If It's Too Loud...

The Marked Men are a band I am completely unfamiliar with, but if Ratboys are going to cover them, I'll check it out! Ratboys have released a cover of The Marked Men's 2006 song "Fix My Brain." The original is a garage punk anthem that leans a little bit into pop punk, but mostly because of how catchy it is. Ratboys' cover is very faithful to the original, and it's great to see them bust out their punk side. It's a fun and energetic song that fits into Ratboys' style perfectly. It's the type of cover that's going to send you straight into The Marked Men's back catalog, and thank Ratboys for the introduction. Julia Steiner (vocals/guitar) says of her band's new single: “The guys, especially Marcus, were already long-time fans of The Marked Men (and of Jeff Burke’s other band Radioactivity), but when I first heard it more recently, ‘Fix My Brain’ was a total revelation to me. I hyper-fixated on the song in ways that are pretty rare for me...

Photo by Z  Marciniak We've been watching Ratboys grow as artists for a number of years now, and we're thrilled to say that their latest single showcases how great they've gotten. "Penny in the Lake" might be the epitome of modern day alt-country. It mixes plenty of twang with a rock edge to it. It's laid back while still being intense, and it's as catchy as it could possibly be. The song is a perfect balance of killer guitars and Julia Steiner's engaging vocals and lyrics. Ratboys aren't breaking new ground with "Penny in the Lake." This is the kind of song they've been doing for years, they've just perfected it this time around. If you haven't discovered Ratboys yet, but love artists like Drive-By Truckers, Wilco, and Lucinda Williams, "Penny in the Lake" could become your favorite song of 2026. Julia Steiner says of her band's latest single: “I wrote this song on a sunny summer day while sitting outside in my ...

Photo by Miles Kalchik If you've been worried that Ratboys have been eschewing their country side in favor of their indie rock side, their latest single will put you at ease. "The World, So Madly" isn't exactly a country song, but it sees the Chicago band lean more heavily into their singer-songwriter side than we've seen in quite a while. The song has an optimistic and even a sunny feel, which is what we all need in New England as we're all firmly in winter's grasp. The song has a light feel, and even if it's more than a little folky there's still plenty of indie rock going on in "The World, So Madly." We've been huge fans of Ratboys since the early days of If It's Too Loud..., and this latest single could very well propel them to the stardom they deserve. Vocalist Julia Steiner says of her band's latest single: “Looking back at my voice memos, I recorded the original idea for this song on January 1st, 2023, and it feels like...

Photo by Miles Kalchik We've been fans of Ratboys since their 2017 album GN , so we're thrilled the Chicago band have finally been getting the attention they deserve. They're back with a new single, "What's Right?," that truly nails their indie rock with a little country thrown in sound. This new song has just enough twang to keep their country side going strong, but it might be their most rockin' song to date. This one is making me wish I didn't live in New England during the winter, since it's just begging to be played loud while driving a little too fast with your windows open. "What's Right?" is a driving alt-rock song with the slightest twang to it. It's reminding me a little of The Lemonheads' Atlantic Records heyday.  Julia Steiner says of her band's latest single: “We approached this song like an experiment in the studio, stitching together three different drum performances, in three different-sounding environments...

Photo by Miles Kalchik Ratboys' 2021 album The Window was an excellent step forward for the band, and if their latest single is any indication, their upcoming album is going to be even more amazing. "Anywhere" shows off how Ratboys are masters of mixing indie rock and alt-country. The song is a fast paced and upbeat track that mostly lives in the world of indie rock with buzzy and swirling guitars. It's even a little punk rock, but a happier, positive version of the genre. But they sneak in just enough of a twang into the song to keep it at least partially alt-country. This is a truly fun song, and it's a perfect re-introduction for long term fans, and a great way for new ones to discover the band. Julia Steiner (vocals/guitar) says of her band's upcoming album: "A big, overarching theme of this record is my attempt to document my experience being estranged from a close loved one. The goal is to update this person on what's been going on in my life an...

