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.
Pop punk will never die, but you will. The Moore Family Band‘s debut album “Missy” is only 22 minutes long but has more hooks than a fancy React application (sorry, no more front-end jokes in this space). That would be easy to explain with Jeff Rosenstock’s presence in a couple of tracks, but the Californian trio consistently delivers the goods elsewhere in the record.
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.
Pedro The Lion’s first record since David Bazan went solo after 2004’s Achilles Heel is our album of the week. Here’s to hoping an European tour is in the works: it’s been almost six years since we hosted one of the most beautiful concerts we ever promoted. Plus: new tracks by Night Beats, Ryan Bingham, Matthew Logan Vasquez, Blank Range,Strand of Oaks, Ex Hex, Cass McCombs, The Comet is Coming, Lala Lala & Why?, Alice Phoebe Lou, Tiny Ruins, Weyes Blood, Mandolin Orange, H.C. McEntire, Townes Van Zandt, Twain, Bob Sumner Music, Steve Gunn, Bonnie Prince Billy, The Wild Reeds, and Teddy and the Rough Riders.