If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Kimberly Ha Here's the team up we didn't know we needed: For her latest single, THAO has teamed up with Neko Case for "Catch As Catch Can." The song has an interesting sound that's not quite folk, not quite indie rock, and not quite electronic, although there seem to be elements of all of those genres. It's a quiet and laid back, slinky tune that exists in its own universe of sound. While most songs from THAO immediately grab you, "Catch As Catch Can" might not. It didn't connect with me the first time I listened, but it did on the second, and it has dug its claws into me with every subsequent listen. THAO and Case's vocals do magical things together in this song, and we should do everything in our collective power to get them to collaborate with each other as much as possible. THAO says of her latest single: “‘Catch as Catch Can’ is from the (hot!) image of bodies surrendering to each other in the ocean, bodies surrendering to the a...

Neko Case has been at it for over two decades now, and continues to put out some incredibly essential music. Her latest, Hell-On , continues with the mood that we’ve become accustomed to – dark and brooding in many ways, but still feeling bright in others. Probably the best effort she has put together since Fox Confessor (and she doesn’t have a bad effort in between), both thematically and musically this just excels on all fronts. Whether it’s an almost 1960s/70s pop song like “Bad Luck,” or the Crooked Fingers “Sleep All Summer” cover (featuring Eric Bachmann on his own song), the whole album has that sort of strange, otherworldly feel that Case does so well. Maybe the best, most complex track, however, is “Last Lion of Albion,” which is mythical and musically weird and incredibly ambitious. Early in the record, it sets the tone for where we’re headed and really sets us up for one of the best of the year. Songs of note: “Last Lion of Albion,” “Sleep All Summer,” “Bad Luck,” “...

This was probably one of the more consequential release weeks of the year. Album of the Week : Artist : Neko Case Album : Hell-On Quick Description : Latest from the alt-country favorite. Why You Should Listen : Neko Case has been required listening for 15+ years already. Overall Thoughts : My favorite album from Neko Case is probably Middle Cyclone , which is weird because I was into her for the alt-country stuff and that album might have been the diversion that fully sent her into her own personal genre. Case has released plenty of music since 2009, but this new album is so ridiculously good and so far beyond anything else that she has done that it is absolutely stunning that an artist entering her third decade of recording music as a solo artist can put something together like this. The album got me from the starting track, but the Crooked Fingers cover to the opening song all span that sort of connection those of us who listen to hours of music a day seek out. Best album...

Maybe the highest quality new release pool we've had in some time. Very consistent throughout and far too many albums that could qualify as the best of the week, so a two-parter done without a true album of the week to be fair to everyone. Let's get on with it: Artist : Sarah Jarosz Album : Undercurrent Quick Description : Fourth album by the bluegrass favorite. Why You Should Listen : Sarah Jarosz has always been a high-quality listen, but this new album is major step forward. Overall Thoughts : Jarosz is only 23/24, and this is her first album done while she isn't a student. Thus, there's a maturity here that, on one hand, wasn't there before, but, on the other, sounds like we're dismissing her earlier work in saying so. Still, taking this album on its own, it's a quieter, more intricate affair, and it's just gorgeous throughout. She has a sound that's unlike most bluegrassy performers, closer to Chris Thile in song construction than yo...

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down (Photo by Ken Sears) Located in Portsmouth, NH, Prescott Park is this absolutely beautiful and scenic public park right on the river. While just about every public park in America will have weekly music, it's usually the local marching band or jazz ensemble, mostly for senior citizens and families with small children. Prescott Park Arts Festival put on amazing shows every year with a TON of If It's Too Loud... approved artists.  I've only made it up there once for a Carolina Chocolate Drops show in 2013, but it hasn't worked out. This year I'm planning to make the trek a bunch. One of the best parts is the cost. They get a lot of acts that I'd normally be priced out of (you know, the $50+ range), but they only ask for a suggested donation around $10. Sure, you can cruise right in without paying anything, but you really should to keep this alive. You can see their full schedule here , with more to be added. This is a list of ...

Here in the Northeast, festival season is officially over. The Newport Folk Festival is always a consistent highlight, and I hate having to wait an entire year between festivals. I know some of you aren't local to New England, or weren't able to get tickets since this year sold out months in advance. Luckily for you, there is finally an alternative. Next weekend (October 5 and 6) marks the inaugural Way Over Yonder Festival. This will take place at the world famous Santa Monica Pier. Way Over Yonder is definitely starting out smaller than Newport, but the line up is fantastic, at the very least. I mean, seriously? Saturday, October 5                                           Sunday,  October 6 Neko Case           ...

A few high-profile releases combined with some indie highlights form the foundation of this week's new release schedule: Volcano Choir - Repave : I don't consider myself a fan of Bon Iver, even though I find Justin Vernon to be incredibly talented and interesting. I don't know what it is about Bon Iver that doesn't resonate with me, but I do know that Repave , the second Volcano Choir album, inhabits the space I wish Vernon was always in for me. It's stark and weird and different without being completely inaccessible, and while it has a lot of indie tropes that people love to hate on, it's an album that deserves to be heard at least once, and probably multiple times. Definitely tops my list as the most interesting new release of the day. Over the Rhine - Meet Me at the Edge of the World : Over the Rhine is a folk band that exists in the same headspace as Hem, mostly because I saw them open for Hem a number of years ago. Their music is both more folky an...