Iron and Wine + The Lemon Twigs + La Luz + Church of Trees + Late Night Trouble = Variety!

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Iron and Wine: Sweet Talk

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For Sam Beam, the Covid pandemic proved an obstacle to songwriting rather than a source of material. The result was a six-year gap between 2017's Best Epic and his new album of original Iron & Wine music, Light Verse. "Perhaps because of the time lag, the songs ... [have] a more positive tone, focusing on acceptance, the need for human connection, and even joy," writes AllMusic, which calls it "one of the most enjoyable, varied, and well-crafted of the band's records." 

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The Lemon Twigs: How Can I Love Her More?

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Brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario, known for music that sounds like it came through a time warp from the late 60s-early 70s, are out with their fifth studio album, A Dream Is All We Know. Michael says that on this track, "we tried to bridge the gap between professional Brill Building writing and the more off the wall writing style of the post Sgt. Pepper psychedelic scene. There are a lot of musical ideas but it’s still a catchy pop song. We had a lot of fun with the recording of this one, overdubbing two drum sets, some theremin, and strings and horns (all played by Brian)."

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La Luz: Strange World

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This Seattle band is bringing out its fifth album, News of the Universe, this month. Discussing this song, band leader Shana Cleveland says: "The best advice a friend gave me during a time when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed and battling consecutive panic attacks was to go outside, take my shoes off, and sit with my feet on the earth. This seemed to slow the universe down in a way that made it feel easier to handle. So this chorus is something of a mantra to myself ‘we’ll be fine, just take your time.’"

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Church of Trees: Where Is Love

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We recently caught up with this Canadian band's latest LP, Transience, released in February, and dropped "That's All" into our New Music bin last month. The album incorporates many styles of synth-pop, incorporating strains of rock, pop and dance. We're dipping in again for this track with its late-disco-era echoes.

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Late Night Trouble: Pretty Little Thing

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This flat-out rocker is from another Canadian band's album that's been out for a few months but just reached our ears, thanks to a video release for this single. Lead singer Roxanne and her bandmates are about to start an eight-city U.S. tour behind the album, Candyland.

Freshly picked for our New Music bin: Phish, St. Vincent, Dear Rouge, Local Natives, Blue October

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Phish: Evolve

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Sounding surprisingly like alt-rock hit-makers instead of improvisational jammers, the quartet refines one of its relatively recent songs into a tight four minutes as the title track of its 16th studio album, due in July. Guitarist-lead singer Trey Anastasio released a version in 2020 on his solo album Lonely Trip, and the song started turning up in the band's live shows the following year.

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St. Vincent: Big Time Nothing

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Photo by Alex da Corte

On the new album All Born Screaming, Annie Clark "packs such a wallop with [the] songs that it feels like she's sharing something deeply personal with her listeners even if they're not overtly autobiographical," writes AllMusic. The reviewer hears shades of Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, and Portishead on the LP - and we always hear echoes of Laurie Anderson's 80s experimentation in St. Vincent's music.

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Dear Rouge: Too Close to the Heat

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The band describes this single from its upcoming album, Lonesome High, as their “sexiest track to date.” The LP, due in September, was written and recorded in under a year as the band popped in and out of the studio between tour dates.

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Blue October: Everything We Lost In The Fire

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The Houston band will release its 13th album later this year. About the new single, frontman Justin Furstenfeld says: “The heaviest times of our lives is when we have to make difficult decisions. Change can be a beautiful part of life if you celebrate it. This is me celebrating change in the loudest way possible.”

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Local Natives: Throw It In The Fire

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OK it's just coincidence that we have three incendiary titles in our New Music bin this week, with Dear Rouge singing about Heat, Blue October on Fire and these guys with more Fire. We previously featured the early single April, and now pick this track from the just-released But I'll Wait For You, a sequel of sorts to last year's Time Will Wait For No One.

