Radio Free California

  • Home
  • Radio Free California

Radio Free California New music and only new music. Rock, Pop, Metal, Indie, Alternative, R&B, even Jazz and some truly out

Because the Metafarce doesn't much care for my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. New music this week from Ad...
08/09/2025

Because the Metafarce doesn't much care for my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. New music this week from Adult Leisure, Robert Plant, Sparks, Lola Young, I'm With Her, Sunflower Bean, David Byrne, Lady Gaga, Home Free, Robbie Fulks, Jana Varga and much more. Enjoy!

It is with no small amount of sadness that I have to let you know I will be taking a few weeks off. I don't want to, but I don't see how I can fit putting out new playlists while I'm on the road, and I'll be on the road for a month doing my real job. You know, being an actual musician.

To be blunt, I'm going to be too busy and when it comes to these playlists I'm a one person shop. I'm afraid the new music is going to pile up while I'm gone. I'll still be on the lookout for new music - I do that every day - put putting the playlists together is going to have to wait.

I imagine the first one when I come back is going to be a doozy.

Anyway, this will be the last Radio Free California for a few weeks. If you're dying for new music you can try a few things: Discover Weekly on Spotify - the more you like/favorite the better the algorithm gets at finding music you like, including older music you might have missed. There is also allmusic.com, which tracks new album releases from just about everyone out there. Don't be afraid to take a deep dive on you tube or other social networks either - sure, there's lots of crap out there (especially on the old bird site) but sometimes you find something golden.

Surf the web, like we used to in the old days.

As for this week, the new album from David Byrne is some of the best and occasionally silliest music he's ever done. It's easily his best solo work.

If you dig blues I must recommend the new album from Walter Trout called "Sign of the Times". He's an old-fashioned guitar slinger, and the music pretty good.

The Korgies are still around! Despite not having had a hit in 4 decades they're still working, and have just released an album where they update 16 of their previous releases, including a nice reworking of "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime", which was their biggest hit in the US.

As many of you know, I'm no real fan of Country Music, and yet I have two country artists on the playlist this week. First up is Robbie Fulks, who is more alt-country/indie pop than straight ahead country, and there's stuff on his new album I like. Secondly, Home Free is continuing their current dive into Sea Shanties and Maritime Music with their cover of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", which they have spruced up in a respectable fashion.

Jem Records has continued their tradition of releasing albums of indie artists covering other artists, and a band I only discovered last week is on the latest compilation honoring David Bowie, performing "I'm Afraid of Americans". Yes, The Airport 77s return this week.

And finally, Saint Etienne has just put out what is supposed to be their final album, called "International", and it's a return to their early works from back in the 1990's and it's a welcome return. If you remember them from back in the day then you're going to like this one.

And again, I can't wait until the new Robert Plant album comes out - which will happen while I'm gone. Don't miss it - what I've heard sounds great.

https://whatthefrackiswrongwithyou.blogspot.com/2025/09/radio-free-california-episode-2536-news.html

New music this week from Adult Leisure, Robert Plant, Sparks, Lola Young, I'm With Her, Sunflower Bean, David Byrne, Lady Gaga, Home Free,...

Because the Zuck doesn't much like my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. Yeah, I took Labor Day off. I'm allo...
03/09/2025

Because the Zuck doesn't much like my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. Yeah, I took Labor Day off. I'm allowed to. Great crop of new music from Rebecca Sugar, Vistas, The Beaches, Divorce, The Beths, The Grip Weeds, Drink The Sea, Daisychain, Jane Varga, BBBL, Belinda Carlisle, and much more. Enjoy!

So did you know that the creator of Steven Universe is also a musician and performing artist? I didn't. And then this week I stumbled across the video for "Ice Water", done by a small animation studio in her style, and I was hooked. Her new EP is worth it's weight in gold and I highly recommend it. The video is at the bottom of this post.

I was actually going to pass on The Beths. Their new single didn't impress me and I got a couple of tracks into the full album wondering why I bothered. The reason I bother is for the deep cuts, which are often better than the singles. Such is the case here, and it also forced me to go back and listen to the tracks I initially dismissed, and taken in context they are much improved. They're work checking out.

