First Listen: New Releases for 29 May

Midweek lunchtime tunes for you.

Artist: Lady Gaga
Album: Chromatica
Quick Description: Latest album from the pop megastar.
Why You Should Listen: It's Lady Gaga, she's the Madonna of our time.
Overall Thoughts: We've come a long way from wearing lunch meat as a dress, but the new Lady Gaga is very much a back-to-basics effort that reminds us why she's the top of the heap when it comes to pop music. The two lead singles from this have both been great, there are other solid parts throughout, and it's just one of the better pop efforts out there this year so far. The question will be whether it ultimately has legs, but for now, it's a great listen.
Recommendation: Don't miss out.

Artist: Jake Blount
Album: Spider Tales
Quick Description: Raw roots effort.
Why You Should Listen: It's a great record from a local-ish artist.
Overall Thoughts: I never had Providence as a hotbed of folk music, but I should really change my perspective, as some of my favorite roots records of the last decade or so come from our neighbor to the south. Jake Blount is a name I'm going to keep an eye on, and if you can listen to his version of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" and not be moved by it, what are you even doing listening to music?
Recommendation: A must-listen.

Artist: Hansan
Album: Nattflykt
Quick Description: Folk duo featuring blog favorite Sofia Talvik.
Why You Should Listen: Sofia Talvik is a must-listen around these parts, but this full-on dive into Nordic folk is totally worth it.
Overall Thoughts: I don't understand the words, but I do understand Sofia Talvik and her perpetual importance to music for me. I wish she was a bigger deal, and I hope that this Hansan project exposes her to a different audience who can appreciate what she brings to the table. This is a gorgeous record, so don't let the language gap keep you from enjoying this. No better time than now to expand your horizons.
Recommendation: Mandatory listening, as far as I'm concerned.

Artist: Square Loop
Album: Mom Come Pick Me Up
Quick Description: More local indie rock.
Why You Should Listen: You should support local music when you can, but especially when it's good.
Overall Thoughts: They'll put themselves in an emo bucket (which, given they're from Worcester, not a shocker), but I had a really nice indie rock feel from this act that, if there's any justice, will go places with this record. Yeah, they're hitting my nostalgia notes with an image of Ralph's Diner on the cover, but they're also putting out solid alt-rock that sometimes feels out of fashion these days, and they do it well enough that the right ears and the right publicity could put it back into fashion. Long and short? Make time for this one.
Recommendation: A good local listen.

Artist: Bryde
Album: The Volume of Things
Quick Description: New music from a personal favorite.
Why You Should Listen: Bryde is another artist that should be huge and isn't.
Overall Thoughts: I've loved everything Bryde has put out so far, and The Volume of Things continues along those same lines. I was excited when "The Trouble Is" hit streaming services a while back, and the whole album is a joy to hear. I really hope this is her breakthrough (I feel like I'm saying that a lot this week).
Recommendation: Make time for this one.

Artist: Jaime Wyatt
Album: Neon Cross
Quick Description: More country-style singer-songwriter efforts.
Why You Should Listen: Jaime Wyatt knows how to put together a country tune.
Overall Thoughts: In what ended up being a busy week, I wanted to make sure to highlight this effort. There are a lot of alt-country/outlaw Americana stuff that comes across our weekly listens here, but Jaime Wyatt stood out to me as feeling a little more sincere and a little more urgent. I really liked this listen, and you probably will, too.
Recommendation: Put this in your rotation.

Artist: PINS
Album: Hot Slick
Quick Description: Party rock? Party rock, sure, let's go with it.
Why You Should Listen: It's the most fun you're going to have with an album this week.
Overall Thoughts: PINS is a band that's difficult to pigeonhole, but man is this an enjoyable 30 minutes. If "Bad Girls Forever" doesn't grab you, maybe "Love You To Death" will, but whatever the mood, PINS is bringing it. Just a really fun record, especially in a time right now where nothing seems all that fun at all.
Recommendation: Give this a shot.

