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

Oh my goodness people, I am a little OCD this week. I will not move on from the 11/27 releases until I've listened to a snippet of all that I can. So I'm a couple weeks behind. I don't know why I feel this way, but I do. And if there's one thing I've learned after living with myself for 31 years, it's to pick my fights. Sometimes I just got to go with it. So I'm going to be a bit behind, but I still wanted to post this week. I mean, where was I last week? Oh, yeah, I was getting ready to host 12 children at my house for a piano party. Only 9 in the end but give 9 kids pizza and they think they've won the lottery. What am I saying? Give me free pizza and I'll freak out too. So yeah. We did a rhythmically choreographed thing with plastic cups to the tune of "Sleigh Ride." Done perfectly, it would have been really cool. Letting things happen as they go, it's still pretty cool and funny. Super proud of my students for sticking it out. Anyway...

First today. Rapper Lizzo is out with her album Big GRRRL World today, and as a local favorite, I'll be checking that out later on today for sure. And R. Kelly is back with The Buffet. That's really the big stuff for this week. The releases will wind down from here on out, too late to get enough momentum for gift-giving and the best of lists after all. Last week, a couple rap albums - posthumous release of Pimp C, Long Live The Pimp and an album from Curren$y, Canal Street Confidential. And internet-sensation cat, Lil Bub, released an album titled Science & Magic. And popular rock band, Coldplay, released A Head Full Of Dreams last week as well. Bette Midler snuck in with A Gift Of Love. And that's that. You know, thinking about it, we still have one definite big week of releases in December - next week there's going to be a bunch of stuff to get excited about (hopefully). So tune in for that.

In the meantime. It's the November 27th List. Ugh, I have to brush my teeth.

Okay minty fresh. Some things I liked off the 11/27 stuff:

Los Dod, El Sonido Del Debut ó Despedida - Some latin music with horns and that rapping but not really more like talk-singing style. You know what I mean, right?

Surf Friends, Dreams Are Real- Obviously, a little surfy CA rock. Kinda feels like it's the opening music to a coming-of-age/going-back-home-for-the-first-time movie about the holidays set in a warmer climate.I guess the second track, "Dance Tonight," does a little guitar sound once that sounds like an airplane landing.

Separation Agreement, Familiar Haunts - Maybe if Spoon had been a little more moody and proggy, they could have been a little like this.

Silent J, Rehab - That noisy get up and go dance sort of electronica. Like when you watch a show and they're in a club, this is what they'd have playing with a bunch of flashing lights and vampires hunting in a club or something.

Street Chant, "Never" - Straight up rock with a tiny bit of nostalgia of Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies.

The Brainstems, No Place Else- Lo-fi and jangly noisier punkish rock.

Mama Sonic, "Grapefruit" - Fast and fancy free with that bass line riff like "A Town Called Malice"

Addie Pray, Screentime - If you like my female singer-songwriter tendencies, then check this one out. Right up my alley.

Fumaça Preta, "La Trampa" - Psychedelicish fuzzy trippy gypsyish rock. Turns out these guys have one EP and I think I'm going to be turning that on as soon as I finish listening to this 7" again.

String Noise, The Book Of Strange Positions - A married duo of violinists play some avant garde music and it is interesting, and it is also "noise." It is definitely avant garde. It is interesting and a good way to round my list. Take that.

All right there you go brave listeners. Things to go out and explore. Vast depths of sonically intricate waves to inflict upon your ear drums. Next week, I'll have more about last week's releases, maybe even catch up to this week. And there should be a Half Pints episode to talk about too. Well, it's that time, farewell and Happy Listening!

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

Happy post-Thanksgiving to all! Ugh, I failed again faithful readers, I didn't get the list all done before today's releases and now... now it's all buried. Because it's Black Friday Record Store Day and... well, Here's the link to find out what's out for that. You know, special releases, fun colored vinyl, rereleases, etc. Or just go to your favorite record store today and buy yourself something. Browse. Do it the old way before we had all this information at our fingertips.

All I know is that comedian H. Jon Benjamin has out a musical album today titled, Well I Should Have... *learned to play the piano. And I'm happy I found it. I'm not going to say much more in hopes that Josh will agree to talk about it for next week's podcast. Also, They Might Be Giants have a new kids album today, Why?. So I'll be popping that one on as well.

Okay, between the H Jon Benjamin album and my son refusing his nap by making funny noises with his mouth - I think I have to call it. This place is loony. And holy sheets- it's only a little after nine in the morning!?!? Oh man... This is going to be a day. Good luck everyone. Support your record stores! Buy vinyl for Christmas! Happy Listening!

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

Happy Prethanksgiving Thanksgiving Feast everyone! Now, I know, it's popular to call it Friendsgiving but I think that is not nearly as amazing as Prethanksgiving Thanksgiving Feast. So it's tomorrow, and I have so much to do. So head over to csicon.net to listen to this week's episode of Half Pints Whole Notes.

And the List

Okay. Today is the day that Adele's 25 hits shelves. Oo, and Enya releases Dark Sky Island. And if you're readiing honey, Guided By Voices is releasing another one of those Suitcase 4: Captain Kangaroo Won the War. Your welcome. You know that's really the biggest stuff besides a bunch of remastered and live albums. Because it's that time of year.

So I'm getting ready to host around 30 people tomorrow, and I've been thinking music. I'm pulling from the past, not really last weeks' list. Sorry, back to that next week. Anyway, First off

Cleaning Music

I mentioned this yesterday but that new Grimes album, Art Angels is pretty awesome

Girl Talk. Just any of it. Totally works for me.

