The Wheel's Still In Spin

New Releases – 27 July 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Dean & Britta – 13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests | CD MP3 On Demand
Download “Herringbone Tweed” (mp3) [live version, not from album]
Dean & Britta were commissioned by the Andy Warhol Museum to create music for some of Warhol’s silent screen tests. They toured for 18 months with the screen tests projected behind the band. Now they have culminated the 13 songs and 8 remixes into an official release. These songs are dripping with Velvet Underground connotations. 13 Most Beautiful is Dean & Britta’s best album since the days of Luna.

Eilen Jewell – Butcher Holler: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn | CD MP3
Download “You’re Lookin’ at Country” (mp3)
Eilen Jewell has put together a collection of Loretta Lynn covers. Butcher Holler, named after Lynn’s hometown, tackles both atypical songs and popular hits. Jewell does justice to Lynn’s voice and the music has a barn dancin’ flare to these country covers with steel pedal and clean tele guitar tones.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 20 July 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

The Books – The Way Out | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “A Cold Freezin’ Night” (mp3)
Download “Beautiful People” (mp3)
It is difficult to describe The Books’ music. It is a collage of sampled sounds and live instruments. The music is a mixture of jazz, folk, classical, and electronic elements. Somehow the duo melds these disparate sounds into a wonderful sounding pastiche.

Mountain Man – Made the Harbor | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Soft Skin” (mp3)
This is a folk album from a trio of female singers. Their harmonies are stout and the acoustic guitar accompaniment is minimal. These songs are celestial and heart-warming.

These United States – What Lasts | CD MP3
Download “The Great Rivers” (mp3)
For their fourth album in two and a half years, These United States continue the sound that made them one of my favorites of 2008 and 2009. What Lasts infuses Jesse Elliott’s rollicking vocals and the buoyant bounce of guitars, keyboards, and pedal steel.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 13 July 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Defiance Ohio – Midwestern Minutes | CD Vinyl MP3 | Download from the band and pay what you want
Download “Hairpool” (mp3)
Somewhere between folk and punk, this band has a chamber pop sound and a completely DIY attitude. There are catchy layers of violin, cello, upright bass, guitars, piano, Wurlitzer, drums and vocals supporting the explosive melodies.

Mystery Jets – Serotonin | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Flash a Hungry Smile” (mp3)
Download “Dreaming of Another World” (mp3)
For their third full-length album, Mystery Jets have created a beautifully produced, luscious indie pop. It melds a lot of retro sounding influencing into pure modern pop.

School of Seven Bells – Disconnect from Desire | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Windstorm” (mp3)
The trio consisting of Benjamin Curtis and the identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza have released their second album. There are layers of guitars, keyboards and percussion, but the tiers of vocals guide these lush pop songs.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 6 July 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Jay Bennett – Kicking at the Perfumed Air
Download “Twice a Year” (mp3)
Download “M Plates” (mp3)
This week will see the release of Jay Bennett’s final album, Kicking at the Perfumed Air. On July 10, The Jay Bennett Foundation will release the posthumous album. The album will be available as a free download, but The Jay Bennett Foundation is accepting donations to benefit music education. I have not heard all the songs yet, but it will be one of my most memorable albums of the year.
Remembering Jay Bennett

The Cat Empire – Cinema | CD MP3
Download “Beyond All” (mp3)
The Australian band has released a diverse pop album. They mix elements of rock, ska, jazz, and mariachi on these 11 catchy tracks.

Joe Purdy – 4th of July | MP3 or CD
Joe Purdy is a folk singer that self-releases his albums. His 11th album, 4th of July, consists of evocative lyrics, intimate vocals, and subtly supple acoustic guitar or piano accompaniment. Listen to the entire album here.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 29 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Julian Lynch – Mare | Vinyl MP3
Download “Ears” (mp3)
Download “In New Jersey” (mp3)
Julian Lynch layers multiple mellow tracks on these 10 elusively mellifluous songs. With a combination of jazz and folk elements, these songs are true studio compositions. Preview the entire album at julianlynch.bandcamp.com

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 22 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Nina Nastasia – Outlaster | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “You’re a Holy Man” (mp3)
Recorded by Steve Albini, like all of her previous releases, the singer songwriter returns for her sixth album. The orchestration, with the addition of string and woodwind quartets, gives these folk songs a developed quality.

