If It's Too Loud...

Album of the Week : Artist : Meklit Album : When the People Move, the Music Moves Too Quick Description : Soul/R&B with some great musicality. Why You Should Listen : It's unlike anything else you've heard lately. Overall Thoughts : This just came out of nowhere. I’ve never heard of Meklit before today, but I think we’ve found a new favorite here. I think my best comparison to this, to start, might be Janelle Monae if she spent more time with non-electronic instruments and less time singing about robots, but that doesn’t do this justice. There’s such a high level of musicality to Meklit’s take on R&B, to the styles being explored, that it’s just impossible to ignore. On first listen, it was almost exhausting (in a good way) trying to keep up with everything happening, and all I’ve wanted to do since diving in last week is jump back in. Even if this doesn’t end up being one of my favorite albums of the year, it’s absolutely my favorite this week and absolutely...

A surprisingly great week this week. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - The High Country : I confess to not having followed SSLYBY all that closely, but when did they become a fun power pop band? This is a breath of fresh air from this band - it's very straightforward yet has enough interesting wrinkles to throw some curveballs your way. A really solid album. Girlpool - Before the World Was Big : I love this Girlpool album. It's like a weird, interesting mix of early-aughts anti-folk and Tune-Yards mixed with some real pop sensibility. I found this to be an utterly compelling listen from start to finish, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to it. It's not the best release of the week, but it's absolutely the one everyone should be listening to. Barenaked Ladies - Silverball : It's been roughly a decade since I've really enjoyed much that BNL has done, and especially since Steven Page left, it hasn't really been something intere...