Tagged: freshtracks

Chicago’s Chance The Rapper has built up quite the buzz in 2013 thanks to a string of singles from his new album Acid Rap that drops today.  It took me a few songs to get used to his unorthodox, high pitch sing-song delivery, and his subject matter is more youthful and lighthearted than most of the MC’s on my radar, but that doesn’t mean Chance doesn’t take rap seriously, he just has a lot of fun making his unique brand of hip hop.  His latest single “ Smoke Again ” features an appearance from Black [...]

Like many, I was disappointed to learn that Daniel Blumberg would be leaving his position as Yuck 's frontman earlier this month. ( See announcement via Facebook ) Given the monumental amount of buzz around the band's 2011 debut LP, I've found the album has held up surprisingly well in the short term. Yuck was (and is?) a young band with a lot of promise, despite the inflated expectations. As is often the case with break-ups, it didn't take long to discover the departing member's next move. This week, Blumberg debuted a new single from a project [...]

On March 25, UK imprint Jazzman Records released the fourth installment of its Spiritual Jazz compilation series. Volume 4 focuses on performances of American artists while playing abroad. It's a much more accessible batch of tunes than the meditative, modal and religious jazz that comprised Volume 3 . The latest release features an eclectic cast of heavy hitters ranging from Sun Ra to Albert Ayler to Sahib Shihab. One highlight from the collection that caught my ear was " Mode for Trane " by pianist Billy Gault. The track was culled from Gault's [...]

Anacortes, Washington's Mount Eerie asserted its relevance in 2012, releasing two critically acclaimed albums in the form of Clear Moon and Ocean Roar. Mount Eerie has remained a dynamic vehicle for the work of frontman Phil Elverum since its founding in 2004, shifting focus and shuffling contributors as Elverum evolves. The group is one of those rare creatures, capable of producing expansive synth-driven sounds and intimate folk offerings with equal ease. This week, Bloomington, IN label Crossroads of America Records announced it will release a live LP recorded and mixed [...]

The Patient Zeros is a Denver, CO two-piece comprised of CJ Kjolhede and Joe Schramm. The duo is slated to release its debut album Polycardiac on April 17 before embarking on a Midwest tour alongside Jane Thatcher . Listen to " Hum " below. It's a minimalist slow stomp built around handclaps and lush vocals. " Hum " a solemn track compared to the more lively, blues-driven rock that has dominated the rest of the band's early material, but an immediately addictive tune nonetheless. Indianapolis readers can catch The Patient Zeros at Birdy's on [...]

GDP is the latest MC to rock over an A.M. Breakups ' beat and the collaboration is one of the best singles of the year.  This is the first I’ve heard of the New Jersey rapper and while he may still be an unknown to most, he rhymes like an assured veteran on " Orly ."  When GDP opens over A.M.’s mystical production with the line: “In theory, G’s the black Tim Leary/ free nights and weekends with Siri in the earpiece” he catches your attention right away and doesn’t let go for the rest of the song.  [...]

Listen to " Golden Gal " via Musical Family Tree Chances are good that if you have asked me about Indianapolis' music scene over the last couple of years the name Kristin Newborn likely came up during our conversation. We covered the sudden break-up of her previous project Slothpop early last year. Newborn quickly put together a two-piece band that featured Todd Heaton of Street Spirits on drums. I was on hand when the band, performing under the moniker KO,  made its live debut at LUNA Music during [...]

Angel Olsen and Marissa Nadler are two songwriters sitting at the crest of a recent wave of stellar female folk output. (See also: Jessica Pratt, Mountain Man, Ólöf Arnalds) Both Nadler and Olsen dropped strong records last year, releasing The Sister and Half Way Home respectively. Recently, the two collaborated on a cover of Mickey Newbury's " Frisco Depot ." As expected, the results did not disappoint. Listen below. Written by Rob Peoni

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Chan Marshall (a.k.a. Cat Power ) is a notorious enigma, prone to bouts of debilitating depression, fits of temporary psychosis, and public outbursts. This emotional earnestness has come to define the career of one of rock's most captivating heroines of the last 15 years. We drink it in, part and parcel with Marshall's often introspective, biographic songwriting, assuming the glimpses of instability provide a clearer picture of the artist's work. Below, stream a live recording of " The Leopard and the Lamb " - a track that has never made it to any of Marshall's studio releases. [...]

Sonny Smith is a tough man to pigeon hole. Just when you think you've got him figured, he turns the equation on its head. Smith has kept busy since leaving Fat Possum for Polyvinyl last year. In the wake of his divorce, Smith & the Sunsets released the best break-up record of 2012 in Longtime Companion . Earlier this year, he debuted the third (and strongest) installment in his 100 Records series, showcasing his range by bouncing from reggae to instrumental folk to jangly garage rock with ease. [...]

