If It's Too Loud...

A busy week! Album of the Week : Artist : Anna Tivel Album : Small Believer Quick Description : Latest from a favorite folkie. Why You Should Listen : Anna Tivel is crazy consistent. Overall Thoughts : Ken has raved about Anna Tivel before, and I’ve been jumping back and forth on her back catalog since he turned me onto her. The new album? It’s predictably great. There’s a reason we’re a big fan of hers here, and while she’s not trying to reinvent the wheel with her brand of folk music, there’s something to be said about nearly perfecting it. This is a solid listen for this week, and definitely worth your time. Recommendation : My favorite of the week. Artist : Keep Shelly in Athens Album : Philokalia Quick Description : Weird, yet accessible, electronic music. Why You Should Listen : Keep Shelly in Athens has been under the radar too long. Overall Thoughts : I missed the release last year, but the release from a few years ago was of interest to me. This new album ...

A pretty sparse plate for the holiday weekend in the States. Zoe Muth - World of Strangers : Pick of the week for me is Zoe Muth's latest effort. There seems to be a glut of alt-country songstresses as of late, and Muth takes the more traditionalist line, but stands out due to really strong songwriting, catchy hooks, and without skimping on the production. It doesn't feel overly twangy, and that's a good thing, too. All her albums are worthwhile, but this is absolutely worth a listen for this week. Babes - Babes : Debut EP from buzzy blog band Babes, the four songs are actually a lot more understated than I expected. Sometimes harkening back to the girl group melodies of 50 years ago, it's a really solid lo-fi affair that has left me wanting more and wondering what a full length might sound like. Worth keeping in mind. Owen Pallett - In Conflict : Owen Pallett, better known by some as Final Fantasy or the guy who does the strings for Arcade Fire, is back with...