If It's Too Loud...

Photo via Facebook If you've been paying attention to If It's Too Loud... for any length of time, you're most likely aware of how much we love cover songs, and how much we love free music. That brings us to being huge fans of The Blog That Celebrates Itself and their free tribute albums they put out virtually constantly. Their latest is After Hours, Velvets in Another View, which is a tribute to The Velvet Underground. Immediately we noticed a submission from Boston's Magic Shoppe. For some reason, The Velvet Underground don't really get credit for being an insane psychedelic band, and "Heroin" might be the ultimate example of their psychedelic side. Because of that, Magic Shoppe take on that song. It's a fantastic rendition, staying right along with the original but ramping up the noise and going a little heavier. It's a noisy and perfect way to play "Heroin." You can listen to Magic Shoppe's version of "Heroin" be...

I can't find much about this song, so bear with me. STL GLD had one of our favorite albums of early 2017 with Torch Song  back in February. Dutch ReBelle is one of those artists we've woefully overlooked for far too long. STL GLD and Dutch ReBelle collaborating makes perfect sense since they're both Boston hip hop artists right on the cusp of breaking nationally. But then you add in roots rockers Tigerman WOAH and Julie Rhodes for back up, and you create a Boston music scene crossover of the hip hop and Americana scenes that works perfectly. "Feels Like Home" is a tribute to Boston and the music scene, with an accompanying video that highlights some places familiar to anyone who's spent a decent amount of time in Boston without showing the usual tourist friendly landmarks. It's all brought to us by The Record Co., " a non-profit working towards creating a sustainable and equitable music scene in Boston." You can watch the video for "Feel...

Forgotten Fridays is an occasional feature here at If It’s Too Loud... where we go back and find the lost records of our glory days. We played these on our college radio shows, put them on countless mix tapes, and then forgot they existed. Once a week we go back and remind you, and help decide if they were any good. Gigolo Aunts are such a Boston band to me that I always forget that they started out in New York. In 1981. The band was formed by four middle school students under the name Sniper. In 1986 they changed their name to Gigolo Aunts, and in 1987 moved to Boston. Having some of the standard indie band issues (labels folding, self-releasing singles, etc), Gigolo Aunts released Flippin' Out  on RCA in 1993. Unlike many albums I listened to incessantly in college, Flippin' Out  remains an absolute masterpiece. The opening track, "Cope," is roughly 1000 times noisier than I remember Gigolo Aunts ever being recorded. The album is a perfect snapshot of the indi...

I've been surprised by how few Glen Campbell tributes there have been since the country legend passed away earlier this week. Maybe it's because we've known he was sick for years and it wasn't exactly unexpected, but it just seems like it's already been forgotten. Luckily, Jake McKelvie & the Countertops are here with a cover of Campbell's "Gentle On My Mind." Originally recorded back in December during their Converse Rubber Tracks session, this is everything you want in a cover song. It's definitely Jake McKelvie & the Countertops doing their 90's alternative throwback thing, but there isn't even the slightest hint of irony here. It reminds me a lot of Pavement's more rambling songs where they just dip the tiniest bit into country. Considering that Jake McKelvie called his solo release  The Rhinestone Busboy EP , he's obviously a Glen Campbell fan. You can listen to Jake McKelvie & the Countertops' version of ...

Garage rock is one of those genres that will never die. There always seem to be new garage bands popping up, all copying that classic lo-fi 1960's sound to varying success. It's hard to explain why some garage rock throwback artists work and some don't. Narco States are one that works. Narco States are back with their new album, Temples Into Tombs . While the new album fits right into the classic garage rock sound, they've brought in a slightly more aggressive, more unhinged sound. It's a little less ? and the Mysterians this time around, and a little more The Stooges and MC5. "Fascist Fashionistas" is a great example of this sound. It's pure classic garage rock, complete with an organ and a fuzzy groove, but there's a menace lurking in the song. "Met Tet," the album opener, is an absolute rager that feels like the band are barely in control of the song, and it might get away from them at any moment. The title track, "Temples Int...

