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

It's a bit late in the game but here we go. I know you all were worried - determined that I had finally been crushed under the onslaught of releases but nope. Here I am. And oh my what a wonderful world of music:

Let's begin with April 28th. The Cranberries released an album of acoustic versions of their songs. Thurston Moore released  Rock N Roll Consciousness and it still hurts that he and Kim aren't together. Sometimes you just really root for a couple. Anyway, Trombone Shorty had Parking Lot Symphony. Sylvan Esso released the awesome What Now. New Found Glory relased Makes Me Sick. Mary J. Blige was back with Strength of a Woman. Jonathan Coulton for all you Ask Me Another fans released Solid State. John Mellencamp had Sad Clowns & Hillbillies. And let's not forget: Foster the People, III; Feist, Pleasure; Lea Michele, Places and Booka Shade, Galvany Street.

Line break because that was a lot and it's going to get crazier. Fasten your seatbelts everybody, here's what hopped up for you ears on Friday: Country singer Chris Stapleton released From A room: Vol 1. Indie Rockers At The Drive-In had In.Ter A.Li.A which is really annoying to type. Black Lips released Satan's Graffiti or God's Art? (which means we just need the Black Keys to release something so we cover that trio of bands alogng with the Black Angels in April

). Jazz Pianist and Vocalist Diana Krall with Turn Up The Quiet. Taj Mahal and Keb'Mo' teamed up for TajMo. Perfume Genius released No Shape. Patti Labelle returns with Bel Hommage. Ozomatli and Julio Iglesias released albums on Cinco de Mayo - Non-Stop: Mexico to Jamaica and Mexico & Amigos respectively. Singer-Songwriter David Bazan  released Care. Rapper Brother Ali released All The Beauty in This Whole Life. Blondie (!) released Pollinator. Pond released The Weather. Kasabian with  For Crying Out Loud. The Afghan Whigs  are back with In Spades. And for some household favorites: Amanda Palmer goes goth with I Can Spin A Rainbow, Brandi Carlile teames up with other awesome musicians for Cover Stories (I think that's half true), Ear Worm Indie Pop San Cisco have a fun album titled The Water, Slowdive released an eponymous album, Walter Martin is back again with My Kinda Music and... that's it. Finally. Phew. I'll get some aggregated lists up this week in a follow-up and hopefully a fun list but man, that was tiring. I gotta go lay down and watch some Office episodes now. I hope you find something you've been anticipating to feast your ears on and Happy Listening!

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Welcome to Friday folks! It's a buzzing weekend with so much going on - Record Store Day, Earth Day, Science is Real Marches, and the sun is finally out again today. Thank heaven. So let's get down to brass tacks. It's Friday and our new Pint Notes Episode is up, so click through to get to that. A little later today, check out our tumblr and see the latest edition of TerraSurf: A Festival Tale.

And today, Friday the 21st, what is out today you say? Well, let me see hear. Singer-Songwriter with one hand in her pocket, Sheryl Crow returns with Be Myself. Barry Manilow collects together some standards for This Is My Town: Songs of New York. Robyn Hitchcock released an eponymous album. Country star Brad Paisley relesaed Love and War. Eric Slick of Dr. Dog released Palisades. Rapper J Dilla returns with Motor City. Rockers Incubus cleverly titled their album 8. The Black Angels released Death Song. And all the way from New Orleans, The Preservation Hall Band released So It Is.

And so it is, here is my List of albums I aggregated together and genred what I listened to.

First, kudos to Larry Wallis for his guitar punny album title, Death in the Guitarternoon. I liked that. Made me chuckle. And... man I apologize, I just don't see the funny lists this week. But I've been creating some decompression time this week and I think my creative muscles will be back in full form next week. I promise at least one fun list (which I'm currently putting together in fact - take that procrastination!) So I'm going to leave you with my Spotify list and call it a Friday. Ps. the Spotify list is going to have some explicit lyrics on it. Most of the time I keep it clean, but this week I decided to just include whatever. So there you go. In case that matters. Also, I only know it's explicit because it says so. Long-time readers and regular listeners of the show know my odd ability to not understand lyrics. So I have no clue what's going on in most songs, I just react to how it sounds. Anyway... Happy Listening!

Update on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 3:45PM by Becca Ruiz

My husband/editor/knower of real things just informed me that Alanis Morisette sang "One Hand in My Pocket." I have discovered that I was trying to think of "All I Wanna Do." So in that case, All I Wanna Do is listen to singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow's new album.

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

I am here. Holy cow it feels like a big turn about and round about to get here, but here I am. So I'm ditching my usual speech and shortening it up to get this up and do this.

"becca, what is up your bonnet?" you may be asking, "What is the hurry? It's just your music thing." And this is the thing. I have dreams about festivals. Well, there's a specific festival my subconscious has made and I decided to just write it out. Put it out into the ether and whatnot. So to celebrate the opening of festival season with Coachella opening this weekend - I am posting my first #festivalfriday edition of Terrasurf 2017. Here's the link (it's the pintnote tumblr)

So today - Kendrick Lamar, Little Dragon, John Mayer, and The String Cheese Incident released albums.

Surf this list - it's last week's aggregated by me list of releases

And no fun lists, hopefully I get a Spotify up but it's Easter weekend, we got the taxes done and then I am biting my nails over deciding to posit my writings to the world. So we'll see. But Hoppy Listening everyone!