The Friday Refrain: A bit of what's new in music

Happy Friday! First off, an amazing discovery this week: Cheetos Mix-ups. My husband and I couldn't decide between puffs or crunchy, and then spied the bag of Mix-ups - puffs, crunchy, parmasan balls and waffle-fry looking ones. It is my new favorite.

I'm still combing through the music this week, but here's what I've found so far. First: The List

Pop/R&B:

Bend Sinister, Animals - I'm just taking a wild guess after listening to the first track, but I'm guessing Queen is a pretty big influence.

Aloe Blacc, Lift Your Spirit

Curtis Harding, Keep On Shining - Single with a throwback sound. Full album due out in April

Yacht Club, Tropicana - 80s all the way

311, Stereolithic

Elder Brother, Heavy Head

Macy Gray, Stoned

Dirty Guv'nahs, Hearts on Fire

Cody Chesnutt, Landing on a Hundred: B Sides and Remixes

Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy, Stratosphere

Ledisi, The Truth

Playground of Rock:

Battleme, Future Runs Metallic - Rock.

The Silver Palms, Superstar - A single that is more rock than the playground, while a little poppy.

Dean Wareham, Dean Wareham

Bobby Bare, Jr., North of Alabama by Mornin' - A single from upcoming full length on April 15th. Give a listen

Ozomatli, Place In The Sun

Metronomy, Love Letters

Laibach, Spectre  - This is going to the dark shadowier side of the playground, but I really got a kick out of "Eat Liver!"

The Shrine, Bless Off - Hard rock and fun

Black Submarine,  New Shores

Spotlight Kid, Ten Thousand Hours

Dena, Flash

Tunabunny, Kingdom Technology - Electronica rock.

Lissie, Cryin' To You - I'm a Lissie fan and while I think she could've taken the One Direction cover a bit further, there was nothing but glee in me as I heard "Mother" start up.

Hands & Teeth,  Before the Light

Trudie Dawn Smith, No Pop

Wake Up, Forever Home

World:

Juanes, Loco De Amor

Alsarah & The Nubatones, Silt - The single came out a few weeks ago, here's the full length now

Coréon Dú, Bailando Kizomba - Dancey Single

Country:

Don Williams, Reflections

Matt Wallace, For A Season

Sara Evans, Slow Me Down

Cowboy Troy, King of Clubs

Electronic:

Albin Myers, Ganesha EP - I really enjoyed the club mix of "Ganesha." But I'm a sucker for some 8-bit sound.

Uberjak'd, The Moment - single track, dance pop fun

Sleepers Work, No Turn Before the Shoreline

Clark, Superscope

Ekoplekz, Unfidelity

Reggae:

Gappy Ranks released 3 singles this week, "False Promises," "Maybe," and "Star Sign."

Hezron, "Good Reggae Music"

Rap/Hip Hop:

Young Money, Rise of an Empire

Metal:

Our Last Enemy, Pariah

Insain, Enlightening The Unknown

Havenside, Living Our Darkest Days

Armageddon Rev. 16:16, Sundown on Humanity

Nervosa, Victim of Yourself

Eisbrecher, Zehn Jahre Kalt

Psyclon Nine, Disorder: The Shadow Sessions

Jazz:

Nicky Schrire, To The Spring - I liked the first track a lot.

Ambrose Akinmusire, Imagned Savior Is Easier To Paint

Watters/Felts Project, Watters/Felts Project

Well, I have cabbage, potatoes and corned beef sitting around the homestead for the weekend because I love celebrating holidays that have food associated with them. And while I know it isn't St. Patrick's Day until Monday, that is also the busiest day of my week and I can't wait until 9 in the evening for that goodness. Anyway, try this Irish inspired recipe on for size - steam some whole leaves of green cabbage just til pliable. Shred some potatoes and carrots. Add a little caraway and salt. Or just salt. Put carrot/potato mix in middle of cabbage of leaf, and make a cabbage roll. Wrap with a strip of bacon, and bake for 20-30 minutes (this is from memory, I can't remember exactly the timing but it sounds right) at about 350 Fahrenheit. If you use half leaves and half pieces of bacon, they are a perfect 2-bite appetizer too. I might have put a little minced onion in the roll as well. Anyway, happy weekend!

 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 from the week. Oh, and I don’t always listen to lyrics or look at album art/music videos, so appropriateness is left up to the listener.