First Listen Part Two: More New Releases for April 27

And the rest!

Artist: Dr. Dog
Album: Critical Equation
Quick Description: The latest from the popular indie act.
Why You Should Listen: Dr. Dog is pretty consistent and loved for a reason.
Overall Thoughts: People love Dr. Dog and I’ve never 100% understood them, but this record feels like a pretty solid effort from the band. The opening track really grabbed me, and I found the rest of it to be fairly listenable on a whole. I don’t know how fans will feel, but I dug this.
Recommendation: Worth a shot.

Artist: Forth Wanderers
Album: Forth Wanderers
Quick Description: Latest from a group I'm really fond of.
Why You Should Listen: This is an act that you should know if you don't already.
Overall Thoughts: I've enjoyed this band for some time, and the new album is the same sort of sneaky quiet great stuff that I’ve come to expect. This is one of those bands where you listen to a couple songs and start to wonder why this band isn’t more popular.
Recommendation: Check them out.

Artist: Janelle Monae
Album: Dirty Computer
Quick Description: Latest from the R&B androidsexual.
Why You Should Listen: This is maybe the most buzzworthy release of the spring.
Overall Thoughts: I unabashedly love Janelle Monae and still hate that I skipped out on her double bill with Of Montreal way back whenever. Dirty Computer is decidedly less about robots than her previous records, and this is definitely a statement record in many ways, but I'm not hating it - I just don't love it on first listen the way I have her other music. It's a solid album, though, and probably worth the time, but if you're into Monae for the sci-fi elements more than the straight R&B, you might miss the boat.
Recommendation: Listen, but be wary.

Artist: Speedy Ortiz
Album: Twerp Verse
Quick Description: Another batch of great songs by a blog favorite.
Why You Should Listen: Speedy Ortiz should still be more huge than they are.
Overall Thoughts: I don't honestly know what to say about Speedy Ortiz that hasn't been said already. They're a great band with a great sound, and poised to break out at any moment. This record continues along their consistent track, and it's both a great addition to their body of work and a great entry point.
Recommendation: Just listen to it.

Artist: Half Waif
Album: Lavender
Quick Description: Chamber-esque indie pop.
Why You Should Listen: No one sounds quite like Half Waif, and that's a great thing.
Overall Thoughts: It's hard to describe Half Waif. Chamber pop doesn't do it justice, but there are dreamy aspects to this with some interesting and challenging choices throughout. This probably needs to be heard to be understood, which is a cop-out, but as one of the better albums of the week, is there any other option?
Recommendation: A must-listen this week.

Artist: Giraffes? Giraffes!
Album: Memory Lame
Quick Description: Instrumental indie rock.
Why You Should Listen: This is a baffling, challenging listen.
Overall Thoughts: I can't honestly make heads or tails of this. It's something where I know I didn't like it, but it may be more because of my own tastes rather than what this act is doing. If instrumental indie rock does the trick for you, try this...
Recommendation: ...but you'll know pretty fast if it's not for you.

Artist: Okkervil River
Album: In the Rainbow Rain
Quick Description: Latest from the popular indie act.
Why You Should Listen: Okkervil River has a sound all their own.
Overall Thoughts: The opening track, "Famous Tracheotomies," feels insanely familiar within the first few seconds, and the album itself feels like an Okkervil River album through and through. Good for fans, good for newcomers.
Recommendation: It's just good.

Also out:

* Anne-Marie - Speak Your Mind

Live Shows: Sarah Shook & The Disarmers and Zephaniah Ohora, Atwood's, Cambridge, MA 4/29/18

Photo via Facebook

It feels like I've been obsessed with Sarah Shook & The Disarmers for years now, even though it's been just over a year. I unfortunately was unable to make their one Northeast trip for Sidelong, so when I saw that they were playing at the end of April, I knew I had to make it, despite it being another Month of Too Many Shows.

