If It's Too Loud...

This might be an unpopular opinion, but King is my favorite album from Belly. "Seal My Fate," "Red," and "Now They'll Sleep" are all underappreciated classics, and "Super-Connected" might be my favorite Belly song. They're one of those bands I want to see every time they come around, and once I heard they were performing King in its entirety at the Paradise, it became a must see show for me. Much like when they played Royale in 2018, Thursday night was "An Evening with Belly," which saw them play a set of King , then taking a brief break and coming back with a second set. The first set was obviously surprise free, with the eleven songs comprising King  played in order. It's easy to forget just how great the album is since it doesn't have the big MTV hit of "Feed the Tree," but it's beloved by diehard Belly fans. Songs like "Silverfish" and "Untitled and Unsung" were delights live, and ...

Buffalo Tom and Belly are two of my favorite bands of all time. Bill Janovitz and Tanya Donelly have made music and performed together multiple times over the years, but I had never seen the two bands together. As soon as I heard they were playing together up at State Theater in Portland, ME, I knew it was time for a roadtrip and an overnight stay! Belly took the stage first (in Providence, RI the next night the two bands swapped and Belly played last). It's easy to forget just how many amazing songs the band has. After opening with "Low Red Moon," they played "Super-Connected," "Gepetto," and "Slow Dog" all in a row. That's three of my all time favorite songs, and we weren't even past the first fifteen minutes of the night. For a band that plays sporadically, they sounded incredibly tight, but also loose enough to be enjoying themselves and allow for some change ups in the song. After battling some sound issues early on (Donelly'...

Doing Anything this Weekend? is a feature here at If It's Too Loud... where we feature some live shows in and on the far outskirts of the Boston area. Our main rules are that they have to be reasonably priced shows that you can attend last minute. They'll feature If It's Too Loud... approved bands, and we'll provide event links when possible. And since we're in outdoor music season, these events are weather permitting. If you're looking for last minute plans this weekend, we recommend: Friday September 13 Jedediah Parish and Mike Gent at Q Division Studios, Cambridge, MA DeVotchka and Savoir Faire at The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA Buffalo Tom and Belly at State Theater, Portland, ME Bongwish, Mother Fungus, The P.A.'s, and Little Miss Echo at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA Feminine Aggression, Perennial, and Juana B Ontop at Holyoke Media, Holyoke, MA Saturday September 14 Moon Over Salem Festival featuring Actor Observer, Hell Beach, dropbear, The Freqs, Oldsoul, Astr...

For Earth Day this year, Tanya Donelly has released a pair of songs that she collaborated on with Russell Chudnofsky. "October Snow" was recorded at the beginning of lockdown (way back in 2020) at their separate homes and "April Light" was recorded together at Woolly Mammoth Sound. The two songs definitely sound like when they were recorded. "October Snow" is a more melancholy song, yet still has a hopeful sound. "April Light" is the cheerier of the two, and leans more into Donelly's rock roots. Both songs fit perfectly into Donelly's more recent artistic output. They're both great and are the better side of what used to be called Adult Contemporary. Donelly continues to show how a Gen-X legend can still release fantastic music for people of her generation while keeping true to what has always made her great. You can listen to "April Light" below. "April Light/October Snow" is available now via Bandcamp . For more ...

Photo by Ann Sullivan-Cross The Loyal Seas (aka Tanya Donelly of Belly and Brian Sullivan of Dylan in the Movies) have released a new single that is a showcase for Donelly's vocals. If you've even had just a passing interest in Donelly's music over the last thirty or so years, you know that focusing on her vocals is never a bad thing. "Swimmers in the Gold" is a quiet ballad that also includes guest appearances by Jon Evan (Tori Amos) on upright bass and Sarah Parkington (The Parkington Sisters) on violin and viola. The resulting song is a gorgeous and simple song that is wonderfully lush because of the vocal talents of Donelly and Sullivan. As someone who has followed Donelly's career since the early 90's, it's great to see how diverse her musical output can be. Brian Sullivan says of the new song: “ I handed this song over to Tanya with the lyrics to both verse and chorus but I wasn't feeling the verses. I knew Tanya could take this song to the r...

