New Music Friday: 13th Floor New Album Picks: October 6, 2023
Crikey! It’s New Music Friday again. Fortunately we’ve got some real gems to share with you. Here are The 13th Floor’s Top 5 picks from today’s new releases.
The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda has chosen these 5 for your consideration:
Jolie Holland – Haunted Mountain (Cinquefoil) We have been longtime fans of Jolie here at 13th Floor, and we still are! This one finds Holland working with Big Thief’s Buck Meek, Holland says in a press release: “When he told me he was including our song on his next record, I was extremely pleased at the weirdness – I was going to release a version as well. We thought about it for a minute and decided it was bizarre and wonderful. I am enormously pleased that Buck chose it as his album name too.”
2
. Tré Burt – Traffic Fiction (Oh Boy/Thirty Tigers) Third album features more of Tré’s unique take on classic soul. (We spoke to him when his previous album was released) The death this year of Burt’s grandfather influenced Traffic Fiction. Press materials deemed the album “the music the two shared”.
3.
Michéle Ducray – Throne Of Mine EP (Lil Sister) Kiwi Artist releases this 4-song EP today. Says Michéle, “The EP showcases some pivotal times of my life. Using both dark and light pop vibes, I reminisce about my childhood, bullying, failed relationships, and even sing about the world ending! It’s a deeply personal record and some parts were tough to record, but we got there in the end!” Watch for a 13th Floor Singles Session coming soon!
https://youtu.be/oORsvHdbc0Y?si=ZBnQ_5deNaI5TWz0
4. 
Sufjan Stevens – Javelin (Asthmatic Kitty) Oh come all you hipsters! Javelin was recorded almost entirely by Stevens himself, but includes contributions from The National’s Bryce Dessner and vocalists adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, Pauline de Lassus (aka Mina Tindle), Megan Lui, and Nedelle Torrisi. The 10-track project notably concludes with a cover of Neil Young’s “Thereʼs a World” from his 1972 classic Harvest. The physical release will also be include a 48-page book featuring artwork by Stevens as well as 10 short essays giving insights into the songs. How hip can you get?
5.
Mary Lattimore – Goodbye, Hotel Arkada (Ghostly International) Goodbye, Hotel Arkada takes its name from a hotel on the island of Hvar in Croatia facing modernisation and renovation. Lattimore explains: “When I think of these songs, I think about fading flowers in vases, melted candles, getting older, being on tour and having things change while you’re away, not realising how ephemeral experiences are until they don’t happen anymore, fear for a planet we’re losing because of greed, an ode to art and music that’s really shaped your life that can transport you back in time, longing to maintain sensitivity and to not sink into hollow despondency.”
