Someone's Making a Documentary about Mojo Nixon?!??!!?!?!?

I never would have thought of the possibility of a Mojo Nixon documentary, but now that one is on its way, I can't think of anything else. The politically charged and always hilarious hillbilly punk cult icon, who sang such classics as "Tie My Pecker to My Leg" and "Debbie Gibson is Pregnant With My Two Headed Love Child" will be the subject of The Mojo Manifesto in 2014. Freedom Records & Films released a two-minute teaser for the film. Right now there is a website for the film with the promise of a Kickstarter to come shortly. To keep updated on the progress of this project, "like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Make sure to check out the preview at the official website for The Mojo Manifesto, and for more info on Mojo, check out his website.

Best Music of the Second Quarter 2013

As I'm prone to do four or so times a year, I like to highlight some of the best music to come out in recent months. While I was really high on the first quarter of the year, the spring season of releases honestly left quite a bit to be desired. While we got a great song out of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," I feel as if it's been slim pickings on the music front as of late. Even if the new Jay-Z and Kanye albums are interesting, that doesn't necessarily mean I rank them as great, after all.

With that said, some highlights:

* Allison Weiss - Making It Up: I'll usually give any female-fronted alt-rock a listen, and Allison Weiss is a total 90s power-pop throwback. She's toured with Jenny Owen Youngs, which makes sense, and she makes some of the catchiest songs I've heard in some time. If you're a fan of Fountains of Wayne, or Veruca Salt, or excellent guitar-based rock with a female singer (or heck, even a good singer), you're not going to do much better than this. An early favorite to be near the top of my year-end list, for sure.

* !!! - Thr!!!er: I've loved !!! for some time, and while their more recent album didn't wow me, Thr!!!ler is a step in a great direction for them, in my mind. It's great, groovy dance-worthy rock with more than a few hooks that stay stuck in my head for days and days and days.

* Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends: Portugal. The Man is exactly the type of band Spotify is made for, I think. I've never really liked a lot of what they did, it felt like alt-rock that wasn't going anywhere for me, but in a slow new release week, I added their new album and fell in love. "Creep in a T-Shirt" in particular is super-catchy, and the rest of the album has a lot of staying power. If this is a band that needs a breakthrough, this might be it for them.

* Jason Isbell - Southeastern: Of the albums on this list, this was almost certainly the most anticipated for me, and I'm extremely glad I got to hear it. It's great folky/rootsy music, just the right balance between the slower stuff and more rock-oriented stuff. Easily my favorite thing Isbell has done so far, and it's absolutely worth a listen if this is your genre.

* Aoife O'Donovan - Fossils: Coming out of nowhere for me was this solo debut from Aoife O'Donovan. It's a great folky Americana album, and only when I was doing a little research for this post did I realize that she is the lead singer of one of my favorite bluegrass groups, Crooked Still. Thus, it makes sense that this album is so good. It's got the perfect mood, the melodies are beautiful, and O'Donovan has a great voice. Highly recommended.

The Julie Ruin - "Oh Come On"

Kathleen Hanna’s return to music is well on its way with the release of her new band’s, The Julie Ruin, first video for “Oh Come On.” It’s been 9 long years since Le Tigre released an album (17 for Bikini Kill, but who’s counting) which was caused by Hanna’s struggle with Lyme disease. For The Julie Ruin, Hanna reunites with Bikini Kill bassist Kathi Wilcox, which sets the tone for the album. That’s not to say you should expect the in your face edge of “Rebel Girl.” The Julie Ruin perfectly combine both Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. In other words, they sound like Bikini Kill reimagined as a party band. Hanna is extremely expressive with her vocals and is having a blast with her comeback. Run Fast is quickly rocketing to the top of my must buy records in an already stacked September.

Check out The Julie Ruin’s website here. Run Fast is due out on September 3 on the band’s own TJR Records label, with distribution by Dischord. They have some tour dates coming up, so check them out after the video.

Sep 03             BOWERY BALLROOM         NEW YORK, NY

Sep 05             UNION TRANSFER              PHILADELPHIA, PA

Sep 07             BLACK CAT                       WASHINGTON, DC

Sep 12             TBA FESTIVAL                   PORTLAND, OR

Sep 15             NEUMO'S                          SEATTLE, WA

Sep 17             SLIMS                              SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Sep 19             THE ECHO                        LOS ANGELES, CA

Sep 22             IRENIC                             SAN DIEGO, CA

Nov 08            FUN FUN FUN FEST            AUSTIN, TX  

Nov 09            FUN FUN FUN FEST            AUSTIN, TX  

Nov 10            FUN FUN FUN FEST            AUSTIN, TX

New Mike D Music!

