it’s the first day of fall! but wait, before you get excited (or sad), we have some business to take care of. let’s wrap up the summer with an exciting music round-up, shall we? we’ve got 30 great songs for you to lay on your ears. do you have 8 minutes? if so, you can watch the below embedded video to get your caught up to speed, but what i would recommend is you check out the individual tracks below, savoring each of them like an ice-cream cone. because now that it is fall, ice-cream is illegal. thanks a lot ned lamont.
check out this week’s songs below, and as always, if you like what you hear: share it with a friend! and if you have the means, consider buying their music. spotify is nice and all, but unless you plan on streaming a song multiple hundred times, bandcamp is best. you can follow us on instagram and twitter for more music during the week.
New Albums / EPs:
addy edward – playing dead
One of our favorite songwriters in the state, Addy Edward (who is also a member of Daniprobably) dropped this new EP by surprise. If you’ve caught some of his wonderful live shows, many of these songs will be familiar to you, and (if you’re like me) you’ll be thankful to now have a copy of them to carry with you. Of course the twist here is that AE’s live shows are marked by an acoustic guitar and several layers of imaginative loops. Playing Dead brings those songs into the studio, where he has more room to craft the sounds he wants, outside of the acoustic guitar. The result is a fresh, inspiring pop record that everyone will love.
dan liparini – tesselations
We don’t cover much jazz on this blog, and that’s a shame because the thought of missing out on an album like Dan Liparini’s Tesselations is heartbreaking. Liparini, who is also a member of the group Goodnight Blue Moon, stars here with his band: Jen Allen on keys, Eric Hallenbeck on drums, and Matt Dwonszyk on bass. Tesselations is a beautiful debut. It’s a smooth, cool record with a taste of adventure.
jillian caillouette – phases
On her new album, Phases, Caillouette grows into a songwriter you can’t ignore. Pitch-perfect alt-country, with a mix of folk, pop, and modern production (courtesy of Pharoah Recordings collaborator Pace Ferro). What we love most about Phases is that it feels spiritual and wise, complete with poetic lyrics that call upon ghosts, nature, and the act of being.
kath bloom – bye bye these are the days
If you don’t know the story by now, it’s the stuff of legends. Kath Bloom recorded music in the late 70s and early 80s – transcedent folk music – that never got the recognition it deserved. Then in the 90s, her discography was rediscovered, and the swell of interest brought Bloom back into the music world to record new music. Since then, every release has felt like another beautiful victory lap. Bye Bye These Are The Days, now available on vinyl, is another excellent piece of art in an incredible run of records.
quinn – depression nap
One of our favorite new artists/bands! We were so excited for Quinn’s new EP Depression Nap that we interviewed them for our podcast. Even though the songs for Depression Nap may have been written before coronavirus, the EP perfectly captures the feeling of going through shit and coming out stronger. Come for the life lessons and empathy, but stay for great melodic hooks and powerful voice.
siul hughes – hueman
When Ceschi spotlights you on his Fake Four Inc record label as “an inspiration and amongst the greatest to come out of the state of CT”, expectations are set high. And even with incredibly high expectations, Hughes’ new album HUEMAN nails it over and over again. What makes Siul Hughes so great isn’t just his perfect flow: it’s his instincts. He straddles the line of complexity and intuition throughout HUEMAN, striking at both the emotional and intellectual level. And yet, no piece feels over-thought; this music is sincere, passionate, smart, and creative.
stefanie clark harris and the feverfew – black diamond
You may know Stefanie Clark Harris previously as Stefanie Austin and the Palomino Club! She is back with a new band and a new debut record. Black Diamond features the same excellent outlaw country sound as you’d expect from Stefanie. What we love about Black Diamond isn’t just the cool, rebellious attitude of SCH’s lyrics and melodies, but the giant sound the Feverfew brings (peep that harmonica from Tiffany Negreiro Ballaro!).
try to understand – life with friends
Described as a “poet turned songwriter”, Dan Creem’s lyrics are always outstanding. His new EP, Life with Friends, is a blast of lo-fi, imaginative songs. Songs touch on small social interactions with others and the weight of cosmic existence – you know, the usual Monday pre-coffee routine.
waveform* – last room
Even though Waveform*’s Shooting Star came out a year and a half ago, we’ve been listening to it ever since. Their new album, Last Room, is just as stunning as you’d expect from this band who just keeps getting better and better. Sarah Widmann, the live bass player for the band, adds vocals to half of the songs here, expanding the band’s sound even further. Jarett Denner and Dan Poppa, known henceforth as Darett, make a hell of a songwriting pair.
new singles + videos:
bebe machete – “blueprint”
Any Machete is good Machete; and new Machete is great Machete. Check out “Blueprint”, the newest track from Bebe Machete, which was released as a single, but is also included as part of the Room for You compilation via Funnybone Records. Abstract pop music at its finest.
big tuesday – “all over again”
Big Tuesday might be one of the scene’s best kept secrets, but it won’t be for long. Elise Browell and the gang have three songs available on Bandcamp, and they’re all good. Their new song, “All Over Again” is a surprise – announced without warning, and we hope that means there’ll be more new music soon, even if it is a collection of these three tracks released as an EP.
