their latest single, "Stick Around," continues that sound. "Stick Around" is laid back, but not hanging-out-on-the-porch laid back. It stops just short of power ballad territory and is the kind of love song rare in country and Americana. According to the band: "Stick Around is a love letter to my wife, or maybe more accurately, a tribute to her extreme patience. Being married to someone who is addicted to the masochistic nature of being a 'working musician' is a hard row to hoe, for sure. I don't know how she does it, but lord knows I would be lost without her. Besides, you don't hear a ton of songs about things going well these days. Everyone's always leaving. I figure it can't hurt to have one about shit working out for once." You can listen to "Stick Around" below. Th...

Another slow week, so a little catch up to go along with your new releases... Artist : Dude York Album : Falling Quick Description : Second proper album from the rock act. Why You Should Listen : Dude York is fairly underrated, and this is a step forward for them. Overall Thoughts : One of the more anticipated follow-ups of the summer, Dude York has been doing their best to evolve a bit while keeping their straightforward alt-rock approach intact. The new album is less Cheap Trick than their debut, and it might be of benefit on a whole – where we lose out on true killer tracks like “Tonight” from their first album, we make up for in the sheer volume of great songs in a cohesive album. Would be worth the time on a busy week, but especially during the lighter summer music load, this should find some time in your rotation. Recommendation : A must-listen. Artist : Martha Album : Love Keeps Kicking Quick Description : Power pop still lives! Why You Should Listen : Has a great...

Sydney, Australia's The Laurels have an interesting and familiar sound. Their newest single, "Sound System," is a psychedelic blend of shoegaze. What's most interesting is it keeps the upbeat, cheerful sound of psychedelia with the almost dystopian moodiness of shoegaze. This truly creates a whole new sound while still feeling uncomfortably familiar. Singer Luke O'Farrell has this to say about the song: "High rise apartments and rent prices loom large over this paean to a future dystopian city, the inhabitants of which are doomed to a lifetime of evenings spent in queues waiting to eat at fine dining restaurants after a round of putt putt golf. Sound System finds this group of part-time disc jockeys loading up their van with generators and loud speakers as they seek to reignite the street party." You can watch the video for "Sound System" below. The song is currently available as a single on The Laurels's Bandcamp . For more on The La...

Photo via Facebook The standard definition of outlaw country is too rock 'n' roll for country, too country for rock 'n' roll.  The latest single from Jason Hawk Harris is somehow 100% rock/punk and 100% country, obliterating the standard definition. "I'm Afraid" is a loud, fast, rambunctious jam that you'll know if you love it within the first ten seconds of the song. Harris sings "I'm Afraid" like a Southern preacher, which is fitting since the song is about kids being afraid of creepy pictures of Jesus. It's such a huge departure from Harris's previous single, the mostly straightforward, laid back country tune "Cussing at the Light," that we're thrilled to hear what else he has in store for us! You can listen to "I'm Afraid" below. Love & the Dark , the new album from Jason Hawk Harris, will be out August 23 on Bloodshot Records. You can pre-order the album here . For more on Jason Hawk Harr...

Photo by Sarah Cass As if it was made to make us even more obsessed with Black Belt Eagle Scout, Katherine Paul's musical project has a new single that may be impossible not to like. "My Heart Dreams" is a dreamy, slightly trippy, almost like a folk version of shoegaze song. It's mostly a ballad, but has its bouncy moments to keep you drawn in and cheerful, despite the song's subject matter about wanting to find new love while being brokenhearted. "My Heart Dreams" has just the slightest amount of noise Black Belt Eagle Scout shows in their live shows, instead keeping this song mostly melodic. You can watch the video for "My Heart Dreams," which was filmed at the Portland Pride parade. Paul says of the video: “ The idea behind this video was to do something fun while showing the resilience of the Indigenous people, particularly women and girls, which is why I chose to have the Black Belt Eagle Scout band be portrayed by young Indigenous...

