Deap Vally
Deap Vally is the L.A. rock duo Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards.
We will soon have their 2nd album Femejism.
“Smile More” has attitude to spare.
Margaret Glaspy
Singer/songwriter Margaret Glaspy, a California transplant, spent a few years in Boston before moving off to New York.
Emotions and Math is her Indie folk debut.
“You and I” showcases her voice and songwriting.
Regina Spektor
The wonderfully eccentric artist Regina Spektor will give us her 7th album, Remember Us to Life, in September.
Her songs are rich and varied, each unique unto itself.
“Bleeding Heart” is from her forthcoming album.
“Oedipus” from her 2nd album Songs.
The Julie Ruin
Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre fame is currently leading The Julie Ruin.
Hit Reset is her long-awaited newly released second album having struggled with Lyme disease since her debut in 2013.
This feminist provocateur continues where she left off as heard here on “I Decide” and “I’m
Done”.
“I Decide”
“I’m Done”
Kula Shaker
Kula Shaker, the London quartet fronted by Crispian Mills, were prominent in the late 90s.
They disbanded in 1999 and have been on and off since 2004.
Their debut album K reached No. 1 on the U.K. charts in 1996.
K 2.0 was released earlier this year with the song
“Let Love Be (With U)”
GØGGS
GØGGS is an indie supergroup.
Lead by prolific Ty Segall on bass, guitar and production, Ex-Cult Chris Shaw provides vocals and Fuzz drummer Charles Moothart adds the backbeat.
“She Got Harder” rocks!
Suicide
My friend Alan Vega of the NYC duo Suicide has died.
Alan’s intense vocals over the electronic sounds of his partner Martin Rev was punk rock at its purest.
Ric Ocasek of the Cars asked Suicide to open for his band at a show at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club, a show that I MC’d. The audience’s reaction was one of shock and then violence as they booed and threw glass ashtrays at the band which only inspired Alan to scream even more passionately. Their set was cut short.
Suicide, their self-titled debut album in 1977, with patched-together synths and drum machines was the precursor of electronic and industrial music to follow.
“Frankie Teardrop” is one of Suicide’s seminal tracks.
Nice As Fuck
With one of the best bands names in years, Nice As Fuck is the supergroup trio of Jenny Lewis, Au Revoir Simone’s Erika Forster, and The Like’s Tennessee Thomas.
They are playing a few shows together.
Great band name, great song: “Door”.
Jill Sobule
Singer/songwriter Jill Sobule has given us a protest song so pertinent for our times from the compilation album My Song is My Weapon.
“When They Say We Want Our America Back, (what the f#%k do they mean)?”
MOURN
Once again I am aboard, this time in Europe, so daily postings will be sporadic.
Appropriately, I’m listening to my favorite Catalonian quartet, MOURN, their new sophmore effort entitled Ha, Ha, He.
The title is taken from the poem “Laughing Song” by William Blake.
I’ve reprinted the poem here; hear “Evil Dead” and “Second Sage”, two from the album.
“Laughing Song”
When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy,
And the dimpling stream runs laughing by;
When the air does laugh with our merry wit,
And the green hill laughs with the noise of it;
when the meadows laugh with lively green,
And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene,
When Mary and Susan and Emily
With their sweet round mouths sing “Ha, ha he!”
When the painted birds laugh in the shade,
Where our table with cherries and nuts is spread:
Come live, and be merry, and join with me,
To sing the sweet chorus of “Ha, ha, he!”
“Evil Dead”
“Second Sage”
Merchandise
Merchandise is a post-punk trio originating from Tampa.
Their new song “Flowers of Sex” is lush and dreamy.
“Flowers of Sex”
clipping.
clippling. is an experimental noise/rap trio featuring producers William Huston and Jonathan Snipes and rapper Daveed Diggs.
Diggs just won a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. This musical is the brilliant Hamilton in which he plays Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson.
His rapid fire delivery is heard here on “Wriggle”, a new song from clipping.
“Wriggle”
Car Seat Headrest
Car Seat Headrest is Will Toledo’s band.
What began as a solo project in 2010, Car Seat Headrest evolved into a band self-releasing 11 albums.
Their 2nd album via Matador Records has just come out.
“Vincent” and “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” are from the latest Teens of Denial.
“Vincent”
“Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales”
Lissie
Lissie is an American singer/songwriter who has just released her 3rd album, the 1st on her own label.
My Wild West features the song “Daughters”, a charity single for Charity Water, an organization dedicated to bringing clean drinking water to every person on the planet.
“Daughters”