Tristen Covers Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Originally recorded by fan request in 2018 for her Patreon, Tristen has released her cover of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's "The Lee Shore" after the death of David Crosby. Tristen's may not be as traditional as CSNY's, but hers does stay quite faithful to the original. She injects a little more of a pop side into hers, but hardly in any detriment to the song. In fact, hers sounds a little more fleshed out than the original. It's a gorgeous version of a song that is an absolute must hear for fans of Tristen or CSNY, and it ended up being a lovely tribute to the late music icon.

You can listen to Tristen's version of "The Lee Shore" below. The song is currently available on her Bandcamp. For more on Tristen, check out the artist's website.

Tristen Covers Leonard Cohen

Tristen was recently approached by Lena Mazel and Skyler Meadow Levine of Anaphase Dance to ask for a piece of music for a contemporary dance they were working on. All three love Leonard Cohen, so Tristen chose to cover Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love." Considering Tristen has been edging more and more into a pop sound and this is for a contemporary dance piece, this cover is much more faithful to the original than I would have expected. Not that this is a note for note cover. Tristen does make this song sound much more like her own than a Leonard Cohen cover, and she did purposefully make her version more rhythmic for the purpose of dancing than Cohen made the original. Tristen's cover of "Dance Me to the End of Love" is one of the better covers we've heard in a while, and she does the original quite proud by adding her own spin on it.

You can watch the video for "Dance Me to the End of Love" below. The song is out now on Mama Bird Recording Co, and is available via Bandcamp. For more on Tristen, check out the artist's Twitter and Instagram.

Ken's Best of 2021 - #10: Tristen - Aquatic Flowers

At this point, it's pretty much a guarantee that any time Tristen releases an album it's going to end up on my top 10 for that year. Aquatic Flowers landing at #10 just proves how great of a year this was for new music! Tristen has moved more towards the indie pop side of things from the more alt-pop-country of 2014's Charlatans at the Garden Gate (although looking back that album was quite pop, too). Aquatic Flowers is eleven songs of perfect indie pop. "Complex" is one of the best songs of the year, and I wish I wasn't already married because "Wrong with You" would be a perfect song to play at my wedding. How great is this album? It even has a fantastic song about being a new parent ("Julian"), which is a subject that trips up even the best songwriters into mediocrity. I assume most of our readers are already huge Tristen fans, but if you aren't you need to check this one out ASAP.

Songs of note: "Complex," "Wrong with You," "Die 4 Love," and "Cool Blue"

Live Shows: Aaron Lee Tasjan and Tristen, Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA 11/10/21

Photo via Facebook

I discovered both Aaron Lee Tasjan and Tristen opening up for other artists. Tasjan was opening for Margo Price back in 2018 and Tristen opened for Justin Townes Earle way back in 2012. I hadn't been able to see either since, and considering both released albums this year that will most likely be in my top ten of the year, I simply couldn't miss this double bill.

I've been desperately wanting to see Tristen again for the past nine years, but she rarely makes it up to the Boston area, and the couple of times she has it just hasn't worked out for me. This was a stripped down show with just Tristen and her husband Buddy Hughen on vocals and guitar. Considering how much her sound has expanded in the nine years I've been listening to her, it was great to hear her songs stripped down to just guitar and vocals. Despite having a fantastic brand new album to promote, Tristen played a career spanning set that opened with "Matchstick Murder" from 2014's Charlatans at the Garden Gate. Along with her songs, Tristen joked between songs, thanking the audience for coming out after the pandemic but also during the pandemic, and about how musicians are travelling salespeople and the performance is a live demonstration of their product. She even "tried" to get the audience to engage in a singalong of the chorus of "Psychic Vampire," which is "Psychic Vampire / Dreaming of an empire / Is the only beholder /  You will only annoy her / And you'll never get to know a lonely destroyer." If musicians are selling themselves, Tristen succeeded quite well.

Aaron Lee Tasjan was billed as playing solo, but this was hardly a solo show. He played the first three songs of his set by himself, but for the rest of the show was joined by a rotating cast of friends. First up was former bandmate Rich Hinneman on pedal steel guitar. Hinneman often plays with artists like Sara Bareilles, Roseanne Cash, K.D. Lang, and more, so it was kind of a quiet big deal for him to be there. Boston based artist Jessye DeSilva joined Tasjan for a John Prine cover, and Erica Blinn joined on guitar and sang one of her songs. The guests were one of the highlights of the set as they were each given their own time to shine instead of just being there to play along. Some highlights came towards the end of the set and included a slightly changed up "12 Bar Blues" and a trio of songs from the recently released Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! ("Up All Night," "Feminine Walk," and "Dada Bois"). The night ended with a version of The Travelling Wilburys' "Handle With Care" that included Hinneman, Blinn, Tristen, and Buddy Hughen all taking the stage and handling a verse. 

