If It's Too Loud...

The Town and The City Festival is becoming an annual musical highlight for us. Taking over downtown Lowell for the weekend, this year's festival expanded to a third night, which was a festival kickoff with Lady Lamb, Ezra Furman, and Class President. I personally try to see Ezra Furman and Lady Lamb as much as possible, so heading out to Taffeta Music Hall was a no-brainer for me. Opening up the show was Lowell's own Class President. It had been about a year and a half since I last saw them at The Overlook (RIP Mill No. 5), and I was excited to see them again. Their version of pop focused indie rock has only improved since 2023, and I'm now officially on the bandwagon as a fan. Their songs are undeniably catchy with just enough of an edge to keep it from being pure pop, and they put on a ridiculously fun show. I might be tempted to call them pop punk, but they just barely fit into that genre and are a little too alt-rock for that. Regardless, they're a band you need to ...

The Town and The City Festival is one of our favorite events of the year. Some of our favorite bands play every year, and wandering from venue to venue always reminds me of going to CMJ during my college radio years. Three nights of music can be tricky to navigate, so here are our recommendations of the must see artists for 2025! Thursday April 24 Lady Lamb (9:30 pm) and Ezra Furman (8:15 pm) Taffeta, 122 Western Ave at Western Ave Studios Lady Lamb and Ezra Furman are two of our absolute favorite artists at If It's Too Loud..., so we're thrilled to see them playing together. As The Town and The City Festival expands to three nights, this is the only Thursday night show, but it would be a huge deal no matter when it was. These are two of the most compelling alt-rock/indie singer-songwriters around these days, and two of the most engaging performers I've had the pleasure of seeing. Friday April 25 The Sheila Divine (10:00 pm) Taffeta, 122 Western Ave at Western Ave Studios I...

We love The Town and The City Festival that takes over downtown Lowell annually, and this year's line up has been extra crazy great. Today they announced the individual show line ups, and there are choices to be made. Thursday is easy not only because there's one show, but because it features Lady Lamb, Ezra Furman, and Class President at Taffeta. After that, good luck deciding. Ken will probably be at Zorba Music Hall at 10:15 for The Sheila Divine, but that night also features performances from Jennifer Tefft & The Strange, Twisted Pine, Lovina Falls, The PA's, The Freqs, and many, many more. Saturday is just as crazy with Girl with a Hawk, The Chelsea Curve, Loudon Wainwright III, Hilken Mancini & Melissa Gibbs, Senseless Optimism, Gross Girls, The Ghouls, and many, many more. Good luck deciding! The Town and The City Festival runs April 24-26 all throughout downtown Lowell. Multi-day passes are on sale now. Individual show tickets go on sale this Friday, Februar...

The Town and The City Festival once again takes over downtown Lowell this year, and once again it keeps getting bigger and better. Expanding to three days over April 24 to 26, the festival starts on Thursday with Lady Lamb and Ezra Furman at Taffeta Music Hall. That's enough to get us there front and center, but there are also a ton of our friends and favorites playing the rest of the weekend! Playing this year are indie rock stalwarts The Sheila Divine, Maine/Boston lifers Heretix, bluegrass fusion favorites Twisted Pine, garage rockers The Chelsea Curve, genre busting singer-songwriter Senseless Optimism, Hilken Mancini & Melissa Gibbs, Lowell's new favorites The Ghouls, Lovina Falls, Girl with a Hawk, The Freqs, The PA's, Jennifer Tefft & The Strange, and many, many more! The Town and The City Festival runs April 24 to 26 all over downtown Lowell. Multi-day passes go on sale Friday January 17. For more information, check out the festival's website .

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: September 6 Lady Lamb, Hannah Mohan, and Naomi Westwater at Arts at the Armory, Somerville, MA Travels with Brindle at Gilman Park, Somerville, MA Linnea's Garden, TIFFY, Lipsmear, and Lover of Eve at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA Haley Heynderickx and LePond at The Word Barn, Exeter, NH September 7 Sweeping Promises and Zowy at Myrtle, East Providence, RI JP Music Fest featuring Merrie Amsterberg, The Ghouls, Prateek, TELL, Travels with Brindle, and more at Pinebank Field, J...

Photo by Crumbstarz Somehow Hannah Mohan and Aly Spaltro had never met before working on the latest single from Mohan's upcoming solo album. I would have assumed they would have crossed paths at the same New England festival at least, but it was worth the wait to get a song like "Hell." "Hell" is an upbeat sounding song that appears lighthearted, but you just know it's masking some darkness even without delving too deeply into the lyrics. It sounds like a folkier version of Mohan's previous band And the Kids, but there is still plenty of indie rock within the song. It's the type of song that has us wanting to hear more of Mohan's album, and dreaming of a Hannah Mohan/Lady Lamb tour in the near future. You can watch the video for "Hell" below. Time Is a Walnut is due out July 12 on Egghunt Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Hannah Mohan, check out the artist on Instagram .