Benny Sizzler are a band that is going to defy your expectations. First, they may be from Newport, RI but don't have a sound anything like the famous festivals or anything that city's mansion dwellers would listen to. Second, the band features Gail Greenwood of Belly, but they sound absolutely nothing like her other more well known band. No, Benny Sizzler's new single is heavy. This is the kind of heavy that Greenwood got to play with during her time in L7. I hesitate to call "So Much for Today" a metal song, but if it isn't it's snuggled right up next to metal. This is a loud as hell song with pounding drums and blistering guitar solos.  You can watch the video for "So Much for Today" below. The song is available as a single via Bandcamp . For more on Benny Sizzler, check out the band's website .

Photo by Ann Sullivan-Cross The Loyal Seas are a collaboration between Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses) and Brian Sullivan (Dylan in the Movies). The two met in the 90's at Fort Apache Studios, and have collaborated a number of times since. The duo are releasing their first album in May, and "(So Far from) Silverlake" is its first single. The song is a beautiful slice of dream pop. Donelly's voice instantly elevates any song she sings on. Not that "(So Far from) Silverlake" needs much elevation. It's done as a duet with Donelly and Sullivan trading off verses and harmonizing. This is a perfect first song for the official band of two long time collaborators.  Tanya Donelly explains the origins of her new band's name: “Band names are tricky. We came up with some interesting ones,” recalls Brian. “Our relationship is very 'brother and sister' - that's where the ‘loyal’ part comes in. To me, family means loyalty. Brian’s anam cara to me,...

This is an absolute dream project for me in just about every way. Aaron & The Lord is the new musical project from Aaron Perrino (The Sheila Divine, Dear Leader) and is a collaboration with Steven Lord (Dirty Bangs). The band's new single features Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, Belly, The Breeders) on vocals. The song was initially pitched to Donelly as a Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra style duet but quickly morphed. A post on The Sheila Divine's Facebook page compares it to the Cocteau Twins and Phil Spector's production, and that really nails it. It's two of my 90's Boston favorites singing a duet that combines New Wave and the Wall of Sound? I don't think I could be more in. You can listen to "This Love Ain't Dead" below. The song is currently available via Bandcamp . Aaron & The Lord don't seem to have a social media presence yet, so for now keep an eye on The Sheila Divine's Facebook . This Love Ain't Dead by Aaron & The L...

It's no secret that we've been adoring Tanya Donelly's Sunday Series of cover songs. She's putting that project on hold for the time being, but not before giving us one doozy of a gift. Big Love Bends Time EP is a collection of four songs from Donelly and guests. The first song breaks from the cover format and is a new song from Donelly and her Belly bandmate Gail Greenwood. "Big Love Bends Time" is a hypnotic and dreamy ballad that will suck you in unlike any other song you've heard in years. This track is seriously addictive. From there the covers start. For a cover of Buffalo Tom's wildly underrated 1992 song "Frozen Lake," Donelly brings in Bill Janovitz for backing vocals. Any time Donelly and Janovitz team up is a joy, and this time is no different. Also included is "Swim" from Madder Rose with Donelly's husband Dean Fisher on backing vocals and Robyn Hitchcock's "Sweet Ghost of Light" with Gail Greenwood r...

Photo via Facebook We're dangerously close to becoming a Tanya Donelly fansite since she's been posting weekly covers lately, but this is Tanya Donelly we're talking about, so how can we resist? This week's entry for her Sunday Series is a cover of Bob Dylan's masterpiece "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." Donelly's version of the classic still has plenty of folk elements but leans more into the dream pop she made famous with Belly back in the 90's. It reminds me a lot of her early solo work, and would have made an amazing closer for Lovesongs for Underdogs. On the Bandcamp page for the single, Donelly wr ites:  " I won’t wax on about Bob Dylan’s impact on my love for lyrics — endless others have expressed what he’s given to us far more eloquently than I ever could — but the leaning reader in this poem pretty well describes how I have always listened to him. Like reading a great book — that rush of receiving a perfect string of words...