This was the kind of tour that you wish would never end. Maybe we should start a Change.org petition to get Aaron Lee Tasjan and Tristen to tour together permanently. 

First Listen: New Releases for 4 June

Artist: Various Artists
Album: The Problem of Leisure: A Celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four
Quick Thoughts: This isn't a tribute album as much as a collaboration between the late Andy Gill and the artists that came on board to cover their favorite Gang of Four songs. I don't consider myself a connoisseur of Gang of Four, and really only know the big hits (if you can call them that), but this collection is really solid. There are plenty of highlights, but what's most interesting is how well many of these newer acts fit their own sound into the Gang of Four model. The Tom Morello/Serj Tankian one in particular is awesome. Either way, make some time for this no matter where you fall within your Gang of Four fandom.
Songs of Note: "Damaged Goods" (by Idles), "To Hell With Poverty" (by HOTEl), "I Love a Man in a Uniform" (by Herbert Gronemeyer and Alex Silva), "Natural's Not In It" (by Tom Morello and Serj Tankian)

Artist: Hildegard (Helena Deland and Ouri)
Album: Hildegard
Quick Thoughts: This was an unexpected surprise this week. I've become a fan of both Ouri and Helena Deland individually, and this collaboration really brings out the best in both women. The result is a dancey, poppy, accessable listen in a complex and mysterious package. I don't have a ton to say about it, but it's worth your time this week.
Songs of Note: "Jour 3"

Artist: Japanese Breakfast
Album: Jubilee
Quick Thoughts: I've liked everything Michelle Zauner has put out as Japanese Breakfast, but I didn't expect Jubilee. While it largely retains a lot of the signature shoegazey almost-too-honest songwriting that's put her on the map, this album feels both brighter and more immediate. The first few songs in particular are absolutely killer, and the whole album screams breakout record. Now's your chance to get in on the ground floor.
Songs of Note: "Paprika," "Be Sweet," "Kokomo, IN"

Artist: Tristen
Album: Aquatic Flowers
Quick Thoughts: We're unabashed Tristen fans here, and so it's no surprise that both Ken and I are super into Aquatic Flowers. Recently, Ken noted that the pre-release tracks felt a lot like a combination of her earlier country-tinged work and her more recent pop adventures, and he's spot-on. Tristen sounds like no one else does, and this unique perspective to songwriting sets her apart. Both familiar and new at the same time, this is a true highlight not only for the week, but for the year.
Songs of Note: "Complex," "Athena," "I Need Your Love"

Artist: Wallice
Album: Off the Rails
Quick Thoughts: I don't know how I tripped up on Wallice. I know "Punching Bag" hit a playlist at some point, but this debut EP is one of my favorite listens this week. Wallice does indie rock singer-songwriter storytelling with just a bit of attitude and a ton of fun, and you get the weight of the songs just as much as the skewed perspective you'd expect from a release that looks and sounds like this. You're going to love this if you give it your time, I promise.
Songs of Note: "23," "Off the Rails," "Punching Bag," "Hey Michael"

Artist: Wolf Alice
Album: Blue Weekend
Quick Thoughts: Wolf Alice's first album was one of my favorites of 2015, and I had a mixed feeling on the follow-up. Thankfully, thhis long-overdue third effort is the perfect mix of the first two records and finds a band that sounds as confident as they look. It's accessible alt-rock with some indie cred, and I'm really happy that there is so much to love here. They're back!
Songs of Note: "Smile," "Delicious Things"

Artist: Satsang
Album: All. Right. Now.
Quick Thoughts: Satsang is an act I know nothing about at all. But this is some roots-tinged singer-songwriter stuff that hit the spot for me. The group has some great folky songs that exist effortlessly alongside songs like the title track that would fit right in with many radio hits today. This is absolutely a dark horse record for me this week, and feels like a band that you might be saying "I remember them when..." in a few years.
Songs of Note: "All. Right. Now.," "Back Around"

Of note:

