If It's Too Loud...

Photo via Facebook For Halloween, The Queers have given a brand new song to the Punk Rock Halloween II compilation. "Down in the Shadows" is one of The Queers's more melodic songs. It's more pop than punk, and I mean that in the best possible way. It's not quite as melodic as their obviously inspired by The Beach Boys ones, but more inspired by the 80's output of the Ramones. Plus, something about it reminds me of The Munsters theme, which is never a bad thing. It's ridiculously fun, which is what we really want in a Halloween song. You can listen to "Down in the Shadows" below. Punk Rock Halloween II is available now via Bandcamp and also features songs by The Vandals, Reagan Youth, Johnny Thunders, The Virators, and more!  PUNK ROCK HALLOWEEN II - LOUDER, FASTER & SCARIER by The Queers

Photo by Michael Lavine Torres (aka Mackenzie Scott) has released three albums that have both worked and not worked for us, and, if the first single off her upcoming fourth album is any indication, this one might be the one that finally sucks us in completely. "Good Scare" is this beautifully powerful and epic alt-pop song. It's somehow one of Torres's most and least accessible songs at the same time.  Scott says about the song:  “Regarding ‘Good Scare,’ I guess I could say that falling in love is a lot like the Superman crawl.  If you’re not familiar with Superman’s crawl, it’s a terrifying maneuver used in spelunking that’s only performed when certain passages are too narrow, so a person has to hold one arm against the body and the other above the head, all while trying to crawl forward. When you fall in love with someone, it’s scary like the Superman’s crawl, but you have no choice but to keep moving forward even though you have no idea what’s ahead of you .”...

Around Halloween, lots of bands do live sets as other bands, playing as if they were the other band. Typically you'll see lots of bands playing as Misfits, Weezer, The Strokes, etc. Boston's ska punk favorites Big D and The Kids Table have decided to release an all covers album for Halloween this year. Strictly Covered has some covers that you would expect and are pretty obvious choices for Big D and The Kids Table (Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Rancid, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and two Operation Ivy covers), some less expected but that still make sense (Beastie Boys, The Dead Milkmen), and then some completely out of left field choices. These include two Boston legends in Sam Black Church and Morphine (although it is fun hearing Big D and The Kids Table's tribute to hardcore and alternative rock/jazz fusion classics) and industrial gods Ministry. You can listen to Big D and The Kids Table's version of Morphine's "Early to Bed" below. Strictly Covered is availabl...

Photo by Danielle Dabney Stef Chura's Midnight  is a strong contender for best album of 2019 and she's just released a cover of Silver Jews's classic "How to Rent a Room." Chura has been performing the song at live shows for a while, but after the untimely passing of David Berman earlier this year she chose to release a formal version of the song.  "'How To Rent a Room' has always been one of those songs that I could never let go of," explains Chura. "Ever since the first time I heard it it’s always been one of my favorite songs and remains one that imprinted me as a young songwriter. Now, in light of his death, the lyrics take on a new and much sadder meaning. At the time they seemed conceptual, but the line 'Now there’s a lot of things that I’m gonna miss, like the thunder down country and the way water drips' is now a haunting and deeply poetic rendering of everyday minutiae and the texture of our lives that we don’t appreciat...

Vancouver's Dead Ghosts (how do we not post about them this week?) are about to release a new album, and they've released the first single, "Drugstore Supplies." The song is rooted heavily in 60's garage rock, the kind infused with organs. But they've changed that formula a bit by adding in some elements of mid 90's alternative/pop/psychedelic bands like Cornershop and The Dandy Warhols. It's a unique and familiar sound that is guaranteed to be enjoyed! You can listen to "Drugstore Supplies" below. Automatic Changer , the new album from Dead Ghosts, will be out April 24 via Burger Records. For more on Dead Ghosts, check them out on Facebook . Current tour dates are below the song. Oct 31 - LA - Minty Boi Presents Halloween @ El CID  Nov 1 - Phoenix - Psyko Steve Presents  @ Lunchbox  Nov 3 - SF - Folk YEAH Presents @ The Chapel  Nov 4 - Portland @ Star Theatre Nov 5 - Seattle - The Crocodile presents @The Sunset  Nov 6 - Van...

Photo by Danny DeRusso Lowell, MA's The Shirts and Shoes describe themselves as a "rock band," and that pretty much explains it. Although, being a music blogger, we're going to feel the need to categorize them. Their latest single, "Wolf," blends a few varieties of rock. There's some heavy mid-90's post grunge alternative in there, along with a bit of a punk attitude. Plus, the whole thing is just as groovy as it is loud. It's an intriguing way to mix the familiar into its own sound. You can watch the video for "Wolf" below. It's perfect for this week since it was shot at Haunted Overload in Lee, NH. The Shirts and Shoes are currently hard at work on their debut full length album. For more on The Shirts and Shoes, check them out on Facebook and Bandcamp .

