Porridge Radio - "Circling"

Photo by El Hardwick

After hearing "Sweet" and "Lilac" from Porridge Radio's upcoming album, I thought I knew what to expect. Every Bad would be filled with alt rock anthems, fuzzy and driving guitars, and tons of Pixies-esque loud/quiet/loud moments. But then they released "Circling" and blew my theory away. "Circling" starts out as this gorgeous, fragile song that just loops around the listener. As gorgeous as it is, there is a feeling of intensity and dread throughout, before it spirals into desperation. That could be since, as frontwoman Dana Margolin explains: 

“A lot of the songs on Every Bad are centred around the sea, and Circling was one of the last songs focused on the water that I wrote for the album. I was thinking on the idea of willing things to be okay by repeating that they are, because I need them to be. I tried to follow the feeling of the flow of waves, and how they keep coming in endlessly, washing everything away without judgment, and then bringing it back again.”

You can watch the video for "Circling" below. Every Bad, the upcoming album from Porridge Radio, will be out March 13 on Secretly Canadian. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Porridge Radio, check them out on Facebook and Twitter. Current tour dates are below the video.

Fri. March 6 - Liverpool, UK @ Jacaranda: Phase One (in-store)
Sun. March 8 - Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade (in-store)
Mon. March 9 - Nottingham, UK @ Rough Trade (in-store)
Tue. March 10 - Southsea, UK @ Pie & Vinyl (in-store)
Wed. March 11 - Kingston, UK @ Banquet Records (in-store)
Thu. March 12 - London, UK @ Rough Trade East (in-store)
Fri. March 13 - Brighton, UK @ Resident (in-store)
Mon. March 16 - Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge *
Wed. March 18 - Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlie’s (AdHoc Free For All) - SXSW
Thu. March 19 - Austin, TX @ Hotel San Jose (WFUV Session) - SXSW
Thu. March 19 - Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (Levitation Showcase) - SXSW
Thu. March 19 - Austin, TX @ Maggie Mae’s (DIY / Alt-Citizen) - SXSW
Fri. March 20 - Austin, TX @ Barracuda (The Current) - SXSW
Fri. March 20 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk (Brooklyn Vegan Day Party) - SXSW
Fri. March 20 - Austin, TX @ Cedar Street Courtyard (BBC Showcase) - SXSW
Fri. March 20 - Austin, TX @ Barracuda (Vans Official Showcase) - SXSW
Sat. March 21 - Austin, TX @ The Better Half (Vans x Thrasher Death Match) - SXSW
Sun. March 23 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere *
Thu. March 26 - Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen - SOLD OUT
Fri. March 27 - Liverpool, UK @ Studio 2
Sat. March 28 - Bristol, UK @ Ritual Union Festival
Sun. March 29 - Glasgow, UK @ Glad Café
Tue. March 31 - Sheffield, UK @ Record Junkee
Wed. April 1 - London, UK @ Colours
Fri. April 3 - Hastings, UK @ Marina Fountain
Sat. April 4 - Brighton, UK @ The Westhill Hall
Tue. May 5 - Brussels, BE @ Les Nuits Botanique
Wed. May 6 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Thu. May 7 - Berlin, DE @ Tiefgrund
Fri. May 15 - Rouen, DR @ Le 106 w/ Juniore
Sat. May 16 - L’Autre Canal, FR @ Bon Moment Festival
Sun. May 17 - Dijon, FR @ Festival MV
Mon. May 18 - Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Tue. May 19 - Tourcoing, FR @ Le Grand Mix
Fri. May 22 - Sun. May 24 - Totnes, UK @ Sea Change Festival
Sat. June 13 - Sun. June 14 - Guastalla, IT @ Handmade Festival
Thu. July 16 - Sun. July 19 - Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival
Fri. July 24 - Cheshire, UK @ Bluedot Festival
Thu. Aug. 20 - Sun. Aug. 23 - Brecon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival
*w/ Sorry

Friday Freebie: Blake Girndt - Just Rattlesnakes

Writing, recording, and releasing a new album during the RPM Challenge is an impressive feat. Being a part of two RPM Challenge albums is a crazy goal. But to be a part of writing, recording, and releasing three separate albums? Blake Girndt deserves some kind of award. He is a member of blog favorite Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys who just released THE CUTTING HORSE, and just released Lady Jane Grey's Wholesome Ritual with Death and The Poetess. (He's also a member of The I Want You, in case you're keeping score.) If three other musical projects weren't enough, it's time for him to release a solo album, Just Rattlesnakes. The album is a standard solo singer/songwriter project, but through the lens of someone who also plays with Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys. You get a blend of Lou Barlow's solo acoustic work, Daniel Johnston, and Jay Bennett. The songs seem to cycle through varying levels of straightforward and quirky while never committing fully to either. 