* Liz Phair - Soberish (Definitely has its share of moments.)
* Chris Thile - Laysongs (Religious songs with Thile and his mandolin. It's definitely not subtle, but it's still gorgeous.)
* Brad Marino - Looking for Trouble (Don't judge this by its cover art.)
* Crowded House - Dreamers Are Waiting (Better than you expect it to be, I promise. A true highlight this week.)
* Fixions - Singularity
* Hard Nips - Master Cat
* Tthe Fey - Palm Tree Shade
* Pote - A Tenuous Tale of Her
* Loraine James - Reflection
* Turner Cody and the Soldiers of Love - Friends in High Places

EPs:

* Little Big - COVERS (This is legitimately unhinged and I love it.)
* Wombo - Keesh Mountain
* Butcher Brown - Encore
* Tricky - Fall to Pieces (Live)
* Amy Macdonald - The Human Demands Acoustic EP

Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:

* Guster - Ganging Up on the Sun (Expanded) (I listen to "Sorority Tears" and wonder what Elephant Six-tinged Guster could have been...)
* The Avalanches - Since I Left You (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
* Various Artists - And Out Come the Lawsuits (Rancid tribute album.)
* Mike Cooley, Patterson Hood, and Jason Isbell - Live at the Shoals Theatre

Also out:

* Rostam - Changephobia
* Billy F. Gibbons (of ZZ Top) - Hardware
* James - All the Colours of You
* Rise Against - Nowhere Generation
* Raheem DeVaughn and Apollo Brown - Lovesick

Tristen - "Cool Blue"

As we hear more from Tristen's upcoming album, it sounds more and more like she's keeping her newer pop sound but dipping her toes back into the alt-pop country that put us on her bandwagon. "Cool Blue" nails that sound perfectly. It's a breezy pop song with just the perfect amount of classic country. Plus, Tristen is bringing some vintage 60's cool into the song to make it irresistible. This is all with "Cool Blue" being a fairly simple song. It's light instrumentation focusing on Tristen's vocals, which have never sounded stronger. This may end up becoming your favorite song from Tristen.

You can watch the video for "Cool Blue" below. Aquatic Flowers will be out June 4 on Mama Bird Recording Co. You can pre-order/pre-save a copy here. For more on Tristen, be sure to check out the artist's website.

Tristen - "Wrong With You"

Tristen is a long term favorite here at If It's Too Loud..., and her latest single reminds us exactly why. She's moved away from her alt/pop-country sound a while back in favor of a more pop sound, and "Wrong With You" is a pop song, but Tristen lets just the teensiest little bit of her old country roots bleed into this new one. While Jeff tends to be more of the pop guy than I am, Tristen is the rare exception that I can't seem to resist. At a time when a lot of our alt-country favorites are adopting pop music, Tristen is one of the few doing it this well. 

You can watch the video for "Wrong With You" below. Aquatic Flowers is due out on Mama Bird Recording Co. You can pre-order/pre-save your copy here. For more on Tristen, check out the artist's website.

Tristen - "Athena"

If you've been as into the music of Tristen as we have, you're going to absolutely love her latest single. "Athena" fits right in with Tristen's more recent musical releases. It falls into the indie pop category with just enough of a country twang to keep things interesting. What "Athena" adds in is some serious rock guitar. The entire song is dripping with some shoegazey reverb, but it's when the guitar kicks in for the chorus that it really takes off. It's a sound we haven't heard previously from Tristen, but it goes along perfectly with what we love from her.

In an email to fans, Tristen says of the new song:

"What messages lie within these myths for women? For how long have female characters been sculpted by the hands of men? In 'Athena,' co-written by Lera Lynn, I pounded out a major chord grunge song dedicated to the powerful Greek goddess of war, strategy, and men’s domains. I wanted to write a song for the girls--the Athenas--out there who are so often misunderstood. We worship Aphrodite over and over again--woman as sexual being, judged for her beauty, maneuvering with her seduction--but we rarely worship women who are powerful through their logic, wisdom and courage. These women are utilized but underrepresented. You know, nobody likes a bossy baby. Yet this archetype has been with us forever, and Athenas roam the Earth as mothers, friends and lovers, saving us time and time again."

You can watch the video for "Athena" below. Aquatic Flowers is due out June 4 on Mama Bird Recording Co. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Tristen, check out the artist's website.