Photo by Pat Piasecki We first discovered Diablogato back in February when I made the trip up to Salem, MA for their show with Salem Wolves and The Devil's Twins. They have new music coming up next month, and today we can check out "Lipstick & Cyanide." The new song is exactly what I'd expect from Diablogato based on their live show. It's a garage rock/punk hybrid that hints at rockabilly without really going into it full throttle. "Lipstick & Cyanide" may be a mid-tempo song, but it's a full on rocker. The only surprising element to the song is just how hard it grooves . That was a pleasant surprise. You can listen to "Lipstick & Cyanide" below. Old Scratch , the new album from Diablogato, will be out August 23 via State Line Records. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on Diablogato, check them out on Facebook . Old Scratch by Diablogato

Photo by Jack Riddle Noisy rock music is typically loud and in your face. The latest single from Australia's No Sister shows noise can be quiet and almost soothing. "My New Career" is discordant, no question about that. But it also plays like a post punk 80's love ballad (even though it's a modern feminist anthem), so as abrasive as it can be, it's also oddly calming. There's something strangely hypnotic about "My New Career," especially after repeated listens. Even if you don't care for this song on the very first listen, try it out an extra time or two. You could be glad you did. You can watch the video for "My New Career" below. Influence , the new EP from No Sister, will be out August 23. You can pre-order the EP on Bandcamp . For more on No Sister, check them out on Facebook .

Based out of Boston, MA, Nice Guys have this loud, creative form of what I'm going to call punk. "Exhaustion" is a perfect example of this. It's fast, abrasive, and as discordant as possible while still being a song. To me it sounds like The Jesus Lizard meets Ex Models with a little bit of early The Dismemberment Plan thrown in. This isn't going to appeal to most people, but some of us are going to become quickly obsessed with it. You can listen to "Exhaustion" below. The song will be included on Nice Guys's forthcoming album due out on September 5. You can pre-order it on their Bandcamp . For more on Nice Guys, check them out on Facebook . Nice Guys by NICE GUYS

Photo by Erica Chambers The more we hear from Jason Tyler Burton's upcoming album the more excited we're getting. The latest single, "Date Night at the Dairy Queen," is virtually perfect. It's on the mainstream side of alt-country, or maybe on the alt side of mainstream country. "Date Night at the Dairy Queen" is a slightly rambling Americana/folk/country song with stripped down instruments and lyrics that just nail you in the gut. With lyrics like "We grow our own veggies, make our own amphetamine, but our number one cash crop is crushed hopes and dreams" it all comes across like a combination of Jason Isbell and Bob Dylan, which is a great place to be. You can listen to "Date Night at the Dairy Queen" below. Kentuckian , the new album from Jason Tyler Burton, will be out September 6. For more on Jason Tyler Burton, check out his website . Current tour dates are below the song. 07.26  Red Ants Pants Music Festival, White...

Artist : Darren Hayman Album : 12 Astronauts Quick Description : Concept album about history's greatest space travelers. Why You Should Listen : Darren Hayman is good at what he does, but especially when he's invested in the subject. Overall Thoughts : This may be DH’s best solo effort in a long time. This is not to say his output has been bad, but H’s foray into themed albums continues with a release about astronauts to coincide with the moon landing. It has a gorgeous alternate version of the HN single “Alan Bean,” but also legitimately one of the better songs of the year in “Genesis Rock.” For someone at this for over two decades, this is a really and truly wonderful listen and something that everyone should easily enjoy. Recommendation : One of the best of the week. Artist : Grace Lightman Album : Silver Eater Quick Description : Pop with some edge. Why You Should Listen : Grace Lightman sounds really familiar, and yet is completely different than anything el...

Photo via Facebook Two of my obsessions are J Mascis and seeing shows at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, NH. Something about seeing world class musical artists and legends playing in a waterfront park for an $8.00 suggested donation is just perfect for me. It's especially great when Prescott Park breaks from their normal Americana/roots fare for 90's fuzzed out noise. With temperatures still in the nineties at showtime, it was a very laid back crowd. There were definitely people there who most likely have season passes or just came down since it was a cheap Saturday of entertainment, the amount of Dinosaur Jr shirts in the crowd showed that the park was filled with fans for this night. And J Mascis did not disappoint. Opening with a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Every Mother's Son" (which is a J Mascis staple at this point), he quickly showed that this would not be a typical acoustic singer/songwriter show. Mascis brought the pedals and the distortion, if not ...