Girndt describes his recording process: "This is an album of performance. There are no edits on this album. Everything was recorded like it was a tape machine. So no fancy splicing, auto-tune, or digital trickery. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with those methods, but I've explored them thoroughly and wanted the satisfaction of creating something raw that suited my quirkiness."

You can listen to "Everything and Nothing" below. Just Rattlesnakes is available for the name your price option via Bandcamp.

Friday Freebie: Death and The Poetess - Lady Jane Grey's Wholesome Ritual

In case you didn't get enough Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys free music RPM Challenge goodness already this week, here's another free album from two members of the Army of Broken Toys! Death and The Poetess, aka Blake Grindt and Jojo Lazar, are back with a new offering: Lady Jane Grey's Wholesome Ritual. Death and The Poetess occupy the same world as the Army of Broken Toys, but have a completely unique sound. This album feels quite fancy and proper, and even includes a song that consists mainly of a flute solo ("Fluitar Fantasies"). This is most certainly not going to be for everyone who reads If It's Too Loud..., but sometimes it's ok to bring you a niche art project specifically for those interested in the humor of the Tudors.

You can listen to "Song To Drown To" below. Lady Jane Grey's Wholesome Ritual is available for the name your price option over at Death and The Poetess's Bandcamp. For more on Death and The Poetess, check out their Facebook.

Godcaster - "Apparition of the Virgin Mary in my Neighborhood"

Band name of the year candidate Godcaster have released a new single. "Apparition of the Virgin Mary in my Neighborhood" is a bizarro freak out of a rock song. They seem to take from experimental rock in all of its forms to create a sound truly unique to them. It's loud and heavy rock, and even has some fairly mainstream elements to it, but this is way too weird for your Foo Fighters listening friends, which is their loss. There's plenty of the bleeps and bloops required in experimental rock these days, so check that box. And "Apparition of the Virgin Mary in my Neighborhood" is impossibly funky. This song just grooves. Of course, all of this is in Godcaster's own special way, so really don't expect to hear anything all that familiar here, although it's still somehow familiar despite all that.

You can listen to "Apparition of the Virgin Mary in my Neighborhood" below. For more on Godcaster, check them out on Facebook and Twitter. Current tour dates are below the song.

3/6 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ Of Montreal, Lily's Band
3/7 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Collision
3/8 - Youngstown, OH @ West Side Bowl
3/10 - Mansfield, OH @ Mothership
3/11 - Ypsilanti, MI @ Ziggy's
3/13 - Chicago, IL @ VCR Gallery
3/14 - Chicago, IL @ Charm School
3/15 - Oberlin, OH WOBC Radio Session
3/20 - Brooklyn, NY @ Trans-Pecos
3/21 - White Plains, NY @ SUNY Purchase
3/27 - Boston, MA @ The Tourist Trap

Caroline Rose - "Do You Think We'll Last Forever?"

Photo by Kayl Cooper

One thing I've been worried about as more songs come out for Caroline Rose's upcoming album Superstar is just how great they are while sounding more and more mainstream. Her latest single, "Do You Think We'll Last Forever?," might be the one that makes her go from being our thing to being known by our kids and office mates. "Do You Think We'll Last Forever?" is a rare mainstream sounding pop song that is just good. Like, really good. It would be quite ironic if Rose's concept album about a singer trying to make it is what breaks her out of clubs and into theaters.

Caroline Rose explains the song: "“When I started forming the narrative for Superstar, I knew I wanted the first half of the record to feel upbeat in order to mimic the narrator's excitement in following this big dream. ‘Do You Think We’ll Last Forever?’ is one of these tracks that showcases the false bravado the character has, but also exposes a few more cracks in their veneer of self-confidence. The song is fun, but it's also tense, like a rubber band that's stretched until it snaps. It's not a love song, but rather a song about the anxiety that comes with the excitement of potential love. Is this person falling for me too? Am I good enough? Are we on the same page? Anyone who's had a passionate fling knows this feeling, so I tried to get across that the narrator is just like any other uncool person with anxiety issues.”

You can listen to "Do You Think We'll Last Forever?" below. Superstar, the new album from Caroline Rose, will be out March 6 on New West Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Caroline Rose, check out the artist's website. Current tour dates are below the song.