A while back, we hit you with details of Generationals' new LP Heza , due out April 2 on Polyvinyl . Today, the band shared a new single entitled " Put a Light On ." As usual, Generationals delivers on another immediately-addictive pop tune. All hand claps and jingle bells, " Put a Light On " is the perfect send off to the weekend. Stream the track below. Connect with Generationals via Facebook | Twitter

Josh Tillman kicked off 2012 by abandoning his post as anchor of folk rock titans Fleet Foxes, leaving a burgeoning cash cow due to his apparent distaste for the constant solemnity that such a role demanded. He promptly created the character of Father John Misty, releasing Fear Fun in the acerbic tone of a psychedelic shaman turned social critic. He traded the beard and coffee house King aesthetic for the hip swiveling, whiskey-drenched confidence that's required of any proper front man. Can you blame him? Isn't every mid-life crisis basically just [...]

Josh Tillman kicked off 2012 by abandoning his post as anchor of folk rock titans Fleet Foxes, leaving a burgeoning cash cow due to his apparent distaste for the constant solemnity that such a role demanded. He promptly created the character of Father John Misty, releasing Fear Fun in the acerbic tone of a psychedelic shaman turned social critic. He traded the beard and coffee house King aesthetic for the hip swiveling, whiskey-drenched confidence that's required of any proper front man. Can you blame him? Isn't every mid-life crisis basically just [...]

By any measure, 2012 was a busy year for Tim Presley. The front man of Los Angeles rock outfit White Fence , collaborated with the prolific Ty Segall on critically acclaimed garage rock release Hair . Presley launched a label: Birth Records , in large part to release the debut LP from Bay Area singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt. Miraculously, White Fence also found time to release their underrated LP Family Perfume Vol. 1  in May of last year. With all that work in the recent rearview, it seems impossible that Presley and White Fence are set to [...]

I've been a staunch supporter of Merrill Garbus's experimental vocal project tUnE-yArDs since the group's 2009 debut BiRd-BrAiNs. The band's sophomore LP W H O K I L L earned a mention near the top of my " Best Albums" list from 2011 . Yesterday, tUnE-yArDs released a limited edition 103 featuring covers of Yoko Ono's " We're All Water " and " Warrior Woman ." The release is the second in a series of 103 singles featuring covers of material from Ono's back catalog. 100% of the proceeds from the vinyl and digital [...]

Dumbo Gets Mad is an Italy by-way-of Los Angeles psych pop duo that released its sophomore LP Quantum Leap on Bad Panda Records this week. It's a synth-heavy auditory assault that covers every centimeter of the sonic space in a manner that's pleasantly disorienting, like the bleary-eyed view just after a mid-party, over-zealous bong rip. Your smile feels permanent. You're dancing, but you might fall over any minute, because the only thing that's registering in your mind are the circus-like synth lines and distorted vocals bouncing off the walls of the room. Listen [...]

Sam Beam is one of those singer-songwriters that rarely misses. Regardless of what shape his sometimes solo project Iron & Wine takes on, Beam has managed to consistently deliver some of the best songwriting of the last decade. Beam flipped the script in 2011, turning Iron & Wine into a full band and offering up one of the best pop rock releases of the year in Kiss Each Other Clean . This year, Iron & Wine will return to release its fifth full-length record. The LP is titled Ghost on Ghost and is [...]

If an argument can be made that an EP can achieve the strength of an LP, then Surfer Blood 's 2011 release Tarot Classics is certainly worthy of consideration.  Tarot Classics harnessed the best of the 90s alt rock aesthetic and transformed it into a modern archetype for perfect pop rock. Addictive, melodic guitar riffs. Sharp, satirical songwriting. Brash, rambunctious vocals. To put it mildly  Tarot Classics did not suck. Surfer Blood appears to be picking up where they left off on the band's single " Weird Shapes ." The [...]

" Dropla " is the debut single from Youth Lagoon's sophomore LP  Wondrous Bughouse . Youth Lagoon is the brainchild of Boise native Trevor Powers. The band hit the ground running with the powerful introspection of its 2010 debut LP, Year in Hibernation . " Dropla " features a busier soundscape than any of the material found on the debut. The song sprawls for nearly six minutes, with the latter half playing largely instrumental, featuring swirls of synths and the repetition of Powers' chilling hook: "You'll never die." At its core, the song remains true [...]

• FatPossum - Youth Lagoon "Dropla"