The Weekly Grind 3-8

Weekly Grind

By Jake Craney

3/8

Welcome to the ‘Weekly Grind’ where GroundSounds Editor-in-Chief Jake Craney recaps the week in music, featuring the latest album releases, tracks, and recommendations. Plus, he keeps you up to date on GroundSounds’ exclusive music news and interviews. 

The Grind

Apologies for missing last Friday…we’re back on track with updates and recommendations. I spent much of the past couple weeks inundated with new music. Most of which, including new albums from Gold Fields, BOY, and Alcoa are excellent. The musical highlight has been getting acquainted with the newest album from Sea Wolf (Indie-folk musician Alex Brown Church). As a big fan of 2009’s White Water, White Bloom, his newest album Old World Romance somehow slipped past my radar. It was released last September and quite frankly—it’s beautiful. Church has the knack for not only creating compelling songs, but crafting complete and impeccable albums. Old World Romance is the perfect soundtrack for a contemplative walk, a casual night at home with friends, or simply relaxing. Listing “standout tracks” wouldn’t be appropriate for this album, as this is truly best when listened to as a whole.

I must also mention Love, the new album from Cloud Cult. It’s really fantastic. Great variety of instrumentation and styles within the album. At times, it sounds like Modest Mouse, at times it’s very acoustically driven with lush piano lines. Then, you’ll come to a song like “Sleepwalker,” filled with synth effects and an eerie vibe. Cloud Cult didn’t leave a stone unturned with this release. Very highly recommended.

The last two weeks have been great for interviews. We interviewed Paper Route and Royal Teeth, two great bands you need to get familiar with. We’ve also chatted with Jesse from  up-and-coming indie band The Neighbourhood as well as Capitol Records R&B artist Jarvis. Capital Cities is up now, the rest will be up next week!

40 Minute Running Playlists

Having good music in the earphones helps me run faster and farther every time. For fellow runners (workouts too), I put together a couple 40 minute running playlists.

Hip Hop Playlist:

A$AP Rocky – Fuckin’ Problems

B.o.B. – Play For Keeps

B.o.B. – Fuck ‘Em We Ball

Calvin Harris – Iron

Sims – Burn It Down

Childish Gambino – Lights Turned On

Mann – Buzzin’

Lil Wayne – Right Above It

Wale – Let A Nigga Know

Wale – Double M Genius

Jay Sean – I’m All Yours

Rock/Punk Playlist:

Zebrahead – Hell Yeah!

Taking Back Sunday – Best Places To Be A Mom

A Day To Remember – Another Song About The Weekend

Silverstein – Broken Stars

Set Your Goals – The Fallen…

Rise Against – This Is Letting Go

Pennywise – Let Us Hear Your Voice

A.F.I. – Synthesthesia

Lostprophets – For All These Times Son, For All These Times

The Gaslight Anthem – Great Expectations

Billy Talent – Red Flag

My Chemical Romance – It’s Not A Fashion Statement, It’s A Deathwish

Top 10 Songs Played This Week:

The Basics – With This Ship

Gold Fields – Dark Again

Alcoa – Drowning

Bastille – Pompeii

STRFKR – While I’m Alive

BOY – Little Numbers

Foals – Milk & Black Spiders

The 1975 – Chocolate

Cloud Cult – Sleepwalker

Frank Turner – Recovery

Notable Album Releases The Past 2 Weeks:

Alcoa – Bone & Marrow

Johnny Marr – The Messenger

Hollerado – White Paint

Gold Fields – Black Sun

K Sera – Collisions and Near Misses

El Sportivo & The Blooz – Nights & Weekends

BOY – Mutual Friends

Cloud Cult – Love

Josh Ritter – The Beast In Its Tracks

Kate Nash – Girl Talk

Rhye – Woman

The New Amsterdams – Outroduction

They Might Be Giants – Nanobots