Karen Dalton – “Something On Your Mind”
The late Karen Dalton came to New York City in the 1960s from Enid, Oklahoma and became an influential part of the Greenwich Village folk revival scene. Despite having played with Bob Dylan, she still remains relatively unknown because she only released two studio albums. Karen sang and played the 12-string guitar and banjo, and some called her folk music’s answer to Billie Holiday because her voice was so unique. Her two albums, It’s So Hard to Tell Who’s Going to Love You the Best and In My Own Time, were re-released in 2006 by Megaphone Music and Light in the Attic Records respectively. My personal favorite “Something On Your Mind” is so raw and full of emotion, that I still choke up with every listen.
Friends – “I’m His Girl”
I’m loving this fun song by Bushwick based Friends. The band only has 4 tracks, including a cover of 90s jam “My Boo” by Ghost Town DJ’s, but they made it to the long-list for the BBC Sound Poll of 2012 as the only independently-signed artist, so Friends is just getting started.
Friends – I’m His Girl from Lucky Number Music on Vimeo.
Cat Power – “King Rides By”
Cat Power has released a 2011 version of her song “King Rides By” with all proceeds going to the Festival of Children Foundation and The Ali Forney Center. Buy the mp3 here.
Alabama Shakes: “Hold On”
Alabama Shakes is a band name you’ll want to remember in the coming year. Lead singer Brittany Howard has a voice that will resonate on an emotional level, with 3 other band mates Heath Fogg, Zac Cockrell, and Steve Johnson who round out guitar, bass, and drums.
Here we have their first single, “Hold On.” It has the gumption of “Dog Days Are Over” coupled with the southern rock authenticity that makes cold nights like this a litte warmer. It will ask you for repeated listenings. That voice! The punchy vocals, coupled with the motivational hook makes me root for Brittany as much as the man upstairs is.
Their EP can be found here for just $4.
Check out the studio and live versions of “Hold On” below:
Widowspeak – “Nightcrawlers”
Molly Hamilton, the singer of Brooklyn-based Widowspeak, has been drawing comparisons to Hope Sandoval, and you can hear why in the trio’s single “Nightcrawlers”.
Real Estate – “Days”
New Jersey’s own Real Estate released their second album Days in mid-October on Domino Records. These childhood friends forge great guitar-pop through their breezy use of melody and harmony. Here is the dog-centric video for their lead single, “It’s Real”.
Youth Lagoon – “The Year of Hibernation”
Montana is the latest video from Youth Lagoon’s dreamy debut album “The Year of Hibernation”. Trevor Powers, aka Youth Lagoon, is a 22 year old Boise native with enormous talent. This stunning video is filmed by Tyler T Williams.
Florence and the Machine – “Shake It Out”
New single off of their upcoming album, Ceremonials. It’s Wonderful!
Review: Penguin Prison – “Penguin Prison”
A-
Chris Glover has composed a fantastic debut album, showcasing his eclectic influences and strong vocal talent. Glover, a NYC native, blends mature songwriting with impressive production, and has fun while doing it. The album moves through some inspired avant-disco so well you’ll be compelled to check out his remixes. He doesn’t disappoint there either:
“Don’t Fuck With My Money” is an excellent introduction to the album. It’s funky, fun, and infectious. It also shows the Glover doesn’t take himself too seriously. From there, he takes us through song after song of smart pop tracks. Fans of LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Prince, or Hot Chip will enjoy the sound he has created. The album has a real sense of cohesion to it. Standouts “Golden Train”, The Worse It Gets”, and “Fair Warning” are spectacular. It ends with “Someone Got Everything”, a cool downtempo track that showcases Glover’s less electronic talents in terms of production.
Talents that, on great display here, have proven that this album should be at the top of a few electronic “Best Of” lists this year.
Wild Flag – “Glass Tambourine”
The Wild Flag musicians are veterans of the indie music scene, and their first album is slated for release on September 13th. Portland and DC-based Wild Flag have been friends for over ten years and and are well known as members of now-defunct bands Sleater-Kinney and Helium. You may also recognize Carrie Brownstein from her role with Fred Armisen on the IFC show Portlandia. “Glass Tambourine” is the first single off this highly anticipated album.
WILD FLAG – Glass Tambourine by MergeRecords
