Beatrice Deer - "Arranged"

By -

Photo by Alexi Hobbs

Inuit indie singer-songwriter Beatrice Deer has a new single and video out, and while calling something a must-listen is an overused trope, it's certainly valid for "Arranged." Her new single is an absolute epic track encompassing many indie rock styles. The singer-songwriter base with multiple tonal changes reminds me of Lady Lamb. Plus, there's a certain level of pop within the song, and musically parts remind me of The Hold Steady and/or Pulp. There's a certain vibe in "Arranged" that pushes right up against the mainstream while never quite going too far. There are even some doo wop style "ohh sha la la la"s that hop in throughout the song. With one single, Beatrice Deer has become a new musical obsession here at If It's Too Loud...

Beatrice Deer says of her latest single:

“There are many, many stories from our Elders who were betrothed from birth and had to honor the agreement made by their parents when they came of age in spite of their deep dismay. Stories of young men and women who’ve never seen each other were made to marry each other. In many of these rough beginnings are stories of learning to respect each other and their vows, and eventually love each other deeply until the very end.

“Making this track was fun because it’s kind of a unique story about difficult arranged marriages turning into happy endings. I wrote it in first person perspective imagining how the woman and the man felt about the arrangement their parents made. Then on the recording side, it was a challenge because I needed an Inuk male singer for the duet that can deliver vocally with the right vibe. All the Inuit men singers aren’t based in Montreal. Luckily Johnny Saunders from Kuujjuaq was in Montreal for an event and was free one afternoon so I grabbed him and took him to the studio. I’m so very happy with how the song turned out. I hope listeners who are going through a rough patch in their relationship will be inspired to work through their differences and disagreements and work things out, unless it’s abusive. If it is, leave and go find the right one to spend forever with.”

You can watch the lyric video for "Arranged" below. For more on Beatrice Deer, check out the artist's website.

On Repeat...

Minibeast - "High Sea"

By -
Image
Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
Read more

The Beths - "Mother, Pray for Me"

By -
Image
Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it.   “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....
Read more

There's a new Limp Bizkit video, because sure, why not?

By -
Image
Earlier this week I was expressing sympathy for Limp Bizkit. Limp Bizkit just don't seem to be riding that surge of 90s nostalgia that all sorts of other terrible bands from that era are. Sure, they're terrible. But are they really  that much worse than Filter, Alien Ant Farm, and other bands on those 90s nostalgia packages. And then this video is released. The first lyrics to the song are literally "Go fuck yourself." It then features Fred Durst sitting on a toilet, bikini clad chicks pretending to fellate garden hoses and leaf blowers, and Fred Durst talking about fucking bitches, all while wearing a hoodie and a backwards red baseball hat. Then Lil Wayne comes out. Please keep in mind Fred Durst is a 42 year old man.
Read more