If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Isaac Sterling Despite the punny name, Mild High Club actually fits the band. Led by Alexander Brettin, Mild High Club is set to release their second album in August. The first single, "Homage," is pure California 70s AM radio hazy chill, but through a bizarre filter. It's heavily influenced by electronic elements and has just the slightest bit of a jazz feel to it. We, of course, would never advocate for illegal drug use, but if you happen to live in a community where such things were legal, this just might be the song to partake to. My only wish is that the album came out earlier in the summer, since it has the perfect feel of just lazily driving around that only can happen when it's nice out. Mild High Club's new album, Skiptracing , is due out on August 26 via Stones Throw Records. You can listen to "Homage" below. Below the song are their current tour dates. For more information on Mild High Club, check them out on Stones Throw's ...

Hailing from Minneapolis, Lunch Duchess have just released their debut EP and are about to embark on their first west coast tour. My Mom Says I Have a Rich Inner Life  is comprised of four lo-fi tracks of indie rock delight. It reminds me a lot of early Colleen Green meets Peach Kelli Pop. Or, for us old fogeys, a more twee version of That Dog's debut album. "Cry" is more upbeat and with handclaps despite the name of the song. "How You Love" is more quiet, with an almost disturbing and hypnotic tranquility. My Mom Says I Have a Rich Inner Life  is available now through Bandcamp . For more on Lunch Duchess, check them out on Facebook . You can listen to "Unable/Unwilling" below. We've also included their current tour dates below that. 6/29 St. Paul, MN – Turf Club 6/30 Omaha, NE – Milk Run 7/1 Kansas City, MO – House Show 7/2 Denver, CO – Club Scum 7/3 Provo, UT – Studio Studio Dada 7/5 Bellingham, WA – Alternative Library 7/6 Va...

Due to either Spotify delays, learning of acts later, or general incompetence, there are some solid albums we missed along the way. I figured I'd take a few minutes and highlight some of those releases and list the rest: Kanye West - The Life of Pablo : If Beyonce hype was #1 this year so far, Kanye was #1a. The story of this release is going to be in textbooks in ten years time, but taken as a cohesive, complete album, it's hard not to see this as the masterpiece it truly is. There are a lot of layers here (which is typical for a modern Kanye record), and this is definitely a more interesting and more accessible record than Yeezus was. Ultimately, though, all this album does is tell me that Kanye West is operating on a level far beyond most other musicians, never mind rappers, and this is something we might not be able to fully comprehend even if he mapped it out for us. This requires multiple listens to even begin to unlock, and I have a feeling this will end up on a ...

Some solid releases this week! Album of the Week : Artist : The Avett Brothers Album : True Sadness Quick Description : Newest album from a band that's been all over the place since their mainstream breakout. Why You Should Listen : This is a return to form in some ways and just an interesting listen in others. Overall Thoughts : I can't say I've been in love with the recent output from the Avetts, with I and Love and You being great and the albums following it having some highlights but not quite reaching their apex. They've moved away from a more pure country-ish vibe, but come back to it a little here while still embracing the mainstream by finally embracing the totality of what they've become. Yeah, you have truly great songs (and classic-sounding to boot) like "Smithsonian" as well as legitimately crazy songs like "Satan Pulls the Strings," but the album itself is really one I've been itching to get back to after the first lis...

With the new DJ Shadow album out this week, the truly great song "Nobody Speaks" featuring Run the Jewels gets an album release. There's a long, great history of electronic acts collaborating with non-electronic artists, so I figured this would be a good time to highlight some of my favorites. Yeah, everyone remembers Noel Gallagher and The Chemical Brothers, but you might have forgotten the soundtrack album to Spawn or some of the more recent collaborations, so this should be a fun mix to kick off your week.

Photo by Don Perry Nots are probably the last band you'd expect to come out of Memphis. Their newest single, "Entertain Me," is a pure experimental post punk delight, the kind my wife referred to as "barely even music" last night. If you're looking for a comparison, Sonic Youth fronted by Bikini Kill is the obvious one here. Not only is Nots' sound comparable to these other two bands, but their politics also line up. According to lead vocalist/guitarist Natalie Hoffman: " The lyrics reflect the cyclical, distorted nature of the song, addressing different facets of the grotesque horror show going on in American politics and how they are portrayed- the rise of Trump, the reality-TV-like nature of American news, the almost-forced compliance of the viewer, and the for-profit-constructed 'right' of the viewer, the consumer, to require constant entertainment in order to participate, and to live." This might be the only seven minute song y...

And here's the rest! Artist : Mitski Album : Puberty 2 Quick Description : Buzzworthy alt-rock. Why You Should Listen : Mitski has a solid, mainstream sound with indie appeal. Overall Thoughts : Mitski was a Discover Weekly find for me some time ago, so this new album hit my radar immediately and it was as good as advertised. A good mix of alt-rock and grunge-style instrumentation with solid vocals and lyrics, it's a pretty great package on a whole and is something readers here should love. Recommendation : A definite highlight of the week. Artist : Bassnectar Album : Unlimited Quick Description : Latest album from the EDM producer. Why You Should Listen : Bassnectar's originals are often as good as his remixes. Overall Thoughts : Bassnectar is someone I'm a fan of, and this new album is pretty standard EDM fare. I can't say it's great , especially in comparison to his other work, but it's still pretty good, especially in a week without much...

The question isn't where Justin Golden came from (Answer: Richmond, Virginia) but when. There's just something about his newest song "I Hate When She Calls" that just isn't of this time. From the opening picks of his guitar to his voice, this song can't possibly be of this century, and is probably from sometime in the mid-1900s. Since that's obviously not true, you'd probably think that he's this great undiscovered blues/folk artist, maybe this year's Rodriguez. I'm not positive of his age, but based on pictures he's probably no older than 25. Instead of following a traditional verse/chorus/verse song structure, the song just meanders around his guitar, with vocals just coming in when Golden feels the need. "I Hate When She Calls" is perfectly timeless. You can listen to "I Hate When She Calls" below. For more information on Justin Golden, check out his Bandcamp (where you can download the song for free) and Face...

Photo by Danny Clinch Drive-By Truckers have always been a fairly political band. The band just announced their latest album, American Band , which is going to rev the politics up to 11. Co-songwriter Patterson Hood says about the upcoming album :  "I don’t want there to be any doubt as to which side of this discussion we fall on. I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding of where we stand. If you don’t like it, you can leave. It’s okay. We’re not trying to be everybody’s favorite band, we’re going to be who we are and do what we do and anyone who’s with us, we’d love to have them join in." Mike Cooley is also pretty direct about the new album:  "I wanted this to be a no bones about it, in your face political album," he says. "I wanted to piss off the assholes." The first single, "Surrender Under Protest," is a perfect example of the Drive-By Truckers' politics. It's about South Carolina finally removing the Confederate flag aft...

Maybe the highest quality new release pool we've had in some time. Very consistent throughout and far too many albums that could qualify as the best of the week, so a two-parter done without a true album of the week to be fair to everyone. Let's get on with it: Artist : Sarah Jarosz Album : Undercurrent Quick Description : Fourth album by the bluegrass favorite. Why You Should Listen : Sarah Jarosz has always been a high-quality listen, but this new album is major step forward. Overall Thoughts : Jarosz is only 23/24, and this is her first album done while she isn't a student. Thus, there's a maturity here that, on one hand, wasn't there before, but, on the other, sounds like we're dismissing her earlier work in saying so. Still, taking this album on its own, it's a quieter, more intricate affair, and it's just gorgeous throughout. She has a sound that's unlike most bluegrassy performers, closer to Chris Thile in song construction than yo...