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"
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"
Album: Time Capsule
Quick Thoughts: Particle Kid is the project of one of Willie Nelson's sons, and it's got that indie experimental thing down pat. If you're expecting Willie Jr. on this, it's not happening - this is as far from classic country as you can realistically get, and feels more like a Grand Royal circa 1995 release. It's awesome.
Songs of Note: "Velocirapture (The Serpent Flew)," "Original Glitch," "Someone Else's Dream," "Along the Timey Road"
Album: True North
Quick Thoughts: I'm a huge fan of Caroline Spence, and she has become one of my favorites due to her introspective country-tinged songs and sneaky-beautiful composition. True North feels a little quieter than her prior efforts up to this point, but you still get songs like "Scale These Walls" that are deceptively simple while carrying some real weight. This album isn't going to change the world, but, like most of her work, it might change yours.
Songs of Note: "Walk the Walk," "Scale These Walls," "Icarus"
Album: Songs My Friends Wrote
Quick Thoughts: I don't recall when I first tripped up on Corb Lund, but the longtime country singer-songwriter provides a covers album here that's a ton of fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and the result is a fairly raucous affair with a great balance of party-style music and more traditional country. Give it some time.
Songs of Note: "That's What Keeps the Rent Down, Baby," "Montana Waltz," "Blue Wing"
Album: Portrait of a Lady
Quick Thoughts: Shilpa Ray is angry about the state of the world, and was before the SCOTUS leak. This album is a protest record in its purest form, and it doesn't hurt that the music is great, too. A good protest album has a solid message with a solid musical base, and this has both. Check it out.
Songs of Note: "Manic Pixie Dream Cunt," "Lawsuits and Suicide," "Bootlickers of the Patriarchy"
Album: Wet Tennis
Quick Thoughts: Sofi Tukker makes some of the most fun club music out there, and I am absolutely floored by how great this new album is. Banger after banger after banger, and even the song "Larry Bird" is absolutely a joy. They were already one of my favorite current dance acts, and this album is even better than anything else they've done yet. A mandatory listen.
Songs of Note: "Kakee," "Original Sin," "Summer in New York," "Wet Tennis," "Sun Came Up," "Larry Bird"
Album: i don't know who needs to hear this...
Quick Thoughts: Sarah Tomberlin's debut record caught me by surprise. It was a grower for sure, but ended up as one of my favorite records of that year. The follow-up is a really long time coming, but my goodness is it great. It's still a pretty stark listen, but the songwriting here is more consistent and more sure of itself, which makes for an interesting affair on a whole. I loved this album, and I expect I'll love it more on repeat.
Songs of Note: "tap," "sunstruck," "stoned," "happy accident"
Album: LP.8
Quick Thoughts: A shout-out to Kelly Lee Owens, who has another album of ambient-leaning electronic music out here that is just absolutely great. I don't have a ton to say about it, but it's a really good listen in a really busy week.
Songs of Note: "Release," "Quickening," "Sonic 8"
Album: MAHAL
Quick Thoughts: This album is so good, I had to ask Ken whether Toro y Moi was always this good or not. They've never connected much with me before, but there is so much great stuff here that it's exactly what you'd want a psych rock record to sound like. It's really great, and worth the time.
Songs of Note: "The Medium," "Magazine," "Postman," "Deja Vu"
Album: Two Ribbons
Quick Thoughts: Let's Eat Grandma gets a little more mainstream and a little less experimental with this new album, and it works. This has every hallmark of a breakthrough album, and songs like "Levitation" could just as well land on any buzzy radio station. Whether you weren't a fan to start or didn't know them, now is as good a time as ever to check them out.
Songs of Note: "Levitation," "Insect Loop," "Watching You Go"
Album: Forgiveness
Quick Thoughts: The opening song is a glitchy intro before settling into a more standard groove, and the starts and stops with this album create a truly inspired effort. I loved all parts of this, and can't wait to get back to it - it's perfect indie rock.
Songs of Note: "Nothing Gives Me Pleasure," "Violet," "Dragging My Life Into a Dream," "Afterlife"
Of note:
* Dalek - Precipice (Interesting rap/industrial hybrid.)
* Lola Kirke - Lady for Sale (Solid songwriting with a retro feel.)
* Willie Nelson - A Beautiful Time
* Royksopp - Profound Mysteries
* The Lovecraft Sextet - Nights of Lust
* The Mysterines - Reeling
* Bloc Party - Alpha Games
* Melody's Echo Chamber - Emotional Eternal
* Kehlani - blue water road
* William Basinski and Janek Shaefer - "...on reflection"
* Golden Boots - Liquid Ranch
* Orbury Common - The Traditional Dance of Orbury Common
* Deaf Lingo - Lingonberry
* Honeyglaze - Honeyglaze
* Izaak Opatz - Extra Medium
* Dana Gavanski - When It Comes
* Blushh - C'est La Vie
* Tennis System - Autophobia
* SCALPING - Void
* Diane Coffee - With People
* Chelsea Jade - Soft Spot
* Karen Elson - Green
* Henry Jamison - The Years
* Julie Doiron & Dany Placard - Julie & Dany
* Harvey Sutherland - Boy
* Lou Roy - Pure Chaos
* Guy Capecelatro III - Heading North Again
* Large Plants - The Carrier
EPs:
* Scene Queen - Bimbocore (This is a lot of fun.)
* Freedom Fry - Sing-a-long Series
* Joe Gittleman - The Grand Collection, Vol. 1
* Chloe Lilac - you were good to me
* Golf Girl - All So Dreamy
* Francis of Delirium - The Funhouse - EP
* Faye Webster - Car Therapy Sessions
* Coach Party - Nothing is Real
* Tenderhost - The Tin
* THE BLSSM - PURE ENERGY
* Kcin & Tilman Robinson - Requiem for the Holocene
Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:
* Jens Lekman - The Cherry Trees Are Still in Blossom (Re-recording of some previous works. Lekman's Version?)
Also out:
* Action Bronson - Cocodrillo Turbo
* The Ah - Ryan Dreams
* The Head and the Heart - Every Shade of Blue
