KAFM Music Blog

We normally post a music video for you to enjoy on Tuesdays, but... with it being the holiday week and all, we've got a gift for you!



Asthmatic Kitty Records, home of some of our favorite artists - including Lily and Madeline, My Brightest Diamond, Sufjan Stevens and more - has released a new sampler of their music, which includes these artists, and we've got a download for you! Just click on the album art.

Happy Thanksgiving from the KAFM Music Department!

A couple of new albums to enjoy this holiday week!

Tommy Brown and the County Line Grass - Leaving This Town (Randm Records) Bluegrass



Gorgon City - Sirents (Tusk or Tooth) Electronica



40 Watt Dreams - After the Show (Squirrell Records) Americana



These, and more, here at KAFM!
 

Katchafire's "Best So Far" release was added this week last year. "Best So Far" is a compilation of the band's music spanning 4 albums.



The H-Man had this to say on the Reggae album:

Originally formed as a Bob Marley tribute band, this hard working 7- member New Zealand reggae outfit has developed its own songs to go along with reggae classics. Nice vocals, clean instruments. This cd represents the "best" of their last 4 releases. Top notch reggae grooves.

"Best So Far," released on VP Records, topped the World charts for several weeks, dropping to #2 only a few times. Keep it tuned to KAFM to hear more great Reggae and Quick read more or view full article World music!!! Read Less

We have SO much new music coming in! Here's what members of the Music Bureau recommend:

Diane (Show: Straigh Ahead Jazz): Al Muirhead, It's About Time (Chronograph Records) - Jazz

The elder statesman of jazz trumpet in Canada, has released his first CD under his own name though he has played with many Canadian greats including Tommy Banks and PJ Perry who play on this CD. It is delightful.

H-Man (Shows: Enjoy the Ride; Divided Sky) The Compact, One At a Time (Choking Chicken) - Rock

3rd cd from the collaboration of Erin Hobson (vocals, guitar) and Steven W. Ross (vocals, bass), whose undeniable Quick read more or view full article musical chemistry produces three very good songs (1,2,6) but becomes inconsistent on the remaining tracks. Edgy and varied musical styles, including jazz improv. Guest drummers provide solid grooves throughout. Best named record company this year!

Ol' Dog (Shows: On the Porch; New to Me, New to You) Clever Blue, Clever Blue (Self Released) - Blues

Tight Blues Band that covers several styles with both leads, male & female, doing a fine job.

These releases and more can be heard ONLY at KAFM! Keep it tuned to 88.1! Read Less

If you haven't heard of the New Basement Tapes, you're in for a treat.  Here's "Kansas City," off the latest album, Lost on the River, out on Electromagnetic/Harvest Records:



The supergroup created by T Bone Burnett consists of Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Elvis Costello, Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops), and Marcus Mumford (Mumford & Sons). Burnett got his hands on some Bob Dylan lyrics from The Basement Tape sessions, and set to work to record them with some of the best musicians today. The video is from the forthcoming documentary appearing on Showtime November 21st.

Quick read more or view full article /> Keep it tuned to KAFM to hear more from the New Basement Tapes, and each artist involved! Read Less

Here's the newest from KAFM:

Eric Bibb - Blues People (Stony Plain) Blues



Bob Seger - Ride Out (CMG) Rock



Los Straitjackets - s Deke Dickerson Sings The Great Instrumental Hits (YepRoc) Rock


 

Woah! The Charts are all over the place this week! But our Roots charts took a break this week... Take a look:

Jazz - A TON of new names, and a new number one!



1. Mack Avenue Superband - Live at DJF 2013 (Mack Avenue)
2. Kat Edmonson - The Big Picture (Sony)
3. Connie Evingson - All the Cats Join In (Minnehaha)
4. Annie Lennox - Nostalgia (Blue Note)
5. Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company ReIssue (Concord)
6. Bill Frisell - Guitar in the Space Age! (OKeh)
7. Rebirth Brass Band - Move Your Body
8. Bobby Hutcherson - Enjoy the View (BlueNote)
9. Al Muirhead - Quick read more or view full article It's About Time (Chronograph)
10. Dee Alexander - Songs My Mother Loves (BluJazz)

World - Peliroja keeps that top spot...



1. Peliroja - Injusticia (Chulo)
2. Saor Patrol - Outlander (Arc)
3. Melaza - Melaza (Chulo)
4. Campo - Remixes and Rarezas (Self)
5. Abstrakto - Abstrakto (PurpleHaus)
6. The Rua - The Rua (FOD)
7. Silva - Ocean View (Six Degrees)
8. Salsa de la Bahia - Vol. 2, Hoy y Ayer (Patois)
9. Bombay Royale - The Island of Dr. Electrico (HopeStreet)
10. Fela Kuti - The Best of the Black President 2 (Knitting Factory)

College - Some new names, debuts, and some favorites grace our charts this week...



1. Shakey Graves - And the War Came (Dualtone)
2. Lucinda Williams - Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone (Highway 20)
3. Shovels and Rope - Swimmin' Time (Dualtone)
4. Rose's Pawn Shop - Gravity Well (Self)
5. Sam Amidon - Lily-O (Nonesuch)
6. Gary Clark Jr. - Live (Warner Bros.)
7. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams (Pax-Am)
8. Gaslight Anthem - Get Hurt (Island)
9. Caroline Rose - I Will Not Be Afraid (Thirty Tigers)
10. Los Straitjackets - Deke Dickerson Sings the Instrumental Hits (Yep Roc)


Keep it tuned for more new music, and check in next week for ALL of our charts!

