First Listen: New Releases for 21 September

Better late than never?

Artist: St. Lucia
Album: Hyperion
Quick Description: Return to form from the light indie poppers.
Why You Should Listen: St. Lucia makes some really gorgeous, fun music.
Overall Thoughts: Their debut? Awesome. Their follow-up? Definite sophomore slump syndrome? This? Very reminiscent of that first album with a number of songs that have an immediate addictive quality. This is an act that sounds like it has found its footing and might have an opportunity to launch into something bigger.
Recommendation: Definitely worth your time this week.

Artist: The Black Black
Album: Gravity and Time
Quick Description: Heavy-yet-light rock and roll music.
Why You Should Listen: They're derivative of all your favorite recent acts.
Overall Thoughts: I think I want to describe this as The Strokes through a filter of early Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Death From Above, and The Dandy Warhols. I can’t decide if I just like it or if I kind of love it. There is a lot of great stuff here, from the sort of sludgey guitar rock to a more heavier feel.
Recommendation: Worth a listen.

Artist: Mountain Man
Album: Magic Ship
Quick Description: Great roots music.
Why You Should Listen: Everything sounds so pretty!
Overall Thoughts: This act always does beautiful, gorgeous roots stuff that makes you think of some sort of porchside folk circle with rolling hills in the background. It’s maybe a little too perfect in parts, but it doesn’t matter – few acts have such a straightforward setup executed so well.
Recommendation: Can’t go wrong here.

Artist: Black Honey
Album: Black Honey
Quick Description: Some good old fashioned rock and roll. Sort of.
Why You Should Listen: It's going to surprise you.
Overall Thoughts: This is not what you think it is in either direction. Is it fairly direct, hook-laden alt-rock? Yeah, in many ways. But it’s also a lot more serious than you may think by the band name/album cover. I expected to put this more in the area of The Donnas or the like, but that’s unfair – they’re much more a mainstream Dilly Dally or Deap Vally.
Recommendation: Bring some rock into your life.

Artist: Joyce Manor
Album: Million Dollars to Kill Me
Quick Description: Power pop!!!!!!11
Why You Should Listen: Joyce Manor will get stuck in your head more than anything else this week.
Overall Thoughts: A week after I bemoan the lack of solid power pop comes Joyce Manor with a barnburner of a record. Over the course of 20-ish minutes, they tear through so many songs and leave no moment wasted. Not a bad time investment anyway, but even if it were? It won’t take long.
Recommendation: Listen to this.

Artist: Metric
Album: Art of Doubt
Quick Description: Longtime Canadian act with their latest.
Why You Should Listen: Metric has been consistent for a while now.
Overall Thoughts: Metric is reaching that sort of territory, 15+ years in in, where their records have reached a bit of a groove. Many will say that they haven’t come back to their heights earlier this decade, but this album may be my favorite from them since Fantasies. Plenty of hooks, plenty of interesting songs, and it’s one of the better releases of the week.
Recommendation: Listen to this, too.

Artist: Christine and the Queens
Album: Chris
Quick Description: Solid pop effort this week.
Why You Should Listen: Christine and the Queens are doing some interesting pop music.
Overall Thoughts: A shout-out to some alternative pop here. Christine and the Queens aren’t afraid to push the envelope, and there’s enough here to keep popheads happy while those looking for something more adventurous can find something interesting as well. Well worth the time.
Recommendation: A solid listen.

Of note:

* Supersuckers - Suck It (Fairly silly but fun punk)
* Adam’s House Cat - Town Burned Down (Early Patterson Hood project, definitely sounds of early No Depression alt-country, and it works beautifully)
* Sha La Das - Love on the Wind (Some Dap Kings take us on a musical journey of the second half of the 20th century)
* Lupe Fiasco - DROGAS WAVE(Woke before most modern rappers, this feels like a return to form)
* 27: The Most Perfect Album (Indie acts sing about the United States Constitution for Radiolab's More Perfect)
* Prince - Piano and a Microphone 1983
* Thalia Zedek Band - Fighting Season
* Ben Pirani - How Do I Talk to My Brother?
* Lonnie Holley - MITH
* Ryan Hemsworth - Elsewhere
* Mutual Benefit - Thunder Follows the Light

EPs:

* Radio Compass - ...for a Girl (give this some time)
* The Field - Infinte Moment
* Honey Moon - Four More From... Honey Moon

Also out:

* Liars - Titles With the Word Fountain
* Advance Base - Animal Companionship
* (The London) Suede - The Blue Hour

Dusty Stray - "You Couldn't Wait to See Me Cry"

When you see that there's an artist named Dusty Stray performing a song called "You Couldn't Wait to See Me Cry," you know exactly what you're going to get: A downtrodden country song about heartbreak. And you'd almost be right. That's how Dusty Stray started the song off, but slowly it evolved into a more angry "synth-folk" song. I had never heard of anything that could be called synth-folk before this song, but that might be one of the better song descriptions I've heard in ages. It's a great ever so slight change to a classic genre that works magnificently.