Artist : Troi Irons Album : Lost Angels Quick Description : Latest album from the folk-adjacent singer-songwriter. Why You Should Listen : This defies a lot of expectations. Overall Thoughts : I liked Troi Irons’s first album a lot. This new album is a solid shock to the system in many regards, with some truly interesting choices alongside some mainstream plays. The cynic in me wonders about the production options here, but the fan in me sees this as a bold and adventurous step forward that’s ultimately worth hearing. Recommendation : A good listen this week. Artist : Amy O Album : Shell Quick Description : Power-poppy indie rock. Why You Should Listen : Her first album was good, this might be better. Overall Thoughts : I thought Amy O’s previous album was pretty solid, but I am fully impressed with Shell on first listen. Guitar-centric indie pop with some great melodies? Can’t really go wrong here. It’s definitely got an indie sensibility, so if you’re looking for...

"Under the Sun," taken from NovaBound's upcoming debut album, is an odd little pop-adjacent song. It sounds like a more organic and less electronic Cornelius as it wildly shuffles tempo, sound, and styles throughout its 5:11 duration. It's not quite rock, it's not quite pop, it's not quite jazz, it's not quite electronic, but it is somehow all of these things. NovaBound explains the track this way: ""Under The Sun" is part of a break-up album called Sevenths that loosely mirrors the stages of grief during it's run-time. Here we have anger (or at least my best attempt at it being angry). I'm being judgmental towards some choices that were made but truth be told things stopped being my business very quickly. It got rather dark after the split so I offer a prayer in verse two although I can't help myself from being passive aggressive. California is actually Florida in real life, but California is a lot more catchier." You...

Starting off the North American portion of their "30 Years x 30 Cities x 30 Song Set. No Openers" tour in Boston, Helmet took the stage fifteen minutes later than the announced time. Page Hamilton later joked that the venue wouldn't let them start on time since so many people had yet to show up. The audience did seem shockingly thin around 8:00 pm, but the extra time helped fill it the Paradise. (Also, it was a ridiculously stacked night for live rock in Boston, with Starcrawler, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Flipper with David Yow, and Against Me all playing shows Wednesday night.) And anytime you can see one of your all time favorites play for two hours and still be out by 10:15 pm on a work night, we'll be pretty happy at our advanced age. When a band is celebrating their thirtieth anniversary of being a band, you expect to hear the classics and favorites. Helmet delivered that. 30% of the setlist was from 1994's Betty , and another 16% was from 1992...

Same as last year, I got more than a little ridiculous with this year's If It's Too Loud... Halloween playlist. Starting on November 9, 2018, I began adding songs as I came across them, ending up with a 55 song, over three hour playlist. It features some of our classic alternative favorites (Jon Spencer, Holly Golightly, Meat Puppets, Mudhoney), songs more metal than our usual (Ministry, Orange Goblin), hip hop (STL GLD, L'Orange and Jeremiah Jae), folk and folk adjacent (Mary Lou Lord, Jittery Jack, Charming Disaster, Jason Hawk Harris), local favorites (Carissa Johnson, Diablogato, Hallelujah the Hills), new discoveries/favorites (The Exbats, The Tenth, Starcrawler), the loud (Screaming Females, Lightning Bolt, Scissorfight), and, of course, much, much more! It's perfect for all of your Halloween party and handing out candy needs!

Hailing from Nova Scotia, Jennah Barry's latest single is a dream-like genre mixing experiment. "The Real Moon" has elements of dream pop, 80's pop, jazz, and folk all mixed into one cohesive sound. It's both retro and modern sounding at the same time. All the pieces of the song seemlessly transition into each other and create a familiar and unique sound. "I was spending most of my time alone when I wrote ‘The Real Moon,'” says Barry. “The song is about the very modern problem of seeing too much of the world without actually leaving your house. It’s about experiencing the fragility of reality.” You can listen to "The Real Moon" below. The single is currently available via Bandcamp . Jennah Barry will be releasing a new album sometime in 2020. To make sure you know when that will be expected, check out her website . The Real Moon by Jennah Barry

Photo by Ally Schmaling Squirrel Flower has been Ella O'Connor Williams's moniker since childhood. She was a member of the Boston Children's Chorus, and spent time in the Boston DIY folk scene. Her new song, "Red Shoulder," starts out as an ethereal folk song. It's beautiful, and haunting... and then it changes. These loud punk/country guitars kick in seemingly out of nowhere, even though they were hinted at all along.  “‘Red Shoulder’ is a song about destabilization and dissociation,” explains Williams. “Something soft and tender becomes warped and sinister, turning into sensory overload and confusion. How can something so lovely turn painful and claustrophobic? The song ends with a heavy and visceral guitar solo, attempting to reground what went awry." You can watch the video for "Red Shoulder" below. I Was Born Swimming , the debut album from Squirrel Flower, will be out January 31 on Polyvinyl. You can pre-order the album here . For mo...

