Forgotten Fridays: At Home with the Groovebox

Forgotten Fridays is an occasional 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. We go back and remind you of their existence, and help decide if they were any good.

I just realized we have yet to do a Forgotten Friday yet this year, so here we go with an old favorite from my college radio days...

At Home with the Groovebox was released by Grand Royal back in 2000. All artists recorded songs with the Roland MC-505 Groovebox. According to Wikipedia, the Roland MC-505 is "... a combination of a MIDI controller, a music sequencer and a drum machine." Since this was released on the Beastie Boys label, it's filled with artists either on Grand Royal or friendly with the Beastie Boys. As you can imagine, the results vary wildly, but all are pretty interesting. 

One of the better contributions is from Pavement. "Robyn Turns 26" is a dream for those of us that have ever wanted to hear Stephen Malkmus rap and may be a direct descendant of Groove Denied, his dance inflected solo album from earlier this year. Money Mark, Beck, and Air are all basically what you'd expect, and they've all heavily dabbled in such music in the past. Sonic Youth's "Campfire" is experimental noise even by their standards. Bis's "Oh My" is a strong highlight, and somehow keeps their energy even with being limited to one instrument. Sean Ono Lennon gives us "Winged Elephants," which manages to be 60's, 80's, and psychedelic all at the same time. "Today I Started Celebrating Again" is an electronic folk song from Bonnie "Prince" Billy. And Cibo Matto's contribution, "We Love Our Lawyers," is perfection.

Sarah Bethe Nelson - "Paralyzed Waltz"

Photo by Jennifer Lewis

San Francisco's Sarah Bethe Nelson is back with a new single and it continues her own unique version of interesting indie rock. "Paralyzed Waltz" is charmingly lo-fi and minimalist, but it has a full sound, and is as groovy as can be. It sounds like it could be a long lost demo to something out of the 60's. The minimalist feel is definitely intentional. Instead of working with a full band on her upcoming album, Weird Glow was recorded with just her long time collaborator Rusty Miller in the studio. Nelson says about the song (and this is one of my favorite artist quotes in a long time...):  "Paralyzed Waltz is loosely about how people perceive you so differently than you perceive yourself and how both of those perceptions are probably wrong. And part of it is just about having a crush on a guy with a broken front tooth." 

You can listen to "Paralyzed Waltz" below. Weird Glow will be out June 28 on Burger Records via streaming services and on CD, cassette, and limited edition vinyl. For more on Sarah Bethe Nelson, check out her website.

4 More Bands Announced for Green River Festival!

The 2019 Green River Festival was already can't miss with artists like First Aid Kit, Tyler Childers, Angelique Kidjo, Low Cut Connie, The Suitcase Junket, The Devil Makes Three, Rhiannon Giddens, The Suffers, and many, many more. Today they announced four more bands that somehow make this year's festival even better! Please welcome local artists Home Body (who have a blend of electronic music that will be quite interesting along with the other artists), Mapache (who will bring the best kind of pop Americana along with them), Chicago's gritty hip hop meets a brass band stylings of Lowdown Brass Band, and Fantastic Negrito, one of the greatest live artists I've seen in years. He was on my personal wishlist for this year, so I'm thrilled he'll be joining Green River this year! Of course, he's on my list for every local festival, so...

Green River Festival will be held July 12-14 at the Greenfield Community College campus in Greenfield, MA. For more info, check out their website.

Lucy Dacus - "My Mother & I"

Back in February Lucy Dacus released her cover of "La Vie En Rose" for Valentine's Day, and announced a holidays singles project for this year. The next one up was going to be for "Taurus season," her birthday, her mom's birthday, and Mother's Day. Apparently it's Taurus season, because "My Mother & I" is now out! "My Mother & I" is simply gorgeous. It's quite simply absurd how gorgeous this song is. It's an indie folk/rock track, but with intense orchestration and just a hint of noise rumbling underneath. It's a powerful and heartfelt song, which are descriptions I don't normally mean as a compliment.

You can watch the lyric video for "My Mother & I" below. You can purchase a copy via Matador Records here. For more on Lucy Dacus, check out her website.

Merival - "I With Mine"

Photo by Jen Squires

The latest single from Merival is a beautiful folk-adjacent song, but there is a strong undercurrent of anxiety filling the song. Some might use the phrase "haunting," but for me "I With Mine" is filled with stress. It might be because of the song's subject matter. According to Merival:

"For months on end, I had weekly intense dreams about someone I had dated 6-7 years prior, someone who played a very formative role in my life. It began to feel like a funny loop I had created for myself – this magnetism to somebody who had hurt me very badly but who had nothing to do with my current life. I feared I might have to deal with these thoughts for years to come. I felt powerless. If that person had called me up and asked to see me during that period, I don’t think I would have been able to say no."

