Just a few of the amazing musicians that came out of Grammy Camp this past week in Los Angeles are featured on this playlist. The camp held an eclectic mix of artists, whether they create electronic music or alternative. For more on any of these artists, follow them on their Soundclouds.
The Melodic Tree’s 5 Favorite Albums of 2015 So Far: #1 I Love You, Honeybear
Josh Tillman, under the pseudonym of Father John Misty, has returned this year with I Love You, Honeybear, the much-anticipated follow-up to Fear Fun, and gives a passionate performance throughout the album. The obvious stand-out track on the LP is the hit, “Chateau Lobby #4 (In C for Two Virgins)” in which it has a massive sound to it with its brass and strings arrangements. Another stand-out track was the following song, “True Affection” which maintains Tillman’s classic lyrics but with an electronic sound to it, straying away from the general vibe of the album as a whole. Overall, this album is an ode to his wife, and a sincere one, demonstrating the intimacy and closeness he has felt out of it.
The Melodic Tree’s 5 Favorite Albums of 2015 So Far: #2 Goon
The heart-wrenching debut album from Tobias Jesso Jr. will pull at the heartstrings of anyone, no matter whether or not they have experienced the same level of heartbreak as Jesso expresses on Goon. He has an ability to express simplicity and yet still display his emotions in a powerful way. The moving and slow stand-out track, “How Could You Babe” builds up until it reaches the climatic chorus and stays that way until the contemplative ending, where there is still the hint of desperation from his heartbreak. In general, this LP is a simple and yet special album that anyone could relate to.
The Melodic Tree’s 5 Favorite Albums of 2015 So Far: #3 Vestiges And Claws
Singer-songwriter, José González, returned this year with self-produced Vestiges and Claws and even when there are other instruments, González seems alone throughout each track. Through the subtle layers in every song, his voice remains soft and gentle with the cyclical guitar. In “The Forest”, the flute and cello seem to add to the solitude expressed in the album. Although his songs are soft and gradual, they have big themes such as how one could situate in the world and how to make your voice heard. As a record that meditates on the nature of humans, González manages to carry that theme throughout.
The Melodic Tree’s 5 Favorite Albums of 2015 So Far: #4 To Pimp A Butterfly
The highly anticipated album from Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp A Butterfly, has a cinematic way of dealing with its themes, networking a variety of dramas and a variety of characters. Lamar has an overarching mood of chaos and wryness, seemingly all at once sometimes, but underneath the chaos, there is the narrative of trying to avoid the sultry manifestation of the devil, Lucy as well as saying his fame has not helped his family at home in the track “u”. Behind the tragedy shown throughout the album, it is a celebration to continue living no matter what.
The Melodic Tree’s 5 Favorite Albums of 2015 So Far: #5 No Cities To Love
After a decade-long silence, Sleater-Kinney breaks it with their eighth album, No Cities To Love. This album continues the band’s legacy of skepticism, intellect, and emotional capacity they had maintained over their previous seven albums. The trio’s urgency for change is part of Sleater-Kinney’s identity and is shown especially in this album, although they still maintain their low-tuned rock tropes with an essence of punk. No Cities To Love is the band’s most accessible album, incorporating a new pop sound into it, with shouted choruses that reel in the listener. Much like their previous work, the lyrics are immensely empathetic, and even after ten years, Sleater-Kinney can still bring in more and more listeners.
The Tallest Man On Earth announces US tour dates
Swedish singer-songwriter The Tallest Man on Earth, Kristian Matsson, released his fourth studio album, the lushly melodic Dark Bird is Home. He will be touring with that record for the next few months, including a leg of new U.S. tour dates.
The tour in the states will start in Seattle at the Moore Theatre before going to cities like Portland, Denver, Chicago, and Wichita. The full itinerary is below.
The Tallest Man on Earth 2015 Tour Dates:
06/24 – Antwerp, BE @ Openlucht Theater
06/25 – Paris, FR @ Divan Du Monde
06/28 – Stockholm, SE @ Gota Lejon
06/29 – Stockholm, SE @ Gota Lejon
06/30 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
07/02 – Goteborg, SE @ Pustervik
06/27-07/04 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/17-19 – Louisville, KY @ Forecastle
07/17-18 – Eau Claire, WI @ Eaux Claires Festival
07/20 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
07/22 – Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall
07/24 – Newport, RI @ Newport Music Festival
07/25 – Richmond, VA @ The National
07/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall
07/29 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
07/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theater
07/31 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theater
07/31-08/02 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/21 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
08/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
08/23 – Portland, OR @ MusicfestNW
08/25 – Park City, UT @ Park City Live
08/26 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater
08/28 – Iowa City, IA @ The Englert Theatre
08/29 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
08/30 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
09/03 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
09/04 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
09/05 – Holland, MI @ Hope College
09/07 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
09/09 – Wichita, KS @ Orpheum Theatre
09/10 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
09/11 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas
09/12 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues Houston
09/13 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody
10/03 – Oslo, NO @ Opera House
10/04 – Goteborg, SE @ Konserthuset
10/05 – Stockholm, SE @ Cirkus
10/06 – Umea, SE @ Idun
10/08 – Linkoping, SE @ Crusell
10/09 – Falum, SE @ Magasinet
10/10 – Arhus, DK @ Voxhall
10/12 – Cologne, DE @ E-Werk
10/13 – Berlin, DE @ Huxley’s
10/14 – Vienna, AT @ Arena
10/15 – Milan, IT @ Alcatraz
10/16 – Zurich, CH @ Volkhshaus
10/17 – Paris, FR @ La Cigal
10/19 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
10/20 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 ABC
10/21 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street
10/23 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
10/24 – Bexhill, UK @ De La Warr
10/25 – Brussels, BE @ AB
10/27 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
Leon Bridges performs beautiful rendition of “Coming Home” on Fallon
Leon Bridges has released his highly anticipated debut album, Coming Home, this week. To celebrate, the soul prodigy went on last night’s The Tonight Show, where he performed the LP’s title track gorgeously. His vintage tone and threads are a nod to his passion for retro music, however it seems as though he is more than just a person who just wants to live in a nostalgic haze, he revives the classic soul sounding music, watch the replay here.
President Obama appears on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast
Marc Maron announced last week that he would be speaking with President Barack Obama. He gave the news before his episode with Judd Apatow, another guest that speaks highly of his year that includes a once-in-lifetime phone call by Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones.
Maron today released the hour-long episode where Maron and Obama discussed “college, fitting in, race relations, gun violence, changing the status quo, disappointing your fans, comedians, fatherhood, and overcoming fear.”
Maron talked about the interview: “It’s just gonna be me and President Barack Obama in my garage. And I know that he was at Tyler Perry’s last night, so I’m a little… I mean, I like my house, but I imagine it’s gonna be a little different. It’s cozy, it’s cozy.”
Listen to the episode on Maron’s official site.
Stream Four Tet’s new album, Morning/Evening
Even though Four Tet, Keiran Hebden had announced in May that his upcoming album, Morning/Evening would be released in early July, it seems as though he changed his mind and decided to stream it a few weeks ahead of planned. Writing cryptic messages on Twitter, Hebden posted on Sunday “to celebrate the summer solstice, I’ve decided today will be Morning/Evening Day.” Hear and buy the album through BandCamp. He wrote that it will be available for purchase on CD and vinyl on July 10.
The Melodic Tree 