Weekly RecommNeds | Juana Molina, Moodoid, Courtney Barnett

Happy New Year, folks! I’m going to start 2014 with some leftover picks from 2013 that are too good to skip over. This week some worldwide groovers.

Juana Molina –Wed 21

Hailing from Argentina, TV actress Juana Molina has an on-again/off-again musical career that was, thankfully, on-again with Wed 21 released last fall. Hers is a sound that defies categories and genre: it’s groovy and electronic but also folk and intimate. Whatever niche you want to try and cram it in, it’s undeniably addictive… this one hasn’t left my rotation for several months, with new sounds to discover each time. This got some good year-end press, but if you somehow missed out, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Spotify: Juana Molina: Wed 21

Rhapsody: Juana Molina: Wed 21

MOG: Juana Molina: Wed 21

Moodoïd –Moodoïd

Last year one of my favorite late-year discoveries was the French brain-tweezers Melody’s Echo Chamber. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Moodoïd fills that role this year, considering it’s fronted by Pablo Padovani, the guitarist for Melody’s. This EP is a stunning 4-track jammer, a perfect mix of old school French pop and take-your-mind-for-a-walk psychedelic.

Spotify: Moodoïd: Moodoïd

MOG: Moodoïd: Moodoïd

Courtney Barnett –The Double EP: A Sea of Split Pea

Hailing from Australia, Courtney Barnett is one of those you’ll want to acquaint yourself with quickly (if you haven’t already), because listening to her music, it’s pretty clear she’s a singer that might be going places quickly. This album is actually two mostly DIY EP’s taped together, but Barnett’s songwriting style and conversational singing tie it all together into a hoot of a listen. Like the best singer/songwriters, she finds art in the mundane, and seems to take singing about getting f’ed up to more interesting places to most. The track “History Eraser” has reached “can’t get enough of” status for me recently.

Spotify: Courtney Barnett: The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas

MOG: Courtney Barnett: The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas

Rhapsody: Courtney Barnett: The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas

Written By: Aaron Stein