I sincerely hope my description isn't keeping anyone from listening, since "I With Mine" is a great song. It's definitely worth your time listening to once or a dozen times. 

You can listen to "I With Mine" below. Lesson, the debut album from Merival, will be out June 21. For more on Merival, check out her Facebook and Twitter.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids featuring Boslen - "Creator Made an Animal"

Canadian hip hop might not have the best connotations for those of us of a certain age, but Snotty Nose Rez Kids will change that. As part of the Haisla Nation, Snotty Nose Rez Kids challenge racial stereotypes Indigenous people and other people of color face. Musically their latest single "Creator Made an Animal" reminds me of a 21st century Onyx. I'll let them explain the meaning of the song:

“'Creator Made An Animal' carries an aggressive and assertive energy that imitates the way society portrays Indigenous people and People of Colour across Turtle Island. Our ancestors were stereotyped as savages, and we are often regarded as the pissed-off generation who haven’t gotten over what colonization has done to our lands and to our people. Through stylish delivery, we proclaim ourselves as the Father 7th Generation and let the world know that we aren’t changing for anyone. The future is ours!

As human beings, we are powerful. It’s integral that we respect the knowledge that was passed down from our ancestors. Many of us also carry their pain, but every single one of us carry their power. Embrace that power, stay true to that power and to yourself!"

You can watch the video for "Creator Made an Animal" below. TRAPLINE, the new album from Snotty Nose Rez Kids, will be out May 10. For more on Snotty Nose Rez Kids, check out their website.

Olden Yolk - "Distant Episode"

Photo by John Andrews

For the second single off their upcoming album, Olden Yolk went a completely different direction from "Cotton & Cane." While that song was a cheery version of psychedelia, "Distant Episode" is cold and distant. The track sung by Caity Shaffer is almost painfully sparse and definitely not a pop song. It's a non-traditional choice for a single, but still a captivating song. Olden Yolk says about the single:

“‘Distant Episode’ is about rituals of escape, the ties between women, and summoning courage. The title references a Paul Bowles story of the same name, about a linguistics professor whose tongue gets cut out. The video was inspired by a certain time of night, when you can walk down some street and see TV screens flickering on the inner walls of houses.”

You can watch the video for "Distant Episode" below. Living Theatre, the new album from Olden Yolk, will be out May 17 on Trouble in Mind. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Olden Yolk, check them out on Facebook and Twitter. Current tour dates are below the video.

Thu. April 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Lodge Room w/ Chris Cohen
Thu. May 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right (Record release show)
Fri. May 17 – Boston, MA @ Lilypad
Sat. May 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Jerry’s On Front
Sun. May 19 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Tue. May 21 – Athens, GA @ Go Bar
Wed. May 22 – Atlanta, GA @ 529
Thu. May 23 – New Orleans, LA @ Santos
Sat. May 25 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
Mon. May 27 – Nashville, TN @ Soft Junk
Tue. May 28 – Nashville, TN @ Grimey’s 12PM In-store
Tue. May 28 – Louisville, KY @ Odeon
Wed. May 29 – Detroit, MI @ Outer Limits Lounge
Thu. May 30 – Chicago, IL @ Hideout
Wed. May 31 – Grand Rapids, MI @ House Show
Fri. June 2 – Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
Fri. June 7 – Sonoma, CA @ Huichica Festival
Wed. June 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon (LA record release show)
Thu. June 20 – San Francisco, CA @ Make Out Room
Fri. June 21 – Portland, OR @ Turn Turn Turn w/ Adam Torres
Sun. June 23 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
Sat. Oct. 12 – Portsmouth, UK @ The Festing
Sat. Oct. 13 – Exeter, UK @ The Cavern
Mon. Oct. 14 – Brighton, UK @ Komedie Studio
Tue. Oct. 15 – London, UK @ Lexington
Wed. Oct. 16 – Bristol, UK @ Louisiana
Thu. Oct. 17 – Birmingham, UK @ Hair & Hounds 2
Fri. Oct. 18 – Manchester, UK @ YES
Sat. Oct. 19 – Oxford, UK @ Ritual Union Festival

First Listen: New Releases for 19 April

A super, super busy week.

Artist: Anna Tivel
Album: The Question
Quick Description: Latest from a favorite folky.
Why You Should Listen: Anna Tivel does something a lot more special than you'd initially think.
Overall Thoughts: I’m trying to figure out what it is that makes Anna Tivel so compelling. She’s a favorite here, and I assume it’s likely due to the delicate nature of her instrumentation, or maybe it’s because her vocals work so well with the structures of her songs, or maybe it’s just songs like “Minneapolis” (her best songs are named after places), or maybe it’s just because she is so good at what she does from start to finish. This is an obvious must-listen for anyone into the more folkish side of things, and I hope this ends up being an overdue breakthrough for her.
Recommendation: Make sure you give this a listen.

