If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Nick McKinlay Today is the release date for the latest single from Julia Jacklin, which also means that we get to check out the b-side, "Cold Caller." The song is extremely sentimental, and Jacklin began writing it after her older sister told her she was pregnant, and started recording it on the day she went into labor. The song starts off with exactly what we've come to expect from Jacklin at this point. It's a groovy, sunny Americana song. But ever so slowly the tiniest bit of noise starts to creep in, which she might have picked up from touring with Marlon Wayans so much. By the end, the song is in full on brilliant power ballad territory. If you weren't as obsessed with Julia Jacklin as we are yet, this one might do it. You can listen to "Cold Caller" below. The "Eastwick"/"Cold Caller" 7 inch is out today on Polyvinyl Recording Co. For more on Julia Jacklin, check out her website , and be sure to see her live nex...

Photo by Suzanne Nyhuus So... this is an interesting one. Moviestar are a three piece band that comes to us from the planet Fenris in the future. The members are Infinity Vik, The Octopus Goddess, and The Anaconda. When they first came to Earth, they were shocked at how badly people treated the Earth and each other. They are currently on a mission to save the planet, and are staying in Norway since it's "the safest nation in the world." Their debut song, "Stupid People," is about stupid people. It's a not too serious song, filled with a ton of synth sounds and attitude, with rapping vocals. It feels like what people in the early 80's thought futuristic music sounded like, mixed with mid 90's rap rock. I should say I mean pre-nu-metal rap rock, and more like 2 Skinnee J's. It's all a bizarre mix that shouldn't work, and might not actually work, but for right now I'm enjoying it. At the very least, it's just fun music, which w...

Photo by Shervin Lainez While reading some of the press materials for the latest single from Elizabeth and the Catapult, I wasn't shocked to learn that Elizabeth Ziman, aka the Elizabeth in Elizabeth and the Catapult, incorporates her dreams into her music. "Underwater" feels like a dream. It's not exactly part of the genre of dream pop, but instead it's just dreamy. "Underwater" is definitely a pop song, but it straddles the world of indie Americana. It's not the more mainstream pop side of Americana, like The Avett Brothers or Houndmouth, but it's really a mash up of pop music and Americana, like if Tristen kept just a bit more of her country side on her last two albums. It's an interesting mix that has me looking forward to her new album. You can watch the video for "Underwater" below. Elizabeth and the Catapult's new album, Keepsake , will be out October 20 on Compass Records. For more on Elizabeth and the Catapult, ch...

Artist : Ted Leo Album : The Hanged Man Quick Description : Latest from the indie punk. Why You Should Listen : At his worst, he's still worth a shot. Overall Thoughts : I don’t have a ton to say about Ted Leo, who is definitely in the “old punk” stage of his career, and this record feels more like a concept record that dabbles in prog than what launched him into the indie stratosphere however many years ago. As someone who is a marginal fan of his on a whole, this didn’t do much for me, but your mileage may vary. Personally, I can’t recommend in a week as busy as this one. Recommendation : Skip this one. Artist : Deerhoof Album : Mountain Moves Quick Description : New album from the artsy indie rockers. Why You Should Listen : You're up for a challenge. Overall Thoughts : Deerhoof is not Deer Tick. This is what I realized about 1 minute into this album, which is a complex and (mostly) difficult record that defies expectations on every turn and is among the weir...

The two genres we cover the most tend to be indie rock and modern folk. Knowing that, Elle Mary & The Bad Men is an absolute perfect choice for us. Elle Mary previously was a folk artist, but for her band's debut album, the sound has shifted to what she calls "heavy noir." "Behave" is a break up song (in fact, the whole album was written in response to a break up, chronically the grief and moving on process), and is written directly to an ex-lover. It starts off in pretty standard indie rock singer-songwriter territory, albeit the top tier of that genre. And then the anger and louder side comes barreling in for just pure perfection. If I were to compare this song to anyone we cover regularly, it would be Lady Lamb, with it's loud/quiet/loud changes. You can listen to "Behave" below. Elle Mary & The Bad Men's debut album, Constant Unfailing Night , will be out October 20 on Sideways Saloon. For more on Elle Mary & The Men, check o...

