If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Pat Piasecki Other Brother Darryl's upcoming album is highly anticipated around here, so we're thrilled to bring you a new single while we're all waiting. "Too Right" is the brightest we've ever heard the Boston cosmic country band sound so far. It's interesting to hear a song so laid back and so upbeat, but Other Brother Darryl are pulling it off. This is the kind of song just begging to be played outside at a summer festival. We typically recoil from music this cheerful sounding, but when it's this good even we are unable to deny enjoying it. "Too Right" sounds like pre- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco meets The Band. We've been Other Brother Darryl diehards for a while, and they keep surprising us with every release. Nate Leavitt (guitarist/co-lead vocalist) says of the band's upcoming album: “This album really shows how we create as an entire band. The last album was created while putting this band together. This time, the ba...

Last year's New England Americana Festival was one of my musical highlights of 2025. There's just something great about hanging out in a field watching folk, bluegrass, country, and any other branch of Americana that's out there. Plus, I love Bellforge Arts Center, and try to get down there to see virtually anything at that wonderfully underrated venue. Today the festival announces their 2026 line up, and it's simply great. There are a ton of If It's Too Loud... favorites, plus a few new bands we can't wait to explore. This year's festival includes hosts and 2025 Boston Music Awards Americana Artist of the year Kier Burns & The Kettle Burners, Nate Perry & Ragged Company, Other Brother Darryl, Elisa Smith, Jennifer Tefft & The Strange, Tigerman Woah, berm, Regals, Dirt Road Souls, Autumn Hollow, Beware the Dangers of a Ghost Scorpion, Comanchero, Consuelo's Revenge, and damian and the displayers. It's a great selection of some of our favo...

Photo by Pat Piasecki Boston's favorite cosmic canyon Americana artists are back with a new single. Today sees the release of "Take It With You," the latest track from Other Brother Darryl. It's the perfect kind of song to listen to just as the weather finally starts warming into spring. It's a bright track with a hint of melancholy, and something about the song feels nostalgic. By saying the song has a hint of melancholy, it's more about the feeling of melancholy caused by nostalgia. "Take It With You" feels like looking at old pictures and remembering who you were back then, and feeling a sense of loss over what may have been lost no matter how happy you are now. The true magic of an Other Brother Darryl song is that no matter how melancholy a song of theirs might be, it ends up being even more uplifting. "Take It With You" is a great song upon first listen, and only gets better each time you press play. Nate Leavitt (acoustic guitar and ...

Photo by Pat Piasecki Other Brother Darryl have quietly become one of my favorite Americana artists in Boston. The Boston based cosmic canyon alt-country artists just released a single off their upcoming sophomore album, and "Peaceful Alibi" is a dream come true. It's a laid back country jam, along the lines of Gram Parsons' oeuvre. As great as the vocal harmonies are in the song, it's the guitar solo that's going to keep you coming back for more, which you will. Maybe it's just the genre, but this is the kind of song that has me desperately longing for warm summer days and nights. It's the perfect song for driving around when you're not in a rush, or just hanging around outdoors. Of course, "Peaceful Alibi" is also the kind of song that you're going to want to give your full attention to. Other Brother Darryl are one of the finest Americana artists around, both locally and nationally. Nate Leavitt says of his band's latest single...

Every year when The Town and the City announce their line-up, we say that it's their best ever, and every year we truly mean it. 2026 keeps their unbeaten streak alive with a line-up that's going to thrill all music fans in the Lowell area. This year, the festival once again takes over downtown Lowell April 30 through May 2. Individual shows haven't been announced yet, but you'll get to see John Doe of X and David Lowery of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven performing together, as well as Tanya Donelly and Chris Brokaw with their "modern interpretations of medieval music." Also playing this year are folk rockers The Felice Brothers, along with local favorites GA-20, Future Teens, JVK, Megan From Work, The Wolff Sisters, Tysk Tysk Task, Dee Tension & The Secrets, Other Brother Darryl, Tell, Phantom Ocean, and many, many more. In an interesting move, two Lowell favorites will be performing cover sets this year, with The Ghouls performing Black Sabbath and Bur...