Tristen - "Complex"

I've been smitten with the music of Tristen ever since I saw her opening for Justin Townes Earle back in 2012. Since then, her music has shifted from a more country/Americana sound to a more pop oriented one. Most artists lose me with that change, but Tristen keeps pulling me in. Her latest single, "Complex," keeps her more pop sound, and draws me even further into Tristen fandom. The song has this insanely upbeat sound, as most pop music does. "Complex" is a much more organic feel to it than most pop music, with a slight New Wave goes Americana feel. The past year has been insanely hard, but we're starting to at least get some positive music like this to help lift us up!

You can watch the video for "Complex" below. It features appearances from Vanessa Carlton, Alyssa Milano, and more! Aquatic Flowers is due out June 4 on Mama Bird Recording Co. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Tristen, check out the artist's website.

Tristen Covers The Cure

Now this one is an absolute delight. I first discovered Tristen when she opened for Justin Townes Earle back in 2012, and I've been a huge fan ever since. She's just released a cover of The Cure's iconic "Just Like Heaven," and it might be the most perfect cover of all time. Tristen takes the 80's New Wave/goth hit and transforms it into a bizarro pop song. It's a laid back, sorta kinda dance friendly pop version with the slightest hints of Americana here. In other words, she makes it a Tristen song. In particular the trademark guitar riff is obvious, but it's morphed into a swirling, fuzzy sound all its own.

You can listen to Tristen's take on "Just Like Heaven" below. You can download a copy via Bandcamp. For more on Tristen, check out the artist's website.

Tristen - "Salty Tears"

A lot of artists are going back through their unreleased material during this quarantine. The latest discovery is from Tristen, who recently posted "Salty Tears." This song was recorded for 2017's Sneaker Waves, although to me it sounds more like 2013's Caves. It's this incredibly upbeat and lovely little song, more pop than rock or country, but with serious vibes from both of those. If you've been into Tristen for any amount of time, there's a good chance that "Salty Tears" will become a quick favorite. 

On her Bandcamp, Tristen explains the history of the song: This song first came out in my collection of demos I put up on MySpace back in 2009. This was the golden era for me. I had just left a marriage proposal in Chicago to move to Nashville to become a songwriter. I packed my life up in a Honda Civic and moved to a one bedroom on Sunset Place in Hillsboro Village, before Nashville was hip, when it was just cool and huggable. We were working our waiter jobs in the day and hustling to each other's shows at night. Buddy and I were off and on again; he was living in a house with six other shiftless twenty somethings. We called them the cavalier rogues from the land of imaginary sufferings. I wrote this one hoping he would hear it and regret breaking up with me. It still feels cool to me and careless in that way, knowing that if someone doesn't love you then, they will never love you. I had no patience for unrequited love but also if love was a game, I could win it. We rerecorded this one for Sneaker Waves and listening to it now, I'm not sure why it didn't make the cut.

You can listen to "Salty Tears" below. It is available now via Tristen's Bandcamp. For more on Tristen, check out her website.

Tristen Covers Joni Mitchell

We're fairly rabid Tristen fans over here at If It's Too Loud..., so any time she releases any new music we're thrilled. Since we also love covers, her latest is especially great. As a standalone single, she's released a cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You." I'm not very familiar with the original, so I'll stick with Tristen's version. The cover is a retro-cool groovy song that keeps some modern day pop sensibilities with some 60's feel. It's a beautiful and fun version of a classic song that fits right in with Tristen's catalog.

You can listen to Tristen's version of "A Case of You" below. The single can be found on Tristen's Bandcamp. For more on Tristen, check out her website.

Tristen - "Crying on Christmas Day"

One of our favorite artists has released a new charity single for Christmas this year. Tristen has released "Crying on Christmas Day," an absolutely gorgeous new single. Even though it's a Christmas song, this may be one of Tristen's best singles. It's a stripped down yet lush acoustic masterpiece. It's just a quietly strummed guitar with Tristen's vocals at the beginning, but then backing vocals with heartbreaking harmonies slowly start coming in. It's the rare holiday song you'll want to listen to in the middle of June.

You can listen to "Crying on Christmas Day." Tristen has made the song available on Bandcamp as a way to raise money for Doctors Without Borders. You can get your copy here. For more on Tristen, check out her website.

If It's Too Loud... Halloween 2017 Playlist

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!

First Listen: New Releases for July 7

We're back into a strong swing after the American holiday...

