If It's Too Loud...

I've been a huge fan of Hilken Mancini, Jen Trynin, and Mary Lou Lord's for roughly thirty years now. I've seen Mancini in her various projects countless times, and even though it's been a while, I've been lucky enough to watch Lord perform a number of times. Somehow I've never seen Trynin, but for the album release for Hilken Mancini Band's excellent self-titled album all three were playing, so I obviously needed to go. It just took a little extra time after the original November date was rescheduled.  First up was Mary Lou Lord with a short five or six song set. It was a delight to see her perform after all these years, and she still sounds amazing. One personal highlight was a cover of Lucinda Williams' "Metal Firecracker," which I've always loved. She brought out her daughter, Annabelle Lord-Patey, for a few songs, and even had her sing her new unreleased single. It was stellar (and if you're reading this, be sure to send it to us o...

Last year Kill Rock Stars had artists cover songs from Elliott Smith's eponymous album for its twenty fifth anniversary. This year is their thirtieth, so they're having artists cover songs from their entire thirty year history! The first one is going to grab us immediately. Any time Mary Lou Lord covers Elliott Smith, we're going to gleefully pay attention. (Just check out her version of "I Figured You Out" to see why.) But then add Mikaela Davis into the mix, and it's impossible not to check this out and love it! The duo's version of "Some Song" is a more fleshed out version of Smith's bare bones original, but any time you can blend Smith's biting words and Lord's lovely vocals, it's a win for all involved.  Mary Lou Lord says of the song: " I first heard 'Some Song' among the many early Elliott songs. I am from Salem, MA, and Halloween has always been a big deal in my hometown. I chose “Some Song” because it’s so ha...

Forgotten Fridays is an occasional feature here at If It’s Too Loud... where we go back and find the lost records of our glory days. We played these on our college radio shows, put them on countless mix tapes, and then forgot they existed. We go back and remind you of their existence, and help decide if they were any good. I absolutely loved all the tribute albums back in the 90's. This might be one of my absolute favorites. In 1997, Boston label Cherrydisc put out an all Boston tribute to Van Halen. As the title states, some of the covers are much less faithful than others. In fact, legend has it that The Elevator Drops submitted a cover that turned out to not be a Van Halen song. No one realized it until the very last minute and it got pulled. That's how much the people behind this compilation knew about the Van Halen catalog. We get not one but two versions of "Eruption." The first is The Reverend Ed Broms performing the guitar masturbation classic on a churc...

It's been far too long since there's been any new music from Mary Lou Lord. Her last album, Baby Blue , was released way back in 2004, so by my calculations it's been 11 years. That changed yesterday when Mary Lou posted "My Buddy Valentine" on Soundcloud. "My Buddy Valentine" was recorded in honor of Buddy Holly, making the anniversary of his death a fitting day to release it. The song was recorded with Dave Mattacks on drums and Maryanne Window, ans was co-written by Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond). Funded by a Kickstarter campaign , Backstreet Angels  should finally see release this year! The song is typically upbeat for Mary Lou, and she hasn't lost a thing in the past decade. It's so thrilling to have her truly back. For more information on what Mary Lou Lord has been up to, and to keep track of developments on the new album's release, you can like her on Facebook . She also has an official website , but I'm not sure how often tha...

Boston's My Own Worst Enemy released quite possibly the most Boston release in years with their new 7" single, "Paul Revere." The song re-imagines Paul Revere's ride in a more modern day setting, looking for pizza and beer, wandering throughout many Boston neighborhoods. It name checks Boston landmarks such as Winter Hill and Fenway Park. It's a slice of not quite throwback 90s indie power pop, with fuzzed out guitars and a chant along "Hey!"  The b-side is another tribute to one of Boston's own. "Angel of the Underground" sings the praises of Mary Lou Lord. The title comes from both Mary Lou's love of championing and promoting lesser known bands (she was an early supporter of both Nirvana and Elliott Smith) as well as her tendency to busk in the T. It's a loving tribute to someone that's slipped out of the spotlight a bit as of late. You can listen to and purchase "Paul Revere" on My Own Worst Enemy's B...

Forgotten Fridays is a weekly feature here at If It’s Too Loud.. where we go back and find the lost records of our glory days. We played these on our college radio shows, put them on countless mixtapes, and then forgot they existed. Once a week we go back and remind you, and help decide if they were any good. Cashing in on the 70s nostalgia kick of the mid 90s, Saturday Morning Cartoon’s Greatest Hits features 19 cartoon classics as performed by bands of the moment. It’s a pure novelty album that made perfect sense then, but just feels silly now. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The quality varies wildly between songs, with perfectly fun, infectious tracks right next to one of the worst things you will ever hear in your life. One of the most fun qualities of the album is hearing acts that are normally considered serious artists letting loose and having fun. Right off the heels of Whipsmart, Liz Phair teams with Material Issue for “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Ban...