Now Playing:


"Alexa, play Birch Street Radio on TuneIn" or "on Live365"
"Hey Google, play Birch Street Radio on TuneIn"
Trouble connecting? Contact us for help!
NEW! Live365 is now available as an app on Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, and Android TV. Find "Live365" in your TV's store, download it, then search for Birch Street Radio.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Black Pumas, Joan Osborne, Semisonic, ZZ Ward and introducing Blue Stragglers

Black Pumas: I'm Ready

Jackie Lee Young Photography
The debut album by songwriter/vocalist Eric Burton and producer/multi-instrumentalist Adrian Quesada was released in mid-2019 to critical acclaim, but it wasn't until the duo was nominated for a new-artist Grammy later that year that it began to gain a wide audience. The single "Colors" reached the top of the AAA charts in January, prompting the release of another single, "Fire" -- and now, a "Deluxe" re-issue of the album with three unreleased songs plus alternate mixes and some covers. Our pick for the New Music bin is one of the new originals.

Joan Osborne: That Was A Lie

On this track from her new album, Trouble and Strife, Osborne targets official disinformation (although the lyrics could apply to any kind of liar). Osborne explains: "I get so enraged watching these polished, camera-ready mouthpieces for our government just straight-up lying to us. And journalists seem unable use the word 'lie' ... I think it’s important not to sanitize them, to call them what they are. People in power are abusing the public trust ... and I believe we need to call them on it in no uncertain terms."

Semisonic: You're Not Alone

Dan Wilson, John Munson and Jacob Slichter reunite on the new EP You're Not Alone, their first studio release since 2001. "The collection sounds as timeless musically as it does right-on-time lyrically," writes the Star-Tribune newspaper in their home state of Minnesota. "Not only do the title track and several other songs evoke some desperately needed unity and comfort, so does the warmth of singer/guitarist Wilson’s voice."

ZZ Ward: Giant

This is the latest in a series of singles that could presage a third album from the Pennsylvania-born, LA-based singer and multi-instrumentalist. Her music is often described as a blend of blues and hip-hop. “This song came from feeling so close to someone that their pain felt like mine, watching them get hurt over and over felt so real," Ward says. "This is a reminder for my friend and to anyone who needs to hear it, that you can always find the Giant inside when you feel small.”

Blue Stragglers: Forever And A Day

Bringing a powerful dose of garage rock to our mix is this track from the self-titled, debut EP by a band from the UK's Sussex region. Lee Martin (vocals, guitar), Ali Waite (bass) and Andy Head (drums) "bonded via a love of bands such as The Raconteurs, PJ Harvey, Supergrass, Demob Happy, Beck, Grandaddy and Jane's Addiction," according to their bio. They describe their sound as "fuzzed-up, hook-laden, grooved-out alt-rock." As they formed the band, they converted an empty building into rehearsal space and now run it as a non-profit for area musicians. Fun fact: Google "blue stragglers" and you'll learn about a class of star observed in old, dense stellar systems such as globular clusters.
Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)