Vista's new album "Cut the Cord" is a stunningly good album, start to finish. I had already loaded several of the songs from that album to my various playlists and to the radio station, and I've added a couple more today. The whole album is relentless and is one of the best albums of the year so far.

The Ndlovu Youth Choir is one I stumbled across by accident because I'm a fan of a ca****la music. The song I've added is with a full band, but there's another track on this same EP that is a daring reinterpretation of "Bohemian Rhapsody". I will put a link to the video at the end of this post.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I've added an extra song to the radio station this week, "Big Crime" by Neil Young. It's a live recording from a soundcheck before a Chicago show and it's not on Spotify due to his ongoing fight with the streaming service over podcasts by fascists they host.

Yeah, I took Labor Day off. I'm allowed to. Great crop of new music from Rebecca Sugar, Vistas, The Beaches, Divorce, The Beths, The Grip We...

Because the Zukerspace doesn't much care for my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. Sorry it's a day late.So m...
26/08/2025

Because the Zukerspace doesn't much care for my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. Sorry it's a day late.

So much to listen to! New music from The Warning, The Airport 77s, Stress Dolls, Davey Lane, Water From Your Eyes, TOPS, Amy Milan, David Coyd, David Gilmour, Blackberry Smoke, sombr, DarWin, The Goo Goo Dolls, Superchunk, Scary Goldings and much more! Enjoy!

+++++++++++++++++++++

How I went this long without discovering The Airport 77s is beyond me. They're a great band and their album "Don't Let Go" is a master class in rock/pop gems. They're well worth your time. They're based out of Washington D.C. and deserve your attention.

The Warning have released a live album and movie from a concert in Mexico City, and I say that the music fu**in' rocks! They are an impressive hard rock trio and sing most of their lyrics in English, but it's obvious just upon hearing it that their fanbase in their home country is strong. The album is one of the better live albums out there (and I say this not being a fan of live albums) and I hope to see the accompanying film soon.

Water From Your Eyes is an eclectic band and won't be everyone's taste, but they remind me of some of the more experimental power pop bands of the 1980's and 1990's. They refer to the new album as being about "time, dinosaurs and space". Think Blade Runner meets WALL-E. The songs I added to the playlist this week are among the more mainstream, but if you're into giving the odd a try, I do recommend them.

Sofi Tukker earlier this year released an album called "Bread". This past week she released "butter", which is a re-working of the original album but in very different styles, with a special emphasis on Bossa-Nova. If you liked the first album you should really check out the second - it's a worthwhile look at the mindset of an artist.

It appears that we have a new Cheap Trick album coming, their first since being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Alas, Bun E. Carlos isn't back and probably won't be at this point, but the early buzz is that the new album ranks up with their best work, and the first single certainly doesn't disappoint.

So much to listen to! New music from The Warning, The Airport 77s, Stress Dolls, Davey Lane, Water From Your Eyes, TOPS, Amy Milan, David Co...

Because Zukermeta doesn't much like my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. New music this week from Sarah McLa...
19/08/2025

Because Zukermeta doesn't much like my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. New music this week from Sarah McLachlan, Robert Plant, Coach Party, Juicy J & Endea Owens, Luna Li, NewDad, VOLA, Social Order, State Cows, .38 Special & Train, Kula Shaker and much more! Enjoy!

Talking about music I have to start with the collaboration between Hip-Hop artist Juicy J and Upright Bassist Endea Owens. Their new album "Caught Up In This Illusion" is such a breath of fresh air that I recommend it to anyone, especially people who aren't fans of hip-hop. The addition of Endea Owens makes all the difference in the world.

Juicy J is a founding member of Three 6 Mafia, who won an Academy Award for their song "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" from the movie "Hustle and Flow". Endea Owens is best known as the bassist for the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and she's a monster on the upright bass. Check out this performance of "Lunchtime" with Cory Wong during a commercial break. The two of them have put together an album that's sublime, a bit jazzy, and full of surprises.

The new album from Molly Tuttle, "So Long Little Miss Sunshine" is an album worth your time. I've been adding singles from this album for a few weeks now, and they're all centered around the song "That's Gonna Leave a Mark", which I've added this week. Well worth your time.

