System upgraded, music updated!

We had a bit of a crisis at Birch Street Studios on Sunday when our plans for a computer upgrade became, um, urgent. As in, our old system suddenly failed completely. Happily, the backup playlist at our broadcast host, SoniXcast, kicked in while we scrambled to get back in operation with some brand-new equipment. Even more happily, we were able to get our regular Marvelous Mix back "on the air" in about six hours.

Then we got back to the business of picking new music for the new week. Here are the latest additions to our New Music rotation:

• "Got Soul" is the first track from an upcoming new album with the same title by Robert Randolph and the Family Band. 
• Sting's new album, 57th & 9th, came out a few days ago. After playing the first single, "I Can't Stop Thinking About You," we're now adding "One Fine Day."
• The Shins have released a single, Dead Alive, ahead of their next album, due sometime next year.
• And we're catching up with the latest release from singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata, Tightrope Walker. Our pick for the New Music bin is "Let Me Be Your Girl."

We usually give more detail about our new-music picks, but right now we need to head back into the studio and finish uploading our big music library to the new system. Here's hoping it keeps rocking and rolling for a long time to come!

System upgraded, music updated!

We had a bit of a crisis at Birch Street Studios on Sunday when our plans for a computer upgrade became, um, urgent. As in, our old system suddenly failed completely. Happily, the backup playlist at our broadcast host, SoniXcast, kicked in while we scrambled to get back in operation with some brand-new equipment. Even more happily, we were able to get our regular Marvelous Mix back "on the air" in about six hours.

Then we got back to the business of picking new music for the new week. Here are the latest additions to our New Music rotation:

• "Got Soul" is the first track from an upcoming new album with the same title by Robert Randolph and the Family Band. 
• Sting's new album, 57th & 9th, came out a few days ago. After playing the first single, "I Can't Stop Thinking About You," we're now adding "One Fine Day."
• The Shins have released a single, Dead Alive, ahead of their next album, due sometime next year.
• And we're catching up with the latest release from singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata, Tightrope Walker. Our pick for the New Music bin is "Let Me Be Your Girl."

We usually give more detail about our new-music picks, but right now we need to head back into the studio and finish uploading our big music library to the new system. Here's hoping it keeps rocking and rolling for a long time to come!

Youthful sounds and other new music in our mix

By way of a music-promotion site (deucemusic.com) we recently came across a new single from a new band called Paper City Exile. We listened, we liked its rock-verging-on-punk sound and we decided to add "Song For Emily" to our New Music bin. Only then did we read up on this Western Massachusetts trio - and discover its members are still students at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School. High school, that is! We're not sure if this makes us feel old, or young in spirit.

The Los Angeles band Night Talks has released another single from its upcoming album - which is proving to be a very impressive debut. Following up on "Green" and "Mr. Bloom," the new track is "Jungle."

We're also putting another track from The Joy Formidable's new release Sleep Is Day into our New Music rotation. This one's called "Liana."

Our listeners are familiar with British prog-rock/psych-rock band Syd Arthur, whose second album Sound Mirror has been in our big music mix for some time. Lately we've been playing the first single/title track from their latest release, Apricity. Now the full album is out, and we're picking "Sun Rays" for our New Music rotation.

Likewise, we've been playing "Here In Spirit" from the new Jim James solo album Eternally Even, and now that the full collection is out we'll be pulling out more tracks - starting with one of the lighter, groovier tunes, "True Nature."

Youthful sounds and other new music in our mix

By way of a music-promotion site (deucemusic.com) we recently came across a new single from a new band called Paper City Exile. We listened, we liked its rock-verging-on-punk sound and we decided to add "Song For Emily" to our New Music bin. Only then did we read up on this Western Massachusetts trio - and discover its members are still students at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School. High school, that is! We're not sure if this makes us feel old, or young in spirit.

The Los Angeles band Night Talks has released another single from its upcoming album - which is proving to be a very impressive debut. Following up on "Green" and "Mr. Bloom," the new track is "Jungle."

We're also putting another track from The Joy Formidable's new release Sleep Is Day into our New Music rotation. This one's called "Liana."

Our listeners are familiar with British prog-rock/psych-rock band Syd Arthur, whose second album Sound Mirror has been in our big music mix for some time. Lately we've been playing the first single/title track from their latest release, Apricity. Now the full album is out, and we're picking "Sun Rays" for our New Music rotation.

Likewise, we've been playing "Here In Spirit" from the new Jim James solo album Eternally Even, and now that the full collection is out we'll be pulling out more tracks - starting with one of the lighter, groovier tunes, "True Nature."

Duos and solos: The latest in our New Music bin

As we check out new or indie bands, we seem to be finding a lot of musical duos - whether couples, ex-couples, siblings or just friends. Just off the top of our heads we can name Wild Belle (siblings), Ruen Brothers (siblings), The Wind & The Wave (couple), Fialta (two couples), Falls (not a couple anymore but still a band)... And now we add to the list:

Horses Heaven is a couple, Bijou and Analise, from the Northern California town of Sebastopol. Noisetrade.com turned us on to their debut album Before The Breakdown. It's an enjoyable collection of alt-folk-pop music, with Analise's clear and expressive voice backed by an interesting array of sounds and instruments - such as the muted trumpet that accents "Hello World," our pick for our New Music rotation. We expect to work more tracks into our playlist soon.

Merlot Embargo is a band that's built around a couple - songwriter/producers Scarlet and Geoff - and also includes a pair of brothers. They call themselves "a collective of human beings from Los Angeles who use guitars, voices, glockenspiels, fiddles, drum kits, horns, pianos, and bits of junk to create anthems for 21st century ailments." Their debut album is Don't Look Back, and "We All Fall Down" is our first taste (ha ha).

Meanwhile, British trio Bear's Den has become a duo and shifted a bit from the folk-rock sound of its first album to a more expansive, synth-y sound that's been compared to War On Drugs. We're adding the title track of its new release, "Red Earth and Pouring Rain."

Also this week, we're picking another track from the new Pretenders LP, Alone. This is really a Chrissy Hynde album, produced by the ubiquitous Dan Auerbach, with tracks like "Holy Commotion" and "Lets Get Lost" ready-made to be pop hits. We're putting "Never Be Together," with its somewhat heavier sound, into our New Music bin.

From a different vein - somewhere in the realm of gospel-soul-rock - comes Danielia Cotton. She's been recording for more than a decade, and we're just catching up, but when we heard her new single, "A Prayer," we were knocked out. Her powerful voice leads us through a thought-provoking lyric -- from an ominous opening ("There's a war in the world/it's getting closer to you/even in the red white & blue") through optimism ("Surely my world will be OK") to a question ("What God do you pray to?"). Hers is a voice to be reckoned with.

We hope you enjoy the variety in our mix. Let us know what you think, and tip us off to music you think we should check out. Comment on this page, or find us on Facebook or Twitter. And keep listening!