Music Monday 8.18.14

STREAMING FREE - Ty Segall: Manipulator | Been listening this morning. Holy cow. The first 16:30 was great! Then somewhere toward the 17 minute mark I was like "Yeeeah buddy!" Or whatever. I've sampled Ty's albums but never picked one up. Public confession is over. Now time to remedy that. NPR, "Manipulator may have missed its chance to provide the soundtrack to a summer that desperately needed one, but that just means it gets to be the feel-good hit of the fall."

CHEAP

• Nirvana: Nevermind $1.99
• Nirvana: In Utero $5
• Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More $1.99
• Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion $5
• The Avett Brothers: Live, Vol 3 $5

BURNING UP MY iPOD

• Sia: 1000 Forms of Fear | A family favorite, multiple places to go for big hooks. It's thoughtful music that makes you belt it out on the chorus.
• FKA twigs: LP1 | A cool blend of sounds. Amazing reviews. Best comparison for me would be The Weeknd. But it feels like someone who has broken a mold. Warning: Not for kids.
• Spoon: They Want My Soul | Was agreeing with a fellow audiophile recently about how most of Spoon's music is enjoyable but nothing has blown our minds. It's the best Spoon album I've heard.

WHAT'S NEW - Charli XCX "Break The Rules" | When we understand the music of a culture, we understand the culture. Overstated a bit, but probably not all that much. Time to listen to Charli XCX's new track "Break the Rules." Not complicated, but will serve as an anthem for our kids this fall. It will be played loud on Friday nights at parties and dances. In a year with some pretty incredible pop songs, this is one of the best. But you might not like the words your kids will be singing.

BREAK THE RULES from the new album SUCKER available to pre-order soon.

Music Monday 1.6.14

It's -40F wind chill here, which means you light up the fireplace and listen to Bon Iver. One of my favorite EVER albums, For Emma Forever Ago, is $5.

If you haven't checked it out yet, my Best Albums of 2013 list is up. Would love your thoughts. What music from last year did you enjoy?

Damien Jurado: Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son - My love for this dude's music has grown the last few years. Excited for this one. I'm only five songs in and I'm very, very happy so far.

Cheap Albums from my 2013 list ($5 unless noted otherwise)...

• Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe
• Jason Isbell: Southeastern
• Arcade Fire: Reflektor ($3.99)
• Phosphorescent: Muchacho
• Buke & Gase: General Dome
• The Lone Bellow: The Lone Bellow
• The Knife: Shaking the Habitual
• Foxygen: We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
• Mikal Cronin: MCII
• Junip: Junip 

Other cheap albums worth checking out...

• The Avett Brothers: Emotionalism | Mignonette | Four Thieves Gone
• Cults: Static
• Bruce Springsteen: Nebraska 
• Sigur Ros: (Untitled)

Related articles

Gregory Thornbury: Top 10 Albums of 2013

Best Albums of 2013

Amazon MP3 Birthday Sale: $6 Albums

It's good when Amazon celebrates something, because they give us something to celebrate too. A BUNCH of great albums are just $6. Grab a couple...

• Vampire Weekend: Contra | Vampire Weekend | Modern Vampires of the City | Modern is a frontrunner for album of the year for 2013 
• The Antlers: Hospice | My #1 album of 2009
• Bon Iver: Bon Iver
• The Avett Brothers: The Second Gleam | Emotionalism | I and Love and You ($5)
• Beirut: Gulag Orkestar ($5.49) & The Rip Tide
• The National: Boxer | Alligator | High Violet | Trouble Will Find Me ($5) | Trouble will be on my best of the year list
• Frank Turner: England Keep My Bones
• alt-J: An Awesome Wave
• Alcest: Les Voyages de L'Âme
• Caribou: Swim
• Sharon Van Etten: Epic
• Mumford & Sons: Babel | Sigh No More ($5.99)
• Explosions In The Sky: How Strange, Innocence | The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
• Arcade Fire: Neon Bible | The Suburbs ($5.99) | Funeral ($5)
• Sufjan Stevens: Seven Swans
• Gregory Alan Isakov: That Sea, The Gambler | This Empty Northern Hemisphere
• Band of Horses: Everything All The Time | Cease To Begin
• Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes | Helplessness Blues
• Wilco: Wilco | A Ghost Is Born | Ghost is my favorite Wilco album
• Washed Out: Paracosm | Within And Without
• The Pains of Being Pure At Heart: Belong
• Phantogram: Eyelid Movies
• Mono: Hymn to the Immortal Wind
• Silversun Pickups: Pikul
• Jesssica Lea Mayfield: With Blasphemy So Heartfelt
• Wye Oak: If Children
• Good Old War: Come Back As Rain
• Elliott Smith: Either/Or
• Volcano Choir: Unmap
• Neko Case: Middle Cyclone
• Iron & Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days | The Shepherd's Dog
• Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record
• Fort Atlantic: Fort Atlantic
• Grimes: Visions
• The Gaslight Anthem: The '59 Sound
• Nickel Creek: Nickel Creek
• Four Tet: Pink
• U2: The Joshua Tree

