Sharing the sharing.
I’m a sucker for catchy power-pop music and Harrisonburg, VA’s Azores really hits the spot. The jangly goodness of opening track “All Day Fantasy” (below) is quite addicting and I find myself playing it over and over again.
Azores’ self-titled cassette is available now from Funny / Not Funny. It’s also available digitally on Azores’ Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
Azores – All Day Fantasy from Azores (2015)
Beat maker L’Orange and wordsmith Jeremiah Jae have collaborated to create one of the best grooved-out hip-hop albums of the year, The Night Took Us In Like Family. L’Orange’s dusty beats are on point and Jae flows with them like these two have been working with each other for years.
I was unable to get permission to share any downloads, but please enjoy the streams (below) of the jazzy “Taken By Night” and head-bobber “All I Need” feat. Gift of Gab. Both tracks are rad and represent the entire album well.
The Night Took Us In Like Family is available now on vinyl (recommended) or digitally from Mello Music. This is a must add to your collection. Enjoy
Milwaukee 3-piece, PILES, play a heavy brand of face melting post-punk that is right up my alley. Opening track, “Blue Glue” (below), from their debut full-length, Planet Skin, bludgeons your ears with it’s throbbing, sludgy bass lines and razor sharp guitar work. Planet Skin is quickly rising to the top of my favorite albums of the year. I highly recommend you check it out.
Planet Skin is available digitally on their Bandcamp page. They will be releasing this bad boy on vinyl as well – also available on their Bandcamp page.
PILES – Blue Glue from Planet Skin (2015)
16 butt shaking, head bobbing tracks for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.
1. Smile – She Took Everything
2. Lloyd Cole And The Commotions – My Bag
3. Steel Phantoms – Bedouin
4. Paces Lift & Ben Bounce – Feline
5. The Avett Brothers – Pretty Girl From Chile
6. Lady Lamb – Heretic
7. Swervedriver – Lone Star
8. Lia Ices – Lilac
9. MF DOOM – Vomit (Monster Rally Remix)
10. SILVER DAPPLE – Long Long Long Night
11. Mikal Cronin – The Way Things Go
12. Travel Check – Druggy Daddy
13. Ty Segall – Crazy
14. Jacuzzi Boys – Double Vision
15. Glycerine Queens – She Thinks She Knows
16. MADLIB – Life
I came across Vienna’s Chick Quest when they reached out to us through Twitter. I was intrigued by their avatar (I have no idea if that’s what it’s called) and description of their music “Spaghetti western post-punk from Vienna, Austria”. I checked them out and really enjoyed what I heard.
I was instantly drawn in by the rawness of opening track, “Somebody Call A Doctor” (below). The pounding drums, loud surf-punk guitar and trumpet are dead-on in line with their description. Also included for your listening pleasure is a stream of their dance-punk stomper “Explain Yourself To A Bat”.
Chick Quest’s self-released debut, Vs. Galore, is available now to buy/stream from their Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
Chick Quest – Somebody Call A Doctor from Vs. Galore (2015)
Mavis Staples needs no introduction and at 75 years old, this gospel/soul icon’s voice is as strong and relevant as ever. Her latest EP with Anti Records, Your Good Fortune, is 4 powerful tracks full of conviction. You can hear Mavis’ passion in the title track (below) as she questions her own value. Here’s to many more years of Mavis releasing new music.
Your Good Fortune is available now from Anti’s site.
Mavis Staples – Your Good Fortune from Your Good Fortune (2015)
Arizona’s The Noble Krell play an addicting brand of 60’s era, jangly, psychedelic pop that demands being played on repeat. Their new single Never Ever is out now from Hidden Volume Records and available to stream below via their Bandcamp page. Enjoy!
I’ve been really enjoying Sarah Bethe Nelson’s debut album, Fast-Moving Clouds, quite a bit lately. Her smooth, breathy vocals and witty song writing skills gel together nicely to form one of the better indie pop albums of the year. Check out the dreamy break up song, “Paying”, below for a taste.
Fast-Moving Clouds is available now from Burger Records.
Sarah Bethe Nelson – Paying from Fast-Moving Clouds (2015)
LABRYYYNTH is a new project from members of Dr. Dog and Golden Boots. Their self-titled debut LP is 10 tracks of stripped down, sci-fi themed, head nodding 70’s era pop rock. Check out the Moog driven toe-tapper “Traveling Strange” below. LABRYYYNTH’s album is available in all formats from PIAPTK. It’s also available on cassette from Burger and vinyl from Bleeding Gold. I highly recommend it.
LABRYYYNTH – Traveling Strange from S/T (2014)
April’s mixtape is 15 solid songs sure to get your Spring started off on the right foot. Enjoy.
1. Quitty & The Don’ts – (She’s Gonna) Break Your Heart
2. Pond – Zond
3. Lady Lamb – Dear Arkansas Daughter
4. The Mites – Washaway
5. The Bodies – West End Kids
6. Halt Ever – Growing Pains
7. Cassettes Won’t Listen – Metronomes
8. BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Ray Gun (w/DOOM)
9. Monster Rally & Jay Stone – Cognac (w/Brandon Rayson)
10. Alias – Death Watch
11. Crocodiles In Tights- Divine
12. Hater – Tot Finder
13. Father John Misty – The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apartment
14. LOVEBYRD – Shot From The Sun
15. Sarah Bethe Nelson – We’re Not Dead