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything from any of the Beastie Boys, so forgive me if I freak out a bit that MIKE D JUST RELEASED A NEW SONG! “Humberto Vs the New Reactionaries (Christine and the Queens Remix)” was recorded for Kenzo’s Spring/Summer 2014 fashion show, which isn’t exactly a very punk reason to record music, but I’m 100% ok with anything I get from Mike D. It’s a 10 minute epic that was designed to update American hardcore. At first I didn’t get it, as it’s very electronic, but after a few minutes it just clicked. It’s American hardcore for the 21^st century, complete with guitars and electronica blended together perfectly. Astute Beastie Boys fans will recognize the New Reactionaries’ name from  "Too Many Rappers (New Reactionaries Version)” on Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. It’s obviously not a Beastie Boys song, but it makes me desperate for whatever he or Ad Rock have coming up next.

Check out "Humberto Vs the New Reactionaries (Christine and the Queens Remix)" below via Soundcloud. Hopefully this is just the start.

Forgotten Fridays: BS 2000 - Simply Mortified

Forgotten Fridays is a weekly 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.

BS 2000 was a side project of Ad Rock of the Beastie Boys and Amery Smith, aka AWOL.Simply Mortified was their third release, and was also the final release from the Beastie Boys’ vanity record label, Grand Royal records. Since they lived on opposite coasts, the two members would take pieces of songs they had been working on and pass them back and forth. What you get is a fun record that sounds very little like a Beastie Boys project. It’s very lo-fi and synth-heavy. Cute would be an accurate description. While it doesn’t feel like it should be taken all that seriously, it’s hardly a novelty release. “Sick for a Reason” rails against former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani. “Boogie Bored” sounds like old school Beastie’s thrash punk, but put through an 8-bit video game. The two stand-out tracks, “The Side to Side” and “The Scrappy,” are Casio keyboard dance jams.

Simply Mortified is not a great album by any means. But it’s an absolute blast that harkens back to simpler times, when the Beastie Boys were a party band, while still keeping their trademark political beliefs. It’s a must-have for any Beastie Boys die hard.

Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana

I’m pretty sure we’ll lose our music blog license if we don’t review the latest from Western Massachusetts Speedy Ortiz. The blogosphere has been going nuts this week over this album. So far it has received universal praise for being one of the top releases of the week.

Major Arcana has an incredibly 90s indie rock sound. I hate making the comparisons because they are so easy to make, but there’s really no getting around it. They sound like Liz Phair formed a supergroup with members of Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. You get all the noise, quirky instrumentation, loud-quiet-loud moments, and aggression you would expect with this configuration, but with one huge difference: this record is fun. The pop sensibilities running behind everything is what truly connects it all and makes it unique. The opening track, “Pioneer Spine,” starts like an homage to Exile In Guyville and slowly starts snowballing with force until it erupts into chaos out of nowhere, all the while singer Sadie Dupuis doesn’t maintains a constant tone. If anything, she starts bringing more melody into the track. “Tiger Tank” begins with a bluster and turns into power pop not unlike Velocity Girl. Closer “MKVI” runs at an epic 8 minutes and could almost pass as “Teenage Riot”s long-lost cousin, with guitars that are somehow both plodding and swirling before falling apart towards the end.

I can’t seem to find an official website for them, but Speedy Ortiz does have a Facebook, Bandcamp, and Livejournal (just to prove how 90s their influences are). Check out their tour dates and a video for “Tiger Tank” below.

07/11 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick

07/12 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Milhouse

07/13 - Chicago, IL @ Coach House

07/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cause Bar

07/15 – St. Louis, MO @ Melt

07/16 – Kansas City, MO @ Czar Bar

07/17 – Omaha, NE @ The West Wing

07/18 – Denver, CO @ UMS Festival

07/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Salt Haus

07/20 – Boise, ID @ The Red Room

07/21 – Portland, OR @ Habesha

07/22 – Olympia, WA @ Hot Tub House

07/23 – Seattle, WA @ The Comet

07/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill

07/26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar

07/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Pehrspace

07/28 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar

07/29 – Phoenix, AZ @ Last Exit Live

07/31 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory

08/01 – Denton, TX @ J&J’s Pizza

08/02 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk

Newport Folk Festival 2013 - The If It's Too Loud... Guide

Last weekend the schedule for the 2013 Newport Folk Festival was finally released. As always there are major decisions to be made (Feist vs The Mountain Goats? Jason Isbell vs Father John Misty?), and we're here to help guide you. Of course, no matter how well I plan my schedule in advance, I always end up missing half of one band's set and another's entirely. This is merely a suggestion as to how to spend your day.

