If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Nabinah Iqbal Album : DREAMER Quick Thoughts : This album literally made me gasp. I thought it was a solid ambient effort, and then the noisy shoegazey songs came in, and the way that this jumps between concepts and ideas and musical... everything. Wow. It just works, and in a really gorgeous and surprising way. LOVED this album, do not skip it. Songs of Note : "Dreamer," "Sunflower" Artist : Braids Album : Euphoric Recall Quick Thoughts : I've been a fan of Braids for ages, and this latest album feels like a pop-ish turn for the electronic act. It really works well, with the opening track setting the tone for an album with great song after great song. If you haven't gotten into Braids yet, this is as good as any a place to start. Songs of Note : "Supernova," "Evolution," "Millennia" Artist : Indigo de Souza Album : All of This Will End Quick Thoughts : The problem with streaming music and not spending a...

Artist : Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile Album : Not Our First Goat Rodeo Quick Description : A wonderful follow up to The Goat Rodeo Sessions . Why You Should Listen : This mix of styles worked well last time, and works well this time. Overall Thoughts : I played a lot of The Goat Rodeo Sessions back when that came out, and then I kind of forgot about it over time. When this randomly popped up in my Spotify list this week, it was such a great and pleasant surprise. The musicianship here is predictably top-notch, and the songs just feel right for a hot summer month where we're all supposed to be trapped at home. Just a lovely little package, and easily my favorite of the week. Recommendation : A must-listen. Artist : Braids Album : Shadow Offering Quick Description : Latest from the artsy indie group. Why You Should Listen : Braids continually does interesting and essential music. Overall Thoughts : I feel like I've been waiting for this o...

With a glut of new releases this week, this will be a two-parter. Album of the Week : Artist : Marissa Nadler Album : Strangers Quick Description : Latest album from the dark folkie. Why You Should Listen : Nadler is criminally underrated. Overall Thoughts : I don't know exactly when Strangers truly clicked for me, but it was midway through when I realized that this was a definite step up from her previous album and as good as anything else she's put out. There's still the ethereal tones throughout, and her airy, haunting melodies make it worthwhile, but I'll keep coming back to this because it feels a little more accessible in some ways. Will this be her breakthrough? I hope so, but this is a solid listen nonetheless. Recommendation : A great listen, best of the week. Artist : Tim Heidecker Album : In Glendale Quick Description : A rock album with some comedic undertones from the anti-comedy star. Why You Should Listen : You're a fan of Heidecker...

This is the week we've been waiting for. Heather Maloney - Making Me Break : I've been a fan of Heather Maloney for a while now. A Northampton singer-songwriter, she was on the more rootsy/folksy side of things, and this album really has the chance of being a breakout for her. The closest thing I can compare the maturity and sound advances of this album is how I felt about Amanda Shires's most recent album. It keeps the same tone while really feeling like a strong step forward. I knew I'd like this, but on first listen? I think I love it. Highly recommended, arguably the release of the week. Mew - +/- : Mew is not a band I have a lot of familiarity with, and this is their first album in around 6 years. I think I had always put them in with post-rock bands or other strange stuff from Northern Europe, but wow was I wrong. It turns out Mew is actually a really great listen with some straightforward, sometimes complex, often hooky rock music that fits in well w...

Biggest new release week since the blog started, and biggest new release week in recent memory, so let's just get to it. Braids - Flourish // Perish : A confession to start out: when I saw this release listed in this week's albums, I got excited as I thought this was something new from indie rock band Braid. It's not. Braids, instead, is an electronic outfit from Canada that has put out a surprising album that I really, really loved on my first listen. It's got a stark coldness to it that is difficult to achieve, and actually kind of gave me an "Aphex Twin if Aphex Twin was trying to make accessible music" vibe. If this sort of thing interests you at all, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. It's really one of the more interesting recent releases. Travis - Where You Stand : A "hey, remember us" album like none other. Travis hasn't released anything in around five years, and while their most recent album was a return to form afte...