New this week: violence, fire, money and more

The latest additions to our New Music playlist range from the hard-driving sound of Rise Against to the airy soundscape of London Grammar. Because, variety!

There's a clear trend in music right now toward socially/politically conscious lyrics. For Rise Against, of course, that's nothing new - it's an essential part of the Chicago-based band's identity. The first single from the band's upcoming Wolves LP is "The Violence," which challenges society to break out of the cycle of violence ingrained in human nature.

We haven't gotten over our excitement about the terrific debut album by Nashville rock-and-soul band The New Respects. This week we're highlighting "Money," which reminds us that "life ain't about" that. Drummer Darius Fitzgerald told Interview Magazine, “When we started writing this song, we had zero dollars between the four of us." He and his sisters Alexis and Zandy plus cousin Jasmine Mullen make up this young quartet. You'll also hear more tracks from their Here Comes Trouble LP in our big mix.

We're dipping back into Future Island's The Far Field to feature "Day Glow Fire," which combines a bright, pleasing sound with a melancholy lyric about the end of an affair. Samuel T. Herring's vocal is more contemplative than distraught on this track, as he sings about good times in the past tense: "We used to talk until the sun come up/We used to walk, we used to run."

That same, common theme - the regrettable end of a love affair - is the subject of the latest release from London Grammar's upcoming album Truth is a Beautiful Thing. The British trio's music has been called operatic, cinematic, elegiac - and Hannah Reid's powerful voice brings all those qualities to "Oh Woman, Oh Man."

And from the operatic we turn to the chamber-pop of Gracie and Rachel. You've heard us play several songs by this Brooklyn-based duo over the past year, all ahead of their debut album, now due June 23. One more track was just released, and it might be the best yet: "Only A Child" joins our New Music playlist this week.

Our big mix of rock, indie, alternative, folk and more is constantly growing, as we not only add brand-new tunes but expand our collection of classic hits and deep cuts from the 1960s and beyond. Join our journey of musical discovery - and please give us your feedback! You can comment on this page, on Facebook or Twitter, or by email. Thanks for listening!