If It's Too Loud...

Willi Carlisle has become one of our favorite Americana artists, and his latest single will show everyone why. "Marlboro Vinyasa" is a modern country/folk song, with plenty of twang and electric guitars. Plus, as any great Carlisle song, it has a great sense of humor to it. If anything, this might be the most rockin' he's ever sounded, and the track sounds like a cross between The Band and Drive-By Truckers. (If that doesn't make you want to press play on the track...) "Marlboro Vinyasa" is also overflowing with soul throughout, but Carlisle really lets it fly towards the end of the song. As always, here's another killer track from Willi Carlisle. Willi Carlisle says of his latest single: “There’s a great bar in the Quad Cities called the Raccoon Motel. After a few gigs there, I got to talking to somebody who hosts yoga, and said they do their breathing exercises on the sticky floor and do sun salutations facing the Marlboro advertisements. I couldn’...

Photo by Natia Cinco Cool or not, we tend to love cover songs here at If It's Too Loud... Progressive bluegrass band AJ Lee & Blue Summit are set to release a new all covers album, and just released their version of Sheryl Crow's iconic "Soak Up the Sun." Jeff has always been a champion of Crow's first couple of albums, and I'm just getting over my indie rock snobbery and admitted how great her music is after last year's Boston Calling. A progressive bluegrass cover of "Soak Up the Sun" is pretty much a perfect fit, and AJ Lee & Blue Summit keep all of the pop hooks of Crow's original while adding just enough of their own sound to it. It's a great and fun cover, and both versions of the song are perfect summer songs.  You can listen to AJ Lee & Blue Summit's version of "Soak Up the Sun" below. Cover to Cover is due out September 11 on Signature Sounds, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on ...

Willi Carlisle is one of our favorite Americana artists out there today. He's always seemed to be deserving of much more attention than he gets, and his upcoming Tyler Childers produced album might be what gets him there. His latest single, "The Mason Jar at the Center of the World," is everything we love from Carlisle. It's a traditional folk/country song with modern sensibilities. It feels like a troubadour song, and it's easy to picture Carlisle busking while playing this song. As traditional roots as it is, it doesn't sound old fashioned at all. "The Mason Jar at the Center of the World" is the rare song that should sound old timey but sounds completely modern without being progressive. But that's why Willi Carlisle is such a unique and special artist. Willi Carlisle says of his upcoming album: “I think this one goes to outer space. This is the widest range of influences that I’ve ever had. It touches on funk, it touches on Americana, Cajun, ...

For their latest single, Big Richard have chosen to cover David Olney's 1991 song "Millionaire." It's a very faithful version of Olney's original, with Big Richard's being just a little more bluegrass. Decades later, a song about greed is only more timely, with maybe the only edit needed would be upgrading it to "Billionaire." The line about owning the President feels especially timely in 2026. The cover feels a little more desperate and angry than the 1991 version, which fits the times we currently exist in. "Millionaire" is a great single, and a perfect new release for Big Richard. We're definitely looking forward to their soon to be released album. Bonnie Sims (mandolin and guitar) says of her band's upcoming album: “Big Richard is so much about our energetic delivery, and so I think it's been really important for us as a group to figure out how to do that for a record." You can listen to "Millionaire" below. P...

Big Richard are a Colorado based bluegrass quartet that get their name from the "... 'big dick' energy [they are] reclaiming from male bluegrass bands." Their latest single, "It's Gonna Fall/Old Daingerfield" is a high energy and fierce song that's actually two songs played together. "It's Gonna Fall" contains lyrics about environmental disasters that could very well exist in a punk rock song. "Old Daingerfield" is a killer instrumental burst that demands any listener's attention. Musically, Big Richard land somewhere between traditional bluegrass and progressive bluegrass. It's a modern take on the genre that still keeps the sonic roots intact.  Cellist Joy Adams says of the band's upcoming album: “We made the album all on tape and did it all in these single-shot performances. The collection of songs, we wanted to take our most hard driving, heavy hitting songs, we wanted to craft a banger set list. Like, if we ha...

