If It's Too Loud...

Tokyo's Cissné  is set to release their debut EP and have released a single for us all to hear. According to the press release, "Water Lily" blends "post-black, screamo, ambient, and shoegaze." Once the song started, I immediately heard the ambient and shoegaze, and was all set to argue with the press release. It's a slightly heavier than normal shoegaze song, but much more ambient with lovely vocals. It kind of has that heavy shoegaze with a pop focus sound... and then the screaming kicks in, and the song gets HEAVY. The drums speed up and become pummeling, and then the song goes back to being lovely again. The song ends up becoming shockingly experimental, and blows all loud/quiet/loud expectations away. You can listen to "Water Lily" below. Awake Children Under the Moon is due out April 10 on Lauren Records. For more on Cissn é , check out the artist on Instagram . Water Lily by Cissné

Photo by Alex Cihanowic "Two Magnets," the latest single from Ohio's Signals Midwest, first surfaced on frontman Maxwell Stern's 2024 solo album, In the Good Light.  Now, it's been reworked as a full band rock song for the band's upcoming rarities compilation. This new version is "indie-rock-tinged punk," which is kind of one of our things here. It has all of the oomph of punk, but with the lighter side of indie rock seeping through. The song comes so close to being Midwest emo, and could probably be considered that genre at some points. "Two Magnets" is a highly melodic and somewhat dissonant indie rock song, and if you're just discovering Signals Midwest like we are, we all now have five previous albums to check out! Maxwell Stern says of the band's new version of "Two Magnets": "I wasn’t sure if  Two Magnets  was supposed to be more of an acoustic-based tune or a full-blown rock song. In the end, I decided to pursu...

Photo by Tristan "TreeStamp" Padron Two artists we've discovered this year are Career Woman (the musical project of Melody Caudill) and Pacing (the musical project of Katie McTigue). The two projects have teamed up for a new song, "Boyfriends!" It's a duet between Caudill and McTigue that's a ridiculously fun and bouncy indie rock song with lyrics like "Me and my friends, we don't like men / But we got boyfriends." It's funny without being a novelty song, and is an incredibly catchy track about how having a boyfriend can end up ruining all of your plans. Since Career Woman and Pacing are two of our favorite new to us bands of 2025 it's an extra special treat to hear them release a song together. Melody Caudill says of her latest single: "Everyone in the band loved the song so much that we started playing with the full rock band arrangement at our live shows. It became an instant hit in our local scene, so we knew we had to bott...

Photo by Tristian "TreeStamp"Padron Career Woman is led by Melody Caudill, who may be young at twenty, but first started releasing music at fourteen, so she's kind of a veteran at this point. Their latest single, "Mel's Drive In," has the kind of alt/indie rock goes country sound we've been going crazy about for a few years, but Career Woman has a different take on the sound. The song has plenty of twang and indie rock noise throughout, but it's a little more pop focused than we normally hear in this genre. "Mel's Drive In" is the type of song that will instantly grab you, and the songwriting defies Caudill's age completely. You're going to want to keep an eye on Career Woman before they completely blow up in the next five or so years. Melody Caudill says of her band's latest single: “It encapsulates the bittersweet, exhausting recovery after a grueling break-up I was going through at the time, surrounded by hometown friends...

San Jose, CA's Star 99 are influenced by 90's jangly power pop, and you can hear that on "Girl." The song sounds like track fourteen on your favorite 90's soundtrack. It's the song by that band you've never heard of before, and you can't find anything else by in the pre-internet world. It's impossibly upbeat, but has a surprisingly dark guitar keeping it from getting too cheery... and also making the entire thing just a little menacing. This is a ridiculously fun song in the vein of artists like Fuzzy and Velocity Girl. If that sounds like your kind of thing, you'll end up loving Star 99. You can listen to "Girl" below. Bitch Unlimited is due out August 4 on Lauren Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Star 99, check out the band on Instagram . Bitch Unlimited by Star 99

Career Woman is the musical project of nineteen year old Melody Caudill. The Los Angeles based singer/songwriter recently released a new single, "Jupiter." The new song is a pop leaning indie rock song. As with most indie rock, there are some hints of the 90's, but "Jupiter" sounds much more 2023 than 1993. Caudill's influences are artists like Snail Mail and Lomelda, but you'll also hear artists like The Lemonheads and Courtney Barnett in this new song, even if it's mostly in the songwriting. It's a joyful and hopeful song, even if some of the lyrics are quite a gut punch. As someone who isn't really a lyrics guy, you really should pay attention to this one. Career Woman crafted a winner here. Melody Caudill says of her latest single: "'Jupiter' was the first song I wrote since coming to college and it encompasses all of the new feelings that come along with starting a new life. I was experiencing overwhelming joy but also paral...

Peach Kelli Pop has been a favorite around here for a while, and her upcoming EP is going to cement her blog favorite status at If It's Too Loud... "Stupid Girl" is a dream of a single. It continues Allie Hanlon's move towards more serious pop music that she started with "Cut Me Off." And "Stupid Girl" is a pure pop song, but borrowing from multiple genres. There is plenty of the indie pop the kids are going crazy about these days mixed with vintage southern California vibes a la The Beach Boys. Throw in some of the lo-fi fuzz artists like Colleen Green have been mesmerizing us with, and we're fully on board for this new sound from Peach Kelli Pop. Allie Hanlon says of the new song:  "As a non-linear thinker and someone that always felt uncomfortable in school, I grew up thinking I was stupid. This is still ingrained in me to some extent." You can listen to "Stupid Girl" below. Lucky Star , the upcoming EP from Peach K...

Peach Kelli Pop, aka Allie Hanlon, has gotten a lot of attention here at If It's Too Loud... for good reason. The band's earlier work was great, but it could be a little too cute at times. Hanlon's sound has matured quite a bit with her new single, "Cut Me Off." The new song has a slight dream pop vibe, but with more of an edge. The sound is still sugary sweet, but with a more lived in, experienced feel. It hearkens back to the girl group sound of the 50's, but with some modern cynicism thrown in. That could be from the subject matter of "Cut Me Off." According to Hanlon, " "This song is about lacking the strength to walk away from a situation you know is harmful to you. It's about really wanting a relationship to work (whether it be romantic or a friendship) and hanging on, but knowing deep down that it won't work out." You can listen to "Cut Me Off" below. Lucky Star , the new EP from Peach Kelli Pop, will be ou...

We're obviously going to listen to anything Laura Stevenson is involved with. Our Laura Stevenson fandom is very well documented here. Her inclusion on the latest single from Maxwell Stern is what got our attention, but "Left in the Living Room" would still be a great song without her. Stern is set to release his debut solo album, having previously been a member of Meridian and Timeshares. His solo work is different from the emo and pop punk of his previous bands. "Left in the Living Room" is a great Americana/indie rock song. It's a chilled out indie song with some serious roots showing. Stevenson's backing vocals add just the right element that will suck you in fully. It's a beautiful ballad, and it's a must listen for anyone that's been into what Stevenson has been doing lately. You can listen to "Left in the Living Room" below. Impossible Sum , the debut solo alum from Maxwell Stern, will be out September 25 (which is becomi...