Photo via Twitter This is a very "Weird Al" heavy day, but we do love covers here at If It's Too Loud..., and we simply can't resist this one. Jonah Ray has announced an EP of punk covers of "Weird Al" songs, and the first one we can hear is "Amish Paradise." First, the song isn't as punk as I'd expect it to be. Jonah Ray may be known more as a comedian, but he did grow up playing in punk bands, so he has enough cred. Ray's "Amish Paradise" is much faster than the original parody of "Gangster's Paradise," but it's more of an edgy acoustic rock song. It's more like earlier Frank Turner than I expected. That said, it's a "Weird Al" cover from a devoted lifelong fan, so it's ridiculously fun and a must hear. Also, I've been saying this for years, but enough bands do sets as Guns 'n' Roses, Weezer, and The Misfits every Halloween. Someone needs to start doing "Weird Al...

I've been a fan of "Weird Al" Yankovic since elementary school, which was over thirty years ago. Even though I've seen most of my musical heroes, somehow I've never just gone for it and bought "Weird Al" tickets. Since I got my daughter into him a few years ago, I finally did it and bought us tickets for his "Strings Attached" tour. The night started off a little rough. The announced start time for the show was 7:00, and it wasn't until 7:30 that the orchestra started. (The "Strings Attached" tour features a forty one piece orchestra.) They played four songs from films like Raiders of the Lost Ark  and Mission Impossible , followed by a twenty minute intermission. Let's just say the average ten year old does not care about film scores to movies she has no interest in watching. I thought I was going to lose her, but then "Weird Al" finally started at 8:15. The smile on my daughter's face made everything wort...

It's been three long years without new music from Richmond, VA's Justin Golden, but our long drought is finally over with "Talking." His newest single is everything we want from Golden: It's smoother than silk blues that still has a tiny bit of an edge to it. "Talking" sounds and feels like a classic song, but still modern. It's a deceptively simple song with sparse use of guitar and drums. The song is propelled forward by Golden's voice and the harmonica he's almost dueting with throughout. You can listen to "Talking" below. The song is available as a download via Justin Golden's Bandcamp . For more on Justin Golden, check him out on Facebook . And let's all hope we don't have to wait three years for another release. Talking by Justin Golden

Considering how many punk veterans are hanging around DC, I'm shocked we don't get more supergroups coming out of that city. Hammered Hulls are an underground supergroup, made up of Alec MacKaye (Untouchables, The Faith) Mary Timony (Helium, Wild Flag, Ex Hex), Mark Cisneros (Kid Congo, The Make-Up), and Chris Wilson (Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Titus Andronicus). The band has their debut three song release coming up next month, and right now you can hear "Written Words." "Written Words" isn't going to rewrite music. It's exactly what you would expect it to sound like: old school DC punk, which is exactly what you're going to want from these four musicians.  You can listen to "Written Words" below. The self-titled debut from Hammered Hulls will be out August 9 on Dischord Records. You can pre-order a 7" via Dischord and digitally at Bandcamp . Current tour dates (unfortunately just two of them) are below the song. S/T ...

Photo by Vivian Wang Back in May we brought you a Jam in the Van version of "Uncover the Gold," a brand new song from David Wax Museum's upcoming album. The album version is now available to listen to, and it was worth waiting. This version has a softer feel than the previously heard live performance. Suz Slezak's voice has a particularly trippy feel to it as she vocalizes during instrumental parts of the song. Trippy might be the best way to describe "Uncover the Gold," a song that has the most hypnotizing handclaps of all time. Yes, that is a weird way to describe handclaps, but trust us on that. This continues David Wax Museum's progression from album to album. None of their albums feel like complete departures from the previous album, but they all go off in a different direction just enough to keep their sound evolving and interesting. You can listen to "Uncover the Gold" below. Line of Light , the upcoming album from David Wax Museum...

