If It's Too Loud...

More American holiday summer doldrums... Album of the Week : Artist : SOPHIE Album : OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES Quick Description : Weird pop deconstructions. Why You Should Listen : SOPHIE is a sought-after producer and buzzed-about musician. Overall Thoughts : Album of the week here is sort of a strange, nearly impenetrable one in many regards. Seemingly the result of taking a bunch of pop music, pouring it into a blender full of David Lynch movies, and letting it run for a few minutes, this is an artistic and musical achievement that I fully and completely enjoyed even though I don’t know if I can truly recommend it to anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good, challenging listen. My recommendation? It’s a slow week anyway, and this might open up a whole new genre for you. It’s that good. Recommendation : A challenge, but a good one. Artist : Onlyness Album : Onlyness Quick Description : More retro rock, but without the pretense. Why You Should Listen : You miss th...

There aren't too many roots artists that can open for a band like Clutch, which is how I first discovered Murder By Death. I was blown away seeing a band with a stand-up bass win over metal fans, and their new single, "True Dark," shows why. The song has this intense, heavy groove throughout. It's equal parts menace and seduction. And then the chorus kicks in, which could become embedded in your skull for years to come, so be warned. It's a song heavy enough for hard rockers, catchy enough for the more mainstream neo-folk fans, and great enough for the rest of us. You can listen to "True Dark" below. The new album from Murder By Death, The Other Shore , will be out August 24 on Bloodshot Records. The album is being described as a "space-western about a ravaged Earth." The album can be pre-ordered here . For more on Murder By Death, check out their website .

Photo by Ela Stiles Last month I compared "FFS" by Melbourne's Deaf Wish to Sonic Youth. Upon hearing their latest single, "The Rat is Back," that won't be a one time comparison. "The Rat is Back" is slower, but has that brooding and plodding that some of Sonic Youth's best possessed. Guitarist/vocalist  Jensen Tjhung even has more than a little of Thurston Moore's snarling sing/speaking going on. It might be just my wishful thinking as a die hard Sonic Youth fan, but I heard what sounded like a Lee Ranaldo answering guitar riff about halfway through. Basically, if you've been missing Sonic Youth and their members' solo projects aren't quite doing it for you, you're going to love Deaf Wish. You can watch the video for "The Rat is Back" below. Lithium Zion , the new album from Deaf Wish, will be out July 27 on Sub Pop. For more on Deaf Wish, check them out on Facebook and Bandcamp .

Mia Pixley's musical project has an interesting origin. Pixley started out in Austin, TX, moved to New York City, and now resides in Oakland, CA. The Bay Area is where she came across Baeilou, the name of her cello. It's going to be easy to compare Baeilou to Leyla McCalla, since they both perform roots music using a cello. Judging by "Eleanora" (which is based on the Edgar Allen Poe story of the same name), that might be where comparisons end. Baeilou's sound has a more mainstream sound. Pixley does have a lot of the same haunting sound that we love about McCalla, but when your song is inspired by Poe, that's going to be a given. About halfway through the song, this beat kicks in that's equal parts hip hop and hard rock. As much as you'll love the song before that, that beat is what will suck you in. You can listen to "Eleanora" below. Inside Under , the upcoming album from Baeilou, will be out on August 24. For more on Baeilou, follow...

It must be summer... Album of the Week : Artist : Let's Eat Grandma Album : I'm All Ears Quick Description : Weird, compelling indie pop. Why You Should Listen : Let's Eat Grandma is buzzworthy right now anyway, and this might put them on the map. Overall Thoughts : Let's Eat Grandma isn't experimental per se, but they kind of remind me of a lot of experimental acts. In a way, they have a feel to them like a lot of other strange acts before them, but something about this album just absolutely clicks in terms of being a viable, interesting, compelling listen. I can't say that you'll pull a song or two out and add it to your mixes, but as a cohesive whole with a challenging approach, there's absolutely nothing better this week. Recommendation : Definitely a top listen this week. Artist : The Rails Album : Other People Quick Description : Good ol' British folk rock. Why You Should Listen : These guys absolutely get it. Overall Thoughts...

