Friday Release Picks (8/20/21)
Andrew Belle — Nightshade Listen to First: My Poor Heart
Per his Spotify bio:
“Andrew Belle writes songs by feel. The composition comes first. The melody follows. Only after Belle has an internal reaction to the composition do the lyrics finally come. Finding the right words to express what has always been there, but is only now being fully realized. Track by track. Belle writes songs by feel and Nightshade is a vibe. When it came time to record his fourth full-length album, the Chicago-based singer-songwriter, chose to take his trusted collaborators to the vaunted Sonic Ranch Studios, located on the US-Mexico border in Tornillo, Texas. The studio compound, which sits on a 1,700-acre pecan orchard, boasts the world’s largest residential recording studio complex and has been the birthplace of albums by Bon Iver, Beach House and a slew of other notable artists. A good portion of Nightshade takes on a subject that has become part of our cultural zeitgeist — mental health. Specifically, how we deal with life itself and why a lot of us seem to be drawn toward unhealthy coping mechanisms. While a few tracks address these themes head on — ‘Spectrum’, ‘Inside Voices’ and ‘Surprise Surprise’ — the album as a whole serves as a soundtrack for anyone driving out of a season of perpetual midnight in their life; toward a sunrise that is a little more hopeful — through a desert just north of the border. Nightshade is a vibe.”
Bad Tuner — self care EP Listen to First: Back to Me
Per Bad Tuner’s Spotify bio:
“Bad Tuner arrived to Brooklyn, New York in 2015 and since then has been working by day in a light laboratory developing a synthetic replacement for the sun. His evenings are spent in his studio, collaborating with musicians all around the world — using language as a means of transcending time and place. Since his debut in 2018 — bad tuner has toured and released music with TokiMonsta, shared the stage with electronic tastemakers Bon Entendeur, Catching Flies, and Beshken, collaborated with New York Times journalist Ian Urbina by writing a score for The Outlaw Ocean, and has had his music placed on countless tastemaker playlists and radio stations globally.”
Danielle Cormier — Reflexion Listen to First: Riverside
Per her Spotify bio:
“Danielle Cormier is a Nashville based singer-songwriter that has a passion for music that has been prevalent in her life since she was five years old. She learned how to play the piano, guitar, and then eventually started writing songs. Over the course of her career, Danielle has recorded a song with legendary musician Peter Frampton, performed with Vince Gill, and opened for Trace Adkins. She also released a Christmas song called “Christmas is You” that has over three million streams on Spotify. With honest songwriting and vocals that are similar to Norah Jones and Sara Bareilles, Danielle creates music that is both approachable and captivating.”
David Duchovny — Gestureland Listen to First: Everything is Noise
Per his Spotify bio:
“Gestureland (August 20th) is a melancholy, occasionally noisy but ultimately beautiful affair, and another creative triumph for its architect: Musician-actor-author David Duchovny. While fans may know him best for his screen work (The X-Files, Californication), Duchovny has carved out a larger creative role over the years, authoring four books and releasing three albums while earning raves (and a dedicated fanbase) for his live shows. While the feelings on Gestureland are intimate, the music is expansive: It evokes 70s California pop, alternative rock, folk and country. “Nights Are Harder These Days’’ serves as a rollickin’ album opener (shades of Neil Young here), while “Holding Patterns” is softer and orchestral. And ballads such as “Pacific Coast Highway,” “Tessera” and “Sea of Tranquility” find the singer in a more plaintive realm. In its own right, it’s timeless music. “I wouldn’t go about imitating anyone,” says Duchovny. “But for me it’s about classic rock, the British Invasion, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Aimee Mann — you fall in love with certain sounds.” Most of the album written during a fraught time in our country, reflected most directly on the early single “Layin’ on the Tracks,” an urgent rocker the singer released just before the presidential election. Here, lines like “This civil war we’ve been fighting in/Since before the flood/Yeah, there’s part of us that’s always been/At home in the blood” feel damn prophetic.”
Jany Green — Lost in Love EP Listen to First: Lover
Per his bio:
“Alaska-born, LA-based artist Jany Green defies classification. In a short amount of time, the dynamic artist has received broad tastemaker support in praise of his joyful and uplifting vocals, anchored by warm and organic production. “I love experimenting with sounds and genre-hopping, and Jany brings out the best in me, musically and emotionally. I make music to help people forget about the negative, even if only for a few minutes, and remember what happiness feels like.””
Johnny Yukon — Flight Plan 001 Listen to First: Can’t Stop
Per his Spotify bio:
“Over a smoked-out mélange of R&B, abstract pop, and hip-hop, Pennsylvania-born and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter-producer Johnny Yukon threads together an all-encompassing experience. Through grainy visuals captured on Super 8 film and fashion-forward stills rooted in vintage, yet modern panache, Yukon upholds consistent cinematic motifs across sound and style. His world draws as