If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Savoir Faire Album : Hopeless Nostalgic Quick Thoughts : I don't know if Savior Faire is making any sort of mainstream moves with their latest record, but this demonstrates once more how absolutely gorgeous this local act's music can be, and how their songs are ready for a larger audience. "Machine With a Dream" feels like a hit, "Think Twice" the sort of pseudo-alt-noir that you come to expect from the act, and I'm just loving everything that's happening here. A great listen for the beginning of the year. Songs of Note : "How It's Supposed to Feel," "Only Fools (Betarseed)," "Machine With a Dream," "In Flux," "Think Twice" Artist : Bonnie "Prince" Billy Album : The Purple Bird Quick Thoughts : I won't lie, Bonny "Prince" Billy hasn't always hit with me. The Purple Bird , however, is very much a traditional country record and it's one that Will Old...

Artist : Megan From Work Album : Girl Suit Quick Thoughts : So this was a pleasant surprise. Megan From Work is a Manchester, NH-based indie rock act that is equal parts that dog. and Charly Bliss, and it's the sort of power pop I absolutely love. This is a band to watch, for sure, because this could catch fire the right way and they could become your next big indie thing if they keep it up. A mandatory listen, and easily the best of the week. Songs of Note : "Saturn Return," "Loving Me," "The PIMS" Artist : All Feels Album : This Place is a Message Quick Thoughts : Speaking of pleasant surprises, Northampton, MA's All Feels are new to me even if they are old to the scene. There's not one single way to pigeonhole their sound - it's got indie flavor with some psych/pop/alt notes - but the point is honestly that the songs are just so great. "Keanu" is a favorite this week, but I just kept jumping back to Spotify because ...

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: Friday August 23 Somergloom featuring Big Brave, Final Gasp, Spiritual Poison, Lesser Glow, Circus Trees, and Luci Dead Limb at Arts at the Armory, Somerville, MA Cold Expectations, The Gypsy Moths, and Girl with a Hawk at The Burren, Somerville, MA Gollylagging, Paper Lady, and Alexander at The Rockwell, Somerville, MA Muddy Ruckus, Julie Rhodes & The Electric Co., and Yonks at Alchemy, Providence, RI Oh the Humanity!, Eric and the Nothing, Scotty Saints and the True Believer...

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: Friday February 23 The Foes of Fern, Ruby Grove, Christina Lacoste, and Hot Stenograph at The Jungle, Somerville, MA The Imposers, Jonee Earthquake Band, and Old Rochelle at Thirsty First, Lowell, MA Express Checkout and Matt Charette and the Truer Sound at Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA FEEP and Phantom Ocean at Barewolf Brewing, Amesbury, MA The P.A.'s and Mother Fungus at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA Matt Pond PA & Alexa Rose at Club Passim, Cambridge, MA Black Hatch, Tysk Tysk Task, Luxury Skin, and Ashen Veil at Firehouse, Worcester, MA Saturday February 2...

The Natural Lines is the new musical project of Matt Pond. If their new(ish) single is any indication, their sound will be similar to Matt Pond PA but much larger. "Monotony" has that indie rock/pop sound that we came to love with Matt Pond PA, but it's a much bigger, more fleshed out sound. It's an older, more mature sound that still allows for flashes of experimentation. This is earnest indie rock at its very finest, and we'll be looking forward to hearing what they do next. You can watch the Nikki Glaser starring video for "Monotony" below. The Natural Lines' self-titled debut album is due out March 24 on Bella Union. The album can be pre-ordered here . For more on The Natural Lines, check out the band's website .

Matt Pond PA recently got the rights back to their 2015 album The State of Gold. They set about re-recording the album and re-sequencing it. The first redone song available to listen to is "Spaceland." How is the new version different from the original? I'm honestly not sure since the original The State of Gold  seems to be pretty much scrubbed offline. The new version features Matthew Caws and Louie Lino of Nada Surf and is a complete expression of pure joy. It's an indie rock/pop anthem that is endlessly upbeat and positive. It's an absolutely gorgeous song that sounds exactly like Matt Pond PA and Nada Surf joined forces to craft an epic. In an email newsletter to fans, Matt Pond explains the song and new version: "'Spaceland' was originally the last song on The State of Gold. It's a hazy vision of the first club we played on the west coast, a place where dreams and reality collide — beautiful palm trees overlooking littered sidewalks. We sat o...

We're in the doldrums of summer, and the new releases this week (along with a few we missed) aren't ones I have a lot to say about, so some quick hits. Highlights: * Vanilla Sugar - She (If She Makes War and Poppy had a kid.) * Allegra Krieger - The Joys of Forgetting (Solid, interesting listen.) * Matt Pond PA - Songs of Disquiet (Awesome as always.) * Marlowe - Marlowe 2 (Nearly as good as the first one.) * Grain Thief - Gasoline * Leila Moss - Who the Power Of note: * Jacknife Lee - The Jacknife Lee (Interesting release from the noteworthy producer.) * Peggy Gou - Play Gou (Billed as a workout mixtape, it's a solid electronic sampler.) * Pomplamoose - Lucid Dreaming Soundtrack * Helvetia - This Devastating Map * Jason Molina - Eight Gates * Jody Glenham - Mood Rock * Jenny O. - New Truth * Washed Out - Purple Noon * Mary Chapin Carpenter - The Dirt and The Stars * New Fries - Is the Idea of Us * Figueroa - The World As We Know It EPs: * L...

Matt Pond PA seem to have decided to stick with that name after all, and have an upcoming EP out next month. The first single on that EP is a cover of The Thermals's 2006 song "A Pillar of Salt." While the original is a highly energetic punky/dancey romp, Matt Pond PA slows it down quite a bit. Their version ("Pillar of Salt (Still)" is much more quiet and plaintive. It's that style of too organic to be electronic but too electronic to be folk rock that only Matt Pond PA can pull off like this.  Matt Pond says of the original version: " Pillar of Salt by The Thermals has resonated with me since it was first released in the aughts. I remember disappearing into my headphones— time after time on tour after tour — to help me renew a faded sense of self and waltz in a distant mental state, where good always prevails over evil." You can listen to "Pillar of Salt (Still)" below. Matt Pond PA have also released "Pillar of Salt (Stir...

One of my favorite things about Matt Pond is the frequency that he releases cover songs. For Thanksgiving he decided to give us all an early gift (even though he's been spoiling us recently by offering us free downloads of his first and brand new albums) and cover Led Zeppelin's "Thank You" with Chris Hansen. I've been developing an appreciation for Zeppelin late in life (most of my college years were spent despising anything that could be considered classic rock because I just had to be that guy...), so this cover is right up my current alley. The Matt Pond & Chris Hansen version of "Thank You" is shockingly close to the original. Pond even does an amazing Robert Palmer on the vocals. They do inject the dreaminess that we would expect from anything Matt Pond related, so it's basically everything we ever want in a cover song. You can listen to Matt Pond & Chris Hansen's cover of "Thank You" below. It's also available...

We might be officially slowing down toward the end of the year. The highlights become more scarce, the rest more pronounced... Album of the Week : Artist : audiobooks Album : Now! (In a Minute) Quick Description : Indie electro-punk with a ton of attitude. Why You Should Listen : Feels like early Sleigh Bells put through a synth or eight. Overall Thoughts : My favorite of the week. I tripped up on this album thanks to “Dance Your Life Away,” which was a manic and insane listen that had an urgency unlike anything else. This album is basically electro-something, and more accessible fare like “Hot Salt” and “Friends in the Bubble Bath” balance out the more experimental pieces like “Call of Duty Free.” On a whole, this is just weird and wonderful and one I hope to blast in the car sooner rather than later. Recommendation : A must-listen this week. Artist : Matt Pond PA Album : Free Fall Quick Description : A collaborative effort from a blog favorite. Why You Should List...

Last week saw Matt Pond giving away his debut album, Deer Apartments , for free. At the time, he promised that he'd be delivering a new EP this week, also for free. Free Fall is available now, and it's being called an EP it's nine songs long. According to their website, Free Fall is "... a free EP dedicated to Pennsylvania, love, autumn and you!" It appears to be under the name "Matt Pond, Chris Hansen, and Sean Hansen" instead of the retired Matt Pond PA name, or the briefly used Spaceland. It's pretty safe to say that if you've liked anything Matt Pond has released previously, you're going to like Free Fall. The songs tend to be a bit mellower than Deer Apartments  but right in line with more recent Matt Pond PA releases. "Outside" may be my favorite, in it's not quite folk, not quite pop, not quite rock kinda upbeat way. It wouldn't be a Matt Pond release without a cover, and they break out a brilliant version of INXS...

