First Listen, Part Two: More New Releases for September 9

Here are the rest of the releases from this week!

Artist: Psychic Twin
Album: Strange Diary
Quick Description: Debut synth pop from Polyvinyl.
Why You Should Listen: Aspects of this stand out in a crowded genre.
Overall Thoughts: Synth pop is so flooded right now that it's hard to break through, but Psychic Twin makes a solid effort this week. While nothing dives out as exceptional at first listen, this does have a raw indie quality to it that's often lacking from a lot of like acts. Definitely worth a shot if this is your genre.
Recommendation: A good listen.

Artist: Okkervil River
Album: Away
Quick Description: Latest album from the popular indie act.
Why You Should Listen: It's probably the best thing they've done since "Lost Coastlines."
Overall Thoughts: I cannot admit to being a huge Okkervil River guy, but I have lots of friends who are really into them. "Lost Coastlines" is a classic, but this album is, I feel, the closest we've gotten to that since that era for the band. So I like it quite a bit in that regard, although I don't really know where it stands in the canon. So it's worth your time, but might not be for all.
Recommendation: Worth your time this week.

Artist: Allah-Las
Album: Calico Review
Quick Description: Retro goodness.
Why You Should Listen: Another crowded genre, the Allah-Las know how to stand out a little better.
Overall Thoughts: This is the third album from the band, and this clearly feels like they've found their form and come out with a superlative album. Seriously, if "Could Be You" can't grab you, nothing will, and this is a rollicking record that's unlike anything out this week or recently. You owe it to yourself to give it a listen.
Recommendation: One of the better releases this week.

Some quick hits to round this out, because I don't have much of anything to say about them:

* KT Tunstall - KIN: Radio-ready adult contemporary music. I miss the old KT, personally.
* Local Natives - Sunlit Youth: Radio-ready, unchallenging. Not worth the listen.
* Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree: I don't know much Nick Cave, but this is interesting and weird. Worth a shot.

Also out this week:

* Grouplove - Big Mess
* Jack White - Acoustic Recordings (surprisingly inessential)

First Listen, Part One: New Releases for September 9

With a pretty busy week, we're going to make this a two-parter this week.

Album of the Week:

Artist: clipping.
Album: Splendor and Misery
Quick Description: The science fiction rap opera you didn't know you were waiting for.
Why You Should Listen: This is an "experimental rap" group that includes Daveed Diggs from Hamilton fame.
Overall Thoughts: I actually first got exposed to clipping. via their Song Exploder episode, and I really liked "Work Work," so a new album? I'm on board. This is far from what I'd call an easy album, but it's absolutely unlike much/most of what we're hearing in this genre lately. Some sci-fi storytelling, some political content, some great lyrics and delivery. It's the total package. Even if you're not into rap/hip-hop, this is really a required listen this week, as there's something different and special here, and it's likely to get more attention with Diggs's rise to fame.
Recommendation: A must-listen this week.

Artist: Wilco
Album: Schmilco
Quick Description: Latest album from the seminal act.
Why You Should Listen: Wilco still has a lot of good will saved up...
Overall Thoughts: ...but this is really just a return to the dad rock that made me nearly jump off the bandwagon a few years ago. Star Wars felt fresh and different and this, well, just doesn't. If anything, this album reaffirmed my belief that Wilco hasn't been the same since Jay Bennett left the band and I'm just not into it at all.
Recommendation: Skip this unless you're either a superfan or keep NPR on all the time when you're not listening to music.

Artist: The Head and The Heart
Album: Signs of Light
Quick Description: Radio-friendly folk rock.
Why You Should Listen: The Head and The Heart know how to craft inoffensive melodic folky songs.
Overall Thoughts: I suppose it's bad news that I completely forgot they released an album in 2013, right? The Head and The Heart will always be "Lost In My Mind" for me, but the new album feels like radio-ready Lumineers folk rock, and that's fine for them and I suppose fine for me, too. It's not anything special or groundbreaking, but it's a perfectly pleasurable listen that will be great for those beginning of fall gatherings and likely be part of the rotation in offices nationwide.
Recommendation: It's fine. Worth a listen.

