If It's Too Loud...

It takes a truly unique artist to take traditional string instruments and make a song that sounds so futuristic. Neo-trad string quartet The Fretless have done this with their latest single. Teaming with Ruth Moody of The Wailin' Jennys on vocals, "Retrograde" doesn't sound like a song made with string instruments. Sure, there are some parts where it's obviously strings, but for the majority of the song "Retrograde" sounds more electronic. It's a huge atmospheric sound that would be at home scoring a film. Moody's vocals add to the feeling of the song, which is interesting since she's normally associated with folk and not electronic music. Ruth Moody says of the song: “This one had me singing all over in my range. 'Retrograde' has a mysterious, otherworldly dimension to it, and I think the guys really tapped into that magic with their string arrangement.” You can listen to "Retrograde" below. Open House is due out October 22...

Another busy week as we race toward the end of the year... Album of the Week : Artist : Common Holly Album : Playing House Quick Description : Surprising alt-rockish debut. Why You Should Listen : You're fully and completely enjoying this Overall Thoughts : Album of the week for me and it wasn’t really close. I thought this would be a gentle folky thing from the limited pieces I heard, but it turns out this has a lot of interesting musical wrinkles throughout. Sometimes it’s alt-rock, sometimes it’s some interesting indie pop, but it always kept me on my toes in the best possible way. The album had me saying wow within the first track, and I was hooked by the third. This one is a late surprise entry in the best albums race, and worth your time. Recommendation : You need to hear this Artist : Dr. Quandary Album : Jukebox Buddha Quick Description : Solid, old-style electronic music. Why You Should Listen : You grew up in the midst of the electronica explosion. Ove...