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Portlander indie rock band, The Decemberists have just released the video for their first single off the forthcoming album, What A Terrible World What A What A Beautiful World, and its not out of place for the upcoming winter season. The song is called "Make You Better."



KAFM has added the first single to the new music rack, so keep it tuned to hear it here!

What A Terrible World What A Beautiful World will be released January 20th, 2015 on Capitol Records.  

Here's a few new titles we've been listening to!

JD McPherson - The Warm Covers EP (Rounder Records) Blues, Rock, R&B



Lisa LeBlanc - Highways, Heartache, and Time Well Wasted (Bonsound) Americana



Saint Saviour - In the Seams (Surface Area) Folk Rock



All this and more... Only at KAFM!
 

A bit of a change up this week! A few new number ones, and a few triumphant returns...

Jazz - A brand new number one, and Al Jarreau moves back up the chart!



1. Connie Evingson - All the Cats Join In (Minnehaha)
2. Al Jarreau - My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke (Concord)
3. Stanley Clarke Band - Up (Mack Avenue)
4. Singer and the Songwriter - What A Difference A Melody Makes (Self)
5. Rebirth Brass Band - Move Your Body (Basin Street)
6. Annie Lennox - Nostalgia (Blue Note)
7. Kat Edmonson - The Big Picture (Sony)
8. Chick Corea Trio - Trilogy (Concord)
9. Bobby Quick read more or view full article Hutcherson - Enjoy the Blue (BlueNote)
10. Lenny Pickett with Umo Jazz Orchestra - The Prescription (Random Act)

World - A new number one here as well!



1. Peliroja - Injusticia (Chulo)
2. Saor Patrol - Outlander (Arc)
3. Melaza - Melaza (Chulo)
4. Campo - Remixes and Rarezas (Self)
5. Geoffrey Gurrumul - Gurrumul (Skinny Fish)
6. The Rua - The Rua (FOD)
7. Silva - Ocean View (Six Degrees)
8. Salsa de la Bahia - Vol. 2, Hoy y Ayer (Patios)
9. Bombay Royale - The Island of Dr. Electrico (Hope)
10. Fela Kuti - The Very Best of Black President 2 (Knitting Factory

College - Some new names up on these charts, but Ryan Adams climbs his way back up!



1. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams (Paxamericana)
2. Streets of Laredo - Volume I & II (Dine Alone)
3. Immigrant Union - Anyway (The Musebox)
4. Banks - Goddess (Harvest)
5. Jenny Lewis - Voyager (Warner)
6. Young Statues - The Flatlands are Your Friend (Run For Cover)
7. Lily and Madeleine - Fumes (Asthmatic Kitty)
8. Gary Clark Jr. - Live (Warner)
9. Blake Mills - Heigh Ho (Verve)
10. Sondre Lerche - Please (Mona)

Roots - A bunch of new names, including a brand new number 1!



1. Lucinda Williams - Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone (Highway 20 Records)
2. Johnny Winter - Step Back (Megaforce)
3. Deak Harp - Clarksdale Breakdown (Self)
4. Jackson Browne - Standing in the Breach (Inside Recordings)
5. Devon Allman - Ragged & Dirty (Ruf Records)
6. Eric Gates - Good For Sumthin' (Cleopatra)
7. Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company Reissue (Concord)
8. Nils Lofgren - Face the Music (Fantasy)
9. Benny Turner - Journey (Nola Blues
10. Popa Chubby - I'm Feelin' Lucky (Cleopatra)

We've always got great new music coming out - so keep it tuned to KAFM!
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This week last year, we had quite a few additions to our library. The newly formed duo Minor Alps caught our attention.



Music Bureau member, Lance, had this to say about the album, Get There, released on Barsuk Records:

Longtime east coast rockers, Nada Surf frontman Matthew Caws , and singer-songwriter, guitarist, andMTV darling Juliana Hatfield, join forces and knock out some guitar heavy, edgy pop rock tempered here and there with nice slower acoustic based tracks. Most remarkable is the almost sibling quality of their paired voices.

The album debuted at #11 on our College Charts and stayed on the top 30 for a few weeks.

Keep it tuned to Quick read more or view full article KAFM for more artist collaborations and amazing new music! Read Less

What's the best way to keep warm? Probably a nice roaring fire, but new music always helps. Here's what the Music Bureau is listening to!

Veta Bluegrass (Show: Bluegrass and Beyond): Earls of Leiceseter - Earls of Leicester (Rounder Records) - Bluegrass



"Tribute to LESTER Flatt and EARL Scruggs, with Jerry Douglas, Tim O'Brien, Shawn Camp and more.Very traditional but excellent musicians."

Ol' Dog (Shows: New To Me, New To You; On the Porch): Rory Block - Hard Luck Child (Stony Plain) - Blues



"Very nice tribute album to Skip James. Acoustic and well done."

Alicia (Shows: Quick read more or view full article The Charts; Radio Rapture) Mariachi El Bronx - III (ATO) - Alternative


"Alter ego of LA punk outfit, The Bronx… Not content to simply excel within the confines of the mariachi genre, they ditched the rulebook and dusted off old sequencers, synths, and an ARP. The 10 striking songs that resulted fuse traditional melodies with modern ambiance [Co-Sign]. All good."

Stay tuned to KAFM for all this hot new music, and more!

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Happy November! Here are some newly added albums to the station to get you ready for the cold winter months:

Alicia Olatuja - Timeless (World Tune Records) - Jazz



Various Artists - The Rise & Fall of Paramount Vol. 2 (1928-1932) (Third Man Records) - Blues, Jazz, Country



The Flaming Lips - With a Little Help From My Fwends (Warner Brothers) - Alternative



Tune in to 88.1 to hear these albums and more new music!