Shout Out Louds

Whats with all the new bands? If you don't all sound like Nickleback, you sound like 80s bands. Case in point: Shout Out Louds and their pale imitation of Head on the Door era Cure. Wait...thats only for the first few tracks...then they return to Sweden and sound like the Cardigans. Wait...now they sound like Robert Smith fronting Thompson Twins. I'm confused. Pick a band and rip them off, but don't rip off everyone under the sun. Not horrible, but mediocre at best.

I don't think I have to say much. To me, this felt like a continuation of Howl Howl, Gaff Gaff. I felt like the first song was a continuation of "Seagull" on the last album. This album seems so much more "grown up" though. Musically and lyrically speaking. Although I don't think the band really matured, it just seems more grown up. I personally think there is a difference. Anyway, to me it sounds more cohesive. ANd I think the female back up vocals were a great attribution to the cd. I love this cd. There really is nothing to say. I honestly think if you like the last album, you'd like this one. There are some influences from the CUre, but SOL's are so much more consistant and the totally different. I like the CUre but these guys are quite more creative and refreshing. NUFF SAID.

You can hear the influence of The Cure in the vocals (and some of the music for that matter) but that's not necessarily a bad thing for me. I agree that this isn't very original but it's a good sound, nonetheless. If you like Rogue Wave and/ or Vampire Weekend you'll like these guys. I'll give this Swedish group credit for a nice album.

Matt Zarnstorff

I found the first single to this band posted to an MP3 blog, and after seeing them compared to "Head on the Door" era Cure, I couldn't resist giving them a whirl. When I did, I was completely floored. Yes, it reminded me instantly of the Head on the Door and In Between Days. But I absolutely *love* those songs, and as I continued listening, I heard so much more to love than that. The guitar had clearly been influenced by Johnny Marr from his classic Smiths period. The voice was wonderful--definitely Robert Smith-y, but despite all these rather obvious influences, the whole was delivered as a perfect pop confection, somehow making all the influences work as something original and purely delightful. The songwriting is strong; they have almost immediately established a pipeline straight to the heart of 80's era college angst while covering it in Neo-Romantic hipness.

If any of this influence business sounds at all intriguing to you, let me make it easy for you. Just order this album. You won't be sorry. It is fabulous, fun, breezy, poppy and just plain enjoyable. Definitely a keeper, and I look forward to more from these folks.

I'm not one for comparisions. I like what I like. If I find two or more acts that have similar sounds, I'm glad. That's a good thing. It just means there's more to love.
And I happen to love Shout Out Louds. I bought Howl Howl Gaff Gaff and fell in love with their glorious pop along with the wondefully quirky addition of the xylophone. Their new record is a bit more grown up, like kid who's gone out seen some things. But it still feels young and fresh. This is the music of my teenage years, whistful, romantic, hopeless one minute and hopeful the next.
One of my particular favorites is 'Meat is Murder.' It really sounds like it's just Adam and his guitar. There's a nakedness,a trepidation about how he tells you some of the things he's been going through and the way that he's continually making sure he isn't saying too much. It feels very real.
So, this is an album I would encourage you to buy. It is a wonderful addition to any collection.
I haven't said too much have I?

I got this CD a few years ago after reading a review of it in a magazine -- not realizing that all CDs reviewed in mainstream magazines are same-sounding hipster life soundtracks. (When did this become the only music it was cool to like?)

That said, having left it on the shelf for a long time, I put Howl Howl Gaff Gaff onto my iPod for one last listen to determine whether or not to chuck it out, and came to really like a lot of the songs. It's the perfect kind of music for listening to alone, with headphones, while wandering around a big city, so if you're a portable music person, this could be for you.

Shout Out Louds are an indie-rock band from Sweden, and came out of nowhere with this 2005 debut album. If you wonder where I found out about this band, internet-only station WOXY ("BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll!"), the best indie-rock station in the country by far, plays them regularly and that's how they came to my attention.

"Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" (11 tracks; 44 min.) brings a mix of mostly up-beat songs, intertwined with a couple of more pensive tunes. Opener "The Comeback" (one of the singles from the album) sets the stage perfectly, a tune that will get even wallflowers going. The singer's vocals are somehow reminiscent of the Cure's Robert Smith, but obviously without the darker undertones. Other highlights on the album for me include "Please Please Please" (another single from the album), "There's Nothing", the fast track "Hurry Up Let's Go", with energy exploding all over, the pensive "Go Sadness", and the closer "Seagull", which sums up the album perfectly. The entire album flows by in no time.

This is not a bad album, but not a great one either, albeit it a promising one. Since this, however, Shout Out Louds released a great second album, 2007's "Our Ill Wills", and I can't wait to see where these guys will go from there. I had the opportunity of catching Shout Out Louds live earlier this year at the Langerado music festival in South Florida, and they put on a tremendously enjoyable set, bringing a lot of the "Our Ill Wills" songs, but also a number of tracks from this album, which frankly sounded better live than on the album.

I simply love this album! First heard about Shout Out Louds from Pandora and Time or Newsweek. Feel in love with this CD from the first listen. Love to walk around Chicago listening to it. And I loved this CD because it is almost as round as Karl Pilkington's head.

This cd smacks you square center of your face with "The Comeback," and does not stop. Songs like "Please Please Please" and "100*" only compliment the Shout Out Louds more. If your tired unoriginal music this will be your fix for a long time. Check out the forthcoming album coming to the U.S. September 11, 2007.

I tend to agree with another review that said pop is the purest form of music and there's nothing wrong with it. I think that's pretty true. Everyone wants to be a pop star, because that's how you get remembered. But then he said this is not album since it's a collection of singles, which I didn't know, and it totally threw me off. That's fine, but I thought the whole thing flowed very well. I love the style of music, whatever you call it. Good mix of instruments, acoustic and electric guitars, and I think I heard an accordian and flute and a clarinet in there. I loved the song structure, and the upbeat tempos. I don't usually go out and search for "indie bands" per se, but I was glad to stumble onto this little gem, however it is classified. If I had to liken it to something, I'd say Phoenix or Dogs Die in Hot Cars. Good stuff!

I didn't care for the remixes of Tonight I Have to Leave It, but I bought this for the single and the b-side cover of The Pogues "Streams of Whiskey", both of which are fantastic!

Tonight I Have to Leave It is one of the Shout Out Louds' best songs, sounding somewhat like "Head on the Door" era Cure. It's worth it to buy the album.

I picked this up primarily for the Pogues cover. Not one of the best Pogues songs, but a good one, and one that fits the SOLs' sound quite well.

Whats with all the new bands? If you don't all sound like Nickleback, you sound like 80s bands. Case in point: Shout Out Louds and their pale imitation of Head on the Door era Cure. Wait...thats only for the first few tracks...then they return to Sweden and sound like the Cardigans. Wait...now they sound like Robert Smith fronting Thompson Twins. I'm confused. Pick a band and rip them off, but don't rip off everyone under the sun. Not horrible, but mediocre at best.

I don't think I have to say much. To me, this felt like a continuation of Howl Howl, Gaff Gaff. I felt like the first song was a continuation of "Seagull" on the last album. This album seems so much more "grown up" though. Musically and lyrically speaking. Although I don't think the band really matured, it just seems more grown up. I personally think there is a difference. Anyway, to me it sounds more cohesive. ANd I think the female back up vocals were a great attribution to the cd. I love this cd. There really is nothing to say. I honestly think if you like the last album, you'd like this one. There are some influences from the CUre, but SOL's are so much more consistant and the totally different. I like the CUre but these guys are quite more creative and refreshing. NUFF SAID.

You can hear the influence of The Cure in the vocals (and some of the music for that matter) but that's not necessarily a bad thing for me. I agree that this isn't very original but it's a good sound, nonetheless. If you like Rogue Wave and/ or Vampire Weekend you'll like these guys. I'll give this Swedish group credit for a nice album.