Photo by Pat Piasecki Other Brother Darryl's Roll Shine Roll has been a musical highlight of 2025, with their song "Watch the Trees" being our favorite track from the album. Now the Boston band has released Rewatch the Trees , a three song EP that includes the album version of the song as well as an acoustic one from a Q Division session and the demo of the song. If you love one of the best country/folk/Americana songs of the year as much as we do, you're going to want to check this out. I've personally always loved hearing alternate versions of my favorite songs, and most bands don't release alternate takes like they used to. The acoustic version of "Watch the Trees" is particularly compelling, since it may lose the epic build in the album version, but gains a more rootsy, personal feel. Other Brother Darryl have quietly become a Boston roots scene favorite, and releases like this are exactly why. Nate Leavitt says of his band's new release: “‘W...

Photo by Pat Piasecki The latest single from Boston alt-country supergroup (and 2024 Boston Music Award winner for Country Artist of the Year) is particularly special for the band. It's one of the few tracks they have that includes their late bandmember Dave Mirabella, who passed away in 2022. Even without that knowledge, "Watch the Trees" is a particularly nostalgic and mournful sounding song. This is cosmic country at its absolute finest. It's interesting to have a song virtually twang free be as solidly country as "Watch the Trees" is, but that's the power of Other Brother Darryl. This is a heartbreakingly beautiful and powerful track without being truly gloomy. The song grows more uplifting as it goes on. It may be centered on loss and melancholy, but it ends on a hopeful note. Dan Nicklin says of his band's latest single: "The idea of being a little kid in the back seat of the car and listening to music has been one I have been carrying aro...

Other Brother Darryl are one of those bands you end up loving more the more you listen. The Boston based Americana band just released "The Ballad of Joni and Graham," which is an ode to Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash. The song is a laid back song blurring the lines between folk, rock, and country, which tends to be Other Brother Darryl's specialty. It's heavy on vocal harmonies and has more than a little hint of nostalgia laced throughout without sounding like a throwback. "The Ballad of Joni and Graham" is modern folk/country/Americana at its finest. Slowly, Other Brother Darryl have become a band that I really like to a band I'm starting to become obsessed with.  Vocalist and guitarist Nate Leavitt says of the band's new song: “Joni and Graham’s thing inspired them to write songs about each other, it seemed fitting we write a song about them. Dan [Nicklin] writes about the human connection often and puts a lot of himself into the characters he’s sin...

"Sometimes" marks the first song from Boston alt-country supergroup Other Brother Darryl that doesn't include any recording contributions from bandmember Dave Mirabella, who passed away in 2022. The song is appropriately melancholy, which is also kind of a trademark of the band's sound. The other trademark is that their songs are surprisingly uplifting, which is the case with "Sometimes." It's the kind of song that can start off as background music, but by the end you're going to have stopped whatever you were doing to give the song your full attention. If you get to your destination before the song ends, you're going to need to stay in your vehicle until it ends, and probably start it over again. Other Brother Darryl have made one of the most powerful and compelling tracks to come out of the Boston scene in a long time. Dan Nicklin says of his band's latest single: “It’s a song to the universe and our loved ones, or maybe a self-help note ju...

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 May 3 The I Want You and Crow Follow at Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA The Iron Roses, Lowest of the Low, and One Fall at Deep Cuts, Medford, MA Saturday May 4 Kid Gulliver at Luther's Coop, Easthampton, MA Rock and Roll Rumble Finals featuring Other Brother Darryl, The Ghouls, and Gut Health with special guest Halfcocked at Sonia, Cambridge, MA Folk Collective Annual Concert featuring Alastair Moock, Almira Ara, Anju, Audrey Pearl, Cliff Notez, Gabriella Simpkins, Kim Moberg, Lydia Harrell, Maxfield Anderson, Naomi Westwater, Peter Mulvey, and Steph...