Artist: Teenage Fanclub
Album: Here
Quick Description: Latest album by the indie legends.
Why You Should Listen: Teenage Fanclub always deserves a listen based on reputation alone.
Overall Thoughts: So here's a dirty secret - I don't really know Teenage Fanclub well. I know I've heard (and probably own) Bandwagonesque, but I've mostly forgotten this band in my music brain. So this album was a surprise in that I was expecting something closer to Superchunk than a 70s rock thing. Still, this is a really nice listen, and I can't compare it to their old work but I think you'll like it regardless. A high quality release this week.
Recommendation: A good, solid listen.

Artist: The Ramona Flowers
Album: Part Time Spies
Quick Description: Better-than-typical synth rock.
Why You Should Listen: While they aren't breaking new ground, the sounds here are very well-crafted.
Overall Thoughts: The Ramona Flowers are marching right behind bands like Friendly Fires in terms of their sound, and this means we're not getting anything new from them, but that doesn't matter much. The result here is a pretty fun listen that's worth some time as the only thing like itself in a week with a lot of otherwise uninteresting releases. If there's any criticism, it's that it might be too married to its influences, but if you like the 80s-tinged stuff, this might work for you.
Recommendation: Derivative but not bad.

Artist: St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Album: Sea of Noise
Quick Description: High-quality soul music.
Why You Should Listen: This is definitely the most musically-gorgeous album of the week.
Overall Thoughts: I've said in the past that soul music doesn't really hit me, but there's a lot of reverence for the genre in this album, and it just works. Some beautiful songs from start to finish, and if a song like "All I Ever Wonder" doesn't grab you, well, I don't know what to say. I can't wait to spend more time with this one.
Recommendation: A great listen this week.


Also out this week:

* Bastille - Wild World
* Daniel Lanois and Rocco DeLuca - Goodbye to Language

Live Shows: Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys and Ruby Rose Fox, The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA 9/9/16

Photo by Ken Sears

A Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys show is always more of an event than just a mere concert. The month leading up to their album release show last Friday at The Sinclair promised a spectacle that any fan simply had to attend. It was a lot of hype, especially considering some of the shows I have seen of theirs in the past, but I headed out to Cambridge to check it out.

The band chose to play their just released that day album, Come Black Magic, in its entirety from start to finish for the main portion of the set. The album/show opener, "Children of the Cauldron," is more of an intro, clocking in at under 90 seconds of noise with Walter Sickert ranting over it. The performance of the song featured vocalist/percussionist/mandolin player Mary Widow painting burlesque performer Belle Gunz's body, nude except for pasties and a g-string. From there, they broke into the raucous main single, "Come Black Magic." It's easy for the loud songs at a live show to take

Photo by Ken Sears

all the attention (they are more fun to bop around, after all), but this night some of the more quiet ones were quite memorable. "Behave," about ghost children, really stood out thanks to the relatively new backing vocals of Mary Widow. Another highlight was the ode to The Shining, "Red Rum." That could partially be because it's been a staple of their live show for a few years now, so the crowd was more familiar with it. It did highlight the only disappointment of the show: The movie footage from The Shining played one song earlier than "Red Rum." It's more disappointing not for the crowd, but that planning went slightly wrong. They also played their cover of Bjork's "Army of Me," and told a tale of climbing a mountain to present their cover to Bjork herself. She was so pleased with it, she didn't throw it off the mountain as she did other gifts. [Editor's note: This story has not been verified by Bjork's publicist.]

