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

From the picture above, I hope you can surmise the reason why the Refrain was absent last Friday. While back again this week, it's in only in a very shortened version of its usual self because I'm still on the learning curve of balancing life and work.

So wham! The List

Just a short overview of the big names out this week: dreamy pop foursome One Direction released Four. TV On The Radio is back with Seeds. Nickelback released No Fixed Address. And Buzzcocks are out with The Way. That feels way too short. It is the holiday season coming up, which I think is why this week was so loaded with rereleases, box sets and live albums. So let's take a looksee at what came out for all those things I usually don't mention...

Live Albums

Depeche Mode, Live in Berlin

Kristin Chenowith, Coming Home

The Rolling Stones, From The Vault: L.A. Forum (Live in 1975)

Boxed Sets

Captain Beefheart, Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972

William Onyeabor, William Onyeabor

Bruce Springsteen, The Album Collection Vol. 1 1973 - 1984

Wilco, Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994 - 2014

Greatest Hits

David Bowie, Nothing Has Changed

Trisha Yearwood, Prizefighter: Hit After Hit

Wilco, What's Your 20

Tributes, Compilations and Rereleases

The Art of McCartney, Various Artists

Ty Segall, $ingle$ 2

Fugazi, First Demo

Brian Eno, The Drop; Neroli; Nerve Net; The Shutov Assembly

Robert Wyatt, Different Every Time

Who knows, maybe I just helped someone round out their gift list for the season when they harkened to the fact that there is a new Captain Beefheart boxed set; or maybe it was the loved one of a huge Kristin Chenoweth fan who is excited to wrap up her new live album. If none of those tickle your fancy, I would suggest randomly picking an album off The List and giving it a go. Me, I'm trying that Piano and Theremin album as soon as I have time. Here's hoping that next week I can return with some off the wall recommendations and a little more insight. Happy Listening and may you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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

Comfort. That seems to be the theme for this week. Comfort food, comfort places and comfort listening. It's wrap-yourself-up-in-a-sweater-and-sip-something-warm-from-a-mug weather after all.

As for the big names of the week: Bob Dylan released The Basement Tapes: The Complete Set this week and how that hasn't been what I've been listening to all week, I don't know. Bette Midler came out with It's The Girls!. Papa Roach released a new single, "Face Everything and Rise" in anticipation of their upcoming album. "Summer" creator Calvin Harris released Motion. Neil Young released Storytone, with songs backed by a full orchestra and some really nice tunes. Father John Misty released a single, "Bored in the USA." And Deerhoof released La Isla Bonita. Oh, I almost forgot - Ani Difranco's Allergic To Water also came out this week.

Happy November! It's The List.

All right, a comfort week is not a good week for making oneself listen to new music. And what I did listen to that I adhered to seemed to have a very relaxed and laid back vibe. I ended up liking the light vocals and staring-off-into-space inducing music of Ookoorookoo's Autumn Night. So I'm just going with one this week and it's Ookoorookoo. If you're looking for something more or something different, I say randomly pick a name from the List and put it on. See what happens. Maybe you'll find your new favorite band. Happy Listening!

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

Well, if you need to start off your weekend and get in the mood for a party, maybe you should just put on "#OMW2SYG (Swiggity Swooty)" by Splurt right now. Watch out for language though.

What else is there this week? Well Barry Manilow released My Dream Duets. The full release from Rancid is now available this week titled Honor Is All We Know. The Flaming Lips released With A Little Help From My Fwends - a cover of Sgt. Peppers' which I found not to be the best thing to put on at 3 am when I couldn't sleep. Probably really good if you're viewing 3 am from the opposite side, coming off a long and fun ride of a night. Jerry Lee Lewis released Rock & Roll Time and Leighton Meester came out with Heartstrings. Taylor Swift is also back with 1989.

Boo! It's the List.

And here's some picks for your ears:

Hemingway, Pretend To Care - It's got a 90s vibe going on with some hints of early Weezer to it.

Francisco the Man, Loose Ends - Just some rock for your soul.

Choir Vandals, At Night - A little bit of a heavier Cage the Elephant maybe? Perhaps.

Lily & Madeleine, Fumes - Harmonizing duo of female voices. My brain wants to say like First Aid Kit but it's not at all. Except that there is harmonizing between two females.

Cherry Glazerr, Had Ten Dollaz - I was just thinking about my top albums list and recently relistening to these guys thinking about how they're probably going to make my list. Anyway, this is some good rock to start your weekend with.

Dday One, Dialogue With Life - Not what I expected, but then I got stumped on what to call it. It's not exactly electronica. It's almost jazzy at times. It's just cool.

Ought, Once More With Feeling... - not to be confused with the Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode, but if you like Art Brut - give this one a spin on your dial.

Small Reactions, Similar Phantoms - You might like this if you like the sound of The Strokes

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, Dust - That kind of rock that's epic and laid back at the same time.

French For Rabbits, Spirits  - Speaking of laid back, this is just laid back and cool. Chill out music.

Oh hey, by the way, Happy Halloween! Hope you have a lovely and safe one. Don't go tricking people though, just treating. And with that, it's time to get ready to eat all the candy - I mean, pass out candy to the children. Happy Listening!

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

Happy fall Friday everybody! It is absolutely gorgeous weather in this neck of the woods and I hope it is where you are too. Well, the new release stampede has slowed this week but I think it's a pretty strong week for releases. How amazing is it that Sleater Kinney is back together and touring? It definitely made my week.

