Although summer is stubbornly holding out on the Northwest, the new batch of sunny new albums can’t be stopped from pouring into record stores this week. Washed Out, a.k.a. Atlanta’s Ernest Greene, whose song “Feel It All Around” became ubiquitous as the theme song for IFC’s Portlandia, is releasing his full-length debut on Seattle’s own Sub Pop. Warm, hazy, and light, Washed Out’s songs make for an ideal summer soundtrack, perfect for chillin’ under partly-cloudy NW skies or kicking back on vacation at the beach.
Other new summer-friendly albums include the solo debut of Eleanor Friedberger, best known as one half of The Fiery Furnaces, a band she shares with her brother, Matthew. The aptly titled Last Summer (because that’s when it was recorded) waited on a shelf until the appropriate season returned to compliment the album’s warm glow, yet its relative simplicity, compared to the duo’s sometimes difficult songwriting, harkens back to times much further than that... yet not as far back as William Elliott Whitmore‘s Field Songs, a new album of rustic songs that recall days of hard work under the hot sun and a simple yet hard-working life far removed from today’s technology. Yet, at only 33 years of age, Whitmore always makes it seem relevant today. Maybe more in the NW mood is the latest from Scottish group Sons & Daughters, who strip back the heavy production from their previous album to let the gloom back in on Mirror Mirror.
You’ll find more summer mixtape fodder from The Joy Formidable, who have a new live EP to keep hungry fans happy; from local alt-country favorite Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs; and from UK dubstep/dance producer Zomby, plus many others for you to discover here. Give a listen to the samples below, and check out Largehearted Boy’s list for more.
Bones Howell - Hair of the Dog (MP3)
from Hair of the Dog (self-released)
Kasey Chambers - Little Bird
from Little Bird on Sugar Hill
Thomas Dybdahl - B.A. Part (MP3)
from Songs on Strange Cargo
Eleanor Friedberger - My Mistakes (MP3)
from Last Summer on Merge
The Joy Formidable - A Heavy Abacus (live from London Koko)
from Roarities EP (iTunes only)
Monarchs - Business Casual (MP3)
from The Rise and Fall (self-released)
Oax - Love and Crashing (MP3)
from This Distance on Bladen County Records
The Real Tuesday Weld - The Last Werewolf Trailer
from The Last Werewolf: A Soundtrack on Six Degrees Records
Luther Russell - Ain’t Frightening Me (MP3)
from The Invisible Audience on Ungawa Records
Sons & Daughters - Breaking Fun
from Mirror Mirror on Domino Record Co.
Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs - Alone in This Together (MP3)
from Alone In This Together on Local 638
Street Eaters - Nation Builder (MP3)
from Rusty Eyes and Hydrocarbons on Bakery Outlet / Plan-It-X Records
Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players - Open Everything (MP3)
from Lost and Found on Tummy Touch
Washed Out - Amor Fati (MP3)
from Within and Without on Sub Pop
William Elliott Whitmore - Everything Gets Gone
from Field Songs on Anti- Records
Zomby - Things Fall Apart (MP3)
from Dedication on 4AD
