If It's Too Loud...

2026 is a rough year for festivals with many of our favorites either taking the year off or calling it a day after 2025. Nice, a Fest took 2025 off, which had us a little worried, but they are back for 2026 and returning to Davis Square! This year's edition will run from July 24-26 and take place at The Rockwell, Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, and Dragons Lair. Of course, the important thing is the music, and Nice, a Fest once again have an amazing all local line up with many, many of our favorites. It will feature Battlemode, Class President, Coral Moons, Downtown Boys, Evan Greer, Gymshorts, JVK, Landowner, Mal Devisa, Meg Elsier, Perennial, Pinklids, Rick Rude, and a ton more! This is always one of my favorite musical weekends of the year, and attending is strongly recommended! Nice, a Fest takes place in Davis Square, Somerville from July 24-26. You can get more information and tickets here .

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...

Last week was a crazy week of amazing triple bills for me. The night before Valentine's Day was a truly can't miss show for me, with JVK hosting their second JVK Day show at Taffeta Music Hall in Lowell with two equally fantastic local bands: Tysk Tysk Task and The Ghouls! Opening the show was Lowell's own The Ghouls. They're always one of the most fun live bands out there today, and Friday night was no exception. They announced they were only playing love songs during their set, and then just rocked it out, setting the tone for the evening. They have mastered the art of playing loose and tight at the same time, and have an amazing mixture of 90's slacker cool while still playing unbelievably well. A huge help is that their fans always show out to their shows and match the bands energy. Even if you've never heard of The Ghouls before, it's impossible not to get swept up in the excitement between the band and their fans. Plus, they closed with a wonderfully 9...

Every year when The Town and the City announce their line-up, we say that it's their best ever, and every year we truly mean it. 2026 keeps their unbeaten streak alive with a line-up that's going to thrill all music fans in the Lowell area. This year, the festival once again takes over downtown Lowell April 30 through May 2. Individual shows haven't been announced yet, but you'll get to see John Doe of X and David Lowery of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven performing together, as well as Tanya Donelly and Chris Brokaw with their "modern interpretations of medieval music." Also playing this year are folk rockers The Felice Brothers, along with local favorites GA-20, Future Teens, JVK, Megan From Work, The Wolff Sisters, Tysk Tysk Task, Dee Tension & The Secrets, Other Brother Darryl, Tell, Phantom Ocean, and many, many more. In an interesting move, two Lowell favorites will be performing cover sets this year, with The Ghouls performing Black Sabbath and Bur...

JVK are one of those bands that seems poised to break out of the Boston music scene. Their latest single, "When I Think About Love," is a fantastic mix of punk rock, pop, electro pop, and just straight up rock. The whole thing has a certain 90's vibe going to it, mixing rock from that era with New Wave. It's a glammed up package that sounds kind of like if Joan Jett had been inspired by Van Halen's "Jump" or Def Leppard's "Love Bites." As 80's inspired as "When I Think About Love" sounds, it's not a song trying to be a throwback. It may draw inspiration from some classic sounds, but this is a completely modern sound. Plus, this sounds like it's going to become one of the most fun songs in JVK's live shows, so let's all try to get to one ASAP before they graduate from small clubs. You can listen to "When I Think About Love" below. For more on JVK, check out the band's website .

Somehow it's been two years since we've had new music from JVK. The Boston band have been quite busy playing shows pretty much everywhere in that time, but now they're finally back with new music. "Get Offline" shows a change in sound for the band. It's still a killer mix of punk rock and pop (but nothing like pop punk), but this new single sees them adding a ton of synth to their sound. This is a glammed up version of JVK that also captures the rawness of their live show in a way that their previous recordings didn't. It's gloriously retro while still moving forward, and somehow as JVK moves toward pop they're more punk than ever before. You can listen to "Get Offline" below. JVK is currently working on their debut album. For more on the band, check out their website .

