If It's Too Loud...

Beautiful Was the Fight , the new documentary feature from Dave Habeeb, started out at a Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys show. (I believe it was   this one .) It was Habeeb's first time seeing Ruby Rose Fox, and he decided he wanted to make a documentary short about her. He filmed during her Queen Treatment Only Festival the next month, but upon seeing other artists like When Particles Collide, Sarah Blacker, and Haley Jane & The Primates, his short documentary about one artist expanded to a feature length documentary about women in the Boston music scene. This documentary is going to appeal to just about any reader of If It's Too Loud... based solely on the artists that are included in  Beautiful Was the Fight.  It features artists we regularly cover such as the aforementioned Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys and Ruby Rose Fox, as well as other favorites including Sapling, Wyn Doran, Liz Bills & the Change, Stormstress, Carissa Johnson, a...

Photo via Facebook Boston's Ruby Rose Fox has always made pop music, but it's always been her own interesting version of pop. It's much darker and experimental than the mainstream would ever allow, which is probably what draws me into it. Her latest single is somehow her most and least mainstream offering so far. According to a Facebook post, she's "...  been listening to a lot of bedroom pop, Nina Simone, and Andy Shauf," and "Your Old Ways" reflects that. It starts off slow in a jazzy way, getting you ready for a gorgeous torch song. And then these drums kick is, letting you know this song won't be what you expect. Then, the journey of "Your Old Ways" truly begins. On the same Facebook post, Ruby Rose Fox explains the meaning of the song: " Heart break and a pandemic definitely led me to a single conclusion. There is no amount of pain I can't survive. The fire always returns. The cup always fills. And so, we continue, we rec...

The summer slowdown is here, but we're finding a lot of stuff to listen to anyway. Album of the Week : Artist : Oliver the Crow Album : Oliver the Crow Quick Description : Edgy, interesting folk music. Why You Should Listen : You have been waiting for the proper Civil Wars torch taker, and this might be it. Overall Thoughts : I will preface this by saying that Brown Bird was a unique occurrence that will never be replicated, but boy do OtC come close. A nice, raw, folk record that includes some front-and-center cello to mix it up, this is definitely a favorite of the week due to its unique nature and the interesting songwriting and sounds coming from this record. Recommendation : A real interesting, pleasant surprise. Artist : T. Hardy Morris Album : Dude, The Obscure Quick Description : Difficult effort from the Dead Confederate lead. Why You Should Listen : Morris has made enough good music so far that he's earned a listen. Overall Thoughts : Morris has be...

Every time Ruby Rose Fox releases new music, it ends up being something truly special and unique. Normally I avoid anything that can be categorized "pop" like a bus full of cranky toddlers, but Ruby Rose Fox has her very own twist on the genre. Her new single, "American Daddy," has an old school soul feel to it, but a very modernized version. I almost hesitate to refer to it as "old school," but something about it just feels classic. It has an organic feel that most "pop" music doesn't have today. Even if pop and soul aren't your thing, you truly owe it to yourself to give "American Daddy" a shot. You can listen to "American Daddy" below. Salt , the new album from Ruby Rose Fox, will be out June 22. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on Ruby Rose Fox, check out her website .

Halloween is my favorite time of the year. It's the only time of the year when visiting old cemeteries isn't "weird." It's "festive." That also means it's time for our annual Halloween playlist. Every year we try to avoid the usual "Monster Mash" and "Thriller," and instead bring you a playlist reflective of the kind of music we listen to all year round. We have classic alternative (Beat Happening, Dinosaur Jr, Tori Amos), neo-folk/country (Jason Isbell, David Wax Museum, Marlon Williams), classic rock (Bob Dylan, The Jam), some hip hop (Ghostface Killah, Swet Shop Boys), old school punk (The Cramps, Dead Milkmen, Ramones), and even some metal with Dead Cross. At just over two hours, it's perfect for Halloween parties, to put on during trick or treating, or to play during work to drown out your co-workers playing "Wereworlf of London." Happy Halloween!

Photo via Facebook Leonard Cohen wrote "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" about a real woman who was forced to give up her child because she gave birth out of wedlock in 1960's Ontario. Because of this, she took her own life with a gun. Ruby Rose Fox covered the song as a response the mass shooting that took place during a Las Vegas country music festival. Since she recorded her version of the song and its release, it has also gained new significance with the #metoo movement of women sharing their personal stories of sexual assault and harassment to show just how wide spread it is. Ruby Rose Fox's version of "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" and the accompanying video is haunting. It's haunting to the point that I'm hesitant to use that term since it doesn't feel strong enough. There is an occasional use of a whispered backing vocal that will just chill you to the core. The song, although beautiful, isn't a pleasant listen by any means. But that's...

Seeing as we love free music and all aspects of the Boston music scene, Boston Sessions Vol.1: Beast  is a big deal for us. The Record Co. is an incubator for the Boston music scene. Boston breeds musicians in all genres of music and has an insanely large college population. The Record Co. is looking to reestablish Boston as a leader in the music industry, by promoting bands that call the city home and getting younger people involved in the scene. We're all for that, so be sure to check out their compilation that you can download now for free via Noisetrade. It reminds me of the compilations of the 90s, Like Tonnage or DGC Rarities: Vol 1.  It has the entirety of Boston represented: hip hop (Michael Christmas, STL GLD, Dutch ReBelle), indie rock (Palehound, Pile), pop (Ruby Rose Fox), Americana (Julie Rhoades, Tigerman WOAH), and more. Plus, these are all new and exclusive songs made for this compilation. You can download Boston Sessions Vol. 1: Beast  via Noisetrade ...

Photo by Ken Sears A Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys show is always more of an event than just a mere concert. The month leading up to their album release show last Friday at The Sinclair promised a spectacle that any fan simply had to attend. It was a lot of hype, especially considering some of the shows I have seen of theirs in the past, but I headed out to Cambridge to check it out. The band chose to play their just released that day album, Come Black Magic, in its entirety from start to finish for the main portion of the set. The album/show opener, "Children of the Cauldron," is more of an intro, clocking in at under 90 seconds of noise with Walter Sickert ranting over it. The performance of the song featured vocalist/percussionist/mandolin player Mary Widow painting burlesque performer Belle Gunz's body, nude except for pasties and a g-string. From there, they broke into the raucous main single, "Come Black Magic." It's easy for the ...