New: Pearl Jam, Marcus King, Grace Cummings, Maggie Rogers, introducing The Wesleys

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Pearl Jam: Wreckage

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Dark Matter, the band's 12th album, "rages and riffs hard, but there are somber, pared-back, folksy meanders worthy of a long road trip" as well, says Paste Magazine. This track lands somewhere in between, building up in power as it rolls.

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Marcus King: Hero

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After emerging as a guitar prodigy and leading a rock band, King has been working with producer Rick Rubin and developing as a singer and songwriter as well. This track from Mood Swings is a co-write with Dan Auerbach, and American Songwriter calls it "a seamless blend of country and soul that showcases King’s crystalline vocals."

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Grace Cummings: On And On

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The Australian actor/singer's new album, Ramona, is made up of "lavishly orchestrated songs and rich, soulful vocals ... reflect[ing] on grief, self-destruction, and emotional violence," writes XPN.org. On this track, the lyrics are obscure, but the powerful voice is heavy with emotion - reminding us of the likes of Laura Marling and Florence Welch. 

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Maggie Rogers: The Kill

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Here's another track from Don't Forget Me, the singer-songwriter's third album. Pitchfork calls it "her strongest yet, the sound of a wise, clear-eyed, melodious prodigy coming into her own voice." It describes this song as "a churning spin on the push-pull dynamic of a doomed pairing, where Rogers employs the classic songwriter trick of flipping the pronouns in the second chorus."

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The Wesleys: A Lot To Lose

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This sprightly track comes from the self-titled debut album by a garage-pop quartet from Montreal. It has the uncluttered sound of truly indie rock, reflecting its DIY production in a band member's home studio. They cite the likes of Teenage Fanclub, The Pixies and The Replacements among their influences.

The latest from Bridget Kearney, Mark Knopfler, The Gaslight Anthem, Crumbs, Cadet Carter

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Bridget Kearney: If You're Driving

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With the release of the Comeback Kid album, we're featuring the opening track. All Access calls the LP a collection of "memorable songs that are as likable and infectious as anything she's done" as the bassist and main songwriter for Lake Street Dive. The reviewer says this song is one of several on the LP that "nicely recall the '80s work of artists like Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac."

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Mark Knopfler: Two Pairs Of Hands

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We're also featuring the opening track of the just-released One Deep River. Rock and Blues Muse says the track "finds (Knopfler) again referencing JJ Cale’s nonchalant rhythmic strum, bubbling with congas and his snakelike guitar slithering through a song about the difficulties of leading a band on stage with thousands watching. It’s classic Knopfler."

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The Gaslight Anthem: Ocean Eyes

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After recording the History Books EP released last year, Brian Fallon says, "We had an idea ... to record some acoustic versions... Then at the same time, I had been listening to this Billie Eilish song my daughter showed me on the way to school one morning called "Ocean Eyes" and I thought, ‘Hey, that would be a great song for The Gaslight Anthem to cover.'" The result is this track included on the band's new EP, History Books - Short Stories.

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Crumbs: You're Just Jealous

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This is the title and opening track of the upcoming sophomore album by a four-piece band from Leeds that packs punkish energy, driving beats and bouncy lyrics into tight two-minutes-and-change pop songs. This number is billed as "a plea for understanding - and an invitation to dance!"

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Cadet Carter: Strangers

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Here's another catchy track from the new album, Self-Maintenance, by this Munich-based band fronted by Welsh singer Nick Sauter. This song is a fresh take on the winding down of a relationship: "Maybe we're falling / Out of love and into place /  Maybe we're just strangers now."

Lenny Kravitz, Gary Clark Jr. & Stevie Wonder, Kaïa Kater, Chasing Kites, teepee bring new music

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Lenny Kravitz: Human

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His first LP release in a half-dozen years, Blue Electric Light, is due in May. Kravitz told American Songwriter this single is "about us as spiritual beings living this human existence and what that is. When you stop trying to please everybody and do what people are trying to get you to do. ... You find your lane. How freeing that is. That’s the basic message."

