The Milk - "Trouble Gonna Bring Me Down"

Trouble might be bringing Wickford blues/soul act down, but this track is going to be lifting you up!

Share Some Love

If you follow this blog on the regular then you know I've talked about labels like Tru Thoughts, Finders Keepers, ZZK, Strut and Soundway. If you dug any of that stuff, then you're in luck. The fine folks behind those even finer record labels have banded together for the seventh installment of Label Love, a compilation featuring selections from their recent catalog. AND IT'S FREE. Get it, and then chase down full-lengths from the likes of Nicola Cruz, flako, Quantic presents The Western Transient and more and support the folks that put this thing together.

Charles Murdoch - "Frogs" Feat. Ta-ku, Wafia & Hak

Somehow I missed the boat on Charles Murdoch, the Aussie released an EP called Weathered Straight on Future Classic two years ago but despite keeping tabs on FC, I hadn't heard it. The track below only popped up on my radar because I follow Ta-Ku and it was shared on their account. Believe you me I'm going back in time on anything this silk-smooth vocalist has done and have my eye on him for the future.

Nicola Cruz - "Colibria"

 After a collab with Nicholas Jaar dating back to 2012, Ecuadorian Nicola Cruz is rocking it solo on Argentinian label ZZK Records. Self-described "Andes Step," this is some pretty chill stuff that also fits the folktronica bill and hearkens back to one of my favourite touchstone records, the Folky compilation.

Long Beard - Sleepwalker

I don't think I've sung the praises of Winnipeg artist astre on this blog before, but I've had the good fortune to see them perform live a few times as well as the great pleasure of recording a live session at UMFM. Listening to Sleepwalker from New Brunswick, New Jersey act Long Beard, I can't help but think of the local corollary - but with a fuller sound as guitarist/vocalist Leslie Bear is accompanied by drummer Stefan Koekemoer and bassist Tom Christie.

One of the tags the band applied to Sleepwalker on their Bandcamp page is "drone folk" - I kinda like that descriptor, though it doesn't completely do justice to what Long Beard are doing on this album and the plethora of tags suggest they know how difficult it is to pin down what's going on. Though one tag would suffice: GREAT.

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.

Peru - "I Need You"

 I'm a little flummoxed that these guys have played on the Warped Tour (maybe their core audience has changed?) but damned if this isn't some catchy, summery pop to brighten your days. Their EP, Ordinary People, isn't out til December but you can check out "I Need You" now.