Another week, another new music weekly.
I’ve been on bit of vacation mode, so my apologies if I missed a ton of new releases. Quite a big release week and there’s plenty to love and cherish.
My first pick is probably the new Icarus Phoenix album. I kinda slept with the first one last year, because it was cassette only at the time. But I’ve been loving that a lot this year and now we have a brand new beauty. It’s sure seems like long time favorite Drew Danburry has found a whole new level of brilliance with this Icarus Phoenix stuff.
There’s far more though. Daniel Romano hit a double with both a studio album and a live album and new Romano music never stops being a big deal. Riddy Arman album was one of the most anticipated country albums of the fall and it sure turned out to be a great one. LadyCouch led by Allen Thompson and Keshia Bailey finally released an album after a great run of singles. That’s super important and so is a new Kashena Sampson album. And then there’s also new albums by Dori Freeman, Smug Brothers, Bobby’s Oar (EP), Matthew Fowler, Kacey Musgraves, Low, Lauren O’Connell (covers album) and Jeshua Marshall.
Oh and one more that’s very dear to my heart. I just noticed that Steve Sloane has put his stuff back on Spotify and therefore I included a song from both of his magnificent 2021 releases Chewing the Shadows and Time is a Threat. They can also be found from Bandcamp where I bought them earlier in the year.
The Finnish section has some treasures too. Biggest one being the new Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L album. We also got an album from Lyyti and an awesome run of singles from Astrid Swan, Anis Kiitu, Arppa and Rohkeat Kuvat. I also included another song from last week’s gorgeous Mustat Kalsarit album.
Last but not least the international (should-be) hits. Some big album announcements in the americana spectrum from Lilly Hiatt and Charles Wesley Godwin and the new songs rule my world. Some other big faves came from David James Allen, I’m Kingfisher, Harrison Whitford, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Curtis Harding, Amanda Shires, Claire Cronin, George Is Lord, Charlotte Cornfield and so forth. As usual, all are worth a namedrop and some not mentioned here might even eventually become the biggest favorites.
That’s all for this week. By the time of the next music weekly, this blog has become 20 years old. A long time to do anything, let alone a music blog on your spare time. Let’s see if I manage to address it somehow. One thing that is already happening is that I’m making a playlist with somewhat random favorites from the 20 years of the blog. Random because making it complete is an impossible task. Tough to handle 20 years without forgetting some important ones (and well I might assume I already added some that I actually didn’t). You’ll find that here, but there will be more additions. And yes it will be longer than anyone will listen. But that’s it for now. Love from a distance.
1. Icarus Phoenix – Madam Seawright (No Tree Can Grow to Heaven, 2021)
2. Daniel Romano – Still Dreaming (Cobra Poems, You’ve Changed Records, 2021)
3. LadyCouch – Future Looks Fine (The Future Looks Fine, Blackbird Record Label, 2021)
4. Riddy Arman – Barbed Wire (Riddy Arman, La Honda Records, 2021)
5. Kashena Sampson – Alone and In Love Again (Time Machine, New Moon Records, 2021)
6. Dori Freeman feat Logan Ledger – Walk Away (Ten Thousand Roses, Blue Hens Music, 2021)
7. Charles Wesley Godwin – Lyin’ Low (single, 2021)
8. Lilly Hiatt – Been (single, New West Records, 2021)
9. Smug Brothers – Abandoning Utopia (Application of the Twig, 2021)
10. David James Allen – For the Times (single, Garment District Records, 2021)
11. Curtis Harding – Can’t Hide It (single, Anti, 2021)
12. Kendra Morris – Catch the Sun (single, Karma Chief / Colemine, 2021)
13. Emma Russack & Lachlan Denton – Done My Time (single, Bobo Integral, 2021)
