If It's Too Loud...

If you've been following us for a while, you know we're going to be thrilled at the pairing of Blondshell and Bully. The two completely nail the whole 90's alt-rock but through a modern alt-pop prism sound separately, and on "Docket," they just bring the entire thing to a completely different level. This is just a modern spin on the 90's slacker/indie rock thing, and we could not be more on board for it. I was dying to hear Blondshell and Bully team up since Sabrina Tietelbaum (aka Blondshell) started hinting at it on social media, and "Docket" blows all of those expectations away. I mean... we have to conscript these two into a supergroup based on this song, right? Sabrina Tietelbuam says of her new single with Bully: “For me this is a song about splitting off from yourself. It’s about uncertainty when you’re in different environments all the time. In a way it’s about wanting to cope with distance and change but it’s also just a bit about being reck...

Artist : Old 97's Album : Twelfth Quick Description : Latest album from the alt-rock band. Can you guess which number? Why You Should Listen : Old 97's remain one of the more consistent bands out there. Overall Thoughts : Be real: have they put out a bad album? They have a lot of good albums, and maybe not every one is memorable, but it is such a pleasant surprise every time we get an album anyway, and the band is so consistent in songwriting and quality that it's difficult to think of a band that does what they do better for so long. This is unlikely to be anyone's favorite Old 97's album, but... Recommendation : ...it's likely to be one of your favorites this week. Artist : Alex the Astronaut Album : The Theory of Absolutely Nothing Quick Description : Debut album from an Australian singer-songwriter. Why You Should Listen : It's bright, gorgeous singer-songwriter stuff. Overall Thoughts : This came out nowhere for me. I hadn't heard o...

A slower week, but an abbreviated post given my schedule blowing up again. The Plan - Nervous Energy : This is a different one, for sure. The Plan is absolutely going the strange, stilted indie rock route with this, and the returns are interesting in and of themselves. I can’t say for sure whether I liked it, but this is an album of odd song structures and challenging listens. I didn’t love it on first listen, but this is absolutely an album I want to revisit. I recommend giving it a shot, especially in a slower week. Various Artists - Tegan and Sara Present The Con X : A tribute/covers record of Tegan and Sara’s The Con . It’s not my favorite T&S record at all, and my familiarity with the songs has deteriorated with time. The versions here? As with any album like this, it’s hit-or-miss. Some interesting takes, other ones that just don’t work. Take what you like and leave the rest, I think. Dori Freeman - Letters Never Read : We enjoyed Dori Freeman’s previous record,...

Some minor housecleaning notes - with the music industry moving to a universal Friday release date, the current plan is to move First Listen to Monday or Tuesday (Monday preferred, but the real world gets in the way and all that). With it will be a slightly different format as well, so stay tuned. The understanding is that the first Friday release day will be July 10, so either the July 6 or July 13 releases will be impacted by the change, and I still haven't seen a straight answer. Either way, stay tuned. New releases are afoot! Four Tet - Morning/Evening : Four Tet had a surprise release this week with Morning/Evening , a solid listen for sure but one that is unliekly to excite people who aren't already inclined to be into Four Tet. I really liked it, perhaps even more than the previous effort, but this won't be for everyone. Richard Thompson - Still : Richard Thompson is one of those classic acts (" Wall of Death " is still an awesome song, and I...