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

Hey there ho there hi there hey there! Sorry for the blip last week - it was a busy weekend of seeing an author friend's book signing and an afternoon spent on a hill in Theodore Wirth Park tallying wins and losses for a Kubb Tournament. And pretty awesome too. Then this week - it's warm. Warm. Warm. We will be dusting off the running stroller in an hour or so and going for the year's first run. Also, I think I saw 3 large crane type birds landing on the Mississippi today. Which seems early, but they know better.

Let's just give a brief recap of last week: Country star Reba McEntire released Sing It Now; Sampha released Process; Elbow are back with Little Fictions; Leann Rimes released Remnants; Syd of The Internet had Fin; and Less Than Jake are back with Sound The Alarm. Last year Jesca Hoop released an album last with Iron & Wine's Sam Beam, this week she is back solo with Memories Are Now. Lupe Fiasco returns with Drogas Light. Tinariwen has Elwan and Thievery Corporation is out with The Temple of I & I. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears (possibly the best & the's ever) released Backlash as well. That's a whole spectrum of music right there and that's pretty representative of how 2017's music scene has been so far. Which is pretty neat. Oh man, Michael Bolton not only has a Netflix Valentine's Day Special but he also released Songs of Cinema today.

And then there's the list of yore, and the list of yore yore (two weeks ago)

This is when I put together fun lists, however I fear the wee one will be emerging from his dark cavern of slumber soon and thus it won't happen, so I'm going to concentrate on getting my Spotify Playlists put together instead. And if this is still here when I post it, that means I was correct and I should say Happy Listening now! (suddenly I want Cheez-its. Seriously want Cheez-its. That is very odd.)Happy Listening!

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

Howdy. How's your Friday? Mine's going well - I mean it's sunshiney out and it's been a cloudy week. Which is what I would expect with moderate temperatures all week. That's MN January - horridly cold and sunny as all get out or dreary but bearably cold. I'm doing some cramming for Pint Notes tonight - that's right, we are officially changing the name. With artwork and a new show tonight. We're all over the social media, though we aren't utilizing it yet, just look for @pintnotes to find us.

Anyway, today today today, what is out today you wonder? Wonder no more - we've got all the indie rock you want! Japandroids are at it again with New To The Wild Heart Of Life. Ty Segall released a self-titled album today and Tobin Sprout (of Guided By Voices) released The Universe and Me. It's a big day for MN releases with rapper P.O.S. releasing Chill, Dummy and Duluth's Dead Man Winter with Furnace. Speaking of MN, we shall claim him for kinda our own now due to the Prairie Home Companion (because that's what we do, you have one tie to MN and we will claim you forever and ever and ever), Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau also released a selves-titled album. And the lead guitarist left but Train still runs on with A Girl A Bottle A Boat. Also on the rapping front, Migos released Culture - and if you want to be entertained today, you should check out their appearance on The Cruz Show when they rap the children's book Llama Llama Red Pajama. I guess it's a Cruz Show tradition that I'm delighted to know about. Gucci Mane also released 3 For Free. And I thnk that's what I've got for release highlights. Oh - wait, heads up Australian Musicheads and Tame Impala fans - Pond released 30000 Megatons today as well.

Shiney shiney list of last week's releases.

In came the animals, two by two

Foxygen, Hang and The Proper Ornaments, Foxhole - indie rock amalgamation vs. low key Elliot Smith style

As Lions, Selfish Age and Alex Clare, Tail of Lions - the radio friendly metal of As Lions or radio-friendly singer-songwiter

HKE, Dragon Soul and Kasey Chambers, Dragonfly - Electronica vs. Country

Other things I Liked

Botany, Raw Light II - Electronica I get work done to.

Awa Poulo, Poulo Warali - World music

Dot Hacker, No 3 - Indie Rock

Avec le soleil sortant de sa bouche, Pas Pire Pop, I Love You So Much - I think I said that it reminds me of The Octopus Project at times, if that were more prog rock but still electronic. And these guys don't have a theremin.

Abigail Lapell, Hide Nor Hair - I really like this singer-songwriter.

Cherry Glazerr, Apocalipstick - Like I said last week, I was excited to finally have some new Cherry Glazerr.