Another busy release date means we're splitting this one in two. Album of the Week : Artist : Partner Album : In Search of Lost Time Quick Description : Stoner chicks with a fun and funny debut. Why You Should Listen : This is definitely the most fun you'll have this week from a musical standpoint, but stay for the sharp songwriting. Overall Thoughts : To say that this is probably collectively the most anticipated release of the week for both Ken and I is probably an understatement. Ken has noted that we’re way too old to enjoy this band as much as we do, and this debut album? Basically a direct hit of nostalgia and humor directly into the bloodstream. This duo knows exactly what they’re doing – from the framework of the album itself to their sound to the humor to even the fact that they have skits, this is a heck of a nostalgia trip that still works in a modern context. In terms of solely what they are as a band, this is a great release. Whether the humor and rid...

While sulking that I had to miss Nots' show in Somerville last night, I stumbled onto the fact that they released a 7" back in June that I somehow missed completely. "Cruel Friend" is exactly what we expect, and want, from Nots. It's aggressive and fast post punk in the vein of Sonic Youth and Bikini Kill, but with an underlying groove throughout. The b-side, "Violence," is where things get interesting. It's much more synth heavy than what we've heard from Nots in the past. Before you start thinking that they're going all New Wave on us next, this is a much darker and foreboding song than most synth tracks. It's more along the lines of something from the It Follows  soundtrack with lyrics. You can listen to "Cruel Friend" below. The digital version of "Cruel Friend" and "Violence" can be purchased via Bandcamp . For more on Nots, follow them on Facebook and Twitter . "Cruel Friend" b/w "...

When a press release claims a band is "... Influenced by the likes of Sebadoh, Mudhoney, and Sonic Youth," it's a guarantee that I'm going to be paying attention. The latest song from Neaux, "Stuck Like A...," delivers on that lofty promise. It has the artsy noise of Sonic Youth, the driving aggression of Mudhoney, and the quirky pre-emo hooks of Harmacy  era Sebadoh. "Stuck Like A..." is one of those rare songs that feels much more epic than its just over 4:00 length, and despite feeling much longer than it is, you're still wishing it was longer. It's a rare band that can pull off artsy, heavy, and catchy, so we give the biggest compliment possible to Neaux. You can listen to "Stuck Like A..." below. Neaux's sophomore album, Chain Up the Sun , will be out October 13 on The Native Sound. It can be pre-ordered here . For more on Neaux, check out their Facebook and Bandcamp .

This has been a very covers heavy week at If It's Too Loud..., but we consider that to be a great thing. Barcelona's garage punk band Mourn have a new EP coming out today (maybe?), and it features a version of The Replacements' "Color Me Impressed." Mourn's version somehow does two seemingly separate things at once: It's both noisier and more poppy. It might be since while there is a lot more noise behind the song, it's a far more produced and polished version than the original. Plus, they speed it up just a bit more. It keeps the song their own while still being true to the original. Sure, it may not have the same raw power as The Replacements version, but this one is just pure pop punk fun. You can hear Mourn's cover of "Color Me Impressed" below. You can pick up your own copy of their new EP, Over the Wall , here . For more on Mourn, check them out on Facebook . Over The Wall by MOURN

Photo via Facebook We were huge fans of Margo Price's 2016 solo debut, Midwestern Farmer's Daughter. In fact, it was the only album that made both my and Jeff's top ten lists of 2016. (I had it at #3 , while Jeff had it at #6 , fully proving my better taste...) Back in July, she released a surprise EP, so you'd think we wouldn't be getting anything new from Margo Price until 2018 at the earliest. Well, looks like she has a brand new album coming out in October, and we can already hear a new song from it. "A Little Pain" keeps Price's wonderful old school 70's sequined country sound, but it brings in a bit more of a soul feel to it. It's a bit of a throwback to her old band, Buffalo Clover. It seems like this might be the year of country/soul hybrids, and there won't be any complaints from us. You can listen to "A Little Pain" below. Margo Price's new album, All American Made, will be out October 20 on Third Man Records. ...

