Chris Brokaw - "The Heart of Human Trafficking"

I've long held the belief that Chris Brokaw is the most underrated musician working today. He's been in bands like Come, Codeine, and The Lemonheads, and played along side with Thurston Moore and GG Allin. All those alone should make you a legend, but then there's his solo work. Lately his solo work has been acoustic or experimental soundscapes, but with his latest single he's back to flat out rocking. "The Heart of Human Trafficking" is an absolute epic. Coming in at over seven minutes long, the song is a fast paced, driving anthem perfect for fans of 90's indie rock. As expected, the guitar work is the focus of the song, and just continues swirling and swirling along, keeping everything into one single, tight unit even as it tries to break free on its own. We're not even into 2021 yet and we already have a strong contender for song of next year.

You can listen to "The Heart of Human Trafficking" below. Puritan, the upcoming album from Chris Brokaw, will be out January 15. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp. For more on Chris Brokaw, check out his website.

Eli Paperboy Reed Covers Wham

It's December, so you know that if a band is covering Wham, they're covering "Last Christmas." Eli Paperboy Reed is the latest artist to take on one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time, if not one of the greatest songs of all time. His rendition of "Last Christmas" is obviously going to be a neo-soul version. It's insanely fun and upbeat, and is exactly what we want from any cover, but especially a Christmas cover song, and really especially this one. Plus, covers don't count towards Whamageddon, so you run no risks by listening to this one.

You can listen to Eli Paperboy Reed's version of "Last Christmas" below. The song is available as a single via Bandcamp with an original Christmas song, "Merry Christmas to Me." It's also a pretty great song, but there's no way we're going to pass up highlighting a cover of "Last Christmas." For more on Eli Paperboy Reed, check out his website.

Linnea's Garden - "Superspreader"

The first two singles from Linnea's Garden were decidedly glammed up dance friendly rock numbers. For the third the band has decided to mix things up quite a bit. Sure, "Superspreader" is glammed up and dance friendly, but the rock side of things is turned way up past eleven. Think if a band like Soundgarden or Tad decided to go all out with a Bowie influence. 

Considering the subject matter, "Superspreader" is strangely fun. Linnea Herzog explains the song: "I'd describe it as the ballad of a modern day Typhoid Mary heartbreaker. The inspiration for the lyrics came early in the coronavirus pandemic, when there was a lot of confusion, shifting rules, and dubious science, particularly surrounding the issue of mask wearing... that pervasive sense that there's no escaping the road to ruin."

You can listen to "Superspreader" below. You can get your copy over at Bandcamp. For more on Linnea's Garden, check out the band's website.

Linnea's Garden · Superspreader

The Actions - "Leap"

Trip hop is a genre that really should be ready for a comeback now, and if it does happen it could be thanks to The Actions. The Bristol based duo have released a new single, "Leap." "Leap" is, as with most trip hop, a chilled out electronic track. But, as with all truly great trip hop, it's hardly a relaxing song. There is an element of an electronic buzz slinking throughout the song creating a dark, foreboding vibe. The song seems to meander about, sometimes typical electronic style music, and then with these bursts of noise. It creates this intense feeling, and we think you're going to love this.

You can listen to "Leap" below. Flourish, the upcoming album from The Actions, will be out February 15 on Niteo Records. You can pre-order a copy on the band's Bandcamp. For more on The Actions, check out their website.

Sick Boy Simon featuring Onyx - "Bullshit"

It wasn't that long ago that Onyx had seemingly disappeared from the public eye. It's been nearly thirty years since the release of Bacdafucup, and while I know they've released music in that time, most of it has missed my attention. Onyx have been experiencing a Renaissance lately, at least here at If It's Too Loud. Fredo Starr and Sticky Fingaz have joined with Italian producer and rapper Sick Boy Simon on the new single "Bullshit." If you've loved Onyx in the past, you're going to love "Bullshit." It sounds like an updated version of Onyx. It's still hard and rough, but in a 2020 and more mature way. There's a certain RZA slickness to the production, which is never going to be a bad thing.

You can watch the video for "Bullshit" below. For more on Sick Boy Simon, check him out on Facebook. 