Photo by Miles Kalchik Of all the bands mixing indie rock and country/Americana, Ratboys have been one of our favorites for quite a while. The band's latest single, "Light Night Mountains All That," shows off their more indie rock side. In fact, the song is almost all indie rock, with a heavier dose of squalling and driving guitars than we're used to from the Chicago band. It's fast, and has a surprising sound of if early Radiohead were on Merge Records. Even though a song title like "Light Night Mountains All That" may sound like it would lean towards country, it's a pogo friendly epic, especially with its six minute plus length. We're always excited to hear what Ratboys are up to, but this new single has piqued our interest even more than normal. Singer/guitarist Julia Steiner says of her band's latest single: “My original idea was to write an ultra-high energy folk song, in the style of The Dodos’  Visiter , with somewhat spooky, mysteriou...

Photo by Char Klein If you like some country mixed into your rock and roll, you're going to love the latest from Esther Rose. "New Bad" is almost the definition of the genres country rock, alt-country, or outlaw country. Recorded live to tape, this is a killer rock song with just enough twang in Rose's vocals to keep it on the country side. The song is filled with distorted songs and some of the catchiest lyrics we've heard so far this year. There's even a part where I can't tell if it's supposed to be a choir of voices or gang vocals, or maybe it's supposed to be both. Rose's vocals are truly the highlight of the song and will immediately draw you in. She just has something instantly compelling once she starts singing. "New Bad" is reminding me of a dream combination of Rilo Kiley and Drive-By Truckers, and if that sounds like your thing, get ready to have a new musical obsession. Esther Rose says of her upcoming album: “There are th...

Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins Sunny War has always been considered folk-punk, and on her latest single she's proving the punk part. "Walking Contradiction" is a duet with Steve Ignorant of the legendary anarcho-punk band Crass. The song is on the mellower side of the spectrum, but it's not exactly folk. It also doesn't exactly feel like a punk song, or really even a rock song. It's almost a hymn based on the use of organ. Despite it being a laid back song musically, there is an unmistakable intensity to the song, especially as it seems to be about to go off the rails at times. Even though it might not sonically be a standard punk song, "Walking Contradiction" ends up being one of the most punk songs of the year. Steve Ignorant says of working with Sunny War: "It's always an honour to collaborate with someone you respect and Sunny War is no exception. She is the younger voice, taking up the torch of hope in this dark world. The minute I heard...

Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins Posthumous unreleased collections are a mixed bag, but we're confident that the upcoming one for Justin Townes Earle is going to be something special. His death in 2020 was devastating for his fans (including myself), so I started hesitantly listening to his cover of Fleetwood Mac's iconic "Dreams." Earle hits that perfect space between honoring the original release and making a song his own. His version of "Dreams" is obviously more country, and a smaller version of the song. The 70's arena pop rock sound is replaced by the intimate style of Earle, but the song is instantly recognizable as the Fleetwood Mac classic. Of course, lyrics like "What you lost/What you had" sting a little bit when you hear them in Earle's voice. You can watch the video for Justin Townes Earle's version of "Dreams" below. All In: Unreleased and Rarities (The New West Years) is due out August 9, and is available for pre-o...

Photo by Paloma Bom é If you haven't been paying attention, it'll have been easy to miss that Nada Surf have been one of the most consistently great bands of the last three decades. The band's latest single, "In Front of Me Now," perfectly showcases that. It's just a solid alt-rock song done in Nada Surf's unique style. The new song shows growth in the band's sound. It sounds like a Nada Surf song, but instead of just resting on their name and catalog, they've pushed themselves forward and released a track that stands up with everything they've released before. How many bands have been around for thirty years and are still releasing new music that we can be genuinely be excited about? Matthew Caws says of the band's new video: “We know the pandemic is over, but we made a Covid-era video to save on gas. Made on location (i.e. where we live) in Cambridge, England, Sarasota, Florida, Ibiza, Spain, and Austin, Texas, we bring you ‘In Front of M...