Photo by Ken Sears

It's also the only show I've ever been to that was interrupted by a bedtime story for a toddler. Towards the end of the main set, Walter Sickert and Edie Edrie's daughter wandered out on stage for a reading of a board book copy of Jabberwocky. That might seem out of place at any concert, particularly one that goes after midnight and features various levels of nudity. The song before featured another dancer wearing only pasties and a g-string, after all. The Army of Broken Toy's entire catalog is made up primarily of songs involving death, the apocalypse, murder, etc. But, at the heart of it, they are primarily a family band of misfits spreading a message of love, in their own bizarre little way. Not many artists can pull off singing the line "Momma will daddy kill us" with love in their hearts, but the Army of Broken Toys are that band.

Although I didn't catch much of her set, I do have to mention Ruby Rose Fox. People having been raving about

Photo by Ken Sears

her in the Boston area for years, but she's never really done it for me. Her music, while nice, was a little too mainstream for my personal taste. After seeing her live on Friday? Now I totally get it. Ruby Rose Fox is an insanely talented singer and performer who brings a unique spin on her branch of the new soul movement. It is a wee bit more mainstream than I would normally like, but sometimes pure talent defies personal taste. She definitely had her own fans that showed up very well dressed and singing every word to songs like "Bury the Body." She may have seemed to be an odd choice to open up for a steam crunk/folk/punk/metal/burlesque band, but Friday was more of a celebration of the entire Boston music scene than a genre. I wish more shows were booked like this.

Pony Hunt - "Over You"

Folk has been around pretty much forever. There's really not a whole lot that can be done with it to make it sound familiar. Even "progressive" folk seems to be spinning its wheels lately. The best thing an artist can do to make unique folk is to just tweak it slightly. That's exactly what Pony Hunt have done on their new single, "Over You."

"Over You" starts really traditionally, as far as folk songs go. Just a strummed acoustic guitar and fairly standard vocals. But then the doo-wop backing vocals come in. Not being a music historian, I'm sure someone has combined this in the past, but as far as modern folk goes, it's pure bliss. Bringing such classic American sounds such as sun drenched 60s California country folk and the groove of 50s and 60s doo-wop is being done to perfection by Pony Hunt. And that's even before the horns kick in way in the background.

 Pony Hunt's new album, Heart Creek, will be released on October 7. You can listen to "Over You" below. For more info on Pony Hunt, check out their/her website here.

Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys - "Come Black Magic"

Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys released their new single "Come Black Magic" about 20 years too late. The mid 90s were this magical time where your favorite weirdo band could have a breakthrough single. "Come Black Magic" would have been the perfect single for this. It's just heavy enough for the metal kids to get into, but odd enough for the alternative/college radio crowd to enjoy. There's also actual guitar solos! (Don't worry, you'll still get some killer viola solos. This still is Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, after all...) Plus, the addition of Mary Widow singing backing vocals and harmony adds this crazy layer to the band, and just pulls you into the song even further than before. "Come Black Magic" is Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys' guaranteed hit single. If this had existed in the 90s, there would have been a screwed up video for it that would have started on 120 Minutes, then been a guaranteed Buzz Bin video, and radio airplay on the modern rock stations. Unfortunately, this is 2016 and none of that exists anymore. 

You can listen to "Come Black Magic" below. The album Come Black Magic will be released tomorrow, September 9. You can get your copy over at Bandcamp. If you happen to be in the Boston area that day, make sure you head out to the album release show at The Sinclair in Cambridge. It's almost guaranteed to be the event of the year.

The Needy Sons - Vis-A-Vis

The Needy Sons started a few years back as a bar band that played mostly covers in and around Boston. Granted, they're a bar band that was founded by Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom and Mike Gent of The Figgs, but still a bar band. Unexpectedly, at least to us, The Needy Sons just released their debut fill length, Vis-A-Vis.

