If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile Album : Not Our First Goat Rodeo Quick Description : A wonderful follow up to The Goat Rodeo Sessions . Why You Should Listen : This mix of styles worked well last time, and works well this time. Overall Thoughts : I played a lot of The Goat Rodeo Sessions back when that came out, and then I kind of forgot about it over time. When this randomly popped up in my Spotify list this week, it was such a great and pleasant surprise. The musicianship here is predictably top-notch, and the songs just feel right for a hot summer month where we're all supposed to be trapped at home. Just a lovely little package, and easily my favorite of the week. Recommendation : A must-listen. Artist : Braids Album : Shadow Offering Quick Description : Latest from the artsy indie group. Why You Should Listen : Braids continually does interesting and essential music. Overall Thoughts : I feel like I've been waiting for this o...

This week saw the debut of Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers) take over as host of NPR staple  A Prairie Home Companion. I was always shocked that more "hip" bands didn't do the show back when Garrison Keillor was the host, since it's hokey, old-timey format seemed to be a perfect fit for most of the current crop of Americana artists. That might finally be happening with the new, younger host, as Thile's first show featured the big guns of Lake Street Dive and Jack White. Best of all is Jack White brought out Margo Price for a rendition of The White Stripes' "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)." While the original had more of a gospel feel to it, this version felt like the song might have started out as a Carter Family song. Just add some twang and the beyond classic feel of Price's voice, and any song can be an old standard. You can watch Jack White and Margo Price perform "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lone...

While this was another slow week in terms of volume, this was a banner week in terms of anticipated releases for me. Let's get right to it: The Civil Wars - The Civil Wars : This could probably be considered the most anticipated album of the summer period. The internal strife between the duo is not only well-known, but has become a selling point for the album, and the themes of loss and regret and sadness are obvious throughout. "The One That Got Away," the lead single, is probably a solid example of both the mood and the breadth of what's going on in this effort. I hope that, whatever it is driving the duo apart, things get sorted out, both on a human level and on a musical one, as this is a very solid piece of music from start to finish, meeting what are incredibly high expectations. The Polyphonic Spree - Yes, It's True : It's been a pretty long time since we heard from The Polyphonic Spree, and even then, they were more than a little all over the p...