Friday

Fort Stage, 2:30-3:15

Kingsley Flood

Fort Stage, 3:35-4:40

JD McPherson

Harbor Stage, 4:45-5:40

The Mountain Goats

Quad Stage, 6:10-7:05

John McCauley

Fort Stage, 6:30-7:45

Old Crow Medicine Show

Saturday

Quad Stage, 11:45-12:45

Hurray for the Riff Raff

Harbor Stage, 1:35-2:30

Houndmouth

Quad Stage, 2:30-3:30

Shovels & Rope

Harbor Stage, 4:15-5:15

Jason Isbell

Harbor Stage, 5:40-6:40

Justin Townes Earle

Fort Stage, 6:15-7:30

The Avett Brothers

Sunday

Quad Stage 11:45-12:45

Cold Specks

Quad Stage, 1:10-2:10

Spirit Family Reunion

Fort Stage, 1:55-2:55

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Harbor Stage, 4:20-5:20

Beth Orton

Quad Stage, 5:25-6:25

Andrew Bird

Fort Stage, 6:15-7:30

Beck

First Listen: Interesting New Releases for July 9

The good news is that we're finally getting some good new releases again. The bad news is that they aren't so great...

Editors - The Weight of Your Love: Editors started out as a British Interpol that I generally liked more than Interpol. They've somewhat branched away from that a bit, but that doesn't mean that they're still not great. The new album is quite good on the first few listens, and I'm surprised it hasn't gotten more press than it has.

Jay-Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail: I talked about this a bit last week, and my initial thoughts pretty much hold. It's Jay-Z's best effort in some time, better than Yeezus (although it's trying to accomplish something very different), and probably Jay-Z's best work in years. Yes, it's funny to hear Jay-Z tell Miley Cyrus to "twerk it."

The Mother Hips - Behind Beyond: A friend got me into the Mother Hips some time ago, and I've never loved what they do, but they definitely do what they do really well and it's a nice change from a lot of what's out there. This album probably won't end up on any year-end lists, but it's a pleasant diversion.

The Octopus Project - Fever Forms: The Octopus Project does a very specific brand of indie glitchy electro pop. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much, and this album, for me, was no different. I feel as if they're an acquired taste from time to time, and while Fever Forms probably won't win them any new fans, it won't lose many either.

Daughn Gibson - Me Moan: The toast of the blogger class and easily the most hyped indie release in very recent memory, I listened to it and...well, I don't get it. I feel about Daughn Gibson the same way I feel about Ariel Pink in a sense - there are certain people who love what's happening, and then there are people like me who it simply doesn't work for. You'll know by the second song if this is your thing, to be frank. It definitely wasn't mine.






Other interesting releases for this week:

* Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices) - Honey Locust Honky Tonk
* The Reverend Horton Heat - Live at the Fillmore
* Death Cab for Cutie - The Barsuk Years

Win Tickets to the Newport Folk Festival via Junior Johnson's Midnight Moonshine!

Tickets for Saturday and Sunday have been sold out for months, but you can win passes to the Newport Folk Festival coming up July 26-28 at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI thanks to Junior Johnson's Midnight Moonshine. All you have to do is "Like" Junior Johnson's Midnight Moonshine's Facebook page to enter. We're not associated with Junior Johnson's Midnight Moonshine, but figure if we're going to help promote the festival as much as we are, we want you guys to know about ways to get in. When we come across any other contests, we'll be sure to let you know.

For more information on this year's Newport Folk Fest, be sure to check out their website.

Free Music!: He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister and Matt Pond

He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister are going to get lumped into the whole freak folk thing based on their name and their look. However, they are nowhere near as cutesy as you’d think based on those two factors. They’re much closer in style to bands like David Wax Museum and Dr. Dog. Right now Noisetrade is offering the 5 song "Let It Live Free" EP sampler mostly consisting of Daytrotter and Audiotree recordings. I’m going to highly recommend you download it and take a listen. It’s good, fun folk rock with a pretty good emphasis on the rock aspect.

Download "Let It Live Free" over at Noisetrade, and check out their tour dates and the video for "Can't See the Stars" below.

