In the year we turn 18, we start season 10 of our weekly new music playlist series. Hell of a ride.
Tag: aaron lee tasjan
Tamara Lindeman’s work as The Weather Station is finally getting the critical acclaim it deserves. In “Ignorance”, and following what she started with the already superb self-titled album, the Canadian singer-songwriter goes way beyond her folkish roots and employs a constellation of musicians to dress up her stellar songs in lush instrumentation. We’ll be very surprised if this ends up outside our top three albums of the year.
Aaron Frazer is best known as the drummer (and singer) for soul outfit Durand Jones & the Indications. Like so many songwriters in the past few years, he teamed up with the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and got his debut solo album, “Introducing…”, ready in no time. We’re not even halfway through January and we already have our first highlight of 2021. Feels good to be back.
We’re almost done with 2020, but December still had a couple of tricks on its sleeve, including a surprise new Taylor Swift release. But our album of the week has to be the unexpected collaboration between Canadian duo Kacy & Clayton and NZ songwriter Marlon Williams – one that makes all the sense in the world. “Plastic Bouquet” essentially feels like another essential Kacy & Clayton record, but the Williams-enhanced harmonies take the songs to another level.
Toronto experimental jazz outfit Badge Époque Ensemble is back with “Self Help”. Just like in their 2019 debut, the collective has channeled selected vocalists to voice some of the tracks – one of them one of our favorite Canadian singer-songwriters, Jennifer Castle.