Photo via Facebook In one of the few positive things to come out of the last month, Tanya Donelly has teamed with Russell Chudnofsky and Joe McMahon for "Sunday Series." Every week, fans can let Tanya know through social media what song they'd like the trio to cover, and on Sunday she'll post it on her Bandcamp. This past Sunday saw the very first edition, which somehow also includes Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz, Sad13). They teamed together for a rendition of Marianne Faithful, which of course also comes with hope that she make a full recovery from COVID-19. They cover the classic "As Tears Go By" which has also been covered by The Rolling Stones and Nancy Sinatra. It's a beautiful song no matter who does it, but a version by Tanya Donelly and Sadie Dupuis? What more could we possibly want? You can listen to Tanya Donelly and Sadie Dupuis's version of "As Tears Go By" below. You can download your own version via Tanya Donelly's Ban...

As a tribute to the late Joe Harvard, Boston area musician (although recently relocated to Asbury Park, NJ and co-founder of Apache Studios, Tanya Donelly has offered up a collection of demos he produced for her. These songs were originally intended for The Breeders but all ended up on Belly's 1993 classic Star. The ten songs on Demos with Joe Harvard  are complete bare bones, just Donelly's voice and guitar, with some lap steel played by Harvard and some guitar by Kim Deal on "White Belly" and "Feed the Tree." "Feed the Tree" is particularly interesting in how raw it is. The guitar chords are the ones we know and adore, but it's almost grungey in how fuzzy it is. I always love hearing the original composition of my favorite songs, and Demos with Joe Harvard  is a great way to hear songs we've loved for twenty six years in a new way. You can listen to the demo version of "Feed the Tree" below. Demos with Joe Harvard is availab...

Despite being a fan of Belly since the early 90's, I never got a chance to see them live. They had called it quits before I was really going to shows, so I missed out. I've seen Tanya Donelly a bunch of times, but never Belly. I had to miss the 2016 reunion because of a family vacation. Luckily, it wasn't a one-off tour, so last Thursday I finally got my chance. Belly currently tours in an odd way that works out for them. They don't have an opening act, but instead play two one hour sets with a twenty minute break in between. As much as I love an up and coming opener, can anyone really argue with two hours of Belly? And what a two hour show it was. If you haven't seen Donelly perform live for a while, you forget just how captivating her voice can be. In contrast to Donelly's angelic voice was Gail Greenwood headbanging through her set while playing bass, possibly left over from her time with L7. The band played with a large LED screen behind them, mostly dis...

Just a lot out this week, so we'll do highlights. Artist : Skating Polly Album : The Make It All Show Quick Description : New album from the indie rockers. Why You Should Listen : Skating Polly is similar to Speedy Ortiz in some regards, and they are poised to break out. Overall Thoughts : I liked Skating Polly’s last effort, which was a sort of car crash of musical sounds and styles that had me hooked. Even still, it wasn’t without its flaws, but that was more than okay – it was still a great listen. This new album feels a lot more organized and structured, and the result (while a little less chaotic) is something that really shows growth as a band without losing the sort of manic quality that sets them apart. Recommendation : A favorite this week. Artist : Parker Milsap Album : Other Arrangements Quick Description : New album from a favorite here. Why You Should Listen : You're looking for a little more adult alternative in your life. Overall Thoughts : We’v...

To say we're excited for the release of Belly's first album since 1995's King  is an understatement. The Belly reunion feels more like an organic reunion than a cash grab, and the new music they've been releasing reflects that. Their latest single, "Starryeyed," is an absolutely gorgeous alternative ballad. It is fairly similar to Tanya Donelly's more recent solo work, but it still has that Belly edge to it, while still being soft and beautiful. Without looking at the track list for Dove , "Starryeyed" sounds like the closing song for an early/mid 90's alternative album. (If you were around back then, you know exactly what that sounds like.) You can listen to "Starryeyed" below. Dove, the first Belly album in 23 years, will be out May 4. For more on Belly, check out their website .

