New Music Show Preview w/ Feist, Big Thief and more!

Monday nights mean new music discovery on WXPN.  Starting at 8pm, we’ll hear two full hours of brand new tunes.  In the mix, we play a garage rock gem from the band Black Lips.  As a precursor to our Free at Noon concert, we’ll play music from our guest Sweet Spirit.  Plus, two songwriters that are always reliable and engaging, both Ron Sexsmith and Jeb Loy Nichols share new music.  We’ve hear all of those folks tonight, plus a few more …

FEIST “Century”

After six years of waiting, we’re slowly hearing songs from the forthcoming Feist album.  Pleasure comes out at the end of April, but is preceded by the title track and this new tune called “Century” that features Jarvis Cocker.  In a Rolling Stone article, Feist is quoted as saying the record is “pretty stark instrumentally”.  After hearing both tunes, that holds true.  But “Century” is the more interesting of the two and as a listener gives you a little more to take hold of.

BIG THIEF “Mythological Beauty”

It’s always fun to watch the trajectory some bands take.  Masterpiece, Big Thief’s debut marked not just an arrival but a definitive “take notice” moment.  Since the release, they’ve been persistent in their touring, endearing themselves to audiences and continuing to pack clubs.  It’s lead to a highly anticipated new record, Capacity, due out in June.  “Mythological Beauty” is the first new tune we’ve got and it’s got a suspenseful sort of vibe to it.  It’s dark, kind of brooding but breezy and beautiful at the same time.

FIRST IMPRESSION: MATT URMY

We get twangy tonight for our First Impression and meet Matt Urmy.  Matt’s a country-styled songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee who makes me think of folks like Lyle Lovett or Hayes Carll.  He’s clever with his words and the story surrounding his album is surreal.  After recording the album with Cowboy Jack Clement, the tracks were lost in a fire.  Years later, Matt was able to salvage the hard drive where the songs were recorded and finally release it. The collection is aptly titled Out Of The Ashes. We’ll play you a couple tunes tonight.

If you miss anything on the show or want to keep up on new music, make sure to subscribe to our ‘XPN Best New Music’ Playlist on Spotify: