If It's Too Loud...

Seeing as how much I loved Fiona Apple's 2020 album and how much I love Mountain Man, I was thrilled to see that the latter has released a cover of the former. I'm not as familiar with Apple's song "Hot Knife" from her verbosely titled 2012 album. Seeing as how the original is mostly Apple's vocals looped with minimal instrumentation, Mountain Man's version is very faithful to the original. The main difference is that the cover has three singers and completely does away with instruments. If you're a fan of Mountain Man's harmonizing, this cover is going to be perfect for you. And if you're a Fiona Apple fan just discovering Mountain Man, welcome to the bandwagon! You can liste to Mountain Man's take on "Hot Knife" below. The song is available as a single via Nonesuch Records  here . For more on Mountain Man, check out the band's website .

Every so often Vermont's Mountain Man has been gifting us with cover songs, ranging from artists like John Denver, The Everly Brothers, Neil Young, and Fiona Apple. Their latest sees them take on Wilco's "You & I" from 2009's Wilco [The Album]. (I just realized that Wilco [The Album] , one of Wilco's "new albums," is ten years old and I now feel ancient.)  While their take on "You & I" may be less traditional than we typically hear from Mountain Man, it's still a very stripped down take, focusing on the band's three part harmonies with just the slightest bit of guitar holding it all together. The band explains their decision to cover this particular Wilco song:  “We have been band members, collaborators, friends and business partners for over 10 years now, so a song like ‘You and I,’ a celebration of creating a relationship that is totally unique and filled with mystery, seemed very appropriate.” You can listen to Mo...

Photo via Facebook It feels absurdly early to be sharing Christmas music at this point, but when artists we love keep releasing it, we can't help it. The latest is Mountain Man covering Irving Berlin's legendary "White Christmas." As you might expect, Mountain Man's version of this song is absolute perfection. They keep it very traditional, although it is much more stripped down and folky than the original. It's a quiet, gorgeous version of one of the few Christmas songs that seems to be beloved by all. As the band says: " We wanted to record a song that could be played in people's homes throughout the holidays, like a gentle push of light. We thought 'White Christmas' might do the trick!" You can listen to Mountain Man's version of "White Christmas" below. You can find the song here . For more on Mountain Man, For more on Mountain Man, check out their website .

Photo via Facebook We love Mountain Man. Their three part old school folk harmonies just do it for us, and we're always thrilled to hear anything new from then. When I found out  Alexandra Sauser-Monnig was releasing a solo project, I knew exactly what to expect. It would obviously sound like Mountain Man, but with one singer, right? Daughter of Swords is just about as far from traditional folk as you can get. Her first single, "Gem," is far more pop sounding than I could have anticipated. Sure, it has folk elements, but I'm fairly certain that's a drum machine I hear in the song. There's plenty here for fans of Mountain Man to love, just not in the way we expected. You can listen to "Gem" below. You can get your copy of the single here . For more on Daughter of Swords, check out the band's website .

John Denver has never exactly been my jam, but we've been loving Mountain Man here for years, so when Mountain Man announced they were releasing a two song single of John Denver covers, I had to at least check it out. (We do love covers...) As the band announced on Facebook: " WE love John Denver so much we gave Alex his haircut, and recorded a few of his legendary tunes too. Have a listen! They are so sooooothing, we promise." The songs definitely are soothing, but to me they feel more Mountain Man than John Denver (I think?). "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is exactly what we love about Mountain Man: quiet, almost delicate, perfect folk with beautiful harmonies. "Around and Around" is more of the same, and both songs have me debating if I'm really a non-fan of John Denver. Probably not, but let's not take any chances here... You can listen to Mountain Man's take on "Take Me Home, Country Roads" below. You can order your vinyl ...

Mountain Man (the formerly from VT now from NC folk trio, not the Worcester, MA metal band of the same name) are kind of a forgotten favorite here at If It's Too Loud... They popped back up into our radar with an Everly Brothers cover for the Our First Hundred Days project before finally releasing a new album last month. Now they are back with a trio of covers for Aquarium Drunkard's The Lagniappe Sessions. It's an interesting assortment of songs from Kasey Musgrave ("Slow Burn"), Neil Young ("Through My Sails"), and Fiona Apple ("Hot Knife"). Mountain Man truly make each song completely their own with their blend of quiet harmony based folk. Fiona Apple's "Hot Knife" is completely reimagined as an a cappella song, with Mountain Man's voices swirling around each other. For someone who loves cover songs, these three are a true treasure. You can hear Mountain Man's The Lagniappe Sessions over at American Drunkard . For m...

Better late than never? Artist : St. Lucia Album : Hyperion Quick Description : Return to form from the light indie poppers. Why You Should Listen : St. Lucia makes some really gorgeous, fun music. Overall Thoughts : Their debut? Awesome. Their follow-up? Definite sophomore slump syndrome? This? Very reminiscent of that first album with a number of songs that have an immediate addictive quality. This is an act that sounds like it has found its footing and might have an opportunity to launch into something bigger. Recommendation : Definitely worth your time this week. Artist : The Black Black Album : Gravity and Time Quick Description : Heavy-yet-light rock and roll music. Why You Should Listen : They're derivative of all your favorite recent acts. Overall Thoughts : I think I want to describe this as The Strokes through a filter of early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Death From Above, and The Dandy Warhols. I can’t decide if I just like it or if I kind of love it. ...

Mountain Man (the Vermont folk trio, not the Worcester, MA metal band) have joined in on the Our First 100 Days project with a cover of The Everly Brothers' "Love Hurts." "Love Hurts" is one of the most perfect songs to cover, as versions from Gram Parsons and Nazareth can attest to. Mountain Man's version is virtually perfect and keeps in line with the folk/country origins of the song. Solo versions always seem to miss the harmony, but Mountain Man's specialty is harmonizing, and "Love Hurts" is made for their style perfectly. You can listen to Mountain Man's version of "Love Hurts" below. The Our First 100 Days project is releasing a song for each of Trump's first 100 days in office. It features a new, exclusive song every day, and all proceeds will benefit organizations that work on climate change, immigration, women's rights, etc. It features a diverse and growing group of musicians including Hurray for the Riff Ra...

Picture via Facebook I'm kind of all over the place when it comes to metal. I'm by far from a metalhead, but there is a handful of metal that I absolutely love. If their new song, "Kingdom Came," is any indication, Worcester, MA's Mountain Man might be the rare kind of metal that I end up loving. It's surprising because Mountain Man (not to be confused with the Vermont folk trio of the same name ) edge into the screamo genre, which I hate. What saves them is their edging into the realm of Refused, who I love (new album aside). They seem to have a little more in common with hardcore and punk than traditional metal. A lot of metal is very controlled, with musicians focusing more on showing off than emotion. Mountain Man are the pure controlled chaos and feedback you usually see in indie noise rock from the 90s. "Kingdom Came" also has multiple tempo changes throughout its epic 7 minutes. They might be the Helmet or Quicksand of the new millennium...