We love checking out new music, especially when it’s from people we consider friends. We have a few we wanted to draw your attention to if you don’t mind. We hope you’ll check them out and let us know what you have been listening to as well. So let’s dig in to The Boxcar Lilies, The Sea The Sea, Karyn Oliver, and Naked Blue.
“Sugar Shack” is the Lilies’ (as we affectionately call them) follow up release to their debut album “Heartwood.” And what a follow up. There’s some really great writing on this album, killer players, and the Lilies themselves at the core with their killer three part harmony. Things get started right off the bat with “Lightnin’” and take lots of twists and turns from there in what is decidedly one of our favorite road trip albums for the year. We love it, and we love them! We’ll be sharing the stage with them this fall, so check ‘em out!
This duo, comprised of Chuck Costa and Mira Stanley, has been hard at work honing in on their songwriting craft for a while now. We first met them at a conference a couple of years ago, and they stood out to us then as an act to pay attention to. We shared a show with them last winter, and got to hear a lot of the songs on their debut release “Love We Are We Love” and thought the songs were great. But then, THEN, we pre-ordered the album, and wow… they NAILED it. Such a great performance, production, you name it. We listened to it once through, and then said “I don’t think we’ll be sharing a show with them again!” Official release date is TDB, but you can buy the album now on their site.
Good friend and former Baltimorean (Baltimoron? What are we exactly?) Karyn Oliver has released her third studio album “Magdalene” and has already been welcomed to many DJ’s playlists. Karyn’s bio describes her as a mix of Joan Osborne, Janis Joplin, and Emmylou Harris, and we think you’ll agree with that after you’ve had a listen. Our favorite is the opening and title track “Magdalene.”
Last but certainly not least, we’d love to turn you on to Baltimore based duo Naked Blue . They are releasing their latest album “Weightless” tomorrow, June 25th, and we can’t wait to hear it. The good news is, you can download and listen to the title track RIGHT NOW! Why wait? It’s a gorgeous track. You can also check out “One Hit” by viewing this beautiful video below. If all this doesn’t make you want to buy the release tomorrow, you must not have a pulse. For you local Baltimore types, don’t miss their CD release show this Friday June 28th at the 8×10.