We absolutely loved Marlon Williams' debut solo album last year. In fact, it was my #9 album of 2016. You can imagine how thrilled I am to have new music from the New Zealander. Sure, it's only one song for now, but it's quite the song.  "Vampire Again" starts off like even more of a torch song than we're used to from Marlon Williams. After the initial opening, it goes into what we're expecting from him: a combination of 60's doo wop and current folk. Then the guitar starts changing and evolving as the song goes on, to the point that at the end it's more of a squelching almost noise rock sound, which is Williams' trademark and what I absolutely love about his sound. Somehow the noisy guitar adds an almost funk element to the song, which was an unexpected and welcome addition. You can watch the video for "Vampire Again" below. The single is available now via Dean Oceans. You can get a copy here . For more on Marlon Williams, chec...

Photo by Don VanCleave I first discovered Nashville's Blank Range way back in 2014 when the opened for Benjamin Booker at TT the Bear's (RIP TT the Bear's). In the past three years, they've floated in and out of my consciousness, and became one of those bands I forgot about and rediscovered. They're finally releasing their debut album later this month, so hopefully they'll stay rooted in my brain from here on. One of the songs from the new album, "Seemed Like Word Got Around," is this intense mid-tempo country/southern rock burner. Drive-By Truckers are an obvious comparison, but it's a slight bit more folk than DBT's harder sound, so I'll say it's more of a Drive-By Truckers/Kingsley Flood hybrid. Of course, towards the end it goes into a slightly quirkier territory than either of those bands in a way that reminds me of Archers of Loaf. You can listen to "Seemed Like Word Got Around" below. Blank Range's debut al...

The lazy release schedule of summer continues. Album of the Week : Artist : Mermaidens Album : Perfect Body Quick Description : Haunting, dreamy indie pop. Why You Should Listen : You're looking for something gorgeous and unsettling. Overall Thoughts : I don't know what spoke to me so much on this one. Maybe I'm just into their aesthetic, maybe my current Twin Peaks obsession is driving me toward strange and wonderful music, but this album just connected immediately. The musicality is great, the melodies catchy and attention-grabbing. There's nothing like it this week, and it's one of my favorites. Recommendation : Give this one the time to percolate. You won't regret it. Artist : Russkaja Album : Kosmopoliturbo Quick Description : Austrian ska-punk with a side of Russian. Why You Should Listen : This continues to be what you wish Gogol Bordello was. Overall Thoughts : I loved their last album, which literally came out of nowhere for me. Th...

Photo courtesy Numero Group We don't cover anywhere near enough soul here at If It's Too Loud..., and it's safe to say that we're fairly ignorant about the history aside from the giants. It's always great when we get to discover some of the more legendary underground performers. Jackie Shane wasn't well known outside of Toronto back in the 1960's, and her last public performance was in December 1971. Jackie Shane was a transgender pioneer, born in a male body and living her life as a woman. Knowing the challenges and controversy facing transgender individuals in 2017, I can't even imagine what it could have been like 50 years ago, especially for a public figure who never hid her identity.  On October 20, Numero Group will be issuing the first ever artist approved collection of Jackie Shane's work, including all six of her 45s and a live performance from 1967. This collection includes extensive liner notes telling Jackie Shane's story in her...

Although Surf Rock Is Dead call Brooklyn their home, the duo come from Chicago and Melbourne, Australia. None of those three locations are southern California, but the band's sound distinctly is. "As If" isn't quite The Beach Boys, but there is a dreamy, sun soaked sound to it. It has a strong shoegaze quality, if there was a version of shoegaze you could listen to while hanging out on the beach. The song doesn't sound as lackadaisical as I'm making it sound. While there is a definite laid back quality, there is an energy behind it. Maybe it's the sound of being stuck in a concrete city like Brooklyn and longing for the sun and social scene of a beach community. You can listen to "As If" below. The new EP from Surf Rock Is Dead, We Have No Friends? , will be out September 22 on The Native Sound. You can pre-order your copy here . For more on Surf Rock Is Dead, check out the band's website .

