Kirsten Ludwig - "Something I Wanted To Know"

I'm not sure when I first landed on Kirsten Ludwig's Facebook page, but at some point I 'liked' it and so when her new album We Get It Now showed up in this morning's mail from Oscar St. Records, the name resonated. And on the topic of resonating, while I was in from opener "Back to Bed," it was the closing track that did me in and fully won me over. There is a hush to this entire record, but it's most effectively deployed on this languid waltz of a tune that is the epitome of melancholy. Ludwig's voice barely rises above a whisper and yet it soars beyond the reach of the ringing, reverbed guitars. This is some Galaxie 500 fronted by Tamara Lindeman type stuff here and the beautiful pairing of music and voice might distract you from just how gutting lyrics like "I wish you knew / The woman I was / Two years ago / When I felt like someone" actually are.

Haley Blais - "Let Yourself Go"

Vancouver artist Haley Blais just released the EP Let Yourself Go last week. "Small Foreign Faction" is apparently the cut that's taking off, but for me the title-track is just an irrepressible slice of pop sunshine. Blais is hitting the road in support of the EP and will play Forth on May 1st at a show that is somehow by donation but also indicates there can be advance ticket-holders. I may be puzzled over that, but I'm certain Blais is one to check out.

This Flame I Carry - "Dustbowls"

 These are the tags Noah Cebuliak - aka This Flame I Carry - lists at the bottom of the Bandcamp page for new album Taboos: folk r&b jazz lofi neo-soul prog folk

If you're not intrigued by a fairly disparate group of genres, then I doubt you're following RR on the regular. The spooky bells, Cebuliak's wispy vocals and haunting violin on "Dustbowls" are all underpinned by Patrick Latreille's phenomenal acoustic bass.

Can't wait to hear the rest of the album.

Milk - Late Bloomer EP

"You don't hate me like you should" sings Milk on opener "Don't Laugh." It's true, I don't hate them - in fact I'm smitten with their jangly slacker tunes that suggest The Monkees and Pavement had a musical baby.

Summering - S/T

This is so in my wheelhouse it's not even funny. I feel like Summering is target-marketing my brain. If you like gauzy, epic post-rock/shoegaze hybrids, then you can join me in the deep end that is Summering's S/T.

Shimmering Stars - "Shadow Visions"

Andrew from Shimmering Stars joins me on my radio show tomorrow night. We talked about the band's stellar new record Bedrooms of the Nation. It's a huge departure from their debut LP Violent Hearts, and that difference is readily apparent on "Shadow Visions" (which is a free download right now). Catch them at The Windsor on July 28th if you're in Winnipeg and pick up the new album August 13th.