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

All right my friends, it's a quick one today. Which tends to happen on Half Pints Whole Notes week - my podcast I do with co-host Josh Wodarz bi-weekly. This week we talk about The Suffers, Basia Bulat, Wolfmother, Pete Astor, Mavis Staples, The Frights and Moodymann. So check that out over at csicon.fm  I mean, it's not out today but it will be soon.

Today's releases! Anthrax rises to release For All Kings. Country star Bonnie Raitt has Dig In Deep and Willie Nelson covers Gershwin in Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin. Speaking of classics, Peter Frampton plays Acoustic Classics on his new album. And Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are back with This Unruly Mess I've Made. And then it is like alternative/indie rock crazy release week: Santigold is back with 99 Cents! Mount Moriah, How To Dance; Arcade Fire violinist Sarah Neufeld, The Ridge; Yuck, Stranger Things; Quilt, Plaza; The 1975, I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It; and School of Seven Bells release the final album SVIIB.

Marshmallows! It's the List!

Currently I'm listening to this dark rock album by Kal Marks, Life is Alright, Everybody Dies. Dark like brooding and growly sounding. And the track songs are pretty sad too, like "Loneliness Only Lasts Forever" so if you need that sort of thing today, check it out.

There's a sort of emo/angsty rock I like and it appears to be represented on The Thrill of Living by Mimisiku.

Vintage California rock fix for the week: The Shivas, Better Off Dead

Also digging singer-songwriter indie rock sounding Jordan Klassen, Javelin

Riding the soul and funk of last week, tune into Nigel Hall, Ladies And Gentlemen... Nigel Hall

I can't seem to stop listening to The Cave Singers with their indie rock album Banshee.

The male/female duo of Vandaveer, The Wild Mercury have some really interesting songs.

From what I've checked out so far, Hemelbestormer's Aether appears to be instrumental metal. Yes.

Discovered this one today, but will be putting it on for further listening: Michael Nau, Mowing. Simple singer-songwriter sweet songs

I wish that The Not-Its! had been around when I was little with their album Are You Listening? Specifically for the track, "Don't Fear The Dentist." Because I do. I just don't like the sound of the teeth scraping. Eegh. For a children's album, this is great. Right up there with the TMBG children's canon.

And let's get some punk in the mix this week: Scraper, Misery

When I put on Tracy Bryant I thought it would be singer-songwriter, maybe a little poppy indie singer-songwriter even. Instead it's this great indie rock album so far. A little west coast feel to it. A little warm weather in it. Oh it's called Subterranean.

Well I think that's it this week. I might be slow on the playlist this week. Need to go do other things for awhile but will get one up in the weekend for sure. In the meantime, spin a title from above and Happy Listening!