kei Photo credit: Boston Calling, Alive Coverage Boston Calling is New England's largest music festival, drawing forty thousand music fans from all over for three days of music. This was surprisingly my first year attending Boston Calling, and there is simply too much for one post, so we're breaking it down day by day. Here are my highlights from day one! Madi Diaz We've been fans of Madi Diaz for a while, so it was great to see the Nashvile singer-songwriter live for the first time. I was also unaware that she spent time in Boston, and she talked about living ten blocks from the venue. Taking the Green Stage with her guitar and only accompanied by a drummer, Diaz was the perfect way to start off my day with her upbeat mix of indie rock, singer-songwriter fare, and pop. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much of her music the crowd knew. I tend to live in my musical bubble, unaware of what's popular or not, and Diaz is much more well known than I thought.  The Wolff...

Artist: JVK When and where: Friday 5:20-6:00, Orange stage I first saw JVK playing with Tysk Tysk Task in Rhode Island at an underattended show just about two years ago. The fact that they're both playing Boston Calling this year is pretty rad and makes that a show I can now brag about. Friday you'll be able to brag once you see JVK blow apart the Orange stage. The band started out as the solo project of Jo Krieger, and they've been playing basements and even played Louder Than Life last year. They play a high energy version of hard rock mixed with pop hooks. It's a full out rock band fronted by someone who could easily be a Top 40 star, but decided to stick with rock. Krieger was a incredibly compelling performer in a bar two years ago, so I can't imagine how much she's grown as a performer since then. We can all find out together Friday early evening!

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. If you're looking for last minute plans this weekend, we recommend: March 29 Kate Clover and Brad Marino at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA CLAMB, Talk Chalk, and Honey Cassette at Faces Brewing, Malden, MA Bella's Bartok at The Word Barn, Exeter, NH Will Dailey, Aubrey Haddard, and Bethany Killian at Askew, Providence, RI March 30 Circus Trees, Pray for Sound, Sleep Jumper, and Vallory Falls at Taffeta, Lowell, MA Ex-Hyena, The Shallows, and CMB at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA Sexcoffee, Heather Rose In Clover, and Planet Bog at Askew, Providence, RI Lincoln Durham, The Devil's Twins, and Sophia Carreras at The Rockwell, Some...

Photo by Wissler Studios One of our favorite things about JVK is how they've always mastered balancing between being a pop band and a heavier rock band. Their latest single, "Body Double," is this loud indie rock song with some serious pop hooks. Jo Kreiger's vocals have always leaned more towards pop, but "Body Double" sees her stretching into a more metal sound with her voice. While some of their previous songs have had some strong metal base, this new one is much more indie rock than metal. It's a very intense song that just barrels forward, just barely in control. The song has a desperate sound to it that sucks you in and refuses to let up for two and a half minutes. We've been into JVK coming up on two years now, and this might be their finest single yet. You can listen to "Body Double" below. For more on JVK, check out the band's website .

Doing Anything Fun 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. If you're looking for last minute plans this weekend, we recommend: Friday February 16 Avi Jacob, Jessye DeSilva, and Jake Blount at Askew, Providence, RI The Rock Dwellers and JVK at 3S Artspace, Portsmouth, NH Perennial, Blind Mellencamp, Burn Kit, and PV at Ralph's Diner, Worcester, MA Julie Rhodes, Sinnet, and Jon Nolan at Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA Saturday February 17 Bedtimemagic, Crowfeeder, Karate Steve, and The Endorphins at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA Scissorfight, Blood Lightning, Evil80, and Catching Hell at Ralph's, Worcester, MA Mephiskapheles, The Prozacs, Threat Level Burgundy, and Green Street Fiends ...

