If It's Too Loud...

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...

I've wanted to do this for years, but I'm finally getting to it this year. There are new Christmas albums out, and of those of interest? Well... The Nice List Ingrid Michaelson's Songs for the Season is basically exactly what I look for in traditional holiday fare. Far too many singers, when going for the more typical songs, make it more about them than make it about the music. Michaelson wisely gives us a presentation of Christmas music that has her identity stamped on it without overpowering the whole production. There may not be a better pop singer to do this these days, so make sure this hits your rotation. JD McPherson's Socks is a great set of Christmas originals by someone who has kept his music in the retro side of things for years now. I've loved a lot of his music, and Socks just has that old time radio feel to it that feels appropriate for the season. The Old 97's Love The Holidays is an appropriately goofy and fun Christmas album...

SO MANY NEW RELEASES. As a quick note, I am keeping up with the Future albums. I delayed it last week because he was putting out an album this week, and now I'm delaying this week because he apparently has ANOTHER album coming out Friday of this week. So yeah, I'm aware of it. Album of the Week Artist : Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge Album : Mount Royal Quick Description : Gorgeous rootsy folk music. Why You Should Listen : If you like the sort of stuff we get excited about here, you need to listen to this. Overall Thoughts : The one problem with the amount of folk-style music we cover here is that there does tend to be a lot of sameness to the music. This isn't a bad thing at all, but when an album jumps out at you the way Mount Royal does, it forces you to pay attention. For me, the guitar playing is sneaky gorgeous, and the vocals are just as solid (especially as a music listener who tends to struggle with male folk voices). Lead track "Bone Collect...

An interesting new release week for us this week, let's dive right in: Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots : Damon Albarn, lead singer of Blur and member of Gorillaz finally puts out a solo album of his own. To be completely frank, this album would be a lot better if it didn't carry the baggage of Damon Albarn with it. It's got a bit of a slow electronic feel to it which may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but it works in a lot of places. It's just...well, he's the guy from Blur and you end the album wanting more of that. It's worth a listen, but it's likely to be a little polarizing on a whole. The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger (The GOOAST) - Midnight Sun : This is the current project of Sean Lennon and his girlfriend. I've been a fan of what Sean Lennon's been up to from way, way back when he released his first solo album through Grand Royal back in the 1990s. It appears, though, that Lennon has effectively stopped trying to preten...