The Needy Sons, which now also features Ed Valauskas and Eric Anderson, have the distinction of being a Bill Janovitz project that doesn't really sound anything like Buffalo Tom. It's just really good Americana tinged rock and roll, like the kind Tom Petty makes. Right now my two favorite tracks are "Red Line" and ""Chopped Down," although Vis-A-Vis feels like the kind of album that will give you a new favorite track each time you listen. Definitely the two most traditionally rockin' songs on the album, "Red Line" is somehow an ode to the embattled MBTA, or maybe love? I'm bad at the meanings behind songs. "Chopped Down" is a wee bit crunchier with a steady groove throughout, and might be the most 90s sounding song on the album.

Vis-A-Vis is available now via The Needy Sons' Bandcamp.  You can also follow them on Facebook.

First Listen: New Releases for September 2

A slower week with the American Labor Day holiday, there are still some solid releases to highlight:

Album of the Week:

Artist: Angel Olsen
Album: My Woman
Quick Description: Latest album by the independent singer-songwriter.
Why You Should Listen: This should rightfully be a breakthrough album for her.
Overall Thoughts: I struggled to categorize her previous album, even though I really liked it, and "Shut Up Kiss Me," a lead release from this new album, failed to grab me. In a full album context, though, it all starts to make sense, as Olsen is flexing her songwriting muscle throughout here, making an off-center-yet-accessible release that should really put her on the map. Give "Sister" a listen, then the entire album, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Recommendation: Easily the best of the week.

Artist: The Last Royals
Album: Never Be Alone
Quick Description: New album from an indie pop group takes a new route.
Why You Should Listen: When they write a good hooky pop song, it works wonders.
Overall Thoughts: I was obsessed with "Crystal Vases" when their debut EP hit in 2010. Six years since then and the band's sound has shifted to something a little more complicated. It works, but you're going to find less hooky stuff here than in their previous work. It's replaced by some good tunes, but you might not love this.
Recommendation: Give this a shot.

Artist: James Vincent McMorrow
Album: We Move
Quick Description: Irish dream-folky goes a little more mainstream.
Why You Should Listen: This is a move away from the Bon Iverian sound into something more interesting.
Overall Thoughts: I highlight this only because, in a slower week, this is a really interesting listen. I haven't been grabbed by McMorrow up to this point, but this has all the inklings of a major breakthrough, especially given the production values and such. I enjoyed this and need to spend more time with it, but it's a solid listen nonetheless.
Recommendation: Worth your time this week.

Artist: Helms Alee
Album: Stillicide
Quick Description: Loud, brash, heavy post-rock.
Why You Should Listen: You enjoyed ...Trail of Dead and just wished they were heavier.
Overall Thoughts: I shouldn't like Helms Alee, really, because it's just so loud and heavy, but there's an intricacy to their songwriting that just seems to stand out. I considered giving up on this one well into the first opening track, but I'm glad I stuck with it, as songs like "Tit to Toe" just work in that sort of complex way that keeps you guessing. I can't wait to dive back in on this album in particular.
Recommendation: Not going to be for everyone, but this worked for me.


Also out this week:

* Cymbals Eat Guitars - Pretty Years
* Nouvelle Rogue - Athol Brose
* Skye and Ross - Skye and Ross (solid, unassuming soul-ish music)
* The Parrots - Los Ninos Sin Miedo (old-style garage rock)

Live Shows: The Melvins, Fete Ballroom, Providence, RI 8/29/16

Photo via Facebook

The Melvins are always an interesting band. They tend to release anywhere from 1-3 albums per year, with varying results. Some are absolute classics, while others are... interesting. But their live shows are always a must see. I had missed them earlier this year on the Savage Imperial Death March Tour with Napalm Death and Melt Banana. Luckily for me, they swung through New England again and hit Providence.

