If It's Too Loud...

Last year we informed you about Moviestar, which I'm sure you remember are a three piece band from the planet Fenris in the future. They are back with a new single, and this time they've enlisted the help of Professor Elemental. Professor Elemental is described as a "steampunk-rapper," so I'm fully invested in this collaboration. Considering how their previous songs were such a bizarre mix-up of styles, adding in a steampunk-rapper should make it even crazier, but "The Present" is much tamer than expected. I mean, sure, it's not a top 40 song, but it's fairly comparable to later era Brit-pop than I'd expect from a band from the planet Fenris in the future. Hopefully that doesn't sound too negative, since "The Present" is a pretty great song and has me dreaming of a Moviestar/Professor Elemental co-headlining tour. You can watch the video for "The Present" below. For more on Moviestar, check out their website . For ...

Last time we heard from Paris, France's Mary Bell was the 48 second "Band-aid Baby." By that measure, their new single is an epic at just under three minutes. While still thrashy and noisy punk rock, "Be a mom" has a New Wave groove that can't be missed. This new song is no less intense than we want (or need) from a Mary Bell song. Far from it. Despite the groove "Be a mom" still delivers the attitude and aggression that have become Mary Bell's trademark in the short time we've been aware of them. You'll hear this particularly towards the end as the groove begins to fall apart. Instead of ramping up the noise and chaos like you'd expect, the song just kind of stutters out in the best way possible. You can listen to "Be a mom" below. HISTRION , the new album from Mary Bell, will be available October 1. You can pre-order it now via Bandcamp . For more on Mary Bell, check out their website . HISTRION (PRE-ORDER) by Mary ...

As we prepare for this weekend's Freshgrass 2018 (checking the weather report every hour, repeatedly listening to the festival's Spotify playlist ...), we thought we'd share what we're most looking forward to this weekend. Of course, these could be dropped instantly for another set or by getting lost in the galleries of MASS MoCA, but as of right now, these are our top 5... Rhiannon Giddens, Saturday, 5:00 pm, Courtyard D My first trip to Freshgrass included seeing the Carolina Chocolate Drops in 2014. I've been obsessed with them since then, which has included following each member's solo careers. I still haven't seen Rhiannon Giddens solo live, but that will change on Saturday. Her solo work has been a bit more mainstream than Carolina Chocolate Drops and I'm very curious to see how that plays out live. Seeing how Carolina Chocolate Drops stole the entire festival in 2014, this could be the must see of 2018. Flogging Molly, Saturday, 9:00 pm, ...

The JP Music Festival was a free, outdoors, all ages music festival held last Saturday. Despite being eight hours of music, I only made it for the last hour since I was dragging my entire family along. Bands played quickie twenty minute sets, so I did get to see three of my favorite Boston bands: Hallelujah the Hills, The Sheila Divine, and Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys. It's pretty hard to write about a twenty minute set, and I've written about these three bands live fairly extensively, so we're going to keep this more as a photo gallery. It should be noted that The Sheila Divine busted out a cover of Echo & The Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon" and Walter Sickert trying not watch his language might have been the highlight of the day. Hallelujah the Hills: The Sheila Divine: Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys:

We've been loving this stream of singles being released by Scotland's Megan Airlie. While each song fits into this little sound she's crafted for herself, each single has its own sound. "Mother Whale" is the latest, and it is somehow both her most mainstream and quirkiest song yet. Her jazzy side is showcased the most (so far) in the new song, but there is also a stronger soul sound present. She also has an almost minimalist sensibility, which doesn't usually fit jazz or soul. Instead the focus is on vocals, both Airlie's and backing. It gives the song a slight folk feel. "Mother Whale" is both unique and familiar. You can listen to "Mother Whale" below. The song is available now on Bandcamp via Bloc Music Records . For more on Megan Airlie, be sure to check out her website .

I first discovered The Jesus Lizard way back in 1996 when they opened for Rage Against the Machine at the Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg, MA. My obsession came later (I wasn't ready for them at that point in my life) and truly peaked during their reunion tour in 2009. I had resigned myself to never see them again after that show. David Yow said as much, saying they'd only reunite if anyone paid them an obscene amount of money. Luckily Riot Fest apparently did that, and while ramping up for that festival they came through Boston last Friday night. Seeing that it's been twenty years since their last album, and nine since their last tour, I have to begrudgingly admit this night was pure nostalgia. For a band that hasn't toured in nine years, they were mind blowingly tight. Yow repeatedly declared they were the best band in the world, and if you were there you would believe them. No matter how great they sounded or how many times Yow dove on top of the crowd, it took...

Another busy week... Artist : Jordie Lane Album : GLASSELLLAND Quick Description : Aussie Americana. Why You Should Listen : This is sneaky great. Overall Thoughts : My favorite of the week, and unexpected at that. Judging an album by its cover is a bad idea, because this gave the appearance of another roots effort without anything setting it apart. It's very, very different than that - there is a very direct, very determined attitude that goes along with this that just grabbed me, and songs like "black diamond" and "America" show that Lane is on a whole different level. Recommendation : Do not miss this one. Artist : Colleen Green Album : Casey's Tapes/Harmontown Loops Quick Description : A reissue plus from an indie favorite. Why You Should Listen : Colleen Green remains one of the more interesting listens out there. Overall Thoughts : Okay, I’ll say it: I think Colleen Green is making some of the best music on the indie scene right now....

