Our latest picks from new & classic artists

This week we introduce you to a new American band and an emerging English singer-songwriter - and to the latest releases from one of last year's breakout acts and two returning stars.

The New Respects are bringing a fresh style to rock'n'roll - and breaking down stereotypes while they're at it. Twins Alexandria (guitar) and Alexis (bass) Fitzgerald, their brother Darius (drums) and cousin Jasmine Mullen (lead singer) grew up in Tennessee surrounded by Gospel and contemporary Christian music. But when they formed a band in their teens, they started out playing folk-rock, taking cues from Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers. Along the way they started listening to a wide range of rockers, from The Beatles to Alabama Shakes, and their sound morphed into a high-energy mix of rock and pop with flavorings of funk and soul.

In an interview with NPR's World Cafe, Mullen talked about defying expectations. "A lot of people, I know when they see us they're like, 'Y'all are about to do some R&B or some gospel.' Then they see us come out on stage with guitars and they're like, 'What?'"

We listened to their new EP Here Comes Trouble and were like, "Wow!" We're adding "Frightening Lightning" to our New Music bin, and other tracks are sure to find their way into our mix.

From Essex, England, comes Tom Ryder, a singer-songwriter who's been playing the U.K. folk circuit for several years and issued his first EP last year. He has a new single coming out next week and we've got an advance copy. "Here We Go Again" is a wry look at a relationship that develops into more than expected. "He swears it's not official/But he's got a tattoo of her initials."

The Record Company, whose debut LP made a big splash last year with its blues-rock-revival sound, is back with a new single, "Baby I'm Broken." Full disclosure: This song isn't exactly new - it was previously released on an EP in 2013. But it's being re-released, and it's new to us and probably most of our listeners, so we're giving it a ride in our New Music rotation.

The opening riff of "Long Time," the new single from Blondie deliberately hearkens back to "Heart of Glass," and the song would not have been out of place at an 80s party. It also fits well into today's music scene, where updates of 60s, 70s and 80s sounds mix happily together. The upcoming album Pollinator features Debbie Harry with writing collaborator/guitarist Chris Stein and Blondie's founding drummer Clem Burke, with appearances by the Smith's Johnny Marr, Dev Hynes of Blood Orange plus Joan Jett and Laurie Anderson. It's due May 5.

We're happy to hear a new album is coming April 28 from The Cranberries. Something Else is billed as a celebration of the Irish band's 25th anniversary, and will include reworkings of several of the band's classic songs, some in stripped-down acoustic style and some with orchestral arrangements. It will also include new songs, and the first to be released is "Why," which Dolores O'Riordan wrote after the passing of her father but had not recorded until now.

Our latest picks from new & classic artists

This week we introduce you to a new American band and an emerging English singer-songwriter - and to the latest releases from one of last year's breakout acts and two returning stars.

The New Respects are bringing a fresh style to rock'n'roll - and breaking down stereotypes while they're at it. Twins Alexandria (guitar) and Alexis (bass) Fitzgerald, their brother Darius (drums) and cousin Jasmine Mullen (lead singer) grew up in Tennessee surrounded by Gospel and contemporary Christian music. But when they formed a band in their teens, they started out playing folk-rock, taking cues from Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers. Along the way they started listening to a wide range of rockers, from The Beatles to Alabama Shakes, and their sound morphed into a high-energy mix of rock and pop with flavorings of funk and soul.

In an interview with NPR's World Cafe, Mullen talked about defying expectations. "A lot of people, I know when they see us they're like, 'Y'all are about to do some R&B or some gospel.' Then they see us come out on stage with guitars and they're like, 'What?'"

We listened to their new EP Here Comes Trouble and were like, "Wow!" We're adding "Frightening Lightning" to our New Music bin, and other tracks are sure to find their way into our mix.

From Essex, England, comes Tom Ryder, a singer-songwriter who's been playing the U.K. folk circuit for several years and issued his first EP last year. He has a new single coming out next week and we've got an advance copy. "Here We Go Again" is a wry look at a relationship that develops into more than expected. "He swears it's not official/But he's got a tattoo of her initials."

The Record Company, whose debut LP made a big splash last year with its blues-rock-revival sound, is back with a new single, "Baby I'm Broken." Full disclosure: This song isn't exactly new - it was previously released on an EP in 2013. But it's being re-released, and it's new to us and probably most of our listeners, so we're giving it a ride in our New Music rotation.

The opening riff of "Long Time," the new single from Blondie deliberately hearkens back to "Heart of Glass," and the song would not have been out of place at an 80s party. It also fits well into today's music scene, where updates of 60s, 70s and 80s sounds mix happily together. The upcoming album Pollinator features Debbie Harry with writing collaborator/guitarist Chris Stein and Blondie's founding drummer Clem Burke, with appearances by the Smith's Johnny Marr, Dev Hynes of Blood Orange plus Joan Jett and Laurie Anderson. It's due May 5.

