What music are you listening to?

Music Box - The Cinematic Orchestra

Rock, Rock, 'Till You Drop - Def Leppard

To Build A Home - Cinematic Orchestra

Stadium Love - Metric

Swiss metal band Ad Infinitum with an intriguing new track that comes on heavy but shows a lighter side towards the end. And lead singer Melissa Bonny (who is also the main songwriter since the band started as a solo project) is perfect all through.

Metric - Youth Without Youth

New St. Vincent (stage name of singer-guitarist-songwriter Annie Clark) album dropped today. Quite fond of her for a few years now.

Good Times Gonna Come - Aqualung

After some big time teasing from Nightwish this week, someone has figured out that they were likely teasing something to do with their next album happening Tuesday (4/30/24 was the date being teased in a puzzling way). No idea what. Could be a date for the album, date for first single, teaser for first single or ... well, we're all waiting to see what comes.

For now, we have plenty to enjoy until they drop that new album.

Adorable - Artist vs. Poet

From the Goddess Edition of Laufey's album Bewitched.

Strange & Beautiful (I'll Put A Spell On You) - Aqualung

I have fallen hard for this song of late. It's a stirring rock anthem from BC native Devin Townsend, who I am increasingly convinced is one of the great musical geniuses of my generation. While he started in metal, Devin now mixes together an eclectic range of influences, even if metal remains core to a lot of his work.

Load And Clear - Cranberries

Coming Around Again - Carly Simon

Simple Things - Belle & Sebastian

Not listening to anything just now but I know what I will be listening to soon ...

NIGHTWISH Announces New Album Yesterwynde For September (metalinjection.net)

And since "Perfume Of The Timeless", the first single, is going to be one of songwriter-keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen's epics (I'm hearing 8+ minutes), here's an intro to his past work in that vein.

And Tuomas' "one-liner" for the album is, "Yesterwynde is a fantastical voyage through time, memory, and the better angels of human nature." I'm in.

Eivør also has a new album due out on June 14th, simply called Enn. Here is another track from it, issued today.

Hugsi Bert Um Teg/Still Just You.

Quote by AnnaMayZing

Eivør also has a new album due out on June 14th, simply called Enn. Here is another track from it, issued today.

Hugsi Bert Um Teg/Still Just You.

It is looking like a good year for music, really. I've already hit a few "favourite album of the year" albums even knowing that new albums from Eivor, Nightwish, etc. were in the pipeline.

In fact, I was looking over a list of albums with scheduled release dates this year and I see Charlotte Wessels (formerly of the band Delain) next solo album is due out the same day as the new Nightwish so I have my listening schedule for that day pretty filled out now. And there's a non-zero chance Charlotte's album will give Floor and the boys a run for their money with me. Her first two solo albums are fantastic.

First single from Charlotte's album drops on May 16, but here's a sampler from her last solo album.

Island In The Sun - Weezer

Jacky - Marc Almond

Flash Delirium - MGMT

So on my way to work this morning, I got very pumped up hearing Devin Townsend's "Spirits Will Collide" (see upthread) and now I'm making an "Energize My Day" playlist on my Amazon Music account. Besides that, I've got a couple Nightwish tunes (Elan and Alpenglow), "Energize Me" by After Forever, "Fire" by Floor Jansen (who is also the lead singer on the Nightwish and After Forever tracks), and "Bii Biyelgee" by the HU (Mongol folk rock/metal). I'll post that last one. It's a lively danceable tune based on a traditional Mongolian dance (the "biyelgee" in the title).

Trying to come up with more songs in the metal/rock space that have that pumped up, filled with joy effect on me to add to the list.

The Park - Feist

Had Warriors, the new collection from Feuerschwanz in celebration of their 20 years in the music biz, on.

Fly - Nick Drake

Needed a pick-me-up this afternoon. "Amaranth" by Nightwish, esp. any of the live performances by Floor Jansen, fills the bill handily.

Sleep The Clock Around - Belle & Sebastian

I discovered Epica not long after I got into metal through Nightwish. The band was founded by Mark Jansen whose first band, After Forever, launched the career of Nightwish lead singer Floor Jansen. Epica similarly launched the career of Floor's friend Simone Simons, who packs similar raw power and musical training, and she remains the band's lead vocalist to this day. Their sound is big and epic, very much in a similar vein to Nightwish though perhaps a bit heavier than NW's recent work.

Today marks a new phase in Simone's career as she launches the debut single of her upcoming solo album. Co-written and produced by Dutch musical wizard (guitarist, songwriter, producer, impresario, and probably some I am forgetting) Arjen Lucassen, with whom Simone has worked on a number of occasions, the debut and album opener "Aeterna" is vintage Simone that wouldn't sound out of place on an Epica (or Arjen's band Ayreon) album. Big, epic symphonic metal that is perfect for her powerful mezzo.