Kate Tucker "Practical Sadness"
Kate Tucker is back with a new batch of songs! Practical Sadness “is not slow nor is it sad. It is alive. It is for you.” That’s according to Kate’s words about the album on pledgemusic. So why is she warning you that the album is “not slow” or “sad”? Well, with a name like Practical Sadness, she wants you to know what you’re really in store for. So do we–after all, what is a blurb really but a collection of words that let you know what you are in store for? So what are you in store for? (besides no more use of the term “in store”?) A fantastic collection of Kate’s Petty-esque roots rock, with melodies as timeless as a great pair of jeans, all delivered by Kate’s emotive, smooth voice. Check out “It’s True.”
Amen Dunes "Freedom (Sacred Bones)"
If you are only as good as the friends you keep, then Damon McMahon aka Amen Dunes is like the best dude around. He’s worked with everyone from Godspeed You! Black Emperor to our pal Delicate Steve. Now THAT is some stellar company. It helps that the dude is enormously talented, as is evident on his latest collection Freedom (Sacred Bones). Sure it’s darker than his previous albums, yet he’s somehow found joy in his sorrow, creating songs that are at times danceable and funky, and at other times are grimy and tough. In fact, Pitchfork referred to the first single “Blue Rose” as “his most immediate music to date” so go ahead and check it out!
Chris Carter "Chemistry Lessons Vol. 1 (Mute)"
As a founding member of Throbbing Gristle, Chris Carter helped build the foundations upon which electronic music has been built. Also, he created X-Files! What’s that? A different Chris Carter did X-Files? I know! We kid here! For his latest release, Chemistry Lessons Vol. 1 (Mute), he combined his love of electronic music with his “guilty pleasure” obsession with English folk music. So expect here electronic music with nearly a sci-fi noir feel to it, combined with melodies that wouldn’t be out of place in nursery rhymes (he said so himself in the press for the album!). Check out the euphoric first track from the album “Blissters.”
Alasdair Roberts, Amble Skuse, & David McGuinness "What News (Drag City)"
Alasdair Roberts is back with another heaping helping of traditional folk songs. Sung with his unique voice, which sounds timeless, coupled with his sparse arrangements consisting mostly of piano, Dulcitone (an instrument that plays tuning forks instead of strings) and modern hints of electronics via his collaborators Amble Skuse and David McGuinness, this is a collection that could come from literally anyones music collection. It wouldn’t be surprising if your grandparents had What News (Drag City) on their shelf, nor would it be out of place in a collection from someone with an immaculately curated selection of records. Check out “Johnny O’The Brine” and remember what Llewyn Davis said: “If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it’s a folk song.”