If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Tracy Conoboy Chicago duo OK Cool have their new album due out this Friday, and they've released one last single for those of us that can't wait. "Last" fits in perfectly with the previous singles we've heard off Chit Chat so far. It's a classic, vintage indie rock single updated slightly for today's more pop leaning sound. Like the previous songs, "Last" is going to give you early, lighter Built to Spill vibes, back when they were also a little more pop focused. OK Cool are becoming one of the cooler bands we regularly cover here at If It's Too Loud..., expertly merging the discordant and poppy sides of the indie rock genre. Bridget Stiebris says of her band's latest single: “I was inspired by songs like Basement’s ‘Oversized’ for this one–just a really heavy shoes walking kind of song.  I really love combining acoustic and electric guitars–which is something I’ve learned while making this record–and giving them each their own t...

Photo by Tracy Conoboy If you love cheery 90's indie rock, you're going to love the latest from OK Cool. FLOOD Magazine stated that "Safety Car" has "... an early Built to Spill vibe," and as much as I hate quoting another writer, I kept getting the same feeling from the song. It's reminding me of The Normal Years , when Doug Martsch wrote shorter, more poppy songs with smaller guitar epics inside. "Safety Car" is wonderfully catchy and upbeat, and has that crunchy guitar that helped define the late 90's. As much as OK Cool remind me of my glory days on this one, the more pop focused side of the song helps keep it sounding more modern and not a throwback.  Haley Blomquist Waller says of her band's latest single: "This song is about the people in your life that make you feel loved and grounded. I wrote it last year with my husband in mind while we were starting to plan our wedding.  There are references in the lyrics to things we do...

Photo by Tracy Conoboy OK Cool, the Chicago duo of Bridget Stiebris and Haley Blomquist Waller, have released three EPs in five years, and are now set to release their first album. The first single from that album, "Waawooweewaa," is a monster of DIY indie rock. It's a bouncy and emotional song with driving drums and fuzzed out guitars. It's the rare break up song that is going to inspire pogoing, and even includes a killer breakdown halfway through. We've loved OK Cool for a few years now, but if "Waawooweewaa" is any indication, this new album is going to be next level. This song is such an irresistible mix of DIY indie rock and punk that we can't help but be fully on board. Bridget Stiebris says of the band's latest single:  “I wrote the demo for this song in 2019 after a recent breakup, and I was kind of just musing on the patterns of my past breakups and how I felt in that moment. Any breakup of a serious relationship just sucks and I was in...