Jul 19 2013      London UK    Somerset House with Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

Jul 23 2013      Manchester UK           The Castle Hotel        

Jul 24 2013      London UK    Sebright Arms            

Jul 25 2013      Abbots Ripton UK     Secret Garden Party with Regina Spektor, Lissie, Django Django, Willy Mason & more

Jul 27 2013      Nottingham UK          Rescue Rooms            with Six. By Seven

Aug 16 2013   Santa Ana CA The Observatory with Southern Culture On the Skids

Aug 30 2013   Boulder CO    Fox Theatre    

Aug 31 2013   Fort Collins CO          Tour De Fat    

Sep 04 2013    Aspen CO       Belly Up Aspen                     

Sep 05 2013    Telluride CO   Fly Me To The Moon Saloon            

Sep 07 2013    Denver CO      Tour De Fat    

Sep 20 2013    Utopia TX       UTOPIAfest  

Sep 28 2013    San Diego CA Tour De Fat

Sep 30 2013    Petaluma CA   LaguMiniAmphitheaterette @ Lagunitas Brewing Company

Oct 03 2013    Tucson AZ      Hotel Congress          

Oct 04 2013    Flagstaff AZ   Orpheum Theater

Oct 05 2013    Tempe AZ       Tour De Fat

Oct 18 2013    Santa Barbara CA       New Noise Festival @SOhO             

Oct 19 2013    Morro Bay CA            Central Coast Oyster Festival

Oct 24 2013    Fresno CA       Fulton 55        

Oct 25 2013    San Francisco CA       The Independent        

Oct 26 2013    Los Angeles CA         El Rey

Oct 30 2013    Dallas TX        Dada  

Oct 31 2013    Austin TX       The Parish      

Nov 01 2013   Houston TX    Fitzgerald's Upstairs              

Nov 04 2013   Ybor City FL  WMNF Presents at Crowbar             

Nov 05 2013   Orlando FL     The Social      

Nov 06 2013   Tallahassee FL            Club Downunder

Nov 07 2013   Birmingham AL          Workplay       

Nov 08 2013   Atlanta GA     Terminal West

Nov 09 2013   Nashville TN   Mercy Lounge

Nov 13 2013   Allston MA     Great Scott     

Nov 14 2013   Philadelphia PA          Johnny Brenda's         

Nov 15 2013   New York NY            Bowery Ballroom

Matt Pond also fits into the folk rock category. He's more along the lines of Willy Mason or a full band Elliott Smith. Not bad company to be compared to. He used to go by Matt Pond PA, but as you can see has dropped the PA from his name. The Nines Festival is offering the free 3 song "Hole In My Heart" sampler for download. On this you'll find both full band and acoustic versions of "Hole In My Heart" as well as a cover of Stevie Nicks' "Wild Heart." Obviously the man likes a love song and he does them well.

You can find the "Hole In My Heart" EP on The Nines Festival's tumblr. Check out Matt Pond's tour dates and a video for said song below.

       

JUL 08 THE EARL W/ MATRIMONY ATLANTA, GA                    

JUL 10 JACK RABBIT'S W/ MATRIMONY JACKSONVILLE, FL                      

JUL 11 THE SOCIAL W/ MATRIMONY ORLANDO, FL                    

JUL 12 NEW WORLD BREWERY W/ MATRIMONY TAMPA, FL              

JUL 25 BROOKLYN BOWL            BROOKLYN, NY                

JUL 27 XPONENTIAL MUSIC FESTIVAL            CAMDEN, NJ                       

AUG 10 WILLARD FIELD    DEVENS, MA                      

SEP 01 BUMBERSHOOT     SEATTLE, WA                    

SEP 21 THE CATALYST W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD SANTA CRUZ, CA              

SEP 22 THE WARFIELD W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD SAN FRANCISCO, CA                   

SEP 24 SLO BREW W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA                 

SEP 25 HOUSE OF BLUES LAS VEGAS W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD LAS VEGAS, NV                 

SEP 27 STAR PALACE BALLROOM W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD FRESNO, CA            

SEP 28HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD HOLLYWOOD, CA             

SEP 29 MARQUEE THEATRE W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD TEMPE, AZ               

OCT 01 SUNSHINE THEATER W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD ALBUQUERQUE, NM                    

OCT 03 DIAMOND BALLROOM W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD OKLAHOMA CITY, OK                 

OCT 05 HOUSE OF BLUES NEW ORLEANS W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD NEW ORLEANS, LA                      

OCT 07 GEORGIA THEATRE W/ JIMMY EAT WORLD ATHENS, GA                       

OCT 08 THE ORANGE PEELW/ JIMMY EAT WORLD ASHEVILLE, NC                 

OCT 09 MINGLEWOOD HALLW/ JIMMY EAT WORLD NASHVILLE, TN