If It's Too Loud...

Photo via Facebook 7th Victim is the project that allows Rodney Anonymous to explore his love of electronic music much more than Th e Dead Milkmen ever could. Plus, they have the greatest Bandcamp bio of all time:  "When you think of Philadelphia-based electronic acts, only one name comes to mind. That name is Void   Vision. But sometimes they're not available. For those times, there's 7th Victim. Formed in Stocksbridge, UK in 1976, 7th Victim has played shows with Joy Division, The Clash, The KLF, and Depache Mode.. Except for when they haven't. Which they didn't. Why are you still reading this?" As you can tell from that bio and the name of their latest single, "Missing Girls In Gothic Garb," 7th Victim are surprisingly fun. Their latest single is very 80's style electronic. It's minimal and I hesitate to call it New Wave and compare it to early Depeche Mode (for obvious reasons), but... You can listen to "Missing Girls ...

Artist : The Dead South Album : Sugar & Joy Quick Description : New album from an underrated roots act. Why You Should Listen : They're gritty but polished, which is a great mix. Overall Thoughts : For what it’s worth, I never read about The Dead South when I’m hearing about current roots/Americana acts, and I don’t know why, because they’re great. They had the one viral hit, yes, but this new album does not betray their sound or provide any sort of sea change that would make you think they’re anything less than one of the more solid, skilled acts in the genre. If you want good roots music? Just make time for this. Recommendation : You won’t regret a moment of it. Artist : Cursive Album : Get Fixed Quick Description : Second new album this year from the indie emo band. Why You Should Listen : Cursive is good, guys. Overall Thoughts : A surprise second release from the indie act, this one is a little more chamber-emo than the harshness of the solid album earlier ...

Photo via Facebook Wished Bone is the folk project of plant biologist turned bartender Ashley Rhodus. Although, judging by the single "Hold Me," this isn't going to be your typical traditional folk music. "Hold Me" doesn't follow the traditional folk instrumentation, but isn't quite a rock song, either. Instead it sounds like a wonderfully odd mix of Tom Petty and The Sundays. The song dabbles in folk, rock, and pop equally, without ever fully committing to any of them. This gives it a unique sound while still feeling familiar. You can listen to "Hold Me" below. Sap Season , the upcoming album from Wished Bone, will be out November 1. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp . For more on Wished Bone, check out the project's Facebook and Twitter . Sap Season by wished bone

Photo by Brittany Farhat Friendly Rich's latest single has a very unique sound to it. "Donkey Day" is weird enough that I can only truly compare it to Tom Waits. But it's as if Tom Waits decided to rock and collaborate with Les Claypool. And the two of them tried to make a mainstream hit song. According to Friendly Rich "...  is inspired by one of my favourite Canadian cities,   Guelph, Ontario. Once a year, on “ Donkey Day , ” the animals are let loose throughout the city. It’s pure chaos, just like this tune." This might be the happiest song on the upcoming album, since the album has an "... overall theme of terrorism that’s woven throughout, to death, divorce, depression, religion..." You can watch the video for "Donkey Day" below. WE ARE ALL TERRORISTS , the upcoming album from Friendly Rich, will be out November 1. For more on Friendly Rich, check out his website .

Photo via Facebook Boston's Duck & Cover have a new EP coming out, and their latest single, "Two Shots," is a blend of a bunch of different punk genres. First off, "Two Shots" is a dirty, grungy style of punk. But, it also has a bouncy pop punk feel to it. The vocals are as catchy as you can imagine, except for when they have a shout along, hardcore feel to it. And then you throw in the killer guitar solo, which is usually not allowed in any style of punk. All of this is crammed into a single three minute song, and these styles happen separately and blend in at the same time throughout the chorus of the song. It completely shatters the typical classic punk song structure while still paying homage to classic punk. You can listen to "Two Shots" below. Two Shots , the EP, will be out in January on State Line Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Duck & Cover, check them out on Facebook . Two Shots by Duck and Cover

Boston's Plumes have a new single out, and it's a unique blend of folk rock. "Bobbie Blue & Connie Sue" has an interesting feel, with a start/stop quality, and a Smiths like delivery mixed with the aggression of Violent Femmes. I don't think it can truly be considered folk, but there is a distinct folk-adjacent feel. It's a quiet little epic song, that is somehow fun and quirky without being cutesy.  You can listen to "Bobbie Blue & Connie Sue" and its b-side "Summertime Autumn Breeze" below. The song will be included on Plumes's upcoming album which should be released in November. For more on Plumes, be sure to check them out on Facebook and Bandcamp . At their Bandcamp, you can download previous releases for free, and you know how we feel about free music!

Photo by Brandon Mark Upstate NY's Full Body have a new single that's the perfect blend of noise rock and pop craftsmanship. That might be a weird way to word it, since "Alias" is about as far away from a pop song as you can imagine. It kind of meanders around without following any set hit songwriting strategy. Plus, the guitars are bitingly fuzzy. But "Alias" has some serious catchy hooks. Somehow, since the hooks come and go whenever the seem to want to and not when they would traditionally need to go in order to comprise a standard song. The band has this to say about the song: "'Alias'  started with an idea Jack (our drummer) had. We changed the form around and collaborated on the lyrics, which for me was a first. It's one of the more pop leaning tracks on this record, and like a few of the other songs it touches on people not being who you thought they were. Classic shit am i right?" You can listen to "Alias" ...

