If It's Too Loud...

Providence artists NOVA ONE have a new single out off of their highly anticipated new album due out next week. "i can't remember your face" is a dreamy new single that showcases the band's indie rock/pop meets 60's girl group sound. It's a quiet track that's still going to inspire you to dance, or at least move a little in your seat. The true hook of the song is the distorted guitar that makes the song sound like a bizarro classic from the 60's. The entire song feels like it's swirling around you and creates a dreamlike state for its entire length. NOVA ONE might be the most consistently great artist in the New England music scene. As much as their sound has evolved over the years, you generally know what you're going to get, and it's always fantastic.  You can watch the video for "i can't remember your face" below. how to kiss is due out March 6 on Community Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more ...

I feel like we could all use some positivity in our lives right now, so we're ending our week with the latest single from NOVA ONE. The project led by Providence's Roz Raskin just released "basketball court." It fits right in with the 1960's doo wop meets modern indie rock and pop sound that we've always loved from NOVA ONE, with a little something extra added in. Somehow, "basketball court" feels both more 60's and more modern than anything the band has released before. It's a little more electronic, and has some of the most delightful gang vocals I've ever heard. This might be the most charming song these folx have released to date, and if you're familiar with NOVA ONE, you know that's quite the statement. You can watch the video for "basketball court" below. how to kiss is due out March 6 on Community Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist on Instagram an...

I was extremely excited for the Weakened Friends show Thursday night. As each band playing was announced, I got even more excited since I love all three bands that ended up playing. Weakened Friends, NOVA ONE, and Pinklids are all bands that we've been covering for a while now, and watching grow as artists, and it's been great to become a bigger fan of them and see them evolve. We first covered Weakened Friends back in September 2015 when they released Gloomy Tunes . Back then, they were pretty much the house band for when a 90's band came through town, particularly at The Sinclair. Thursday night saw them headlining The Sinclair on tour for their excellent new album Feels Like Hell. They took the stage like conquering heroes, with an adoring crowd screaming along to virtually every word of every song. The focus of the show was obviously the songs on the new album (some of my personal favorites were "NPC" with Jared Egan of Sidewalk Driver filling in for Buckethea...

Providence's NOVA ONE are preparing to go on tour with Weakened Friends next month (in an absolute dream pairing for us!), and they've just released a new single. "chlorine" keeps that retro cool updated 60's girl group sound we love of theirs, but this one sounds a little more modern than previous singles. The single still fits into NOVA ONE's version of dream pop, with some added New Wave flourishes. Roz Raskin's project has always sounded dreamy, and somehow they've made it even more so on "chlorine." In an email to fans, NOVA ONE says of their latest single: "sometimes big feelings sneak up on you. this song explores the experience of being blind-sided by your emotions and the fast paced passing of time. this tune was in danger of never seeing the light of day but, after recording 4 different versions, i think we got it right. also, we have a video for the song coming out next week and i think it’s one of our best yet." You can ...

Photo by Alexa Viscius I've been a fan of Squirrel Flower since first hearing "Red Shoulder" back in 2019, and I've been trying to see her live since then. Obviously a global pandemic made that quite difficult for a long time, but it seems like she's played the Boston area a bunch of times, but it just has never quite worked out for me. Once she announced a solo tour with Horse Jumper of Love was coming to Providence, and it worked out for my schedule, I knew I had to make it. NOVA ONE getting added as local support ended up being a huge bonus for me. NOVA ONE opened the evening with a set consisting of mostly new songs from their upcoming album due out on March 10. Roz Raskin made a comment that they were a bit nervous since it was new songs, but there was no reason to be. Breaking the evening's theme of solo performances (Raskin was joined by a second guitarist), songs like "crying" and "dangerous" held up with more well known ones. Seein...

NOVA ONE is the musical project of Roz Raskin. The Providence based artist took a little bit of a departure on their last single, "dangerous." Their latest, "crying," is a return to the dreamy modern indie rock meets oldies style doo wop we've come to love from NOVA ONE over the years. While a lot of NOVA ONE's music has been more quiet and intimate, "crying" is a huge power ballad of a song that sweeps up the listener in a warm, sonic hug. It's a sad song, but in an uplifting way that looks forward to the future. If a song can be both twee and gigantic, this is it. Roz Raskin says that their new song "...  is in many ways a love letter to a young queer roz. hope you dig!" You can listen to "crying" below. create myself is due out March 31 on Community Records. The album can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist's website . create myself by NOVA ONE

The latest single from NOVA ONE is a sonic departure of sorts. Over the years, we've gotten used to their dreamy, washed over blend of dream pop. Their latest single, "dangerous," shows Providence's Roz Raskin showing off their rock side a lot more. The song still has that dreamy sound sweeping over you, but it's a much faster tempo song than we've heard from NOVA ONE. The guitar is much fuzzier than expected, and there's even a great solo towards the end. Hearing an artist push their boundaries this far while still sounding like themselves is a hard thing to pull off this well. We can't wait to hear what Raskin does next! You can listen to "dangerous" below. create myself is due out March 31 on Community Records, and can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. create myself by NOVA ONE 4/13 - washington, DC @ pie shop 4/15 - philadelphia, PA @ TBA 4/...

