Evan Dando & Courtney Barnett - "Being Around"

I first became aware of Courtney Barnett earlier this year because of her amazing cover of The Lemonheads' "Being Around." We've now come full circle, since last night at the Melbourne stop of the Lemonheads' Australian tour, Barnett joined Evan Dando onstage for a duet of the song. "Being Around" has always seemed like a bit of a throwaway novelty song to me, but apparently I'm the only one since it's been played at virtually every Lemonheads/Evan Dando show I've ever been to, to the great joy of the audience. it's still a fantastic cover, and you can see both parties are having a great time.

Now we just need a version of "Rudderless" with Evan and Laura Stevenson...

Juliana Hatfield Three - "If I Could"

Obviously, I have no idea what your day looks like, but you need to drop whatever you're in the middle of and listen to this new Juliana Hatfield Three song right now. It's the first single off their first album in over 20 years (Whatever, My Love due out February 17 on American Laundromat Records), and it's absolute perfection. I feel almost guilty saying this because it sounds like I don't absolutely love her output since 1993, but it somehow recaptures the magic of 1993's Become What You Are. It's as if they froze themselves in time 20 years ago, but still were able to mature and grow as artists. There is no possible way to be disappointed by this song.

You're obviously going to want to keep track of everything Juliana Hatfield Three related after hearing this. You can do that on her website, with tour dates in February and March to be announced soon.

Ken's Top 10 of 2014 - #7: Screaming Females - Live at The Hideout

It's rare for a live album to make a year end release. They're usually overpolished, watered down releases that might as well be a greatest hits package, or maybe a tour souvenir for die hard fans. Live at The Hideout is great, so it's the exception. It feels like a real set without stripping away mistakes to make it all about the hits. And Screaming Females aren't exactly a hit singles band, so it's an actual set list. It captures the energy and power of their live set as close as you can get to it without being there. It's both a great starting point for the curious and the die hards. If you want the fury of punk with the masterful guitar solos of Dinosaur Jr, you need to get this one.

Jeff's Top 10 of 2014 - #7: Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste

Azealia Banks's debut album was supposed to come out in 2012, and was delayed because of label issues and a lot of overall drama. Finally released as a surprise at the beginning of November, I really wish I could have been a fly on the wall at Universal two years ago, because the album is really truly an incredible feat.

In a world where Janelle Monae is rightfully getting a lot of critical acclaim and is soooo close to that popular breakthrough, Banks successfully juggles multiple genres and concepts in a way that is similar to Monae while both forging her own path and keeping the concepts a little more mainstream. The tropes are more familiar and don't involve sexy robots, and that's okay - the comparison mostly has to stop there and we can embrace Broke With Expensive Taste on its own merits. The singles ("Yung Rapunxel," "Heavy Metal and Reflective") are great, and the deeper tracks ("Nude Beach a Go-Go," "Gimme a Chance") speak to a voice that I'm sure has only improved and been refined since this album was completed.

Certainly one of the best rap/R&B releases this year, and provides a great contrast to the Iggy Azaelias of the world in terms of what rap and hip hop can be.


Song highlights: "Yung Rapunxel," "Heavy Metal and Reflective," "212," "Nude Beach a Go-Go," "Gimme a Chance."

First Listen: New Releases for December 9

Only one on our docket this week:

The Smashing Pumpkins - Monuments to an Elegy: The Smashing Pumpkins, since reforming a few years back, had a pretty good comeback album that was probably more underrated than it should have been. This album, though, is probably not worth considering in the grand scheme of things. It's trying to be a lot of things and doesn't quite hit the mark on any of them, resulting in what feels like a soulless version of a band struggling to be relevant in the face of other acts from around their era doing a decent job of crafting comebacks or staying in the present. It's not really worth your time.

Download a Live Version of They Might Be Giants for Free!