If you've been paying attention to pretty much any time I post about modern hip hop, you know I turn into a grumpy old man that 99% of hip hop songs follow the rap verse/R&B chorus/rap verse format. Apparently sometimes I'm wrong and that format works perfectly. Chicago's Matt Muse has released a single that follows that format to the letter, but this one works for me. "Shea Butter Baby" is a laid back hip hop song that has a chilled out, almost southern feel. It might be that Muse exudes undeniable charm, or that the backing track has a weird electronic swirl that avoids the top 40 trap that befalls most of today's rappers.  You can listen to "Shea Butter Baby" below. Matt Muse's new album, Nappy Talk , will be out July 13. For more on Matt Muse, check out his website .

The summer slowdown is here, but we're finding a lot of stuff to listen to anyway. Album of the Week : Artist : Oliver the Crow Album : Oliver the Crow Quick Description : Edgy, interesting folk music. Why You Should Listen : You have been waiting for the proper Civil Wars torch taker, and this might be it. Overall Thoughts : I will preface this by saying that Brown Bird was a unique occurrence that will never be replicated, but boy do OtC come close. A nice, raw, folk record that includes some front-and-center cello to mix it up, this is definitely a favorite of the week due to its unique nature and the interesting songwriting and sounds coming from this record. Recommendation : A real interesting, pleasant surprise. Artist : T. Hardy Morris Album : Dude, The Obscure Quick Description : Difficult effort from the Dead Confederate lead. Why You Should Listen : Morris has made enough good music so far that he's earned a listen. Overall Thoughts : Morris has be...

We last heard from Scotland's Megan Airlie back in February and we're thrilled that we finally have a follow up to "After River." Her latest single, "Honey," isn't quite as bare bones as "After River" is. It's still sparse compared to most songs, but "Honey" has more of a full band sound. The increased instrumentation gives the song a much more lush feeling. It adds to the blues/jazz sound that Airlie started hinting at with her previous song. There is a distinct early Lady Lamb meets Lake Street Dive sound. Plus, we still have her voice which somehow stands out even more with the extra instrumentation.  You can listen to "Honey" below. The song is available now as a single on  Bandcamp  via Bloc Music Recordings. For more on Megan Airlie, check out her Facebook and website .

The one nice thing about discovering a band almost a year after their most recent release is that you don't have to wait as long for their next release. Back in March we told you about  Hitlist, the May 2017 release for The Only Things. While everyone in the know had to wait a little over a year for the follow up, we only had to wait three months! Dandelion  picks up right where Hitlist  left off. It's seven songs of loud, clever, and fun rock. A song like "Windows" is a bouncy, hard hitting song with some of the catchiest and most melodic gang vocals we've ever heard. It's right on the line of pop punk, but pop punk you won't be embarrassed to listen to. That seems to be the main theme of the songs on Dandelion : A lot of hard rock can be kind of cringe-worthy. But songs like "Now I Know" and "Arrows" don't end up that way. The Only Things have created an album that rocks, but not in a dumb, childish way. It's a rare thing...

Photo by Chris Weiss Indie rock bands basically make up 84% of Brooklyn's population, so in order for a band to stick out they have to bring something unique to the table. If we're writing about them, Wilder Maker must be one of those bands. Their newest single, "Drunk Driver," starts out as a quiet, mellow song. It reminds me quite a bit of what I love about Big Thief. A lot of their songs also start out quietly and then just build into an explosion. But "Drunk Driver" never explodes. It stays quiet and mellow while building in intensity. It changes ever so slightly sonically but completely in tone. It reminds me of horror films like It Follows or Hereditary  in how they can crank up the mood and tone without a big event or loud noise. You can watch the video for "Drunk Driver" below. Zion , the new album from Wilder Maker, will be out July 13 on Northern Spy Records. You can pre-order your copy over on Bandcamp . For more on Wilder Maker, c...

