The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

So it's Friday once again and I am here to divvy up some of the music release news. It's a pretty exciting release day, albeit in the shadow of Chris Cornell's death which I can't even wrap my head around. It is a good reminder that it doesn't matter who you are, your accomplishments in life, or whatever - the darkness of our minds can be all but too much. Find help. It may be scary, it may seem that no one cares, but it's not true. Reach out and you will be surprised. It sucks, it doesn't seem like it can work or happen, but help and caring can be found. There is more love in the world than all the darkness. Sucks that sometimes we have to strive to find it. But it's worth it. Get help if you need it or ask someone to help you find help. Anyway... I'll step off my soapbox now and proceed as usual.

It seems that New Kids on the Block and Seether was just the beginning of the iceburg of 90's and early 00's to have new releases: Faith Evans, wife of deceased Notorious B.I.G., is releasing Faith Evans & the Notorious B.I.G., The King & I. Snoop Dogg is back with Neva Left, and I hope it has a song as captivating as "Legend." And now back to the early 00's. You would not believe that today is May 19th two thousand SEVENTEEN when I say this next sentence, but it is and not 1999. Papa Roach releases Crooked Teeth today and Linkin Park returns with One More Light. (wasn't that super weird? Yeah.) Couple other big names before we get to the indie acts: Rascal Flatts follow up their Christmas album with Back To Us. Matisyahu released Undercurrent today, which I will be checking out as soon as I finish listening to my favorite new dance indie pop awesomeness band: MISTERWIVES and their newest Connect the Dots. (nothing will be as good as the previous album cover though) !!! return with  Shake the Shudder, and I always find it fun to see what that band is up to. Wavves release You're Welcome and retro songmaker Pokey LaFarge returns with Manic Revelations.

Revelate on This List: my aggregated list of last week's releases genrefied by me as much as I got listened to.

So it's another week where I'm all booked up - piano party, Pint Notes week, etc. So I've got the Spotify playlist up below and hopefully you'll find something that attracts your ears. Personally, I really like the Pavementy sounds of Spencer Radcliffe today. Or maybe the soulful singing of Don Bryant - a songwriter for years and now stepping behind the mic. Maybe you need some hard rock, then check out Snakecharmer. Maybe you need some metal? Try out Ulsect or White Ward. Whatever it is your ear is craving, I hope you find it and Happy Listening everybody!

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Sunshine sunshine. How beautiful is looking out the window right now and what's more beautiful? The music I've been listening to this week. That was pretty cheesy but I'm leaving it. Today's releases are exciting for those who like to be reminded of their glory days and then there's a few newer bands too. Let's hit it: Dreamcar is a supergroup of AFI and No Doubt members playing new wave on the album also named Dreamcar. Paramore releases After Laughter. Todd Rundgren released White Knight. And kicking it back to my college days, Seether released Poison the Parish. Of Destiny's Child past, Letoya Luckett released Back 2 Life. Surrounded by issues they are workign through, PWR BTTM release Pagaent. One of my favorite newer bands Girlpool released Powerplant. Also Elf Power is back with Twitching in Time. Zac Brown Band declares Welcome Home  with their new album that is said to be a throw back to their older sound. And for the big finale today: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK released an EP today, Thankful. You're welcome teens from the 90's. You're Welcome.

And you're welcome to check out this list I aggregated of the releases from last week. Maybe you'll notice that 100 bands are genrefied. That's because I sampled 100 bands from last week. No wonder my ears are tired.

I promised lists. And lists you shall have.

Quite a few wolves in the last few weeks:

Wolfpakk, Wolves Reign

Cotton Wolf, Life in Analogue

Wolf Brigade, Run with the Hunted

Russ, There's Really A Wolf

Last week, people got questions

Peaness, Are You Sure?

Theme Park, Is This How it Starts?

Black Lips, Satan's Graffitti or God's Art?

Juan Maclean, Can You Ever Really Know Somebody?

Okay so I only did two but that's more than lately. Also, I almost did that thing where I write a letter using album titles to form the content because it could've been really interesting and funny this week. Unfortunately I don't quite have the time today. I am throwing together a Spotify list so check out bunkamade at Spotify or click through for the link.

