The Friday Refrain: Rounding up the new music

Yeti in my driveway

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you're either enjoying a 3 day weekend or staying safe out there! It is an exciting week in music. First you have two different TV show winners releasing their first albums -American Idol's Candice Glover, Beloved and The Sing-Off's country acapella Home Free with Crazy Life. Also out this week are a trio of my favorites from my younger days: Presidents of the United States of America, Kudos to You!; Suzanne Vega, Tales From the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles; and Jonatha Brooke, My Mother Has Four Noses! So maybe that's enough, and you're satisfied, ran off to the record shop and have them in your hand now, listening happily. Maybe you didn't do that, those didn't really work for you and need something else or, wait, welcome back - already finished listening? Hungry for more? Well, let's see what else came out this week, shall we?

Two musicians who are also artists released albums this week: David Krakauer, The Big Picture and Dan Zimmerman, Dreams of Earth. Google them, Krakauer is known for his work in Klezmer music and Dan Zimmerman's bio was a really interesting read.

Some worldly sounds

J Alvarez, De Camino Pa' La Cima and Idale, La Dulce Mordida can fill your Latin Pop needs. While Jarabe De Palo, Somos  and AJ Davila, Terror Amor have a bit more bite to them. For more of a laid back time, check out Manu Ferrón, Misericordia. And for a little bossa, Bossacucanova, Our Kind of Bossa is just right to pretend you're somewhere warm.

French-wise - these two are so good. Alexandre Désilets, Fancy Ghetto and Gaël Faure, De Silences en Bascules.

I can't wait to dig into the rest of Israeli musician, Alma Zohar, and her album, Dabri.

More Poppy

Liv Warfield, The Unexpected - There are some really great songs on this, including the title track and her voice is just a powerhouse

Years & Years, Real

Bear Hands, Distraction - Spoon meets MGMT but poppier? Maybe?

80s fix: Katy B, Little Red and Evan Ønly, No Matter What

90s kinda: Nine Times Blue, Matter of Time (it made me think of Empire Records)

That Massive Playground Called Rock

Phantogram, Voices, was released this week and is a great addition to that band's work, keeping their sound without seeming to repeat themeselves.

Art Decade, Art Decade -  There is a very Elliot Smith vibe in some of the songs (especially "All That's Left"), while others are just a bit more Beatles than anything ("Greylock Hill").

Lost in the Trees, Past Life - Yesterday I listened to this entire album while it snowed and the world became a wonderland. It fit perfectly with that.

Nebelung, Palingenesis - maybe I'm just in a meditative mood right now, because this was very high on my list for the week as well. Guitars, a bit of violin and cello sometimes.

NO, El Prado - if you liked their single from January, lucky day! They released the full album. The singer swings between sounding like The National frontman to The Magnetic Fields. I sampled only a few tracks so far, but am looking forward to delving in.

"I'm Rolling Under," King Black Acid - Speaking of singles, try this one on for size. Trippy and pleasant.

Also out this week: Solids, Blame Confusion; The Jezabels, Brink; Tigermonkey, OCD ADD; We Are In The Crowd, Weird Kids; The Oddfathers, Part I; Shocking Pinks, Guilt Mirrors; Planningtorock, All Love's Legal; Ketamines, Stay Awake; Mark Rivera, Common Bond; Skindred, Kill the Power; Issues, Issues

Hard Rock to Hardcore

From lightest to hardest (mostly): Slough Feg, Digital Resistance; Junius, Days of the Fallen Sun;  Eldritch, Tasting the Tears; God Module, False Face; Def Con One, II; I Killed the Prom Queen, Beloved; Artificial Brain, Labyrinth Constellation; Cripple Bastards, Nero in Matstasi; Benighted, Carnivore Sublime

Singer/Songwriters

Benmont Tench, You Should Be So Lucky; James Armstrong, Guitar Angels; Jimbo Mathus,  Dark Night of the Soul; William Fitzsimmons, Lions

Jazz

Donald Edwards, Evolution of an Influenced Mind; Misha Tsiganov, Artistry of the Standard; Machine Mass, Inti; Seamus Blake, Reeds Ramble; Takuya Kuroda, Rising Son; Tommy Banks, Old Friends

Country

Ralph Stanley, Side by Side - made with his son, Ralph Stanley II (thus the title)

Cole Swindell, Cole Swindell - First album but already touring with Lee Brice and Luke Bryan. Check out "Swayin'" and "Ain't Worth the Whiskey"

