If It's Too Loud...

Another busy week of releases, so this'll be a two-parter. Album of the Week : Artist : Lenore. Album : Lenore. Quick Description : Debut album from a new favorite duo here. Why You Should Listen : You wish First Aid Kit was more musically adventurous. Overall Thoughts : Easily my favorite of this week, and it doesn’t even come close. Sort of a more complex First Aid Kit, there’s gorgeous harmonies to go along with interesting songwriting and a haunted sort of feel. I was continually surprised by this throughout my listen, and I simply can’t wait until I get another opportunity to dive back in. Recommendation : This is my favorite album of the week, and it should be yours, too. Artist : Deer Tick Album : Vol. 1 / Vol. 2 Quick Description : Two releases from the somewhat twangy indie rockers. Why You Should Listen : There's enough good here to give some time to it. Overall Thoughts : Deer Tick is officially in “we’re releasing a double album” territory with an...

We're definitely in the swing of new release season now. Lots of good stuff this week. Punch Brothers - The Phosphorescent Blues : I know Punch Brothers are generally slotted into the sort of "newgrass" portmanteau for what they and other Chris Thile projects do, but Phosphorescent Blues is, in a sense, the most prog rock thing they've done yet. Closer in spirit to Punch than the tone they established in Who's Feeling Young Now? , the album is not an easy one on first listen, but, as with anything Thile is involved with, definitely an interesting listen. I'll need more time with this for sure, but this is absolutely a solid release from one of the best bluegrass-style bands going right now. Kelley McRae - Easy on My Mind : I enjoyed Kelley McRae's previous album Brighter Than the Blues , and seeing a new EP was a pretty nice surprise. It reminds me a lot of Gillian Welch in terms of tone, and it's a nice, quiet but memorable folk EP. As ofte...

In it's 28th year, the Green River Festival is one of the best kept secrets in the New England concert scene. It doesn't have the name recognition of Lollapalooza or the Newport Folk Festival, but that fits Green River just fine. Western MA has long had a mysteriously great live music scene, combining national touring bands with a small town feel. The Green River Festival has long been the centerpiece of the scene. This year will be no exception, and might just be the best line up Green River has seen yet. Saturday features Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Lucius, Puss n Boots (featuring Norah Jones), The Lone Bellow, Poor Old Shine, Grant-Lee Phillips, and more. Sunday is just ridiculous, with Josh Ritter & Royal City Band, Trampled By Turtles, Hurray for the Riff Raff, multi-national rapper Ana Tijoux, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper (and you all know how I feel about her), The Deadly Gentlemen, and more.  Plus, there's the added extra of hot air balloons. You can ...