Artist: Nicole Atkins
Album: Italian Ice
Quick Description: Great alt-country from a favorite.
Why You Should Listen: Nicole Atkins always succeeds in making great roots music.
Overall Thoughts: I can't say anything about Nicole Atkins that countless others haven't before. On her fifth release, she's hit that sweet spot on how to make accessible, critical country-tinged tunes, and whether it's a song like "Domino" or her multi-artist effort "Never Going Home Again," this feels like a familiar and warm embrace. Don't miss this one.
Recommendation: A solid effort.

Of note:

* Anna Tivel - The Question (Live and Alone) (The exact type of pandemic content I'm looking for.)
* 2nd Grade - Hit to Hit (Great, fun power pop/punk in really small doses.)
* Jade Hairpins - Harmony Avenue (Lots of great moments here.)
* Flying Lotus - Flamagra
* Ghost of the Machine and DJ Proof - Heroes for Hire
* Angelica Garcia - Cha Cha Palace
* Inventions - Continuous Portrait
* Sebastian Tellier - Domesticated
* Sweet Spirit - Trinidad
* Christian Lee Hutson - Beginners
* The Reflectors - First Impression
* Sweet Whirl - How Much Works
* Marin Patenaude - Sight Unseen
* Holy Hive - Float Back to You
* Teddy Thompson - Heartbreaker Please

EPs:

* Alex Lahey - Between the Kitchen and the Living Room (More great pandemic content.)
* Joyce Manor - Songs From Northern Torrence (Best described as demo-style quick hits.)
* i_o and Lights - AM 444 (Some great electronic pop here.)
* Esther Rose - My Favorite Mistakes (Lovely EP of covers.)
* Cady Groves - Bless My Heart
* EMS Synthi 100 and Soulwax - DEEWEE Sessions Volume 1
* Atwater Punx - The Flea Draws Blood
* Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - I Can Hear the Birds
* GFOTY - Ham Chunks and Wine

Also out:

* Threadbare - Silver Dollar
* Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist - Alfredo
* Joell Ortiz and KXNG Crooked - H.A.R.D.
* Deerhoof - Future Teenage Cave Artists
* Hania Rani - Home
* ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Sessoes Selo Sesc #9

The Infamous Stringdusters and G Love Cover G Love & Special Sauce

Photo via Instagram

Way back in the 1900s, I absuloutely loved G Love & Special Sauce. He had this bizarro and funky blend of folk, blues, and hip hop. The past twenty years has seen me slipping away from G Love fandom as he seems to be going deeper and deeper into more of a hippie/jam band kind of thing. But "Cold Beverage" will always be a favorite of mine.

Which is why I'm thrilled with a collaboration between The Infamous Stringdusters and G Love on a new version of "Cold Beverage." It's a bluegrass version, which ends up being just about perfect. It's something I would have hated in my college years, but in my middle age it hits just right. It keeps the spirit and energy of the original, obviously adding more traditional strings and some punk style gang vocals? Somehow The Infamous Stringdusters and G Love team together and hit the nostalgia button while making a classic sound current.

You can listen to The Infamous Stringdusters and G Love rework "Cold Beverage" below. For more on The Infamous Stringdusters, check out their website. For more on G Love, check out his website.

Thee Sinseers - "What's His Name"

Listening to "What's His Name," the latest single from The Sinseers, you would never expect that they just formed in East Los Angeles in 2019. This simply can't be a band just a little over a year old, especially from California. "What's His Name" sounds like a soul/R&B song recorded fifty years ago that was just rediscovered. Even the recording sounds vintage. This is old school/vintage soul that has just been perfectly executed. Usually the singer is what sets a neo-soul song apart from others, and while Joey Quinones is delivering exceptional vocals, The Sinseers's exquisite use of horns and backing vocals truly makes this song a gem.

You can listen to "What's His Name" below. The single is available now on Colemine Records as part of their weekly "Brighter Days Ahead" singles series. You can get a copy now via Bandcamp. For more on The Sinseers, check them out on Instagram.