Photo by Ken Sears Nikki Lane has been one of the artists I've always appreciated and liked, but was never completely into her. When I saw that she was playing the Prescott Parks Arts Festival this year, I decided that would be one of the shows I made it to. It ended up being one of the better musical decisions I've made in years. Playing with her backing band the Tennessee Dirtbags, Nikki Lane played two fantastic sets of her fairly poppy style of outlaw country. Only a small handful of the crowd seemed familiar with Lane's work, with most of the audience more there out of curiosity and something to do on a beautiful August night. (I'm sure the $8 suggested donation brings in a lot more people than an ordinary show, too.) That and the public park setting caused a fairly subdued crowd, spending the entire show sitting on blankets. That didn't faze Lane at all, as she played amazing versions of new songs like "700,000 Rednecks" and "Highway Queen...

Photo by Roxanne Clifford The new song from Flesh World is punk, but not quite a style of punk we've seen before. "Into the Shroud" is not really hard or heavy. Instead, it combines elements of some of the most popular retro genres to borrow from currently. It has the quirky, slightly off beats of post punk, plus the drone and monotone style of shoegaze, and then the jangle of dream pop. That doesn't exactly sound like a blend that would make for punk, but it somehow mixes together just that way. Not to mention that the entire thing reeks of England, but the band resides in California. You can watch the video for "Into the Shroud" below. It might just be me, but the video seems very Information Society. The new album from Flesh World, also called Into the Shroud , will be out September 8 on Dark Entries Records. It can be pre-ordered here . For more on Flesh World, check them out on Facebook .

Photo by Kim Smith-Miller There seems to be a deluge of female folk duos lately, so let me bring you one more: Portland, OR's Lenore. Lenore. are described as "witch-folk," which I can't really argue. When Rebecca Marie Miller and Joy Pearson harmonize, the effect can only be described as haunting. It's still a fairly pop folk style, with a strong Stevie Nicks feel to it. It does have just the slightest hint of an eastern European feel to it, so it's more like Stevie Nicks meets Rasputina. Plus, they add in Eric Bachmann (Archers of Loaf, Crooked Fingers) who takes over lead vocals about a third of the way in, and you add some of the best indie cred you could possibly have. You can listen to "Sharp Spine" below. Lenore.'s debut self-titled album (which also features Paul Rigby and Dan Hunt from Neko Case and Dave Depper from Death Cab for Cutie) will be out September 15. You can pre-order the album here . For more on Lenore., check out thei...

I spent most of my Sunday at a wrestling show instead of working on a new music post, so this has to be abbreviated. That’s a shame, too, for some reasons to note. Anyway: Album of the Week : Arcade Fire - Everything Now : Album of the week, album of the quarter, and probably my frontrunner for album of the year if it holds up as well as the first listen did. Maybe their best effort even if it won’t be iconic the way their first album is or so universally praised like Neon Bible . If you’re avoiding this for any reason at all, don’t. Great Listens This Week : Little Silver - Somewhere You Found My Name : Features members of Hem in some form, this is a really brilliant listen and one that throws some folksy curveballs. Mr. Lif and Akrobatik- Resolution : Absolutely the rap album of the moment for me. Katie Von Schleicher - Shitty Hits : Tongue-in-cheek title, but this is much better than it lets on. Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds From Another Planet : Technically ...

Photo by Michael Weintrob As much as we might love the whole bluegrass/Americana revival thing here at If It's Too Loud..., a lot of it can end up sounding pretty similar. New takes on the genre are always welcome, although if you tweak it too much, it ruins the whole point. That might be why I love the new song from Billy Strings. "Turmoil & Tinfoil" is definitely bluegrass with some hints of psychedelia. That alone doesn't exactly make it unique. Lots of bands have discovered mixing bluegrass and psychedelia gives you a great career on the jam band circuit. What makes Billy String unique is that he plays it like he's in a thrash metal band. Bluegrass/psychedelia/thrash might sound like a trainwreck of a combination, and it very well might be, just not when Billy Strings plays it. You can listen to "Turmoil & Tinfoil" below. Billy Strings' debut album, also called Turmoil & Tinfoil , will be out September 22. You can pre-order it n...