Dawn Landes, Bluebird - Beautiful voice

Also out: Kevin Seconds, Off Stockton; Lydia Loveless, Somewhere Else

To Listen List

The Doppelgangaz, Peace Kehd; Cynic, Kindly Bent to Free Us; The Caribbean, Moon Sickness; Talk West, Black Coral Sprig; Sabina, Toujours

The end of another week and another Friday Refrain. Thanks for checking it out 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 pop/rock 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 I enjoyed 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 Lovefrain: A bit of what's new in music

See what I did up there? Threw in a little Valentine's in the heading? Yeppers. Anyhoot - Fanfarlo (Let's Go Extinct) and Sun Kil Moon (Benji) each have albums out this week. But wait there's more!

Check my post for those who woo or woe for some music ideas on this Valentine's. Then go to the google homepage to check out the This American Life doodle, and their website for more samples of stories! It's the bestest Valentine's present ever, thank you This American Life. Now a few music picks from this week's releases:

It's love...

Darren Hanlon, Covers for Lovers - I enjoyed this one it's sweet.

"Til The End," Joe Settineri

New albums from Catherine Russell and Frank Wess wouldn't hurt either, check out Jazz below.

Oh, wait. Love sucks

"Free Broken Heart," and "Little Big Lies" Joe Settineri - Oh Joe! I did a 3 song set for his album and these were the 3 I randomly picked. Man, it seemed like there was so much hope in that first song. Then I heard these two. That sucks dude.

"Tour Song," Robert Ellis

The Lovelocks album was pretty much heartbroken of what I listened to.

"Pothole," Modern Baseball, You're Gonna Miss It All

Moving on: World Music

El Poder Del Norte, XX Anos

Mamani Keita, Kanou

Tinariwen, Emmaar

Ferverson, Soneros de Siempre

Like Vampire Weekend?

Thumpers, Galore

Hollow & Akimbo, Hollow & Akimbo

A little twang in your step?

The Lovelocks, The Lovelocks

Robert Ellis, Lights From the Chemical Plant

Noah Gundersen, Ledges

Frankie Ballard, Sunshine & Whiskey

Hurray for the Riff Raff, Small Town Heroes

No twang in your step?

The Royal Oui, The Royal Oui  - It's just kinda sweet. But I like male and female vox in this fashion

Poemss, Poemss - Okay, I only did a 3 song set, but it's like the opposite of The Royal Oui who were kinda sweet sounding, and here the female is a bit grittier with a male counterpart kinda sounding like The Magnetic Fields dude. I don't think you can listen to this one in the background on first listen, you need something more intimate - you need headphones.

Sam Roberts Band, Lo-Fantasy: I really liked "Kid Icarus"

Blondfire, Young Heart - There's some pep in here that I like.

Temples, Sun Structures - Easily one of my favorites from the week.

Seabound, Speak in Storms

The Casket Girls, True Love Kills the Fairy Tale

Marsheaux, Inhale

Cibo Matto, Hotel Valentine - I didn't really get into it until the 3rd and 4th track. Her voice sounds a little like Bjork at times. "10th Floor Ghost Girl" is what hooked me, and I started paying attention. 

Echo Arcadia, Beauty in an Average Life

Soft Science, Detour

Cheatahs, Cheatahs - It kinda has a Smashing Pumpkins sound to it. I think, haven't run that by my 90s guru husband yet.

Yumi Zouma, EP

Some Jazz?

Catherine Russell, Bring It Back

Stefan Zeniuk & Gato Loco, The Enchanted Messa - Didn't get a whole listen, but I'm coming back to finish it off.

Adrian Raso & Fanfare Ciocarlia, Devil's Tale - I love me some gypsy jazz...

Frank Wess, Magic 201

Something that hits you hard?

Rawhide, Murder One

PyPy, Pagan Day - Listened to a random 3 song set on this, and it felt like what would've happened if Yeah Yeah Yeahs took a different direction than they did. Perhaps.

Electronic?

The Glitch Mob, Love Death Immortality

Cashmere Cat, Wedding Bells

Illum Sphere, Ghosts of Then & Now

Singer-Songwriterish?