Well there's some ear worms for you to indulge in. Don't forget to tune into Pint Notes this week - especially since I'm bringing dessert to the seedy basement bar. Yep, that's right. Beer and dessert. Speaking of which, I need to go make said dessert. Happy Listening!

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

Greetings friends! Tis January summer around these parts - which means that by day it is pleasant and nice to shake off the thousands of layers of coats but at night, it's dicey. Gotta watch those daytime puddles becoming nighttime skating rinks. It's always good to keep keen. I can't wait to go running this weekend. I will probably misjudge some pavement and slip and break something - but that freedom of running will be worth it. Anyways, on with the music!

It's kind of an indie rock day. The kind of day where I wonder how the heck I don't know any of these bands, and then just decide it's a small band release day. Which is great because that's what I like to dig into. For the ones I recognize - Foxygen releases Hang today and Cherry Glazerr is finally back with Apocalipstick. Seriously, I loved their first album which came out in the first or second year I was doing this. And then I've waited. And waited. So you know what I'm excited to put on. Been four years since Chicago's indie rockers Joan of Arc have been on the scene but here they are with He's Got The Whole This Land is Your Land in His Hands. And Menace Beach have Lemon Memory

And I have the Lemon List. Nah, just the releases of last week. Which I didn't get much of a chance to listen to. So apologies on the lack of genrefication.

I did a live tweet last night over @pintnotes on Twitter so check that out for some suggestions, and then let's see if I can wrangle up a weird list. I'm feeling like we need a little weird today...Which will come later this weekend as I am now required to read all the books. If only you know how many books that really is.

But first -

Clearly, last week's best album cover winner:

Which is peppy indie rock who have the just right 80s influences for me but this really crosses a gamut of rock by the way. Oh dude this is just a guy. Pretty crazy.

So I'll get up a playlist and a weird list later this weekend, but for now you are up to date on things that are here today and whatnot. Happy Listening!

Update on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 2:47PM by Becca Ruiz

Okay, it's not a list, it's just a weird thing I did with a bunch of the album titles. I strung them together to form a strange letter. So without further ado -

"Gentlewoman, Ruby Man

In the passing light of day, every soul's a sailor. Unalloyed, unlicensed, all night pure beyond reproach. Ambitions, Fear & Love - Forward Migration. Feel your feelings fool!

Forever I see you, baleful scarlet star - star roving. Excommunicated. The great upheaval up and coming. Crisis of representation, deconstruction of mind, the haunting fear of inevitability.

What our enemies know? Nothing yet. Waste & livity.

Fantasmas Duende.

Hear the Lion's Roar.

Rise Tropical SKin Byrds pushing fire. Redemption. Framework master in tensions. Heart of the Phoenix healed by metal.

He is the voice I hear, Godfather. Kings & Kings, the return of the classic. America's velvet glory holding on.

For posterity, I want wives. No time like the present. Trust me.

No Handshake Blues, Bye Bye Strawberry Pie,

- Rennen

& I'm fine today."

End Scene. So yeah. It was either that or a list of albums with some sort of space reference.

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

I know. I mean I hope I know. I hope you all have figured it out by now, a week passing without a peep from me means illness in the house or Fridays without naps or the dishes really needed to be washed. Some sort of life thing. And I'm just going to assume you understand and just roll with it. So thanks (if I'm assuming correctly). Anyway, there hadn't been too much to talk about until last week anyhoot. But last week...

I just have this need to listen to at least one track from the Bowie EP almost every day. Maybe it's the anniversary. Maybe it's the way it's in sync with a Northern winter. I don't know, but there it is. Also in the last weeks, Brian Eno released Reflection. Dropkick Murphys brought us 11 Stories of Pain & Glory. And I'm really digging the country collaboration of Dale Watson & Ray Benson on Dale & Ray. As fun as the Nelson/Haggard collaboration last year, and the Watson/Benson collab includes a song tribute to the late Mr. Haggard. In short, there hasn't been much yet this year, but there's been some good stuff to hibernate with.

And then there's today. The flood doors of releases are slowly opening again and there are things to be had. First off, there is The Flaming Lips with Oczy Mlody. I'm interested to see where this lands on the spectrum of the Lips' output. I'm hoping for good. I really liked The Terror but the timing of it made it hard to fold into the rotation. I continually go back and think about that album though. Next up, we have not quite so psychedelic or as experimental, but certainly grooving with their own sounds, The xx released I See You. Let's fade even more to the EDM side of things with Bonobo's Migration. And holy cannoli everyone, shut up and sit down - SEPULTURA has a new album! All i know is that the dancey low key xx album to the metal of Sepultura is going to be a little bit of a shock but hopefully so worth it.