LCD Soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem

Dinner Music

I was trying to think of somethign new and earth shattering but you know, it's just the best to put on

Stan Getz and João Gilberto, Getz/Gilberto

Maybe some Velvet Underground. It's odd but it kinda has that good groove.

Here's a new one: Raluca Stirbat's collection of George Enescu: Complete Works for Piano Solo. I'm really digging this classical album and pretty much determined that I need to learn every piece.

A little depressing perhaps but maybe that new Made of Oak album, Penumbra

Post Dinner Party Time

Phil Collins. Yeah, some Phil Collins is pretty awesome.

The Electric Peanut Butter Company, Trans-Atlantic Psych Classics Vol. 1

Habibi, Habibi

Maybe you need some accordion cumbia, Gregorio Uribe Big Band, Cumbia Universal

Well I hope that gives you a few ideas, some old, some new to try out this holiday season, and Happy Listening to all and to all a good gobble gobble!

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

Welcome back to the Friday Refrain! It's been a crazy week. The weather is making everyone act crazy I think. We had honest to goodness thunder/lightning storms on Wednesday. It's really off putting to experience that in November. But it could've been worse - could've been like the old Armistice Day Blizzard. Anyway. Music. That's what it's all about.

You put a band name in, you get a genre out, you put a band name and shake it all about, you do the hokey pokey and turn it all about, it's THE LIST.

This week, well well well... the Biebs takes on One Direction. Some have been looking forward to this for months, who will reign supreme? We'll find out soon enough. But yeah, Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber released Purpose and One Direction is out with Made In The AM. Was it just a band of the moment thing or will Parquet Courts hold the fickle eye of critics again with Monastic Living? Jam band JEFF the Brotherhood has Global Chakra Rhythms for your soul today. And yes, you will read it right, ELO has Alone in the Universe. And Jeezy (because he's not that young anymore) released Church In These Streets today.

But what about last week? Well, I can tell you it's probably going to be a heavy Josh picked episode next week because I had a hard time getting a chance to listen to anything between sharing and caring.

Missy Elliot, "WTF (Where They From)" - I like this single. I know, it dropped yesterday adn so it's more this week than last but whatever.

The Foxymorons, Fake Yoga - Fuzzy rock stuff like I like.I called it toothy. I think that means it's got a little edge or bite to it. Toothy might be one of my new descriptors. I like it. I mean, if something can be cheeky, why not toothy?

Room 306, "Tomorrow" - Good single. Not as into the remixes.

Khruangbin, The Universe Smiles Upon You - Prog/psychedelic/jam stuff.

Now get outside and play before it gets any more winteryier. Happy Listening!

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

Okay. I have ten minutes. And then I have to go back to stuff. So here we go. What can we do in ten minutes?

Half Pint Whole Notes week so check out our latest episode at csicon or on your favorite podcasting apparatus.

Watch out, it's a big one - THE LIST

Holy release day, Batmusicaman! (Wow, just looked it up, no actual Batman musical? Hm... It'd be way less dangerous than a Spiderman musical I'm guessing. Oh crap. Time's a-wasting) This week, I just can't even. It's too much. it's well here goes... Seal is back with 7. I'm going to have that rose song in my head now. Let's stick with the 90s, Natalie Merchant rerecorded her album Tigerlily and it is out today titled, Paradise is There: The New Tigerlily Recordings. Speaking of rerecording, Björk made an acoustic version of her January album and calls it Vulnicura Strings. Drifting back in time - Mr. Bob Dylansir's bootleg series is out with The Cutting Edge 1965-1966. Adding yet another thing I can't afford or really have room for currently to the list of things I want. Speaking of veteran awesome musicians, Billy Gibbons & The BFGs have Perfectamundo out today. Bouncing to the current popular scene - Ellie Goulding's album Delirium hits shelves today as well as CeeLo Green's Heart Blanche. Country megastar Tim McGraw released Damn Country Music. And if you like Sylvan Esso, check out Made of Oak which is the dude's new project and it is more electronic and not really vocal, so just heads up. There we go.

Turns out I get a bit more than 10 minutes thankfully. That means I can give you a few things from the week of release past:

Grupo Fantasma, Problemas - Currently pouring out of my speakers right now, this is lively and tight Latin music. Good for a pick-me-up or to dance around your space.

Greys, Repulsion - I'm really liking my rock this week and I appreciate a good little 3 song set, and that's what these guys deliver.

Alan Lee, An Australian Jazz Anthology - I didn't check out the details on what this is but I put it on and it's enjoyable.

Emmi, "60 Minutes" - Good little single.

Schmu, Come Into My Arms - Little fuzzy playground of rock action right here. I'll take it.

Younghusband, Dissolver  - A little more psychedelickish rock action

Harmonia, Deluxe - So this is a reissue. Coming from the same time as Kraftwerk but hasn't gotten the popularity and it should. This is a solid album. I love it. Listened to it several times and even almost made the Half Pints list. But we try to stay away from reissues. Anyway, if you like Tame Impala or that other band that came out around the same time but people seemed to like more but I didn't, then you should check this out.

All right, more than 10 minutes of writing but I got lucky. THANK GOODNESS. (napping kid - a napping kid who is going to be over the 1 year mark by next week's Friday Refrain! Crazy) Which is why I need to get going. Got to get the party decorations going. Figure out the party food. Do some dishes, dust some shelves, vacuum some rugs. Really I need to sweep the floors because that scoundrel likes to eat random discarded food. I'd be giving him too much credit to think he dropped food from his chair on purpose for later. I feed him snack. Don't worry. He's just crazy. All right. Go forth and Happy Listening!