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Gary Clark Jr. & Stevie Wonder: What About the Children

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This is one of several collaborations on Clark's new album, JPEG RAW. As music journal No Depresion puts it, Stevie Wonder co-wrote and performs with him here on a song "whose biting social commentary rides a funky groove that recalls Wonder’s 'Living for the City.'" Not to mention other 70s-era songs like Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues."

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Kaïa Kater feat. Allison Russell: In Montreal

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Photo by Janice Reid

We have not often heard what we could call a hypnotic banjo tune, but this song from Kater's upcoming album Strange Medicine is exactly that. She and her collaborator on this song, Allison Russell, were born in Montreal, both with fathers from Grenada. Both are singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Kater says of this track: "I wanted to write an upbeat song about a poet feeling lost and aimless, tectonic plates stacked in their sink - a nod to Leonard Cohen, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, and all the other incredible songwriters of Montreal."

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Chasing Kites: Collide

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About a year and a half ago we featured the single "Shiver" by this indie-rock band from Bristol, UK. This latest single is a love song with a twist. Vocalist and lyricist Matt Donnelly says: "The track tells the story of how my parents fell in love in somewhat unusual circumstances, in that my dad was already married, and my mum in a long-term relationship. I find it incredibly romantic how their love for one another was strong enough to overcome this."

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teepee: broken silence

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This is the second single to emerge ahead of blue moon rising, the third album from the Czech dream-pop duo of Tereza Lavičková and Miroslav Patočka. The press release says they draw inspiration from the likes of Beach House in crafting an ethereal vibe on the track. "The song delves into the depths of inner emotions, expressing the desire for open communication and the longing for resolution in a beautifully poetic way."

New music picks: AWOLNation, Shayla McDaniel, Church of Trees, Local Natives, The Forever Now

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AWOLNation: Panoramic View

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We're not sure why this single is credited to "AWOLNATION & Aaron Bruno," since he's the guy behind the band name. He says he wrote the song at the beginning of the pandemic. "I wrote it to my scared little kid that I didn’t even have yet. I have twin boys now but we weren’t pregnant yet when I wrote it. Basically, I’m saying I’ll protect you, everything’s gonna be okay."

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Shayla McDaniel: Falling

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We continue to follow this prolific indie singer-songwriter from Knoxville, Tennessee. Her latest single speaks of trying to help someone who's caught in a downward spiral. "You’re falling / I can’t stop your motion / Though I'm trying to break your fall."

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Church of Trees: That's All

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This self-described synth-pop band from Ottawa debuted in 2017, but we're just catching up with them as they release their sixth studio album, Transience. Spill Magazine calls it "a dark album, musically and lyrically ... produced and arranged to perfection." The group consists of Bernard Frazer (vocals, synths, programming), Stella Panacci (vocals), Heather Brazeau (vocals), and Bob Prendergast (guitar), while Kellii Scott drums on this track.

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Local Natives: April

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Photo by Elizabeth Miiranda

The Los Angeles band is following up last year's Time Will Wait For No One with But I'll Wait For You - “Maybe not an answer to a question but an exhale to an inhale," says the band. "There is so little that’s in our control but among all this chaos, we can choose to be there for each other.” This is the first track from the album, which is set for release in (whaddyaknow) April.

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The Forever Now ft. Raene: Grounded Satellites

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Here's some more synthy music, from the project headed by Monty de Luna, a Canadian-Filipino writer and musician now based in Copenhagen. Its sound has drawn comparisons to M83, MGMT and Chvrches. De Luna is joined here by London singer Raene.

New indie music: Carsie Blanton, Bryan Hansen, Lightning Bug, Basement Revolver, Joywave

Our picks this week are all by indie artists, hailing from New Jersey (Carsie Blanton, Bryan Hansen Band), Brooklyn (Lightning Bug), Rochester, N.Y. (Joywave), and Hamilton, Ont. (Basement Revolver). All within a 9- to 10-hour drive. Let's go!

