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

You know it would be so much easier if I just decided, "This week I'm taking off, and declaring it!" But, you see, I'm optimistic that I can do everything. *everything* And I can't. Which is why I didn't post for the past two weeks. We went on vacation. The first week I missed because I was trying to get the house and our stuff ready, the week after was us on vacation and now I'm back. Preparing to go out of town again but I will write my Friday Refrain dang it.

Plus, there's a ton of releases. I didn't do all my usual research and there were a ton of releases. Let's recap:

Billy Bragg did an americana album; the boss, Bruce Springsteen, released a companion album to his memoir ala Elvis Costello, Chapter & Verse; Hamilton Leithauser, I Had A Dream That You Were Mine; Let it go with Idina Menzel because she's got a wicked new album, Idina; Kansas released The Prelude Implicit; Shawn Mendes, Illuminate; children's veteran musician Laurie Berkner Band, Superhero; pop star BANKS released The Altar; Bon Iver, 22, a million; Drive-By Truckers, American Band; Herb Alpert, Human Nature; John Prine, For Better or Worse; Opeth, Sorceress; Pixies, Head Carrier; Regina Spektor, Remember Us To Life; and Solange, A Seat At The Table.

Phew.

And that only gets us to today. Minneapolis based Lizzo released her first big label release, Coconut Oil. Loretta Lynn has a Christmas album this year, one of many Christmas releases I'm anticipating, White Christmas Blue. Third Eye Blind has been playing a lot lately and now they have a new album, We Are Drugs. Speaking of throwbacks, Sum 41 released 13 Voices. Speaknig of Bonnaroo veterans, Phish relased  Big Boat and on the opposite musical spectrum of rock, Phantogram has Three. Popular rockers OneRepublic are back with  Oh My My. Meshuggah has The Violent Sleep of Reason. Kaiser Chiefs Stay Together. Norah Jones returns with Day Break. Speaking of returns,  Green Day released Revolution Radio. Seriously this is ridiculous: Melissa Etheridge, Memphis Rock and Soul; and Barry Gibb rounds it out with In The Now. 

The lists of yore: 9/23, and 9/30.

And now I have to go on my weekend. I promise to post some playlists over the next couple weeks to clue into things I've been enjoying but the fun lists will just have to wait until next week. I think you have enough to choose from though. (plus Half Pints Whole Notes has a new episode too) and with that my friends, Happy Listening!