Wild Flag – Wild Flag – 09.13.11
Trans-continental girl band Wild Flag (Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weiss, Rebecca Cole, Mary Timony) released their self-titled debut album this fall and it’s all kinds of fun and bad-ass, which comes as surprise to just about no one. The slow churn of the undertow on “Something Came Over Me” is an incredible interplay between guitar and drums and makes it one of the best tracks on the album. Single “Electric Band” has a nice dark vibe – these ladies are probably going to rough you up against the wall a bit should you ever meet in back alley. Preview the album with this beautifully shot & edited album trailer.
Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing – 09.13.11
Blitzen Trapper is a band that consistently puts out good, solid albums. As such, it’s hard to point to a song or two to draw attention to – just take the time to enjoy American Goldwing as a complete work. Sometimes nodding to 60s folk-rock, mostly sounding like it was plucked straight from the 70s, and occasionally veering into territory that’s straight country, the band’s sixth release is perfect Sunday morning music. Click to stream American Goldwing in its entirety and see exactly what we’re talking about.
Happy People – HP EP – 2011
The HP EP from New Jersey’s Happy People has a big enough sound that it was surprising to find the band consists of only two people – Jeff Widner and Steve Ortega. Apparent influences range from 90s indie-alternative, The Walkmen, and, on “Triplets”, the vocal stylings of Jeff Buckley and his sweet, haunting croon. While there’s not a lot of innovation at play in the duo’s songwriting, the songs are still the kind you want to hear. Stream or download the album at the HP website.
Mixtapes|Heartbreaks 