Music, Musings & Meanderings

Once by Laura Marling. The second single from...

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:13:16 -0400

Once by Laura Marling. The second single from Marling’s upcoming album, Once I Was An Eagle - out May 27th.

Step Up For the Cool Cats by Palma Violets. These Brit rockers...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:27:38 -0400

Step Up For the Cool Cats by Palma Violets. These Brit rockers sound as if they took my collection of psychedelia and punk-rock LPs (Doors, Clash, Velvet Underground, Kinks), put them through a blender and poured them out into a neat little indie shot glass. Nothing new here…but still quite tasty.

Heart of Nowhere by Noah and the Whale featuring Anna Calvi. The...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:13:27 -0400

Heart of Nowhere by Noah and the Whale featuring Anna Calvi. The title track from the band’s forthcoming album is lush, idiosyncratic and melodramatic — a perfect blend for a Sunday morning.

Purple Yellow Red and Blue by Portugal. The Man. So damn good....

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:38:00 -0400

Purple Yellow Red and Blue by Portugal. The Man. So damn good. From the band’s new album, Evil Friends.

Ohm (Acoustic - Live) by Yo La Tengo. Ira and Georgia are...

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 09:50:19 -0400

Ohm (Acoustic - Live) by Yo La Tengo. Ira and Georgia are entrancing live. From the band’s most recent album, Fade.

Song for Zula by Phosphorescent. Matthew Houck (aka...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:23:00 -0400

Song for Zula by Phosphorescent. Matthew Houck (aka Phosphorescent) is back with a new album, Muchacho, affirming his place as one of the most innovative and profound singer-songwriters working today. Filled with rich glorious sounds that will fill your soul with the warmth and radiance of an Alabama spring day.

Step by Vampire Weekend. VW is back with the first single from...

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:39:00 -0400

Step by Vampire Weekend. VW is back with the first single from their forthcoming album, Modern Vampires of the City. Listening to this track is like welcoming an old lover home. Familiar, warm and resplendent with the memories of a life lived together and apart.

Lover’s Revolution by Iron and Wine. The lead single from...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 12:13:00 -0400

Lover’s Revolution by Iron and Wine. The lead single from the band’s forthcoming album, Ghost on Ghost, is a swinging, brass filled affair that takes Sam Beam’s music into a new jazzy/bluesy direction that evokes the stylings of Van Morrison, Tom Waits and even Jethro Tull.

Of Space and Time by City and Colour. The first single from the...

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:46:00 -0400

Of Space and Time by City and Colour. The first single from the forthcoming album, Northern Wind, is a hushed waltzing track that features Dallas Green’s soothing soulful vocals, gently strummed acoustic guitar and quietly reassuring percussion.

Evil Friends by Portugal. The Man. The title track from the...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 23:29:00 -0400

Evil Friends by Portugal. The Man. The title track from the band’s forthcoming seventh album produced by Danger Mouse. Took a few listens to warm up to it but really digging the unrestrained energy of this song, especially the jump around chorus and the guitar/drum breakout at the 1:13 mark.

Blue Ocean Floor by Justin Timberlake. The standout track from...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:58:00 -0400

Blue Ocean Floor by Justin Timberlake. The standout track from JT’s latest album, Blue Ocean Floor may, in fact, be the most interesting and important track JT has ever produced. Down-tempo, melancholic and without the trademark R&B hook or dazzle, the song features a warbly looping synth, backward-tracked instrumentals and JT’s mournful falsetto. Taking cues from artists like Radiohead, Active Child and How To Dress Well, Timberlake manages to make a major impact in a minor key. [Note: Be patient. The track starts at the 40 second mark.]

Are You There Sweetheart? by Kate Nash. On her latest album,...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:26:00 -0400

Are You There Sweetheart? by Kate Nash. On her latest album, Girl Talk, Kate Nash introduces a new retro-punk sound that is edgier than the brit-pop charm of Foundations. This mid-tempo track caught my ear, especially the snare beats and jangly guitars that follow the break at the 3 minute mark.

Where Can I Go? by Laura Marling. The first single from...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 10:28:00 -0400

Where Can I Go? by Laura Marling. The first single from Marling’s forthcoming album, Once I Was An Eagle, conjures up 70s AM radio nostalgia while featuring rich augmentations, including cello and Hammond B3 organ.

Never Wanted Your Love by She & Him. The first single from...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:38:00 -0500

Never Wanted Your Love by She & Him. The first single from She & Him’s forthcoming album is everything you’ve come to expect from the retro-twee-folk duo of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel plus a surprising serving of strings.

Higgs Boson Blues by Nick Cave. “Have you ever heard of...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:34:00 -0500

Higgs Boson Blues by Nick Cave. “Have you ever heard of the Higgs Boson Blues? I’m going down to Geneva baby, I’m gonna teach it to you.” My favorite track from Cave’s latest album, Push the Sky Away.

Retrograde by James Blake. New single from Blake’s...

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:29:00 -0500

Retrograde by James Blake. New single from Blake’s forthcoming LP, Overgrown.

Duquesne Whistle by Bob Dylan. The opening track from...

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:17:00 -0500

Duquesne Whistle by Bob Dylan. The opening track from Dylan’s latest (and possibly last) album, Tempest. Here’s a great review of this track from NPR:

“Duquesne Whistle,” begins in the middle of a scene, like the fade-in in a classic Western. It’s the first song we get to hear from Bob Dylan’s Tempest, the album he will release on September 11, 50 years and six months after the commencement of his recoding career. The music starts faintly, as if in a vintage pleasure palace, with the band — the stalwarts who’ve played with Dylan for a while and join him on the Never-Ending Tour — playing rock and roll ragtime off in the corner. The electric guitars sound almost like clarinets. Everybody’s swinging! But what’s that in the distance? Dylan himself unleashes the rubbery guitar chord change that repeats for the rest of the song, sounding just like a locomotive blast. Is he hopping that thing? Is somebody he loves on it? Both are possible.

Child by The Maccabees. One of the top tracks from The...

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 12:02:00 -0500

Child by The Maccabees. One of the top tracks from The Maccabees’ gorgeously produced album, Given To The Wild.

Sing the Delta by Iris DeMent. It’s been a long wait...

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:25:00 -0500

Sing the Delta by Iris DeMent. It’s been a long wait — 16 years to be exact — since Iris DeMent released an album of new material. She’s back with the release of Sing the Delta, an album of country and gospel songs that solidify DeMent’s status and stature as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of her generation.

Mother Nature’s Daughter by Natural Child. Classic Neil...

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 15:52:00 -0500

Mother Nature’s Daughter by Natural Child. Classic Neil Young/CSNY inspired country-folk rock from Nashville’s Natural Child. Horribly derivative yet so damn good.