Normally when an artist realizes that their classic album is twenty years old, they release a deluxe reissue with every version of songs ever recorded, rarities we already bought on UK only singles, and maybe a live cut or two just to make sure to squeeze every last dime out of us (and with the music industry being what it is, can we blame them?) Not Matt Pond PA. This is the twentieth anniversary of their debut album Deer Apartments , so they're just giving it away as a free download. For some reason I have never delved this far back into Matt Pond PA's catalog, and I somehow missed this back in my college radio days, but Deer Apartments is simply brilliant. While there is still the fantastic hook filled songwriting rooted in Tom Petty style Americana, it's all immersed in a heaping helping of late 90's indie rock. I'm pretty embarrassed this is my first listen of this album.  You can download Deer Apartments for free over at Matt Pond PA's website . Of cou...

One of our favorite things about Matt Pond PA were their love of covers, since, as we always remind you, we're pretty fond of cover songs here at If It's Too Loud... Matt Pond's love of cover songs remains intact with his new project, Spaceland (name subject to change). The latest cover he's given us with this name is a great version of The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun." Covering The Beatles can be tricky since die hard fans will freak out about any change or just the fact that an artist is daring to try. Spaceland do a fantastic job, slowing down the song slightly and giving it a bit of a spacey feel. It's the perfect kind of cover song since it stays completely true to the original while adding just enough of their own sound to it to make it worthwhile. Plus, the song comes at the perfect time since the extended winter we've been experiencing in the Northeast United States appears to finally be over. You can listen to Spacelend's version ...

Last year saw the end of Matt Pond PA as a musical project. Luckily for the universe as a whole, Matt Pond is still making music. For now, the project is called Spaceland but is subject to change. He's released four "rough demos" for Spaceland songs, and if these are the rough versions, I can't imagine how great the actual releases will be. The first track, "Outside," is a great, upbeat indie rock song that stops well short of being twee. This is my favorite of the batch, and still sounds like Matt Pond PA enough for fans, but different enough to warrant a new project name. It also includes a cover of INXS's "Don't Change." I loved Matt Pond PA's covers, and it looks like that will continue with Spaceland.  You can listen to Spaceland's demos below via Soundcloud. To keep up with Spaceland and Matt Pond's music in general, check him out on Patreon . He's also looking to put listeners' thoughts and dreams to music. If...

Photo via Facebook Matt Pond PA might love covers as much as we do. As they wind down, they're giving us another great cover song. This time it's for The Cars' classic "Drive." "Drive" might be my least favorite of The Cars' hit songs, but that being said, it's still a great song. Matt Pond PA's version of it keeps it completely true to the original, which is hard to do without synthesizers. Instead, it's a dreamy folk ballad version with pedal steel standing in for the synths. Somehow, this makes it an absolutely perfect cover song. You can listen to Matt Pond PA's cover of "Drive" below. For more on Matt Pond PA, including what appear to be their final tour dates, check out their website .

A solid week! Album of the Week : Artist : Matt Pond PA Album : Still Summer Quick Description : Latest from the indie rock act. Why You Should Listen : This is their best effort yet in a series of solid listens. Overall Thoughts : Matt Pond PA’s continuing to put out high quality records. This might be their third since the band announced they were finishing up, but I’m fine with seeing more releases if they’re this good. The title track is great indie power pop with a light touch, and of course we love “The Ballad of Matt and Laura” around these parts. Truly, they’ve put out three of their best albums in recent succession, and this is continuing along those lines. Recommendation : A solid listen and the best of the week. Artist : David Rawlings Album : Poor David's Almanack Quick Description : Gillian Welch collaborator with a new album of rootsy goodness. Why You Should Listen : David Rawlings is responsible for some of the purest roots music going. Overall T...

The combination of Matt Pond PA and Laura Stevenson is pretty much a dream for us, and an unexpected one. Apparently we need some kind of indie rock version of TMZ, since the song, "The Ballad of Laura and Mike," is about a long distance relationship between Laura Stevenson and a member of Matt Pond PA. (Funny, I know far more about the love lives of celebrities I couldn't care less about...) The song is an upbeat, slightly faster than mid-tempo song about love, but with plenty of melancholy, being about long distance love and all. It's the kind of just shy of epic power pop we want from Matt Pond PA, with the added bonus of Laura Stevenson's vocals. "The Ballad of Laura and Mike" will be included on Matt Pond PA's upcoming album, Still Summer. The album is due on August 11, and reports are that it will be the final Matt Pond PA album. It can be pre-ordered in various bundles  here . You can listen to "The Ballad of Laura and Mike" belo...