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: April 19 Rock & Roll Rumble Semifinals featuring Other Brother Darryl, Roser, Looking Glass War, and The Ghouls at Sonia, Cambridge, MA Linnea's Garden, Church and Puppets, and Sorry Mister at Koto, Salem, MA Bodega, Boston Cream, and Big Bliss at The Rockwell, Somerville, MA The Collect Pond, Perennial, Battlemode at Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA Monchella featuring Tysk Tysk Task, Neck Dive, Roaches, and The P.A.'s at Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA  April 20 Hard in the 'Head II featuring The FU's, Cuidado, The Modern Faces, and Cou...

The Rock & Roll Rumble has been an institution in the Boston music scene for over forty years, showcasing the best up and coming bands in the Boston music scene. I try to go as often as possible, and made it to night three of the first round which featured one of the most diverse line ups in recent memory: Lovina Falls, Wire Lines, Other Brother Darryl, and Condition Baker. Condition Baker opened the night with a set of 90's style pop punk. They were playing at a disadvantage Saturday night without their lead singer who had to miss the show because of a family emergency. The remaining trio soldiered on (which is pretty punk rock) and delivered a solid thirty minute set. Considering how many lead singers have trouble remembering their lyrics, it was impressive that the guitarist and bass player of Condition Baker were able to fill in so well. They played the only cover song of the evening, which was Sublime's "Santeria." Unfortunately, they weren't at one hundr...

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 April 5 Tree, Scissorfight, and Inverter at The Vault, New Bedford, MA Rock & Roll Rumble Preliminary Night Two featuring Type 66, Trailer Swift, Gut Health, and JATK at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA Hammered Saint, Diablogato, and The Shang Hi Los at Faces Brewing, Malden, MA Saturday April 6 Rock & Roll Rumble Preliminary Night Three featuring Lovina Falls, Wire Lines, Other Brother Darryl, and Condition Baker at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA 2nd Annual Townes Van Zandt Night featuring Paul Basile & Pete Camerato, Jake McKelvie, Dan Lambe...

Photo by Chris Valle Boston's "cosmic canyon rock band" Other Brother Darryl have released a new single about making sure to tell your friends you love them, since you never quite know when you won't get the chance again. As you may know, bandmember Dave Mirabella passed away last year, so it's a message they truly mean. "Drive" doesn't sound like anything that typically comes out of Boston. It sounds more like vintage Laurel Canyon bands, but with a Northeast blue collar sensibility. I'm getting some serious Corsby, Stills, Nash & Young vibes on this one, with it's use of vocal harmonies throughout mixed with killer twangy electric guitar solos. It's a heartbreaking song, but one we should all listen to the message of. Nate Leavitt (guitar and vocals) says of his band's new song: “To me, the song says, ‘It’ll be okay. Keep driving, you’ll get there.’ My favorite line is, ‘If you found someone whose beats so you won’t die.’ It rea...

Photo by Chris Valle The musical description of "cosmic canyon rock" might not make sense until you hear the latest single from Other Brother Darryl, and then it makes perfect sense. The song also has a bittersweet meaning, as it is the first released since the unexpected passing of band co-founder Dave Mirabella. This is the kind of song that would have made Gram Parsons proud. It has that timeless quality that is soaked in 70's AM radio sweetness but is far too country to be a rock song, or even a soft rock song. But "Until I Do" doesn't sound like a throwback song. It has elements of the classics from the 70's, but it's a modern song. If you've ever loved anything considered alt-country, this one is for you. Dan Nicklin says of the band's new song: “I think this tune, in particular, one of the earlier song ideas that sat idle for eight years until we started writing in earnest, is a good choice. The song has also taken on a double meaning ...