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

Happy Friday to you and yours! The list of releases this week is pretty single heavy in anticipation of all the full-lengths to come. If it's not a single, then it seems like it's hard to categorize this week. Its a good week to be Keb' Mo' with a new album out, Bluesamericana, and he's playing the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival tomorrow afternoon.

What a crazy mash-up that line-up is. Tonight Public Enemy, The Avett Brothers, Santana, Gregory Porter and Joe Louis Walker plus more close out the evening (on different stages). I wonder if there are any spontaneous moments where the sound from two or more stages will synchronize and create a natural mash-up. Those are my favorite festival moments, standing inbetween stages where the sound bleeds together and for just a few measures, two bands you would never put together match up and then it's gone. Anyway... to the releases.

Hey - it's the List!

The Sunny West Coast Playlist

Fear of Men, Loom - well kinda moody sunny rock. Just a little.

Isabelle Amé, We Are Life

The Apache Relay, Apache Relay - NW coast, that is.

The Luxembourg Signal, Distant Drive - just a 2-track single but worth a listen

Markus Krunegård, "Du Stör dig hårt på mig"

The Sunny Pop Playlist

Lovey James, "Rollercoaster" - new single that is a delicious pop treat.

Neon Trees, Pop Psychology

The Sunny Rock Pick: I mean, like you want to pump your fist in your garage while working on your Trans Am pick - Three Lions, Three Lions

Just Rock

The Whigs, Modern Creation

The Shackletons, Records - Shack-LE-tons not Shack-EL-tons. Just be sure on that

And if it's raining...

My Autumn Empire, The Visitation

Natalia M. King, Soulblazz - at least it sounded good when it was raining the other day to me.

Chill-out

Baladista, Baladista

Luluc, "Without A Face"

My Bubba, "Feverish" - bossa-like and good for dancing, dinner partying or relaxing.

A little bit for any mood I think. Some really nice releases this week, so make sure to take a listen even if there aren't any familiar names up there. Happy listening!

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 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

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

So that's what happens when I go shopping after not leaving the house for 48+ hours...

My body had poor timing this week and decided to incapacitate me for two days. While I did get to catch up on a lot of television, the only music I wanted to listen to was Chumbawumba. I don't know why, but that's how it went. Anyway, tomorrow's Record Store Day and if you haven't had a chance to look at the special releases, now's the time to do so.

I did manage to get a bit of listening and compiling done before I became one with my couch. So here's a partial List.

If you're still itching for something to check out, there's the first Afghan Whigs album in forever out this week, Do To A Beast, and the new Jessica Lea Mayfield is definitely worth a listen. Ray Price's posthumous album was released this week, Beauty Is, and if you want a tear-jeaker story, read up on how it came to be.

Happy listening!

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 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

The Friday Refrain: A Bit Of What's New In Music

Happy Friday everyone! It's the start of the music festival season - Coachella is about to get underway! My husband and I have decided not to travel to any festivals this year, so there'll be a lot of webcast watching at this household. What a line-up for today though, from 4:00 on I would be stage hopping like crazy. Replacements, Neko Case, Grouplove, Girl Talk, Jon Spence Blues Explosion, and Outkast? Crazy.

The List

And now for some picks.

Lawn Games?

Incan Abraham, Tolerance

Little Racer, Modern Accent

Rock

Tweens, Tweens

Mean Creek, Local Losers

The Faint, Doom Abuse

Get in a dancing mood

Savage Skulls, single: "Dachstein"

De Lux, Voyage - I think the 2nd half of the album really picks it up.

Chill/Lazing about

Your Friend, Jekyll/Hyde

Adnan Joubran, Borders Behind

Folly & The Hunter, Tragic Care

Fireflies, In Dreams

Female Vocalist Groups/Musicians

Thus Owls, Turning Rocks - Like Tori Amos and another fe

EMA, The Future's Void

Highasakite, Silent Treatment

Nostalghia, Chrysalis

Speaking of festivals - One three word word: RadioLoveFest! Oh my goodness. It's probably a good thing I can't afford or go to this because I might break apart if I saw all my NPR loves in one week. Also, glad it doesn't have many non-East coast programs otherwise I wouldn't be able to stay away. And why hasn't this been done before? Agh! Okay, time to eat my hot dog. Stay hydrated this weekend and happy listening!

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 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

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

Ack. That moment you bite into your oatmeal and momentarily forget you put walnuts in it. It's okay though, I've recovered. To the music!

THE LIST. dun dun dun dunnnnnnn.....

Give It A Try...

WV White, West Virginia White - Noisy rock with a Bright Eyes mixed with The Microphones to it. Part of me doesn't agree with that at all.

