Valley Maker - "The First". A song of beginnings, the first track in Austin Crane's album about Genesis. But Valley Maker's story ex nihilo does not evoke cosmic dust, electron fizz, even the slow crawl of algae into orchards. Instead his call & answer speaks to apartments half-lit, faces half-lit, entrances and exits of a different kind. It is desolate, wanting; the singer is not content with the fact that things are; he wants to know why.

[Valley Maker's debut album is hot, exquisite; it's an enormous leap forward from Crane's prior work; you can buy it now for $10 or whatever price you name]

Kath Bloom - "Is This Called Living?". I had the privilege to see Kath Bloom play a few weeks ago. She played new songs, like this one. And although it's been 32 years since the release of her first album, it's difficult to imagine that Kath's voice was ever better than it is now. She sings with a beautiful tone, great warmth, but more than that - there's a remarkable bareness to her music. "Bareness" is a clumsy word, but it feels righter than the alternatives: transparency, honesty, rawness, sincerity. Her heart is laid bare. She disguises nothing. She shows us how much certain phrases are true, how thirsty she is, how lost and craving. Sometimes, how happy. Because of the albums I love, it can't help but evoke Julie Doiron. But Julie sings as though she knows others are listening, as if she must make herself clear. Kath sings as if she doesn't give a fuck; as if she just has to.

All this to say, buy her newish album (released by Mark Kozelek), and if you can see her & her band on tour - Shambala Festival! Madrid! Penryn! London! Newcastle! Manchester! End of the Road! - please do.

(midnight baseball photo source)