If It's Too Loud...

To mark the closing of NYC's Cake Shop after New Year's Eve, Hallelujah the Hills have offered their recording of their show at the venue from this past summer for free. It's just about 50 minutes of free music from one of our favorite bands. Now, this isn't a high quality recording. The band claims when this was recorded they "... just threw a tape recorder in the back of the room." For those of us that came of age buying such bootleg recordings at not so legit music shops on cassette for a premium back in the day, there is something nostalgic as hell with a recording like this. And this one isn't a $12-$20 cassette, it's free! Plus, it includes their cover of The Velvet Underground's "Run Run Run" which was inspired by a trip to John Cale's loft apartment a few blocks from the venue. To get your very own download of LIVE at the Cake Shop - July 29, 2016 , head on over to Bandcamp . For more on Hallelujah the Hills, check out the...

After the shit show that was 2016, there are few bright spots to look at. Although 2016 gave us a ton of great music, it also took away some of our absolute favorite artists. Mac McCaughan of Superchunk has given us the perfect anthem for the end of 2016: "Happy New Year (Prince Can't Die Again)." A mostly acoustic song, "Happy New Year (Prince Can't Die Again)" admits that 2017 will probably also suck, but, at the very least, we can rest assured that Prince won't be able to die again in the New Year. It also includes the cheerful line "If you still have friends, raise a glass with them." "Happy New Year (Prince Can't Die Again)" is available as a free download on Mac McCaughan's Bandcamp . For more on Mac McCaughan and Superchunk, check out the Merge Records website . Happy New Year (Prince Can't Die Again) by Mac McCaughan

A slow release week with the holiday, but two major releases combined with a couple I missed this year makes this worth doing. Artist : Run the Jewels Album : Run the Jewels 3 Quick Description : The latest from the popular rap group. Why You Should Listen : RTJ isn't everyone's cup of tea, but El-P knows how to put a beat together and this might be my favorite of theirs yet. Overall Thoughts : I can't say everything RTJ has done has connected, but there's something about this album that was hitting me right in that sweet spot. Maybe it was the Christmas miracle of its surprise release or just that songs like "Legend Has It" are killing it so well, but the result here is an album that just seems to work. It'd be a highlight even in a busy week. And it's a free download, much like their prior stuff, so if you want one of your own, here's a spot to look . Recommendation : Mandatory listen. Artist : Nine Inch Nails Album : Not the Actu...

To kind of close the book on the year a bit, I wanted to offer up a quickie playlist of my favorite songs this year. Shuffle or not, here's how I might rank them: 1) Royksopp and Susanne Sundfor - "Never Ever" (a song that should have been 2016's "Get Lucky," a much better throwback than Daft Punk did. Song of the year for me, no question) 2) Big Thief - "Masterpiece" (tell me this song isn't the most epic sparse indie rock song you've ever heard) 3) Eric Bachmann - "Mercy" (the Nerf Herder singer/songwriter offered up one of the most emotional songs of the year for me) 4) Margaret Glaspy - "Emotions and Math" (great song, of course, but I still maintain this is actually from the point of view of a dog) 5) The Prettiots - "Suicide Hotline" (this is not a cry for help) 6) Quilt - "Roller" (local song of the year, but also a great groove and catchy chorus) 7) Lauren Mann - "New Beginning...

Well, those are words I never thought I'd ever type. Boston's ska-core heroes The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have covered Dionne Warwick's easy listening classic "What the World Needs Now is Love." Bosstones frontman Dicky Barrett has this to say about their choice of covers: "It's a message and/or a reminder that we would like to share with the world for the holidays during these seemingly difficult and trying times. The song doesn't take a side but it definitely takes a stance."  The weirdest part of the song is how well it actually works. It's a shockingly true rendition of the song, unlike their old school covers that hardcore up every song. It's quite beautiful, and has more of a reggae swing to it than anything else. What could have been just a silly throwaway song is actually a beautiful, heartfelt attempt to heal all the hurt so many of us are feeling as this shitty year comes to an end. You can get your own free copy of The ...

