If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Samantha Crain Album : A Small Death Quick Description : Latest from the folkie. Why You Should Listen : Crain has established herself as one of the best... Overall Thoughts : ...I just don't know why she isn't huge on the scene. She has such a great tone, and she's settled into a really great spot where she churns out better and better records, but I don't hear her name out and about a lot. This is more than worth your time, and is absolutely one of the better folk records of late and the best one this week. Dive in, then go into her back catalog - if you're not on the bandwagon, you're missing out. Recommendation : Mandatory listen this week. Artist : Illuminati Hotties Album : FREE I.H.: This is Not the One You've Been Waiting For Quick Description : New micro-album from an indie favorite. Why You Should Listen : In terms of quarantine content, this is good. Overall Thoughts : If we're being true to ourselves, this is a bit of...

A busy week! Album of the Week : Artist : Anna Tivel Album : Small Believer Quick Description : Latest from a favorite folkie. Why You Should Listen : Anna Tivel is crazy consistent. Overall Thoughts : Ken has raved about Anna Tivel before, and I’ve been jumping back and forth on her back catalog since he turned me onto her. The new album? It’s predictably great. There’s a reason we’re a big fan of hers here, and while she’s not trying to reinvent the wheel with her brand of folk music, there’s something to be said about nearly perfecting it. This is a solid listen for this week, and definitely worth your time. Recommendation : My favorite of the week. Artist : Keep Shelly in Athens Album : Philokalia Quick Description : Weird, yet accessible, electronic music. Why You Should Listen : Keep Shelly in Athens has been under the radar too long. Overall Thoughts : I missed the release last year, but the release from a few years ago was of interest to me. This new album ...

A slower release week than we've been used to. Still some gems, though: Album of the Week : Artist : Duncan Sheik Album : Legerdemain Quick Description : Latest album by the singer/songwriter/Broadway hero. Why You Should Listen : This is his first album of original, non-theatrical music in close to a decade, and he's come a long way since "Barely Breathing." Overall Thoughts : Duncan Sheik has been one of my favorites for a while. I think the fact that I love theater as well as folkish music doesn't hurt, but Duncan Sheik always ends up surprising me. The latest album actually dabbles in some electronic instrumentation a bit, but still retains a lot of the songwriting beauty that we've come to expect from Sheik. This album won't get the love it deserves, and that's a shame, because this is a really strong release and arguably some of his best work since Phantom Moon in this space. Recommendation : An overwhelmingly positive recommendatio...