Artist: Tami T
Album: High Pitched and Moist
Quick Description: Brutally honest electronic confessionals.
Why You Should Listen: In an era where you have artists like Poppy and the PC Music folks, it's weird to hear something like this.
Overall Thoughts: This came out in February and I missed it initially, but I tripped up on it this weekend and, well, wow. I don't quite know for sure whether this is an act or if it's some sort of straightforward album with out-there electronic backing, but this album really blew me away. There are great songs like "Birthday," absolutely crazy instrumentals throughout, songs that just pierce the heart like "Single Right Now..." it's what I would imagine Peaches to be like if she was starting out today. Don't miss this one, Tami T could end up being one of those artists that unexpectedly hits it huge.
Recommendation: Don't miss out on this.

Artist: Your Old Droog
Album: It Wasn't Even Close
Quick Description: New album from a sneaky great rapper.
Why You Should Listen: If you're not on the YOG bandwagon, what are you waiting for?
Overall Thoughts: There are people much better versed in rap music than I ever will be, but I’ll say that every Your Old Droog album (and, really, release period) has been super compelling and has engaged me in a way few rap albums do. This one is no different, from a great a capella break in the middle to an overall tone that feels more like a barstool conversation than the sort of pointed stuff that feels most popular right now. Great album, great delivery, great everything here.
Recommendation: Best rap album of late (not counting the next on our list).

Artist: Lizzo
Album: Cuz I Love You
Quick Description: Major-label debut from a favorite here.
Why You Should Listen: Everyone is talking about Lizzo, and for good reason.
Overall Thoughts: Man, how good is Lizzo? If you’ve been reading us for a while, you already know the answer, but this major label debut is going to really do wonders for everyone else who isn’t on board. What’s great about this album is that it is extremely fun – sure, you knew that was coming with “Juice,” but the whole thing feels like an affair that sounds as joyful as it is to listen to it. The Missy Elliott track is great, the whole thing just moves so smoothly… this is just great.
Recommendation: Don’t wait on this.

Artist: Orouni
Album: Partitions
Quick Description: Strange, multi-genre listen.
Why You Should Listen: It will keep you on your toes.
Overall Thoughts: This is a really odd album in many regards, and that’s not a bad thing. There’s old-style pop music, British twee… all sorts of ingredients put together into an album that, while not sounding like it all matches, still feels like a complete package. I enjoyed this quite a bit, and I could see myself REALLY into it in my early 20s.
Recommendation: Give it a listen.

Artist: QWAM
Album: QWAM
Quick Description: Near-perfect pop-punk.
Why You Should Listen: You're in the mood for some upbeat fun music.
Overall Thoughts: QWAM is a pleasant surprise this week. I've had awareness of them through a couple prerelease songs, but the full album is just perfect pop-punk song after perfect pop-punk song. I think I liked each song more than the next, which is a good problem to have. "Mall" is great, "Prom Queen" is great, "Buy a Toy" is great... this is just a sub-30 minute blast of music that will stick with you. Even if this album doesn't make some best-of lists, many of the songs certainly should.
Recommendation: This is one of the best of the week.

Artist: Insignificant Other
Album: i'm so glad i feel this way about you
Quick Description: Lo-fi goodness.
Why You Should Listen: I would have been so, so down with this back at the height of the anti-folk movement.
Overall Thoughts: Some gritty, lo-fi-esque indie rock that is really speaking to me. It’s easy to try and make comparisons to acts like Dream Wife or Illuminati Hotties, but this does have its own feel to it. It’s slightly abrasive, definitely raw, and incredibly compelling almost from the first verse of the first song. I can see this one sticking in my rotation for a long time to come.
Recommendation: Don't miss out on this one.

Artist: The Yawpers
Album: Human Question
Quick Description: Rawk!
Why You Should Listen: It's rawk!
Overall Thoughts: Listening to this gives me a real vibe of what it was like when you were hearing murmurings in the clubs about how awesome The Strokes were gonna be in 2000-2001. There’s definitely a modern rock sensibility to this album that is going to get a lot of buzz and maybe generate a “Yawpers are saving rock and roll” thinkpiece or four, but strip away all the baggage and you get a fairly good rock album here. This fifth album showcases a band fully-formed, and even if it’s not quite your speed...
Recommendation: ...you should be able to appreciate it for what it is.