We're happy to hear a new album is coming April 28 from The Cranberries. Something Else is billed as a celebration of the Irish band's 25th anniversary, and will include reworkings of several of the band's classic songs, some in stripped-down acoustic style and some with orchestral arrangements. It will also include new songs, and the first to be released is "Why," which Dolores O'Riordan wrote after the passing of her father but had not recorded until now.

New music from bands of all ages

Our latest batch of new music includes tunes from bands you know well and others that perhaps you have not yet discovered. Come discover them with us!

Useless Cities is a quartet from London that formed just about a year ago and has been busily touring clubs and festivals around that city. Their sound has been called "somewhere between indie and post-rock." The mix of male and female vocals is perhaps a bit reminiscent of Arcade Fire, and they've also drawn comparisons to The National and Future Islands. They have just a handful of recorded tracks so far. From their second EP we're bringing you "New Feelings," with the refrain, "new feelings inside/new feelings, trapped inside."

San Fermin, the project of Brooklyn songwriter/musician Ellis Ludwig-Leone, is bringing out its third album, Belong, next month. We're featuring "No Promises," a song "about the fear of disappointing those who’ve placed their trust in you." Charlene Kaye's vocal is front and center on this track, with the lyric: "I won't promise/if you follow me around/I won't let you down."

Back in January we introduced you to Ha Ha Tonka, a band from Missouri that draws its influences from both modern-indie and Southern rock. We've been playing tracks from their 2013 album Lessons, and now we have their new release, Heart-Shaped Mountain. "This is our 'love album,' and love can be a scary thing," says writer/singer/guitarist Brian Roberts. There are thoughtful and poignant songs in this collection - but our initial pick for the New Music rotation is the energetic "Race To The Bottom."

Real Estate's fourth album, In Mind, has just been released, and after featuring the single "Darling" for several weeks, we're now adding "Stained Glass" to our New Music bin. Of the three New Jersey natives who formed the core of the band - singer/guitarist Martin Courtney, lead guitarist Matt Monandile and bassist Alex Bleeker - Monandile has now departed. His replacement is another old friend from New Jersey, Julian Lynch. "I’ve known Julian since I was 14 years old, so the whole process was extremely comfortable and really positive,” Courtney told Salon.

The fifth band dropping into our New Music bin this week needs no introduction at all. The single "Hypnotised" is a gentle, sad-but-hopeful tune that will appear on Kaleidoscope, an EP due in June from Coldplay. You've heard of them, we trust?

New music from bands of all ages

Our latest batch of new music includes tunes from bands you know well and others that perhaps you have not yet discovered. Come discover them with us!

Useless Cities is a quartet from London that formed just about a year ago and has been busily touring clubs and festivals around that city. Their sound has been called "somewhere between indie and post-rock." The mix of male and female vocals is perhaps a bit reminiscent of Arcade Fire, and they've also drawn comparisons to The National and Future Islands. They have just a handful of recorded tracks so far. From their second EP we're bringing you "New Feelings," with the refrain, "new feelings inside/new feelings, trapped inside."

San Fermin, the project of Brooklyn songwriter/musician Ellis Ludwig-Leone, is bringing out its third album, Belong, next month. We're featuring "No Promises," a song "about the fear of disappointing those who’ve placed their trust in you." Charlene Kaye's vocal is front and center on this track, with the lyric: "I won't promise/if you follow me around/I won't let you down."

Back in January we introduced you to Ha Ha Tonka, a band from Missouri that draws its influences from both modern-indie and Southern rock. We've been playing tracks from their 2013 album Lessons, and now we have their new release, Heart-Shaped Mountain. "This is our 'love album,' and love can be a scary thing," says writer/singer/guitarist Brian Roberts. There are thoughtful and poignant songs in this collection - but our initial pick for the New Music rotation is the energetic "Race To The Bottom."

Real Estate's fourth album, In Mind, has just been released, and after featuring the single "Darling" for several weeks, we're now adding "Stained Glass" to our New Music bin. Of the three New Jersey natives who formed the core of the band - singer/guitarist Martin Courtney, lead guitarist Matt Monandile and bassist Alex Bleeker - Monandile has now departed. His replacement is another old friend from New Jersey, Julian Lynch. "I’ve known Julian since I was 14 years old, so the whole process was extremely comfortable and really positive,” Courtney told Salon.

The fifth band dropping into our New Music bin this week needs no introduction at all. The single "Hypnotised" is a gentle, sad-but-hopeful tune that will appear on Kaleidoscope, an EP due in June from Coldplay. You've heard of them, we trust?

Farewell to Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry, whose rollicking songs, springy guitar riffs and onstage duck walk defined rock & roll during its early years and for decades to come, died on Saturday. See CNN's report above; read Rolling Stone's report here.

We're currently featuring tracks from this collection on Birch Street Radio.