DD Darillo - "Time Will Tell"

Photo via Facebook

The debut single from Dylan Morgan's new musical project DD Darillo is an interesting one. "Time Will Tell" main components might be two of the most wildly different styles ever smushed together. The main thing you're going to hear is psychedelia. DD Darillo is dripping in 70's style psychedelia. It's psychedelic, but in a straightforward rock kinda way, not in a weirdo way. But there's a distinctly 80's vibe to "Time Will Tell." Sure, there are some synths, but what didn't have synths in the 80's? This is more of a Dire Straits/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 80's feel. This could be a mess, but DD Darillo channel these two sounds into a cohesive song that you're going to want on repeat.

You can watch the video for "Time Will Tell" below. For more on DD Darillo, check out the band on Twitter and Facebook.

Justine's Black Threads Cover "Angels We Have Heard On High"

I tend to truly despise traditional Christmas songs, especially the ones that are more hymns than anything else. However, there are always exceptions, and this version of "Angels We Have Heard On High" is one of them. Performed by Boston's Justine's Black Threads, this take on the traditional Christmas song is more of a rockabilly and bluegrass version. It's the kind of cover that could almost still be played in a church. Almost, but only if you had the most liberal of pastor, priest, or minister. It keeps some of the traditional feel but is still rockin' enough to not turn off even the most secular of us.

You can listen to Justine's Black Threads' version of "Angels We Have Heard On High" below. You can get your copy of the song over on Bandcamp. For more on Justine's Black Threads, check out the band on Facebook.

Saint Sister featuring Lisa Hannigan - "The Place That I Work"

Photo by Kevin Freeney

Dublin based duo Saint Sister have teamed with Lisa Hannigan for their latest single. The resulting song is "The Place That I Work," a nearly a capella Irish ballad. It's a modern version of a very traditional song, with the only instruments being strings, synthesizers, and birdsong nearly hidden in the background. This keeps the traditional feeling of the song intact while helping it sound modern and current. The result is an impossibly beautiful song you're going to become quietly obsessed with.

Saint Sister's Morgan MacIntyre explains the story behing "The Place That I Work":

“I wrote this song while I was working as a Christmas temp in Dublin’s oldest book shop, Hodges Figgis. One day a friend, who I hadn’t seen since we had a misunderstanding, came in and caught me completely off guard. I was, all at once, angry that we hadn’t talked for months and that they had chosen now, to come to where I worked to make peace, but also undeniably relieved and happy to see them, to know we were still friends.”

You can watch the video for "The Place That I Work" below. Saint Sister have a new album due out in 2021. For more on Saint Sister, check out the artist's website.

Gustaf - "Design"

Photo by Adam Lempell

You're going to thank me for introducing you to Gustaf. The Brooklyn based band have just released a new single, "Design." One of the immediate bands that are going to come to mind are their fellow Brooklynites Bodega, who they've also played shows with. Both bands play a version of funky, dance friendly post punk. One of the main differences in the bands is that "Design" feels darker. It's like if The B-52's decided to still be fun but went goth. 

Vocalist Lydia Gammill says of the new song:

"Although the title of the song is not the refrain ('desire’, we named the track 'Design' because it is a commentary on how our desires and critiques of others are a product of our design. Like in 'Mine', the narrator addresses an invisible critic, arguing that the ills we believe to be unique to ourselves are the result of an oppressive system. However, in the end we're just shouting at the back of someone’s head as they leave the room."

You can watch the video for "Design" below. The song will be included on the Mine 7" that is due out December 4 on Royal Mountain Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Gustaf, check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids with Skinny Local - "Screaming Indian"

Photo via Facebook

Snotty Nose Rez Kids make a type of hip hop I'm not normally into, but for some reason they just work for me. The Canadian indigenous hip hop duo (hailing from Haisla Nation) have just released a new single. "Screaming Indian" has a distinctly modern hip hop sound (I think the kids may call this trap?), which any long term readers would know that I typically can't get into. But Snotty Nose Rez Kids just have such a unique and creative style that it's impossible not to get into their music.

Young Trybez of Snotty Nose Rez kids explains the new single:

"The title "Screaming Indian" was an idea based off the retired Atlanta Braves logo that was also referred to as the 'Screaming Savage.' They were forced to retire it because of the obvious outrage from Indigenous activists who viewed the logo as racist and harmful to our people. The Braves 'retired' the logo in 1989 and tried to bring it back in 2013 as a batting practice logo; that is what sparked the idea for us. The world we live in moves fast and people forget quickly. We need to remind ourselves of where we come from and remind the world of what they've done to our lands and people. In this song we reclaim and embody the 'Screaming Indian.'"

You can listen to "Screaming Indian" below. For more on Snotty Nose Rez Kids, check out their website.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids · Screaming Indian