Gino Amato has released what is now his second album of covers, all remade as Latin influenced music. The version of Peul Simon's "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" is a real winner, but I couldn't resist his version of the classic "Windmills of Your Mind", which you must admit already lends itself to a Latin feel.

I have to admit that I come to Luna Li a bit late to the party. Her 2024 album "When a Thought Grows Wings" has been reimagined and the results are quite good.

I think it's well established that I'm not a fan of country music, but I couldn't resist the semi-comedic stylings of Jonny Fritz, which I was introduced to thanks to Justin Hawkins (rides again.... againnnnnnnnnnnn).

I can't honestly say that I've been a fan of Cass McCombs, but I do like his new album and added a track from it. And did anyone have .38 Special and Train doing a song together?

And finally, I so cannot wait until the new Robert Plant album comes out late September.

New music this week from Sarah McLachlan, Robert Plant, Coach Party, Juicy J & Endea Owens, Luna Li, NewDad, VOLA, Social Order, State Cow...

Bork (or whatever the f**k Meta calls their AI) doesn't much like my Spotify playlists, so here is a link to my blog. Ne...
12/08/2025

Bork (or whatever the f**k Meta calls their AI) doesn't much like my Spotify playlists, so here is a link to my blog. New music , the supergroup BEAT, swim school, Beach Bunny, Sunset Rollercoaster, Jeff Tweedy, We Are Scientists, Field Medic, Big Freedia, Teenage Dads, Red Rum Club and much more. Enjoy!

Lots of diverse and fun stuff here. First of all, there is BEAT - a supergroup made up of Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel's Band, King Crimson and much more), Adrian Belew (King Crimson), Danny Carey (Tool) and Guitarist Steve Vai. They all really get to stretch here, and I can't wait for the full album.

I'm With Her's full album came out a couple of weeks ago, but they've done the old-fashioned thing and released another single after the album. Remember when that's how every release worked? Ah, well. They're coming to my adopted hometown to play at a festival shortly, and I plan to go see them.

Home Free has been teasing their "Sea Shanty" album for a bit now, but they're also including more modern songs, like this amazing cover of Billy Joel's "Downeaster Alexis". I know for a fact that there will be a cover of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" as well.

Sunset Rollercoaster is a band from Taiwan (they sing in English) with a new album called Quit Quietly that is an alt-pop marvel, and well worth your time.

I'm not one for Gospel music for the most part, but Big Freedia's new album "Pressing Onward" is a direct swerve towards the format from an LGBTQAI+ viewpoint, and it's a revelation. I dare you to get through these tunes without tapping them toes and snapping them fingerbones.

The new album from The Black Keys is also more fun than I had expected. They're branching out from their usual sound and in many cases that works. There's one track that's actually piano based - which is crazy for a band made up of a guitarist and a drummer.

There are a lot of artists worth your time this week, so please check them out.

New music , the supergroup BEAT, swim school, Beach Bunny, Sunset Rollercoaster, Jeff Tweedy, We Are Scientists, Field Medic, Big Freedia, T...

Because the Metafetabobettaspace doesn't much care for my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. Quite a bit of l...
04/08/2025

Because the Metafetabobettaspace doesn't much care for my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. Quite a bit of live music this week from artists such as David Gilmour, Snarky Puppy, Scorpions, and Peter Gabriel, plus new music from home town heroes Slow Coast, Kate Pierson, Buddy Guy, Umphrey's Mcgee, Slow Reader's Club, Radio Free Alice, Wisp, Renee Rapp, Laura Groves, Prizm and more. Enjoy!

So David Gilmour will be releasing a new live album in the fall and of course he teases it with a 10+ minute opus. Meanwhile Scorpions are celebrating 60 years as an active band with a new live album, while Peter Garbriel will be releasing a new live album full of music he doesn't perform anymore.

Buddy Guy is 89 years old and still working as hard as he ever did. The new album is full of bluesy gems and well worth your time.

I hope to someday soon see a full album from Slow Coast. They've only released a few singles so far and I've liked all of them. Their band photo on Spotify was taken 2 blocks from my house, which always makes me smile.

