If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Paige Prather Jake Xerxes Fussell has an innate knack for taking classic folk songs and making them completely his own. His latest is "Rock Island Line," which started out as a spirtual and was first recorded in the 1930's. We've heard many versions of this song, but none quite like Fussell's. His latest version is much quieter and laid back than Johnny Cash's from the 70's, and is almost unrecognizable as the classic I'm more familiar with. It lands somewhere between traditional folk and a more modern version, but finds quite a bit of impact by going more quiet. Fussell has long been a favorite of ours, and a song like "Rock Island Line" only solidifies our fandom. Jake Xerxes Fussell says of his new single: “The song struck me as very beautiful, but just singing the verses wasn’t working for me. I couldn’t relate. So, I wound up putting it together with an old English nursery rhyme that I had been kicking around. ‘ Wire, briar, lim...

Photo by Graham Tolbert We've been big fans of Jake Xerxes Fussell for a while now. The man has a way of putting together a folk/country song unlike anyone else. Now he's taking on Arthur Russell's "Close My Eyes." Fussell's version is quite faithful to Russell's original, but tweaked ever so slightly to still sound like him. If you're unfamiliar with the original, you'd most likely assume this was from Fussell's catalog, just a more straightforward version of his sound. It's a great take on a great song, and this is my personal favorite type of cover, where an artist stays true to the song while still adding their own style to it. Jake Xerxes Fussell says of his cover: “I’ve long felt partial to the country waltz as a song form. I enjoy playing them. And like so many of us record listeners, I became intrigued a number of years ago with the posthumously released recordings of the beautiful composer / cellist / singer / producer Arthur Russe...

Photo by Julien Sage Based in Los Angeles County, Dutch Interior are set to release a new album, their first on Fat Possum. The first single off that album, "Fourth Street," is an absolutely killer blend of alt-country and indie rock. For that genre of music, this song lands somewhere in the middle of Wilco and Wednesday. It's not as loud as Wednesday can be, but it's not as mellow and Americana based as Wilco can be. As soon as the opening riff of "Fourth Street" hits, you'll know this is going to be a killer rock and roll song. It's equal parts twangy and equal parts grunge-y. We have some universal sweet spots here at If It's Too Loud..., and Dutch Interior are hitting a few of them for us. Guitarist/vocalist Noah Kurtz says of the band's latest single: “‘Fourth Street’ found its conception after a holiday trip visiting my parents. Starting off with a rambling recollection of feelings and personal anecdotes that come with living far away f...

Photo by Brendan George Ko No one quite makes music like The Weather Station, the musical project of Tamara Lindeman. Her latest single, "Mirror," has a singer-songwriter goes slightly dance music with some jazz influences. There's a lot going on in this song, but it's still a laid back and incredibly captivating song. It's the type of song that could almost be used as background music but will soon demand all of your attention and focus. The more attention you pay to "Mirror," the more it will reward you. The Weather Station wanders right up to the edge of the mainstream here, but decides it's more fun and interesting not to cross the line. This one is reminding me of Tori Amos' late 90's releases. Tamara Lindeman says of her latest single: “I wanted the song to warp and disintegrate; to come in and out of being like the imaginary scaffold that holds up a fantasy or cognitive dissonance. In the end, the band grows garbled and comes apart, gi...

Photo by Julien Sage "Sandcastle Molds," the latest single from Dutch Interior, is the band's attempt at making "a fucked up Fleetwood Mac song." The song doesn't sound anything like the 70's AM radio sound of Fleetwood Mac, but it still has a bizarrely similar vibe... albeit a much darker one. The song also sounds like it was filtered through the 90's indie rock of Pavement. The whole song both perfectly fits and doesn't fit the whole "fucked up Fleetwood Mac" comparison, which is kind of perfect in its own way. This is a modern, countrified version of indie rock, but a darker and twisted one. Jack Nugent says of his band's new single: “This song grew from the realization, while driving down the 405 after a long night, that I might be losing my edge. 'Sandcastle Molds' deals with holding on to your sense of self as the world descends into madness at a nauseating pace. How does one hold on to hope when the state of all thing...

Photo by Brendan George Ko Last month brought us "Window" from The Weather Station, which saw Tamara Lindeman's musical project going in a bit more of a rock direction. This month we get "Body Moves," which is more of a traditional song from The Weather Station. It's a laid back singer-songwriter track with some lighter dance vibes and a strong jazz side to it. Not many tracks can be described as both ethereal and groovy, but "Body Moves" pulls it off. It's the type of song that is instantly compelling, and only gets more and more so as it goes on. The Weather Station has a knack for starting a song off more simply and then getting more involved as it goes on, and "Body Moves" is a prime example. Tamara Lineman says of her latest single: “This song was the hardest song, we recorded it, changed everything, recorded it again, changed everything, recorded it again. It had to be tender and bruised and painful; like falling into a dream bu...

Photo by Brendan George Ko According to the press release for the new single from The Weather Station, the project's upcoming album is "... the weirdest Weather Station record, yet, the most visceral." The musical project of Tamara Lindeman's new single, "Window," definitely fits that description. It has more of a rock sound to it than we're used to from The Weather Station, while still having that kinda sorta dance pop sound we've come to love from Lindeman. Plus, there is an abundance of flute throughout the song. "Window" is a driven song that instantly grabs your attention and holds it throughout multiple listens. This is strangely accessible art-rock-ish music, delving into singer-songwriter and possibly even folk at times. You can watch the video for "Windows" below. Humanhood is due out January 17 on Fat Possum Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on The Weather Station, check out the artist's website...