If It's Too Loud...

Seattle's Ok Bucko are making power pop unlike anyone else out there. Their latest single, "They Live," is filled with all the catchiness you expect with power pop, but they've also added an intense layer of shoegaze fuzz over the entire song. Plus, there's more than a little grunge distortion in the song, and Miranda Hardy is nailing the whole 90's slacker vocals thing. "They Live" is power pop, and while it is fairly upbeat, there is a surprising amount of darkness to the song. Ok Bucko are infusing quite a lot of sound and moods into this latest single, but that's certainly never a bad thing, especially when it works out this great. You can listen to "They Live" below. Ok Bucko EP is due out August 22 on Youth Riot Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Ok Bucko, check out the band's website . Ok Bucko EP by Ok Bucko

Casual Hex hail from the Pacific Northwest, and have a brand new single out. "The System" is a dark track with roots in post-punk and No Wave. It's probably more of a noise rock track than anything else, with a post-punk beat that you can easily dance to. The noise runs throughout "The System," and it's pretty much glorious. There are some guitar riffs that are very reminiscent of Sonic Youth, but that's never a band thing. On this song, Casual Hex seem to be channeling Sonic Youth and Joy Division at the same time, and if you're not already pressing play below, I don't even know what you're doing here. You can watch the video for "The System" below. Zig Zag Lady Illusion II is due out June 13 on Youth Riot Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Casual Hex, check out the band on Instagram . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. 6/5 - Reno, NV - Corrigan’s Lost Highway 6/6 - Oakland, CA - Eli’s Mile High Club 6...

Photo by Jimmy Humphryes For those of a certain age, we're going to automatically give any band from Seattle a chance. If you're one of us, you're going to want to check out Black Ends. The trio honor the grunge past of the city without sounding like a throwback. "Pretend 2 Be (Protect Me)" has all of the noise and angst of the grunge classics you grew up with, but moved forward and sounding exactly like what the genre should sound like in 2024. Nicolle Swims' vocals sound a bit more like a singer-songwriter style over off-kilter guitars that sound like a mix of The Gits and Alice in Chains. "Pretend 2 Be (Protect Me)" is the type of song that will immediately grab you and demand to hear more from Black Ends. You can listen to "Pretend 2 Be (Protect Me)" below. Psychotic Spew is due out October 11 on Youth Riot Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Black Ends, check out the artist's website . Psychotic S...

Black End are a black and queer fronted band out of Seattle described as both grunge and gunk pop. They've opened for bands as diverse as Shannon & The Clams, Mamalarky, Margaritas Podridas, Momma, Skating Polly, and Otoboke Beaver. Now they're getting set to release their debut album next month, and by the sounds of their latest single, it's going to end up on a lot of best of 2024 lists. While a lot of music described as grunge these days just means that it sounds like 90's alt-rock, "Black's Lullaby" is actually grunge. It's more on the Nirvana side of grunge, and more like their oddball b-sides than the radio hits. There's also some Beat Happening going on in the song. "Black's End" is a noisy and instantly compelling new single that is one of the most thrilling singles of the year. You can listen to "Black's Lulaby" below. Psychotic Spew is due out October 11 on Youth Riot Records, and is available for pre-order...

The latest single from Seattle's Wimps has a certain 90's indie rock vibe to it that we can't resist. "City Lights" is an upbeat and jangly track that lives in the world between noisier and more aggressive indie rock and the more power pop side of alt-rock that dominated the mid 90's. It's a really fun song that combines bands like Pavement and Sonic Youth with Letters to Cleo and The Lemonheads. If you've been reading If It's Too Loud... for any time, you'll know that's very high praise from us, and Wimps deserve it. Lead singer and composer Rachel Ratner says of the new song: “'City Lights' was written during the beginning of the pandemic when I was feeling very alone in a crowded city. It was a way to remind me we were all there for each other even when we couldn't physically see each other. Also Matt plays a ripping bass solo.” You can listen to "City Lights" below. City Lights the album is due October 13 on Youth ...