You can listen to "You Couldn't Wait to See Me Cry" below. Estranged, the new album from Dusty Stray, will be out October 12 on Great Waters. For more on Dusty Stray, check out his website.

Hairband - "Bubble Sword"

Photo by Alice Smith

Hailing from Glasgow, Hairband is a five piece band that have crafted this unique sound, which is nearly impossible in the rock world at this point. "Bubble Sword" has some pretty strong roots in post punk, but there is something more organic and almost roots based in the song. While post punk typically has a distinct groove, "Bubble Sword" has a wildly fun dance feel to it. It's almost like if And the Kids... went post punk. You end up with an incredibly joyous song with just enough of an edge to avoid being saccharine. 

You can listen to "Bubble Sword" below. Hairband's self titled debut will be out on October 19 on Monorail Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Hairband, check out their Facebook and Twitter.

Jeff Tweedy - "Some Birds"

Photo by Whitten Sabbatini

We're at the point with Jeff Tweedy that you already know if you're going to like any new music he puts out. Personally, I truly enjoy the vast majority of his recent output, and I know Jeff enjoys it much less than I do. "Some Birds" isn't going to bring any lapsed fans back onto the Wilco/Tweedy bandwagon. It's pretty standard Jeff Tweedy material, in that it's definitely based in American roots music but, of course, strays ever so slightly off path into semi-experimental territory. You can tell an artist's true importance when a critique of their new output is that it won't change your life. "Some Birds" won't change your life, but there is plenty for you to like if you give it a shot.

You can watch the video for "Some Birds" below. Jeff Tweedy's new solo album, WARM, will be out November 30 on dBpm Records. You can pre-order your copy here. For more on what Jeff Tweedy is up to, check out Wilco's website. 

Haley Heynderickx & Max Garcia Conover - "Slow Talkin'"

Photo via Facebook

Earlier this year Haley Heynderickx released her debut album, I Need to Start a Garden, which is a strong contender for album of 2018 for me. You'd think one album would be enough for 2018, but Heynderickx is about to release a collaborative with Maine musician Max Garcia Conover. I'm going to borrow straight from the label's description for this one:

"An organic farm in the middle of nowhere. Dry wind through dry leaves. Dogs sleeping endless siestas in the sun. Rain that never comes. And horses. Always horses.

This is the scenery the critically acclaimed singer-songwriters Haley Heynderickx (Portland, Oregon) and Max García Conover (Portland, Maine) were dropped in by the Barcelona based label Son Canciones in September 2017. They were given one week to get acquainted, become friends, write six songs, record them and try to catch the ducks that hopped the fence.

After five days of hard labor, they walked up the stairs to the dusty studio in the attic of the farm. The songs were recorded in two days, mostly in one take and without special effects. Straight from the soil into your headphones."

"Slow Talkin,'", the first song from Among Horses III, is sung mostly by Heynderickx. It's a stripped down folk song propelled by her always amazing vocals. It's a little more straightforward and mainstream than her usual output, but her delivery still has its very own unique feel to it. It's always a pleasure to get new music from one of our new favorites this quickly, and it seems like Among Horses III will deliver. 

You can listen to "Slow Talkin'" below. Among Horses III will be out October 5 via Son Canciones and can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp. 

Bugeye - "Is This Love?"

Inspired by Donna Summer's disco classic "I Feel Love" comes the latest from Bugeye, "Is This Love?" The song is about the unhealthy obsession side of love that doesn't get sung about very often. The song is definitely a disco party song, but it sounds more 90's throwback than 70's. It has one foot firmly planted in the Britpop rock attitude of Elastica and the other in Deee-Lite's second coming of disco funk. The result is the perfect dance/disco song for people that claim they hate disco, if any of those people still exist. 

You can watch the video for "Is This Love?" below. The song is available now via 31% Wool LTD. For more on Bugeye, be sure to check out their website.

Footings - "American Beers"

Photo via Facebook

According to Peterborough, NH's Footings's bio, they are "... a band that is sometimes just one person and other times five people." The one person is Eric Gagne, who is usually joined by Elisabeth Fuchsia on viola. The other three members of the band include Rick from Pile, Jordan from Rick Rude, and Candace from Bunny's a Swine, which makes Footings a supergroup in our eyes.

Their new song, "American Beers," is gruff yet beautiful Americana. It's based in traditional folk, but also adds in a heaping helping of indie rock. It includes this absolutely mesmerizing viola solo where there would normally be a guitar solo, which is always a nice change. The vocals don't harmonize perfectly... at first. The more the song goes on, the more perfectly they begin to fit together.The song is intensely mellow and is one of the more mesmerizing songs we've heard in a while.

