If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Richard McCaffrey For their ninth studio album, Deer Tick have decided to make a very Providence album. Coin-O-Matic will tell hidden stories from Rhode Island, and the first single from the album is "Mary Singletary." Deer Tick have always swung between folk and rock, sometimes in the same album and sometimes in the same song. This new song is more of a rocker, although there are plenty of roots within the track. While 2023's Emotional Contracts felt like a band swinging for the fences and making hits, "Mary Singletary" feels more like a band making a song they want to make. It's a straightforward rock song with some serious mainstream possibilities, but this is a band making a song the way they want to, and this one is particularly great. John McCauley says of the band's latest single: “Most of the stories on the album are from my parents’ generation and the generation before that, when the idea of a Catholic and a Protestant getting together ...

Photo by Matt Bass Miracle Blood have always blurred the lines between punk and metal, and have been nominated in both at the Boston Music Awards without changing their sound. Their latest single, "Blazing Entrails," is a fast and loud just over two minute burst of sonic noise. For this one, the volume matches the subject matter deals with the anxiety we all live with every single moment of our lives in 2026. Sometimes you need a song that reflects the craziness of modern life, and Miracle Blood do just that. This song is pure metal meets punk chaos (although I'd put this one more in the metal category), with singer/guitarist Andrew Wong's carnival baker vocals fitting the subject matter and chaos perfectly. Andrew Wong says of his band's latest single: “Just like the title says, this song is about how we’re all walking around with our guts on fire right now. It is about the existential anxiety that permeates our lives every day.  The world feels very unstable. It...

Sunday was the fourth and final day of this year's Boston Bitdown. It was originally scheduled to take place at Moon Base One, but was moved fairly last minute to Bit Bar after Moon Base One's licensing issues. As much as I love the original venue, a video game music festival taking place in an arcade just makes sense. Also, it gave everyone something to do between bands, as much of the stage area cleared out so attendees could play arcade games and pinball. Here's what I saw Sunday afternoon! Opening the day was +LET'S DISINFECT+. Out of Philadelphia, this is a one man band horror punk meets chiptune artist. It was a set of kick ass punk songs about Predator , Night of the Living Dead , and the Saw series... just with video game sounds within the songs. Horror and video games have always gone hand in hand, and this was a perfect pairing that helped set the tone for the day. Plus, songs about horror movies are always going to be a hit in Salem, especially considering we...

It's been a while since we've brought you new music from Bear Grass. (Their 2018 album LEFT was Jeff's #1 album of that year.) The project of update New York's Katie Hammon, they just released a new single, "Sound." The song is an under two minute track that was originally intended to be a secret song at the end of the upcoming album. It's a quiet and sparse track that's a combination of chamber pop and folk. It's just Hammond's vocals and piano (keys?), and it's an instantly compelling song that becomes even more so on repeated listens. It's hard to describe a song that's so sparse and obviously personal, so we're going to implore you to give "Sound" a listen (or multiple listens!) below.  You can listen to "Sound" below. Distance is due out later this year, with a new single being released every six weeks leading up to the album. For more on Bear Grass, check out the artist's website .

Linnea's Garden make punk rock you can dance to. The Boston trio's latest single, "Stop Codon," has disjointed guitar and an irresistible beat. One thing that always strikes me about their music is that it's undeniably punk, but it's also fun dance music. It's also catchy and poppy without being what you'd consider pop punk. This is high energy music to bop along to, and it kind of resides in the world between Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. "Stop Codon" is a song that is effortlessly cool because of how little Linnea's Garden are trying to be cool. It's just laying out how they feel and dancing their emotions out. This is a truly fun one. You can watch the video for "Stop Codon" below. Get Heard is due out this year. For more on Linnea's Garden, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. 3/14 Austin, TX - Stargazer 3/16 Austin, TX - Kick Butt Coffee 3/16 Austin, TX - High Noon 3/17 Austin, TX ...

Photo by Greg Norton Ultrabomb, the supergroup consisting of Greg Norton (Husker Du), Derek O'Brien (Social Distortion, Agent Orange, Adolescents), and Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum), has a brand new single out. Their previous singles have sounded like a combination of the members' other bands, and that's no different with "No Cap." This new one leans a little more heavily into Soul Asylum territory, especially from their pre-"Runaway Train" period. It's very melodic and has that 90's catchy alt-rock sound, but it also has a strong punk rock edge to it. It melds dissonance and melody perfectly, and is going to have fans of Ultrabomb's members thrilled upon first listen. Supergroups are one of our favorite things here at If It's Too Loud..., and Ultrabomb are one of the best out there. Greg Norton says of his band's latest single: “There is a lot of noise to keep us distracted. Everyone has an opinion, informed, and not informed. I'm at ...

The Woggles are one of those bands I'm convinced have been around much longer than they actually have. The garage rock band started out in the 90's, but I'm always convinced they come from the 60's or 70's. Their latest single, "Love Tick," will show you exactly why. It has that great vintage garage rock sound, and is just as groovy as anything from that era. It's rough around the edges but also as catchy and poppy as possible. If you grew up loving music from Nuggets compilations, "Love Tick" is worth your time to check out. (Plus, the name The Woggles sounds like it belongs on a British Invasion band!) Guitarist Peter Greenberg says of the band's latest single: “Our bands touring together in the past built a friendship that led to us writing songs during the pandemic.  ‘Love Tick’ tells the story of [frontman "The Professor" Might] Manfred’s attraction to ladies worldwide.” You can listen to "Love Tick" below. Stop a...