In part two of our accidental "People Cover the Perfect Holiday Song for Them" feature today, we have Sallie Ford covering Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Originally recorded back in 2010 with her old band The Sound Outside, Ford's enthusiasm for the song shines through. You can tell she's having an absolute rockin' [editor's note: Ugh. Sorry. I hate myself for that one] time with this one, and it features one of the greatest scat solos of all time. It's everything you want in a cover: Well chosen, perfectly true to the original, and just altered enough to make the song her own. You can get your own free download of Sallie Ford covering "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" at her PledgeMusic page (which is where you can also pre-order her forthcoming album , Soul Sick , due February 10. For more information on Sallie Ford, check out her website .

Seeing how much we love covers and the current retro country thing going on in music right now, we're pretty big fans of The Secret Sisters, who do classic country covers like no one else in music today. With Sunday being Christmas and all, they've given their fans a free download of their version of "Little Drummer Boy." "Little Drummer Boy" is one of the most traditional of all Christmas songs, and it might be the perfect choice for The Secret Sisters. It's all just harmony and just the slightest hint of guitar.  You can download a free copy of "Little Drummer Boy" over at Noisetrade . For more information on The Secret Sisters (who are currently taking pre-orders for their new album on PledgeMusic ) head on over to their website .

2016 sucks. It sucks to the point that everyone seems to agree that it sucks. And just to drive that point home, yesterday Jessi Zazu (aka Jessi Darlin formerly of Those Darlins) announced that she is fighting cancer with a tweet that said "Ya'll, I got the cancer...." She was diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer right after Those Darlins wrapped up their final tour, and tried fighting it in private. Last month she discovered the cancer had spread to her lymphatic system, which is typically a "no cure scenario." Jessi is determined to keep fighting, but she does need our help. There is a YouCaring page set up to help with the insane costs associated with a cancer battle, and Jessi is selling "Ain't Afraid" shirts to also help with the costs. As huge fans of Jessi and Those Darlins, we wish her the best and hope you can help out in her time of need. In good news, Jessi is currently working with Those Darlins drummer Linwood Regensburg on ne...

Hailing from somewhere in Massachusetts, Jake McKelvie & The Countertops are releasing a brand new EP, The Rhinestone Busboy EP , and have made the EP's closer, also called "Rhinestone Busboy," available to listen. "Rhinestone Busboy," the song, is much quieter than some previous songs I've heard from the band. In fact, it's almost a folk ballad, losing a lot of Jake McKelvie & The Countertops normal almost pop-punk meets The Dismemberment Plan and Pavement sound. But, the wit and 90s indie vibe are still there, making this a must listen. You can listen to "Rhinestone Busboy" below. The Rhinestone Busboy EP  is out today. You can get your copy over at Jake McKelvie & The Countertops' Bandcamp . For more information on the band, check out their website and Facebook . They'll be playing December 23 at the Gardner Ale House in Gardner, MA, December 29 at The Shaskeen in Manchester, NH, and December 31 at Union Coffee Compa...

Another short week, but some stuff landed on Spotify so we'll cover a few. Artist : Kristen Hersh Album : Wyatt at the Coyote Palace Quick Description : Kristen Hersh's latest double-album-length affair. Why You Should Listen : Kristen Hersh is a must-listen even in a busy week. Overall Thoughts : Kristen Hersh's new album sounds a lot like solo Kristen Hersh in a lot of ways. That's not a bad thing at all, but it means there might not be a standout track on the album for a lot of listeners, either. As someone who has been a fan for well over 20 years, though, this felt like a solid, albeit long, listen. Recommendation : Still worth the time. Artist : You People Album : Dropouts Quick Description : Local noisy indie rock. Why You Should Listen : This is an interesting listen... Overall Thoughts : ...except that it's all over the place. I thought I liked it in the first track, I felt like I was sick of it by the last, and everything in between is ...