You'll notice a ton of Umphry's McGee near the end of this week's playlist. That's because while it's broken into five pieces with separate titles it's actually only one song, called "Out of Focus" For those of you who listen to my radio station I've re-edited them all together. There might be micro-second pauses between songs if you play them from here. It looks like their new album, out in the fall, will be full of stuff like this.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, Bryan Adams also released a live album, full of songs I'd never heard before. along with two more full of songs I do know . I don't know his full discography though, so I could have missed a few albums along the way.

Finally, Snarky Puppy re-released their fantastic album "We Like It Here" completely re-mixed and with alternate takes. I've added the song "Lingus" to the playlist because of that jaw-dropping keyboard solo. You have an internet, go look it up. There are people in the band looking on in shock.

+ Quite a bit of live music this week from artists such as David Gilmour, Snarky Puppy, Scorpions, and Peter Gabriel, plus new music from h...

Once again because the Metaspace dcoesn't much like my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. Sorry it's a day la...
29/07/2025

Once again because the Metaspace dcoesn't much like my Spotify playlists, here is a link to my blog. Sorry it's a day late. New music this week from Folk Bitch Trio, Cloud Nothings, Peach Fuzz, Lola Young, Ally Salort, High Fade, Sia, Paul Weller, Alice Cooper, Lari Basilio, Night Moves and much more. Enjoy!

Okay, a few notes:

Yes, that is all of the surviving members of the original Alice Cooper band on the new Alice Cooper album. It's not as good as they were in their heyday, but it isn't bad either. As for Paul Weller doing another album of covers... it isn't bad and he covers some pretty obscure stuff, but I think I am always going to miss The Jam.

The new Sia track was an unexpected treat. Now I've been a fan of hers for a long time now - long before she found herself backing rap records - but I have to admit this is a good one. Here's hoping there's an album coming behind it.

I never heard of High Fade before three days ago. Then I saw them featured on Danny Sapko's YouTube channel and decided to check them out. Pretty tight band, and worth checking out.

For those of you who like your guitar gods, you need to add a goddess. Lari Basilio is a Brazilian guitarist and a champion of melodic instrumental rock. I added two of her songs from her new album "Redemption" but I could have added a lot more.

There is a track from Tenor Will Liverman that I added this week called "Sonnet', and it's not the first time I've added one of his performances. He has an operatic voice so this might be a challenge for some listeners, but the song is just beautiful.

Finally, there's Cloud Nothings, releasing their 4th and 5th album so far this year. Just try to keep up. I'm guessing that they are re-releasing an older catalog, but the production is fresh and shop. They're worth checking out.

By the way, new live album from David Gilmour comes out October 17th.

New music this week from Folk Bitch Trio, Cloud Nothings, Peach Fuzz, Lola Young, Ally Salort, High Fade, Sia, Paul Weller, Alice Cooper, ...

A day late but here it is, Radio Free California Episode 2529, courtesy of my blog so you don't need a Spotify account t...
23/07/2025

A day late but here it is, Radio Free California Episode 2529, courtesy of my blog so you don't need a Spotify account to hear it. New music this week from Liang Lawrence, Walter Trout, Vernon Reid, Lissie, Robert Plant, The Goo Goo Dolls, BBBL, Nine Inch Nails, Cory Wong, Forth Wanderers and much more. Enjoy!

Not a lot to talk about this week, save for a sparkling new single from Robert Plant, Nine Inch Nails appearing on a soundtrack, and The Goo Goo Dolls showing up on a different one.

Cory Wong's latest live album is a lot of fun, and the track I feature this week has a sax solo by Kenni Holman, who is Cory Wong's secret weapon. He's one of the best sax players I've ever heard, and I know Dave Koz. (Sorry Dave).

I admit that I like Amy Macdonald's new album, even if most of it sounds like B-sides and album tracks to me. Ain't nothing wrong with that. The new album from Forth Wanderers is also good, but a bit strange in spots. I like it overall. And of course I have a soft spot for Colin Hay, having seen him live in his troubadour days.

