alex lahey – bolachas.org

Time for the yearly meeting of the Cate Le Bon Appreciation Society, on the occasion of the release date of the Welsh songwriter’s fifth album, “Reward”. The goddaughter of the 90s Welsh indie pop of Gruff Rhys et al has long outgrown her own scene, and her exquisite avant-pop reached a level of uniqueness that makes it impossible to lump her together with anyone at all. It’s yet another magnificent record from Le Bon and we’re thrilled to live in the same era as she’s making music.

In this week’s playlist: new tracks by Alex Lahey, Lydia Ainsworth, Carly Rae Jepsen, SAMIA, Stef Chura, Los Retros, Faye Webster, Okey Dokey, Night Beats, Amyl and The Sniffers, Institute, Black Mountain, Earth, Bill Callahan (smog), Mavis Staples, Dylan LeBlanc, Frankie Lee, Justin Townes Earle, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, Jake Xerxes Fussell, Doug Tuttle, and Los Coast.

After featuring Julia Jacklin’s Crushing as our record of the week in the same day she was announced in our beloved Festival Vodafone Paredes de Coura, we wanted the same thing to happen to The Cactus Blossoms… we hope they’re listening. Their second album, “Easy Way”, is just as catchy as their debut, which landed them a spot in the last Twin Peaks season. But there’s so much more than cult TV show appearances to the coolest band coming out of the US in the last couple of years. If you haven’t found it all by yourself yet, feel free to start here.

Plus: one and a half hour of new songs by the Mountain Goats, Hand Habits, Anna Burch, Big Thief, Kevin Morby, Sam Cohen, Sebadoh, Jess Ribeiro, Alex Lahey, Royal Trux, Jackie Cohen, Stella Donnelly, Solange, Sensible Soccers, Cavalheiro, Living Hour, Jacob Faurholt, Robert Forster, Matthew Logan Vasquez, Hiss Golden Messenger, Quaker City Night Hawks, Murray A. Lightburn, and The Tallest Man On Earth.