New Music Tuesday
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The new project from renowned electronic producer Alfred Darlington (aka Daedelus) and his wife Laura, The Long Lost plays delicate, whimsical music. Part acoustic folk, part lullaby electronica, their songs have already gotten exquisite remix treatment by Flying Lotus, Fink, and Tunng in anticipation of this album. Released today exclusively on Amie Street, The Long Lost is available for only $7 until March 2!
For fans of: The Books + Four Tet + Daedelus
Black Lips have always found a way to stand out of the crowd. Their intentionally sloppy, blues-inflected garage rock -- or as they call it, "flower punk" -- has a number of peers in the indie world, but few bands have achieved the rabid fanbase and critical praise that they have. 200 Million Thousand, out today on Vice Records, gives a pretty straightforward reason for their success: Black Lips really are excellent songwriters. Ballads like "Starting Over" balance out the more obvious (but still terribly fun) "Drugs" and "Short Fuse," and show why the Boston Globe calls this "the work of a band deftly straddling wasted youth and serious craft."
For fans of: New York Dolls + Jay Reatard + The Brian Jonestown Massacre
On Beast of Seasons, Laura Gibson slows down time with plaintive meditations on life and death. The album, written in a house that overlooks a cemetery, is divided into "Communion Songs" and "Funeral Songs," creating a beautiful thematic contrast between the two halves. In addition to Gibson's signature folk finger-picking and delicate vocals, Beast of Seasons features lush swells of strings, piano, ambient feedback and percussion for an album that NPR calls "nothing short of a masterpiece."
For fans of: Nick Drake + Laura Nyro + Gillian Welch
Smoke N Mirrors is the hotly anticipated solo debut from B-Real of Cypress Hill, the first Latin rap group ever to reach platinum status. Featuring an all-star lineup of guests including Snoop Dogg, Damian Marley, Xzibit, and Kurupt, the album is a throwback to the era of West Coast rap and G-funk. B-Real sounds exactly like he did on 1993's "Insane In The Brain," and that's definitely a good thing.
For fans of: Cypress Hill + Nate Dogg + Gravediggaz
Alex Gimeno grew up on Miami Beach listening to '60s pop, exotica, bossa nova, and mambo, and it resonates in the fashionable, easygoing music he produces as Ursula 1000. On the eclectic Mystics, Gimeno and his guest vocalists flirt with a number of styles: there's lounge rap in "Losin' It," featuring Anton Glamb (a classmate of Vampire Weekend's), lustful electro in "i.C.O.M.E.," featuring Rochelle Vincente Von K, and dancehall in "Step Back," featuring Jamaican toaster Sista Wide. Kick back with a cocktail and enjoy this one.
For fans of: Dimitri from Paris + Pizzicato Five + Thievery Corporation
On her self-titled debut, Paris-born, Nigeria-raised singer-songwriter Asa creates radio-friendly pop that's heartfelt, groovy, and soulful. Hailed as "the new voice of Afro-folk" by The Guardian, Asa has already seen major international success, winning Paris's Prix Constantin and receiving multiple nominations for the MTV Africa Music Awards. Influenced by Bob Marley's optimism, Erykah Badu's soul phrasing, and Suzanne Vega's guitar-playing, this is an inspired, transcendent debut.
For fans of: Bob Marley + Corrinne Bailey Rae + Suzanne Vega
In 1970, Portland, Oregon psych-rockers The New Dawn pressed only 500 copies of There's A New Dawn. The album has since become legendary among record collectors; copies of the original pressing are being sold for over $2,000! Now, with the help of Jackpot Records, the group is digitally releasing this seminal album for the first time, adding in three previously unreleased demos and a live track from their 2008 reunion.
For fans of: The Doors + Jefferson Airplane + New Riders of the Purple Sage
Portland, ME singer-songwriter Graham Isaacson is only 24 years old, but his whiskey-soaked vocals and heartfelt songs sound like they're coming from an old soul. The young troubador impressed a judging panel of Tom Waits, Norah Jones, Joss Stone, and LeAnn Rimes to become the runner-up in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition, and he's gained the support of fellow Maine singer-songwriter Ray Lamontagne, Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors, and Joey DeGraw. Graham's poignant songwriting and gravelly voice can be heard on his newest release, The Primer EP.
For fans of: Tom Waits + Leonard Cohen + Kris Kristofferson