Related articles

$5 Albums 9.16.13

Music Mondays: Vampire Weekend

Okkervil River | Stream The Silver Gymnasium

New album from Okkervil River, The Silver Gymnasium (Amazon, out 9/3), is streaming free right now. This is one of my favorite bands working. Some of the best songwriting around from frontman Will Sheff. I'm halfway through the stream right now and it's really good so far.

Get a taste of the new album from Sheff's open mic night. Or just listen here to open track, "It Was My Season"...

Giveaway: Stephen Miller Book & Album

Heyo! It's a super-happy Music Monday here at Reformissionary because I have stuff to give away to some of my readers. 

Stephen Miller (Twitter) is worship leader at The Journey church in St. Louis, where Darrin Patrick is pastor. He has written a new book, Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars (Kindle) and put out a new worship album, All Hail The King. The album includes new worship songs as well as reworked Hymns like "Crown Him With Many Crowns." I've been listening to the album and enjoying it a lot. His new albums and  previous album, Hymns, is on regular rotation in my house.

I have 5 of the Worship Leaders, We Are Not Rock Stars eBooks (epub, mobi, or PDF) to give away today that each include a free download of the album. 

Here's how you enter to win a FREE eBook that includes a free download of the album...

1. Tweet (or post to Facebook if you aren't on Twitter, or do both!) without the quote marks: " Get Stephen Miller's new worship album & book FREE. RT & comment at Reformissionary to enter: http://bit.ly/14xLgfb "

2. Comment below (so I can confirm you did step 1) with your real name and real email (kept private) and FOR FUN in your comment let me know a neglected old hymn that you love and wish would get consideration from Stephen or someone else for a future worship album. 

*I'll use random.org to pick the 5 winners tonight, and I'll announce the winners on the blog & send out emails. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Music Monday 7.15.13

• Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
• Postiljonen: Skyer | For lovers of M83 and dream pop.

• The Preservation Hall Band: That's It! ($6.99)
• Gavin DeGraw: Chariot ($2.99)
• The Decemberists: The Crane Wife ($5)
• Radiohead: Amnesiac ($5)
• Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: Here We Rest & Live From Alabama ($4.99 each)

• Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City
• Boards of Canada: Tomorrow's Harvest
• Jason Isbell: Southeastern 

Music Monday 7.1.13

The fine folks from Bifrost Arts has a new worship album out. I've liked everything they've done to this point, so this is worthy of our attention.

• Bifrost Arts:  He Will Not Cry Out

• Radiohead: Amnesiac ($5)
• Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: Here We Rest & Live From Alabama ($4.99 each)
• Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience ($6.99)

• Jason Isbell: Southeastern | Getting a remarkable amount of play. A fantastic album.
• Vampire Weekend: Modern Vampires of the City | This is getting the most play. Best album they've made. My kids love it too.

$5 Albums | June 2013

Another month of good, cheap music. Here are the albums I recommend from Amazon's $5 albums for June.

• Kurt Vile: Wakin On A Pretty Daze
• Broken Bells: Broken Bells
• Mikal Cronin: MCII
• Frank Turner: Tape Deck Heart
• Waxahatchee: Cerulean Salt
• Eluvium: Copia
• Camera Obscura: My Maudlin Career
• The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
• The Avett Brothers: The Second Gleam

Music Monday 5.13.13

You should be checking out Vampire Weekend's new album, Modern Vampires of the City, streaming free on iTunes. It's out tomorrow and I will be buying it.