And diving back into the whole AI debate again, is the band ever//never. I'd have never noticed them if they hadn't followed me on Bluesky. I honestly don't know if they're an AI band or not - they sure sound like one but someone is updating their Bluesky feed.

Finally, the Liang Lawrence track "A Day Off in Margaritaville" is a fun song and I'm looking forward to her next album.

And of course, RIP Ozzy.

New music this week from Liang Lawrence, Walter Trout, Vernon Reid, Lissie, Robert Plant, The Goo Goo Dolls, BBBL, Nine Inch Nails, Cory W...

Because the Metagrok doesn't much care for my spotify playlists here is a link to my blog. New music this week from Hot ...
14/07/2025

Because the Metagrok doesn't much care for my spotify playlists here is a link to my blog. New music this week from Hot Chip, Emma Harner, Caeseria, Jon Batiste, Lola Young, .38 Special, Wet Leg, Brenda Mtambo, Press Club, The Korgis (!!!), Mammoth, Coast Arcade and much more. Enjoy!

On the new music front, I cannot recommend highly enough the new album from Caeseria. I only added three songs from their new album to the station, but I could have added them all. This is a solid album and should push them forward in terms of their career.

The Wet Leg album is pretty good too, but I have to admit that their best stuff is in the first two singles, added previously to the station. I still found a couple more tracks to add though.

Another new discovery for me this week was Emma Harner. Her discography is still pretty small, but there isn't a bad song in the mix. I added a couple this week.

Yes, there is a song about a Basketball player for the Phoenix Suns in this week's list. I'm not a Suns fan but it's a damned catchy song.

Finally, who had new singles from 38 Special or The Korgis on their bingo card?!!??!!? 38 Special will have a new album coming out in the fall but I'll be honest I haven't given either of these bands much thought since the 1980's.

New music this week from Hot Chip, Emma Harner, Caeseria, Jon Batiste, Lola Young, .38 Special, Wet Leg, Brenda Mtambo, Press Club, The Korg...

New music this week from a newly revived Kesha, NoSo, Ethan Tasch, The Vanns, The Lemonheads, Men Without Hats (in a glo...
07/07/2025

New music this week from a newly revived Kesha, NoSo, Ethan Tasch, The Vanns, The Lemonheads, Men Without Hats (in a glorious return to form), Blake Rave, Lucius, Remerge Band, Curtis Harding, Ida Marie and so much more. Enjoy!

Not a lot of people release music on the 4th of July weekend so I really had to go digging into new singles and indie bands. That said, the new Kesha album, the first on her own label, is really pretty good. It sounds to me like she had a "let's liberate Taylor Swift" moment of her own. A lot of it is a breakup album, but it's also about freedom and I for one have to applaud that spirit.

In the new singles department is the GLORIOUS new single from Men Without Hats, called "I Love the 80's". To be fair to them, they never actually went away, but I dare you to name a single song of theirs other than "Safety Dance". We just haven't been listening. We should - the new song is fantastic.

I think my favorite discovery this week is NoSo, who has only released a few singles so far. The songwriting and production is first rate, and I've been listening to their singles a lot the past few days.

It's also nice to see Evan Dando and his collection of misfits known as The Lemonheads still out there plugging away.

I'm not a fan of auto-tune, but there are two songs this week by artists who use it. The first is 88rising and 8RO8's collaboration - which instead of the usual hip-hop cliches is a heart-felt tribute to 8RO8's home state of Hawaii. The other is 4stro with Kid Moon, because Kid Moon uses auto-tune on everything, which is kind of a shame as he has a good voice. But he's friggin' everywhere these days. Every week I discover a new artist because he has done a collaboration with them.

I'm not really a fan of AI music either, but there is an AI artist on this playlist, who I have featured before, called BBBL. There is a lot of controversy around right now about fake vs. real bands and the conversation can get heated. That said, I can get behind BBBL because there's obviously a guiding hand behind their sound, with real production going on.

I have been accused of promoting AI because of Remrge Band as well. I hate to break it to you, but they're a real band; I've met them. I do think they're using AI to master their works, which a lot of digital distributors offer these days for a small fee. I've never done it myself because to my ears it all starts to sound the same, but that music does get noticed by the algorithms various streaming services use - they're AI too.