They Might Be Giants have offered a free live download of their first album! Taken from recordings of their 2013 tour, they are offering a track by track version of their self-titled debut from 1986. It's a great offering for loyal fans, and a great way to introduce newer listeners to their music. It's also a great way to promote their upcoming headlining tour, for which tickets are going on sale this weekend. But, hey! Free TMBG!

To download First Album Live, you'll want to go here. It will cost you an email address, but you'll probably want to be on TMBG's email list, if you aren't already. You can also check out their website to get any more info, including their aforementioned tour!

Ken's Top 10 of 2014 - #8: Sallie Ford - Slap Back

Slap Back confused me on the first listen. Back when Sallie Ford was with The Sound Outside, I would describe her as white girl blues for indie rockers. The bluesy sound is almost completely exorcised with The Sound Outside, and her new all girl band has a much edgier, rock sound. This might be literally the only time an act has added keyboards and ended up more rock than before. "Workin' the Job" is one of my favorite songs of the year. It's great seeing someone have the confidence to change their sound so drastically on their third album. I mean, it's not like you're not going to recognize Slap Back as the same person to have brought you Untamed Beast last year, but it's definitely a change. I'm very curious what she'll sound like in a year or two as she settles into her new band a bit more.

Jeff's Top 10 of 2014 - #8: Leyla McCalla - Vari-Colored Songs

Leyla McCalla is best known for her work with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a band I love, so I was pretty excited when I heard that there was a solo record announced, but less so when I learned it was a concept album based around poetry. My fears were completely unfounded, though, as this is a pretty amazing album.

Based on the poetry of Langston Hughes and dipping deep into Haitian folk music, it's probably my favorite album this year from a purely musical basis. Beyond that, the songs are great, the concept comes across well, and the musicality really shines through, as one would expect.

Plus, "Rose Marie" is probably my son's first actual favorite song.

Definitely give this a listen if you haven't yet. It's certainly something that deserves to be heard by any lover of music, and really deserves as much acclaim as possible.


Song highlights: "Rose Marie," "Manman Mwen."

Suz Slezak of David Wax Museum Has a New Album Out in February That You Can Own Now!

Suz Slezak of David Wax Museum has one of the best PledgeMusic campaigns ever. Normally you pre-order an album a couple months or so in advance, and you get it a couple months later, maybe a week early if you're lucky. Watching the Nighttime Come isn't due out for release until February 10, but if you pre-order it today, you can actually get it today!

For her first album, Suz expanded on an idea she had. She used to make albums of lullabies for her friends baby showers. They were so popular among her friends, she decided to go into a studio and record some. Now, I know what you're thinking about an album of lullabies. Kids' music usually sucks enough. Lullabies are the worst. But Watching the Nighttime Come isn't just xylophones and hushed singing. It's regular music that just happens to be really mellow. You can listen to it at work without worrying about it being overheard. Plus, it's really, really great.

To "pre-order" Watching the Nighttime Come for yourself, a sleep-deprived parent, or anyone else that likes good music, check out Suz's PledgeMusic page. For more info on David Wax Museum, including dates such as Suz's album release show at Club Passim in Cambridge on February 14, check out their website.

Ken's Top 10 of 2014 - #9: Ex Hex - Rips

Mary Timony's newest band, Ex Hex, continues on the fun, party vibe of her previous band, the supergroup of 90s indie fame Wild Flag. Rips is a fun as hell, upbeat album. It's not quite part of the indie dance music movement, but it's danceable as any of those will ever be. "Waste Your Time" and "How You Got That Girl" have a 60s girl group feel. "Beast" is pure mid-90s alternapop, like Velocity Girl or Belly. It's odd that the album doesn't remind me of Helium at all, since that was Timony's band at the same time of the other bands I keep mentioning. It might be because Helium were on the more rocking side of ethereal while Ex Hex are too fun to be called ethereal. The albums veers close to punk, but more like how the Ramones were punk while being a fun, catchy pop band.