Matt Zarnstorff

I found the first single to this band posted to an MP3 blog, and after seeing them compared to "Head on the Door" era Cure, I couldn't resist giving them a whirl. When I did, I was completely floored. Yes, it reminded me instantly of the Head on the Door and In Between Days. But I absolutely *love* those songs, and as I continued listening, I heard so much more to love than that. The guitar had clearly been influenced by Johnny Marr from his classic Smiths period. The voice was wonderful--definitely Robert Smith-y, but despite all these rather obvious influences, the whole was delivered as a perfect pop confection, somehow making all the influences work as something original and purely delightful. The songwriting is strong; they have almost immediately established a pipeline straight to the heart of 80's era college angst while covering it in Neo-Romantic hipness.

If any of this influence business sounds at all intriguing to you, let me make it easy for you. Just order this album. You won't be sorry. It is fabulous, fun, breezy, poppy and just plain enjoyable. Definitely a keeper, and I look forward to more from these folks.

I'm not one for comparisions. I like what I like. If I find two or more acts that have similar sounds, I'm glad. That's a good thing. It just means there's more to love.
And I happen to love Shout Out Louds. I bought Howl Howl Gaff Gaff and fell in love with their glorious pop along with the wondefully quirky addition of the xylophone. Their new record is a bit more grown up, like kid who's gone out seen some things. But it still feels young and fresh. This is the music of my teenage years, whistful, romantic, hopeless one minute and hopeful the next.
One of my particular favorites is 'Meat is Murder.' It really sounds like it's just Adam and his guitar. There's a nakedness,a trepidation about how he tells you some of the things he's been going through and the way that he's continually making sure he isn't saying too much. It feels very real.
So, this is an album I would encourage you to buy. It is a wonderful addition to any collection.
I haven't said too much have I?

I got this CD a few years ago after reading a review of it in a magazine -- not realizing that all CDs reviewed in mainstream magazines are same-sounding hipster life soundtracks. (When did this become the only music it was cool to like?)

That said, having left it on the shelf for a long time, I put Howl Howl Gaff Gaff onto my iPod for one last listen to determine whether or not to chuck it out, and came to really like a lot of the songs. It's the perfect kind of music for listening to alone, with headphones, while wandering around a big city, so if you're a portable music person, this could be for you.

Shout Out Louds are an indie-rock band from Sweden, and came out of nowhere with this 2005 debut album. If you wonder where I found out about this band, internet-only station WOXY ("BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll!"), the best indie-rock station in the country by far, plays them regularly and that's how they came to my attention.

"Howl Howl Gaff Gaff" (11 tracks; 44 min.) brings a mix of mostly up-beat songs, intertwined with a couple of more pensive tunes. Opener "The Comeback" (one of the singles from the album) sets the stage perfectly, a tune that will get even wallflowers going. The singer's vocals are somehow reminiscent of the Cure's Robert Smith, but obviously without the darker undertones. Other highlights on the album for me include "Please Please Please" (another single from the album), "There's Nothing", the fast track "Hurry Up Let's Go", with energy exploding all over, the pensive "Go Sadness", and the closer "Seagull", which sums up the album perfectly. The entire album flows by in no time.

This is not a bad album, but not a great one either, albeit it a promising one. Since this, however, Shout Out Louds released a great second album, 2007's "Our Ill Wills", and I can't wait to see where these guys will go from there. I had the opportunity of catching Shout Out Louds live earlier this year at the Langerado music festival in South Florida, and they put on a tremendously enjoyable set, bringing a lot of the "Our Ill Wills" songs, but also a number of tracks from this album, which frankly sounded better live than on the album.

I simply love this album! First heard about Shout Out Louds from Pandora and Time or Newsweek. Feel in love with this CD from the first listen. Love to walk around Chicago listening to it. And I loved this CD because it is almost as round as Karl Pilkington's head.

