If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Ali Nugent Ever since I started going to smaller club shows, I've always hated the hipster half circle that forms in front of the stage. Everyone is getting there early, and getting close to the stage, but everyone needs to pretend to be too cool, so a half circle forms with a giant gap between the crowd and the stage. Literally every band I've ever seen has asked the crowd to move forward, which they sometimes do. Apparently Little Hag also hates this weird phenomenon. The Jersey Shore "bitch rock" artist has a new single out that confronts this. "Fear of the Front" is a mid tempo rant that is a little less danceable than Little Hag's more recent singles, and has a weird, pop infused indie element. It's a little haunting and creepy as Avery Mandeville implores a crowd to overcome their fear and take a step forward. It's a fun song that keeps Little Hag's trademark humor in place.  You can listen to "Fear of the Front" belo...

Photo by Ali Nugent New Jersey's Little Hag have a new single out inspired by singer Avery Mandeville seeing babies at a brewery that "... that clearly couldn't handle the situation of existing in life and it made me realize that neither could I..." "BABIES" is a fun and dark song that comes in at a little over ninety seconds that exists in the world of indie pop and indie rock at the same time. Despite its playful vibe, the song gets existentially dark. Of course, that's kind of Little Hag's entire thing, and "BABIES" is going to be appreciated by any of their long term fans, and it's a great introduction for new ones. (Although it might not be the best song to listen to if you have little babies at home...) You can listen to "BABIES" below. The single is out now via Bar/None Records. For more on Little Hag, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook .

Ever since I stumbled on the music of Little Hag back in 2020 or so, I've made it my mission to see the Jersey Shore band any time they roll through New England. Friday night they swung through The Lilypad in Cambridge, which let me see them for the third time, and let me discover two new favorites: Blvck Hippie and Grocer! Little Hag took the stage a little before the listed 8:00 start time, and started just as I walked in the door. They played a fun and energetic set focusing on their newer music (and leaving off 2020's "Tetris!"), but luckily they keep releasing killer songs. Their sound is a pop-ish blend of indie rock, and they shone with favorites like "Blood" and "The Machine." Avery Mandeville is the perfect frontperson for this style of music, and has an awkward charm that is irresistible and just adds to the fun of their live show. They included the just released this week "Watchlist Rock," which is a companion piece to last yea...

I've been a fan of Little Hag's for a number of years now, ever since I stumbled on Avery Mandeville's musical project before it was called Little Hag. I always assumed I'd have to make the trip down to Asbury Park, NJ to see them live (which is a place I adore visiting, so win-win). Luckily, they made the trek up to New England in 2022 so I was able to see them at Wrong Brain in Dover, NH. I was thrilled to see that they had another trip up to New England this past weekend, which included a stop at The Jungle Community Music Club in Somerville. I was also excited to see Condition Baker, who I had only seen once before when they played the Rock and Roll Rumble last year without their singer. (The evening was also half of a drag night, but that doesn't truly fit into a music blog live review, so we'll focus on the bands...) Condition Baker opened up the show, and I'm beginning to think I might be cursing them. Singer/guitarist Alec Verissimo was there Friday,...

Artist : Gillian Welch and David Rawlings Album : Woodland Quick Thoughts : Gillian Welch continues to be the standard-bearer for mainstream rootsy folk music, and this latest collaboration with David Rowlings does not have the hollow, stark feel of All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone) , but still feels pure and true regardless of what her early or persistent critics may think. If anything, Welch is too good at this, and we should simply be glad we're still getting new music from her on a regular basis again. Songs of Note : "Empty Trainload of Sky," "What We Had," "North Country," "The Day the Mississippi Died," "Howdy Howdy" Artist : Little Hag Album : Now That's What I Call Little Hag Quick Thoughts : The debut release from Little Hag, with "Tetris" and "Facebook," won us over immediately. The debut, Leash , was a favorite in these parts as well. Then comes Now That's What I Call Little H...