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Carsie Blanton: Right In The Middle Of It

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Her latest album, After The Revolution, encompasses the various strains of the singer-songwriter-bandleader's writing: political protest, humor, romance and - in this song for example - friendship. "When it don't work out / Well you know who to run to ... I'll be knocking at your front door / Cause that's what a friend′s for." Produced by Tyler Chester, the album features Blanton's regular bandmates - bassist Joe Plowman and keyboardist Patrick Firth - along with Griffin Goldsmith (Taylor's brother) and Sean Trischka (Tony's son) sharing drum/percussion duties, plus other guests.

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Bryan Hansen Band: Poison

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Ahead of an album expected later this spring comes this funky lament about "poison in the water, poison in the air" and other symptoms of environmental degradation. "What do I tell my grandkids / About the world we gave them?" The quick tempo aside, it brings to mind Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me."

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Lightning Bug: Opus

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This single from the upcoming album No Paradise is based on a ghost story written by band member Audrey Kang. "We imagined ‘Opus’ as a dystopian folk song written for a post-apocalyptic fantasy saga," the group says. "Or maybe it’s for the saga we’re all living in, as every year our humanity resigns itself to a world turning faster towards destruction." The track has hints of the flavor of '60s English folk rock, mixed with harder-edged guitar and electronic effects.

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Basement Revolver: Red Light

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This band was formed in 2020 by bassist-keyboardist Nim Agalawatte and guitarist-vocalist Chrisy Hurn, joined by lead guitarist Jonathan Malström and drummer Levi Kertesz. They say this song was inspired when Hurn got a traffic ticket "which was extremely frustrating because it was for a greater amount than their recent paycheck." Says Agalawatte: "Hopefully we’ve all learned to be a little more careful while driving!"

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Joywave: Scared

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About this lead single from the trio's upcoming fifth album, Permanent Pleasure, vocalist Daniel Armbruster says: "When I was growing up, every song about intimacy from the male perspective was oozing with confidence and sexual prowess. That just never felt honest or real to me and I wanted to make something for the next person growing up. ... There’s not something wrong with you."

New music by Willow, Alice Merton, Cadet Carter, Cloud Nothings, Dead Root Revival

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Willow: Symptom Of Life

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The LA-based musician has explored various styles of pop and rock over five albums, and takes a jazzy turn on this new single. “The song has a very beautiful whimsical nature but holds a lot of mystery,” says the 23-year-old daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith. “There’s this beautiful light coming in through the piano, but also this syncopated rhythm of the bass bringing in that mysterious element. A juxtaposition of light and dark.”

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Alice Merton: Run Away Girl

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Remembering her breakout song "No Roots," it's not surprising to hear Merton singing "Where the hell am I supposed to be? ... Who the hell am I supposed to be?" She says this new song "comes from an introspective look at oneself and feeling lost in the outside world, but especially feeling lost on the inside."

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Cadet Carter: My Favourite Place (feat. Kayleigh Goldsworthy)

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Although they describe themselves as an emo/punk band, their latest single fits solidly in what one might call the alternative mainstream (oxymoron much?). The Munich-based band, fronted by Welsh lead singer Nick Sauter, is joined by Philadelphia-based singer Goldsworthy on this track from its upcoming album Self Maintenance.

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Cloud Nothings: Running Through The Campus

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Photo by Errick Easterday

The Cleveland band’s eighth full-length album, Final Summer, comes out in a few weeks. This is the second pre-released single, which bandleader Dylan Baldi says was inspired by his own daily runs through a college campus near his home. He says the song "is about an intrusive thought I can have on those late-night runs, about whether or not it’s slightly depressing that I’m out running around alone while everyone else is gone and actually doing something, probably with other people."

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Dead Root Revival: Got In Store

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This classic-rock-style band from Kingston, Ont., has released a handful of live albums over the years and now has finally gotten around to putting out a studio LP. But The Controller's Exam was recorded mostly live-off-the-floor with producer David Barbe in Athens, Georgia. "Our goal with this record was to capture the energy of our live show, and really give DRR fans something special," says singer-songwriter-guitarist Tom Savage. The other band members are Tony Silvestri on keyboards, drummer Bonz Bowering and bassist Richard Piche.