Luckily, they are completely worth staying up far too late on a Sunday night. Sarah Shook & The Disarmers play the kind of country punk that translates much better live than on record, and, considering how much I've loved Sidelong and the just released Years, that is saying quite a bit for their live show. It's nearly impossible to pick a few highlights for the songs they played live. "The Bottle Never Lets Me Down," "Fuck Up," "The Nail," etc were all just as equally great as the last song they played. Despite not being much of a touring band before signing to Bloodshot Records, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers feel like a seasoned band that's been touring and playing together for decades. If you think their albums straddle the line between country and punk, their live show stops all over that line. Right now they're playing the type of venues so small all five members barely fit on the stage. This is the time you simply need to make it out to see them.

I had almost forgotten Zephaniah Ohora existed until I saw him listed on the bill, and it was nearly my loss. He was a perfect opener for Sarah Shook & The Disarmers. He has a laid back, almost cowboy era vintage country sound without being the least bit hokey. Playing as a duo, Ohora perfectly set the pace of the evening.

First Listen, Part One: New Releases for April 27

We're a third of the way through the year already. How did this happen? With 17 new releases, we're splitting this in two

Album of the Week:

Artist: Kathinka
Album: Kathinka
Quick Description: Dreamy indie pop.
Why You Should Listen: This is a gorgeous musical mix.
Overall Thoughts: My biggest problem with this album is that it’s only eight songs long. I’ve had them looped in my playlists for some time, but this album so perfectly straddles the line between alt-rock and dreamy pop rock that it’s difficult to find any real problems with it.
Recommendation: It’s simply a must-listen this week.

Artist: Kasey Chambers and The Fireside Disciples
Album: Campfire
Quick Description: Deep roots music from a perpetually-underrated roots artist.
Why You Should Listen: Kasey Chambers has been consistently great for decades.
Overall Thoughts: With the other Kacey sucking up a lot of the country air, it’s easy to forget that another country Kasey is still making great music. This is a very rootsy, very acoustic collaborative effort that worked really well for me, and if you’re looking to sit on the softer side of things, this might just do the trick.
Recommendation: Absolutely worth your time.

Artist: Sigur Ros
Album: Route One
Quick Description: New music from the enigmatic Icelandic act.
Why You Should Listen: Sigur Ros is always an interesting listen.
Overall Thoughts: This is listed as a single on Spotify, and with eight tracks at forty minutes consisting of songs with geolocations as titles, I’m not sure we can call it a single or an EP or an album (although ( ) was similar in many regards). In a way, this is the closest to ( ) that we’ve gotten in some time, although this is absolutely more of an ambient record than your standard Sigur Ros.
Recommendation: Absolutely a solid listen, but might not be what you expect.

Artist: Willie Nelson
Album: Last Man Standing
Quick Description: Willie Nelson's 857th album.
Why You Should Listen: It's Willie Nelson, come on.
Overall Thoughts: No one is going to say anything bad about Willie at this point, but I highlight this only to stress that he’s still putting out new music on an extremely regular basis at his age, and it still feels vibrant and fun. There’s something to be said about that. You may not feel it has much staying power but it’s worth one shot at least.
Recommendation: A mandatory listen.

Artist: Cicada Rhythm
Album: Everywhere I Go
Quick Description: Upbeat rootsy stuff.
Why You Should Listen: You miss this sort of fun music.
Overall Thoughts: It’s been a minute since we’ve heard a batch of new music from Spirit Family Reunion. Listening to this, I got a sort of polished SFR vibe from this act. The parallel isn’t perfect, but it’s something worth thinking about as you get down a bit to this album. It’s a super fun listen and absolutely a favorite this week.
Recommendation: A top listen this week.

