So here’s our second New Music Monday post. We’ve tweaked a few things since our inaugural New Music Monday and now have short write-ups from our contributors.
If you’d like more information about any of these acts or want to pick the brains of our contributors, you can comment here on the site or — preferably — comment on the post that links here on the hissing lawns Facebook page.
We’ve embedded these 11 albums, songs, and videos in random order, with a few picks from Kayne Lanahan up first. Enjoy.
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Neko Case, K.D. Lang and Laura Veirs
“Best Kept Secret” from the forthcoming album Case/Lang/Veirs, out June 17th on Anti- Records, streaming now at NPR.
No one likes the label “supergroup” so let’s just go with “three bad ass women”. Veirs takes the lead on this catchy track but the whole album deserves to be your dinner party soundtrack for summer of ’16. – Kayne
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Kaleo
Iceland
Debut album A/B now available
Iceland’s Kaleo have trickled out several big singles over the past year but A/B is their first full length album. Side A is filled with soulful blues rock, Side B slows things down. You can catch them on Late Night with Seth Meyers Tuesday night (6/14/16) – Kayne
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Cass McCombs
California, Baltimore, etc.
“Opposite House” featuring Angel Olsen (released May 24th) from the forthcoming album Mangy Love out August 26th on Anti- Records.
The highly prolific Cass McCombs drops this gem of a single in advance of his eighth studio album. One of my favorite songwriters of today. Loving the 70’s AM radio vibe. – Kayne
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Band of Horses
Charleston, SC
“Casual Party” off the new album Why Are You OK.
Produced by Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, I think I recommend this album after two listens. It certainly merits more spins, we’ll see if it grows classic like their early work. – Tom
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Diarrhea Planet
Nashville
Turn To Gold (also streaming now at NPR)
Turn to Gold is exactly what you expect, occasionally ridiculous, but always shredding guitar worship. – Tom
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Thrice
Orange, CA
“Black Honey” off To Be Everywhere is To Be Nowhere
After a 5 year hiatus, Thrice is finally back and their latest album proves that they still go harder than ever. – Petee
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Descendents
Manhattan Beach, CA
“Victim of Me” off Hypercaffium Spazzinate releasing July 29th
In a world filled with lackluster reunion shows, Descendents are taking a stand and showing how to do it right. Still as hooky and addictive as ever, you’d never guess these guys have been at it longer than some of their fans have even been alive. – Petee
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Mikey Erg
New Jersey
“Boys & Girls & Tentative Decisions” off Tentative Decisions releasing June 24th
Mikey Erg may be the hardest working man in punk rock, hands down. Thankfully, he’s finally gotten a bit of time to focus on his own solo project and it looks like it’s going to be a pretty fierce pop punk ride just in time for the summer. – Petee
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PUP
Toronto
“If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will” off The Dream is Over
PUP’s sophomore album is already being heralded as album of the year material. It’s fun rock and roll, pure and simple. – Petee
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Jeff Zagers
Savannah
“The Dark End of the Street” video from All for the Love of Sunshine, available now for purchase and streaming at Wharf Cat Records.
Jeff Zagers is in Savannah’s top tier of musicians — his 2016 Stopover set was sublime — but he seems to shun the spotlight. His recent reinterpretations of both well- and lesser-known American classics is well worth your time – bill
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James Blake
London
Overgrown
Singer, songwriter, and electronic alchemist James Blake continues to do his thing, and that thing gets more better with every new release. – bill