My Top 5 New Releases :: New Music Friday :: Week of 5/9/16

1.  All For One :: The Stone Roses

Three-Sentence Review: I raved quite a lot already about the new song from The Stone Roses – see here, but I’m not done raving, not even close. A delectable mix of early Roses circa self-titled and the follow-up Second Coming Roses (think layered vocals over “Love Spreads”, and you are about half way there), this is my currently leading my musical obsession for the week. I need more – hurry up album and get in my ears already!

Initial Favorite Track(s): N/A (single)

Rating (1-5 Stars): 5+

All For One

2. Wild Pendulum :: Trashcan Sinatras

Three-Sentence Review: This is my first time hearing Trashcan Sinatras, though I’d heard the name before as they are a favorite of my best friend’s (though somehow I never heard them until this week). Dreamy, that’s the first word that comes to mind while listening to Wild Pendulum, dreamy and ethereal and reminiscent of The Ocean Blue, Aztec Camera and The Wild Swans. This is ocean music, driving in late Summer up the coast on Pacific Coast Highway, the window rolled halfway down, sunglasses on, and the flicker flash of past loves playing like a film in your mind – yes, this album is the soundtrack to that kind of day.

Initial Favorite Track(s): Best Days on Earth, Ain’t That Something and The Neighbours’ Place

Rating (1-5 Stars): 5+

Ain’t That Something

3. Should I Remain Here at Sea? :: Islands

Three-Sentence Review: A good friend of mine (with excellent music taste) introduced me to Islands a few years ago, and I’ve been a fan of theirs ever since – which made me ecstatic, this morning, to see that they have a new album out today. First tracks (and last ones) matter so much to me, and this album opens with a strong and addictive track that I’ve hit replay on six times (so far). There is something about this album that reminds me of the Mod/Ska bands, out of the UK, in the eighties (The Specials, Madness), mixing and meeting up with more modern/indie bands like Tapes ‘n Tapes, Vampire Weekend and The New Pornographers. This – right here – is going to be one of my go-to albums of the Summer, just wait and see (especially the song Stop Me Now).

Initial Favorite Track(s): Back Into It, Fiction and Stop Me Now

Rating (1-5 Stars): 5+

Stop Me Now

4. Beyond the Bloodhounds :: Adia Victoria

Three-Sentence Review: I’m not sure what this is, how to describe it, how to categorize it, what bucket or basket or aural genre to file it in, all I know for sure is this is unabashedly great. I hear Nashville in this, I hear Björk in this, I hear St. Vincent and Kristen Hersh and Lera Lynn, I hear Nikki Lane and a little Johnny Cash (no, really) and Guy Clark and honeyhoney and Lana Del Rey, and really, I’m going to stop, because there is so much going on here that you just have to go and listen to yourself.American songwriter describes Adia as a bluesy afro punk singer-songwriter, so see, they can’t quite figure it out either – just go listen!

Initial Favorite Track(s): Out of Love, Howlin’ Shame and Stuck in the South

Rating (1-5 Stars): 5+

Stuck in the South

5. Down in Heaven :: Twin Peaks

Three-Sentence Review: DIY Chicago based band do it their own way on their third album, Down in Heaven, and I’m right there ready to get acquainted with their sound, especially since I am planning on heading to KCRW’s MTG (Music Tastes Good), in Long Beach, where Twin Peaks is one of the bands playing. There is something so approachable about this album, and I mean that in the very best way – the songs are indie-pop gold in that gets under your skin and stuck in your head kind of way (earworms just waiting to happen). At times punk, at times pure indie pop (hipsters take note), at times 90’s retro, at times it feels right from the garage (rock!) and then songs like “Holding Roses” (what’s it with me and rose songs this year?) that bring in that touch of melody and folk-sensibilities (without being folky) that tug at my heartstrings – this is a good listen.

Initial Favorite Track(s): Walk to the One You Love, Butterfly and Holding Roses

Rating (1-5 Stars): 4

Holding Roses