Friday Refrain: What I'm listening to this week

What was that up there? Was that a catchy title? Woah-ho! Yep, welcome to the Friday Refrain where I'll be... well if you saw the title, you get the picture. Anyhoot - it's a new year, so why not some new music?

Out this week...

If you're looking for a winter jam to warm up these cold winter nights, check out The John Butler Trio, "Blame It On Me." It's a digital single from their upcoming February release, and I think it fits my basement bar just fine.

Senor Flavio, Nada Especial was a pretty fun listen to have pop up in my mix. I really don’t know what he’s saying because I can’t understand lyrics in English, so my tiny Spanish vocabulary really won’t help me here I’m guessing. I like the hard-hitting songs and even the poppy Sublime-sounding songs. Need a 39 second explosion of music? Check out the first track, "Kornalo."

If you're a fan of that alternative sunny California sound, listen to The Colourist, Lido. I'm interested to see what else they have in store and where their sound will go. It's just 4 tracks, so give it all a listen.

Snowapple released a self-titled album on Tuesday and it will be on my weekend morning playlist from here on. If you like the americana sound (can you call it americana if the band is Dutch?), give this a whirl especially "Baby Blue" and "Turn the Tables."

I have been waiting for the new Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Wig Out At Jagbags since they released the single last year. I'm recently turned onto Pavement and Stephen Malkmus, so I can't separate the thirst of fandom from objectivity on this one. I am satisfied though.

London by BANKS has been a toss-up for me. I don't know how I feel yet, but am giving it a mention. Want some more Polica, Lorde, almost The XX (but also not like The XX) at times? Then give it a shot.

What else have I been listening to from the recent past? Here you go:

Pop Fix?

"I Really Want It," A Great Big World

"Buffalo Bill," Moxie Raia - Put it into my mix with Dev, Charli XCX and Kesha. Dance.

Rock Fix?

Hilarious Heaven, DTCV - It just clicked with me. Like, checked out their website and almost bought myself a bunch of merch for Christmas clicked with me.

Clear Plastic Masks, Clear Plastic Masks - especially the last track "Baby Come On" but just listen through to it because the others are worth it too.

Dinner Party Music?

Les Calles, Pierre Lapointe

Portraits, Dario Carnivale

Summer?

If you're looking for a little summer in this winter, pour some sand on the floor, put on your swimsuit, turn on the space heater*, don your sunglasses and pretend. Then turn these on:

Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, Summer

 Tiger Waves, Weekends. 

For added fun - randomly mist with salty water or hire someone to do it for you.

*Don't mess with the space heater though. Those things can start fires.

Other Picks From December:

Talking Dreams, Echosmith

"Struggle," Grizfolk

Keep Warm... With The Warm Digits, The Warm Digits

It's quite a list this week with trying to make up for December and all, but it's January, what are you going to do? Leave the house? Ha! Play some games, do a crossword, and find something new to groove with.

Friday Refrain is a weekly post regarding what new releases have caught my ear for the week. I try to compile a pretty comprehensive list of pop/rock releases of the week and see what is available for me to listen to on the web. This is just my non-scientific, highly-subjective, randomly-listened-to list of stuff I enjoyed from the week. Oh, and I don’t always listen to lyrics, so appropriateness is left up to the listener.