I prefer Halloween over Christmas. Christmas music is pretty much unavoidable, and most of it is pretty awful. It's either the same songs over and over every year or just top 40 pop crap you'll hopefully forget next year. That's why we bring you the If It's Too Loud... 2016 Holiday playlist. This is the second we've done (for some reason we skipped last year), and we've tried hard to not repeat from the last one. We tried to include a wide mix of everything we cover from classic country (Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn), 90s favorites (Jennifer Trynin, Letters to Cleo), classic punk (The Ramones, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bad Religion), classic rockers (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Chuck Berry), soul (James Brown, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings), current favorites (Courtney Barnett, Matt Pond PA, Sallie Ford), and, of course, "Christmas in Hollis" from Run DMC. No Christmas playlist is complete without it.

We've been digging Bleached here at If It's Too Loud..., so we're pretty excited that Jennifer from Bleached has released two acoustic covers to benefit Planned Parenthood. Here is Jennifer's explanation of her idea behind the covers from a Facebook post: After the election, I went to the desert with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, sadness, and anger. I decided to record covers of 2 songs that perfectly capture my feelings regarding our political state. Barry McGuire's ‘Eve of Destruction’ was written in 1965, and 50 years later could not be more relevant. It’s a warning of the fascist, racist, violent and unjust world we were living in then, and are living in now. Ramones' ‘Bonzo Goes To Bitburg’ shares the embarrass ed, offended, and disgusted feeling a lot of us have every time we see Trump on our television. We are living in a time where we can anticipate federal funding to public health resources terminated. I have been using Planned Parenthood...

Friday Freebie is back this week with our very first triple header. We'll start off with the smallest of the three, but one we're really excited about. Absolute blog favorite Sallie Ford is offering up two songs from her upcoming album, Soul Sick , along with a previously unreleased B-side, "You're On My Mind." We've previously covered "Get Out, " so we'll stick with the two newer songs. "Failure" is doo-woppy as hell, and "You're On My Mind" is an absolute treasure. It sounds like an old blues song being played on the slowest, creepiest Victrola. You can get your copy of Sallie Ford's Soul Sick Sampler + Unreleased B-Side  over on Noisetrade . For those of you not familiar with Vic Chesnutt, you owe it to yourself to check him out. He recorded a total of 17 albums in his far too short and hard life. I guess you'd call him a singer/songwriter, but his style transcended the genre. I saw him once back in 2003 ope...

We'll never really know how Blackstar would have been received if David Bowie had not died mere days after its release. The reviews were glowing (as usual for a David Bowie album), but hardly spectacular. I can't honestly say if it would have made my top 10, let alone been my #1 album of 2016. That's how art works, though. In the context of Bowie's shocking death at the age of 69, Blackstar takes on a whole new significance and meaning. There were a ton of stories asking if Bowie predicted his death in the album. Such a question is absurd considering he had been battling cancer for 18 months and lyrics like "Look up here, I'm in heaven" from a song called "Lazarus" aren't exactly being subtle. On first listen, we all just assumed Bowie was playing another character in Blackstar. Maybe he was, but if he was, it was one he related to more than anyone would have ever wanted him to. Even if there are the rumored unreleased albums planned, Blac...

My top album of 2016 is Ladyhawke's Wild Things . It's my favorite album this year. It's the album I listened to the most this year. There was a moment about a month after this came out where I posted on Facebook something along the lines of "All I do is listen to Ladyhawke now" because I was so addicted to this album. When I wasn't listening to Wild Things , I went back to her older albums and listened to those instead. When I put on my playlist of current obsessions , my wife asked me why I listen to Ladyhawke so much since her songs were probably taking up 10% of the playlist most of the summer. Literally as I write this, my Spotify end-of-year recap came in my email, and three songs from this album are my top three tracks. According to Spotify, I'm in the top 1% of Ladyhawke listeners, apparently. Can you tell I love this album? It's the perfect pop rock album, for sure. It's polished but still feels fresh, it's got melodies ...