The Roots – How I Got Over | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Doin’ It Again” (mp3)
This is the first album since The Roots became the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The hip hop band features its traditionally tight live instruments with guest spots from folk, rap, and R&B musicians.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 15 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “American Slang” (mp3)
Some albums start with their best songs and gradually lose their momentum. American Slang defies that. Every time I listen to it, I am more impressed by the middle and end of this record. It is a solid album of anthemic rock songs.

Pernice Brothers – Goodbye, Killer | CD MP3
Download “Jacqueline Susann” (mp3)
The Pernice Brothers present another indie pop album that has countrified roots stretching across the ten tracks. Not every song is a hit, but there are few misses on Goodbye, Killer. Addictive melodies and proficient production mark another strong release for this band.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu – Gurrumul | CD MP3
Download “Bapa” (mp3)
This debut album by Gurrumul, the traditional name of this indigenous Australian, has been available internationally since 2008 but finally receives its American release. The blind multi-instrumentalist creates soothing songs that are sung mostly in his native Gumatj language.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 8 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Ceremony – Rohnert Park | CD Vinyl MP3
The San Francisco punk band has a hardcore sound that takes influence from the Circle Jerks and Mclusky. The songs are short, quick, full of distortion and coarse vocals.

Samantha Crain – You (Understood) | CD MP3
Download “Lions” (mp3)
Samantha Crain, who made my second favorite album of 2009, returns with another strong set of well-crafted songs. The music is diverse, the songwriting is stellar, and Crain’s voice captivates.

Delta Spirit – History from Below | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Bushwick Blues” (mp3)
Delta Spirit’s sophomore full-length album is a set of likable indie pop. Inspired by Howard Zinn’s non-fiction book A People’s History of the United States, the songs are catchy and well defined.

Teenage Fanclub – Shadows | CD MP3
Download “Baby Lee” (mp3)
For their ninth studio album, Teenage Fanclub revive their upbeat, mellifluous alt rock. To listeners familiar with their music, the Scottish band doesn’t offer any surprises on this album. But pleasant alt pop isn’t about shock value.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 1 June 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

Born Ruffians – Say It | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Sole Brother” (mp3)
Born Ruffians worked with producer Rusty Santos, who manned the faders on the trio’s debut full length album Red, Yellow & Blue. The band again releases an album with a diverse and lush sound.

Coltrane Motion – Hello Ambition! | CD MP3
Download “Please Call It a Comeback” (mp3)
Download “I Forgot There Was a War On” (mp3)
Coltrane Motion is a unique duo. Michael Bond handles the vocals and a plethura of eletronic tones while Matt Dennewitz adds warm, distrorted guitar. The resulting electronic indie rock on their second full-length album is catchy and ambitious sounding. Stream the entire album at bandcamp.com.

Hooray for Earth – Momo [EP] | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Surrounded By Your Friends” (mp3)
This New York quartet plays indie rock that is both synth and guitar driven. It’s an upbeat and distinct set of songs that is comparable to Dovecote labelmates The Futureheads and Bad Veins.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.

New Releases – 25 May 2010

Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions.

First Aid Kit – The Big Black and The Blue | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “I Met Up With the King” (mp3)
First Aid Kit is a Swedish band consisting of Klara and Johanna Söderberg. They may not be strangers to TWSIS readers since their first EP, Drunken Trees, ended up as one of the Favorite EPs of 2009. Now the sisters Söderberg return with another beautiful batch of original folk songs, their first full album. The tracks primarily contain acoustic guitar, keyboards, and auto harp, but it is their Carter style harmonies that are most enticing.

Peter Wolf Crier – Inter-Be | CD Vinyl MP3
Download “Crutch & Cane” (mp3)
Download “Hard As Nails” (mp3)
A guitar and drum duo can often conjure a blues influence, like The White Stripes or The Black Keys. Peter Wolf Crier sounds more like The Dodos’ The Visiter. This set of undulating indie folk is catchy and melodically dense.

Kurt Vile – Square Shells [EP] | Vinyl MP3 | FREE download from Matador (very limited time)
Download “Invisibility: Nonexistent” (mp3)
Later this year Kurt Vile should have a new full length solo album released. In the meantime, this short-player is an interesting mixture of musical textures. It has a diverse set of acoustic singer-songwriter tracks, a few keyboard-based instrumentals, and the longer, drum machine accompanied track “Invisibility: Nonexistent,” which can be downloaded here.

After the jump, there is a list of more new releases from this week.