Artist: Kat Edmonson
Album: Old Fashioned Gal
Quick Description: Latest from an underrated jazz singer.
Why You Should Listen: She's done some awesome under-the-radar stuff.
Overall Thoughts: Pop jazz is a tough sell for me, but Kat Edmonson has such a delightfully classic sounding voice that still has a modern feel to it that it’s shocking she isn’t more famous. This might be my favorite effort of hers yet.
Recommendation: Give this a listen.

Artist: We Are Scientists
Album: Megaplex
Quick Description: Latest from the early-oughts rock act.
Why You Should Listen: You were a big fan when they hit their stride.
Overall Thoughts: I was never a huge fan of this act, and I’ve always coupled them in with the sort of new rock revival of the early aughts, but I didn’t expect them to be this unadventurous and safe on this latest album. Kind of a disappointment, if I’m being blunt.
Recommendation: Skip this.

Artist: Jackson Emmer
Album: Jukebox
Quick Description: The latest in a line of classic-country sounding albums.
Why You Should Listen: It's good music, even if it's a little redundant.
Overall Thoughts: Okay, everyone. This is getting to be a little much. There appears to be a bit of a template recently where the same countryish dudes make the same countryish record that has a classicish sound and it’s all well and good but you could probably put the albums on shuffle together and they’d blend together. Time to do more, and sorry to Jackson Emmer that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.
Recommendation: If you've liked the last dozen albums like it, you'll like this too.

Artist: Spritzer
Album: Love. Lies. Decay.
Quick Description: Solid indie rock.
Why You Should Listen: This band has a strong, firm sound that will hook you right in.
Overall Thoughts: The band sort of sounds as you might expect given the name and the album cover, and this is a tight, fun indie rock record that I’ll definitely be looking to get back to soon. It’s definitely the traditional indie rock effort of the week.
Recommendation:

EPs:

* Buzzy Lee - Facepaint
* Peach Kelli Pop - Which Witch
* Wussy - Getting Better
* Bad Breeding - Abandonment EP

Live Shows: Margo Price and Aaron Lee Tasjan, Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA 4/25/18

Since Margo Price had my #3 album of 2016 and my #1 album of 2017 and her set was the highlight of the 2016 Green River Festival, I've been dying to see her perform her own show, but it's just never worked out until this past Wednesday, when her Nowhere Fast tour came to Boston at the Paradise. Knowing it's only a matter of time until she moves out of clubs, I had to go out too late on a work night.

Playing her own set in front of her own adoring fans and not a shortened festival set in front of a crowd gave Price more freedom. She moved from guitar to keyboards and even drums in a way that felt organic and not just showing off. If she did showing off, she did it in her absolute mastery of a live performance. She and her band are impossibly polished for clubs, and it showed in each and every song. Songs like "A Little Pain" and "All American Made" just take on a whole new life live. My favorite song at Green River was once again my favorite at the Paradise, despite being reworked. "Four Years of Chances" previously was done with Price putting down the guitar and just singing. At the Paradise, she played some punk rock guitar over the song, giving it a fresh sound and a fitting edge. Even on extended jams the band seemed poised for greatness (and showed off Price's jam band heritage). At the end of "Cocaine Cowboys," price manned a second drum set at the end of the song in what could have been a little self serving. Instead the band found in intense groove in what could have been the end of Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down a Dream." The only reason I'm not convinced it was a secret Petty tribute is that four songs later she brought up opener Aaron Lee Tasjan to help her with "Mary Jane's Last Dance."

Aaron Lee Tasjan is another artist that's about to leap into the mainstream. Years ago, I'd go to a show with little to no knowledge of the opener, just the name, if that. I could then be blown away out of nowhere. Nowadays, I'm going to at least check out a few songs, so the only way an artist can blow me away is by blowing their recorded output away live. That's what Aaron Lee Tasjan does. His 2016 album, Silver Tears, is a solid album on the mainstream side of alt country. Live? The two can't even be compared. Tasjan has mastered the art of rambling storyteller in between songs, and he's just so charming that he can even make the goofiest dad jokes hilarious. ("I'm Aaron Lee Tasjan... I hope I'm saying that right.") Plus, any male country singer that can rock a checkered and floral print dress on stage is a-ok in my book. Songs like "Memphis Rain" and "12 Bar Blues" benefited from his telling the stories behind them. While Margo Price is alt country meets jam band, Aaron Lee Tasjan is alt country meets indie rock. Anyone can, and will, enjoy his performance, but if Arlo Guthrie fronting Built to Spill sounds like a dream come true, you could very well become obsessed if you see him live.