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Sometimes one might write something and then one might not post it. Sometimes that might be the case for last Friday. Perhaps. So let's start with the news I wrote last week:

Last Friday in musicdom Bush is back with Black and White Rainbows. A Thee Oh Sees' dude has a side project titled Damaged Bug and released Bunker Funk. Hurray for the Riff Raff is out with The Navigator. One of my favorite singing voices personally, Valerie June released the Order of Time. Celebrating 50 years of life the guy behind Magnetic Fields wrote a song for each of his years on 50 Song Memoir. Singer-Songwriter and amazing guitarist Laura Marling presents Semper Femina. Indie Rockers The Shins return with Heartworms. Oh, that doesn't sound good. How about: Indie Rockers The Shins have a new album named Heartworms. (though still gross) And indie duo Tennis are back with Yours Conditionally. Ah, and one singer-songwriter to round it out David Bazan, who released a Christmas album and bonus ep this past season, released Care.

So that was then and this is now. Chilly Gonzales & Jarvis Cocker team up to release Room 29. For some reason Conor Oberst decided to flesh out his amazing and one of his best albums ever from last year plus add other instruments to create Salutations. Two blast from the pasts Depeche Mode release Spirit and Rick Ross is back with Rather You Than Me. One of my all time favorite bands, Spoon, with that complicated rhythm and catchy tunes are back with Hot Thoughts. Pitbull released Climate Change. ANOHNI also returns with Paradise. Ty Segall released a single which I note because it is on Spotify. Paul Schaffer adn the World's Most Dangerous Band created Paul Schaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band. And I think that's it. There you go.

And Clyde says this is what I listened to from 3/3 and The List from 3/10.

This is the part where I make odd lists while drinking coffee and eating chocolate, but Clyde my cat has curled up on my lap.

The Body

Billy Valentine, Brit eyed Soul

When Nalda Became Punk, Those Words Broke Our hearts

Ha Ha Tonka, Heart-shaped Mountain

Army of Bones, Army of Bones

The Shins, Heartworms

Kneebody, Anti-Hero

Backwards Dancer, Backwards Dancer

Heart Attack Man, The Manson Family

Wolfheart, Tyhjyys

By the way, in the course of all that, the cat jumped down and I have coffee and cake.

All right, I know you are all antsy to get back to your corned beef so I'll just throw a bunch of the stuff I like onto a Spotify list and leave that at the bottom here.

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Welcome all to the Friday refrain - where I delve into today's new music, share my list of last week's releases and then share some odd groupings of music. All while I drink my coffee and take respite from the day. Hoo boy, I am tired this week. How about you? Been a little insomniac, not much - just restless and only one wakeful night. The brain has been overworking and I have a lot of inspiration, just need the diligence to make it all happen. I think I have some fun up my sleeve though. Anyway, what about that music then?

We have singles from Coldplay, Lorde, Wavves (yes!) and Sylvan Esso (double yes!). Then popular singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran brings us Divide. Staying to that side of the pond, Psych-rockers Temples bring us Volcano. As for more of the indie/alt rock scene: Minus the Bear released Voids; Sleaford Mods return with English Tapas; and The Besnard Lakes bring The Besnard Lakes Are THe Divine Wind. Singer-Songwriter Sondre Lerche released Pleasure. Lastly, the amazing and talented Bela Fleck released Juno Concerto today, a banjo concerto which is going to thrill the little one when he wakes up. ("Dueling Banjos" is played multiple times a day, as well as "Oh Susanna")

Holy fish fillets it's The List - what I culled from the world of last week's releases!

And finally, a list. From my cat, Clyde. A little background: He isn't our pet, he really isn't cat, he is our roommate. He inhabits the basement where I rent the Seedy Basement Bar from him. He will let us know when it's time to go, and he will let us know when it is time to eat (now, always). He's not very polite and he's pretty independent. He is a great photographer and a retired parkour pro (3 feet off the floor was his best wall run). We briefly had a twitter account for him. And someday we will rent a space at a street fair to sell and display his photography. Anyway, here's what he picked this week. I'm sorry for anything offensive. Clyde, you got this from here?

