Here we are again in the midst of Summer and finding some really good new music. I’ll get to it in a moment but I have a question for you. Would you be interested in an APP for you smart phone that provides monthly playlists for you? Let me know. Friends had suggested the idea to me so I thought I’d pass it along to you and get your feedback. Just click on the comment link below and give me your thoughts. Thanks.

Well let’s jump in on this week’s selection. I got the show kicked off with Les Savy Fav. They are a four-piece, post-punk rock band out of Brooklyn, New York. They have just digitally released their fifth album for French Kiss Records. The album is titled ROOT FOR RUIN and it’s a wonderful guitar heavy collection made with a ton of enthusiasm. The CD drops in September and I might revisit it when it does. I just like these guys. I played the fourth track on the album and it was “Let’s Get Out Of Here.”

I closed that opening set with the latest from those fun-sters, Ra Ra Riot. This mix-gendered indie rock quintet hails from Syracuse, New York. I played “Boy,” which is the selected single off the yet-to-be released album, THE ORCHARD. I think it’s due out August 24th. If you have a chance check out an older song of theirs, which is “Dying Is Fine.” It’s off the 2008 THE RHUMB LINE, which I have played on the show before.

Changing musical direction here with a band called Air Conditioning School. Well, it’s really not a band; it’s essentially Chris Hiedman, along with his synthisizer and Mac. He mixes and blends loops to create a dreamy folk rock sound. His debut album as Air Conditioning School is called GENERAL MOUNTAIN TIME. This is “Up On.”

I played some new music from Guster. This acoustic pop trio is back after a four-year hiatus. The new album, EASY WONDERFUL, is due out October 5th. They’ve released the single “Do You Love Me,” which I played, as a teaser. They also have a free download available on their website, if you are so inclined. They are also commencing a tour in support of the new album, starting this week. They will be making a stop here, in Massachusetts, in Canton at the Life Is Good Festival on September 12th. Check their website for other stops on the tour to see if they are coming near you.

Let’s keep things moving here with a band from New Zealand. I don’t get many bands from New Zealand these days; I’ll have to check into that. Anyway, they are known as Young Blood. They offer a techno pop and rock that works its way into your head, especially on the track, “The Naked And The Famous.” It’s the lead off single from the yet-to-be released debut album; PASSIVE ME AGGRESSIVE YOU.

I played a new one from Interpol; it’s off their new album, which is self-titled. I found that curious that on their fourth album, they would decide to self-title it. Well, they had a few years to think about it. It’s been since 2007, with the release of OUR LOVE TO ADMIRE, that we have heard anything new from them. When I saw this single, “Barricade,” I thought to myself, “Wow, I haven’t played any Interpol for a while.” I’ll have to do a double down with them in the upcoming weeks. That gives you a reason to tune into the show. ;^)

My lineage subject was Ferraby Lionheart. Originally from Nashville but now living in Los Angeles. Ferraby has influences as diverse as Cole Porter, Shel Silverstein and Hank Williams.* His songs are melodic, filled with diverse sounds and brought to life with his smooth voice. He’s only released two albums so far, with the latest being THE JACK OF HEARTS. Right now Ferraby is out on tour with the Watson Twins, which I think is a great pairing; but he will be headlining a few shows later this month, including a stop in Cambridge at T.T. The Bears Place on the 31st of August. The song I picked to play was “Harry And Bess.” *Taken from Allmusic.com, fyi.

The second part of the lineage was from his 2007 debut release, CATCH THE BRASS RING, I played “Before We’re Dead.”

This week’s re-issue song was from 54-40. Some of you may be too young to remember this Canadian band that had a brief spell of success back in the mid to late eighties. The band takes their name from the slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight;” coined to express the expansionist agenda of James K. Polk’s presidency, intent upon controlling a contested U.S.-Canada border area in the Oregon boundary dispute. There’s your history lesson for the day. The band’s self-titled album, released in 1986 had a break-through single here in the US market, which is where the re-issue song comes in. It’s called “Baby Ran.”

Trent Dabbs is back. And on the track I played Trent got a little vocal help from the lovely and talented Erin McCarley on this song, “Off We Go.” This is the lead off track from a seven-song EP, titled TRANSISTION, that Trent had just released as a follow up to his successful musical appearance on the soundtrack of the Television series GREY’S ANATOMY. He definitely has a talent to craft dreamy songs that work on vehicles such as GREY’S ANATOMY.

“Convertible Ballon” is one the latest samples from a alternative beach band called Wavves. There is a great deal of buzz around this band, mostly from their debut album; since their latest effort, KING OF THE BEACH, just came out. But I think Nathan Williams, the power behind the charmingly messy, lo-fi band, is more for a younger crowd. I get the attraction; and if I were twenty-something, I’d be all over this. I ended up picking the clearest track on the album, with the highest pop sensibility to it. Please don’t take my comments too seriously.

I closed off that two-song set with the latest from Arcade Fire. I played “Modern Man” and it’s from the album THE SUBURBS. The album is not a great departure for the band. It’s solid and if you’re a fan, you’ll probably like it. If you’re the parents of people who are fans of Arcade Fire, this track will get you enough of the cool you need to impress the younger set.

Let me slip in one more from Versus. It’s been ten years since their last Disc, however, it was Merge who released it and it is Merge who signed them again for their return. That’s a good sign. The new album is ON THE ONES AND THREES and if you’re interested in hearing the rest of the album…go to Merge’s website and listen to the whole thing. Try before you buy is the “watch phrase.” This track is called “Gone To Earth.” If anyone at Merge reads this, I’d love to work for you. I love your taste in music. Call me.

Join me every Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM to hear the show live. But if you miss it, you can now listen to it anytime through WMFO’s archives. Just log on to wmfo.org and click on the ARCHIVES link, which is just below the big WMFO Banner. Select the day the show aired, and click on the “Music You Might Otherwise Miss” show title. You’ll be able to download the show in one-hour increments. So you never have to miss the Music You Might Otherwise Miss.

Of course, I encourage you to tune into my other show, The Uptown Blues Party, every Friday from 4 to 7 PM (EDT). That one you have to listen to LIVE, it’s not archived. Log on to Simmons College Radio and kick off your weekend in the right mood.