If It's Too Loud...

This was probably one of the more consequential release weeks of the year. Album of the Week : Artist : Neko Case Album : Hell-On Quick Description : Latest from the alt-country favorite. Why You Should Listen : Neko Case has been required listening for 15+ years already. Overall Thoughts : My favorite album from Neko Case is probably Middle Cyclone , which is weird because I was into her for the alt-country stuff and that album might have been the diversion that fully sent her into her own personal genre. Case has released plenty of music since 2009, but this new album is so ridiculously good and so far beyond anything else that she has done that it is absolutely stunning that an artist entering her third decade of recording music as a solo artist can put something together like this. The album got me from the starting track, but the Crooked Fingers cover to the opening song all span that sort of connection those of us who listen to hours of music a day seek out. Best album...

A solid week! Album of the Week : Artist : Matt Pond PA Album : Still Summer Quick Description : Latest from the indie rock act. Why You Should Listen : This is their best effort yet in a series of solid listens. Overall Thoughts : Matt Pond PA’s continuing to put out high quality records. This might be their third since the band announced they were finishing up, but I’m fine with seeing more releases if they’re this good. The title track is great indie power pop with a light touch, and of course we love “The Ballad of Matt and Laura” around these parts. Truly, they’ve put out three of their best albums in recent succession, and this is continuing along those lines. Recommendation : A solid listen and the best of the week. Artist : David Rawlings Album : Poor David's Almanack Quick Description : Gillian Welch collaborator with a new album of rootsy goodness. Why You Should Listen : David Rawlings is responsible for some of the purest roots music going. Overall T...

An unlucky day for some, but not for those interested in some solid music from this week: Album of the Week : Artist : Boots Album : Aquaria Quick Description : Debut album from the acclaimed R&B producer. Why You Should Listen : Nothing like this has been released in some time; his resume requires at least a look. Overall Thoughts : Boots has done production most notably on songs for Beyonce, Run the Jewels, and FKA Twigs, and this is definitely more Twigs than Beyonce. It's a really weird, interesting release, equal part rap, hip-hop, and electronica that results in an album that's less about the hooks and more about the overall atmosphere. A very modern record, and one that I really enjoyed. Recommendation : Best release of the week. Artist : The Wainwright Sisters Album : Songs in the Dark Quick Description : First full-length collaboration between Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche. Why You Should Listen : Anything with a Wainwright attached t...