"Exoskeleton" might be the single I'm most excited about this year. Dan Luke and The Raid's first single off their debut album combines multiple genres that all land in my musical sweet spot. To me "Exoskeleton" sounds like if Tom Petty leaned more heavily into New Wave and then was inspired by Sonic Youth in the early 90's. It's this kinda sorta Americana song that has an oddly groovy feel and some unexpected post punk noise that swings in every so often.  You can watch the video for "Exoskeleton" below. Out of the Blue , the debut album from Dan Luke and The Raid, will be out October 11 on New West Records. You can pre-order the album here . The album was produced by Bradley Schultz of Cage the Elephant, who just happens to be Dan Luke and The Raid's Daniel Schultz's older brother. For more on Dan Luke and The Raid, check out their website .

Some good stuff this week! Artist : Mal Blum Album : Pity Boy Quick Description : Superlative indie rock from a favorite here. Why You Should Listen : Straddles perfectly the line between old and new. Overall Thoughts : We’re been low-key fans of Mal Blum for a while now, and this new album is pretty much the perfect tone not only for the current indie/alt landscape, but for a couple of aging hipsters like ourselves still clinging to the rock music of our youth. While many acts deliberately attempt to operate in the musical ideas of the past, MB gives the impression of making the music she’s interested in making, and it shows in a superlative album this week. Recommendation : It will be a highlight in nearly anyone’s rotation this week, so don’t miss out. Artist : BEA1991 Album : Brand New Adult Quick Description : Offbeat electronic effort. Why You Should Listen : This is one that is often hard to describe. Overall Thoughts : I’ve highlighted a few odd indie electric...

I'm not very familiar with the Better Yet podcast, but they recently came to my attention when they put together all of god's money / a tribute to wilco's yankee hotel foxtrot. It's a track by track covers album, obviously for Wilco's beyond classic album. Each track is done by a different artist, and the one that got our attention is Laura Stevenson covering "Jesus, Etc." Stevenson's version is a slightly slower, more symphonic version. It's a gorgeous song, and the perfect type of cover that stays true to the original while still sounding just like Laura Stevenson. You can listen to Laura Stevenson's cover of "Jesus, Etc." below. all of god's money / a tribute to wilco's yankee hotel foxtrot below. The album is available via Better Yet's Bandcamp . For more on Laura Stevenson, check out her website . all of god's money / a tribute to wilco's yankee hotel foxtrot by Better Yet

Today sees the release of a brand new three song EP from our favorite steamcrunkers Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys! Witchcraft is made up of two new songs ("Witchcraft" and "DINO DOMINA") and a live recording of "Lonely Children." "Witchcraft" is a meandering, trippy song that has what might be the creepiest whisper-sung part of any song I have ever heard. The song just builds and builds into a glorious climax. We've covered "DINO DOMINA" before, but it still might be the best thing Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys have ever recorded. It's a bizarre hard rocking song that keeps a slinky and sexy vibe while being an absolute head banger. You can listen to "Witchcraft" below. For more on Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, check out their website . If you happen to be in the Boston area tonight, they're playing The Sinclair in Cambridge. The show is an all local bill and featur...

Chicago's All Eyes West have been around since 2010 and have opened for artists as diverse as Bob Mould, Alkaline Trio, The Joy Formidable, OFF!, Rival School, and Local H. Their latest single, "As I Bleed," would be considered emo, but more the kind of emo that existed before Hot Topic. It reminds me of a more noisy yet also more poppy version of Rites of Spring. It's a fast and kinda thrashy alt-rock/emo song that you can see at home playing with all of the previously mentioned bands.  You can listen to "As I Bleed" below. Like Lightning, All Eyes West's third album, will be out August 30 on Jump Start Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on All Eyes West, be sure to check out their website . Like Lightning by All Eyes West