Best Bang For Your Buck – 18 Albums!
The title says it all. This week I’m making up for a couple weeks ago with the Best Bang For Your Buck! I’m featuring 18 albums this week, but I’m not going to dive too deep because there’s so much to enjoy. Deep breath. Here we go…
White Denim: Performance

White Denim is an Austin, TX band and Performance is their eighth studio album. It’s full of fuzzy sounds, guitars, horns, and some interesting song elements. Put this on at your next bbq or fire pit night and thank me later.
White Denim on YouTube
White Denim on Spotify
Nothing: Dance on the Blacktop

When your friends ask What are you listening to? Your response should be a resounding Nothing! Get your Shoegaze on with this Philly band’s latest, Dance on the Blacktop. Grab a beverage, put your back against a brick wall, bend one knee and place your foot on the wall, stare downward, and just soak it all in. Seriously. Feel free to disregard the creepy cover art, though.
Nothing on YouTube
Nothing on Spotify
Ólafur Arnalds: re:member

Brace yourself, left turn! Ólafur Arnalds‘ re:member may come as a shock given the last two albums. Classical music? Yes, but not the type you might expect. Soft piano. Stirring strings. Loops and layers. Ok, maybe it is what you’d expect from an Icelandic multi-instrumentalist. Sue me (don’t sue me).
Ólafur Arnalds on YouTube
Ólafur Arnalds on Spotify
Bas: Milky Way

There’s a reason why I rarely include rap albums in these posts. The overuse of the N-word and constantly referring to women as bitches are the top two. Like most music fans, I listen to music because it either makes me feel better (even if it doesn’t seem so on the surface), is fun to sing along to, or is relatable. The first two reasons usually ensure the last three never come into play.
Although Bas‘ Milky Way is rife with the first two reasons, there are still redeeming qualities – the beats and his acerbic criticism of current political figures.
And you know they be lyin’ like Kellyanne Conway
You have my attention, sir, continue.
Bas on YouTube
Bas on Spotify
Interpol: Marauder

Interpol are back with their sixth album, Marauder. How many other bands can you name that mix dark and bouncy as well as Interpol?
Interpol on YouTube
Interpol on Spotify
DeVotchKa: This Night Falls Forever

Brace yourself for another hard turn. DeVotchKa hail from Denver, CO, and This Night Falls Forever marks their 11th album release. Maybe I’m simply forgetting, but I don’t recall ever hearing this band before. Mind-boggling. Then again, Indie bands who play trumpet, theremin, bouzouki, accordion, Melodica, sousaphone, and flute as their primary instruments aren’t always pinging my radar. Time to correct that.
DeVotchKa on YouTube
DeVotchKa on Spotify
This concludes part one. Did you find anything new you liked? To be continued tomorrow.