Jamestown Revival, Utah

Nina Persson, Animal Heart

 And it's the To-Listen List for the week: Doug Keith, Pony; Fleshtones, Wheel of Talent; Nostalgia 77, A Journey Too Far; Baal, Shurado; Helms Alee, Sleepwalking Sailors; Parasitized, Existence Unveiled; Black Crown Initiate, Song of the Cripple Bull; Speedy Ortiz, Real Hair; Matt Webb, Right Direction; Skittish, The Five Stages EP

 And now for a romantic weekend of budgeting and taxes. Happy Valentine's! It's not about romantic love or corporate buy things love. Valentine's should be a day where we take stock of all of our relationships and show our appreciation to those we care about and kindness to everyone. Attention adults - the Center for Biological Diversity is trying convince you to be responsible to the Earth this holiday and practice safety first with these. That's just crazy. Happy weekend!

 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 pop/rock 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 I enjoyed 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

Now that you’ve been seduced by Ruben Studdard’s Unconditional Love, and feel a little more Kin to Pat Metheny, here's some more new music. This week's must-listen was the new Lego Movie Soundtrack by Mark Mothersbaugh, he is one of my soundtrack crushes after all. Besides the fun "Everything is Awesome" single (especially the one with Tegan & Sara), Will Arnett's track "Untitled Self Portrait" had me laughing.

Another favorite for the week is the self-titled release from Moonrise Nation, it is just beautiful - a little bit Ingrid Michaelson, Sharon Van Etten and Mount Moriah. I just started listening to Juan Wauters, N.A.P. before I started writing this and will be resuming my listen as I am done. The songs are a little oddball with a Kinks sound. There's something I dig about that Kinks sound when the winter starts to drag. Oh, and check out the song "Witch" on the new Daydream Forever from The Chain Gang of 1974. I'm not the best at lyrics, but I think this song is the sweetest sounding song telling someone off I've ever heard.

Need some more love?

Tim McGraw, Love Story

T.K. Soul, Life After Love

Toni Braxton & Babyface, Love, Marriage & Divorce

And the singles...

Wye Oak, "The Tower" - released in anticipation of a new album in April

On-The-Go, "Lifeboat

Silversun Pickups, "Cannibal"

Mean Creak, "My Madeline"

Abuela, True Colors - I can't decide on this one. It's either too much or it works.

Country and the like

There's quite a range in here again this week, from mainstream to, well, not.

Moonrise Bandits, Calicountry

Jenna Torres, A Woman's Touch

Dirk Powell, Walking Through Clay

Tony Trischka, Great Big World - I really liked this one.

Les Claypool's Duo De Twang, Four Foot Shack

Some veterans in the world of rock...

Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Black Beehive

Buzz Cason, Troubadour Heart

Paul Rodgers, The Royal Sessions

A Rock Spectrum

For some reason, I decided to make a playlist from some of the heaviest to the lightest translucent releases I listened to this week. So we start off with some metal, move on to some more moderate pop and rock, before floating off into the ambient.

Emortus, Slave to the Sword - "Moonlight Sonata (Act 3)" especially

Truckfighters, Universe

Peace Creep, Peace Creep

"Cannibal," Silversun Pickups

Wild Moccasins, 88 92

Bombay Bicycle Club, So Long, See You Tomorrow

Death of Lovers, Buried Under a World of Roses

Water Liars, Water Liars - It really has a strong second half from "Vespers" to the end.

Augustines, Augustines

Jeremy Messersmith, Heart Murmurs - There are definitely some tracks to check out besides the single, "Tourniquet"

XO, Heart

Be Forest, Earthbeat

Magic Eye, Babylon

Mushy, Breathless

Also this week, a couple of singer/songwriters (such a broad declaration) with the self-titled Parker Millsap, and new Scott H. Biram, Nothin' But Blood.

On the To-Listen list: Cymbals, The Age of Fracture; Feadz, Instant Alpha; Flamin' Ratrods, Rockabilly Bones; Gardens & Villa, Dunes; John Butler Trio, Flesh & Blood; Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, New Ammo; Marissa Nadler, July; Mark McGuire, Along the Way; Mayan, Antagonise; Name the Pet, Future/Now; Nicole Atkins, Slow Phaser; Snowbird, Moon; Snowmine, Dialects; The Tower of Light, The Tower of Light; The Traps, Boom Pow Awesome Wow

Now I'm going to put on Juan Wauters and try to think of more Star Wars quotes for a weird practicing tangent I went on this morning. It all started with a fun font and the thought, "I am Yoda. You are Obi Wan and Skywalker." I can't tell if it's brilliant or a dead end. Until next Friday, 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 pop/rock 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 I enjoyed 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 this week in music

Ever wonder what people with long driveways do with all that snow in the city?

Fill the patio and backyard.

This week, music is all over the map. We've got the heavy hitters:

Morrissey with Satellites of Love, Beck's single Blue Moon,  Broken Bells released "After the Disco," Gaslight Anthem, B-Sides and David Crosby, Croz also out this week. What else could you want?

