Nada Surf "Peaceful Ghosts"
In the summer of 2016, while the rest of us were busy wasting the days away watching the summer olympics (I honestly don’t remember one thing that happened, so that was time well spent…) Nada Surf was busy recording their new album Peaceful Ghosts (Barsuk). And by new album, I mean greatest hits. And by Greatest Hits I mean live with a full orchestra. Anyone playing along with the home version of BRM knows that we hold Nada Surf near and dear to our hearts. They were our very first placed band. So chances are you know what the boys sound like normally, right? Well this time around, they went back through their catalog and hand-picked some classic jams to give the gift of recording them with the Babelsberg Film Orchestra. They have found new depths with this one. Take, for instance, the haunting string chills that now accompany “Blizzard of ’77.”
Sasha Siem "Bird Burning"
With a Tom Waits flair for drama, a Joanna Newsom-esque flair for neoclassical arrangement, and a voice all her own, Sasha Siem is back with Bird Burning. No, this isn’t a record full of sick burns to use as retorts towards mean avian friends (if you do need a bird burn, try “you call that a beak?”). It is in fact a record filled with soaring, sophisticated tunes that combine Sasha’s lyrical prowess with her crisp, nuanced vocals, and almost jazz-y pulses of her band. Check out the yearning of “Crow.”
Choir Boy "Passive With Desire"
What started out as an intended insult from a blogger eventually turned into a band name! Someone in the Ohio DIY/punk scene described Adam Klopp’s vocal style as “choir boy” and Adam knew it was kind of right. Raised Mormon, and having learned to sing in the church choir, there was little to disagree with, and so Choir Boy the band was born. With sophisticated ‘80s new wave vibes, angelic Antony-esque vocals, and a concentration on bringing the lushness of full band arrangements to bedroom recording, Passive With Desire (Team Love) is a relic from a time that never really existed. A time when Kate Bush and Leonard Cohen were making synth-pop together, and implementing a kid’s show vampire aesthetic throughout. Check out the 1st single from the album, “Hellmouth” (and if you have time, watch the video for that tune for verification of that last vampire point.)
Kevin Devine "Instigator"
I was about to write “if there’s one thing Kevin Devine is know for” but quickly thought better of it. Why? Because KD is known for lots of things. His introspective lyrics. His ability to change from solo acoustic to rollicking rock and roll. His prolific discography. His awesome last name. His bionic heat vision. Ok. Now I’m starting to make stuff up. But I’m not making this up: Instigator (Procrastinate! Music Traitors), Kevin’s 9th studio album (that number at least triples if you include live albums, other projects, EPs, singles…), is everything we love about Kevin. Elliot Smith-esque confessions and vocal melodies, Weezer-y hooks, simple math rock complexities (yeah, I know that doesn’t make sense, but listen and you’ll see I’m right), and all produced by the lovely and talented John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.). Check out “No History.”