If It's Too Loud...

Artist : The A's Album : Fruit Quick Thoughts : I hesitate to pigeonhole The A's in any specific genre or classification, because what they're doing is so unique even while falling upon familiar tropes. With that said, if Mountain Man and First Aid Kit spawned a duo all their own, they might sound a lot like The A's. It's got a lot of quiet folk influence in some places, and outright field recording feels in others. It's a pretty brilliant album on a whole, and one of the rare records where, even if some parts don't work for you, it's still possible to appreciate from an artistic perspective. Songs of Note : "Wedding Dress," "Why I'm Grieving," "When I Die" Artist : Launder Album : Happening Quick Thoughts : This is an incredible album that scratches multiple musical itches, so know this out front - it's difficult to be objective about something this good. Launder has produced a fuzzy, buzzy slice of alt-r...

A super, super busy week. Artist : Anna Tivel Album : The Question Quick Description : Latest from a favorite folky. Why You Should Listen : Anna Tivel does something a lot more special than you'd initially think. Overall Thoughts : I’m trying to figure out what it is that makes Anna Tivel so compelling. She’s a favorite here, and I assume it’s likely due to the delicate nature of her instrumentation, or maybe it’s because her vocals work so well with the structures of her songs, or maybe it’s just songs like “Minneapolis” (her best songs are named after places), or maybe it’s just because she is so good at what she does from start to finish. This is an obvious must-listen for anyone into the more folkish side of things, and I hope this ends up being an overdue breakthrough for her. Recommendation : Make sure you give this a listen. Artist : Tami T Album : High Pitched and Moist Quick Description : Brutally honest electronic confessionals. Why You Should Listen : ...

A two-parter this week. Here is the first half: Album of the Week : Artist : Glen Phillips Album : Swallowed By the New Quick Description : First full album of original music in a decade from the Toad the Wet Sprocket lead singer. Why You Should Listen : Glen Phillips is great, and this is his best output since Winter Pays for Summer . Overall Thoughts : To say it's been a decade for Phillips doesn't tell the full story, as Toad the Wet Sprocket has reunited and Phillips has been involved with multiple side projects over this time. But it's been forever since he's done a straightforward solo album, and whether these are new songs or songs he's had in the hopper, they're some of his best work. It's an album I listened to shortly after having the best day I've had in ages, and it resonated fully from the start. Not a bad song to be found, and not a bad point stands out. The lack of a standout track on first listen might be a drawback long term...

We actually had a new release this week! Kid Cudi - Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven : Kid Cudi is interesting. He had some really great rap stuff, but got bored with/irritated with rap music and has been exploring rock music. This is sort of an "indie/alt rock" attempt from him, and... it doesn't work. I can't sugarcoat it, but this is really more a labor of love than anything else. If you're into his post-rap stuff, this might be something of value to you, but, for me? This really didn't do the trick and I couldn't even get through it. Avoid this. Cage the Elephant - Tell Me I'm Pretty : I haven't kept up with Cage the Elephant, although "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked" was a great song back whenever that came out. At some point they became a full-on bluesish rock band, and I didn't see that one coming. So in terms of meeting expectations, this is pretty interesting, but in terms of something I might want to revisit, that ...