If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Vanessa Peters Album : Flying on Instruments Quick Thoughts : Vanessa Peters is arguably music's best kept secret. As of the time of this writing, she has fewer than 2,400 monthly listeners on Spotify despite putting out album after album of great, folk/country music. Flying on Instruments continues this line of success with so many memorable songs, both quiet ("Halfway Through") and rollicking ("Pinball Heart") that no one else can touch. She's amazing, this album is great, don't miss out. Songs of Note : "Beauty or Grace," "Halfway Through," "Better," "Pinball Heart," "Out to Sea" Artist : Mama Zu Album : Quilt Floor Quick Thoughts : We miss Those Darlins. They never really got their due in their time, and the passing of Jessi Zazu only magnified the loss. Quilt Floor is the culmination of music she was working on before her passing, and it's both a lovely tribute to a musician ...

Photo by Corb Lund For Corb Lund's upcoming album, he set up in his living room in Lethbridge, AB and recorded with his band The Hurtin' Albertans. They recorded with no outside producer and no electric instruments. The first single from those sessions, "Old Familiar Drunken Feeling," is a ramblin' country and folk song about getting too high to play a show in Colorado. It's a fun song that's hilarious without being a novelty song. Lund's song is this laid back excursion that tells a step by step tale of his accidental misadventure with legal Colorado weed in a warm and endearing way. I mean... how are you supposed to resist lyrics like "So with that bit of wisdom / and herbal terrorism / on stage I was freaking out?" Corb Lund says of his new single: “It was all totally above board, the state had just legalized it, so it was kind of a novelty field trip for the band to visit the shiny new dispensary. Some songs are 'based on truth' b...

Artist : Trombone Shorty Album : Lifted Quick Thoughts : Trombone Shorty is legendary in his own right, but I admit that not a lot of his stuff has grabbed me. It's not him, it's me. With that said? Lifted is absolutely incredible, with a lot of great songs and excellent hooks. I loved so much of this album, it's a true unexpected delight. This is a super busy week, but this absolutely and unequivocally deserves your time. Songs of Note : "Lie to Me," "I'm Standing Here," "Everybody in the World," "Lifted" Artist : Erika Lewis Album : A Walk Around the Sun Quick Thoughts : This album was a pleasant surprise. A very rootsy, very folky affair with some gorgeous instrumentation and melodies, it's one of the better Americana releases in a week full of good ones. Give this a listen. Songs of Note : "A Thousand Miles," "Love Song," "Unsatisfied" Artist : Particle Kid Album : Time Caps...

"Grizzly Bear Blues" by Edmonton's Corb Lund is one of my favorite kinds of songs. It's funny and not serious without being too jokey or a novelty song. "Grizzly Bear Blues" is a ramblin' rock and roll meets country song about how to survive a grizzly bear encounter that includes some facts about grizzlies. Even though it's rock and roll meets country, it's not edgy enough to be outlaw country. It's a fun song that's disguised as a great song, and paying attention could actually save your life. You can listen to "Grizzly Bear Blues" below. Agriculture Tragic, the upcoming album from Corb Lund, will be out June 26 on New West Records. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Corb Lund, check out his website .