If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Sophie Hur The latest from Winter is a quiet and intimate song that crosses the border between pop and indie rock multiple times. "Without You" would probably mostly be considered indie pop and/or dream pop. It's a lovely song that leaves the listener feeling like they're in a floating, dreamlike state. To me, "Without You" sounds like Tori Amos dabbling in dream pop, although it does lean quite heavily into the pop side of the genre. Despite how lush the song is, Winter creates an intensely intimate feeling to the song, mostly through whispered verses. This song feels like it's going to end up being the bridge between eras of Winter's. Samira Winter (aka Winter) says of her latest single: “This song is diving into that feeling of longing, of what we call in portuguese ‘saudades.'  It's a word that is not translatable to English and describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for something or someone that is absent, lost, o...

Photo by Sophie Hur The latest from Winter is a hazy and dreamlike track that features vocals from Dimitri Giannopoulos from Horse Jumper of Love. "Misery" is a laid back track that is slow but has energy. It kind of feels like a more organic sounding version of Mazzy Star or The Sundays. I can't quite tell if it's more summery or winter sounding, as it has both warm and cold elements within the song. It could also be that the song feels happy and sad at the same time. What's interesting in "Misery" is how well Giannopoulos and Samira Winter's vocals blend into each other to almost become one voice.  Samira Winter says of her latest single: “This song was written with my friend Alex Craig. At first, we imagined a fictional story about being in love with someone who was unavailable, leaning into the romanticization of indulging in a kind of sadness. However, during the recording process, the story of Elliott Smith’s love and tragic death came up, whic...

Photo by Sophie Hur Winter (aka Samira Winter) grew up in Curitiba, Brazil before starting to play in bands in Boston, and then moved to Los Angeles. After releasing 2022's What Kind of Blue Are You? , Winter relocated to New York City. She's set to release a follow up album, and just released it's first single. "Just Like a Flower" starts off with this undeniably dreamy sound, with soft and swirling guitars over her just above a whisper vocals. It's the kind of sound that would make The Sundays proud, and just as you're being lulled into a sense of peace, the track kicks it up into a loud and bouncy alt-rocker. With Winter's vocals and guitar keeping the same tone (just played faster), "Just Like a Flower" stays intact throughout without feeling like separate songs. We're always excited to hear new music from Winter, but this one hits a little different. Samira Winter says of her latest single and video: “This song captures the essence o...

Photo by Rat Majesty Tori Amos covers seem few and far between. Maybe it's intimidating to cover such an iconic and revered artist, or maybe musicians are just hesitant to make any changes to her songs. Hooked Like Helen have taken on Amos' beloved "Winter," and the Ohio based husband/wife duo have done an amazing job. They decided not to fix what isn't broken and delivered a very true to the original cover. Hooked Like Helen went slightly more modern pop than the original, but not by much. As vocalist Nikki Stipp says of the cover,  “With the piano in place, we wanted to bring a modern feel to the vocal delivery ." Is a gorgeous cover of a gorgeous song that pays homage to the original while slightly updating it. You can watch the video for Hooked Like Helen's cover of "Winter" below. For more on Hooked Like Helen, check out their website .

Photo by Elizabeth Weinberg There's that genre of music that skirts the worlds of indie rock, pop, and folk that we cover a lot of here at If It's Too Loud..., but we both find it fairly irresistible. The latest single comes from Winter. The musical project of Samira Winter, Winter just released "sunday" which melds an impossible number of genres seamlessly. "sunday" is mostly a pop song, and a pretty straightforward one. But Winter also includes quite a bit of a shoegaze and dream pop element into the song. You get the hazy feel of shoegaze throughout. Earlier in the song it sounds like it's going to stick in the indie rock and indie folk genres as this laid back, atmospheric song. And then the beats kick in and it's almost a dance song. Almost.  You can watch the video for "sunday" below. What Kind of Blue Are You? is due out October 14 on Bar/None Records. For more on Winter, check out the artist on Facebook and Twitter .

Photo by Athena Merry The latest single from Winter (aka Samira Winter) really skirts the line between indie rock and indie pop. "good" has much more guitar than your typical indie pop song, but Winter's vocals are almost pure pop. This one is reminding me a lot of classics from bands like Mazzy Star and The Sundays, but somehow a little more edgy and more pop than those two bands. The guitars in "good" just have a little too much crunch in them (especially toward the end), but there is also an odd lilt in the guitar. Winter has created this song that lives in both worlds and is perfect for fans of either. There is a lot to love in this one. Samira Winter says of the new song: “This song is intoxicating.  SASAMI has such a strong presence and voice, she really turned up the notch in how alluring and seductive this song feels.” You can watch the video for "good" below. What Kind of Blue Are You? is due out October 14 on Bar/None Records, and can be pre-...

After the extreme cold spell we just had in New England, we're definitely feeling the latest from Boston's The Jacklights. "Winter" isn't exactly an ode to the season, it's more of an ode to hating the season, particularly the stretch between January and spring. As with previous songs from The Jacklights, this new one is straight up pop punk, but leaning more on the punk than pop. Since most pop punk is really smooth and tuneful, I'm even hesitant to call it pop punk. "Winter" is a rough around the edges punk song with just barely enough tunefulness to be considered pop punk. Nilagia McCoy explains the new song: "'Winter' was inspired by some not-so-great experiences I had over the years. Part of it was a New Years' Eve event I wasn't really enjoying, and part of it is that sluggish, seasonal affective disorder feeling, where even the littlest things feel like more effort. Though I've lived in the Boston area for more tha...

23 new releases plus Wrestling Christmas equals a quick hit version this week. Album of the Week : * Jodee Lewis - Buzzard's Bluff : This is some high-quality roots music from someone who has been under the radar far too long. Maybe her best effort yet. Top Listens : * No Thank You - All It Takes to Ruin It All : Don’t let the super independent-looking cover fool you, this is a solid surprise of an album with some great songwriting and many sneaky moments. * Winter - Ethereality : A solid, sometimes dreamy, always fuzzy alt-rock effort. One of the best of the week. * Eels - The Deconstruction : Eels have been up and down as of late, but this is easily Everett’s best and most accessible effort since Souljacker . * Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog : Hop Along does their indie rock thing really well, and this is surprisingly infectious. You will be singing some of these songs later. * Sarah Shook and the Disarmers - Years : We love Sarah Shook here, and this album to...

I'm pretty sure 95% of the world can agree that the alternative scene of the early 90's was the best that decade had to offer. But, there are some of us that came of age more in the mid 90's that will always have a fondness for that era. The new song from Winter is perfect for us. You could have played "Winter" for me and then told me it was from some band in your local scene put out in 1995, and I would have 100% believed you. It has just enough of that slacker vibe while still being fun to make it feel like that decade. Samira Winter's vocals are alter between that mid-90's breathy thing and actual singing, not to mention the guitar solos straight outta when guitar solos could go back to being guitar solos, but just barely. Plus, the song is called "Jaded," which is the most 90's of all buzzwords. Just when you think it can't get more 90's, there a speaking part right in the middle between two people. Oh, and according to the pr...