Album of the Week:

Artist: Great Grandpa
Album: Plastic Cough
Quick Description: More female-fronted 1990s alt-rock, nearly as good as the rest.
Why You Should Listen: Hits the right nostalgia buttons while still feeling new and fresh.
Overall Thoughts: A question I never asked until I heard this album was “what if Speedy Ortiz was trying to be more like a grungy version the 1990s revival we’ve been seeing lately?” The answer appears to be Great Grandpa (who have the best band name I’ve seen in some time). The lead track hit my radar some time ago, and I’ve been waiting for this release for some time. It’s very, very good, and I’m impressed by the choices and risks it takes musically – the band could have played things a little safe and worked toward a poppy indie rock record with some radio friendly songs ready and waiting for that breakout, and they instead went with some really interesting song structures and bold decisions. It mostly works – when it doesn’t work it can be a little jarring, which is what keeps this album from the Diet Cig/Charly Bliss/Daddy Issues echelon, but if those are the 1A releases in this space, Great Grandpa is a solid 1B and really deserves your time.
Recommendation: One of the best of the week.

Artist: Lucy Rose
Album: Something's Changing
Quick Description: Singer-songwritery stuff that feels unique.
Why You Should Listen: You're into the singer-songwriter thing with some flair.
Overall Thoughts: I don’t quite know how I tripped up on this one overall, but this falls into that somewhat-theatrical, somewhat torchy singer-songwriter space that we’ve seen a fair number of releases from as of late. This album is perfectly fine, but I can’t say it ever reaches the sort of heights or interests on a whole that I would hope or expect on a whole. There are some solid highlights – “Soak It Up” in particular is a song that should get more attention than it will – but on a whole this is an album that will be a solid listen for many people but nothing that will blow your mind.
Recommendation: Worth a listen, but it might not work for you.

Artist: Public Service Broadcasting
Album: Every Valley
Quick Description: Found audio act's new album.
Why You Should Listen: The structure of their music is sound even if it's a little weird this time around.
Overall Thoughts: Our favorite found audio instrumentalist group is back with a new album that has a bit of a dystopian feel to it, unsurprisingly. The experience is what I come to expect at this point from the group, with the actual traditional songs littered in feeling both interesting and out of place. If I’m being honest with myself, listening to this as compared to, say, their album about the Space Race a couple years back doesn’t feel the same, and I know I should be listening to this less as a “this is an album to enjoy musically” and more as an aural art project, but it’s hard to separate the medium and the message here. Worth it for fans, but this might not be the best entry point for this act or this genre.
Recommendation: Listen to The Race for Space first, and if you like that, then come to this one.

Artist: Tristen
Album: Sneaker Waves
Quick Description: Blog favorite is back with maybe her best album yet.
Why You Should Listen: Tristen has mastered a mixing of genres.
Overall Thoughts: A favorite around these parts, we fell in love with her with her country-tinged folk album from a few years back, and her diversion into keyboard pop was interesting but ultimately divisive for a lot of fans. Her new album came about pretty fast given the relative silence over the last four years (save a poetry collection that was published in the meantime), but when “Glass Jar” hit, it burrowed into our brains and wouldn’t let go. The end result of this new album? On first listen, it’s definitely more country-tinged pop than electronic keyboard, but it appears that this is the sweet spot in combining all of Tristen’s influences into a tight package. The songwriting is sharp, the musicality is the best we’ve seen so far, and the result is a really solid listen that is an album I can’t wait to get back to. Absolutely a highlight of the week, and a solid way to truly kick off the second half of the year.
Recommendation: Nearly my album of the week. Find time for this one.

Artist: Charley Pride
Album: Music In My Heart
Quick Description: Country legend has a new album.
Why You Should Listen: It's Charley Pride, do I need to explain?
Overall Thoughts: a new album from an old country legend, and... it sounds like a new album from an old country legend. Pure sounds, standard stuff here. Not going to blow your mind at all, but it's a fun and pleasant listen, and it's good to hear other folks getting on board.
Recommendation: Solid if unspectacular, but it's worth a listen nonetheless.

Artist: Jasmine Guffond
Album: Traced
Quick Description: Haunting electronica.
Why You Should Listen: The most redeemingly-challenging listen this week.
Overall Thoughts: This is very challenging, very experimental indie electronica, and I loved it. I don't know how often I'll go back to it, but this sounds like it just came out of the new season of Twin Peaks, and it has an urgent, crazed feel to it that's designed to be a little awkward.
Recommendation: If you're up for the challenge, don't miss this.