Dear Rouge, Two Door Cinema Club, San Fermin, Lake Street Dive, Forest Sun in the New Music bin

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Dear Rogue: Goon

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The Vancouver alt-rock duo of Danielle and Drew McTaggart just released this single about "people in our lives that we'd like to forget" but who keep turning up, often in the most uncomfortable ways. Danielle says Drew "had a great idea of putting the line “go on” together to make the title of the song: “GOON” ... So this song goes out to everyone who has a “GOON” person in their life who just won’t leave you alone. It’s time to go away!"

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Two Door Cinema Club: Sure Enough

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This trio from Northern Ireland just released a new single - but this isn't it. We decided instead to catch up with their release from last fall, which NME called "an explosion of energy, featuring fizzing synths reminiscent of retro video games and spry electric guitar lines." The club's brand-new track, "Happy Customers," will find its way into our mix as well.

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San Fermin: Weird Environment

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This single comes from the new album Arms, the fifth studio LP by the eight-piece band from Brooklyn. Leader Ellis Ludwig-Leone says the song "is about the disorientation of a breakup, how your whole world feels suddenly fake and unpleasant." The video puts various A-I versions of Leone through various fantastic settings.

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Lake Street Dive: Good Together

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Some 20 years after the band was formed at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, it's preparing to release its eighth studio album in June - preceded by this, the title track. "We’ve been calling this record a 'joyful rebellion,'" the group said in a post. "There’s so much to be sad or angry or scared about in the world right now, but joy keeps you going." Relix calls this track "pitch-perfect power pop, featuring a duet between Rachel Price and Akie Bermiss atop a bouncing staccato synth riff, completed by exultant horns and an undeniably funky danceable backbeat."

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Forest Sun: Never Been

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We can't keep up with the prolific output of this troubadour from the San Francisco Bay area, who puts out new songs on a monthly basis between occasional albums. As we add this February track to the New Music Bin, we realize he's already released another, on Bandcamp and through Patreon. The litany-style lyric here starts with a nod to Paul Simon - "Never been laid so low" - and continues with a litany of experiences that may come as "Life keeps singing no matter what we say."

New music by Elephant Stone, Joywave, MGMT, The Greeting Committee, Teles

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Elephant Stone: Going Underground

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From the Montreal group's sixth studio album, Back Into The Dream, comes this track that Broadway World calls "a slice of high-powered jangle-pop with an infectious hook." Montreal Rocks writes that this song as "The Spark" (which we featured as a single in October) " showcase Rishi Dhir and the band's "ability to seamlessly blend elements of psych-pop with hints of folk and even jazz, resulting in a sound that is at once familiar and refreshingly original."

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Joywave: Brain Damage

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"A song about the absurdity of trying to be ‘ok’ in a time when everything is clearly not,” is how singer Daniel Armruster describes his band's new single. It comes as the group from Rochester, N.Y., launches a tour with Two Door Cinema Club.

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MGMT: Nothing To Declare

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Photo by Johan Freeman

The new album Loss of Life, the fifth from this Brooklyn duo, is described by AllMusic as "sounding like '70s soft rock and FM pop radio beaming in from an alternate galaxy where psychedelic thoughts were the norm."

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The Greeting Committee: Popmoneyhits

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We're not sure just how tongue-and-cheekily we're supposed to take a lyric that basically says, "You bet  I want to sell out and get rich," but we can certainly understand that sentiment coming from an indie band. This single comes from the Kansas City duo of Addie Sartino and Pierce Turcotte, who we're told are working on their third album.

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Teles: Olivia

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This group from Huddersfield, in West Yorkshire, UK, began in 2018 as The Boxteles. Its four members have been in the music business for years, we're told, and their band has been growing its sound "with heavier riffs, bigger hooks and serious sentiments." They describe this single as "a heartfelt 60’s-inspired Brit-Pop anthem" in which the protagonist urges a woman to break free from a bad relationship.