If It's Too Loud...

I normally don't like when there's a four band bill with all four bands being the same genre. Friday night at Deep Cuts was a shoegaze bill to the point that the majority of the crowd were wearing shirts for Ride, My Bloody Valentine, etc. However, all four bands played such varied styles of shoegaze that at no point did the evening feel repetitive. First up was Bella Steele. The Boston band play a heavier, more sludgy version of shoegaze. Some might consider it more sludge metal than shoegaze, but I'm going to still call them shoegaze. I was completely unfamiliar with Bella Steele before they took the stage, and I became a fan almost instantly. They were impossible to ignore and commanded attention. Luckily, they were great and quickly converted the crowd that was mostly there for a lighter, poppier version of the genre. It was one of those times that a local opener had an entire crowd talking about them for pretty much an entire break between bands.  Bodywash played next,...

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 June 21 Airiel, Blushing, Bodywash, and Bella Steele at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA Saturday June 22 Parlour on the Block featuring The Skatalites, Akrobatik, Slurp, Quahogs, and more at Parlour, Providence, RI Typhoid Rosie, AP.E, Sweet Babylon, Hardcar, and D.O.P. at JJ's Tavern, Florence, MA Viruette, Today Junior, and Good News at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA Deke Dickerson and the Whippersnappers, Jittery Jack w/ Amy Griffin on Guitar, and The Centuries at Faces Brewing, Mald...

Artist : Dua Lipa Album : Radical Optimism Quick Thoughts : In a year with Cowboy Carter and Tortured Poets , I didn't really think Dua Lipa having the pop album of the year on my radar, but Radical Optimism is the follow-up to her already classic Future Nostalgia we've been waiting for. Just a catchy as all hell record with a good balance of fun and serious throughout its runtime. If anything, this record proves that leveling up from her self-titled wasn't a fluke, and that she deserves to be listed with the top stars of the moment. A great listen. Songs of Note : "End of an Era," "Houdini," "Training Season," "These Walls," "Illusion" Artist : Camera Obscura Album : Look to the East, Look to the West Quick Thoughts : I've loved Camera Obscura for close to 20 years and I appreciate that this album demonstrates how well their classic sound holds up over the decades, especially after some time off. No, there...

Photo by Meghan Bass The previous singles from Blushing's upcoming album have landed right in the world of 90's alt-rock and shoegaze, but for their latest, the Austin quartet have expanded their sonic palate quite a bit. "Slyce" is a giant wall of psychedelic noise. It has some electronic sounding elements that edged their way into Brit pop, but aside from that this is a giant psychedelic rock song filled with fuzzed out guitars. Blushing stretched out their sound into new territories with this one, and they absolutely nailed it. "Slyce" is the kind of song that just knocks you over before burrowing itself deep into your psyche. You can watch the video for "Slyce" below. Sugarcoat is due out May 3 on Kanine Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Blushing, check out the band's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Thu. May 2 - Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (album release show) Wed. May 15 - San Antonio, T...

Photo by Eddie Chavez Blushing are by far our favorite Austin, TX based band featuring two married couples, and once you listen to "Seafoam" you'll understand why. The song fits right into the band's trademark dream pop sound, but it features a little but more venom than you typically get with dream pop or shoegaze. The song is just oozing with 90's era goodness, and not just because it features ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder laying down a solo. It kind of sounds like Veruca Salt decided to try out shoegaze and absolutely nailed it, while still sounding like Veruca Salt. Blushing are masters at sounding like your favorite forgotten 90's compilation album song, and "Seafoam" is a prime example. The band explains how Jeff Schroeder ended up on "Seafoam": “While chatting after a Smashing Pumpkins concert one night, we made a joke about Jeff playing lead guitar on the next album. A few years later when  Sugarcoat  was being recor...

Photo by Eddie Chavez Blushing are an Austin, TX based band consisting of two married couples. The band's latest single, "Tamagotchi," is probably closest to being dream pop, but it's quite a bit more than that. Sure, the song has that dreamy sound that washes over you with reverb, but there's also a much stronger bite to the guitars than you normally get in dream pop. It's not quite grunge, but fairly close. It's more of that early-mid-90's post grunge sound as mainstream alt-rock was edging into more of a power pop or bubblegrunge sound. Blushing's latest is an incredibly infectious song that fans of 90's alt-rock are going to adore. You can watch the video for "Tamagotchi" below. Sugarcoat is out May 3 on Kanine Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Blushing, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Fri. March 15 - Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (SXSW official showcase) Thu. May 2...

Artist : Blushing Album : Possessions Quick Thoughts : Dear god this is good. We love a good shoegazey effort and Blushing brings us the best one we've heard in some time. This is fresh and fuzzy in all the right ways, and has so many solid songs that it's hard to select just a handful. Overall, a highlight of the week without question, and definitely worth your time if you're into this sort of shoegaze. Songs of Note : "Sour Punch," "Surround (With Love)" Artist : Basement Revolver Album : Embody Quick Thoughts : I'm a big Basement Revolver fan and this new album continues them along the same great alt rock lines they've headed down as of late. It's difficult for me to hear a song like "Be Okay" and not wonder why this act isn't huge. On a whole, a solid listen in a busy week - while I feel like every shoegaze act decided to release in February, all of them are awesome. Songs of Note : "Be Okay," "Blackh...

Artist : Rachel Harrington Album : Hush the Wild Horses Quick Description : Superlative roots music. Why You Should Listen : This was a pleasant surprise this week, and worth it for Americana fans. Overall Thoughts : This is the roots record I’ve been waiting for but didn’t realize it. An authentic, gritty album with appeal across the board, this is something that I feel like could be a real grower in a lot of ways. Especially since some of the higher-profile county/roots records this week didn’t grab me, I’m glad this one did. Recommendation : Check it out. Artist : Miss June Album : Bad Luck Party Quick Description : Noisy-but-wonderful punk rock. Why You Should Listen : You're feeling kind of angsty. Overall Thoughts : Sometimes you just get a loud, brash punk record that hits the right buttons, and this is it. Miss June is not trying to reinvent the wheel, but the good production and better songs make this feel like something a little different than what you may...