My ranting about modern hip hop is fairly well documented here at If It's Too Loud..., so I'm always thrilled when I can find a hip hop song I actually enjoy. The latest single from Dorchester's Prize Stylez is one of these rare songs I can't get enough of. It could be because "Furious Stylez" doesn't sound anything like 2018. This song is straight outta the late 80's. There isn't a hint of an R&B hook to the chorus, and it doesn't sample a mega-hit from the 80's in its entirety. Plus, the song is edgy and not poppy at all. It feels like the era before rap was used in every commercial or tv show. The classics Price Stylez reminds me of are Nas and Gang Starr. "Furious Stylez" is pure hip hop, which is pretty much impossible to find.  You can listen to "Furious Stylez" below. The single is available for purchase now via Bandcamp , and will be on his upcoming Black Mass: Reloaded  album. For more on Prize Stylez, c...

Photo by Ken Sears Despite considering myself a fairly big Steve Earle fan, I had only seen him once before: The 2008 Newport Folk Festival, where instead of a backing band he performed with a DJ. For ten years I've wanted to see an actual Steve Earle set, but it hasn't worked out. (Not to mention I'm insanely cheap with concert tickets, and Steve Earle isn't an inexpensive show.) When I found out he was closing out the 2018 Prescott Park Arts Festival for an $8.00 suggested donation, I obviously had to make the trip. I had previously heard Steve Earle & The Dukes were going to be performing Copperhead Road in its entirely to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary, but I hadn't realized the Prescott Park show was going to be one of those performances. It was a pleasant and welcome surprise, especially with "Snake Oil" and "The Devil's Right Hand" present on that album. The night even included the album's closing song, "...

Photo via Facebook Over the past two years Service, a new project that includes Russell Simins of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion fame, has been releasing some demos here and there. We finally have an official single. "Hey" is an incredibly dirty proto punk song. From the second it starts, you're just pulled along without any warning. And then it really kicks in with whining guitars and groovy/intense vocals. It all comes across like an amped up version of The Stooges and the MC5 minus the hippie parts.  You can listen to "Hey" below. Service's debut album, Drag Me, is scheduled to come out sometime in early 2019. To keep tabs on the band, be sure to like them on Facebook and check out their website .

Photo by Ken Sears Before last Friday I had technically seen Shovels & Rope three times. The first two were both at the Newport Folk Festival, but I only caught a handful of songs each time. The third was at the Green River Festival, but that is still a shortened festival performance. I had yet to see a full Shovels & Rope set, so when I saw they were playing at Prescott Park this year, I knew I had to make the trek up, even though it was the Friday of Labor Day weekend. Regardless of traffic, the trip was completely worth it. One of the great joys of Shovels & Rope live is watching the interplay between husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst. The duo take turns switching between guitar, drums, keys, etc. I'm not sure if they ever have the same role in a song more than once in a row. This night the band dove deep into their catalog. Only two songs came from their most recent album (2016's Little Seeds ). The majority came from O' Be Joyful  and...

Photo via Facebook Our love of cover songs is well documented here at If It's Too Loud..., and we have a special love for covers that aren't completely traditional. The movies of our youth are so intensely personal and important to us, but it's rare for artists to cover songs from films. Maybe that's why I love this cover of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella by Rhode Island's Nova One. The song is just as lovely and dreamlike as you'd expect. The dreamlike quality is most likely since the song is from a lullaby compilation: Through the Night: A Collection of Lullabies from Rhode Island Artists. The term lullaby is fairly loose, and the songs from this collection are more quiet than purely for children. You can listen to Nova One's cover of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" below. Through the Night: A Collection of Lullabies from Rhode Island Artists  is available now via Forever Endeavor. All proceeds will go t...

Photo by Chad Cochran I can't seem to find any information on this song from Lydia Loveless. The only thing I can find out is that the video is connected to Groove in the Garden, a music festival in Raleigh, NC. Other than that, "Say My Name" could be an unreleased original song from Lydia Loveless, or it could be a cover I'm not recognizing. But, it is a live performance of Lydia Loveless performing solo in a garden, while people walk around in the background unaware of a nationally renowned musician is playing in front of them. Even though we don't know anything about this song, it's new (to us) from Lydia Loveless, so enjoy! You can watch the video for "Say My Name" below. If you know anything about this, please let us know. For more on Lydia Loveless, check out the band's website . Groove in the Garden - Lydia Loveless "Say My Name" from Beau Vorous on Vimeo .

Here comes the last third of the year... Album of the Week : Artist : Riley Pinkerton Album : Nothing Ever Is Quick Description : Debut full-length from a favorite here. Why You Should Listen : We've been a fan for a while, and her previous releases have been great. Overall Thoughts : My favorite listen of the week is this rootsy album. It’s rare that an album can feel both vulnerable and fragile while also basically being in your face. So many great songs on this album that we’ve been waiting on since her EP landed a few years back, and the end result is something that feels familiar without feeling derivative. Recommendation : Absolutely worth your time this week. Artist : Juanita Stein Album : Until the Lights Fade Quick Description : New album from a compelling indie artist. Why You Should Listen : It both fits in with some of the alt-rock throwbacks while still feeling new and different. Overall Thoughts : I had a couple of Juanita Stein’s songs hit the Spot...

Photo by Ken Sears I'm a late comer to the Fantastic Negrito phenomenon. I know a lot of people have been insanely into him, but it never quite clicked for me until Please Don't Be Dead  was released earlier this year. I had been toying with the idea of going to his show at The Middle East, but once Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys were added to the bill, I knew I had to check it out. It's impossible to discuss Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys's performance without bringing this up: Earlier in the week, one of the co-owners of The Middle East retired due to sexual assault allegations. This informed the band's performance. They chose to go ahead with their performance while many other bands had cancelled theirs in order to use it as  forum to discuss the allegations. They also donated their guarantee and all merch sales to the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, and each band member had the organization's website written on their arms ( ...