Marisa Anderson "Cloud Corner (Thrill Jockey)"
Boy oh boy, Cloud Corner sure sounds comfy, doesn’t it? Like bad kids get sent to time out and little angels who are the best get sent to cloud corner and it’s just like a pile of pillows and it’s the perfect temperature for naps and you love it. Also, Marisa Anderson’s new LP Cloud Corner (Thrill Jockey) is playing over there to help you fall asleep. And it’s doing a great job, because this is one relaxed record. Imagine an even more relaxed William Tyler record, or Glenn Jones playing electric guitar, and you are getting the idea. Check out the bright, melodic, road trip of a song that is the title track “Cloud Corner.”
Ume "Other Nature (Modern Outsider)"
Ume is back! The Texas based-rockers, as led my frontwoman Lauren Larson, have returned with Other Nature (Modern Outsider). These songs were written not because Lauren wanted to, but because she “had to.” Showcasing her at times hauntingly beautiful, and at times Joan Jett-esque power scratch of a voice, with the band sounding a bit like the Pixies if the Pixies were catchier (I know, right?) and also sounding like a modern band cutting out a space for themselves in DIY-esque, indie rock. All the while Lauren making every “top 100 guitarists” list that doesn’t include her name incomplete. Check out the dramatic shifts of “Fire In Your Hands.”
Laura Jean "Devotion (Chapter Music)"
Oh Australia – when will I ever take the 232 hour flight to taste a real John Dory or hang out with Mel Gibson? Until then, Laura Jean’s Devotion is better then any trip to Outback Steak House. Imagine the XX with the stepchild of Lana Del Rey and Florence (without the machine) and you can start to imagine the downtempo beauty of Laura Jean. If you need a female empowerment jam (sans over the top bravado), check out the winning “Girls On The TV”.