You can listen to "American Beers" below. Footings self-titled album will be out September 28 on Don't Live Like Me. It can be pre-ordered here. For more on Footings, check them out on Bandcamp and Facebook.

Marissa Nadler - "I Can't Listen to Gene Clark Anymore"

Photo by Cara Robbins

Boston's Marissa Nadler is back with a new, very 90's reminiscent single. "I Can't Listen to Gene Clark Anymore" reminds me of the more ethereal side of the Lilith Fair. It's filled with very quiet, dreamlike instrumentation over soft, lush vocals. The song is about how certain musicians can be so connected to certain points in your life that you can't listen to them any longer without being transported to that time period. For Nadler it's Gene Clark. The song is filled with beauty, and not always the happy kind. Plus, Nadler brings in Sharon Van Etten in for backing vocals, giving the song an even more compelling depth. It's a beautiful song full of minimal orchestration, if such a thing is even possible.

You can listen to "I Can't Listen to Gene Clark Anymore" below. For My Crimes, the new album from Marissa Nadler, will be out September 28 on Sacred Bones and Bella Union. You can pre-order a copy via Bandcamp. For more on Marissa Nadler, check out her website. Her current tour dates are below the song, including dates with The Decemberists and Mercury Rev!


Thu. Oct. 4 - North Adams, MA @ MASS MoCA (w/ The Decemberists)
Fri. Oct. 5 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre (w/ The Decemberists)
Mon. Oct. 8 - Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre (w/ The Decemberists)
Sun. Oct. 14 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah (w/ Johanna Warren)
Mon. Oct. 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan (w/ Johanna Warren)
Tue. Oct. 16 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel (w/ Mercury Rev)
Wed. Oct. 18 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios (w/ Mercury Rev)
Thu. Oct. 19 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern (w/ Mercury Rev)
Tue. Oct. 23 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique (Autumn Falls) (w/ Lawrence Rothman)
Wed. Oct. 24 - Amsterdam, NL @ Bitterzoet (w/ Lawrence Rothman)
Thu. Oct. 25 - Paris, FR @ Point FMR (w/ Lawrence Rothman)
Fri. Oct. 26 - Berlin, DE @ Musik & Frieden (w/ Lawrence Rothman)
Sat. Oct. 27 - Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen (w/ Lawrence Rothman)
Mon. Oct. 29 - Manchester, UK @ Gullivers (w/ Lawrence Rothman)
Tue. Oct. 30 - London, UK @ St Mattias Church (Dalston) (w/ Lawrence Rothman)
Fri. Nov. 30 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
Sat. Dec. 1 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G
Mon. Dec. 3 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s (w/ Johanna Warren)
Wed. Dec. 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle (w/ Johanna Warren)
Thu. Dec. 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade (w/ Johanna Warren)
Fri. Dec. 7 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd (w/ Johanna Warren)

Soft Pyramids - "Until It Hurts"

The latest single from Boston's Soft Pyramids is nearly impossible to define. "Until It Hurts" starts off with a drum track and vocals that sound almost like an off kilter pop song. And then the noise kicks in. This guitar squall derails the song until it becomes an even more dancey number. Then an almost late 90's world electronica song kicks in. It's such a swirl of different styles all coming and going throughout the song's entire six minutes that it's almost unnerving, if it wasn't so glorious.

You can listen to "Until It Hurts" below. Lowrey Go Go, the new album from Soft Pyramids, will be released on October 5. You can pre-order the album on their Bandcamp. For more on Soft Pyramids, check out their website. If you happen to be in the Boston area, their album release show is October 7 at State Park in Cambridge.

Hero Fisher - "If I Die and Nothing Happens"

It's becoming my own personal little cliche, but every time Hero Fisher releases new music I feel the need to reiterate my disdain for current pop music and my surprise at how much I like her latest release. "If I Die and Nothing Happens" will continue that trend, but I'm starting to realize why I like Fisher's music so much. Sure, it's pop music in 2018, but if this was twenty years ago this would be breaking out of the MTV Buzz Bin. This song has much more in common with Poe, Ruby, and Tori Amos's more electronic experiments in the late 90's than it does to Ariana Grande or Meghan Trainor. And, for me at least, that's a very good thing. You can tell right from the name "If I Die and Nothing Happens" is a dark song. Despite this, it's still upbeat with gorgeous moments. And you can dance to it.

You can listen to "If I Die and Nothing Happens" below. Hero Fisher's second album, Glue Moon, should be released sometime before the end of the year, although there is no official date yet. For more on Hero Fisher, check out her website.