Of note:

* Thayer Serrano - Wings Alleluia (Haunting, dark country-esque folk. Think Marissa Nadler with some twang.)
* Wand - Laughing Matter (I get some cool Radiohead vibes off of this at times.)
* Sloan Peterson - Midnight Love, Volume 2 (Don't sleep on this. Some solid indie rock here.)
* Jade Bird - Jade Bird (Solid country music if you can tolerate the sharp production.)
* Lolo Zouai - High Highs to Low Lows (Has a number of solid surprises for a pop album.)
* Kinbrae - Landforms (If you like atmospheric electronica, do not miss this.)
* Field Medic - fade into the dawn
* CZARFACE - Double Dose of Danger
* The Tallest Man on Earth - I Love You. It's a Fever Dream
* Heather Woods Broderick - Invitation
* Elva - Winter Sun
* Jens Lekman and Annika Norlin - Correspondence
* Unspoken Tradition - Things We Tell Our Young
* Drug Dealer - Raw Honey
* Wargirl - Wargirl
* Daniel Nogren - Wooh Dang

EPs:

* Izzy Heltai - Only Yesterday
* Winter - Infinite Summer

Also out:

* Nolan the Ninja - SPORTEE
* TR/ST - The Destroyer - 1
* Heart Attack Man - Fake Blood
* Cage the Elephant - Social Cues
* We Are Scientists - Megaplex: Rise of the Lycans
* Bananarama - In Stereo
* Diane Coffee - Internet Arms
* The Abyssmals - Gospels, Hymns and Other Trash
* Sad Planets - Akron, Ohio

Live Shows: Priests and Gurr, The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA 4/18/19

Priests
Photo by Ken Sears

For those of us that attended the Priests show at The Sinclair last Thursday, we were treated to two fantastic sets from two great bands. Both sets were surprising: One was far more energetic than expected, and the other was much more laid back.

Gurr, based in Germany but their drummer is from Boston, played first. I had never heard of them until it was announced they were opening the show, and I spent a little bit of time with their music before the show. It was good, but nothing that really stood out for me. Their albums are mostly laid back alternative pop. Just a chilled out vibe even on their

Gurr
Photo by Ken Sears

more energetic songs. Live they have a completely different vibe, coming across like Sleater-Kinney being joined by Kathleen Hanna from the "Bull in the Heather" video trying to secretly form Le Tigre. They apologized a ton for laughing too much in songs, and seemed to feel like they were putting on a bad show, but for the audience it added to the fun. Songs like "Middleton Mall" and "Don't Go to School" are much more fun and joyful when performed live.

Gurr
Photo by Ken Sears

I expected Priests to be much more energetic live, based on their previous album and some live performances I had seen on YouTube. But much like their just released album The Seduction of Kansas, Thursday night's show was more laid back than I had expected. I should say it started out much more laid back. Their entire set slowly built and built in intensity. The opening song, "Texas Instruments," was even more laid back than the album version. That started off a slow, almost imperceptible build through "Jj" and "Jesus's Son" which closed out the show with an intensity not matched by anything that came earlier. Singer Katie Alice Greer is by far the focus of the entire show, and with good reason. She commands the entire stage, and her voice is a rarity of the indie rock/punk leaning world in that she could quite easily sing at a more mainstream level if she chose to. Drummer Daniele Daniele came from behind her drum kit for a handful of songs, somehow matching Greer with singing and stage presence. The secret weapon of a Priests live show is guitarist G.L. Jaguar. His playing is beyond intense, even on the most laid back of their songs.

Priests
Photo by Ken Sears

Possibly the only complaint I could have with the show was how short it was. Priests played for forty five minutes, which seems very short for a headliner with three albums behind them. Perhaps there was some unknown issue, or maybe just how Priests roll. Either way, they packed in enough in their shorter set time to leave everyone happy but still hoping for more, which is how a good show should be done.

If you're looking for more pictures from the show, check out our Facebook page for the album. This is something we should be doing more of in the future.

Sebadoh - "raging river"

Fresh off the heels off last month's new song "stunned" comes another new song from Sebadoh, this one also written and sung by Jason Lowenstein. "raging river" is quite different from "stunned" (one of the reasons I've always loved Sebadoh is how different their songs tend to be from each other). While "stunned" was a noisy, abrasive punk-ish song, "raging river" is a lot more laid back. In fact, it's more of a groovy country-ish song. Of course, it's a Jason Lowenstein penned groovy country-ish song, so it's still pretty loud and abrasive.

You can watch the video for "raging river" below. Act Surprised, the upcoming album from Sebadoh, will be out May 24 on Dangerbird. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Sebadoh, be sure to check out their website, including their current tour dates.