We've been loving the art rock meets dance music vibe of BODEGA, and their latest single is no exception. "Gyrate" is absolute fun. For us aging Generation-X hipsters, it reminds me a bunch of Bis without the cutesy aspects of that band. Of course, the origin of the song is quite interesting. According to singer Nikki Belfiglio: " When I was a little girl I used to masturbate in public (once at a JC Penny perfume counter). My parents, not wishing to shame me told me I shouldn’t ‘gyrate’ in front of other people. My song uses the language of Top 40 pop to celebrate self-sustainability and female pleasure. ” The only complaint I has is that with it's under two minute length, the song is over just as it gets started and you've decided you love it. You can watch the video (which was also directed by Nikki Belfiglio) for "Gyrate" below. BODEGA's debut album, Endless Scroll , will be out July 7 on What's Your Rupture? You can pre-order your co...

"California," the latest single from Mountain Lions, is mostly straightforward neo-Americana leaning on the more mainstream side of things. It's a pleasant sounding, upbeat track. It could almost be described as "sunny," but not quite. What's definite is there is not a shred of mopey in the song. It sounds like something I would absolutely hate, but I don't. Somehow Steven Diaz takes something could could be ordinary and mundane and instead crafts a song that stops just shy of that. It has something special in it that I wish I could explain properly. Maybe it's charisma or a unique twist in the tune (or it could be that they hail from Chapel Hill, NC), but "California" will draw even the grumpiest of us in. You can listen to "California" below. We Are , the new album from Mountain Lions, will be out on August 10. For more on Mountain Lions, check out their website and Facebook .

A slower week, but one with some pretty impactful releases. Album of the Week : Artist : V. V. Lightbody Album : Bathing Peach Quick Description : Debut solo project from a Chicago-area singer-songwriter. Why You Should Listen : You wish Lucy Dacus would tone it down a bit? Overall Thoughts : This is an album that is a little hard to describe. It's kind of folky, but has some edge to it? The project of Vivian McConnell, she clearly has some great songwriting chops that make you pay attention from the first few notes, and this kind of came out of nowhere for me in terms of how much I liked it. If you like the folky stuff, or even the more contemplative singer-songwriter efforts of late, you should give this a listen. Recommendation : Best release of the week. Artist : The Carters Album : Everything is Love Quick Description : Surprise-yet-anticipated collaboration between Beyonce and Jay-Z. Why You Should Listen : Love it or hate it, this is what people will be tal...

We were pretty huge on Julia Jacklin's 2016 debut Don't Let the Kids Win.  While she doesn't have a new solo album on the horizon, she's involved in another band that does! Phantastic Ferniture started back in 2014 when Jacklin and ten friends pledged to start a band together on her birthday. The next day four of them remembered, so a band was formed. The band played what was supposed to be their first and last gig four months later, but ended up getting together when they could to play together. Thus, Phastastic Ferniture was born. Jacklin describes the new band this way: “I’d gone straight into folk music, so every experience I’d had on stage was playing sad music with a guitar in my hand. I thought, I would love to know what it’s like to make people feel good and dance.” Their new song, "Gap Year," definitely fits that description. It's far more upbeat and rocking than anything from Don't Let the Kids Win , and is just fun rock music that happens ...

Photo by Michael Baca Our love of covers is pretty well known here at If It's Too Loud..., but this may just be a first for us. We've been loving Providence's Downtown Boys for a while now. Their cover of Bruce Springsteen's classic "Dancing in the Dark" is a personal favorite, and now they're back with another cover. They've recently unveiled their cover of Selena's "Fotos Y Recuerdos" which is a Spanish language cover of The Pretender's "Back in the Chain Gang." It was originally recorded during the sessions for Cost of Living , their most recent album, but didn't make it on that album. One of our favorite artists releasing a cover of a cover? Happy Friday, everyone! You can listen to Downtown Boys's cover of "Fotos Y Recuerdos" below. For more on Downtown Boys, check out their Facebook .