We love summer festivals and we're always looking for smaller, newer ones to check out. Watching our favorite bands outside during the brief New England summer is a perfect way to spend a day. Our latest discovery is Field Day. This new festival takes place June 3 at Guilford Fairgrounds in Guilford, VT. It's just over the New Hampshire border and not far away from western Massachusetts, so the location is basically perfect. Plus, June 3 is when the weather is warm, but not oppressively hot. With thirteen bands playing, including favorites like Lady Lamb, Sunflower Bean, Gift, and Topsy (a new And the Kids side project!), there will be plenty to see without getting overwhelmed by dozens and dozens of bands. And there is plenty of room to discover new favorites, which will probably end up being Thus Love and Robber Robber. It's being put on by The Stone Church in Brattleboro, VT and Urgent Message Music, so you'll be in good hands! Field Day takes place June 3 in Guilfor...

I know I've heard "Between Two Trees," the latest single from Lady Lamb, before. I'm not sure if I've heard it at live shows, or if it was on an album I bought years ago on Bandcamp, but I know this one. According to a Facebook post announcing the new song, Aly Spaltro comments that the song "... has been looking for its place for a very long time." I'm glad it found it's place. "Between Two Trees" melds pre- Ripely Pine Lady Lamb with her more recent music. It's a simple (but intense) folk song with accompanying strings that truly flesh it out. The song shows an artist looking back into her past and ahead into her future at the same time. There may be a slight darkness to "Between Two Trees," but it's a gorgeous song you won't be able to resist. You can listen to "Between Two Trees" below. In that same Facebook post, Lady Lamb says there is more coming. For now, check out the artist's website for mor...

We get pretty excited whenever there's new music from Lady Lamb out there in the world. I'm pretty sure Aly Spaltro was the very first artist we ever wrote about many years ago, so we go way, way back. For Bandcamp Friday, she's released a new single called "Ivy." If you've been into Lady Lamb's recent releases, you're going to love this one. "Ivy" is a stunningly beautiful love song that leans more towards neo-soul than folk or indie rock (although there is plenty of indie rock touches on this one). The focus is Spaltro's vocals. Her voice has always been powerful, but on this song she has a level of confidence and ease that feels warm and inviting. She's been touring recently as Lady Lamb with Strings, which helps explain how string heavy this one is. This could be the one that gives Spaltro the more mainstream attention she truly deserves. You can listen to "Ivy" below. The song is available as a single with "Wolves ...

Photo by Shervin Lainez For their latest single, The Ballroom Thieves brought in friend of the band Aly Spaltro (aka Lady Lamb) to help them out. "Woman" is a gorgeous almost but not quite folk song. The focus throughout is the vocals. Calin "Callie" Peters takes the lead while the instruments come in and out as the song needs. Even as the horns come in, you've already been trained to follow Peters' voice. Not that we needed much training. Her soulful vocals are going to command our attention no matter what. Spaltro provides a perfect vocal counterpart, and the highlight of the song is when the two let loose around the bridge of the song. "Woman" is simply a must hear for all of our readers. You can listen to "Woman" below. The song is available as a single here . For more on The Ballroom Thieves, check out the artist's website .

Another week, another new song from Lady Lamb! Last week's release of "We've Got a Good Thing Going" was unexpected, so hearing "Arizona" this week is thrilling! Especially since "Arizona" might be my favorite Lady Lamb song in years, and if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that is high praise. "Arizona" starts out like a standard Lady Lamb song, although on the quieter, more mellow side. As you listen, you start realizing how intense this song is, despite how quiet it it. The intensity builds up so slowly it barely even registers until the end, when you immediately have to go back and listen again. It might be the fuzzy guitar getting more and more noticeable as the song progresses, but it somehow does this without getting faster or louder. Plus, you'll discover more sounds and instruments the more you listen. "Arizona" is an instant classic. You can watch the video for "Arizona...

With Lady Lamb about to embark on a tour with a string section, I would assume any new music of hers would be quite orchestral. Her latest single, "We've Got a Good Thing Going," doesn't meet that expectation. Her latest single is along the lines of her previous album Even in the Tremor to the point that it sounds like an unreleased song from those sessions. It starts out like a quiet ballad and slowly builds and builds to a near dance number. It's not quite a dance song, but it is quite uplifting and dance friendly. It's basically exactly wh at we expect (and want!) from Lady Lamb at this point. Plus, it ends with a killer guitar solo. In a Facebook post, Lady Lamb says of the new song " It’s a musing on wanting to be fearless and live really hard. I hope it gives you something good." You can watch the video for "We've Got a Good Thing Going" below. For more on Lady Lamb, check out her website .

Kind of busy this week, along with some catch-up. Artist : Chrysta Bell Album : Feels Like Love Quick Description : Latest from the artsy Lynchian chantreuse. Why You Should Listen : This is the most interesting and compelling release of the week, by far. Overall Thoughts : I’ll admit it: I got into Chysta Bell because of her appearance in the Twin Peaks revival, and I’ve come to really love her music. David Lynch has referred to Bell as his “muse,” and I have to admit that I hear a definite influence in the other direction as well here. Honestly, Chrysta Bell makes me feel the way discovering PJ Harvey almost two decades ago made me feel, and this album gives me true To Bring You My Love vibes in some regards. This album skirts the edges of weird in many ways, and songs like “Everest” and “52hz” are just off enough to be intriguing and different while also feeling fresh and familiar. This is an album I was confident I would enjoy, but this is a definite favorite this week a...