A Melvins show can be quite the challenge for a casual fan. The band open up with an instrumental intro with very minimal bass, drums, and occasional guitar that seemed to last roughly three hours. (Ok, it was probably ten minutes, but that's still a pretty long time.) The crowd was rewarded heavily with a fan favorite set that brushed the majority of the band's career. Despite having just released a new (and pretty great) album, Basses Loaded, The Melvins only played two songs off of it, "Hideous Woman" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." They also broke out three covers, Kiss' "Deuce" (sung by bass player Steven McDonald), a Redd Kross cover, and Alice Cooper's "Halo of Flies," a longtime live staple of theirs. "The Kicking Machine" also brought out a great reaction from the audience. The band seemed to poke fun of their fairly rotating line up, with drummer Dale Crover and bass player Steve McDonald wearing shirts with their names on them. King Buzzo might be the only man to pull off a one piece emblazoned with an eyeball. And despite Fete Ballroom having a full array of lighting options, they stuck with an orange theme for the entire evening.

I would also like to apologize to the opener, Helms Alee. Fete has a small side room that is filled with working classic arcade games. I got far too sucked into playing a Judge Dredd pinball and missed the majority of the set. What I heard was great, so definitely give them a better shot than I did.

American Wrestlers - "Give Up"

Photo by Evan Cuttler

When I first saw there was a band called American Wrestlers on Fat Possum Records, I instantly knew what they sounded like. It was going to be dirty, bluesy punk, obviously. Apparently I'm old (and we missed their debut album from last year), since that doesn't appear to be Fat Possum's thing anymore. "Give Up," the new song from American Wrestlers, is upbeat and poppy as can be. American Wrestlers was started by Gary McClure after moving from Scotland to St. Louis, MO of all places. The song stops just a few steps away from being twee, and are on the more rockin' side of what is now called dream pop.

American Wrestlers' second album, Goodbye Terrible Youth, is due out November 4 on Fat Possum Records. You can pre-order it here. For more information on American Wrestlers, check them out on Facebook and Twitter. You can listen to "Give Up" below.

First Listen: New Releases for August 26

This was a busy week, but a really disappointing one. A handful of good albums, and a lot of disappointing and/or otherwise non-noteworthy efforts. So don't consider this a habit, but I'm treating this week a little differently.

But first, the best of the week:

Album of the Week:

Artist: Banks and Steelz
Album: Anything But Words
Quick Description: Side project from Interpol's Paul Banks and Wu Tang's RZA.
Why You Should Listen: The mix of collaborators is enough to give it a listen...
Overall Thoughts: ...and the quality is enough to keep it around. It, like a lot of collaborations, is certainly imperfect, but this is just a solid listen across the board. The production is interesting, the songs pretty solid, and it's overall just a great listen this week. What's surprising for me in particular for this is that RZA's been around forever and Interpol a fair amount of time as well, but this feels fresh and energetic in a way a lot of collaborations like this just don't. So there's a lot to like here, and it's worth your time.
Recommendation: Absolutely the best of the week.

Artist: The Album Leaf
Album: Between Waves
Quick Description: First album in six years from the electronic-tinged act.
Why You Should Listen: The Album Leaf has been underrated for a long time.
Overall Thoughts: The only downside I can give this album is that it stays on such an even keel for so long. Instead of a lot of cool peaks and valleys and often-interesting swells, this more exists on its own accord and ends up being great even still. While I would have preferred a little more oomph or impact, the result here is a pleasant and complicated listen that deserves more time than I've given it so far, and absolutely deserves some of yours.
Recommendation: Absolutely worth a listen this week.

Artist: Britney Spears
Album: Glory
Quick Description: Ninth album by one of the biggest pop stars in the world.
Why You Should Listen: Because I found it good enough to highlight here.
Overall Thoughts: Listen. No, really. Just listen. I know, because Britney Spears was the pop star in high school that represented everything wrong with music for me, complete with ironic indie covers of her biggest songs and all that. And then there was the meltdown, and the revival, and the rehabilitation, and who knows what else, and now we have Glory. And I haven't been afraid to point out that I've gained an appreciation for a lot of pop music here, but I had a friend raving about this from a leak she got a hold of and, well, it's great. Legitimately great. While it's arguably too polished and overproduced, the quality of the songs and the overall approach turns this into something kind of special. If you've (rightfully) written Britney off up to this point, you should really give her a shot, as this is a really solid album.
Recommendation: A favorite of the week.

