If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Kate Simonian Washington DC's Flowers for the Dead have a new slow burning single you're going to need to check out. "My Misery is Mine" starts out as a moody indie rock song, and eventually transforms into an epic burst of modern alt-rock. At the beginning, it's a quietly intense song, and if it stayed like that, it would still be a great track. But... you can just tell what's coming. Instead of the louder part of the song bursting in, "My Misery is Mine" ramps it up, making the payoff even more effective. This is one of those songs that you know will be amazing live, so let's all hope Flowers for the Dead make it up to New England sometime soon.  Singer/guitarist Jenny Szeg ö  says of her band's latest single: “I wrote this song during one of those life moments where things feel like they're just happening and you have no control over it.  I've learned to trust in the way things go and put faith in the universe, but there...

Seattle's EEP-OOP! have a brand new single out that is pop-punk perfection. "Pretty" is somehow grittier than pop punk typically is, while also being incredibly poppy. It includes some great keyboards that are somewhere in between 60's garage rock and 80's New Wave. This is a song that unabashed fans of pop punk will love, and those that hate the genre are still going to begrudgingly admit is a great song. You'd have to hate joy and fun not to enjoy "Pretty." EEP-OOP! have such a great sound that carves out their own slice of pop punk. EEP-OOP! says of their latest single: "Pretty is a song that asks the hard questions. If you didn't feel pretty before, you will after listening to this! Make sure you kiss your mirror every morning and try not to fall in love with your friends.” You can watch the video for "Pretty" below. Choices is due out September 11 on Mom's Basement Records, and is available to pre-order through Bandcamp . ...

Hailing from Asbury Park, CUSSING are a pop/rock duo that redefine that genre with their sound. Their latest single, "LUNGS," is unquestionably a pop song. It's catchy as possible, but while most artists that are considered pop are polished, "LUNGS" is raw. The song is an interesting and irresistible mixture of pop and raw, DIY art punk. It's minimalist and edgy, but you're going to want to dance to it. They consider The Kills and Sleigh Bells as influences, and have played shows with If It's Too Loud... favorites like Perennial and TIFFY, all of which help describe CUSSING's sound and vibe. "LUNGS" is one of my favorite musical discoveries of the summer, and I can't wait to hear more from these folks. You can listen to "LUNGS" below. HAVE YOU SEEN CUSSING? is due out August 14. For more on CUSSING, check out the band on Instagram . LUNGS by CUSSING

Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface's Inspectah Deck has a new solo album coming out next week, and you can check out a new single from it. "Day in the Life" sounds like classic Wu-Tang without actually sounding like the legendary collective. A lot of solo releases from affiliated rappers either sound exactly like Wu-Tang or nothing like Wu-Tang, but "Day in the Life" is both. It has that raw, early 90's hip hop sound you're looking for, while still letting Inspectah Deck have his own sound. It's a little more polished than they would have sounded three decades ago, and it's more laid back, but aren't we all. This is a great solo release from one of the most original MCs out there. You can listen to "Day in the Life" below. Dragons Breath is due out August 7 on DNA Music Group. For more on Inspectah Deck, check out the artist on Instagram .

Photo by Sarah Buchsbaum Houston's The Secret Plan have a new rager out, and it's an under two minute burst of pure punk rock. "Fuck the Man, I'm the Man" is a noisy and in your face track that merges garage and punk rock into a sound we all know and love. This isn't rewriting any genres, but The Secret Plan have mastered this sound. It's loud, it's noisy, and it's basically perfect. Plus, it's an anti-work rant, which is kind of perfect to listen to on a Friday, especially if your employer doesn't believe in summer Fridays. Crank this one up (on headphones, if you're still working), and dream of better days where you aren't obligated to sell yourself for a paycheck. Elena Karaytcheva says of her band's new single: "We wrote this song after one of those days where you’re sitting in a cubicle, staring at the clock, wondering how the hell you ended up there. 'Fuck the Man / I’m The Man' is about hitting that breaking ...

Photo by Tobias Polanco Argentina's Buenos Vampiros' new album is due to come out in September, and they just released two new singles from it while we wait. "Mundo Raro" is a garage rock goes power pop single, just as fuzzy as it is melodic and catchy. It's one of those songs that feels both retro and modern, and it's only a few steps away from being a pop song. The second single, "Morir en Mi Tierra" is more of a Spanish torch ballad, with almost all of the garage rock we associate with Buenos Vampiros absent. They keep a punk edge to the song, though, making it still sound like it's them. Here are two wildly different songs from the same band that are able to sound like they're from the same artist. Just gives us more reasons to love Buenos Vampiros. You can listen to "Mundo Raro" and "Morir en Mi Tierra" below. El ultimo disparos is due out September 4 on Spinda Records and Casa del Puente Discos, and is available for ...