Last year's Boston Bitdown was one of my unexpected musical highlights of 2025. I was only able to make it one night last year, but I was blown away by how diverse a festival of chiptune bands could be, and how much fun I had. I wanted to make it to more dates in 2026, but life and family obligations prevented me from taking in as much of the festival as I wanted. I made it on Saturday to bounce between Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater and The Rockwell. I wasn't able to take everything in, but what I saw was fun and great. The first artist I saw wasn't chiptune at all, but still fit in with the vibe of the festival. Boston Typewriter Orchestra are one of those artists I've been meaning to check out, and Saturday night was my chance. They're a band that consists of all members playing typewriters. Yes, virtually every sound coming from the stage is coming from an old fashioned, non-electric typewriter. It's the sound from the keys, drumming on the back, bel...

Photo by Brendan Deiz Sometimes a band is just named exactly what they are, and that's certainly the case with DOOMBIA. The Portland, OR band blend doom metal with cumbia, and their latest single is a fantastically fresh sound. "Doombia Viene" is a psychedelic burst of rock and Latin music that you never knew you needed until just now. It's going to make you want to rock out just as hard as it will make you need to dance. It's easy to get jaded when you cover a lot of different bands, so when you find one as unique and refreshing as DOOMBIA, it's an extra special thrill. As great as the heavier, head banging moments in "Doombia Viene" are, it's the more quiet, psychedelic ones that end up drawing me in the most. Strap yourself in and block off some time to listen to this one on repeat today. You can watch the video for "Doombia Viene" below. El Diablo Que Conoces is due out in the Fall. For more on DOOMBIA, check out the band on Instagr...

Photo by Mol White Back in January we were treated to Middle-Aged Queers covering Mazzy Star's iconic "Fade Into You." This month, they've released a cover of Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero," aka the "I'm the problem it's me" song. It's a straight up punk version of the song in the way that only Middle-Aged Queers could pull off. It's obviously ridiculously fun, but there's an unexpected amount of heart behind the cover. A punk band covering a pure pop song is kind of a novelty cliche, but this one ends up being more than that, especially towards the end when Middle-Aged Queers slow it down into something more heartful... but still silly and fun. Lead vocalist Shaun Osburn says of the band's new cover: "Covering 'Anti-Hero' is part of our multi-tier plan to lure Taylor Swift fans to punk rock. Not only will we be known as musical ambassadors, we can also appropriate that big Swiftie money to further the gay agend...

I hadn't expected JVK to go full synthpop in advance of their debut album, but I'm fully here for it. The Boston band's latest single, "Machine," is a two minute burst of synth heavy rock music. They've always melded pop and rock into one, but lately JVK has been getting more pop and more punk at the same time. As synth-focused as the song is, the guitars are pure hard rock. Also, I can't remember when a song demanded you dance while being this anti-capitalist. JVK are one of those bands I stumbled on at a random show, instantly became a fan, and have enjoyed watching them grow and morph into their current form and sound. Monday morning or not, crank "Machine" and have a cubicle dance party (which is kinda fitting). You can watch the video for "Machine" below. Pop Culture Affair is due out March 20 and is available for pre-order here . For more on JVK, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video and includ...

Photo by Aileen Lam One of the negative aspects of having a music blog is that you start discovering bands from all over the world that you'll never get the chance to see live. It's fairly cost prohibitive for a band to fly across an ocean all the way to the U.S. to tour small clubs, and given everything going on right now, I certainly wouldn't expect a band to fly all the way over here since who knows what could happen. Imagine my surprise and delight when Lucid Express announced they were coming to the U.S. to tour, and were playing the tiny O'Brien's in Allston. Opening the show was Boston's own Sophie's Body. They were a band I was completely unfamiliar with but they quickly won me over with their bubblegrunge sound. It was a fun, quick set filled with fuzzy indie rock gems with a strong pop streak. Vocalist Sophie McMinn implored the crowd to dance, but the Boston hipster crowd isn't known for its willingness to dance. By the end, many in the crowd ...

CW: Eating disorder Kansas City, MO band The Eradicats have a new bubble grunge single out that tackles singer Kristi's eating disorder recovery. "I Ate a Sandwich" is an upbeat and bubbly new track with just the slightest punk edge to it. It's a serious subject matter, but it's also a celebratory song about overcoming her disorder. It's an irresistible song that merges melodic alt-rock with the energy of 90's pop punk. Not many bands could pull off a song with such a serious subject matter into something that sounds fairly silly and have it work, but The Eradicats did it quite well. I know we'll be diving into their back catalog after hearing "I Ate a Sandwich." Kristi says of her band's latest video and her recovery: "I knew I had a problem when I cried on the floor in the pasta aisle at the mere thought of eating spaghetti. But it took me another couple of years to walk into an eating disorder clinic and ask for help. "I'...