Photo by Josue Rivas With a name like Chicano Batman, it would be easy to dismiss them as a novelty act. I'll admit that their name is the main reason I gave this song a shot. Plus, they all wear matching vintage suits and shirts, which can scream "gimmick." But "Friendship (Is a Small Boat in a Storm)" is this groove based chilled out soul song heavy on keys. There is a heavy Latin influence, which is surprisingly rare in soul music. Most soul tends to vary between slow ballads and fast tempo dance songs, while "Friendship (Is a Small Boat in a Storm)" sits right in the mid-tempo range. It's too slow to really dance to, but fast enough that you'll need to move. This song is just pure groove. Not many bands can pull off opening for Jack White, Alabama Shakes, and Gogol Bordello, but Chicano Batman have. You can watch the video for "Friendship (Is a Small Boat in a Storm)" below. The new album from Chicano Batman, Freedom is Free...

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down could be a complete trainwreck of a band. They merge folk, rock, indie, dance, and hip hop. Anytime that many genres blend, it makes it more likely for the album to be a disaster of a hodgepodge and feel completely disconnected. But A Man Alive is an absolute masterpiece. Let me explain how special Thao is. The photo pit at a major festival should be a magical place. You're within feet of rock stars, taking pictures of them, and enjoying the show in front of a crowd that has been jockeying for position all day. However, for some reason, it can be a miserable place. Photographers are trying to get that one great picture and see all others as their competition for that picture. Plus, most are just doing an assignment and see it as a waste of a weekend. That was the attitude when Thao & The Get Down Stay Down played the Newport Folk Festival in 2014. Add a torrential downpour during her set to the mix, and the photo pit should have been complete...

My #2 album this year is Margaret Glaspy's Emotions and Math . I remember when Ken first shared "You and I" with me, and I immediately knew this was an album I needed to hear. Quickly, the title track landed followed by the album, and I fell in love with this album. Glaspy is clearly a talented guitarist and songwriter, and this album is the perfect balance between intricate songwriting and hooky melodies. There's a bluesy tinge to a lot of this, but it ends up really just being a solid singer-songwritery effort that hit every possible note for me. There's not a bad song on the album, and it basically hasn't left my rotation since it came out (except for the couple days it fell off of Spotify, which were some of the worst days of the year). If you've somehow slept on this one, change that. And if you listen to "Emotions and Math," we can debate together whether the song is actually secretly from the point of view of a canine. Recomme...

Midwest Farmer's Daughter is one of those rare albums that I couldn't seem to get enough of throughout 2016. It was just that album I always went back to when I got bored and couldn't decide what to put on in the background at work. Her throwback country sound just gets me perfectly. If you're the kind of person who needs at least 2 minutes to answer the question "Do you like country?," Margo Price is for you. Her appearance on Marc Maron's WTF podcast and her performance at this year's Green River Festival just increased my love of Midwest Farmer's Daughter. Turns out "Weekender" is actually about her brief time in jail. I even went back to listen to her old soul band, Buffalo Clover. Her live show completely won me over, and "Four Years of Chances" reaches an absolute epic level live. It never quite caught me on the album, and I swore it was some old Dolly Parton or Bobbie Gentry cover until I looked at the album and reali...

My #3 album is Tancred's Out of the Garden , a 90s-alt throwback solo project that I found late but never really stopped listening to. Sometimes an album just catches you, and this one did that for me. I did not expect to hear what felt effectively like a Letters to Cleo/Juliana Hatfield-style effort from a member of Now Now, but here we have it. I learned later that this was produced by Anna Waronker (best known for being the singer/songwriter of That Dog) and it continued to come together. Lead track "Bed Case" sets the tone, and the rest of the half-hour album just doesn't let up. It feels fresh and modern even though it wears its influences on its sleeves, and given that this is Jess Abbott's second album under this project, you can hear how the transformation of the sound compliments her songwriting style so well. Honestly, the top three albums I have this year probably changed positions on me a dozen times. You won't go wrong by giving this a l...

My obsession with Drive-By Truckers has been going pretty strong for 15 years now, ever since the release of Southern Rock Opera . In my own opinion, they haven't released a bad album in that time. Even a mediocre Drive-By Truckers album is still pretty great. Their latest release, American Band , is my favorite release of theirs since 2004's  The Dirty South. Their albums tend to be a mixture of serious, darker songs along with some that border on novelty, with some thinly veiled politics mixed throughout. American Band  drops the thin veil and sense of humor and is their most overtly political and serious album yet. Mike Cooley claimed that he "... wanted to piss off the assholes," and with songs about getting rid of the Confederate flag ("Surrender Under Protest"), Black Lives Matter and police shootings ("What It Means"), and the sex lives of conservative Christians ("Kinky Hypocrite"), it's safe to say they may have accomplishe...