Ok, so we've probably all seen the line up for Boston Calling this year, and we all feel how we feel about the headliners. But, if you look further down, they absolutely killed it this year for local artists! Friday has hip hop artist Kei (who might legit blow every other artist off the stage this year!), the indie rock/pop hybrid of JVK, and the perfect folk of The Wolff Sisters! Saturday has one of the premier singer/-songwriters in town with Senseless Optimism, the unique hip hop of Cakeswagg, and the country & western meets rock 'n' roll of Ward Hayden & The Outliers! Sunday is no slouch with severely underrated rapper Billy Dean Thomas and the mighty Tysk Tysk Task! Plus, she's not local but Blondshell is back in Boston playing a much larger stage than her headlining set at The Middle East Upstairs over the summer! For more details and to sign up for tickets, head on over to Boston Calling's website .

Photo via Facebook Sometimes you're a fan of a band, and as good as they are, you just know they have at least one completely mind-blowing song coming in the future. We may have just gotten that song from JVK. They've always balanced the line between a heavier punk/grunge sound and something more pop based, and on "All I Want" they mastered that sound. "All I Want" starts off a little more pop, and then the grunge guitar kicks in. Somehow, JVK don't drop the pop side of the song and the two genres fuse into one. Hearing this song is like getting to watch a band truly discover themselves. It's a heavy rock song and a dance friendly pop song all at the same time. We can't wait to hear where they go from here! You can listen to "All I Want" below. For more on JVK, check out the band's website .

Boston's JVK have always blurred the lines of indie rock and pop, but never quite as much as they do with their latest single. "Grinding My Teeth" has more power behind it than your typical pop song. It actually leans quite heavily into the worlds of punk and metal at times. It's a loud and amplified song, but singer Jo Krieger's vocals are far better than you normally hear in indie rock, punk, or metal. That's truly the secret power of JVK. They play loud and abrasive music, and Krieger's vocals end up smoothing things over to a much more palatable sound, while still somehow complimenting the volume. You can listen to "Grinding My Teeth" below. For more on JVK, check out the band's website .

I discovered JVK last summer when they played a show with Tysk Tysk Task in Pawtucket. I loved their indie rock meets pop and goth sound, and their latest single fits perfectly into that description. "With Me Too" is a little less pop than their previous songs, although there is still plenty of a pop sound. There is a lot more metal in this song mixing with indie rock. For the metal aspect, it's the more orchestral sounding with soaring harmonies, which gives the song an interesting Nightwish goes indie rock sound. The true powerhouse of the song is vocalist Jo Krieger, who has more power behind her vocals than you typically get for bands at this level. You can listen to "With Me Too" below. For more on JVK, check out the band's website and their Instagram .

Photo via Instagram I first discovered JVK back in August playing at News Cafe in Pawtucket, RI. The band had this unique mix of pop and straightforward alt-rock, and that sound shines on their new single. "Good Talk" has this odd almost country/blues/rock vibe to it, but much heavier on the rock side. It's this loud rock song that is just belted out and almost has that woman scorned feeling to it that your favorite country singers made careers off. It's a fun and angst ridden song that has a Dolly Parton meets Julie Rhodes meets Foo Fighters thing going on. You can listen to "Good Talk" below. For more on JVK, check out the band on Facebook and Instagram .

On a fairly last minute whim, I ended up heading down to Pawtucket, RI to see Tysk Tysk Task at the News Cafe. Sure, this would be the... fifth (?) time I've seen them since April, but Samantha Hartsel and Danni Gannon just keep improving with every show while still tinkering with songs each and every time. If I had a free Friday night, how could I miss it? Opening the show was Car Girlfriend. They had a very raw funk meets metal and alt-rock sound. Some songs were almost pure funk while others were almost pure metal, with other songs being nearly every step in between. Plus, with vocalist Garrett Hopkins mostly rapping during songs, it reminded me of a very, very early Red Hot Chili Peppers. Not many bands can pull off the party band vibe while still blasting an angry song called "Cop Killer" (not a Body Count cover, by the way), but Car Girlfriend pulled it off. Next up was JVK, which I can't tell if it's a solo project or a band based on their social media. JVK...