Photo  by Varvara Mikushkina CHamoru-American artist Rosa Bordallo has released a final single before next week's release of her solo debut, and "Sleight of Hand" just heightens our excitement for the album. While her previous two singles, "Lost On the Coast" and "Citadel," were simplistically quiet and loud respectively, "Sleight of Hand" is both. It starts out with a shoe-gazey wash of guitars until the guitar drops out to make room for Bordallo's voice. The song meanders between quiet and simple and a droning, buzzy guitar centered rocker. It's a compelling dichotomy that makes us unable to wait for the album release next week. You can listen to "Sleight of Hand" below. Reef Walker , the new album from Rosa Bordallo, will be out October 18 on Time Castle Recordings. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp . For more on Rosa Bordallo, check out her Facebook . Reef Walker by Rosa Bordallo

Photo by Satellite June The latest single from Donna Blue feels like it was unearthed by Quentin Tarantino and used in one of his films. "Desert Lake" feels like a 60's Spaghetti Western mixed with 60's groovy. It's like if Nancy Sinatra decided to make cowboy music. The duo is Danique van Kesteren and Bart van Dalen, who are also a couple. "Desert Lake" started with van Dalen whistling in the shower:  "Next, we made a demo on our phone at home before taking it to the studio. At all done by the two of us, from beginning to end. We loved working with such an elaborate string section for the first time, it really adds to the mysterious mood." You can watch the video for "Desert Lake" below. For more on Donna Blue, check out their website .

We've been huge fans of Hallelujah the Hills for a while now, and based on the first two singles off their upcoming album, this one might be their finest to date. "Running Hot With Fire" is the latest, and it does this great dance over the line between mainstream alt-folk-rock and the weird. Singer Ryan Walsh keeps up a speak-singing cadence somewhere between Tom Petty and Craig Finn. It's mid-tempo song with fairly straightforward musically with odd little instrument flourishes and shout along choruses that somehow turn it into an epic rocker.  You can listen to "Running Hot With Fate" below. I'm You , the latest album from Hallelujah the Hills, will be out November 15. You can pre-order your copy via Bandcamp . For more on Hallelujah the Hills, check out their website . If you happen to be in the Boston area or want to make a trip, they'll be playing an album release show at Great Scott in Allston on December 19. I'm You by Hallelujah Th...

Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, Dylan Perkons's latest single is both mainstream and classic folk, but with its own little twist. "Love Like Mine" straddles that difficult line of being smooth and pop enough to appeal to a widespread audience while having just enough twang to appeal to country/Americana purists. The x-factor for Perkons is going to be his voice. I'm personally a fan, but a lot of my favorite singers have a unique not quite traditionally pleasant sound to their voices (think J Mascis or Bob Dylan). That's not to say that Perkons doesn't have a great voice, it's just not the type that you hear on this style of music. If it doesn't grab you right away, stick with it to the end and there's a great chance you'll end up completely into this song. You can listen to "Love Like Mine" below. The Healing Day , the upcoming album from Dylan Perkons, will be out on October 18. You can pre-order a copy here . For more ...

Ever since Lucy Dacus announced her 2019 holiday singles series, I've been waiting for October to hear her Halloween song. I couldn't wait to see if it was an original song or a cover of some spooky classic. Well, it's out, and she's covering Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight." It's an unexpected choice, for sure. Phil Collins isn't exactly tied to Halloween, and "In the Air Tonight" isn't usually thought of as a Halloween song. Plus, I've just never liked Phil Collins. All that being said, it's still a fun cover that stays very close to the original. It's far more 80's synth heavy than anything we've heard Dacus do in the past, and very voice does add a haunting feeling the original doesn't have. Plus, there is an underlying tension and discord that I wouldn't have expected. So maybe it's a fitting choice? You can listen to Lucy Dacus's version of "In the Air Tonight" below. The trac...

Artist : That Dog Album : Old LP Quick Description : Comeback album from some indie legends. Why You Should Listen : It's That Dog, guys. Come on. Overall Thoughts : As long-awaited as this return has been, it is great to know that this reunion has not resulted in the band missing a beat. With moments often as good as their high points during their first run, there is a lot to love in this album even in its imperfection. I’m reminded by less-than-stellar returns from other 90s acts and how much better this is, both in comparison and overall. Recommendation : Definitely worth the time. Artist : Chromatics Album : Closer to Grey Quick Description : New album from the longtime rock group. Why You Should Listen : They're more than just a Lynch-adjacent group. Overall Thoughts : A surprise release of sorts, even though we’ve been waiting for some time for a new album from this act, it’s basically what you expect. That’s not a bad thing, as they have a very distinct ...

Gordon Withers is best known as a rock cellist in J Robbins band. He also does solo cello covers of well known rock songs. He is about to release Jawbreaker On Cello , which as you can probably guess is an album of Jawbreaker covers done on cello. The first song we can hear from it is "Bivouac." Now, you can probably guess what Jawbreaker being performed on cello is going to sound like, and you'd be exactly right. This isn't some crazy, experimental version of a cello based song. But it is an incredible arrangement of a classic punk song done in a way you never expected to hear it. You already know if you want to listen to this. If you do, you'll quickly move past the novelty factor and appreciate the song far more than you ever expected to. You can listen to Gordon Withers's take on "Bivouac" below. Jawbreaker On Cello will be out November 1, and can be pre-ordered here . For more on Gordon Withers, check out his website . Jawbreaker On Cello b...

We're fairly rabid Tristen fans over here at If It's Too Loud..., so any time she releases any new music we're thrilled. Since we also love covers, her latest is especially great. As a standalone single, she's released a cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You." I'm not very familiar with the original, so I'll stick with Tristen's version. The cover is a retro-cool groovy song that keeps some modern day pop sensibilities with some 60's feel. It's a beautiful and fun version of a classic song that fits right in with Tristen's catalog. You can listen to Tristen's version of "A Case of You" below. The single can be found on Tristen's Bandcamp . For more on Tristen, check out her website . A Case of You by tristen