My #4 album this year is Jeff Rosenstock's Worry . This one caught me by surprise and got more and more additive the more I listened to it. I didn't even list this as my favorite album of the week it came out , but did predict accurately that this would age well, and it absolutely did. This is like that classic 1990s alt-rock album you loved and forgot about, with great hooks and melodies and some nice crunchy guitars to go along with it. It's obnoxious and fun, the lyrics are off-center and provide a solid look into what a less serious album can sound like in this day and age. Overall, just an album that fills me with joy almost every time I listen to it. If you've missed this up until now, you have to check it out. Recommended: "The Fuzz," "Wave Goodnight to Me," "Staring Out the Window of Your Old Apartment"

My #5 album this year is Kaia Kater's Nine Pin . Kaia Kater hit my radar a few years back, and we were both pretty excited about Nine Pin around these parts. The result here is an album that is the sort of raw Americana that I love, with some great musicianship and some interesting songs while still feeling traditional and timeless. It's a really stellar album because of how under the radar it is, but it deserves a lot more attention than it got. The whole thing is just a gorgeous, haunting listen from top to bottom, and it deserves a look if you haven't given it one already. I've gone back to it twice in the last couple weeks because I love it so much. So get on this. Just a great listen. Recommended: "Harlem's Little Blackbird," "Harvest and the Plough," "Rising Down"

Whenever I see anything about Nots, I'm always surprised that they aren't from England and instead are from Nashville. Even though I know there are bands from Nashville besides country bands, you don't really expect there to be much of a post punk scene in Tennessee. Nots are this perfect combo of late 70s post punk groove and 90s art punk noise and riot aggression. I made the obvious comparison earlier by bringing up Sonic Youth and Bikini Kill, but that still stands. The album closer, "Entertain Me," is my favorite seven minute song I've heard in years. It's a noisy, badass epic. "Cosmetic" is a shorter song, but it's still filled with bursts of perfect noise. Cosmetic is a side of Nashville you're probably not familiar with, but you'll want to be.

A short release week means we'll play a tiny bit of catch-up as well. Artist : Neil Young Album : Peace Trail Quick Description : Legendary folkie offers a new album in a post-Trump environment. Why You Should Listen : It completely depends on how you feel about Neil Young. Overall Thoughts : Young recorded this before the election, so this isn't a protest album against the current results or anything, but Neil Young is known for being politically charged and socially aware, and this album is no different. As someone who really just likes "Keep On Rockin' in the Free World," I was surprised how much I liked from this album. It's got a couple solid songs on here, delves into the weird toward the end a bit, and the result is, well, a Neil Young album. A longtime fan might have a different take, but... Recommendation : ...this ain't bad! Artist : The Last Shadow Puppets Album : The Dream Synoposis EP Quick Description : Quick hit EP from the r...

Photo by Zak Bratto The second single from Stef Chura's upcoming debut album, "Spotted Gold," shows a different side than the previous single, "You." While "You" was a little more singer/songwriter style (albeit a more noisy and brooding variety), "Spotted Gold" is pure jangly indie rock fun. Don't get me wrong, I love "You," and would be perfectly happy to hear an entire album of songs just like it. But "Spotted Gold" is just as fantastic in a completely different way. While the song sounds fun and bouncy, it turns out it's about a friendship with a bandmate going badly. I was already excited for Chura's upcoming album. Now I'm downright giddy. You can watch the video for "Spotted Gold" below. Stef Chura's debut album, Messes , will be out January 27 on Urinal Cake Records. You can pre-order your copy here . For more information on Chura, check her out on Bandcamp  and Facebook . 