Photo by Erica Peplin We're just over a month away from the release of Lady Lamb's new album, and today we have a new song to salivate over. "Deep Love" might be Lady Lamb's most accessible song yet. It's still a Lady Lamb song (not quite indie rock, not quite folk), but towards the end it almost takes on a groovy 80's power ballad feel. Well... not quite, but maybe the demo for an 80's power ballad. If that sounds like your kind of thing, you're guaranteed to love this. Even if it's not, you probably will love it any way. Spaltro (aka Lady Lamb) has this to say about the song: I had just gone into Manhattan and I felt like an alien seeing all the workers on their lunch break.  I spent my train ride home to Queens, wondering if we’d lost our purpose.  I started singing the first line, ‘I’m not convinced we should strive for midtown,’ and by the time I got to the chorus refrain I was full of a deep, volcanic kind of love which poured out o...

Photo by Shervin Lainez We're pretty obsessed with Lady Lamb here at If It's Too Loud... In fact, she was the very first artist we ever wrote about, so we're obviously going to be thrilled with new music from her. "Even in the Tremor" fits right into Lady Lamb's previous work, even while it sounds nearly completely differently. As soon as the song starts off with just Aly Spaltro's voice and some menacing drum beats, you know we're in new territory. As the song goes on, it does take on Lady Lamb's sense of uplifting, and while this isn't an electronic song, there are some decidedly dance elements to it, making it quite possibly one of the more awkward dance songs I've ever heard. "Even in the Tremor" is an epic song that has quiet moments.  You can watch the video for "Even in the Tremor" below, and try to figure out how Lady Lamb is the only person in the entire Aztec or Mayan ruin. Even in the Tremor , the new al...

Photo by Shervin Lainez My absolute favorite time to see an artist perform live is when they are between albums. They don't feel the need to play certain songs to promote the new album, and you get what they feel like playing and what the audience wants. That's exactly what Lady Lamb's solo show at Gateway City Arts was like. It was called a solo tour, but really it was Lady Lamb playing a few northeast shows. The main difference between this recent show and her performances for Tender Warriors Club is that those shows were acoustic and this tour was electric. Saturday night's show was a packed house, and what seemed like an insanely young crowd. I'm not sure if it was all ages or not, but it certainly felt that way. But, as young as the crowd was, they were die hard fans pumped to be there. It reflected in Lady Lamb's performance, as she played loosely and was having fun on stage, which is what you really want. She went back to her first official album, R...

Photo by Shervin Lainez If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I love Lady Lamb and covers, especially covers that you wouldn't necessarily expect. Amazon Music has curated a playlist called "Love Me" featuring indie artists of today covering classic love songs. While recording Tender Warriors Club , Lady Lamb recorded a cover of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love." I spent all of my 20s and a good chunk of my 30s despising Elvis, mainly for never writing his own music. Recently, I've come to respect him as an entertainer, and "Can't Help Falling In Love" has always (even back when I would never have admitted it) been one of my favorite Elvis songs. Lady Lamb's take is surprisingly true to the original, but with her own signature sound. And since it was recorded at the time of Tender Warriors Club it has a sparse, vulnerable quality to it.  You can check out Lady Lamb's c...

Photo by Ken Sears To support her latest EP, Tender Warriors Club , Lady Lamb is touring around playing acoustic shows in living rooms and other smaller, alternative, more intimate spaces. In Portsmouth, NH, she played 3S Artspace, one of the few traditional venues on the tour. Oddly enough, 3S Artspace is almost five times the size of the Portsmouth venue she played with a full band two years ago , but who can complain with a Lady Lamb show, right? Anyone who has seen a Lady Lamb live show in recent years knows that there's a point where the band goes away and Lady Lamb plays a few songs solo. This was an entire set of that. In the past four years, I've seen Lady Lamb as both a trio and as a larger ensemble that borrowed in members of Cuddle Magic, Xenia Rubinos, her dad, etc. This was my first time seeing her perform an entire set solo. While her much earlier work might be ideal for a solo act, her last few releases are much more complex and have enough multi-instrument...

This might be the last big new release week for a while, so let's dive right in! Album of the Week : Artist : Childish Gambino Album : "Awaken, My Love!" Quick Description : Donald Glover puts aside the nerd rap in favor of a funky pastiche. Why You Should Listen : Donald Glover is a must watch/listen/read no matter what. Overall Thoughts : Looking at this solely as a Childish Gambino project, it's hard not to see it as a strange diversion from what's worked. But if we look at this from Donald Glover as an artist, following his leaving Community and through the amazing FX show Atlanta , it's hard not to see this as one of those sort of essential pieces that needs more time to be unpacked. It's clear he's going for a message, similar to other R&B acts this year, but it's hard not to hear some old style funk as a message in and of itself about Glover's artistry on its own. This won't work for everyone, I understand that, but.....