THIS WEEK'S KEY RELEASES
Jesca Hoop _ "Memories Are Now"
"Memories Are Now" brings the idiosyncratic nature of Hoop's individual artistic design to the forefront with as much grace and freneticism as she has always born, although to a newly expanded audience and with a bit more production polish, to boot. Comparisons to First-Aid Kit are unavoidable, all said, given that right out of the gate, Hoop showcases her penchant for making vocal harmonies altogether outre and palliative on the album's title track. Angelic and peculiar, "Memories Are Now" highlights Hoop's masterful abilities as a songwriter to make the unusual feel comforting and familiar. _ Jonathan Frahm
Lupe Fiasco _ "DROGAS Light"
Mother Mother _ "No Culture"
Sinkane _ "Life & Livin' It"
Teen Daze _ "Themes For Dying Earth"
The Sadies _ "Northern Passages"
Thievery Corporation _ "The Temple of I & I"
NOW HEAR THIS
The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band _ "We Deserve a Happy Ending"
Indiana's Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band is huge on the tour circuit, playing more than 250 shows a year and possessing one of the most charismatic frontmen on the blues scene. Now Reverend Peyton is stepping out with an album of more stripped-down, casual performances called The Front Porch Sessions. "It started as a literal whim on my part, but it turned into something really special," Reverend Peyton says. "I wanted it to feel like you're on my front porch. You can almost hear the wood creaking. "These recordings have that handcrafted homey feeling down pat as they crackle with heart and authenticity. _ Sarah Zupko
(http://popm.at/2kRn0Ee)
WATCH THIS
Austra _ "I Love You More Than You Love Yourself"
An understated, gleaming synthpop gem that reveals Austra at their most graceful. Katie Stelmanis delivers lines like, "There is nothing in your soul tonight / I only see darkness" in a sober, plaintive, utterly empathic tone, yet this song is also pure light. Written about loving somebody with depression, the accompanying video gives an honest yet compassionate treatment of astronaut Lisa Nowak's story, rewriting exploitative and pathologizing narratives regarding her mental illness. Compared to other tracks on the band's latest album, "Future Politics," "I Love You More..." provides a subtler manifesto, a vision of progressivism as real compassion. Among the warmest tracks in the band's catalog thus far. _ Andrew Paschal
(https://youtu.be/AE9ePc0OTjs)
Thundercat _ "Show You The Way" (feat. Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins)
Once again, Thundercat is the master of taking us all back to a smooth, bygone era of seamless, laid-back funk. Recruiting McDonald and Loggins is the real coup here _ the grooves are silky bedroom sheets but the Steely Dan funk of the vocals really drive it home. There are some people who would cringe at this type of concoction, but for anyone who pines for the adult contemporary urban smoothness circa 1979-1981 and thinks Bibio is too "out there", this is the perfect fit. _ Chris Ingalls
(https://youtu.be/62EmHhZSjEI)
Goldfrapp _ "Anymore"
A breathless, bass-heavy return to sensual electroclash from the queen of it. Goldfrapp's voice grinds against growling beats with hedonistic urgency, and when she says she can't wait anymore, she sounds like she means it. Lyrically and rhythmically straightforward, "Anymore" isn't breaking any barriers, but it's an ecstatic, old-school dance track, and makes no apologies for its smooth, sexy ease. A dirty, unbridled get-down tune that promises a good time. _ Adriane Pontecorvo