Artist: This is the Kit
Album: Moonshine Freeze
Quick Description: New album from an alt-folkie.
Why You Should Listen: Better production and better songwriting equals a solid album.
Overall Thoughts: I seriously enjoyed the first album from This Is The Kit. The new album here is a more mature, better sounding effort in many ways - all aspects of the presentation are improved, and there are a lot of highlights to point to. The first two songs, especially "Hotter Colder," really set the tone the rest of the way, and if you are into weirder folk sounds, this is absolutely something that's deserving of your energy. It's an album that sticks to your guts, and I can't wait to come back for more.
Recommendation: Make sure this hits your rotation this week.

Artist: Toro y Moi
Album: Boo Boo
Quick Description: Latest from the funky indie act.
Why You Should Listen: Toro y Moi is always interesting.
Overall Thoughts: Toro y Moi has never grabbed me, so I'm not sure what it is about this album that really caught my notice. IT's got a very 80s feel to it, almost to a fault at times, but then you get songs like "Inside My Head" that just seem to make sense. This is weird and funky at times, and it reminds me of The Weeknd in some ways, which feels both right and wrong. I think there's a lot of ambition here that's worth exploring, so I recommend that you give it a shot, but this might not work for everyone.
Recommendation: A solid listen that might not work for everyone.

Artist: Broken Social Scene
Album: Hug of Thunder
Quick Description: Return album from the indie legends.
Why You Should Listen: Broken Social Scene are super important to
Overall Thoughts: If you came into indie music at a certain time, Broken Social Scene was kind of the hipster gold standard. I regret to say that I've never quite understood the appeal - they're good, but not godly - and this revival of sorts is more of the same. If you still love them the way you did in your 20s, run with it. For me, there's better stuff out this week.
Recommendation: Skip this.

Artist: Sarah Jaffe
Album: Bad Baby
Quick Description: Sarah Jaffe's latest that finally reaches the potential of where she's been heading musically.
Why You Should Listen: Jaffe is an interesting songwriter doing her best work.
Overall Thoughts: Sarah Jaffe started out as a bluegrassy, rootsy artist, but went electronic a while back and has said that it was her intention all along, using the roots stuff as a way to advance things. Not to say I haven't liked her electronic stuff, but this album feels like a great leap forward for her on a whole. The songs are tight and interesting, and this feels like what was meant to be for her work.
Recommendation: Worth a listen for sure.

Artist: Shakey Graves
Album: And the Horse He Rode In On
Quick Description: Two EPs from a favorite here.
Why You Should Listen: Shakey Graves does really interesting folky music.
Overall Thoughts: Shakey Graves would be called an anti-folk artist were he debuting a decade ago, I think. His odd, wonderful take on folk music here is a welcome surprise from his first and more traditional release, and I think those who like slightly more adventure who read this will find something to like here.
Recommendation: A solid listen.

Artist: Chris Bell
Album: Looking Forward: The Roots of Big Star
Overall Thoughts: As a general rule, I don’t like to highlight reissues or compilations of existing material for First Listen, but I did want to take a moment to point out how great this collection is. Chris Bell was a key member of Big Star, an influential rock act that seems to finally be getting their proper due in the last decade or so. R.E.M. cites them heavily as an influence (Mike Mills has even worked with members since R.E.M. split), and we’re seeing a good number of Big Star covers hitting the airwaves. This is a collection of some of Chris Bell’s pre-Big Star work, and it is great. I can’t stress this enough – this might be completely new to you, and if it is, you’re in for a treat. The remaster sounds great, the songs are awesome, and this is almost certainly going to send me down a very deep rabbit hole for Big Star/Chris Bell music next week. I highly recommend taking an hour and checking this one out, fan of Bell/Big Star or not. You won’t be disappointed.

EPs of note:

* Air Traffic Controller - Echo Papa
* DJ Shadow - The Mountain Has Fallen
* Olga Bell - America

Also out this week:

* Haim - Something to Tell You
* Melvins - A Walk With Love and Death

Tristen - "Got Some"

Photo via Facebook

We've been pretty big on Tristen ever since discovering her opening for Justin Townes Earle back in 2012. Her sound has evolved from her alt-pop country to a more straightforward pop sound. Since I hate pop music, you'd think I wouldn't like her new sound, but somehow I like it even more.