Sorry for the lack of news last week, but we were all just listening to Jessie J's new album, right?

Well let's get down to it. Neil Diamond is back at it with an album of original songs called Melody Road. I have had the chance to dig into it yet (it's on the To-Listen list) but I'm looking forward to it. Bush also released their full album, Man On The Run this week. Andrew Bocelli released Opera, The Ultimate Collection and  Billy Idol is back with Kings & Queens of the Underground. Annie Lennox made a standards album titled Nostalgia. And on the alternative side of things, Cold War Kids is out with Hold My Home; and Thurston Moore is finally releasing The Best Day.

Attack of the list.

Fit for a Halloween List

Narco States, Wicked Sun - The Doors-esque, this vintage sounding rock with organ just exudes that feel of dry ice fog and cement brick basements.

Primus, Primus & The Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble - Yes, that's right. Primus with a new album covering the soundtrack for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. And just in time for Halloween, this will definitely throw some strange fun into your music list.

List of Awesome for the week

Baxter Dury, It's A Pleasure - A delight. One of my happy discoveries this week. Maybe a little Damon Albarn with the female from Black Box Recorder

Bear's Den, Islands - Poppy Sufjan Stevens? Maybe?

Clorofila, Ahorita Vengo - Electronica with a Latin flair. Put it on your party list.

Stone Jack Jones, Circumstance

Saintseneca, Passionate Kisses - Great cover of the Lucinda Williams song

Vintage Sounds of Fun

The Budos Band, Burnt Offerings - you know that instrumental rock of yore with maybe a little more edge to it. It's going on a party mix for me.

The Memories, Hot Afternoon - Trippy rock. If you look at the album cover, you should have a pretty good idea of what you'll be getting into.

Prom Queen, Midnight Veil - Surfer cowboy rock. You'll get it if you listen to it. Track 2 is the "Theme To Midnight Veil" and there you have it. Might be my favorite of the week.

Well there we have it. Another week, another Friday Refrain written to the sound of toddlers running around my house. Which is pretty talented. One of them looks like a dinosaur though so that's cool. Anyway, the sun disappeared and I'm going to go find it. Happy listening!

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

The days are getting shorter, and the music list grows longer, and my posts arrive later and later in the day. But there's so much to listen to! Plus it doesn't help that I rewrote a significant portion of today's post after realizing my tone might have been a little more negative than I like to use. So anyway, Round Two! (but it's like round one for you because you're never going to see the real round one.) Starting to feel like I'm writing in a hamster wheel, time to make a break for it - Highlights of the week!

Stevie Nicks and Jackson Browne released new albums, 24 Karat Gold - Songs From The Vault and Standing In The Breach, respectively. Both albums are old songs revisited by the songwriters, like they somehow individually both decided to go out to the backyard and dig up that time capsule they buried way back when and share it with the rest of us. Weezer released Everything Will Be Alright In The End as well, which I haven't had the chance to give a full listen to but am intrigued by the 3 part suite at the end. It's hard to pull that off, and I'll give them the chance to succeed.

Later today though or maybe tomorrow, I mean there's like 150 releases on the list this week and my attention was focused on two artists: 1. Macy Gray's new album finally came out this week, The Way, and after being teased by all the singles I was ready for a listen. It's light, poppy, and switches between talking about drugs/lack of drugs and love. 2. Ex Hex, Rips. I really liked the EP and was hoping this would be another slam dunk like Clear Plastic Masks earlier this year. It's on my To-Listen list for another go-around. I need another go-around before I jump on the bandwagon I think. Or I have to see them live, not sure which. But it's one of those things. On the EDM side, Flying Lotus released You're Dead. New Found Glory released Resurrection, Bush has another new single promoting their upcoming album, and Yellowcard released Lift A Sail. Finally, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn cleverly titled their album, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, tune in here for your banjo and Americana fix.

Are you ready for this? The List.

80s Flashbacky

Peaking Lights, Cosmic Lights

High Ends, Super Class

Tosca, Outta Here

Yumi Zouma, "Alena"

Palate Cleansing Simplicity

Broods, Evergreen

O'Death, Out Of Hands We Go

Vashti Bunyan, Heartleap

Something Fun and Poppy

Streets of Laredo, Volumes I & II

Macy Gray, The Way

Alex & Sierra, It's About Us

Nikki Yanofsky, Little Secret

Odds and Ends

Shakey Graves, And The War Came - It has the same groove as the Macy Gray album but with less instruments and production. Might be fun to juxtapose the two by each other.

Tr3, Like Some Kind Of Alien Invasion - I really enjoyed the Latin-inspired guitar lines on "Mystery Calling"

Field Report, Marigolden - Is it Bon Iver meets David Gray? Maybe. I don't know. The wall I usually bounce these ideas off on was out of town before I wrote this.

Wampire, Bazaar - Again, bear with me, the wall I throw my spaghetti on to see if it's done was MIA, a jazzier T.Rex?

Dark Blue, Pure Reality - Who does the vocalist sound like? It's driving me bananas! It's on the tip of my tongue. I know I'll think of it after I post this. So I'm just going to move on.

Oh man, that Dark Blue thing is going to bother me the rest of the day. Hopefully it won't distract me from giving the shrubs a haircut, or a shrubcut I suppose. We've let them go all year and one of them is trying to take over the driveway. Unfortunately, the shrub doesn't realize we actually do own clipping utensils, we just never use them. Until today. Today, you shall meet your match driveway-taking-shrub! No more will you try to block us from our garage! Muahahahaha! Happy listening!