Why I’m Poor This Week – July 7 Releases

This post is brought to you by the letter “O”… for overtime.  Sucks when you’re the last car out of the parking structure, but oh, how I love the numbers on the paycheck.
Which means, of course… foolish spending on music.

Enjoy.

Discovery – LP
Download Discovery – I Want You Back
For the second week in a row, the album I was most looking forward to was a dance/electronic one.  Discovery features members of Ra Ra Riot (one of my favorite bands) and Vampire Weekend (probably in my top 20).  Overall, the album is hit and miss.  I love the track that is hitting the indie airwaves, “Orange Shirt”.  But I can’t stand their Jackson 5 cover (a bit ironic, though, of course, it was made long before Jackson’s death) of “I Want You Back”.  Believe me, it’s not much of a tribute, or at least not to my ears.
However, Amazon is currently offering the album for $3.99.  Definitely worth it.  There are more hits than misses, and I do believe they will soon –ahem — discover what works for them, rather than just putting a bunch of beats together and praying to baby Jesus that it works out.

We Were Promised Jet Packs – These Four Walls
Download We Were Promised Jet Packs – Conductor
I’d never heard of this band till last week, when I was searching for albums that were coming out in July.  The band name sounded intriguing, I listened to some samples, and became hooked.  They’re a melodic, four-piece rock band from England that sounds a bit (and on some tracks, a lot) like Frightened Rabbit, or Bombay Bicycle Club.  Actually, they sound like the punk-pop-emo I listened to in college… but in a good way.  The album is great and I am surprised that this band hasn’t received more publicity.  Oh wait, I just said the band is good.  How silly of me to expect mainstream radio to give them a second glance.

Bowerbirds – Upper Air
Download Bowerbirds – Northern Lights
I am so excited for this album to be out.  I’m a fan of Bowerbirds, and folk-pop in general.  This group makes great use of their instruments – guitars, accordians, violins, etc.  Mellow without being boring, and quirky without being overbearing, this album shows that the group knows how to strike a great balance.

The Lovell Sisters – Time To Grow
Download The Lovell Sisters – Time To Grow
As the members of Nickel Creek spend more time on solo and side projects, I have been on bluegrass withdrawl (what? You didn’t know that this blog would feature bluegrass music?  Ohhhh yes it will.  Be excited.).  The Lovell Sisters may not completely fill the void – their album title is exactly what they need, and hopefully their next effort will provide a little more vocal depth and creativity – but for fans of Sara Watkins, Little Big Town, and Alison Krauss, this is an album to get.

Other albums to check out:
Owen – The Seaside EP
Tiny Vipers – Life On Earth
The Minus 5 – Killingsworth