New Music Friday - 3/19/2021

There are some weeks when I start rummaging through the new music and one artist stands out amongst the other releases. This week, however, has been a difficult one.

There are some very strong releases from a diverse group of artists this week. A little something for everyone. So…

Check out new releases from the following artists:

- Middle Kids – I’ve admired this Australian band for quite some time. Their latest shows great maturity from earlier music – I’m not thrilled with the more polished rock sound. But there’s still Hannah Joy’s amazing vocals and it’s clearly worth a listen. Check out the track “Questions”

- Loretta Lynn – Not slowing down at all, Lynn’s voice still is so perfectly country strong. It’s classic country at its finest and should remind us how important Lynn has been for so many modern artists. The spoken word performance of “Coal Miner’s Daughter (Recitation)” is chilling and gorgeous.

- Melissa Carper – It’s like you took Nashville, Texas country and jazz, threw it in a blender and produced Carper’s latest album. Reminds me a lot of The Wailin' Jennys. The songs drip sweetness and draw you out for a swing on the porch with a tall glass of lemonade. Check out the track “I Almost Forgot About You”

- Benny the Butcher – One of the biggest rappers out there - I’m a big fan of Benny’s rap style and songs. It’s gritty and fresh and he paints vivid pictures of what’s happening in his life. Check out the track “Live By It”

- A.A. Williams – A gorgeous, dark album of Williams’ take on cover songs including The Cure, The Moody Blues and many more. Williams did this as a lockdown project from her home in London and I’m glad she did. Check out the track “If You Could Read My Mind”

- Lana Del Rey – For all the issue Del Rey has had in her personal life, she’s consistently put out great music and her latest is no exception. The latest release from the super talented singer is near perfect. Focusing on a songs of escaping the limelight, the soft, layered sounds are striking. Check out the track “Let Me Love You Like a Woman”

- Black Honey – A 4-piece rock band out of England, Black Honey has a guitar-driven, spaghetti western sound with killer vocals from their lead singer Izzy B. Phillips. Like any spaghetti western movie, their music grabs your attention, shakes you up and never lets go. Check out the track “Disinfect”

- Ringo Starr – Yep, he’s back with some great new tunes. Surrounded by an amazing cast of characters (Paul McCartney, Corinne Bailey Rae and Joe Walsh – just to name a few), Starr focuses as always on peace and love. Check out the track “Zoom In Zoom Out”

- Serj Tankian – A new solo EP from the System of a Down singer? Yes please! Similar in sound to his former band (he actually wrote them hoping to record with the band) the loud, heavy sounds blend well with the quieter moments and Tankian’s soaring voice. Check out the track “Elasticity”

- Morgan Wade – It’s time for the country world to sit up and take notice of Wade. Personal stories that aren’t hokey and show a gritty side for the woman from small-town Floyd, Virginia. With hints of rock and roll, there’s some great harmonizing and sing-alongs. Check out the track “Last Cigarette”

- dad sports – Exuberant bedroom-pop tunes from the Canadian trio streams out fantastically on their debut EP. It’s a nice 2000 emo sounding release that’ll have you bobbing your head in time with the tunes. Check out the track “gf haircut”

Today’s featured artist: Jon Batiste

The pianist and composer (who many know as the band leader of Stephen Colbert’s show) has released a near perfect album. Recorded back in 2019, it plays to our need to recover from a difficult year. It’s spiritual and hopeful, combining the sounds he grew up on in his home in New Orleans with R&B and pop music. It’s a great reminder of what an important figure in music Batiste is and how lucky we are for him. In an NPR interview, Batiste said, "I wanted to articulate through the music and through my presence there that we're all in this together," Batiste says. "Ultimately, this is our time. This is our world. We have to come together and understand that or else everything is going to completely disintegrate."