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

And Good Morrow to all! What a gorgeous day it is here, hope it's all right where you are as well. Kind of an interesting release week with Record Store Day tomorrow. Conveniently for my husband and I, it occurs around our anniversary each year so it makes gift giving a cinch. We're hoping to score a Blitzen Trapper Harvest album, but we'll see.

As for the Tuesday (and such) releases though... Country star Reba McEntire is back with Love Somebody. Singer-songwriter Dwight Yoakam released Second Hand Heart. Classic Rock guy Bachman of Bachman Turner Overdrive released Heavy Blues. Rapper Tyler the Creator hits the shelves with Cherry Bomb. Another rising pop star from Canada Shawn Mendes is driving Handwritten up the Billboard charts. What is it with Canada and these home grown pop stars? Oh and this is crazy, The Von Trapps, as in yes those Von Trapps (great grandchildren of Maria) have an album out too, Dancing in Gold.

What's that scratching at my door? Why it's The List.

Sound of Albums made obvious by band or album name

Little Texas, Young for a Long Time

Gallows, Desolation Sounds

Kenny Lattimore, Anatomy of a Love Song

Amy Grant, Be Still and Know... Hymns & Faith

The Sax Pack, Power of 3

Band or Album names I wish reflected the album's sound

Stealing Sheep, Not Real - 30 minutes of frightened baaing with interludes of songs from the kidnapped sheeps' perspectives. Instead you can expect some eclectic trippy CA rock with a bit of synthy dance stuff mixed in.

Robert Bearsby, This One's For You - He's not a bear which means this album is not a bear singing love songs. Instead it's a pop singer. And not a bear pop singer

Jello Biafra, Fannie Mae/Just A Little Bit - I don't know what Jello would sound like, or would it be love songs Jello sings to Fannie Mae chocolates?

Villagers, Darling Arithmetic - yes. I'm going with a gaggle of people reciting their favorite math problems, properties or theorems. "A squared plus B squared oh the mystery! Could it really be the square of C?" But it's pretty good. The second track reminds me of "How To Fight Loneliness."

And that'll do it from the Friday Refrain this week. I'm feeling pretty good about this one I think, it's been kind of a disappointing week. Maybe I just had high expectations or maybe it's the fact that I tried to replace morning cake with something healthier. Quash that, I'm going back to morning cake. Until the next time my friends, Happy Listening!