To be completely fair, I could be overrating this a bit because of what it's not: absolutely horrible. With very few exceptions, whenever a rap artist from the 80s and 90s releases a comeback album, it's pretty much guaranteed to be universally horrible. In an attempt to sound current, they all seem to get stuck on what Puff Daddy did in 1998 and just have an R&B chorus over everything. Which is why A Tribe Called Quest's latest,  We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service, should be horrible. It's their first album in almost 20 years. That's never a good sign, regardless of what genre you're looking at. Plus, it was released after the death of a major member. After Phife Dawg's death back in March, they could have just rushed this out to capitalize on it. Instead, they took their time and released one of the best albums of the year, and maybe even the best hip hop album in years. To be fair, there aren't any "Scenario"s on here, b...

My #6 album is Margo Price's Midwest Farmer's Daughter . This one came out of nowhere for me. The retro classic country sound has been making a lot of waves, and Jack White's Third Man Records is really putting out quality stuff in this area, and Margo Price is no different in that regard. It feels classic and timeless while still having that raw quality to it that keeps it sounding fresh. The melodies here stick in my head all the time, and there's not a bad song on the album. And basically? The only thing keeping this from being the album of the year for me is because of how much good music has come out in 2016. If you've slept on this up until now, you still have a chance to come around. If you like classic country at all, you just need to drop what you're doing and give this a shot. Recommended songs: "Hurtin' (On the Bottle)," "Four Years of Chances," "This Town Gets Around"

Photo by Christopher Hainey Since both Jeff and I are fairly obsessed with Laura Stevenson,  we love covers here at If It's Too Loud..., and The Replacements are one of my favorite bands, it's a pretty safe bet that we're thrilled  that Laura Stevenson has released a cover of "Alex Chilton." The ode to the leader of Big Star was recorded in Groningen, Netherlands, and is part of Stevenson's just released live album Live at Vera Club. The album is being offered for a pay what you can option with 100% of all proceeds going to benefit Planned Parenthood. The recording is a bit muddled, particularly the beginning of "Alex Chilton," but it's a live album from one of our favorite bands doing one of my favorite band's songs, so how can you really go wrong? Live at Vera Club  is available from Quote Unquote Records  here . You can listen to Laura Stevenson's cover of "Alex Chilton" below. For more on Laura Stevenson, including her...

Come Black Magic  is Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys' best album to date. In the few years since I've been following them, they've released an abundance of music, from soundtracks to plays, covers compilations, proper albums, etc., but Come Black Magic is their greatest sonic achievement. One of the obvious differences is the inclusion of Mary Widow as a full time member of the band. Since most of the Army of Broken Toys have fairly non-traditional voices, having a more traditional singer in their ranks really helps pull everything together with backing harmonies. Not to mention, every single song really feels like they are just going for it completely. Whether they're rallying against the patriarchy ("The Legend of Squid and Moon") or doing a Bjork cover ("Army of Me"), nothing is being done at anything but a level of full commitment. "Dull Boy," a musical tribute to The Shining  that has been rattling around their live show...

Andrew Bird's Are You Serious is my #7 album this year. I wasn't expecting this to be my favorite Andrew Bird album, but I wasn't expecting his previous album to be my favorite before that, either. Andrew Bird holds a weird spot for me personally, as he's the better version of a lot of things I already love. This album hit me first as feeling a little more stripped down and different than his past efforts, but a few listens got me right in line with why I enjoy what he does. Yeah, he whistles. Yeah, there's a good amount of violin. But the songs are just so catchy, and they get jammed into your brain and don't let go whether you want them to or not. I hear my wife humming the title track in the kitchen constantly even when she hasn't heard the song in a while. I still maintain that Bird's "worst" album was also his breakthrough, Armchair Apocrypha . Where this will sit in Bird's lineup of music over all these years remains to b...

Photo by Sarrah Danziger Hurray for the Riff Raff has established themselves (herself?) as one of the top artists for a modern take on laid back traditional folk. Based on their new song, the upcoming album might be shattering that expectation. "Rican Beach" is a huge departure. The next album, The Navigator , is kind of a concept album that altogether tells the story of a street kid named Navita. The new song fully embraces a Latin sound and has this groove throughout with just the hint of a punk edge. It's not exactly as heavy as Downtown Boys, but in comparison to her previous work, this is as close as Alynda Segerra has come to full blown punk. You can watch the lyric video for "Rican Beach" below. The new Hurray for the Riff Raff album, The Navigator , will be out March 10 on ATO Records. You can pre-order a copy at PledgeMusic . For more information on Hurray for the Riff Raff, check out their website .