Way, way, way back in January we brought you "Stack the Miles," the first single of Gabriel Birnbaum's (Wilder Maker) solo debut. Finally, nine months later we have a follow up single and album news. "Mistakes" is an oddly interesting song. It starts out in a fairly standard singer/songwriter format, but in the bigger, more rock way, while still having a folk base. It keeps that main sound throughout, but with these killer flourishes that don't exactly fit in. (And by flourishes, I mostly mean short solos.) It's not quite quirky, but this is more how I would expect Stephen Malkmus's solo work to sound at this point. The singer/songwriter thing can be a pretty paint-by-numbers format, so it's great to hear a song that stays true to the formula while branching out in its own directions. You can listen to "Mistakes" below. Not Alone , the solo debut from Gabriel Birnbaum, will be out November 22. You can pre-order it here . For more on...

Boston's Prateek is the kind of modern folk singer we love. He just released a new live single, "Springtime," which is about seasonal depression. Recorded at the Shalin-Liu Center in Rockport, MA, the single captures one of our region's most underrated musicians at the height of his trade. It starts off with some charming stage banter which eventually wanders into the song. It's the kind of song that can keep both folk purists and more mainstream fans satisfied. As he meanders between speak-singing and more traditional singing, you're sucked further and further into Prateek's tale of dealing with seasonal depression while living in New England, which is probably the worst place to suffer from it. You can listen to "Springtime" below. The song is available for free on Prateek's Bandcamp . For more on Prateek, check out his website . If you happen to be in the Boston area, Prateek will be recording a live album at Q Division Studios in Some...

When you see that there's a band called The Whiffs with an EP called Take a Whiff  and an upcoming album called Another Whiff , you're going to expect Blink 182 style bratty pop punk about farts. Kansas City's The Whiffs will shock you with their sound. Their latest single, "Shakin All Over" is 1970's/Big Star style power pop. It's filled with gorgeous three part harmonies, huge guitar riffs, and the catchiest choruses you could possibly imagine. Sure, there is still some punk edge in there, but "Shakin All Over" is more like solo Paul Westerberg than Sorry Ma, I Forgot to Take Out the Trash. You can listen to "Shakin All Over" below. Another Whiff , the upcoming album from The Whiffs, will be out December 6 on Dig! Records. You can pre-order it here . For more on The Whiffs, check them out on Facebook . Upcoming tour dates with The Get Up Kids are below the song. DIG009 - The Whiffs - Another Whiff by DIG! Records Nov. 13  Denv...

In what has been a very covers heavy week here at If It's Too Loud..., we have another one. Los Angeles's "cosmic femme punk" Taleen Kali (formerly of TULIPS) has released a cover of Garbage's "#1 Crush" from the 1996 Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet starring film William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet.  The original seemed to be every girl's favorite sexy song back when I was in college. Taleen Kali channels that, but cranks up the intensity. It's a hauntingly dark version of the song, keeping the same pace but adding a layer of what seems like a threat. Kali explains her choice of a cover: "I chose to cover '#1 Crush' to marry my love of Shakespeare and my musical heroes, Garbage. This song is how I became turned onto dark alternative 90's music, so it's an honor to pay musical homage to Garbage by releasing our own version of the song for the Halloween season." You can listen to Taleen Kali's version...

Artist : Common Holly Album : When I Say To You Black Lightning Quick Description : New album from an indie favorite here. Why You Should Listen : This is not the most accessible album, but that's what makes it great. Overall Thoughts : Common Holly is odd, but leans into it. There are so many moments in this album that really just worked for me even if I couldn’t in good conscience recommend it to most people (hi there “Uuu”), but if you’re reading this you have a refined taste for adventure, so dive right in. I have no clue about the staying power of this record, but it’s been a while since I wanted to explore an album as much as I do this one. Recommendation : Really interesting listen. Artist : clipping. Album : There Existed an Addiction to Blood Quick Description : Latest from the futuristic sci-fi rap collective. Why You Should Listen : Great music, great lyrics, great everything. Overall Thoughts : Yeah, there’s a lot of great rap music out lately, but then...

