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#196: Ada Lea, “what we say in private”

‘what we say in private’ is the debut album by Canadian singer-songwriter/painter/visual artist Alexandra Levy, or Ada Lea. It’s been out for less than a handful of days but it’s already one of our indie rock albums of the year. Is it because its opening song sounds like a lost track off Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’s recording sessions that eventually morphs into a more layered Big Thief song, while never sounding like a tribute to either bands? Or maybe it’s because of the stellar songwriting in it. We don’t know. Let’s just listen.

Plus: new tracks by Wilco (the new kind of Wilco, not the old YHF one), Andrew Combs, Strange Ranger, Long Beard, Aviva le Fey, Shannon Lay, Joan Shelley, Holy Golden (now known as Dolly Valentine), Summer Salt, Grace Lightman, Bleached, Roselit Bone, Trash Kit, Fly Pan Am, Adam Green, Tony Molina, Leon Bridges, Whitney, RF Shannon, Hiss Golden Messenger, Joe Pug, Jim Lauderdale, and Twain + The Deslondes.

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#195: Purple Mountains, “Purple Mountains”

Eleven years after the Silver Jews’ swan song “Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea”, David Berman finally resurfaces as Purple Mountains. And the new record is everything we ever wanted and more, with members of Woods as their backing band and producers adding extra catchiness to Berman’s superior songwriting. It jumps straight to the top of our list of favorite albums of the year.

Plus: new tracks by Divino Niño, B Boys, Tijuana Panthers, Drab Majesty, Kyle Craft, Lower Dens, Gruff Rhys, Jenny Hval, Carnivorous Plant Society, Sandro Perri, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Bad Heaven Limited, Olympia, Jade Jackson, Michaela Anne, Eilen Jewell, Kelsey Waldon, Emma Russack, Erin Durant, Asia, and Joanna Sternberg.

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#194: Jesca Hoop, “STONECHILD”

 

Last time we checked on Jesca Hoop she was busy touring a collaboration album with Iron & Wine and recording a (mostly acoustic) new album with Blake Mills. In 2019, she’s taking a different approach by teaming up with John Parish and recording what’s probably the most interesting record of her career, his subtle electronic touches complementing her fingerpicked guitar without ever even approaching “folktronica” territory (good to know they both know it’s not 2005 anymore).

This week’s playlist also features new tracks by Belle and Sebastian, Vanishing Twin, Moon Duo, Rayland Baxter, The Raconteurs, Okey Dokey, TFS Band, Titus Andronicus, Necking, Giant Sand, 75 Dollar Bill, Claire Cronin, black midi, Kacy & Clayton, Aviva le Fey, Alasdair Roberts, Erin Durant, Leif Vollebekk, Jonah Tolchin, and RF Shannon.

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#193: Fruit Bats, “Gold Past Life”

 

We had to. In a week full of great releases, we had to feature Fruit Bats’ first collection of new songs in three years, “Gold Past Life”, released on the 21st. Eric D. Johnson cements its place as one of the songwriters of his generation with a better ratio of “great” to “barely decent” songs – almost half of the record’s songs have already been featured in this playlist, so you know it’s true.

Plus: new tracks by black midi, Pip Blom, Super Doppler, Night Moves, Alex Cameron, The Raconteurs, Lucy Dacus, Purling Hiss, Andrew Combs, Nev Cottee Band, Jesse Malin, Tyler Childers, Divino Niño, Steve Gunn, Willie Nelson, Horse Jumper of Love, I am Oak, Mega Bog, Wilder Maker, Native Harrow, and Daughter of Swords.

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#192: Bedouine, “Bird Songs of a Killjoy”

Azniv Korkejian’s first album as Bedouine, drawing in equal parts from 60s folk music and the easygoing vibes of LA’s Echo Park (some sort of 21st century Laurel Canyon?), got us hooked for weeks. We can already tell the same is bound to happen with her second LP, “Bird Songs of a Killjoy”, finally released last week. Plus: new songs by The Hold Steady, Illiterate Light, Frankie Cosmos, Jesca Hoop, Mega Bog, Palehound, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Courtney Hartman, Erin Rae, Slaughter Beach, Dog, Los Retros, Bamboo, Chelsea Wolfe, Leslie Stevens, Honeysuckle, Rickie Lee Jones, Don DiLego, Jacob Faurholt, Paper Beat Scissors, Alan Power, Calexico and Iron & Wine, and Jamestown Revival.