I am a poor wayfaring stranger

As ALL of you know, The New Pornographers new album is due out this August (the 21st to be exact) and I am just as excited about it as you. Challengers is creating quite the titter among other bloggers and I figured I should join the club. The title track is led by one of my favorite vocalists Neko Case and is so warm that I dare you to not like it, and the same goes for this next song. All The Old Showstoppers has an interesting reference to John the Baptist that some may recognize from Neko Cases song John Saw That Number. The recently released Myriad Harbour has a nice verse/echo thing happening.

I have thouroughly enjoyed every song I have heard off this album on the first listen. Yes, that is only four songs so far, but with four solid songs on an album by these great musicians has a very small chance of failing.

The New Pornographers - Challengers
The New Pornographers - All The Showstoppers
The New Pornographers - My Rights Versus Yours
The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour

Panda Bear is Comfy in Nautica.

I have recently fallen in love with the new Panda Bear album person pitch. I am a fan of Animal Collective and was excited to hear this solo effort by Panda Bear (a.k.a. Noah Lennox). Most of it follows the same echo repetition with a sort of chanting ethereal quality that can be found on many Animal Collective albums. The first track is very reminiscent of a Beach Boys harmonized single and instantly catchy. The rest of the album flows very nicely. I am posting the first song as a teaser for the rest.

Another artist that is neither new or very underground but who I love just same is Neko Case. I discovered her one night in the campus radio station and was hooked from the first song "If You Knew' off her live album The Tigers Have Spoken. One of the most striking things about her music is her voice. It is reminiscent of such great country/folk artists such as Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn. She is also the lead singer many of The New Pornographers songs. The song I am posting is from her solo record Blacklisted. Check it out, cause I think it's pretty neat. Yes, neat.

Panda Bear - Comfy in Nautica
Neko Case - Stinging Velvet