The Handsome Family: Wilderness is an enjoyable listen. Stream it free. Soothing.

Still $5, but ending today, is Deerhunter: Monomania. I picked it up and really dig it. All Deerhunter stuff is excellent.

Do check out the $5 albums for May, including some of the best albums I own.

If you haven't heard of Colin Stetson, and most of you probably haven't, check this out. He plays for Bon Iver, but this is from his album New History Warfare Vol 3: To See More Light. Stick with it. Quite interesting. He does circular breathing, has a mic on his throat, a mic for percussion on his sax, and more. Wowzers.

$5 Albums | April 2013

If you haven't seen them yet, here are some albums you need to check out that are only $5 right now!

• Foxygen: We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic | I have been listening to this one a lot lately.
• The Avett Brothers: The Carpenter
• The XX: Coexist
• Phosphorescent: Muchacho
• Tegan & Sara: The Con
• The White Stripes: Icky Thump 
• Dan Deacon: America
• The Black Keys: Magic Potion
• Metric: Synthetica
• Animal Collective: Centipede Hz
• Pearl Jam: Vs

Streaming FREE Albums 4.8.13

Iron & Wine: Ghost on Ghost | Whoa. A whole different sound. Interested in your feedback.

The Flaming Lips: The Terror | "Sounding almost post-apocalyptic in its scabrous, searching bleakness — Coyne himself describes the album as "disturbing"..." Yikes. 

The Shouting Matches: Grownass Man | Includes Justin Vernon of Bon Iver playing mostly falsetto-less blues-rock. I hear Wilco, Black Keys, & other flavors here. This isn't your hipsters' Justin Vernon. And it may be impossible for this to have been recorded in a rural cabin. Check it out.

The Knife: Shaking the Habitual | One of my favorite, creepy, beat-centric bands. Get ready for quirk.

New Albums Streaming FREE 4.1.13

• Besnard Lakes: Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO | Yucky title that probably has some really important meaning (?)...but I love this dreamy, ambient rock goodness
• Kurt Vile: Wakin On A Pretty Daze | I dig it
• The Black Angels: Indigo Meadows
• Caveman: Caveman
• The Lovely Wild: The Sun As It Comes

Music Monday 3.18.13

Here are albums streaming free this week that I think are worth checking out...

• Julian Lynch: Lines | I'm listening to this now, and it's fascinating. Electric folk Americana something. I hear Sufjan influence. Really digging it.
• Wavves: Afraid of Heights
• DJ Koze: Amygdala
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Specter at the Feast
• Low: The Invisible Way (out tomorrow, I will be buying it)

Josh Garrels is still giving away 5 albums FREE.

Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater covers Roy Orbison's "It's Over" in the Texas outdoors. If you don't know Jonathan's work (with Okkervil River too), you should check it out. I still think Palo Santo is his best work. Covering Orbison is hard work, but well done by JM.

Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater plays "It's Over" by Roy Orbison

Music Monday 3.4.13

• Phosphorescent: Muchacho | Enjoying this one a lot
• Josh Ritter: The Beast In It's Tracks
• Youth Lagoon: Wondrous Bughouse
• Dave Grohl & Friends: Sound City: Real to Reel

• Jack White: Blunderbuss ($5)
• Low: C'Mon ($5)
• Langhorne Slim & The Law: The Way We Move ($5)
• Josh Ritter: The Animal Years ($5) | Put "Thin Blue Flame" on repeat
• Beach House: Bloom ($5)
• Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde & Blood on the Tracks ($2.99 each)
• The Black Keys: Thickfreakness ($5)
• Flogging Molly: Drunken Lullabies ($4.99) & Speed of Darkness ($5)
• Pearl Jam: Vs ($2.99)

Avett Brothers | 2 Songs on Fallon

This is one of the most hopeful signs concerning the "popular version" of the Avett Brothers vs. the pre-popular version. Once they started shooting for and reaching the national stage, their music became slightly over-produced and less punk-awesome and screamo-fun. That's a lot of hyphens. In a bit of a return to form, I give you the band that bandwagon fans (not a put down) might have never heard. These guys rock, and everyone needs to know it. Crank. It. Up.

Jack White at the Grammys

Two songs from Jack White at the Grammys. First, "Love Interrupted" with his all girl band. Second, "Freedom at 21" with his all guy band. So great. Best performance of the night.