If this tour comes to your city, you need to check it out. There is no way you'll be seeing these two in venues this small after this.

Flasher - "Pressure"

Photo by Jen Dessinger

Last year we brought you a few of Flasher's singles, and since then we've been waiting to hear more from the Washington DC band. We're finally in luck since June will see the release of their debut album. While we wait, we can check out "Pressure," the first single from the album. 

Everything we loved about Flasher is on display here. "Pressure" is fairly straightforward modern alt rock with a bouncy, danceable flair. Maybe it's just the DC connection, but I hear some influence from bands like Rites of Spring or Fugazi. But, you know, fun. Most people are probably going to hear more DEVO or B-52's than those other bands, and they're probably right. It's a manic mixture that sounds fresh while drawing from the past.

You can watch the video for "Pressure" below. Constant Image, the debut album from Flasher, will be out June 8 on Domino Recording Co. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Flasher, check them out on Facebook. Their current tour dates are below the video.

Thu. Apr. 19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater w/ The Breeders
Fri. Apr. 20 - Norman, OK @ The Opolis
Wed. Apr. 25 - Birmingham, AL @ Iron City w/ The Breeders
Mon. Apr. 30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ The Breeders
Wed. June 6 - Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits w/ Dehd
Fri. June 8 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere w/ Dehd, Public Practice
Sat. June 9 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre w/ Dehd
Sun. June 10 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott w/ Dehd
Mon. June 11 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House w/ Dehd
Tue. June 12 - Montreal, QC @ Brasserie Beaubien w/ Dehd
Wed. June 13 - Toronto, ON @ The Baby G w/ Dehd
Thu. June 14 - Detroit, MI @ El Club w/ Dehd
Fri. June 15 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas w/ Dehd
Sat. June 16 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry w/ Dehd
Mon. June 18 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon w/ Dehd
Tue. June 19 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop w/ Dehd
Thu. June 21 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl w/ Dehd
Fri. June 22 - Durham, NC @ The Pinhook w/ Dehd
Sat. June 23 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat w/ Dehd
Fri. July 20 - Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party

Leisure Tank - "Higher"

I have an odd fondness for rock duos. There's just something refreshing about music stripped down to its bare essentials while still having a full, fleshed out sound. London's Leisure Tank bring a sense of groove and melody to the rock duo genre. Their latest single, "Higher," has a driving beat along with an incredibly danceable rhythm and bass line. The song passed catchy within the first few seconds, and it will sound and feel familiar while twisting and turning into multiple unexpected directions. "Higher" is fun and inventive, and I truly can't imagine a listener that can't find something to like here.

You can listen to "Higher" below. The single is available now via Goddamn Records. For more on Leisure Tank, check out their website.

MC Paul Barman featuring Masta Ace - "((((((antennas))))))"

Photo by Sasha Lytvyn

May is shaping up to be an amazing month for new music, and part of that is the long awaited new album (by me, at least) from MC Paul Barman. "((((((antennas))))))," the latest single, keeps up Barman's slow move from novelty songs like "Cock Mobster" to more serious songs. That's not to say there's no humor in the new material. "((((((antennas))))))" includes the line "Don’t hyperfocus on your diaper crocus. Just change your drawers and wipe your tochus," but it's a more mature humor. Plus, he is joined by hip hop legend Masta Ace for the song, which automatically gives it an insane amount of cred. The two styles of rappers gives the song this chill but still intense feeling.