Photo by Lindsey Topham Northampton, MA's Winterpills are set to release their first new album in nine years next week, and they have a new single out for us to check out. "How We Dance" gets a little more power-poppy than Winterpills typically get, but there are still enough roots in folk and Americana for it to still sound like them. It's always fun when a veteran band expands on their sound a bit, and it's nice to see their more rock based side after all of these years. Not that "How We Dance" is a hard rock song by any stretch, but compared to most of Winterpills' catalog, this one is a rager. We're definitely looking forward to hearing this one next time we make it out to see them! Phillip Price says of his band's latest single: “At first, I wasn't sure this song fit the band. It felt like a throwback to my power-pop days in the 90s. I dreamt the big guitar riff, sang it into my phone at 3am one night in April of this year. The song ...

Photo by Lyndsey Topham Somehow it's been nine years since Winterpills have released an album, but the western Massachusetts band have a new one set to be released next month. The first single from that album, "Lean in the Wind," is a perfect reintroduction to the band. It's gorgeous chamber pop that also reaches into the world of dream pop, and is slightly folk adjacent. As with virtually any song from Winterpills, the true magic comes from the vocal harmonies between Flora Reed and Phillip Price. Those combined with the jangly guitars leads to an almost dreamlike state felt while listening to "Lean in the Wind." Welcome back, Winterpills. We're thrilled to have you. Flora Reed says of her band's latest single: “Philip wrote the first line of this song years ago but never finished it. I picked it back up and it became a sort of reverie, remembering the worst days of COVID when you pined for your friends and family.” You can listen to "Lean in ...

Every now and then an artist absolutely nails a song, and that's the case with the latest from Ali McGuirk. The singer-songwriter just released a single called "Graveyard," and it's a stunning soulful track that has an oddly trippy quality to it. There are the main elements of a soul and blues song within "Graveyard," but then McGuirk goes off in a thrilling direction that almost but not quite noise rock. I hate referring to a song called "Graveyard" as haunting, but sometimes it just fits. It's also an impeccably captivating song that will almost demand a second and third listen as soon as your first is over. If you weren't already excited for her album that's due later this week, you will be in four minutes and twenty-one seconds. Ali McGuirk says of her latest single: "'Graveyard' was inspired by a conversation with Canyon Lights front man Pat about songwriting, and all the little ideas that we leave behind, to be uncomp...

Photo by Lyza Renee We've been fans of Brennen Leigh's vintage country sound for a while now, and her latest is a prime example. "Tell Me" is classic style country music. If it wasn't for the modern production, you'd swear this was a song that was at least forty years old, if not seventy. At the very least, it sounds like it could be a cover of an obscure Loretta Lynn or Patsy Cline song. If you love country but hate modern pop/bro country, you probably already know and love Brennen Leigh. She's truly a special artist, and every time we hear a new song of hers we immediately need to hear more. You can listen to "Tell Me" below. Don't You Ever Give Up On Love  is due out October 3 on Signature Sounds, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Brennen Leigh, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song and include October 2 at Rex Theatre in Manchester, NH, October 3 at Iron Horse in Northampto...

If you've considered Ali McGuirk to be a laid back soul and/or folk artist, buckle up for her latest single. "Exorcist" is a fiery blues rocker with nothing even remotely laid back. It's about as heavy as a mid-tempo song can be, with killer guitar solos almost throughout the entire song. It's not quite a headbanger, but it's pretty damn close. About halfway through, I had to check to make sure I was playing the right song, since "Exorcist" defies my expectations I have with McGuirk. The second thing I did was check out her current tour dates since I have an intense need to hear this song live. We've been fans of hers for a while now, and "Exorcist" shows off a side of Ali McGuirk we were unfamiliar with, and when it sounds like this, that's hardly a bad thing. Ali McGuirk says of her latest single: "In writing this song, I wrote myself an actual exorcism. Righteous anger. Trauma. Betrayal.  Feminine rage. Thought systems that ...

Photo by Lyza Renee Brennen Leigh has quickly become a favorite of ours, with her take on a classic country sound with a slight sense of humor. Her latest single, "Dumpster Diving," which she describes as a "trashy little tune," is everything we love about the musician. It's a vintage style country song that comes in at a punk like one minute, forty-eight seconds. With a chorus of "Dumpster diving, this ain't gonna last / Dumpster diving, 'cause baby you like trash..." how can you possibly resist. Leigh's latest gives us a decades old sound with modern sensibilities and her fantastic voice that's tailor made for this genre of music. It's almost like a collaboration between Loretta Lynn and Shel Silverstein, and who doesn't want to hear that? You can hear "Dumpster Diving" below. Don't You Ever Give Up On Love  is due out October 3 on Signature Sounds, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Brennen Leigh,...