Jack White - Love Interruption & Freedom At 21... by IdolxMuzic

"Where It Goes" from the Gray Havens

My favorite song off of the Gray Havens' album, Where Eyes Don't Go, is "Where It Goes." I've seen others mention "Silver" as their fave. It's great & I love it too. Soaring moments & tons of imagery. But "Where It Goes" may be the best opening track on an album I've heard in a long time. It sets the scene, opens the conversation, leads you gently to the melody we are all meant to know. Listen & dig into the lyrics below. I've italicized the first bit because it's so good.

A song ran in the oceans of color,
surrounded by the stars inside the universe,
before it bursted into light,

And after a long time,
A world came alive and played that music I first heard,
And so I stayed so I could write down every word,

And there was a garden,
Never was such beauty seen in all the earth,
And not again until the day when it returns,

And there was a loud cry,
Alive were the voices as they sang the words,
And ever since they've been singing, It goes,

Underneath where eyes don't go,
A sound that keeps the beat that holds,
Alive the song I listen close,
Do I follow, Do I follow, Where it goes,

Towers and banners raised,
And kings with power changed that song that first began,
And it was lost, and buried deep, and covered,

Then, a chorus and angel lights,
Proclaimed on that starry night that shook the world,
A king arose, and he was singing, it goes,

Underneath where eyes don't go,
A sound that keeps the beat that holds,
alive the song I listen close,
Do I follow, Do I follow, Where it goes,

On An On | "Ghosts"

If I could force everyone to check out one album today, it would be from On An On. Haven't been on my radar until today and just loving it. Stream Give In for free today, buy it tomorrow, and watch the video for "Ghosts." Love this song...

Music Monday 1.28.13

A bunch of good stuff to check out this Music Monday...

• On An On: Give In | This is the one you haven't heard of and need to check out
• Jim James: Regions of Light & Sound of God
• Frightened Rabbit: Pedestrian Verse
• Frontier Ruckus: Eternity of Dimming
• Buke & Gase: General Dome
• Tegan & Sara: Heartthrob
• Blaudzun: Heavy Flowers

• The Lone Bellow: The Lone Bellow ($5.99)
• Les Miserables Soundtrack ($13.99) | I don't think I could pay Molly to stop listening to this
• Ra Ra Riot: Beta Love ($5)
• Yo La Tengo: Fade ($5)
• Burial: Truant/Rough Sleeper ($2.99)

• Mumford & Sons: Babel ($3.99)
• The Lumineers: The Lumineers ($3.99)
• Brandi Carlile: The Story ($2.99)
• Ray LaMontagne: Trouble ($2.99)
• The Black Keys: El Camino ($3.99)
• Miles Davis: Kind of Blue ($2.99)
• Once Movie Soundtrack ($2.99)
• Garden State Soundtrack ($2.99)
• Pearl Jam: Ten ($2.99)
• Mat Kearney: Nothing Left To Lose & City Of Black & White ($2.99)
• Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run & Born in the U.S.A. ($2.99) & The Rising ($5)

Music Monday 1.21.13

• Buke & Gase: General Dome | Their previous album, Riposte, was great. A few songs in and I'm enjoying this one a lot. (Out a week from Tuesday)
• Blaudzun: Heavy Flowers | Just stumbled upon this one, and it's worth checking out. "The album fits in nicely amid the ambitious and occasionally orchestral folk-rock..." It's a very interesting sound, and it's not unapproachable. I'd love to hear my readers' take on this one. (Out a week from Tuesday)
• Ra Ra Riot: Beta Love | Really exicted to see if they capture what I loved about The Rhumb Line  (Out Tuesday)
• Darkstar: News From Nowhere | Yeah, I dunno much. But NPR says, "News From Nowhere offers a brighter take on synth-driven pop. Its pace is more rapid, its chords more buoyant. There's still an eerie quality to Darkstar's music: Ghostly chords waver in and out of tune, while reverb haunts many of the timbres here." Yeah, ok. I'll try that.

If you haven't heard new stuff from The Lone Bellow, I can't recommend it enough. Three videos of high-quality live versions of their songs and you will be sold. Their album, The Lone Bellow, is out tomorrow on Amazon. I'll be picking it up!

Grab nearly 80MB of Four Tet music free.