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We were busy slinging pledges and answering phones last week so didn't have a lot of extra time for new music listening, but nonetheless Kari found four belter new singles from THAO, The Womack Sisters, Greg Freeman and Ian Noe, to go along with our Album of the Week from Shannon Lay, and our Pick From '76 from the Band of Thieves.
Check out this week's suggestions from Music Director Kari Hedlund and Asst. Music Director Malachy Koons.
Albums
Album of the Week: Shannon Lay - Past the Veil
Seamlessly blending folk melodies, jazzy instrumentation and electronica, Past the Veil is a special fifth album from California singer-songwriter, Shannon Lay.
In the album's opening line, Lay sings "Bring us back to reality / Bring us back to love," setting up the lush contrast that define the next ten songs and 40 minutes. The album rolls out in a dreamlike summery haze and your only anchor to reality is Lay's voice.
It's an instrument that's instantly ear-catching, a smoky alto that commands your attention not with its huge range, but through the steadiness of her delivery and the self-assuredness in her words.
Again there is contrast, as the words she sings explore questions of reality, past versus present, and human consciousness.
I know that any time I see words like "lush" and "dreamlike" describing an album, in the back of mind I worry it might all sound the same, but Past the Veil shows how to maintain a theme without becoming dull or repetitive.
"I Need More Water" puts a bow on the album like a lazy disco river, "Moving" has the sweeping grandiosity of a trip-hop classic, "The Calling" is all '70s folk-rock and Lay experiments on "Whom the Gods Destroy" and "Sky Song."
This is just the tip of the iceberg, every song on Past the Veil has something to offer and mysteries to unlock. -MK
Singles
THAO - "Sick of the Times"
After putting the Thao & the Get Down Stay Down project away in 2021, THAO is back with the ultimate collab in this new song with Tune-Yards and The Linda Lindas. In a pointed track that is, well, pointedly 'sick of the times,' this song is a call to the frustration that these times can bring. The energy is palpable, a little chaotic, and most of all makes you want to get any negative energy out on the dancefloor. This is going be a jam for me this summer. -KH
The Womack Sisters - "If I Let You"
Released a few weeks ago, I cannot get enough of the latest single from the soul dynasty ahead of their album release on August 14, 2026. The first notes of the song channels Latin rhythms before going full-on timeless soul with call and response, incredible harmonies and understated production. Their self-titled debut album has got to be one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2026. It is for me, anyway! -KH
Greg Freeman - "Indu"
The definition of a "choogle" includes a bouncing and repeating groove with a mix of country twang with electric guitar. In other words? Just listen to the new single from Greg Freeman and you'll understand the meaning. Upon closer listens, you'll find the song a little jagged and unconventional, filled with slacker-rock energy. From his upcoming album, All Set The Bone, out October 2, 2026, this is a song that hits the moment you press play. -KH
Ian Noe - "The Heidelberg Fisherman's Ball"
The twang is strong in this new song from one of Kentucky's revered songwriters. Off an upcoming concept album, Canyon Falls Trailer Band, Noe plays in a fictional band looking to entice the music industry through a variety of genres. After a writing rut for Noe, this song came to him quickly and became the inspiration for the concept. What the rest of the album holds remains to be seen/heard, but "The Heidelberg Fisherman's Ball" is a great start. -KH
Pick From '76
Band of Thieves - Band of Thieves
We’re digging deep while staying right here in Minnesota for our next Pick From '76 with Band of Thieves' one and only (self-titled) album. The Minneapolis funk and soul band formed in 1973 with the who's who of the Minnesota soul scene, including members from The Valdons and Rondo neighborhood legends, The Amazers.
The 9-piece band recorded and released their debut album at the famed Sound 80 studios in 1976, drawing on earlier '70s soul works like Innervisions, Super Fly and What’s Going On, pairing socially minded songs about the realities of being Black in America with dancefloor ready boogies and classic soul love songs.
Band of Thieves would record one more album, but their label dropped them before it was released, shelving it forever as the band broke up soon after. You can hear one song from it, "Thieves in the Funkhouse," on Secret Stash's amazing Twin Cities Funk & Soul compilation.
Hearing their debut now, it’s hard to see why the group did not find success, with hip shakers, sweet soul hooks and smart commentary aplenty. Despite their brief history, Band of Thieves and their debut are a key piece of Minnesota music history, and part of the ongoing acknowledgement that Prince did not appear out of thin air, but from a vibrant, talented and briefly flourishing soul and funk scene. -MK