I'm shockingly unfamiliar with Yo La Tengo's song "Autumn Sweater," despite the fact that it was on 1997's I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One , which is an album I know I played a ton on my college radio show. But, when Palehound decides to cover it, I kinda need to go back and revisit it. Palehound's version is very true to the original, as you'd expect. If anything, the cover is a more straightforward song than the original. Yo La Tengo's version feels a bit dreamier and Palehound's a bit more grounded, although somehow it's the keys that give both their feel.  You can listen to Palehound's version of "Autumn Sweater" below. It's the b-side to their new single, "Your Boyfriend's Gun." You can get a copy over at their Bandcamp . For more on Palehound, check out their website . Your Boyfriend's Gun by Palehound

Photo by Ashley Osbourn We may have had to wait seemingly forever for new music from Isobel Campbell, but along with a new album comes a Tom Petty cover. We're always suckers for cover songs, and personally I'll always check out a Tom Petty cover. Campbell chose to take on Petty's beyond iconic "Runnin' Down a Dream." As you would imagine, Campbell's cover is quite different from the original. There is some of the same iconic guitar riff, but it's a very, very minimal use of guitar, instead focusing mostly on what sounds like a drum machine and Campbell's vocals. It's like a quiet electroclash take on Tom Petty. Campbell says of the song:  “I grew up listening to Full Moon Fever in my Dad's car. On repeat. I had no idea what it was back then, just knew that I loved hearing it. The lilting laidback voice floating from the speakers made absolute sense to me. It painted a picture of America and the West long before I’d ever go. I’d visua...

An ode to recycling doesn't sound like the basis of a great song, but it's 2019, so who even knows how the world works anymore, right? Hailing from Bristol, Gork's new song "That's Plastic Mate" is simply weird. It has the backbeat groove of post punk, but it's a noisy psychedelic song, that's also some form of pop. Imagine Frank Zappa partying with Ween and Gang of Four, and you might end up with "That's Plastic Mate." Guitarist/vocalist Ed Soles says of the song:  "Little Bruce lived a normal life, unaware of our plastic oceans. Some say he ate too much fish, who knows maybe he did. Either way, he is an Evian bottle now. 'Plastic' warns parents everywhere of the dangers of this translucent lifestyle. If you don’t want baby Sarah or chubby Paul to wake up as a bottle then you best praise the bins and praise the recycling. That's plastic mate." You can watch the video for "That's Plastic Mate" bel...

Our favorite noisy NH punks are back with a new single! Secret Spirit have released "Dream Warriors," which is this weirdly wonderful mix of thrashy noise and emo/pop punk that somehow works. It's melodic, catchy as it could possibly be, but also grating and discordant in the best possible way. As I said before, we're probably far too old to be into Secret Spirit, but sometimes we just can't help ourselves. You can watch the video for "Dream Warriors" below. It features the band harassing campers in the woods of Milford, NH to get them to pay attention to the band, buy their merch, etc. It's pretty great. For more on Secret Spirit, check them out on Bandcamp .

Photo by Chelsea Clarke Bobby Hawk is best known as Robert Hecht, a touring fiddler with artists like Abigail Washburn, Noam Pikelny, and Phosphorescent. He's about to release his solo debut, which was written after a break up. As Hawk says, " “It sounds cliche, but it was the end of one of those relationships where you go, ‘Screw it, I’m gonna go get a tattoo and buy a guitar.' These songs just started pouring out.” The first single off the upcoming album, "Salt and Liquor," is roots based, which you would expect from a fiddler, but there is far heavier guitar than you'd expect. It's a roots/Americana song with a mix of indie rock and 90's alt-metal guitar, which is perfect for someone like me that grew up on Sonic Youth and Helmet but has discovered folk and country as I've gotten older.  You can listen to "Salt and Liquor" below. Lights On Kinks Out , Bobby Hawk's solo debut album, will be out November 1. For more on Bobby H...

Even if you don't instantly recognize Mark Lind's name, if you've been paying any attention to the Boston music scene for the last twenty five years, you know who he is. He's been/is a member of The Ducky Boys, Dirty Water, Sinners & Saints, and The Warning Shots. It's been ten years since he last released music as Mark Lind and The Unloved, but now they're back with a new single and upcoming album! This time around his band consists of members of Diablogato, The Bruisers, Art Thieves, and Michael Kane & The Morning Afters. The first single, "Out of the Blackout," is incredibly catchy punk rock 'n' roll. It borders between a more mainstream near-pop punk sound and dirty old school Boston punk. It's basically perfect in that way, and you owe it to yourself to listen, even if you've never heard of The Ducky Boys. You can listen to "Out of the Blackout" below. The Last Bastion , the new album from Mark Lind and The ...