OCTA Music Weekly – Episode #109

Another week, another new music weekly.

What a monster week of beautiful new releases to love and cherish. I’ve been listening all day long and feel like I’ve only touched the surface.

A new Jennifer Castle album led the charge and it’s such a wonderful album. But it’s far from being the only treasure of the week. Some other personal favorites are new full-lengths from Malin Pettersen, Chloe Alison Escott, Jerry David DeCicca, CF Watkins, Jeremy Ivey, Sturgill Simpson, Kevin Morby, Low Cut Connie, William Elliot Whitmore and EPs from Lily Dabbs and Tomberlin. And that’s not even all of it. Here’s all the new international albums and EPs that were on my radar this week.

Jennifer Castle – Monarch Season (Paradise of Bachelors / Idee Fixe Records)
Chloe Alison Escott – Stars Under Contract (Chapter Music)
Malin Pettersen – Wildhorse (Die With Your Boots On Records)
Jerry David DeCicca – The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures
Lily Dabbs – After the Blues EP
Tomberlin – Projections EP (Saddle Creek)
CF Watkins – Babygirl (Whatever’s Clever)
Jeremy Ivey – Waiting Out the Storm (Anti)
Low Cut Connie – Private Lives (Contender Records)
Cordovas – Destiny Hotel (ATO Records)
William Elliot Whitmore – I’m With You (Bloodshot Records)
Kevin Morby – Sundowner (Dead Oceans)
Matt Berninger – Serpentine Prison (Concord Records)
Helena Deland – Someone New (Luminelle Recordings)
The Mastersons – Red, White & I Love You Too EP (Compass Records)
Resistance Revival Chorus – This Joy (Righteous Babe Records)
Leyla McCalla – Vari-Colored Songs: a Tribute to Langston Hughes (Smithsonian Folkways) – reissued
Sturgill Simpson – Cuttin’ Grass Vol 1 (High Top Mountain Records)
Me and the Horse I Rode In On – Home and Other Places I’d Like to Visit -Extended Edition (Son Canciones) -reissued
Natalie Schlabs – Don’t Look Too CLose (Tone Tree Music)
Mipso – Caroline (Mipso, Rounder Records, 2020)
The Very Most– Needs Help – 9th October release, first time here
Milky Wimpshake – Confessions of an English Marxist (Bobo Integral Records)
Tugboat Captain – Rut (Double A-Side Records)
Gumo – The Dark and the Water (Fresh Yo! Label)
Tired Kid – I Like My Own Company – 9th October release, first time here
Rob Joynes – Back Forty – Sept 18th release, first time here
James Ellis and the Jealous Guys – Country Lion
Hiroki Tanaka – Kaigo Kioky Kyoku (Coax Records)
Deep Sea Diver – (ATO Records)

Oh my, that took a long time even to type it down let alone listen to all of them. But it’s a lovely problem to have. The Finnish section is quite a bit smaller, but there’s a very special EP from Kielo Kärkkäinen & Matti Salo plus a new single from Bad Sauna. I’m sure there had to be more lovely releases.

The single of the week is the new The Weather Station single Robber. Her previous album is my favorite album of the last decade and I’ve been eagerly waiting to hear new material. Robber is now here and I’m loving it to bits. Somewhat different, equally wonderful. Other big favorites this week were the new songs by Austin Lucas, Le Ren, Pearl Charles, Sun June, Steady Holiday, Aaron Frazer and Julia Jacklin. Also really like the Lonny track that is few weeks old, but I just found it thanks to Flora Hibberd.

That’s it for the weekly roundup. My apologies for not doing anything else than just this weekly thing during 2020. I just try to get somehow through each day and haven’t had much energy for this hobby during the weekdays. I’m not sure when things get better or well when I get better, so this is probably how this goes on for a little bit. Also apologies for being absolutely horrible at answering emails. I hate myself because of it. But I love you. Thank you dear reader and listener. Love from a distance.

