If It's Too Loud...

Apologies to all for the truncated nature of this week's first listen. It's been a busier past few days than anticipated, and I'm not entirely sure there's any sign of it stopping, so it will be a quick hit version this week and hopefully we're back on track next week. Album of the Week : * Drive-By Truckers - American Band : DBT have always been hit or miss for me, but this album is a musical masterpiece and, for many listeners, will absolutely hit the right lyrical notes in the current political climate. Political music done right by a band that knows what it's doing. Other Quality Listens : * La Sera - Queens * Microwave - Much Love (sounds like if Weezer was just starting out) * Luke Winslow-King - I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always (quality classic roots music) * Banks - The Altar * Regina Spektor - Remember Us to Life (her best effort in nearly a decade) * Tami Neilson - Don't Be Afraid (definitely a top listen this week) ...

Another crazy busy week, so another two parter for you all. Co-Album of the Week : Artist : Nada Surf Album : You Know Who You Are Quick Description : Latest album from the veteran rock act. Why You Should Listen : Nada Surf has been perpetually underrated for decades now. Overall Thoughts : You might still only know them via "Popular," which is fine. The issue with that is you've missed out on a ton of great music, including their really amazing album from about a decade ago, The Weight is a Gift . This album? It's absolutely their best since then, maybe even better musically, and just one of the most solid recent listens in a while. In an era where power pop isn't really getting its due, it's interesting to listen to this and really hear a band that's basically mastered what they do. From top to bottom, this is a superlative album and I can't wait to spend more time with it. It's so good, guys. So good. Recommendation : A must lis...

This week's new release slate is really all over the place. Mirah - Changing Light : I'm embarrassed to admit that my first reason for listening to Mirah back whenever I first heard of her was because I thought she was the artist Nick Hornby constantly wrote about. Not only is that a questionable reason to get into a band, but he was also writing about Marah with an A, not Mirah with an I. Regardless, I never thought much of it again until her 2009 album (a)spera , which was a beautifully haunting melodic piece from start to finish. Changing Light shifts gears a bit for her on a whole, being more raw and straightforward without losing a lot of the tone that we've gotten used to with her. Whether this album will have the staying power for me that (a)spera had remains to be seen, but it's certainly the best release of this week, one of the more interesting listens of recent releases, and worth a try for you. I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson : I've t...