This cd smacks you square center of your face with "The Comeback," and does not stop. Songs like "Please Please Please" and "100*" only compliment the Shout Out Louds more. If your tired unoriginal music this will be your fix for a long time. Check out the forthcoming album coming to the U.S. September 11, 2007.

I tend to agree with another review that said pop is the purest form of music and there's nothing wrong with it. I think that's pretty true. Everyone wants to be a pop star, because that's how you get remembered. But then he said this is not album since it's a collection of singles, which I didn't know, and it totally threw me off. That's fine, but I thought the whole thing flowed very well. I love the style of music, whatever you call it. Good mix of instruments, acoustic and electric guitars, and I think I heard an accordian and flute and a clarinet in there. I loved the song structure, and the upbeat tempos. I don't usually go out and search for "indie bands" per se, but I was glad to stumble onto this little gem, however it is classified. If I had to liken it to something, I'd say Phoenix or Dogs Die in Hot Cars. Good stuff!

Whats with all the new bands? If you don't all sound like Nickleback, you sound like 80s bands. Case in point: Shout Out Louds and their pale imitation of Head on the Door era Cure. Wait...thats only for the first few tracks...then they return to Sweden and sound like the Cardigans. Wait...now they sound like Robert Smith fronting Thompson Twins. I'm confused. Pick a band and rip them off, but don't rip off everyone under the sun. Not horrible, but mediocre at best.

I don't think I have to say much. To me, this felt like a continuation of Howl Howl, Gaff Gaff. I felt like the first song was a continuation of "Seagull" on the last album. This album seems so much more "grown up" though. Musically and lyrically speaking. Although I don't think the band really matured, it just seems more grown up. I personally think there is a difference. Anyway, to me it sounds more cohesive. ANd I think the female back up vocals were a great attribution to the cd. I love this cd. There really is nothing to say. I honestly think if you like the last album, you'd like this one. There are some influences from the CUre, but SOL's are so much more consistant and the totally different. I like the CUre but these guys are quite more creative and refreshing. NUFF SAID.

You can hear the influence of The Cure in the vocals (and some of the music for that matter) but that's not necessarily a bad thing for me. I agree that this isn't very original but it's a good sound, nonetheless. If you like Rogue Wave and/ or Vampire Weekend you'll like these guys. I'll give this Swedish group credit for a nice album.

Matt Zarnstorff

I found the first single to this band posted to an MP3 blog, and after seeing them compared to "Head on the Door" era Cure, I couldn't resist giving them a whirl. When I did, I was completely floored. Yes, it reminded me instantly of the Head on the Door and In Between Days. But I absolutely *love* those songs, and as I continued listening, I heard so much more to love than that. The guitar had clearly been influenced by Johnny Marr from his classic Smiths period. The voice was wonderful--definitely Robert Smith-y, but despite all these rather obvious influences, the whole was delivered as a perfect pop confection, somehow making all the influences work as something original and purely delightful. The songwriting is strong; they have almost immediately established a pipeline straight to the heart of 80's era college angst while covering it in Neo-Romantic hipness.

If any of this influence business sounds at all intriguing to you, let me make it easy for you. Just order this album. You won't be sorry. It is fabulous, fun, breezy, poppy and just plain enjoyable. Definitely a keeper, and I look forward to more from these folks.

I'm not one for comparisions. I like what I like. If I find two or more acts that have similar sounds, I'm glad. That's a good thing. It just means there's more to love.
And I happen to love Shout Out Louds. I bought Howl Howl Gaff Gaff and fell in love with their glorious pop along with the wondefully quirky addition of the xylophone. Their new record is a bit more grown up, like kid who's gone out seen some things. But it still feels young and fresh. This is the music of my teenage years, whistful, romantic, hopeless one minute and hopeful the next.
One of my particular favorites is 'Meat is Murder.' It really sounds like it's just Adam and his guitar. There's a nakedness,a trepidation about how he tells you some of the things he's been going through and the way that he's continually making sure he isn't saying too much. It feels very real.
So, this is an album I would encourage you to buy. It is a wonderful addition to any collection.
I haven't said too much have I?