You can listen to "((((((antennas))))))" below. (((echo chamber))), the upcoming album from MC Paul Barman, will be out May 18 on Mello Music Group. You can pre-order the album here. For more on MC Paul Barman, check out his website.

The I Want You - "All Beat Up"

For about a year now, we've been singing the praises of The I Want You. They have this great retro power pop/indie rock feel which is pretty much our thing here. Their latest single, "All Beat Up," was recorded as part of February's RPM Challenge, where artists try to write and record an album's worth of material in a month. "All Beat Up" is on the laid back, ballad side of things in the best possible way. It's about being your own worst enemy and emotionally beating yourself up worse than anyone ever could. With that subject matter, somehow it's still a fun song.

You can watch the video for "All Beat Up" below. "All Beat Up" is available now as a single on Bandcamp with two b-sides: "Come On" is inspired by the Parkland students fight for gun control and "The Rise and Fall" is about the life of David Bowie. For more on The I Want You, check out their website.

First Listen: New Releases for April 20

Blaze it responsibly with new music!

Album of the Week:

Artist: My Indigo
Album: My Indigo
Quick Description: Nordic metal singer goes... not metal.
Why You Should Listen: It's a gorgeous and interesting listen.
Overall Thoughts: My favorite listen of the week, a slightly poppy, sometimes folky, but always-endearing listen that stretches some boundaries while still feeling safe and familiar. This hooked me by the second track and didn’t care to let go, and that says a lot in a busy week. I can’t wait to spend more time with this one.
Recommendation: Bump this to the top of your list.

Artist: Chilly Gonzales
Album: Other People's Pieces
Quick Description: An unconventional covers record.
Why You Should Listen: You're looking for something a little different, but still want those sweet, sweet covers.
Overall Thoughts: If you like The Bad Plus but hate jazz, you might want to give this Chilly Gonzales record a try. The instrumental medleys are interesting, the rest a pretty interesting conversation piece.
Recommendation: Worth at least one listen.

Artist: Joshua Hedley
Album: Mr. Jukebox
Quick Description: Classic-sounding music.
Why You Should Listen: You wish you were in a country bar in the 1950s.
Overall Thoughts: Everything about the cover here screams classic, and the album itself reinforces that presentation. Solid, if unassuming, listens that never quite take off yet feel very comfortable and safe, this is a good listen but is unlikely to blow anyone’s mind.
Recommendation: Worth a shot if you're into it.

Artist: The Longshot
Album: Love is for Losers
Quick Description: Green Day side project!
Why You Should Listen: This is a lot more fun than you'd think.
Overall Thoughts: After a teaser EP last week, Billie Joe Armstrong’s new punk project is surprisingly great. It’s not “Green Day in their prime” great, but there’s an energy and enthusiasm here that can’t be faked or ignored. Might not work for everyone, but this was absolutely a favorite of mine this week.
Recommendation: Definitely worth a listen.

Artist: Sleep
Album: The Sciences
Quick Description: Stoner metal for the masses?
Why You Should Listen: You might be as surprised by it as I was?
Overall Thoughts: I didn’t know of Sleep prior to Ken sending this over as a surprise reunion album. For a first exposure, this was pretty good as a deliberative-style rock thing. It would feel well ahead of its time in its initial release, and there’s a lot to like here as well.
Recommendation: It's an album with a song called "Marijuananaut's Theme" released on 4/20, what do you think?

Artist: Archie and the Bunkers
Album: Songs From the Lodge
Quick Description: Keyboard punk virtuosos!
Why You Should Listen: They have a heck of a pedigree, and no one sounds quite like them.
Overall Thoughts: Keyboard punk that may or may not be inspired by Twin Peaks? This was fine – I listened once and probably don’t need to go back, but if this scratches that specific itch for you, you’ll probably enjoy this and the EP they released this week as well.
Recommendation: Give it a chance.

