If It's Too Loud...

Artist : NewDad Album : Altar Quick Thoughts : This latest album from NewDad feels like a coming out party in a lot of ways: the production and performances are sharp and polished, and the songs are winners almost across the board. I was hooked within the first song, but tunes like "Misery" and "Everything I Wanted" changed this from a great listen to one of my favorites of the week. Perfect for fans of Mother Mother. Songs of Note : "Other Side," "Pretty," "Misery," "Everything I Wanted," "Vertigo" Artist : The Barbaras Album : Rollercoasters Quick Thoughts : The Barbaras, the indie duo of blog favorites Sallie and Weezy Ford, are back with a great little roots-influenced record that does exactly what one might expect it to do. It's been a few years since we heard from Sallie Ford, so anything new is more than welcome, but this new album is a good reminder of how well the two sisters are able to cra...

This album changed how I listen to rap music. I'm still new-ish to rap. Outside of the super-popular stuff, my knowledge and understanding of rap music was really, really, really low until about 10 years ago. Even today, I tend to like stuff a little more off the beaten path; it took until this past summer for me to "get" Kendrick Lamar, for example, even though I gravitated to an act like Atmosphere rather easily. It was probably when "Sculpting With Fire" dropped at some point late last year that I realized this would be something truly special. The song doesn't adhere to any real expectations, which sets itself up as a truly disorienting listen out of context. In context of an album with some truly incredible sampling and memorable verses throughout, peppered with a number of shorter vignette songs to ease the transition? This sat near the top of my list for a while before the last month or so - the whole thing is near flawless whethe...

Artist : David Wax Museum Album : You Must Change Your Life Quick Thoughts : David Wax Museum is part of why this blog project exists, and they've consistently been a favorite band of ours for well over a decade. You Must Change Your Life has all sorts of meaning for the band, to be sure, but it also resonates as a listener who is right at the same age as singer-songwriter David Wax. Talk about an album I needed at age 42, at this point in time, at this stage of existence? It's great. The band has changed quite a bit over the years, but what's great about the new album is how some of the more recent output from the band feels like it has finally merged with the mexi-folk sound we've come to love so much. It's a really brilliant record, and one that can serve as an on-ramp for those who might not be clued in on how great this band is. Songs of Note : "You Must Change Your Life," "Best Lover," "Luanne," "Ahualulco," ...

Photo by Dan Monick It's hard to believe that Atmosphere has been around for over twenty-five years, but the duo of Slug and Ant released their debut album back in 1997 and continue to release great new music. Their latest single is "Holding My Breath," a laid back hip hop song that dabbles in dub. It's the kind of song with one foot in the old school of rap and the other in the present. The Minneapolis group have crafted a single that is going to appeal to their underground hip hop base while stretching into the mainstream. It's the perfect kind of song for the summer, and just driving around with the windows down. You can listen to "Holding My Breath" below. So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously is due out May 5 on Rhymesayers Entertainment, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Atmosphere, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. 5/11 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom ^ 5/12 - Amsterdam, NL @ Melkw...

For his latest collaborative album, Real Bad Man has teamed up with the legendary Kool Keith. Just in case new music from Kool Keith wasn't enough to get excited about, the duo have brought in Slug of Atmosphere and hip hop icon Ice-T. Even if you're unfamiliar with Real Bad Man, any fan of hip hop is going to be blown away by Kool Keith, Ice-T, and Slug on any song. With that pedigree of rap royalty, expectations are going to be unbelievably high for "Fire & Ice." Not surprisingly, they are met, and this is a killer hip hop song. Once you hear this new song, you're going to have a hard time waiting on the full album. Kool Keith says of the new song: “ Real Bad Man sent the beat and I heard sound dynamic crystals in the mix, they were ice cold, but hot like fire at the same time. You ever love something dark and evil? This right here is it.” You can listen to "Fire & Ice" below. Serpent is due out March 24. For more on Real Bad Man, check him out...

Artist : Destroy Boys Album : Open Mouth, Open Heart Quick Thoughts : We're big fans of Destroy Boys here even if we are far too old to really be this into them. This album is more of the punk goodness they're so great at, and is accessible enough where I could see a lot of this taking off. There's a lot of solid stuff in here, and if you're into the punk stuff you owe it to yourself to check this one out. Songs of Note : "Drink," "Cherry Garcia" Artist : Nightwatchers Album : Common Crusades Quick Thoughts : It takes a lot for me to get down with the heavier stuff, and Nightwatchers is certainly heavy, but there's a sensibility to this that makes this one stand out. The musicality, the offbeat song titles, the overall presentation of this record, it's all pretty great. This won't be for everyone, but boy am I glad I heard it. Songs of Note : "For the Sake of the People and the Nation," "A Not-so-Secular State Cul...

A handful of noteworthy releases this week: Artist : Atmosphere Album : Whenever Quick Description : Solid traditional rap music. Why You Should Listen : This is a near-perfect mix of music and flow. Overall Thoughts : Every time I listen to a new Atmosphere record, I remember how much I like it and kick myself for not listening more. The opening track, "Bde Maka Ska," sets a great tone, "Postal Lady" striking a nice counterbalance later... everything here just works, and it's one of the better rap albums I've heard recently. Recommendation : Worth the time. Artist : Venetian Snares Album : Greg Hates Car Culture Quick Description : Frenetic electronica. Why You Should Listen : Really different and fascinating. Overall Thoughts : I don't generally cover reissues in this space, but I got really into this one really quickly this week and I'm making an exception. First released as a vinyl-only album 20 years ago, the opening track is all...

I'm hoping this week is evidence that we're out of the summer slump! Album of the Week : Artist : Ruby the RabbitFoot Album : Divorce Party Quick Description : New album from folkie-turned-pop artist. Why You Should Listen : A shift in sound works out really well. Overall Thoughts : We first got a hint of Ruby the RabbitFoot's change in approach with her cover of Madonna's "Take a Bow" from last year , and I found the early songs released from this to be a little jarring. But hearing the album in full, I was feeling like this is sort of like what we might expect Madonna to sound like if she were just starting out now (and that's before getting to album highlight "Wild Cherry Chapstick," which opens with a declaration from Ruby where she admits to having a "sex dream about your brother"). This is a really solid listen and one I'm really looking forward to spending a lot more time with, it's a fun one. Might be jarring ...