New Music Recommendations

Another week, and more new music on the way

But first, let me digress a little. This afternoon at 3pm (ET), David Vandervelde will be performing live on KEXP in Seattle. Those who know me know that I’m a big fan of KEXP and love that I can listen to it online. Especially check out their morning show with John Richards, and if you go to their website you’ll find an amazing archive of live performances and podcasts…The station is a great resource for finding new music. But back to the point at hand. David Vandervelde is a musician I discovered (along with the marvelous Brie Stoner) because of his work on the Nooma video soundtracks. David’s latest album The Moonstation House Band was released earlier this year on Secretly Canadian, and he is currently touring with another of my favorites, Richard Swift. I’m hard pressed to describe Vandervelde’s music, but the following words come to mind: organic, nostalgic, dream-like, and psychedelic. But you have to listen to get the full effect. Vandervelde has worked with numerous artists, including Mark Eitzel and Wilco’s Jay Bennett. So tune in this afternoon at 3pm (ET)/12pm(PT) and hear some great music.

Now the rest of this week’s recommended live radio performances, and where you can hear them online:

Monday, April 2 – Beck on The World Café with David Dye (WXPN-FM) 2-4 p.m. (ET)

Wednesday, April 4 – Richard Buckner on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic with my friend Nic Harcourt, 2:15 p.m. (ET). I first discovered Buckner when he appeared on MBE to promote his album Since and have remained a fan.

Dean & Britta on The World Café with David Dye (WXPN-FM) 2-4 p.m. (ET). These two co-founders of the band Luna are back with yet another great album, Back Numbers, and a style of music that will bring out your inner-grooviness with shades of Bacharach. So put on your go-go boots and enjoy the duo’s unique and dreamy brand of pop.

Thursday April 5 – Brandi Carlile on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, 2:15 p.m. (ET)

Friday, April 6 – Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic, 2:15 p.m. (ET).


In the meantime, here are some albums coming out tomorrow that you might be interested in:

First up, this is the 40th anniversary of Van Morrison branching out as a solo artist, and as a result his very first solo album, Blowin’ Your Mind is being re-released. This is the album that started it all, featuring songs such as “T.B. Sheets” and the classic “Brown Eyed Girl.” I have long been a fan of Morrison and have stated before that, in my humble opinion, Morrison is one of those rare artists who are incapable of putting out a bad record. Despite his varied styles and dabbling in diverse genres, I believe that every song and every album are solid efforts. He continues to put out incredible and relevant music, while staying true to himself.


Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
Poison the Well – Versions
The Academy is… - Santi

That's just a taste of some of the music I'm looking forward to hearing this week. Be sure to drop me a line and let me know what you're listening to...and if you decide to give a listen to any of the artists I've mentioned, let me know what you think.

And, oh yeah...baseball season is finally here. Go Phils!