Weekly Music Releases

The week’s only halfway over, but it already feels like it’s one of the best weeks I’ve had (as a music fan) since Bonnaroo back in June. Putting MidPoint aside for a moment, this week was literally stacked full of releases from amazing bands. Topping this week’s new releases (for me) is the long-awaited Monsters Of Folk album. For a few years now, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes and M. Ward have been getting together to jam and write (although it’s been mostly behind closed doors with an occasional appearance here and there). They’ve already been hailed as “the Travelin’ Wilburys of the 21st Century.”

If the year ended today, I would have to say that my favorite musical discovery of 2009 was Justin Vernon and his band, Bon Iver. Although their highly acclaimed debut (For Emma, Forever Ago) was released in 2008, it wasn’t until earlier this year when I fell deeply in love with their sound. We didn’t get another release from Bon Iver this week, but Justin released a new album called Unmap with a side project band called Volcano Choir.

Another album that I’m really excited about is the double-album, Draw The Line, from David Gray. The first disc features all new material, while the second disc features songs throughout his catalog. I followed his career very closely from the early to mid 00′s, but I eventually became so drowned with so much other music that he seemed to get lost in the shuffle. A few months ago I rediscovered my love for his music, and I’d be lying if I said that his music doesn’t still hold a close place in my heart.

Bands You Might Not Know But Should

Amy Millan of Broken Social Scene and Stars, released her second solo effort, entitled Masters Of The Burial

Basement Jaxx, the electronic duo that rose to fame in the late ’90s, released Scars, their first album in three years

American rapper/producer, Brother Ali, unveils his fourth full-length album entitled Us

Award winning Canadain electronic musician/producer, Deadmau5 (pronounced “dead mouse”) released For Lack Of A Better Name, his sixth album of the past three years

Bloomington, Indiana’s Early Day Miners released their sixth album, entitled The Treatment

Spin Magazine recently dubbed San Francisco quartet, Girls, the “Best Band of 2009.” Hear why on their debut album, entitled Album

Hallelujah the Hills, the pop band from Boston, not the comedy film directed by Adolfas Mekas in 1963, released their second effort, entitled Colonial Drones

Canadian indie rock band, Islands, released Vapours, their third album

25-year old poet and folk musician, Joshua James, released his third full-length album, entitled Build Me This

Self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Julie Peel, unveiled Near The Sun, her debut album

Lisa Germano, a multi-instrumentalist and session musician who has worked with everyone from John Mellencamp and Sheryl Crow, to David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Simple Minds and Liam Finn, released another solo album, entitled Magic neighbor

I hope some of these find a spot in your music collection!