I've been a rabid Tysk Tysk Task fan since discovering them way back in 2019. Their sound has evolved from a sort of indie folk to woodland grunge to heavy shoegaze. Their latest single, "Harmless," takes the raw energy and emotion of 2022's You're Sorry More and combines it with their newer, more shoegaze leaning sound. It also ends up being their most punk sounding song yet. It's loud, it's fast, and it's just barely kept under control. Singer/guitarist Samantha Hartsel has this great quality to her vocals on "Harmless," where it's both melodic and dissonant, quite often at the same time. Tysk Tysk Task has an alls-tar line-up "Harmless," with Rick Martel (Chainlacing) on guitar, Keith Dusoe (Gut Health, Cowperson) on bass, and drummer Joe Milia (Burp., Mold.). Tysk Tysk Task continues to evolve their sound while sounding like themselves, and "Harmless" is a huge step forward while merging in their roots. You can lis...

Photo by Bjarki Guðmundsson Paper Tigers were everywhere a few years ago, playing both Boston Calling and In Between Days in 2022 and 2023, and receiving Boston Music Awards and New England Music Awards nominations. They've been quiet since then, but that silence ends today with a new single, "Go Out." This latest song is the first with their transatlantic line-up (members live in Boston and Iceland), and is an arena ready rock anthem. As pop-focused and catchy as "Go Out" is, it's also fully a rock song. It's reminding me of bands like U2 and Muse, but with a punk edge. It's also the kind of song you can pump your fist or dance to, whichever works best for you. For added greatness, the song also features Olivia Beatrice Martinez of Don't Tell Iris on guest vocals. It's a perfect re-introduction to Paper Tigers, and shows that after conquering Boston, they're ready to take on the world.  Paper Tigers say of their latest single: “‘Go Out’ ...

It's been a minute (or seven or so years) since we've heard from Stef Chura, a favorite around these parts. Reading about her new album, however, is sort of like that Vince McMahon meme for me where each detail about it is more and more exciting: new album in October - produced in part by Robert Schneider of Apples in Stereo - featuring multiple Elephant 6 alums - with lead single, "Danny," featuring both Mike Mills and Peter Buck of R.E.M.? Be still my heart! The song itself opens with a horn straight out of a Heartstrings -era Beulah record before the familiar Buck and Mills interplay comes in, and Chura sounds as good and confident as ever. Few lead singles have gotten me quite as excited as this one does, and it's a song I'm already hooked on. Dancing Alone on the Concrete is due out in October via Saddle Creek, and in the advance notes about the album, they write: Stef Chura’s been through a lot in the last seven years. Maybe you’ve been ...

Earlier this year, Annabelle Chairlegs released her excellent album Waking Up. The Austin artist included a vinyl exclusive song on the album, and now that song has reached streaming services as a single. "I Feel So Mad" is a fantastic mixture of indie pop and noisy indie rock. It starts out as a bluesy, kinda ramblin' track until it takes off into pure fuzzed out indie rock. It's been a bit since I listened to Waking Up , but this latest single stands up with anything else on the album, and might actually be my favorite from that release. If Annabelle Chairlegs has fallen out of your attention with everything else going on in the world, "I Feel So Mad" is a great reminder to give her another (or a few more) listens. You can listen to "I Feel So Mad" below. The song is out now via TODO. For more on Annabelle Chairlegs, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. SEPTEMBER 04 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Psych Fest† 05 ...

Experimental rock supergroup The Odyssey Cult (featuring members of Howlin Rain, Comets on Fire, Sonic Youth, Carlton Melton, Osees, Tarnation, and Magic Fig) have a new single out that is a delightful example of heavy psychedelia. "Back to the Cave" is a loud powerhouse of a song. It mixes 60's psychedelia with the heaviness (and psych elements) of early Black Sabbath, along with the noise and raw energy of Sonic Youth and The Stooges. The whole thing sounds like a bunch of 60's hippies tried witchcraft and made a horrible, horrible mistake... a mistake for them. For us, we get an amazing and mind-blowing new single that rocks hard while still swirling around us in a hazy way. You can listen to "Back to the Cave" below. Vol. 3 is due out August 21 on Silver Current Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on The Odyssey Cult, check out the band on Instagram .

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 ...