Have I got this from here? What the meow is that about? Of course. Don't impune my abilities. I am Clyde. I better get mad treats from this. First off, we have Thundercat, Steel Panther, and Speak/Dream Panther because obviously, we're all cat superiors. However this all started when i heard the song, "Likwyd Kitty" by DRYNX wafting down the hallway while I was napping. The sunbeam had disappeared so I decided, why not get up? Besides I need a little nip. So's I walk down the hallway and meow my way into this thing. Sometimes the name of a band just speaks to you like The Pigeon Detectives (no detective work here, I ate the pigeons), No Thank You (exactly), Sevendeaths (I've used a lot of my cat lives, there was the almost fatal Bookopotmaus sign squishing, the New Year's Day Dog Debacle, that time I ate tiger lilies, probably lucky I haven't died from something else I ate like bikini strings or whole dwarf mice), and Kingdom (yes. I have one. The whole world). Then there are those albums that speak to you: Millionaire Nightmares by Tracy T, every night man, always worried about my millions. Every night. I Will Kill Again by Meursalt, again every night man, every night I will kill those mice. Or chipmunks, whatever wanders in really. The rest of the playlist is really just songs that spoke to me or maybe their titles really get me.

I made the list kinda like a day in the life. A little bit of my attitude to start, and then starting my night. Subordinate Claudes is what I call anyone named Clyde that's not me. I like "Run Wild Horses" because it's like, yeah, be free horses. Run. Run like horses. Then a couple songs I just liked. Then I thought about dinner. So the crab juice song, dessert, whiskey, wine, Pretty soon you gotta walk away before they kick you out and then it's time for the night. When I get hungry at 3 AM, wake up that dude who lives upstairs, and then the waiting.. Hours and hours until it's finally morning and he feeds me. Sleeping. The inevitability of life, except no, my friend signals me right before the grim reaper shows up and I just amble into the sunset.

But really, nothing will ever dethrone Run The Jewel's Meow the Jewels.

You're welcome. Now where's my treats?

Happy Listening everyone!

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Good day to everyone! I hope you have injested as much coffee or other daytime beverage of your desire as you have needed. I am maintaining a very delicate balance of caffeination/over-caffeination as I woke up before I would have desired, but that is neither here nor there. There is a new Pint Notes episode coming your way this weekend, so stop by csicon.fm to check that out. And now for what's happening on the music scene today.

The Feelies are back again with In Between. Country band Little Big Town is back with The Breaker. If you liek At the Drive-in, The Melvins and Le Bucherettes then make sure to check out Crystal Fairy's eponymous album as it has a member from each of those bands. I kid you not, last week my son picked out Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's first album and we listened to it, thinking of how much I love that album and what is going on with it lately? Well today of all days Clap Your Hands Say Yeah releases The Tourist! Also on my list of what I will listen to first: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are releasing five albums this year, the first of which is today titled Flying Microtonal Banana. Because why wouldn't it be? And I loved the last Old 97s albums so I'm excited to dive into Graveyard Whistling as well. (I mean the single with Brandi Carlile is pretty sweet) Speaking of alternative and indie: Los Campesinos! released Sick Scenes; Dirty Projectors release Dirty Projectors; and Hippo Campus are climbing up the scene with landmark. Guitarist John Mayer is slow releasing his new album and the second part is out today The Search for Everything Wave Two. Hip hop artist Future released HNDRXX. Rapper Oddisee released The Icebreaker.

Flurries! Time for last week's releases: It's The List.

And now for an odd list and then some things I've been listening to over the past few weeks.

Seeing Double From One Friday (2/10) to the Next (2/17)

2/10: Molly Nilsson layered production of her songs. 2/17: Molly Burch and her guitar driven songwriter sensebilities

2/10: Noveller with its ambient instrumental journey. 2/17: Novella and their low key but compelling psych rock

2/10 Crushed Stars and their low key charmers 2/17 Amy MacDonald releases Crushed Stars

 And now for the trifecta: On February 10th, Meatbodies release their vintage rock reminescent of The Who, Led Zeppelin and Wolfmother The next week, Rogue Wave release a cover album. Also - Meat Wave (mindblown) release their great rock album that is an accessible intensity like Queens of the Stone Age.

That was fun. So I'm just going to throw the rest of my liked albums from the last couple weeks up on the Spotify lists (click over below or follow me - bunkamade - on Spotify) and you can take a listen. I try to keep it clean, but I don't make promises. So have a listen, hope you find something you like and Happy Listening! (spotify lists coming after I get a chance at them)