bleu champagne – “voicemail”
Formerly known as Blizzy, Bleu Champagne’s new song comes from the upcoming project “K.O.B.E.: Knowledge, Obsession, Bravery, and Excellence.” The call-and-repeat of the chorus is excellent, and the hotel room in this video gets turned into one powerful hotbox.
ceschi and siul hughes – “poltergeist”
The new collaboration between Ceschi and Siul Hughes is DRKWLKR, and it is the sound of two artists who inspire each other feeding off of each other’s creativity. This song, “Poltergeist”, is one half the new 7” vinyl, set to be released in late 2020 / early 2021.
chef the chef – “bachelor”
Chefren Gray has always got some tricks of his sleeves. His new project is Super Battle Opera 2003, with this song “Bachelor” being our first public preview of it. The song is cool, inventive, independent, and brief, bringing in samples, beat, and Chef’s always brilliant flow. We can’t wait to hear more of this, and it may come sooner than you think…
luke ellingson & daniprobably – “prepare to be bored”
Every now and again, you’ll hear a song that makes your jaw drop. “Prepare to be Bored” is one of those songs. And I can tell you the exact moment, too. At the 0:35 mark, the song explodes from an excellent duet into a barn-burning anthem. Two of our favorite songwriters (unsurprisingly) have made one of our favorite songs of the year. Released as part of the Room for You compilation via Funnybone Records.
mercy choir – “devoured by love”
Paul Belbusti released two big singles between late August and now. We normally try to whittle it down to one-release-per-artist here on the old Bark List, but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to choose between “Devoured by Love” and “Nightingale Blue”. Both show off two different sides of Mercy Choir’s songwriting: “Devoured by Love” is wonderfully psychedelic and…
mercy choir – “nightingale blue”
… and “Nightingale Blue” is a cool, smooth pop song, equipped with a melody that is impossible to resist.
namesake – “prayer wheel”
OK I have a beef with this song. It’s too short. I want “Prayer Wheel” to be 5 minutes long. Maybe even a half an hour. It’s a beautiful track, rippling with soul, and it never repeats itself within its structure. I want them to go back to the good part! Except the good part is the whole thing. Released as part of the Room for You compilation via Funnybone Records.
niamh – “fey”
Formerly known as Pleasuremad, Jack Riley’s new song as Niamh is a reintroduction to a familiar favorite. Glorious synthpop with an amazing voice. Released as part of the Room for You compilation via Funnybone Records.
rushing spring – “rushing spring”
We love it when bands share their name with their own song titles. And has their ever been a more perfectly named band for their sound? Rushing Spring’s music is a fast, forward moving rush of pop punk. Their new video for “Rushing Spring” features some psychedelic animation and killer melodic hooks.
shame penguin – “fall of the mountain king”
Shame and the boys are back with a new song! This lyric video emphasizes the importance of the band’s lyrics — even though they like to have a lot of fun (with their rascal mascot Shame the Penguin, or their recent “Inside the Musician’s Studio” advertisement), their music comes from a very personal place.
similar kind – “lost and lonely”
This is the fourth Similar Kind single this year, which means that in 2020, they’ve basically doubled their song size since 2019’s excellent Faces & Places. The inspiration for this song? Ben McNamara lost his chorus pedal and had to use distortion. Seriously though, this sound fucking rips. They just released an awesome new stop-animation video for this song too, which we will cover next week.
sketch tha cataclysm – “something incendiary”
Sketch released Hella Kafkaesque just last month, but he’s already back with a new song! This track was produced by The 50x50s, the new team for Sketch and Deto 22, who you may remember collaborated on the excellent Sharing is Caring EP.
stout – “alright ok”
New Haven’s most powerful voice, STOUT is surprising us again with this beautiful new song and lyric video. If you can watch this and NOT smile through most of it, you need to see a doctor.
the most – “unlearning”
Hang tight: the Most’s new album, Of What We Have, is almost here. This is the second single ahead of the album’s 10/9 release. Hey, 10/9, I bet that’s one of the time signatures they use on this record. You can order it on Bandcamp to get that digital or that sweet, sweet vinyl.
waveform * – “hello goodbye”
Check out the video for “Hello Goodbye”, which was Waveform*’s way of announcing their new album, Last Room.
youth xl – “text your friends”
The debut single of Youth XL! We’ve caught Youth XL a few times live, and they’ve always been so much fun and so wholesome. Their single lives up to that reputation: it’s a reminder to reach out to your friends because they may need you, or you may need them, and not even know it. The song comes ahead of an excellent video (we’ll show you in the next music round-up!) and EP.
zechs – “friend proxy”
You may know Michael Cueto from the wildly proggy/mathy band Ourselves Alone. His new project is ZECHS, an IDM glitch-beat wonder. As he directs on bandcamp “bob your head, and then lose it,” which is the perfect way to describe the journey you’ll take in this debut song.
new extras and bonuses:
becca dean biggs – “empty beach”
Earlier this year, a compilation of songs about our great state was released – a playful way to fulfill Sufjan Stevens’ promise to write a concept album about every state in the USA. This track is the opening gambit, an ode to the crowdless-but-beautiful beaches of Connecticut.
mightymoonchew – “try again”
MightyMoonChew is a new supergroup, composed of some of our favorite people in Connecticut: Mooncha (on vocals and guitar), Mark Da Mighty (on keys), and Chris Chew (on drums). Their introduction to the world is this wild cover of Aaliyah’s “Try Again”.