Even if you've never gotten into Angel Olsen, you know and love "Shut Up Kiss Me." It's just one of those universally beloved songs. Since we're huge fans of NOVA ONE and covers, we obviously have to bring you their cover of the Angel Olsen classic! NOVA ONE's version of "Shut Up Kiss Me" is a Roz Raskin solo track, with just their vocals and guitar. It's stripped down, but it still sees Razkin using tracks to harmonize with their own vocals. Beyond the charities the single will benefit, this is a great cover of a great song that you're going to need to check out. You can listen to NOVA One's version of "Shut Up Kiss Me" below. The song is available via Bandcamp . Proceeds will be split between RIOT RI (an RI based non-profit offering music programming for women, girls, trans, and non-binary folks) and the victims of the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs. For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist's website . shut up kiss ...

You might recognize Emily Dix Thomas from playing cello in The Huntress and Holder of Hands or bass in NOVA ONE. Thomas's solo project is EDT, and just released a new single, "Depths." As you might guess from her other bands, "Depths" is hardly traditional folk. It's a lovely song with swirling noise and a hypnotic riff and drums. The repetition of the riff never gets old despite going through virtually the entire song. Thomas's vocals are the highlight, as they sound like they belong in a more mainstream, traditional modern folk song. Instead, they anchor this foray into relatively experimental folk. Whatever you do, don't let EDT slip below your radar. You can listen to "Depths" below. it was a wave, of course is due out August 5 on Pretty Purgatory and can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more on EDT, check out the artist's website . it was a wave, of course by EDT

NOVA ONE just released a cover of Robyn's 2010 song "Dancing on My Own." This one goes into the completely reimagined covers side of things. While the original is the type of dance music that was huge in 2010, NOVA ONE's version sounds much more like NOVA ONE. It's a dreamy, lo-fi cover much more chilled out and atmospheric than a club jam. Unless you're very familiar with Robyn's work or read that this was a cover song, you'd assume this was a NOVA ONE original.  You can listen to NOVA ONE's version of "Dancing on My Own" below. The song is available now via Bandcamp with all proceeds going to Roz Raskin's friend Martha's ongoing treatments for ovarian cancer. For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist's website . dancing on my own by NOVA ONE

Fuzzstival is one of those festivals I've been meaning to get to for years now, but it just has never worked out for me. In its eighth year, it moved to a new location and with the promise of NOVA ONE and Cliff Notez playing on Saturday night, I was finally going to be able to go. The new venue was amazing. Charles River Speedway is a multi-use property on the grounds of a former bicycle racetrack. The event was held in Garage B, a concrete and metal garage with six or so open garage doors along the side of the venue, keeping the inside nice and cool and well vented. The sound engineers deserve a medal for keeping such a show sounding this well. The stage was the widest I've ever seen at a smaller venue, allowing ample room for one band to set up on one set while another band played on the other. Every band had thirty minutes to play, giving the entire show an early Warped Tour feel, except a lo-fi ultra-indie version of the Warped Tour. Eight bands played Saturday night, but I...

Photo by Rich Ferri It's impossible for us not to be fans of NOVA ONE's debut album lovable from earlier this year. Now Roz Raskin's musical project has released their cover of Britney Spears's hit "Lucky." There is a studio version of "Lucky" on the vinyl release of lovable , but this is the only non-vinyl version of this song. It was recorded roughly seven years ago in December 2019 in Big Nice Studio. It's a stunningly gorgeous version of the song, keeping the modern pop sound of Britney's original but adding the indie rock meets doo wop sound that makes us obsessed with NOVA ONE. For cover song fans like us, this is exactly the kind of thing that we love. You can watch the video for NOVA ONE's take on "Lucky" below. For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist's website .

Artist : Black Dresses Album : Peaceful as Hell Quick Description : Great noisy pop music from some masters of the craft. Why You Should Listen : This is probably the best effort they've put together so far. Overall Thoughts : In an era with a lot of electro-clashy loud pop music, and with artists like Rina Sawayana and Poppy getting into the genre mashup biz, here's Black Dresses who have put out a surprisingly accessible and immediately addictive effort with Peaceful as Hell . It's brash, it's loud, it's endless fun, and songs like "Damage Suppressor" really bring to the forefront how special this is. Recommendation : Don't miss out. Artist : Vanessa Peters Album : Mixtape Quick Description : Cover album with a ton of indie favorites. Why You Should Listen : Come for the Weakerthans effort, stay for some great music. Overall Thoughts : I feel like I should have known Vanessa Peters before now, but no matter. This is an effort with a gr...