Artist: Del the Funky Homosapien and Amp Live
Album: Gate 13
Quick Description: Concept album of sorts from some underrated rappers.
Why You Should Listen: A nice balance of sounds here.
Overall Thoughts: Del is always good, and this album is no different. Still feels new and fresh even with his style remaining similar to when he started out, and the collaborative effort with Amp Live only makes it that much better. On a slow rap week, give this a spin.
Recommendation: Listen to this.

Artist: Old Crow Medicine Show
Album: Volunteer
Quick Description: Latest from the Americana mainstays.
Why You Should Listen: OCMS is one of the best acts around.
Overall Thoughts: OCMS’s last album was a bit of a miss for me, but the top bluegrass act of late is back on top with this one, as far as I’m concerned. This feels back to basics in many ways that I didn’t expect, and is a great listen on a whole.
Recommendation: Will definitely come back to this one.

Artist: A Perfect Circle
Album: Eat the Elephant
Quick Description: Newest album in some time from the Tool frontman's side gig.
Why You Should Listen: Ehh, well...
Overall Thoughts: A Perfect Circle had one of the great alt-rock debuts of the early 2000s. This album, among other things, has a song inspired by a bad Yelp review of singer Maynard James Keenan’s vineyard. Take that as you will.
Recommendation: Skip this.

Artist: Lord Huron
Album: Vide Noir
Quick Description: New album from the indie act.
Why You Should Listen: This is definitely one of the more interesting efforts this week.
Overall Thoughts: I enjoyed their previous effort, and this one is very ambitious in its own right, with some interesting soundscapes and musical choices to go along with this album. The result is often unpredictable but generally redeeming, and it’s one that deserves a few listens to ultimately soak in.
Recommendation: Should grab some of your time.

Artist: Kimbra
Album: Primal Heart
Quick Description: New album from the New Zealand pop artist.
Why You Should Listen: This comes back to a more accessible sound.
Overall Thoughts: Kimbra has been trying to break from “the female singer from that Gotye song years ago” for a while now, and her last album was not something I liked and felt extremely experimental. This is definitely more of a return to form, and balances out the weird with the more poppy efforts. The result is a really accessible album that is still strange enough to keep out the less adventurous of us.
Recommendation: Definitely worth some time.

Other releases of note:

* Cold Fronts - Fantasy Du Jour
* Young Valley - Young Valley
* Shuggie Otis - Inter-Fusion
* Charmer - Charmer (probably deserves a closer look)
* Thievery Corporation - Treasures From the Temple

EPs:

* Sera Cahoone - The Flora String Sessions
* Gang of Four - Complicit (a...little on the nose there, guys...)
* AMNLPLNET - Fall Asleep
* Bessie Turner - 22:22
* Archie and the Bunkers - Play the Damned
* Ellevator - Ellevator

Also out:

* Jesus Jones - Passages (no one asked for this)
* Sting and Shaggy - 44/876 (or this)
* DRINKS - Hippo-Lite
* Pennywise - Never Gonna Die
* Lume - Wrung Out

Rat Scabies - "Chew On You"

Despite being actively musically since leaving The Damned back in 1996, Rat Scabies has never gone the solo artist route. That changes next month when he releases his first ever solo album. Judging from the lead single, "Chew On You," Scabies is avoiding the typical singer/songwriter country/folk solo artist route. "Chew On You" is a rocking garage punk blast, filled with amped up buzzsaw guitars and crashing drums. It's loud, and noisy, and not the kind of song you usually hear from an artist that's been making music for forty years. 

You can listen to "Chew On You" below. P.H.D. (Prison, Hospital, Death), the first solo album from Rat Scabies, is due out May 18 on Cleopatra Records. You can pre-order a physical copy through Cleopatra Records and digitally on Bandcamp. For more on Rat Scabies, follow him on Twitter or Facebook.