On our way to and from the coast last weekend we listened to a bunch of new music. The stand-outs were I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day, the new album from Julie Doiron (pictured above), and two other albums I picked up by a group from Texas called Balmorhea: Rivers Arms, released in February 2008, and All Is Wild, All Is Silent, which came out a couple weeks ago.I have mentioned Julie Doiron previously and have been a fan for quite awhile, but this new album is maybe my favorite of hers. Here's a video for "Heavy Snow."

She has a really strong command of when to make a song quiet and when to make it loud, which I like a lot. Check out juliedoiron.com for more info and a bunch of downloads from past albums. No Seattle tour dates are listed but she's playing at good ol' Union Hall in Brooklyn on April 25 if you're there. (And it looks like the Cave Singers are there tonight, fyi.)Balmorhea was playing in Bimbo's the other day and I asked the multi-talented person behind the bar what it was. It's perfect music for a gray-weather drive on the coast — the songs all meld together and become a kind of lush environment. Turns out it's also perfect for walking through yet another freak snowstorm; I listened to this song twice on the way to the office this morning:

Balmorhea The Summer mp3 (from Rivers Arms)

It's all kind of like that, I love it. Get more info and buy Balmorhea records here.

I'm always looking for recommendations on new stuff so let me know what you're listening to lately too.