The first album list of the year!

Last week was really light, so I only have a couple more mentions and then I'll include my Spotify playlist where you can check it all out:

Information Flash, Ego Murda Sound - Sometimes, rarely, but sometimes I have patience to sit down and let an electronica album get into my head, and this falls into that frame of mind.

Alluvial, The Deep Longing for Annihilation - I love instrumental metal. It's the best kind. It looks like they tried finding a vocalist to add to the tracks but decided to keep it instrumental in the end and I think it was the best decision. Vocals in metal are my pickiest thing. I will love the 2 minute intro of a song, start to get into and then the vocalist starts in and it's too cookie monster or too tenor or too much vibrato or too whiny... Anyway, back to Alluvial. It's got some great guitar riffs and it all comes together really well - thinking about it, I perceive the music as one whole instead of focusing on the drums or the bass or whatever. Cohesion is not easily achieved.

The Dogs, Death By Drowning - This is some great straight up rock.

All right, need to get that playlist together before the boy awakens, so it's time to wrap up the writing. I'm pretty excited about waht 2017 has to bring in music. Starting off pretty strong again. Oh. My. Granola. This Sepultura album is making me very happy. Yes. So you know, whatever else 2017 has to bring - at least we can be looking forward to some good music. I've been thinking about it, and I don't know if it's because I listen to 50 bands a week or if the quality of music has really gone up. I know, Trent Reznor just came out saying that (interruption, seriously latin + metal? Oh Sepultura you really get me) music is too safe - but I disagree. There is a lot of safe music out there but if you just dig, listen to 50 bands a week I guess, you really can find something more. I mean, last year I had at least 2 albums I couldn't even quantify for completely different reasons. Daevid Allen Weird Quartet's Elevenses would probably be lumped as jazz, but it was so abstract and pushed boundaries in a way like Les Claypool. Jaimeo Brown Transcendence's Works Songs was a powerful musical tableau. And the metal album Skuggsjá? A musical telling of Norway's history? That wasn't safe or mainstream. But I get it. That feeling is exactly why I'm sitting here today writing this - I knew there had to be more than the music I was being served and I decided to find it myself. And if I'm already listening, why not share it? Wow, hi there tangent, how are you today? Okay, so check out the Spotify playlist for things I've mentioned and Happy Listening!

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

Merry Christmas all! Or whatever behooves you. This year it really seems that artists have taken a winter break. Last week was light for releases and this week is even lighter. The highlights are slim: Last week Jeff Tweedy of Wilco's son, Spencer Tweedy celebrated his 21st birthday by releasing his album, Geezer Love. Gucci Mane is back again with The Return of East Atlanta. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez added to his year's collection with Some Need It Lonely. Today Chance the Rapper teamed up with Jeremih to release the mixtape Merry Christmas Lil Mama. Nine Inch Nails is back with the ep Not The Actual Events. And that's really the biggest names - there are a few other mixtapes and such out today but that's pretty much it.

Which is why Josh is making us do our year end list in next week's episode instead of waiting until the traditional after the year is over.

But it's not over until The List sings a duet with The List of 2 weeks past.

Here is what I liked from the last few weeks:

Jeen, Modern Life - that closed reverbed female vocal with some driving guitar behind it.

Enemies, Valuables -  this is kinda like Animal Collective as unplugged as they would get.

Holly Bowling, Better Left Unsung - just because I'm a pianist, doesn't mean I'll pick all instrumental piano albums but this one has some good tracks with some interesting things.

The Colorist, The Colorist & Emiliana Torrini - I called this "Bjorky"

Stove, Is The Meat That Fell Out - some more of that low key driving rock I like.

The Microphones, Early Tapes- Oh I love The Microphones. I've just been eating up thi salbum with a spoon.

Peter Broderick, Grunewald - I really liked "Violin Solo No. 1"

Well there you have it. I hope you have a lovely holiday weekend and I'll see if I have anything to report next week! Until then, Happy Listening!