Saintseneca, Dark Arc

The Shivas, You Make Me Wanna Die - Distorted Surf-y Rock EP

Busman's Holiday, A Long Goodbye

Philip Parfitt, I Am Not The Man I Used To Be - This has that end of winter, will it ever end? feeling that people in my parts have going on right now. Let's just all wrap up in a blanket, light some candles or a fire and chill out. It'll melt. We'll be okay.

Pattern Is Movement, Pattern Is Movement

Ortolan, Covered in Black

Malachai, Beyond Ugly - Honestly, I put this in my maybe pile. But "The Love" is definitely worth a listen, and yet not representative of the album. I think I like this one shuffled rather than in order.

The Bamboos, Fever In The Road

Jamaica, Ventura - I liked the track "Rushmore." The vocalist has a T.Rex sound to his voice, but the background is not T.Rex so don't think that. More like palatable and good 80s.

Caught A Ghost, Human Nature - Need a little pick-me-up? Throw on this one. It's got that upbeat vintage sound to it.

For Something Different...

Sunday Driver, Flo - A lot of different elements in this music.

Leon Russell, Life Journey

La Dame Blanche, La Dame Blanche - Latin hip-hop and cumbia. So good.

Robert Cray Band, In My Soul

Bob Dylan Tribute/Cover Albums in the last two weeks

Bob Dylan in the 80's, Vol. 1, Various Artists

The Brothers & Sisters of Los Angeles, Dylan's Gospel

The Charlie Daniels Band, Off The Grid: Doin' It Dylan

Also, I think there is another one coming out in the next few weeks. Is this normal? Did I just not realize how many Dylan tribute/cover albums come out each year, or is there a surge. I also found one from February From Another World: A Tribute To Bob Dylan. I might need to do some research...

Speaking of Tributes...

Ronnie James Dio: This Is Your Life, Various Artists - including Motorhead, Anthrax, Tencious D, and Metallica.

Looking Into You: A Tribute To Jackson Browne, Various Artists

Songs I Liked This Week

"Wanted Me Gone," Josh Thompson, Turn It Up

"The Love," Malachai, Beyond Ugly

"Dwarven March," Pilgrim, Ii: Void Worship

Such a creative category listing this week, huh? I'm blaming the oatmeal incident, this Dylan tribute/cover craze and not sleeping much and planning my own music festival if I ever did one. Anyhoot. Have a good weekend and happy listening!

 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 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

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

It must be spring - The Baseball Project released 3rd this week and the weather is finally looking up (for now). Speaking of baseball, The Big Bumble Bees and their eponymous album has a magnificent ballpark-sounding organ in the instrumentation. Also this week, Barry Manilow released Night Songs; a new old Johnny Cash album, Out Among The Stars; and Elton John released an Anniversary Set for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Hey! It's the list with over 50% genre-fied by me.

Stuff I've Been Looking Forward To

The Hold Steady, Teeth Dreams - I like it. Revisiting the feel from the older albums, but with new twists. I'll take it.

The Belle Brigade, Just Because - It's on my To-Listen for this weekend, but still, I've been waiting on this.

The Colourist, The Colourist - I like it. It's got some good songs on it. Give her a whirl.

Let's Groove

3BallMTY, Globall - Obvious swearing on some songs, so I'll actually warn because I noticed it. But man, I'm going to dance-clean the house so fast to this.

Mr. Little Jeans, Pocketknife - I love the cover of Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs." How did they make it slower and poppier at the same time?

Sleeper Agent, About Last Night

Wait, it's spring!

Spirit Kid, Is Happening - Listening to this reminded me that it's time to put on The Kinks. Everyone listens to The Kinks in spring, right?

The Baseball Project, 3rd - Yeah, I mentioned it earlier, but thought you might need a reminder.

Left field suggestion (ha! I didn't even see that until I wrote it... Ah segues...): The Bad Plus, The Rite of Spring

Wunder Wunder, Coastline - Sunny Rock single

These two songs in a row:

Cage The Gods, Badlands, "Bruce Willis"

L.R.S., Down To The Core, "Never Surrender"

To-Listen

Circa Zero, Circus Hero

Jim Oblon, Sunset

Owls, Two

Seahaven, Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only

Not Sure. Not Yet, Grow

Big Scary, Not Art

Erica Campbell, Help

Should, The Great Pretend

Future Islands, Singles

Desert Noises, 27 Ways

Another list, another week and time to bid adieu. Have a great weekend and happy listening! (Fade out to "Bad Nendorf" by The Big Bumble Bees)

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 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