Follow us on Instagram so you'll never miss Fresh Picks!
Check out this week's suggestions from Asst. Music Director Malachy Koons and Volunteer Coordinator Dan Gannon.
Albums
Remember Sports - The Refrigerator
Scrawled across the front cover of Philadelphia band Remember Sports’ new album is a Geoffrey Chaucer quote, "The lyf is so short, the craft so long to lerne.”
Is the craft in question music making? Is it the ability to navigate adulthood as you move through life? Or to understand the complexities of the countless interpersonal relationships that you will have (both explored eloquently on the album by lead singer Carmen Perry)? What’s clear is the band has “lerned” their craft on their fifth album, The Refrigerator, an exceptional blend of indie-rock, punk, country and folk. It's KAXE's Album of the Week. - MK
Altın Gün - Garip
Neşet Ertaş was a mythical figure in Turkish folk music, whose songs paved the way for the original heyday of Anatolian rock music in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. Lead singer, keyboardist and bağlama player, Erdinç Ecevit, recalls listening to Ertaş on his grandfather’s cassettes. Dutch-Turkish psych rockers, Altın Gün, lovingly pay tribute to Ertaş in this new album by covering 10 of his songs in their trademark modern take on Anatolian rock. - MK
Ancient Cat Society - Lonely Times
While describing music as "folk" might conjure up images of someone sitting in a corner with an acoustic guitar that gently weeps, this crew from Houston has other ideas of what "folk" might be.
Beautiful vocal harmonies start the record off wonderfully on "City Breathes," joined by a softly insistent keyboard and up-tempo drum beat. Whether we want to label it "freak folk," "indie-Americana" or whatever, a tune like "Could've Been" keeps us guessing ... in a good way! These cats don't sit in one place for too long. Produced by Steve Christensen (Khruangbin, Vieux Farka Touré), the sound of Lonely Times is similarly cinematic in scope to the other groups he has worked with. At the end of the day, it's all about the harmonies as Haley Barnes and Sergio Trevino blend their voices to supreme effect throughout the gentle wanderings of Ancient Cat Society. - DG
Singles
David Huckfelt - "Chief Seattle's Dream (ft. Laura Hugo)"
A pair of Minnesota musicians bring us a beautiful duet that was recently featured on the critically acclaimed television series Dark Winds. Hugo’s voice is a fitting addition to the Huckfelt-penned song that spans history and geography through references to numerous tribes, environment degradation, inequality and a famous speech by the songs’ namesake. - MK
Kevin Morby - "Javelin"
Joined by members of Sylvan Esso and The Barr Brothers, Morby gives us a tune from the fields of Missouri, where he frames his life as a touring musician in a relationship with another touring musician and the ensuing longing their schedules create. Somehow, it's joyous yet melancholic at the same time. In fact, it feels celebratory by the end, and that's not an easy trick. - DG
Mirah - "Catch My Breath"
If you’re not familiar with Mirah, the Brooklyn-based songwriter has made sweet and tender pop songs since the late ‘90s. In 2020, she celebrated 20 years of her landmark K Records release, You Think It’s Like This But Really It’s Like This, and now she’s following that up with her first new music in over seven years. From the synths to the big chorus, “Catch My Breath” is a heart on the sleeve ‘80s pop-rock banger. - MK
Cary Morin - "I Remember You"
The opening track to his latest album, Pocket of Time, “I Remember You” is another slice of moving Native Americana from Crow musician Cary Morin. His music has always had a timeless feel to it, and Morin takes that vibe to new heights on a country song about the power of memory. Even if someone is no longer physically in your life, if they meant enough to you, your memories will keep them with you. - MK