Photo by Rich Ferri I've been bringing you music from NOVA ONE for a while now, and I typically describe it as 60's doo wop meets modern indie rock. Their latest single, "light years," defies that description completely. The newest single from their upcoming album is heavily inspired by classic 60's music, but more lounge style. It's a quiet, absolutely gorgeous song. It's a very simple song showcasing just guitar and Roz Raskin's voice, but it is the most compelling music I have ever heard from them. "light years" is completely stripped down to the bare essentials, but I can't imagine needing anything more than what this song provides. You can listen to "light years" below. lovable, the debut album from NOVA ONE, will be out April 24 on Community Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist's website .

Photo by Kendra Rose Ever since I saw them opening for Deer Tick, I've been growing more and more obsessed with Roz Raskin's project NOVA ONE. Their latest single, "lovable," perfectly showcases why. NOVA ONE takes 60's girl group R&B and lets it shine through a bizarro indie rock filter. "lovable" is a little more pop than that sounds, but perfectly mixes modern pop with lo-fi indie rock. The guitar is making this slightly off tune racket while Raskin's vocals nail the girl group genre. None of this should work together at all, but the magic of NOVA ONE is that it does. Perfectly. For someone who grew up listening to the oldies station with their parents and came of age during the early 90's, "lovable" is perfect. You can listen to "lovable" below. NOVA ONE's debut full length, also called lovable , will be out April 24 on Community Records. You can pre-order it via Bandcamp . For more on NOVA ONE, check out the...

"violet dreams," the brand new single from Providence's NOVA ONE, is everything I started loving about NOVA ONE since I saw Roz Raskin's new project opening for Deer Tick. "violet dreams" is this chilled out indie rock song, leaning heavily towards dream pop. What truly sets NOVA ONE apart from other similar artists is the incredibly strong 60's girl group influence. Previous releases from NOVA ONE might have had a stronger noisy indie rock vibe, but this new song goes off in slightly unexpected directions every so often while staying one cohesive unit. We can't wait to hear more from Raskin as soon as we can. You can listen to "violet dreams" below. lovable , the new album from NOVA ONE, will be out April 24 on Community Records. It can be pre-ordered here . For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artist's website .

Photo via Facebook Our love of cover songs is well documented here at If It's Too Loud..., and we have a special love for covers that aren't completely traditional. The movies of our youth are so intensely personal and important to us, but it's rare for artists to cover songs from films. Maybe that's why I love this cover of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella by Rhode Island's Nova One. The song is just as lovely and dreamlike as you'd expect. The dreamlike quality is most likely since the song is from a lullaby compilation: Through the Night: A Collection of Lullabies from Rhode Island Artists. The term lullaby is fairly loose, and the songs from this collection are more quiet than purely for children. You can listen to Nova One's cover of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" below. Through the Night: A Collection of Lullabies from Rhode Island Artists  is available now via Forever Endeavor. All proceeds will go t...

Photo by Brittanny Taylor Every so often we're stumble across an artist, and as we hear more from them we can tell we're going to become obsessed with them once the new album is released. The newest single from Providence, RI's NOVA ONE is further cementing the new project from Roz Raskin as one of our fledgling obsessions. I grew up on the oldies my parents listened to, and still listen to a lot of those songs with zero irony. Any artist that combines oldies with indie rock will quickly become a favorite. "if you were mine" leans just slightly more in the direction of indie rock, especially the beginning. It starts out as a lo-fi indie ballad, in the singer/songwriter side of the genre. But, by the time the chorus starts, it edges its way into doo wop territory. For the rest of the song, NOVA ONE weaves between the two sounds perfectly, almost making two songs into one seamlessly more than it is a mash up of styles. You can listen to "if you were mine...

Photo by Brittanny Taylor I first became aware of Nova One back when they opened up for Deer Tick back in November . They've recently released their first single, "Your Girl." Turns out Nova One is the newest project from Roz Kaskin of Roz & The Rice Cakes. "Your Girl" expands on the ultra lo-fi 60's girl group sound they showed at Lupo's, but the recorded version is much cleaner sound. The majority of the song features just Raskin's voice and guitar, but it's about as far from singer/songwriter as you can get. Slowly the song gains backing vocals and drums, and the guitar gets a little noisier, but it never loses the beauty and lushness it started out with. You can listen to "Your Girl" below. Nova One's debut EP, Secret Princess, will be out June 8 on Community Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Nova One, check out their/her (?) website . 

Considering how much I love seeing bands in their hometown and how long I've been going to see Deer Tick, it's odd that I've never made it down to RI to see Deer Tick (festivals excluded.) Last Saturday, I headed down to Pawtucket to see night two of Deer Tick's three night two venue stand.  Breaking from this tour's format of An Evening with Deer Tick and playing two sets, one acoustic and one electric, this was an all electric evening. Deer Tick played in front of a thrilled hometown audience, and the energy between the performers and audience built all night. This was definitely a crowd that has been following the band for a while, and older songs like "Ashamed" and "Christ Jesus" garnered the biggest reaction. As the band continues to go on, frontman John McCauley relinquishes that role more and more, with guitarist Ian O'Neil and drummer Dennis Ryan taking over lead vocals for more of the sets. O'Neil did a fantastic, energetic c...