The Friday Refrain: A bit of what's new in music...
Oh my goodness people, I am a little OCD this week. I will not move on from the 11/27 releases until I've listened to a snippet of all that I can. So I'm a couple weeks behind. I don't know why I feel this way, but I do. And if there's one thing I've learned after living with myself for 31 years, it's to pick my fights. Sometimes I just got to go with it. So I'm going to be a bit behind, but I still wanted to post this week. I mean, where was I last week? Oh, yeah, I was getting ready to host 12 children at my house for a piano party. Only 9 in the end but give 9 kids pizza and they think they've won the lottery. What am I saying? Give me free pizza and I'll freak out too. So yeah. We did a rhythmically choreographed thing with plastic cups to the tune of "Sleigh Ride." Done perfectly, it would have been really cool. Letting things happen as they go, it's still pretty cool and funny. Super proud of my students for sticking it out. Anyway...
First today. Rapper Lizzo is out with her album Big GRRRL World today, and as a local favorite, I'll be checking that out later on today for sure. And R. Kelly is back with The Buffet. That's really the big stuff for this week. The releases will wind down from here on out, too late to get enough momentum for gift-giving and the best of lists after all. Last week, a couple rap albums - posthumous release of Pimp C, Long Live The Pimp and an album from Curren$y, Canal Street Confidential. And internet-sensation cat, Lil Bub, released an album titled Science & Magic. And popular rock band, Coldplay, released A Head Full Of Dreams last week as well. Bette Midler snuck in with A Gift Of Love. And that's that. You know, thinking about it, we still have one definite big week of releases in December - next week there's going to be a bunch of stuff to get excited about (hopefully). So tune in for that.
In the meantime. It's the November 27th List. Ugh, I have to brush my teeth.
Okay minty fresh. Some things I liked off the 11/27 stuff:
Los Dod, El Sonido Del Debut ó Despedida - Some latin music with horns and that rapping but not really more like talk-singing style. You know what I mean, right?
Surf Friends, Dreams Are Real- Obviously, a little surfy CA rock. Kinda feels like it's the opening music to a coming-of-age/going-back-home-for-the-first-time movie about the holidays set in a warmer climate.I guess the second track, "Dance Tonight," does a little guitar sound once that sounds like an airplane landing.
Separation Agreement, Familiar Haunts - Maybe if Spoon had been a little more moody and proggy, they could have been a little like this.
Silent J, Rehab - That noisy get up and go dance sort of electronica. Like when you watch a show and they're in a club, this is what they'd have playing with a bunch of flashing lights and vampires hunting in a club or something.
Street Chant, "Never" - Straight up rock with a tiny bit of nostalgia of Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies.
The Brainstems, No Place Else- Lo-fi and jangly noisier punkish rock.
Mama Sonic, "Grapefruit" - Fast and fancy free with that bass line riff like "A Town Called Malice"
Addie Pray, Screentime - If you like my female singer-songwriter tendencies, then check this one out. Right up my alley.
Fumaça Preta, "La Trampa" - Psychedelicish fuzzy trippy gypsyish rock. Turns out these guys have one EP and I think I'm going to be turning that on as soon as I finish listening to this 7" again.
String Noise, The Book Of Strange Positions - A married duo of violinists play some avant garde music and it is interesting, and it is also "noise." It is definitely avant garde. It is interesting and a good way to round my list. Take that.
All right there you go brave listeners. Things to go out and explore. Vast depths of sonically intricate waves to inflict upon your ear drums. Next week, I'll have more about last week's releases, maybe even catch up to this week. And there should be a Half Pints episode to talk about too. Well, it's that time, farewell and Happy Listening!