Fri. March 6 - Albany, NY @ The Hollow
Sat. March 7 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Wed. March 11 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
Thu. March 12 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café
Fri. March 13 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
Sat. March 14 - Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
Wed. March 25 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Thu. March 26 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Fri. March 27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Sat. March 28 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Wed. April 1 - Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Music Festival
Thu. April 2 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Fri. April 3 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Sat. April 4 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Hall
Fri. April 24 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Sat. April 25 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall: Upstairs
Sun. April 26 - Austin, TX @ Antone’s
Tue. April 28 - New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Wed. April 29 - Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
Thu. April 30 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
Fri. May 1 - Sun. May 3 - Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
Wed. June 17 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird
Thu. June 18 - Salt Lake City, UT @ State Room
Fri. June 19 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Sat. June 20 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Sun. June 21 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Wed. June 24 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Fri. June 26 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Sat. June 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

Katie Malco - "Animal"

Photo by Sam Manville

When you first start listening to "Animal," the new single from Katie Malco, you'd be forgiven to expect a mellow, plaintive singer/songwriter track. And then the guitars kick in, and you're being brought on this unexpected ride of alt-rock bliss. "Animal" just straight up rocks, but it's still a deeply personal song for Malco. The song documents her experience in a small industrial town and using substances to escape. As she explains: 

"I couldn’t go home, but being out every night meant drinking or doing drugs every night. Sometimes it was genuinely fun and sometimes I became acutely aware that I was desperately grabbing at something I couldn’t find in my sober life – happiness, stability and a feeling of general ease. There was one night that always sticks out to me in my mind as a real low point because I was being a really bad drunk – embarrassing myself and feeling really unwell – and that’s what Animal is about." 

"Animal" is this great and near-perfect blend of confessional songwriting, while also being a killer rock song. You don't normally get the two together, and that's what has us so excited for her upcoming debut album.

You can listen to "Animal" below. Failures, the upcoming debut album from Katie Malco, is due out June 5 on 6131 Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Katie Malco, check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter.

First Listen: New Releases for 28 February

Artist: Limbo
Album: Mixed Feelings
Quick Description: Lovely little indie electronic stuff.
Why You Should Listen: Limbo is really unlike anyone else right now.
Overall Thoughts: I’m a recent Limbo convert, having found this cat-masked producer thanks to “Airplane Mode” and falling in love with the whole thing. The new album is somehow better than her already great stuff, and I’ve wanted to get back to it perhaps more than I have for much else as of late. If you don’t mind some poppy electronic action, this is for you.
Recommendation: A favorite this week.

Artist: Sierra Hull
Album: 25 Trips
Quick Description: The superlative bluegrass virtuoso back with a great album.
Why You Should Listen: Sierra Hull is amazing. You should already know this.
Overall Thoughts: Maybe her most mature sounding record to date, this is bluegrass and roots music that is simply so much further along than most of what’s out there. What Hull does has always been special, but this one is just fantastic and has enough for the purists while also giving those looking for more modern flair something to enjoy.
Recommendation: Make time for this.

Artist: Ratboys
Album: Printer's Devil
Quick Description: New album from the indie rock favorites.
Why You Should Listen: Intended or not, I always feel like Ratboys is mysterious, and this doesn't change that feeling.
Overall Thoughts: We love Ratboys and everything they do, and this is just another stellar effort from them. “Alien With a Sleepmask On” is such a fun way to kick the record off, and I feel like the tone set by the opener really helps project where this record is going in a way their previous efforts didn’t. This album will ultimately reward longtime fans as much as likely bring new ones into the fold, which is really the best case scenario for everyone.
Recommendation: Worth your listening time.

Artist: Soccer Mommy
Album: Color Theory
Quick Description: New album from the indie folk artist.
Why You Should Listen: This has all the hallmarks of a breakout.
Overall Thoughts: One of the more anticipated releases of the week, this actually reminds me a lot of Julien Baker’s recent breakthrough, where the quiet folk sounds are offset by a loudness and intensity impossible to ignore. I liked Soccer Mommy before, I think I love her now, and I think you might end up loving her, too.
Recommendation: A solid entry this week.

Artist: Cold Beat
Album: Mother
Quick Description: New music from the punk-adjacent act trying their hand at more synthy goodness.
Why You Should Listen: Why Cold Beat isn't a huge band right now is beyond me.
Overall Thoughts: This is a shift of sorts for this act, but it still works as a sort of intense, post-punk effort that has a feel and sound all its own. We've fallen in love with Cold Beat here, and for good reason - with a unique style and amazing vocals, I just know I'm in for a great experience.
Recommendation: A great listen.