Photo by Kelsey Ayres Little Hag's new album is due out next Friday, but we obviously can't wait, so we're bringing you a new single from Avery Mandeville's musical project. While the previous singles had a more dance/pop feel than Mandeville's earlier music, "Suck Out the Pain" is a return to more rock based music. It's an indie rock power ballad, with the emphasis on power. There is still plenty of pop hooks in the song, but Little Hag get heavier on the fuzz than we've heard from them in a while. I'm personally reminded of 90's Weezer songs when they'd slow things down a bit but still leave plenty of room for guitar. Avery Mandeville says of her band's latest single: “I fell asleep watching Jersey Shore and woke up sweating from a dream where a girl I used to see was eating me alive like a vampire. It made me nostalgic for 'the before times' when we were bartending and partying and I felt superhuman.” You can watch the vi...

Photo by Kelsey Ayres The latest from Little Hag may be the artist most pop focused song to date, but it's also somehow their most punk rock yet. "You Blew It!" is almost defiantly alt-pop. It's an all out dance song that sounds more like something from Chappell Roan than what we've previously heard from Avery Mandeville's musical project so far. But, it's also this kinda bizarre sounding offshoot of pop that is about as far from the mainstream as you can get. It's modern sounding but also appears to throw back to the 80's and 90's versions of pop songs. "You Blew It!" just has this biting edge to it while still being an absolute blast to listen to, which may be the hallmark of all Little Hag songs. You can watch the video for "You Blew It!" below. Now That's What I Call Little Hag is due out August 23 on Bar/None Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Little Hag, check out the artist's website .

Photo by Kelsey Ayres It's been a few minutes since we've last heard from New Jersey's Little Hag, but Avery Mandeville's musical project is back with new music! "The Machine" sees Little Hag moving in a different sonic direction. It's much less the pop-leaning singer-songwriter indie rock we've become accustomed to, and is instead a cross between 90's style techno/electronica and the current dance friendly punk sound. It's a little like if Aphex Twin decided to make a pop jam, and both succeeded and failed. "The Machine" is a ridiculously fun song that fits right into the oeuvre of Little Hag despite being such a sonic departure. Avery Mandeville says of her latest single: "This song is about being done with love and dating, and how a vibrator is more satisfying than any man. I wrote this right after breaking up with my boyfriend and finished it when I met my girlfriend, who inspires the turn at the end where 'the machine...

I've been a fan of Little Hag ever since stumbling on their music back when Avery Mandeville was still playing under her name. One frustrating thing about running a music blog is discovering musicians I really like in other areas that never make it to the Boston/New England area. Luckily, Little Hag teamed up with Yawn Mower for a short tour of New England. Dover, NH is a little outside of the distance I normally travel for shows, but it's better than the drive down to Asbury Park so I couldn't resist. Little Hag opened up the show with a fairly short set. Opening with "Tetris" was perfect and set the mood for the night. Mandeville pours everything she has into her performances and might be one of the most energetic performers I've seen in years. The rest of the set drew from 2021's excellent Leash , including favorites like "Red," "Blood," and "Schlub." Wrong Brain's set up provided for a unique stage set up. Surrounded b...

To be completely honest, I didn't really like Leash  that much when it first came out back in September. It was good, but considering how much I loved her 2020 album Whatever Happened to Avery Jane? , I wanted to love it more. So, like we did back in the 80's and 90's before we had virtually every single album at our fingertips and we were dropping anywhere from $8 to $20 on an album, I kept listening to it. Slowly I started finding more and more to love about the songs on Leash . Was it a little more poppy than the previous album? Definitely. But the more I listened the less pop it was. Or, it was at least this bizarre form of pop that would be the Taylor Swift of Bizarro world. A song like "Cherry" perfectly encapsulates this. It didn't click for a while. The first few times I listened it was ok, but it's slowly become one of my favorites on the album. It's this gloriously heartfelt song that brings the 50's crooner thing into modern pop... but o...

Long hours means a double dose of music this week. Artist : Adia Victoria Album : A Southern Gothic Quick Thoughts : We're big Adia Victoria fans here, and this album came out of nowhere a bit for me. I wasn't expecting new music, and I definitely wasn't expecting A Southern Gothic , which has a true feel that mirrors its title while still bringing the sort of songwriting and musical know-how that Adia Victoria always brings. Right now, I wouldn't be shocked to see this on both of our best-of lists this year. Songs of Note : "Troubled Mind," "Magnolia Blues, "Mean-Hearted Woman," "You Was Born to Die," "Whole World Knows," "Carolina Bound" Artist : Ruby Fields Album : Been Doin' It For A Bit Quick Thoughts : The album title accurately describes what this album sounds like, even though this Aussie singer-songwriter is only 23. There is some great indie rock here throughout. I enjoyed her initial seven ...