Her new song, "Got Some," might be the best she's ever released. It's pop, sure, but it has a weight to it missing in most pop music. It feels closer to what was considered pop back in the 60's while still sounding modern. It has a distinctly Nashville feel without being country. The dueling crunchy and light, poppy guitars working as an almost call and response with Tristen's verses might be my favorite part. It's the kind of brilliant pop song that just doesn't get made enough these days.

You can watch the video for "Got Some" below. Tristen's new album, Sneaker Waves, will be out on July 7 via Modern Outsider Records. For more on Tristen, check out her website. 

Tristen featuring Jenny Lewis - "Glass Jar"

Photo via Facebook

An absolute favorite here at If It's Too Loud... since our very beginning has been Tristen. News started spreading earlier this year that she had an album coming out at some point this year, and we're thrilled to have a new song from it. "Glass Jar" is a little more like her 2011 alt-pop country album Charlatans at the Gate than 2013's more dance friendly Caves. (Has it really been 4 years since we got a new album from Tristen???) There are still some of the more dance and pop friendly elements left over from Caves to make anyone who discovered her with that album happy. Plus, "Glass Jar" features vocals from Jenny Lewis, so the new album could be what finally makes Tristen an (almost) household name.

You can watch the video for "Glass Jar" below. Trsiten's new album, Sneaker Waves, will be out July 7 on Modern Outsider Records, so we don't even have that long of a wait. For more on Tristen, be sure to check out her website.

Tristen Covers The Eagles

Photo by Matt Guevara

The Eagles are most likely my least favorite band of all time. No, I don't mean that. The Eagles are my least favorite band of all time. I only bring that up to show how much we love Tristen here at If It's Too Loud... since I'm willing to look past my dislike of The Eagles to listen to new music from her. Tristen recorded a cover of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" as part of the Instant Love project. The Instant Love project takes love songs written by men about women and re-imagines them as being sung by women. Tristen's version of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" is even more laid back than the original and is a stunning cover. She brings a peaceful, dreamlike quality of the song that strips away the pretentious vibe that makes me truly despise the original. It takes an absurd level of talent to make me like an Eagles cover. Tristen has that talent.

You can listen to Tristen's cover of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" below. You can find out more about the Instant Love project at Instant Records' website. For more on Tristen, be sure to check out her website.

Tristen Covers Edgar Allen Poe

Photo via Facebook

We've been fans of Tristen for quite some time here at If It's Too Loud..., and it's been far too long since we've been able to share any new music of hers. While she does have a collection of poetry coming out this week, that doesn't necessarily scream "Here comes some new music!" Luckily, we do have a new song to share with you. Logic would dictate that to help promote a collection of poetry Tristen would take one of her poems and put it to song. Instead, she has taken one of Edgar Allen Poe's poems and put it with music. "A Dream Within a Dream" may not be as well known as "The Raven," but it's still a poem by Poe. Tristen avoids the obvious, gothed out direction, and makes this song her own. It's bluesy and funky (but with fuzzy as hell guitars), leaning much harder on the songs from her more roots sound of her album Charlatans At the Garden Gate than her more recent, pop-focused album Caves. It's an odd and bad ass experiment that works perfectly.

Tristen Gaspadarek's debut poetry collection, Saturnine Pocket Poetry Series: Volume 1, will be available on November 15. You can get your copy here. For more on Tristen, check out her website. You can watch the video of her version of Edgar Allen Poe's "A Dream Within a Dream" below.

Ken's Best Albums of 2013: #8: Tristen - Caves

I'll admit it: I didn't really like Tristen's Caves when it was first released. I discovered Tristen opening up for Justin Townes Earle last year and was completely blown away. I even wrote about her in a hysterical, blubbering way for my previous blog. Her previous album, Charlatans At the Garden Gate was more of alt-pop country. It had all the hooks and catchy songs of pop country, but you'd never confuse her with Taylor Swift.

Then Caves came out. Tristen dropped almost all of the twang and replaced it with synthesizers. Upbeat, synth laden pop just isn't my thing and I was quick to dismiss the entire album. A couple days later I went back just to listen to "No One's Gonna Know," the album's lead track. I kept surprising myself with how much I liked, and then loved that one song. And then I kept going back, listening to more and more of the album. I started to realize that the songs I dismissed as kiddie stuff on first listen were actually Tristen's most mature work yet. Hidden within all the polish and keyboards were the same country folk murder ballads I loved about Tristen. Sometimes being a music snob comes back to bite me in the ass.

Make sure to head over to Tristen's website for more information and tour dates. You can stream the entire album Caves below.