How about some world music?

Angelique Kidjo, Eve

Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda, Soy Lo Que Quiero... Indispensable

A mix of odd country?

More of a pop country, check out Travis Caudle, It's Just You

Laura Cantrell, No Way There From Here

Perhaps you need a little rap with your country? Gangstagrass, Broken Hearts & Stolen Money

A little retro feel to it?

Morgan Delt, Morgan Delt

Quilt, Held in Splendor

Night Sun, No Pressure

Doug Tuttle, Doug Tuttle

Girls Making Music

Habibi, Habibi

The Pack A.D., Do Not Engage

Etc.

Eleni Mandell, Let's Fly A Kite

Helen & the Horns, Footsteps at my Door

Fulhast, Broken

Also out this week...

Hospitality, Trouble

The Autumn Defense, Fifth - It's kind of a dreamier Dawes? Or at least I think that's what my handwriting says... Check out "Calling Your Name" and "Things on my Mind" for a taste.

The Farewell Drifters, Tomorrow Forever - Avett Brothers + Mumford & Sons + a little Son Volt. Try "Tennessee Girl" on for size.

Proviant Audio, Drift Days & Disco Nights for a little electronic music.

Albert Hammond, Jr., AHJ -  I really dig the second track on this

The Districts, Districts

Iain Matthews, Art of Obscurity

Pontiak, Innocence - Punch the cold in the face with this rock.

Tara Jane O'Neil, Where Shine New Lights

Still on the To Listen List:

Peggy Sue, Choir of Echoes; Sleepy Sun, Maui Tears; Leif Vollebekk, North Americana; The Lawrence Arms, Metropole; It is Rain In My Face, Bumrush Day; I Break Horses, Chiaroscuro; Holy Wave, Relax; Gorefield, As Dawn Bleeds the Sky; Gem Club, In Roses; Farewell Dear Ghost, We Colour the Night; and Dum Dum Girls, Too True.

Time for me to take down the Christmas and put up the Valentine's decor since it's the end of January and I finally received my last Christmas presents yesterday - my swag from 99% Invisible's kickstarter arrived. If Ira Glass (This American Life) is my NPR crush, Roman Mars (99% Invisible) is my NPR best friend and The Dinner Party Download guys are the cool friends I hang out with on the weekends. If you haven't listened to 99% Invisible or The Dinner Party Download, you're missing out. Happy Weekend!

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 pop/rock 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 I enjoyed 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 this week in music

It's been a week of adjustments for me and I wasn't able to dig into the mountain of music that came out as much as I wanted. Here's some places to start with a bit of this week's new arrivals:

Chill Out List

"Silhouette," Seahaven

Holly Henry, The Immigrant

Warpaint, Warpaint

Chris Garneau, Winter Games

Need Something Poppy?

"Better Days," Sara Alina

"Boys Don't Cry/Fishing Buddies," Masha Qrella

Young the Giant, Mind Over Matter

A Great Big World, Is There Anybody Out There?

Semi Precious Weapons, Aviation

Graham Colton, Lonely Ones

Kings of Leon sounding?

This is weird. Both bands have Bad as the first word in their title.

Bad Suns, Transpose

Bad Things, Bad Things

Just want some rock?

Rozz Williams, Sleeping Dogs

Together Pangea, Badillac

Very Americans, Stereo Types

"Leave the Door Wide Open," NO - his voice is like the dude from The National.

And my metal pick for the week is Crystal Ball, Dawnbreaker. I happened to choose it for my first listen when I woke up this morning, and there's nothing like starting your day with "Also Sprach Zarathustra." On my To-Listen list is the new Chrome Division, Infernal Rock Eternal and Murmur, Murmur.

Some of my other To-Listen's include: Reverend Horton Heat, Rev; Damian Jurado, Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son; Alcest, Shelter; The Hidden Cameras, AGE; Monte Pittman, M.P.3 The Power of Three, Pt. 1; and Step Brothers, Lord Steppington.

The Americana/Country To-Listen: Deer Lodge: A Tribute to George Jones, and a deeper listen to Jason Eady, Daylight & Dark. Last but not least, Les Claypool's Due De Twang released "Jerry was a Race Car Driver"  and yeah, I think Les Claypool is a good ending to any list, so that's it for this week. 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 pop/rock 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 I enjoyed from the week. Oh, and I don’t always listen to lyrics, so appropriateness is left up to the listener.