If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Kristina Lynn We've come to expect greatness any time Dori Freeman releases new music, and the Galax, VA singer-songwriter consistently delivers. Her latest single, "Movie Screen," is a gently rambling country song. It has that traditional folk meets neo-folk sound that Freeman does perfectly. Plus, Freeman's vocals are particularly mesmerizing on "Movie Screen," which is fitting since the song is about getting lost in a movie. This is a simple yet perfect song that is going to work for you if you're a fan of literally any subgenre of folk. Dori Freeman says of her new single: "I wrote 'Movie Screen' deep into the pandemic after watching many hours of  Peaky Blinders .  As the song developed, the movie theatre became a broader metaphor for the way many of us turn to entertainment as distraction from the challenges of our day to day lives." You can listen to "Movie Screen" below. Do You Recall is due out November 17 on...

Photo by Kristina Lynn There's no one out there that mixes traditional Appalachian music with a more modern folk-pop quite like Dori Freeman. Her latest single, "Do You Recall," is a stunning and easygoing modern folk song. As with any of Freeman's songs, the focus is her vocals which are just mesmerizing on this one, particularly on the chorus. Calling something mainstream can be used derogatory in the music world, but when someone nails a sound the way Freeman has you just can't go wrong. Plus, there is just enough twangy electric guitar to keep things interesting on "Do You Recall." You can listen to "Do You Recall" below. Do You Recall , the album, is due out November 17 on Blue Hens Music, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Dori Freeman, check out the artist's website .

It definitely feels like everyone saved their new releases for this week... Artist : Dntel Album : Away Quick Thoughts : For better or for worse, Dntel will be aligned with Ben Gibbard and The Postal Service. His second effort this year feels very familiar and very modern, with a number of highlights sprinkled throughout that make this one of the more interesting listens in a busy week. Songs of Note : ""Shell," "From the Window" Artist : Venus Hum Album : Kindness Rages On Quick Thoughts : Venus Hum's first album in about five years is one great song after another. There's a lot to love here, and while the band doesn't quite sound like anything else out there at present, this record doesn't sound out-of-place in the modern music landscape. This is absolutely an album I'm looking forward to getting back to, as it's one of the better recent rock albums. Songs of Note : "Lonely," "Where You Are," ...

As with previous singles from Dori Freeman's upcoming album, "Almost Home" just sounds slightly off. Of course, I mean that in the best possible way. "Almost Home" is a great country/Americana song, but it's definitely not like typical country although it does have all the elements. Freeman's voice is stunning, and has just the right country tinge to it so make it country, but it wavers just a bit too much to be country. And then there's the guitar. Sure, there's twang and some jangle to it, but it's an otherworldly jangle. Despite being sunny, "Almost Home" has some darkness and dinge to it as well. This is why you're going to need to listen to it. You can listen to "Almost Home" below. Ten Thousand Roses is due out September 10 on Blue Hens Music. You can pre-order/pre-save the album here . For more on Dori Freeman, check out the artist's website . Ten Thousand Roses by Dori Freeman

Photo by Kristen Crigger According to a press release, Dori Freeman's upcoming album is a "'grunge country' opus." I don't know if I'd call it grunge country personally (I think early Deer Tick nailed that perfectly), but "The Storm" is a fantastic slice of alt-pop country. "The Storm" goes down a little too smoothly to be aligned with grunge, but has far too much of an edge to be mainstream country. Putting an edge on any music that contains Freeman's voice can't be an easy task. "The Storm" shows that she could easily be the next country superstar, but she's far too cool for it. The song also has just enough of a retro cool feel to it to really make it something special. If I had to compare it to another current artist, I'd go with early Tristen. (And if you know what kind of Tristen fans we are, you know that's high praise.) Dori Freeman says of the new song: "I wrote 'The Storm' as an anthe...

Photo by Kristina Leblanc I tend to prefer music that leans away from the mainstream. Even if it's from a genre like Americana/roots/folk, I prefer some experimentation. This new song from Dori Freeman is completely in the mainstream of the singer/songwriter genre, but she just nails it so perfectly that even elitists like myself won't be able to resist it. "That's How I Feel" is simply a great song. Freeman's voice is exquisite, to the point that she could be singing lawn care commercial jingles and you'd be mesmerized. Luckily for us all, she's also just happens to be a great songwriter. "That's How I Feel" is Americana/roots/folk done so perfectly that you'll find it virtually impossible not to be smitten with it. You can listen to "That's How I Feel" below. Every Single Star , the upcoming album from Dori Freeman, will be out September 27 on Blue Hen Music. For more on Dori Freeman, check out her website . ...

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,...

A pretty loaded new release week! Album of the Week : Artist : The Prettiots Album : Funs Cool Quick Description : Biting anti-folk debut album. Why You Should Listen : You miss The Moldy Peaches but wish they had been wittier. Overall Thoughts : I fell in love with "Suicide Hotline" a while back, and I listed this as one of my most anticipated albums of this year. I thought it was coming out in April, but here we are with a great debut that is witty and interesting and has some of the catchiest songs we're likely to hear this year. Conceptually, this is just a confessional winner and seems like it hits upon the whole "jaded millennial" theme pretty well (especially in the final track, which is less a song than a treatise of sorts). Overall? A must listen and an early contender for a favorite of mine from this year if my immediate enjoyment is any indication. Recommendation : Simply the best album released in 2016 so far. A must listen. Artist :...