Knowing full well that Belly are reunited and have a new album coming out this year, you'd think that we'd be know and expect a new song from them any day now. But this morning, when word of the first song from Belly's first album in 23 years broke... well, we had to drop everything and listen repeatedly. "Shiny One" is and isn't what we'd expect from Belly. It's a glorious alternative pop song that sounds like Belly, but the sound is tweaked just slightly. Tanya Donelly's voice is front and center and mesmerizing as always, but the guitars have a slightly grungier feel, and the song is a bit more groovy than I would have expected. But it still sounds like Belly, and what else could we possibly want at this point in our lives? You can listen to "Shiny One" below. Belly's new album (typing that will never get old), Dove , will be out May 4. You can pre-order it now in various bundles via PledgeMusic. For more on Belly, check out th...

This is apparently the week that every single major festival is going to announce their line ups, and most have been rather... underwhelming. I know that middle aged dads aren't exactly the target audience for music festivals, but we like to think we're "with it" here. Regardless, I've only seen about 3-5 artists per festival that I've cared about, and that has gone down as I realize that the Belly they've booked is the wrong Belly. That's why we're excited about Boston Calling this year. The headliners aren't all that thrilling (pretty sure Eminem is playing every festival this year, but yay for Jack White!) and of course The National are playing,  but as you go down the poster we start getting more intrigued. Fleet Foxes, St. Vincent, and The Decemberists are beloved by young and aging hipsters, plus they booked the right Belly and Pussy Riot. You go even further down and find Big Thief and Charly Bliss, who have been two of our favorites...

The excitement for the upcoming release of Belly's third album next year continues to build, and while we wait they've given us another gift. Belly has released a cover of "Hushabye Mountain" from the classic 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is one of those movies I know I watched a few dozen times as a kid but I don't remember even the smallest part of it. Even more surprising that this even exists is how true to the original version (sung by Dick Van Dyke) Belly's cover is. Belly's "Hushbye Mountain" is pure musical/show tune style, with just the slightest hint of Belly's 90's alt-rock god roots. The only real difference is that Belly fall on the creepier side than Dick Van Dyke's does, but don't we all? You can download Belly's cover of "Hushabye Mountain" over at PledgeMusic for free . Belly's new album (we'll never get sick of saying that) will be out in April. While you...

We haven't brought you a Friday Freebie for far too long, but, luckily, today's is a great one. As I'm sure you're all aware, Belly is back after a 20+ year break. They are currently working on new material and have started a PledgeMusic for fans to pre-order their upcoming new album, but for right now Tanya Donelly and company are giving out a four song sampler of live material and rarities. Out of the four songs, the only live one is "Dusted." The rarities are absolutely fantastic and must haves for any fan of Belly. The first two are from the 90's glory days of film soundtracks: "Thief" was originally from the Tank Girl  soundtrack and "Spaceman" came from the Twister soundtrack, which I guess was a thing? The final song on Belly Noise  is the absolute must have. It's a cover of "Trust In Me (The Python's Song)" from Disney's The Jungle Book.  You can get your own copy of Belly Noise right now over at NoiseT...

I personally love it whenever Tanya Donelly (Belly, Throwing Muses, The Breeders) and Bill Janovitz (Buffalo Tom, The Needy Sons) work together. We also love covers, so when Bill and Tanya get together to cover The Kinks, we're heavily on board. The two recently recorded an acoustic cover of the 1981 Kinks song "Better Things" with Janovitz on guitar and vocal duties split. Their voices always blend together beautifully, and "Better Things" is no exception.  Tanya Donelly and Bill Janovitz's cover of "Better Things" is available now on Janvitz's Bandcamp for $1.00. All proceeds go to the Foundation to Be Named Later .  Better Things by Tanya Donelly and Bill Janovitz