14. Steve Sloane – I Wish the Light Didn’t Feel Like a Miracle (Time is a Threat, 2021)
15. Steve Sloane – The Smile of the Lawn (Chewing the Shadow, 2021)
14. Harrison Whitford – Meclizine (single, Screwdriver Records, 2021)
15. Jessica Lea Mayfield – 72 Past Lives (single, 2021)
16. Charlotte Cornfield – Partner in Crime (single, Double Double Whammy / Polyvinyl, 2021)
17. I’m Kingfisher – Sundays and Dailies (single, Fading Trail Records, 2021)
18. Matthew Fowler – Marianne (The Grief We Gave Our Mother, Signature Sounds, 2021)
19. Erin Enderlin feat Terri Clark – If There Weren’t So Many Damn Songs (single, Black Crow Productions, 2021)
20. Claire Adele Stevens – If You Were Gone (single, La Mesa Hills Records, 2021)
21. Amanda Shires – You Don’t Get to Go (single, Silver Knife, 2021)
22. Astrid Swan – Luxuries (single, Soliti, 2021)
23. Anis Kiitu – Kaunis (single, Humu Records, 2021)
24. Arppa – Oulu (theme) (single, Johanna Kustannus, 2021)
25. Lyyti – Tulen sinua vastaan hautajaisiin (Toiveet ja helyt, Luova Records, 2021)
26. Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L – Korvennunko jo kohta? (Aamunkoi, Svart Records, 2021)
27. Rohkeat kuvat – Mayday (single, Soit Se Silti, 2021)
28. Bobby’s Oar – I’ve Been Lost (3 Songs: EP, 2021)
29. Blue Wilson – Come Back Soon (single, Acrophase Records, 2021)
30. The Lodger – Bewildered (single, Love At First Sight Records, 2021)
31. Andy Reed – Hangin By a Thread (single, Reed Recording Co, 2021)
32. Trace Mountains – 7 Angels (single, Lame-O Records, 2021)
33. Reb Fountain – Foxbright (single, 2021)
34. Bea Troxel – When I Lean (single, Ruination Record Co, 2021)
35. Claire Cronin – Bloodless (single, Orindal Records, 2021)
36. Big Thief – Certainty (single, 4AD, 2021)
37. Humbird – Plum Sky (single, Green Thumb, 2021)
38. Kacey Musgraves – camera roll (star-crossed, UMG, 2021)
39. Mac McCaughan – Burn a Fax (single, Merge Records, 2021)
40. Low – Days Like These (Hey What, Sub Pop Records, 2021)
41. Guided By Voices – Dance of Gurus (single, GBV inc, 2021)
42. Lauren O’Connell – Game of Pricks (Covers Three, Sugar Glider, 2021)
43. Megan Nash – Chew Quietly / Clean Slate (single, Acronym Records, 2021)
44. Jennifer O’Connor – Who Can You Kiss (single, Kiam, 2021)
45. Matthew McNeal – Sweetheart (single, Matte Black Sound Company, 2021)
46. Jeshua Marshall – Go Go (Shoot the Moon, FVZZ, 2021)
47. The Lonesome Paradise – Needles & Pines (single, American Standard Time Records, 2021)
48. George Is Lord – Behind that Locked Door (single, Curation Records, 2021)
49. Andy Bilinski – Help Me to Help You (single, 2021)
50. Mike Etten – Drive (single, Dull Tools, 2021)
51. John Blek – Empty Days (On Ether & Air, WARR, 2021)
52. Karine Polwart & Dave Milligan – Heaven’s Hound (single, Hudson Records, 2021)
53. Tasha – Perfect Wife (single, Father / Daughter Records, 2021)
54. Holy Hive – Great Chains (single, Big Crown Records, 2021)
55. Pokey LaFarge – Drink of You (single, New West Records, 2021)
56. Mitch Dillon’s Compulsive Ramblers – Best Friend (Mitch Dillon’s Compulsive Ramblers, Ragged Gum Records, 2021)
57. Nico Hedley – Lioness (Painterly, Whatever’s Clever, 2021)
58. Mustat Kalsarit – Puu (Yö, Hiljaiset Levyt, 2021)
Oh and do buy the vinyl/cd/download. Spotify and other streaming services are perfect for these introductory purposes, but try to buy at least the music that matter the most to you
If you are looking this after a week has gone, the embedded Spotify will show the latest playlist. I’ll just update the same playlist because a) if someone wants to follow it, they can just follow that one list and will get a new set of songs each Sunday b) so that I don’t have a trillion of different playlists on my Spotify account. If you want to find the older ones I’ve moved them to the weekly playlist archive. So hit that link above and I’m sure you’ll find this playlist too.