Tanya Donelly and Will Dailey Cover "Dream a Little Dream of Me"

For this week's Sunday Series, Tanya Donelly knocks it out of the park. I'll let her explain this week's cover:

Week #7 brings a beautiful lullaby, and one of the most thoroughly covered songs ever written. I heard it first from Mama Cass on her very great album “Bubblegum, Lemonade &... Something For Mama“, one of my own mama’s favorite records when I was still toddling. 100 years later, I sang it with my friend Will Dailey at a show curated by our mutual friend (and Will’s longtime drummer/collaborator)) Dave Brophy, the theme of the night being rock singers singing jazz standards. So when this one was suggested as a cover for this series by my dear pal Vicky Salipande (and few after her), I immediately thought of Will as guest artist. He is one of my favorite collaborators and hangs ~ crazy talented, and a big heart of gold.
Every week (and always) I’m blown away by the tracks Joe and Russell send me, and this week is particularly over-the-moon beautiful. Our bonus track this week is an instrumental version of this same song, because I want you to hear it. (And give you space to sing it yourself.)

Tanya Donelly and Will Dailey do a gloriously gorgeous rendition of "Dream a Little Dream of Me." It may seem impossible, but for those of us that first came across the song with Mickey Thomas's extremely dated version from the 1989 Corey Haim and Corey Feldman movie Dream a Little Dream, you'll know that bad versions are possible. For all fans of Donelly and Dailey, you already know how great their version will be. It's even better.

You can listen to Tanya Donelly and Will Dailey's version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" below. The song is available on Tanya Donelly's Bandcamp. This week proceeds of the song will go to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. For more on Tanya Donelly, check her out on Facebook and Twitter. For Will Dailey, check out his website.

Toadies Cover Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy

Photo by Steve Visneau

Well... here's something I never thought I'd write: 90's hard rockers Toadies have recorded a cover of "You Are Not Alone," Mavis Staples's 2010 song with Jeff Tweedy. I've long felt that Toadies were unfortunately lumped in with a lot of the post-Nirvana alt-garbage that came out in the mid-90's, and 1994's Rubberneck has some seriously great songs on it. That being said, a partially acoustic cover of a song from an eighty year old gospel singer and the lead singer of Wilco? Recorded in quarantine, Toadies give us a shockingly faithful version of the original, except Vaden Todd Lewis isn't quite the singer Mavis Staples is, and I doubt he'd take that as an insult. 

Lewis explains the choice of the cover: “I first heard this Jeff Tweedy song about 2 weeks ago. It was a live performance of Tweedy with Mavis Staples, and it felt like it had been written for this very moment, when we can’t hug our friends or even some of our family. I immediately wanted to cover this song so I could help deliver the message that ‘you are not alone.'"

You can watch the video for the Toadies's cover of "You Are Not Alone" below. For more on the Toadies, check out their website.

Andreya Casablanca - "Talk About It"

I first stumbled upon Berlin's Gurr when they opened for Priests last year. I was sucked into their laid back alternative pop on their albums, and fell in love with their much more energetic and rock based live show. Andreya Casablanca of Gurr has released her first solo song, and this one goes even further into different directions. According to the Bandcamp bio, "Her own songs melt garage rock guitar with Linn Drums, a little bit of 2000s MTV dance music and poppy vocals." The only arguing that you'll get from me is that "Talk About It" is more 80's synth pop that 2000s MTV. (Of course, that could mean German MTV and not American MTV, and I wasn't really watching that much MTV then, so I could be wrong). "Talk About It" is a modern, updated take on European 80's synth pop. It's ridiculously fun and you're going to want to check this one out.

You can listen to "Talk About It" below. The song is available as a download on Andreya Casablanca's Bandcamp. For more on Andreya Casablanca, check out her Facebook.

Corb Lund - "Grizzly Bear Blues"

"Grizzly Bear Blues" by Edmonton's Corb Lund is one of my favorite kinds of songs. It's funny and not serious without being too jokey or a novelty song. "Grizzly Bear Blues" is a ramblin' rock and roll meets country song about how to survive a grizzly bear encounter that includes some facts about grizzlies. Even though it's rock and roll meets country, it's not edgy enough to be outlaw country. It's a fun song that's disguised as a great song, and paying attention could actually save your life.