Photo via Facebook Matt Pond PA might love covers as much as we do. As they wind down, they're giving us another great cover song. This time it's for The Cars' classic "Drive." "Drive" might be my least favorite of The Cars' hit songs, but that being said, it's still a great song. Matt Pond PA's version of it keeps it completely true to the original, which is hard to do without synthesizers. Instead, it's a dreamy folk ballad version with pedal steel standing in for the synths. Somehow, this makes it an absolutely perfect cover song. You can listen to Matt Pond PA's cover of "Drive" below. For more on Matt Pond PA, including what appear to be their final tour dates, check out their website .

The latest song from Portland, OR's Jeffrey Martin isn't your typical singer/songwriter fare. Sure, there is quite a bit of today's Americana/roots music that can have a dark subject matter. But "Billy Burroughs" goes a bit further. "Billy Burroughs" tells the story of how William S. Burroughs accidentally shot his wife while trying to shoot a highball glass off of her head. That's dark enough, but the song also explores the theory that this incident is what lead Burroughs to become one of the most respected authors of his generation, and if such personal tragedy is worth it. It's all packaged in a stripped down acoustic song, the majority of which is built on Martin's vocals and guitar. It's a fairly dark but mainstream sound that masks the subject matter. You can listen to "Billy Burroughs" below. Jeffrey Martin's upcoming album, One Go Around , will be released October 14 on Fluff & Gravy. You can pre-order a co...

Not gonna lie, guys - this was a disappointing release week. Album of the Week : Artist : Mogwai Album : Every Country's Sun Quick Description : Latest from the ochestrally(?) tailored rock act. Why You Should Listen : Is it really post-rock? Who knows, but Mogwai is good and this is good. Overall Thoughts : Yes, this is probably my favorite album of the week in a very weak one, but that’s not to say Mogwai isn’t still as good as they typically are here. If you’re a fan, you’re getting more of the same here, and that’s certainly worthwhile. What they do is so unique and so solid that you don't want to miss it. Recommendation : Worth a listen even in a busy week. Artist : The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Album : The Echo of Pleasure Quick Description : A departure from the standard from these indie favorites. Why You Should Listen : You wanted more 80s throwback in your life. Overall Thoughts : One of the first bands both Ken and I fell for at the same time wh...

Photo via Facebook I first discovered Sara Radle way back in 2005 when she joined The Rentals. I loved her contributions to that band so much I started picking up her solo work, and even went back to her previous band, Lucy Loves Schroeder. She's been taking a break from music lately to focus on her first film, but she's now back and dipping her toes into the music world again. Even though she originally hails from San Antonio, she's never dabbled in country music before. Her newest project is going to lean a little on the country side of things, and she recently launched a YouTube series called "Sara Serenades Her Cats." The first in the series is Radle covering Dolly Parton's "Little Sparrow." It's a fantastic and simple cover, and I think you all know how we feel about covers here at If It's Too Loud... Plus, there's a cat in the video, and that's always a plus. You can watch the video for Sara Radle's take on "Lit...

Photo via Facebook Over the past couple of years, Weakened Friends have played with a bunch of 90's era Boston area bands, with opening slots for Letters to Cleo, Juliana Hatfield, and The Sheila Divine. On their latest single, their loyalty is repaid with J Mascis coming in to play guitar on "Hate Mail." Having J Mascis play on your song is a huge burst of cred for Weakened Friends, but they've definitely earned it. Hearing Mascis' trademark guitar sound reigned in a bit over Weakened Friends' more pop-filled 90's tinged alternative sound is a great mixture. Mascis uses his more laid back style of guitar playing on the song, and even though it's a relatively faster song than you'd expect with that style, it works perfectly. I had heard of this pairing earlier in the week, and couldn't get to today's release fast enough. You can listen to "Hate Mail" below. Weakened Friends debut album will be out sometime in the fall. For m...