With all the excitement from Little Hag releasing her Breakfast EP last month, we had forgotten she also had an album due out this month. Luckily, a new single is out to remind us. "Cherry" sees the New Jersey based Avery Mandeville expanding on her sound a bit. This is a flat out power ballad. Sure, it's an indie pop/rock power ballad, but this is the kind of ballad that every New Jersey artist is legally obligated to make. Mandeville knocks this one straight out of the park. Sure, "Cherry" is a bit cheesy, but all power ballads are. Mandeville's charm keeps this from getting overly cheesy and keeps it utterly compelling. You can listen to "Cherry" below. Leash is due out September 24. You can pre-order a copy over at Bandcamp . For more on Little Hag, check out the artist's Facebook . Leash by Little Hag

I spent last week with my family in the Asbury Park area of New Jersey enjoying the sun, ocean, the boardwalk, Korean tacos from MOGO, and donuts from Purple Glaze. While I was there, Little Hag released a new EP. I was excited to check out the songs on Breakfast as soon as they came out, but as soon as they were released I realized that this might not be family listening as the three songs are entitled "Piss," "Blood", and "Cum."  But, titles aside, Breakfast  is phenomenal. "Piss" is a weirdo little alt-pop song that will infect your brain fully and have you subconsciously singing "The world is my toilet." "Blood" may be Little Hag's finest song yet. It's intensely confessional song that shows the pop side of indie rock, but in a cheery, heartfelt way. "Cum" is what Laura Stevenson would sound like in Bizarro World. And I mean that in a great way. You can watch the video for "Piss" below. Breakfas...

Little Hag came out of virtually nowhere to release what was probably If It's Too Loud...'s album of 2021, Whatever Happened to Avery Jane? (It was my #4 album of the year and Jeff's #2.) Avery Mandeville's musical project is back with a new-ish single, "Get Real." In a Facebook post, Little Hag states that this is a remixed song, possibly from her time recording music under the name Avery Mandeville. (It's hard to find her previous releases online...) This version of get real is a bizarre version of pop punk goes dirty protopunk. It's a lot edgier than what we got with the previous album. Of course, then the song takes a few unexpected swerves into the realm of Gwen Stefani style pop. Finally the song goes into more of an alt-singer/songwriter territory, so it's wonderfully all over the place while still sounding like parts of one cohesive song. You can listen to "Get Real" below. Little Hag has two new releases coming out in the next tw...

Usually Ken and I have more overlap than we do this year, but one thing we agree on is Little Hag. Ken found her first, and when he sent it over to me, it was relevatory. Very fun, very fresh, and very unique. Her first album (and I know we're cheating a bit, since this is more of a compilation of tracks rather than a cohesive unit) under this name, Little Hag is like a diary with all the awkward parts included. It's referential (and self-referential) in ways that would be too cute by half if others tried to do it, and the self-deprication comes across less of a "woe is me" and more of an empowered young millennial who knows what she wants. It's great. More music should be like this. Outside of Poppy, this was probably the album in heaviest rotation for me this year. Some of these songs will stay with me for years to come. If you missed out on this earlier in the fall, you owe it to yourself to listen to it now. Songs of note: ...

One day late in the summer I started seeing posts from a musical artist named Little Hag on Facebook. I figured I would remember following someone with that name, so I did a little digging. Turns out Little Hag used to be Avery Mandeville of Avery Jane and the Mandevilles, who I discovered while making a Artists of New Jersey playlist for a family vacation. Discovering Little Hag was one of the true joys of 2020. I listened to Whatever Happened to Avery Jane? almost daily for the first few weeks after it was released.  Whatever Happened to Avery Jane? is this perfect blend of pop and indie rock. It has this wonderful sense of humor that I simply can't resist, even though I'm probably (definitely) too old to love this album as much as I do. "Tetris" helps solidify that feeling with lyrics like "Everyone wants to fuck me / No one wants to see me cry" and "Text bitches 'til your eyes fall out." This is the kind of album that has me checking concer...