If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Rain on Fridays Album : Death to Affection Quick Thoughts : This came out of nowhere and blew my socks off. It's indie alt/punk, sometimes on the screamy side, but the angst and noise comes across so well and in such a great, fun way that I didn't expect. "Banshee" is a true highlight, but the whole album is not only one of the best of the week, but perhaps one of the best of the year. Songs of Note : "Phonophobia," "We Are So Alike," "Banshee," "Clusterfuck," "Knock Out" Artist : Tyler, The Creator Album : CHROMAKOPIA Quick Thoughts : Tyler, The Creator doesn't always work for me. The sort of doomy dark rap isn't always my thing, but people genuinely love this guy. CHROMAKOPIA makes it make sense for me - it has mood vibes similar to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , but with some of the sonic stretches we've seen from more recent Childish Gambino records. I love this album, and if...

Artist : Long Neck Album : World's Strongest Dog Quick Description : New album from the indie rockers. Why You Should Listen : A solid upgrade from this band. Overall Thoughts : Long Neck is a band I've been watching, and this is a great listen and shows great growth from a band that deserves a lot more praise. The songs here are super tight, and there's so much to love here that I can't drill it down to just a handful. One of the highlights of the week. Recommendation : Make time for this one. Artist : Ultimate Fakebook Album : The Preserving Machine Quick Description : First proper album in sixteen years from the indie rockers. Why You Should Listen : They haven't missed a step. Overall Thoughts : Ultimate Fakebook were always that sort of band that I had wanted to get into more than I did. Then they stopped playing, I stopped thinking about them, and then this drops. Whether absence makes the heart grow fonder, or whether the band has really gott...

Gill Landry of Old Crow Medicine Show has his third solo album coming out next month, and he's enlisted some friends to help him out on it. The self-titled album was recorded in  “... a ramshackle, shanty-ass apartment on the south side of Nashville.” "Take This Body" features Laura Marling on vocals. The track is quiet and laid back folk, with Marling's vocals creating a haunting effect behind the song. It's beautiful and eerie at the same time.  Gill Landry's self-titled album will be out June 22 on ATO Records. It will also feature Robert Ellis, Nick Etwell of Mumford & Sons, and Odessa Jorgensen on various tracks. You can listen to "Take This Body" below, and head on over to Gill Landry's website for pre-ordering and more information.

A pretty good week this week! Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit : Judging by how much I liked her double EP release from last year, I was pretty confident I would like Courtney Barnett's debut. I didn't expect to like it this much, though. It's a wildly confident, fun, interesting album that both retains what I've liked from Barnett so far while improving the value of the production and such. Plenty of good, hooky songs, and by far my favorite release of the week. Definitely check this one out. Action Bronson - Mr. Wonderful : In a new release timetable that includes records from Earl Sweatshirt and Kendrick Lamar, Action Bronson's major label debut feels out of place. I hadn't heard Bronson before this week, and the best comparison I can make is that he's almost like the rap version of Har Mar Superstar in a lot of ways. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's an interesting release that mig...