Another album that came out way back in February that stuck with me all year was the debut from Mothers, When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired. One of my most anticipated releases of 2016  based solely on the strength of the song "Too Small for Eyes," the rest of the album lived up to the hype I had created in my mind. The true power of the album is  Kristine Leschper's voice, which is equal parts beautiful and discordant, fragile and powerful. "Too Small for Eyes" borders on twee, sounding like a folk song being played on a dying, broken music box. "It Hurts Until it Doesn't" is a bit more rocking and is more what indie used to be instead of what is considered indie now. "Nesting Behavior" is an incredibly delicate song that might be the most terrifying lullaby ever. "Lockjaw" simmers throughout its entire 5:00 length and builds to a crescendo that never quite comes. Right when you expect and want it to break wide open,...

My #8 album this year is Ruby the RabbitFoot's Divorce Party . When this came out, it felt like a massive departure. We loved her previous album, New as Dew , and the expectation of another solid folky singer-songwriter album was put into question when her cover of Madonna's "Take a Bow" landed, but was completely dashed when "Nicola La" came out ahead of the album. I was skeptical, but wow , this ended up being one of the albums I played the most this year. There's a cool off-center pop sensibility to it while still having the sort of stark, transparent lyrical feel we come to expect from folk music. I know this got some good blog buzz, and I hope this means bigger things for her in the long term. Still, it's one of the best of this year and has a couple of my favorite songs for 2016 as well. Check it out. Recommended: "Nicola La," "Wild Cherry Chapstick," "I Hate You."

Marlon Williams is part of this odd (but fantastic) wave of Americana coming out of Australia and New Zealand. His debut solo album came out way back in February and it's been in my regular rotation ever since. While there is a ton of country/folk albums out these days, what really makes Williams stand out is his voice. He could easily be one of the new crooners that pop up on The Voice or American Idol , but instead he's playing small clubs doing the singer-songwriter thing. There are the more upbeat songs like the album opener, "Hello Miss Lonesome" and the second song "After All," but the true standout is the moody "Dark Child." Williams is best when he's crooning a dark, melancholy tale. Plus, the indie rock style feedback that is just hinted at in the background comes out in full force towards the end. "Strange Things" is the closest thing the album comes to a traditional country song with it's haunting chorus. No one is cu...

Sometimes an album (and even a song) comes along that both speaks to you on a pretty solid level while also hitting just the right nostalgia buttons all at once. Thus Funs Cool , the debut album from The Prettiots. It's unlike anything else that sniffed the blogosphere this year while both harkening back to the anti-folk of a decade ago. It was "Suicide Hotline" that got me hooked. I had a fairly dark start of the new year, and I'm not saying that I needed a song to literally talk me off the ledge, but a song that was described by the songwriter as a letter to her therapist about how she was feeling definitely worked for me, especially with its literary references and clearly self-depreciating attitude. It became a highly-anticipated album, and the whole thing is the same way. "Boys (That I Dated in High School)" is hilarious, "18 Wheeler" appropriately dark, and so on. Overall, the result is an album that stayed on repeat for me for some...

This might be the last big new release week for a while, so let's dive right in! Album of the Week : Artist : Childish Gambino Album : "Awaken, My Love!" Quick Description : Donald Glover puts aside the nerd rap in favor of a funky pastiche. Why You Should Listen : Donald Glover is a must watch/listen/read no matter what. Overall Thoughts : Looking at this solely as a Childish Gambino project, it's hard not to see it as a strange diversion from what's worked. But if we look at this from Donald Glover as an artist, following his leaving Community and through the amazing FX show Atlanta , it's hard not to see this as one of those sort of essential pieces that needs more time to be unpacked. It's clear he's going for a message, similar to other R&B acts this year, but it's hard not to hear some old style funk as a message in and of itself about Glover's artistry on its own. This won't work for everyone, I understand that, but.....