Sometimes I read the bio's of AI bands, because they're almost always so bad that they're funny.

New music this week from a newly revived Kesha, NoSo, Ethan Tasch, The Vanns, The Lemonheads, Men Without Hats (in a glorious return to form...

Because the Metanowoke doesn't much like my Spotify Playlists, here is a link to my blog. Crazy week! New music from Pet...
01/07/2025

Because the Metanowoke doesn't much like my Spotify Playlists, here is a link to my blog. Crazy week! New music from Peter Gabriel, Fishbone, Bruce Springsteen, HAIM, Lorde, Wet Leg, From Indian Lakes, The Besnard Lakes, Infinity Song, Love is Noise, more of John Fogerty's "John's Version" release of old CCR material and much more. Even I'm in there! Enjoy!

Where do I even begin this week? Bruce Springsteen releases SEVEN full albums of previously unreleased material. There's some experimentation in the "new" material. There's a full country album. There are songs obviously meant for his "I'm a vocalist" album, There's a lot of solo acoustic work. There are forays into pop and indie. It's really quite a haul and if you're a fan you should pick it up. It was hard to select only 2 songs from the whole set.

There's Fishbone, who have put out their best album in a couple of decades. With this playlist added to the rotation there are now 6 new Fishbone tracks in the radio station rotation.

All of a sudden there's a new Peter Gabriel album? It's a live album and most of it is things you have heard before, but the album opens with a new track and it's a good one.

The Lorde album finally dropped and it's a reminder of why we all fell in love with her music in the first place. She's an adult now and has obviously experienced a couple of things that no 17-year old would have, and it only fills out her character and her song topics. It's great work.

My favorite discovery from the week is the band From Indian Lakes. I took a deep dive upon hearing their new material and I now have their entire discography. I don't know if you'll like them, but I sure as hell do.

The week's playlist closes out with a song from Will Liverman, who is an Opera Singer. I've been a fan for some time, but his new album branches into pop domains from time to time and this ballad that I close the playlist with is strikingly beautiful.

Crazy week! New music from Peter Gabriel, Fishbone, Bruce Springsteen, HAIM, Lorde, Wet Leg, From Indian Lakes, The Besnard Lakes, Infinit...

Because Metagrok doesn't much like my Spotify Playlists, here is a link to my blog. New music this week from Hotline TNT...
23/06/2025

Because Metagrok doesn't much like my Spotify Playlists, here is a link to my blog. New music this week from Hotline TNT, Leisure, Memi, Yungbld, Daily Toll, Hembree, Easy Easy, Muse, Enuff Z'nuff(!), Motley Crue with Dolly Parton, sombr, Lorde, Colin Hay and much more. Enjoy!

An undeniable pleasure for me this past weekend was the discovery of Hotline TNT. Not only is their new album a banger but their entire catalog is one great song after another. I cannot recommend their new album highly enough - it was hard to limit just adding a few songs on this playlist.

You might also note a number of songs by Yungblud on this list too. What can I say? I like pop music done right, and respect for opening his album with a 9 minute track. And yes, I do think he looks like a young Dave Navarro.

At first I had thought my surprise track of the week was going to be the re-working of Motley Crue's ballad (and frankly not a great song) "Home Sweet Home" with Dolly Parton. I'm not really a fan of the song but Ms. Parton adds some depth. And then out of nowhere Enuff Z'nuff drops a new single? It's been 35 years since I gave that band any thought at all and apparently I've missed a run of albums and band lineups.

I also have to give a shout out to MEMI, a South Korean hard rocker that I blasted over and over this past week while the news got weirder and weirder.

Finally, there is the new GoGoPenguin album, which is well worth your time when you're looking for instrumental music and adult-oriented jazz that doesn't put you to sleep.

New music this week from Lorde and Lola Young tells me that the next generation is going to be all right.

New music this week from Hotline TNT, Leisure, Memi, Yungbld, Daily Toll, Hembree, Easy Easy, Muse, Enuff Z'nuff(!), Motley Crue with Do...

Address


Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Radio Free California posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Radio Free California:

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Share