You can listen to "Grizzly Bear Blues" below. Agriculture Tragic, the upcoming album from Corb Lund, will be out June 26 on New West Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Corb Lund, check out his website.

Skullcrusher - "Day of Show"

Photo by Silken Weinberg

Skullcrusher (aka Los Angeles based musician Helen Ballentine) is back with another single that doesn't fit the name of the project at all. "Day of Show" starts off disguised as an indie folk song... until the synths come in. Slowly it morphs into a more dream pop infused with shoegaze song. It creates this dreamy, hazy feel which is kind of perfect for laying around the house in the summer heat while under quarantine.

Ballentine says of the song: "I wrote ‘Day of Show’ on a hot day last summer in my roommate’s bedroom because mine didn’t have AC," explains Ballentine. “I felt dazed and restless from sitting around in the heat all day. It is a song about feeling trapped in yourself, unable to help yourself and reluctant to let others in. It explores the fragmented behavior and thoughts that arise from this feeling: a kind of daydreaming that can be really creative but also the darkness that also exists there. It’s musically inspired by a lot of the shoegaze music I listen to.”

You can watch the video for "Day of Show" below. Skullcrusher's debut self-titled EP will be out June 26 on Secretly Canadian. You can pre-order it here. For more on Skullcrusher, check out the artist's Bandcamp and Instagram.

Eye Witness - "Miss Me"

I've become enamored with Massachusetts's own Sapling this year. Their album No Sequoia is a strong contender for my best of 2020 list, so when I heard that Sapling's Rainy Maple Sugar Candy had another project, I obviously had to check it out. Eye Witness is that project, and it's an indie folk duo consisting of Rainy and Milo. I personally wouldn't have pictured Rainy being in an indie folk duo, but once you listen to "Miss Me," you'll get it. Milo takes vocal duties on the song, and the first thing you'll notice is that he doesn't have a traditional folk voice. It's unique in the way that someone like J Mascis has a unique voice. You wouldn't enjoy him doing karaoke, but his voice fits the music perfectly. "Miss Me" has an intensely dark feel, and despite being indie folk, it simply rocks. 

You can listen to "Miss Me" below. Miss Me is also the name of Eye Witness's upcoming album which will be out on June 3. You can pre-order it now via Bandcamp. For more on Eye Witness, check them out on Facebook.

Katie Malco - "Fractures"

"Fractures," the latest single from Katie Malco, is one of the most lovely songs you'll hear all year. It's not reinventing any genre of music. You've heard songs like "Fractures" before, but none have been done this well. It's a modern day neo-folk/indie rock masterpiece, staying at mid-tempo throughout but somehow feeling more intense as it goes on. Despite not having the cheeriest subject matter, the song comes across as uplifting and as a quiet anthem.

Malco says of the song: 

"Fractures is about coming face to face with a version of yourself you don’t even recognise, and growing into and understanding your true self and figuring out your own needs in life. My ex partner's girlfriend before me was an extremely beautiful, intelligent and, by all accounts, incredibly nice person. She was from the coast and she surfed, skated, hiked, climbed and she was a scientist. I grew up in a rough midlands industrial town and didn't do that well in school, and I always had insecurities about my academic intelligence, so if my partner ever joked about gaps in my knowledge, I didn’t take it well. I just felt like other people seemed to find things easier than I did, like they were all surpassing me in their achievements, him included. All of these things put such a massive strain on our relationship at the time and made me want to make myself into this person I thought he wanted. Someone exactly like his ex – graceful, clever, outdoorsy and good at everything. Someone I didn’t know or recognise in myself, and who just wasn’t me and wasn’t representative of my story up until then, which was a hard thing to explain to him."

You can watch the video for "Fractures" below. Failures, the new album from Katie Malco, will be out June 5 on 6131 Records. The album can be pre-ordered here. For more on Katie Malco, check her out on Facebook and Twitter.