Artist: Hayley Whitters
Album: The Dream
Quick Description: Great rootsy folk music.
Why You Should Listen: Another solid voice that wants to stand out.
Overall Thoughts: Why highlight this over, say, any of the other recent roots records out? Something about The Dream just hooked me in and didn't want to let go, and it's just a really solid listen that shouldn't be ignored. She has written some popular songs, but it's not as if she hasn't kept a few for herself along the way, either. Like a well-crafted country song? Give this a spin.
Recommendation: A must-listen.

Artist: Gladie
Album: Safe Sins
Quick Description: Great indie pop risen from the ashes of Cayetana.
Why You Should Listen: This is something that might get some buzz.
Overall Thoughts: I don’t have a ton to say about this except that it’s a great indie rock highlight this week that shouldn’t fall off your radar. No reinventing the wheel here, but still a really solid indie record that, if there was any justice in the world, would get more attention. One might hope the Cayetana links will be enough, but it's worth your time even if you weren't a fan.
Recommendation: Make some time.

Of note:

* Dom Flemons - Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus (Finally on Spotify, and with a ton of extras.)
* Lisa Loeb - A Simple Trick to Happiness
* Black Market Brass - Undying Thirst
* Time is Fire - In Pieces
* Real Estate - The Main Thing
* The Orielles - Disco Volador
* Hayley Ross - The Weight of Hope
* The Secret Sisters - Saturn Return
* Tycho - Simulcast
* The Proper Ornaments - Mission Bells

EPs:

* Dead Horses - Birds
* Disclosure - Ecstasy
* Christine and the Queens - La Vita Nuova
* Sick Bags - Only the Young Die Good
* Gang of Four - This Heaven Gives Me Migraine

Also out:

* Wasted Shirt - Fungus II
* Sol Seppy - I Am As You Are, Part 1
* Merzbow - StereoAkuma
* Nova Twins - Who Are the Girls?
* Helios - Atomic Sun
* The Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic
* Lie - You Want It Real

Virginia Trance - "Hello Lou Reed"

Scott Ryan Davis of Psychic Ills is about to release his second solo album, and since this week would have marked Lou Reed's birthday, he's released the first single from it. "Hello Lou Reed" is an obvious tribute to the late music legend. The song has some very obvious inspiration from The Velvet Underground in the way that it kind of freely meanders around, but I'm also hearing some Pavement goes country in here, too. (And not "Range Life," but if Pavement decided to make a serious country/folk album in their very own style.) It's a perfect tribute to Lou Reed in that it honors his style without mimicking it.

You can watch the video for "Hello Lou Reed" below. Vincent's Playlist, the new album from Virginia Trance, will be out May 8 on BYM Records. For more on Virginia Trance and to pre-order Vincent's Playlist, check out the artist's Bandcamp.

Carla Geneve - "Don't Wanna Be Your Lover"

Photo by Duncan Wright

Australian artists have been absolutely killing it on the indie rock/Americana front lately. Carla Geneve is poised to be the new huge break out musician out of that country. Her latest single, "Don't Wanna Be Your Lover" lives firmly in between the worlds of indie rock and Americana. It has the trace elements of Americana while still just rocking out. It's reminding me a lot of whitechocolatespaceegg era Liz Phair or a more rocking Julia Jacklin. "Don't Wanna Be Your Lover" is a perfectly solid song for anyone who ever loved mid-90's alternative rock, or wants a little more edge in their Americana than the usual banjo bands provide.

You can watch the video for "Don't Wanna Be Your Lover" below. It will be on her debut full length album due later in 2020 on Dot Dash Recordings/Remote Control Records. For more on Carla Geneve, check her out on Facebook and Instagram.

The Venomous Pinks - "Hold On"

When we discovered AZ's The Venomous Pinks, they were covering the Joan Jett & The Blackhearts classic "I Want You." They're back with an original song, which guitarist/vocalist Drea Doll calls "A coming of age punk anthem that gives a lifeline for those struggling to keep a dream alive." "Hold On" is exactly what you'd expect from a band that burst into our consciousness via a Joan Jett cover. It's tons of punk attitude and edge, but also catchy and fun as hell. The Venomous Pinks are promoted as a punk band, and sure, this is punk. But it's more pure straight up rock 'n' roll than punk, like The Donnas or Supersuckers. 

You can watch the video for "Hold On" below. The song will appear on The Venomous Pinks's upcoming album I Want You on Die Laughing Records. For more on The Venomous Pinks, check out their website.