The Friday Refrain: A bit about what's new in music
Happy Friday! Well, this week Fuel is back with Puppet Strings and their original singer, Brett Scallions. Pharrell Williams released GIRLS this week as well. It's a fun listen, including the Oscar-nominated song, "Happy." Drive-By Truckers released English Oceans and definitely check out Real Estate, Atlas. And to make this even more interesting, I'm just going to throw out there: Lea Michele, Louder; Zibba & AlmaLibra, Senza Pensare All’Estate; Rick Ross, Mastermind, and Ektomorph, Retribution. Now there's a cornucopia of music.
And now: The List.
Playground of Rock:
Soft White Sixties, Get Right - Just a fun listen
Arthur Beatrice, Working Out - The singer sounds like Florence & the Machine without the loud
We Are Scientists, TV en Français
Eagulls, Eagulls
Anne, Pulling Chain - Electronica Rock
Eternal Summers, The Drop Beneath - Kinda noisy California rock
Ava Luna, Electric Balloon
Axxa/Abraxas, Axxa Abraxas - One of my favorites of the week
Carla Bozulich, Boy - Electronic Rock. Wait, is that a thing? If not, now it is. I've used it twice this week. Think synthy or non-real instruments but there's singing. I'll refine this soon.
Trust, Joyland - Electronic rock
Nick Waterhouse, Holly - That throwback sound
Stone Jack Jones, Ancestor
Ghost Beach, Blonde - it's got a definite 80's vibe
The Revivalists, City of Sound
Rock:
PINS, Girls Like Us - Check this one out
Ume, Monuments - I think I'm just on a female vocal/rock kick this week. This one too.
Birth of Joy, Prisoner
Lushes, What Am I Doing
Slates, Taiga
Singer-Songwriter:
Charlotte Sometimes, By Request
Stanley Brinks & The Wave Pictures, Gin
John Gorka, Bright Side of Down
Pop
American Authors, Oh, What A Life
Barcelona, Cure - single off upcoming album
The Whistles & The Bells, The Whistles & The Bells - Lumineers sounding
Country:
Ags Connolly, How About Now - My style of country and a good morning listen
David Nail, I'm A Fire
Eli Young Band, 10,000 Towns
Chad Brownlee, Fallin Over You
Robben Ford, Day In Nashville
???
Pink Martini & The Von Trapps, Dream A Little Dream
The Unsemble, The Unsemble
Current 93, I am the Last of all the Field That Fell
Linda Perhacs, The Soul of all Natural Things
Christian Rock:
The Royal Royal, The Return of the King
Jason Gray, Love Will Have the Final Word
I'm feeling in the thick of this season and it's made me introspective and mute, it seems. My hibernation of the mind is in full effect. The skin on my knuckles is tough and cracked. I can feel the change happening though. The sun is hot when it shines. Birds are active and freaking out my cat. The eaves are dripping. Slowly, but it's there. My brain will thaw, my witticisms and eccentricity will come back. It's just on hiatus right now, sleeping in the back of my mind. Until then, Happy Weekend! <"Grow" by Prisoner kicks into full effect in foreground, credits roll>
Friday Refrain is a weekly post regarding what new releases have caught my ear for the week. I try to compile a pretty comprehensive list of pop/rock releases of the week and see what is available for me to listen to on the web. This is just my non-scientific, highly-subjective, randomly-listened-to list of stuff from the week. Oh, and I don’t always listen to lyrics or look at album art/music videos, so appropriateness is left up to the listener.