Artist: Lewis & Leigh
Album: Ghost
Quick Description: Great Americana.
Why You Should Listen: Lewis & Leigh kind of get it in terms of making this sound work for them.
Overall Thoughts: I raved about their EP in 2014 and this album was both long-awaited and did not disappoint. Just a lovely, high-quality slice of folk-inspired music that deserves a lot of attention. If you're into this sort of music, line this one up.
Recommendation: A definite must-listen this week.

Artist: The Veils
Album: Total Depravity
Quick Description: Second album from the group that introduces some electronic aspects.
Why You Should Listen: The Veils are great, and El-P produced this as well.
Overall Thoughts: I liked the first Veils album, so I was interested in this right from the start. I learned later about El-P's involvement, and that does explain some of the sonic changes we're hearing. The result, like in the opener "Axolotl," and other songs just resonated immediately like "Low Lays the Devil." This is a complicated listen on first blush, and one I look forward to spending more time with.
Recommendation: A solid listen this week.

Artist: Carly Rae Jepsen
Album: Emotion: Side B
Quick Description: A collection of b-sides from the pop star's 2015 album.
Why You Should Listen: The b-sides help spread her musical wings a bit, and provide a deeper appreciation for Emotion.
Overall Thoughts: I tried to listen to Emotion last year and it didn't really grab me. Maybe a little to 1980s? Maybe it was trying too hard after "Call Me Maybe" hit so big? Either way, it didn't work for me. But "Cry" made it on my Release Radar playlist on Friday and I really enjoyed it, and it turns out this quick hit of b-sides not only did the trick, but got me to look back at Emotion and see what I missed. I can't guarantee that you'll have the same experience, but this is maybe worth a quick shot.
Recommendation: Might not work for you, but it's worth some time.

Artist: Dreamers
Album: This is Not an Album
Quick Description: Aggressive pop rock.
Why You Should Listen: You require loud guitars and hooks for days.
Overall Thoughts: This is not a bad album at all, but the amount of polish on it makes me wonder how much appeal it has outside of those who would only find this on the radio. You'll know 10 seconds into "Drugs" if it's for you, but it's worth highlighting just due to how up-front it is, especially in contrast to an album cover and title that seems to be a little more esoteric.
Recommendation: Worth a shot.


Some quick notes on the rest of the week:

* Charlotte Day Wilson - CDW: Solid dreamy folk/pop, interested to hear what comes next.
* Prophets of Rage - The Party's Over: The Rage Against the Machine/Public Enemy collaboration that feels about 20 years dated, and that's even before questioning the politics of the situation.
* The Bad Plus - It's Hard: On one hand, they're back to doing jazzy cover songs, but this just feels uninspired.
* De La Soul - ...and the Anonymous Nobody: De La Soul was a highlight when I saw them live a decade-plus ago. This just feels like a lot of going through the motions, and is not essential at all.
* Ingrid Michaelson - It Doesn't Have to Make Sense: A breakup record that's far too melancholy for its own good, unfortunately.
* Cassius - Ibifornia: I remember when Cassius was the interesting house music group. This honestly deserved to be better.
* Katy Goodman & Greta Morgan - Take It, It's Yours: A covers album that has parts greater than the whole.
* Butch Walker - Stay Gold: Never quite lifts off to be the thing I know Butch Walker is capable of being.
* Cass McCombs - Mangy Love: Also feels plodding and lethargic. Not much to highlight from an artist who does more than this.


Also out this week:

* Pye Audio Corner - Stasis
* Gringo Starr - The Sides and in Between
* Mild High Club - Skiptracing
* Glass Animals - How to Be a Human Being
* Diedrich Strause - How Cruel That Hunger Binds
* The Devil Makes Three - Redemption and Ruin