1. The Weather Station – Robber (single, Fat Possum Records, 2020)
2. Jennifer Castle – I’ll Never Walk Alone (Monarch Season, Paradise of Bachelors / Idee Fixe Records, 2020)
3. Chloe Alison Escott – Co-Op (Stars Under Contract, Chapter Music, 2020)
4. Malin Pettersen – Holding Lonely (Wildhorse, Die With Your Boots On Records, 2020)
5. Jerry David DeCicca – Country Cookie (The Unlikely Optimist and His Domestic Adventures, 2020)
6. Tomberlin – Natural Light (Projections EP, Saddle Creek, 2020)
7. Kielo Kärkkäinen & Matti Salo – Valon mentyä (Valon mentyä EP, Texicalli Records, 2020)
8. Lily Dabbs – After the Blues (After the Blues EP, 2020)
9. CF Watkins – Changeable (Babygirl, Whatever’s Clever, 2020)
10. Jeremy Ivey – White Shadow (Waiting Out the Storm, Anti, 2020)
11. Low Cut Connie – Take a Little Ride Downtown (Private Lives, Contender Records, 2020)
12. Austin Lucas – Drive (single, Sabotage Records, 2020)
13. Cordovas – The Game (Destiny Hotel, ATO Records, 2020)
14. William Elliot Whitmore – My Mind Can Be Cruel To Me (I’m With You, Bloodshot, 2020)
15. Kevin Morby – Jamie (Sundowner, Dead Oceans, 2020)
16. Matt Berninger – Oh Dearie (Serpentine Prison, Concord Records, 2020)
17. Helena Deland – Fruit Pit (Someone New, Luminelle Recordings, 2020)
18. Julia Jacklin – to Perth, before the border closes (single, Sub Pop Records, 2020)
19. Le Ren – It’s Time I Played a Love Song (single, Sub Pop Records, 2020)
20. The Mastersons – No Time For Love Songs (Red, White & I Love You Too EP, Compass Records, 2020)
21. Pearl Charles – Take Your Time (single, Kanine Records, 2020)
22. Aaron Frazer – Over You (single, Dead Oceans / Easy Eye Sound, 2020)
23. Resistance Revival Chorus – All You Fascists Bound to Lose (This Joy, Righteous Babe Records, 2020)
24. Leyla McCalla – Song for a Dark Girl (Vari-Colored Songs: a Tribute to Langston Hughes, Smithsonian Folkways, 2013/2020)
25. William Alexander – Streets of Forbes (single, 2020)
26. Wild Earp – Oligarchy Blues (single, Western Myth Records, 2020)
27. Sturgill Simpson – Life Ain’t Fair and The World Is Mean (Cuttin’ Grass Vol 1, High Top Mountain Records, 2020)
28. Raye Zarogaza – Rebel Soul (single, Rebel River Records, 2020)
29. Lucy Langlas – Can’t Breathe (single, 2020)
30. Lonny – Incandescente (single, Horizon / Un Plan Simple, 2020)
31. Sun June – Karen O (single, Run For Cover Records, 2020)
32. Steady Holiday – Living Life (single, 2020)
33. Me and the Horse I Rode In On – Girls Who Make Mixtapes (Home and Other Places I’d Like to Visit -Extended Edition, Son Canciones, 2020)
34. Natalie Schlabs – That Early Love (Don’t Look Too CLose, Tone Tree Music, 2020)
35. Tiffany Williams – Ticket to the Moon (single, 2020)
36. Mipso – Caroline (Mipso, Rounder Records, 2020)
37. The Very Most– Her Three-Year Old Laugh or the Time he Microphones Played in My Living Room (Needs Help, 2020)
38. Milky Wimpshake – You ake a Nice Piece of Art (Confessions of an English Marxist, Bobo Integral Records, 2020)
39. Tugboat Captain – If Tomorrow’s Like Today (Rut, Double A-Side Records, 2020)
40. Leche Malo – October Themed (single, Anxiety Blanket Records, 2020)
41. Gumo – You Are Not Here (The Dark and the Water, Fresh Yo! Label, 2020)
42. Bad Sauna – Haluun pois (single, All That Plazz, 2020)
43. Tired Kid – Make Time (I Like My Own Company, 2020)
44. Rob Joynes – Honor (Back Forty, 2020)
45. The Kernal – U Do U (single, Single Lock Records, 2020)
46. Felix Hatfield – False God (single, 2020)
47. Zachary Lucky – Bad Liver and a Broken Heart (single, Wroxton Recordings, 2020)
48. David Quinn – Ride On (single, 2020)
49. James Ellis and the Jealous Guys – A Little Soul (Country Lion, 2020)
50. David Ritschard – Behöver en Vinst / En Dag Blir Man Sjul, Ella Ruth Institutet, 2020)
51. Jacksonport – Haunt Me (single, Tularosa Records, 2020)
52. Strays Don’t Sleep – Couldn’t Be Happier (single, Hearts & Smarts, 2020)
53. Hiroki Tanaka – Blue Eyed Doll (Kaigo Kioky Kyoku, Coax Records, 2020)
54. Julie Byrne – Love’ Refrain (single, Mexican Summer, 2020)
55. Deep Sea Diver – Shattering the Hourglass (Impossible Weight, ATO Records, 2020)
56. Squirrel Flower – Explain It To Me (single, Full Time Hobby, 2020)
57. Brittain Ashford & Matt Bauer – Ugly (single, Commodore Trotter, 2020)
58. M. Ward – For Heaven’ Sake (single, Anti, 2020)
59. Local Natives feat Sharon Van Etten – Lemon (single, Loma Vista Recordings, 2020)
60. Woods – Midnight Moment (single, Woodsist, 2020)
61. Last Year’s Man feat Field Report – Wild, Wild Heart (single, 2020)
62. Hayward Williams – Fades Away -live (single, Green Canoe Music, 2020)
63. Szlachetka – Old Soul (single, 2020)
64. I’m Kingfisher – Mess Minus Room (The Past Has Begun, Fading Trails Records, 2020)
65. Michael C. Duguay – One Million More Joyful Joyful Reprise (single, So Sorry Records, 2020)

Playlist link

Playlist Archive

Oh and do buy the vinyl/cd/download. Spotify and other streaming services are perfect for these introductory purposes, but try to buy at least the music that matter the most to you

If you are looking this after a week has gone, the embedded Spotify will show the latest playlist. I’ll just update the same playlist because a) if someone wants to follow it, they can just follow that one list and will get a new set of songs each Sunday b) so that I don’t have a trillion of different playlists on my Spotify account.