Lucy Dacus - Next of Kin

SWSW is almost here! Hopefully the next week or so will see Kerri and I showcasing some new finds as we run around Austin enjoying the music. We'll see. So, let's start with one I'm excited to see!

Lucy Dacus' new album, Historian, is quite good. And a difficult one to choose a Most Important song from. In the end I went with "Next of Kin", a catchy track that showcases Lucy's lovely voice as a perfect pair for grinding, garage guitars. I could have easily went with the fantastic, if quite different, "Night Shift", which is also a stand out on an album of really good songs.

RIYL: Caroline Rose, TORRES, Albert Hammond Jr, Waxahatchee

Hop Along - Not Abel

A casual listen of Philadelphia's Hop Along might give you the impression that they're a fiery, but fairly straight-ahead indie rock outfit putting out punchy, poppy indie rock tracks with polish and passion. And you'd be half-right, but there is more going on here. There's another, deeper and more sophisticated layer to their work that's very much on display in today's Most Important, "Not Abel", from their forthcoming album Bark Your Head Off, Dog, a complicated, eclectic track that shows off their depth.

RIYL: Eisley, Cayetana, Slingshot Dakota, Rilo Kiley

Upcoming Shows

Runaway Brother - Conscience in Tumult

New Pocket from Cleveland's Runaway Brother is another fantastic release from the amazing Tiny Engines. I've been jamming it non-stop for a week now and can safely say it's an early favorite for 2018's best. If you give a casual listen, I'm pretty sure you'll easily understand why they're often compared to Built To Spill. Listen deeper and you'll see songs builds on each other and a lot of inventive, eclectic rock packed into each track. Ok, yeah, kind of like Built To Spill. :)

RIYL: Sinai Vessel, Built To Spill, Grandaddy, Modern Baseball

Upcoming Shows

Frank Turner - 1933

Frank Turner is back with another happy-sounding, thought-provoking protest anthem. This one inspired by anger and frustration around the "the idea that Breitbart or Steve Bannon think they have anything to do with punk rock..."

He's coming to Austin for SXSW and then back again in June and I can't wait to be there singing along.

RIYL: Brian Fallon, Dave Hause, Hot Water Music, The Smith Street Band, Skinny Lister

Upcoming Shows

Caroline Rose - Getting To Me

I almost featured Caroline Rose a few weeks back, as I've been loving "Money" a rocking, fast-paced and jaunty cut. Today's Most Important, "Getting To Me" is a special song, and it's quite a bit different to "Money". It sounds like Andrew Bird backing Kate Bush. No really. Give it a listen. She's got a new album coming soon and will be in Austin for SXSW, so if you're around, let's go check her set!