Tuesday Music: Carbon And Nickel

Here's the weekly rundown of my picks for new releases this week:

Mutual Admiration Society - Self-Titled Available July 13
Some musical collaborations come in the form of a couple of singers belting out a duet here and there, or maybe a well-known band will come in and back up an established artist (see Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Johnny Cash), or maybe a bunch of guys named Ben will decide to write a few songs together (see The Bens). There are even a few you wouldn't have normally thought up on your own, but somehow the artists met each other and hit it off well enough to come up with a batch of good songs together. The Mutual Admiration Society is one of these groups.

MAS consists of Glen Phillips and Nickel Creek. Glen was the lead singer of Toad The Wet Sprocket, and Nickel Creek is one hot pop/bluegrass/folk trio, if you've never heard of either. Phillips' solo songs are pretty exceptional little ditties, and I've been a fan of Nickel Creek for a while, so I can't wait to hear how these collaborations sound as mixed from the studio. Apparently, the group recorded these a few years ago and are just now getting around to releasing them, after touring together for a short time and playing songs from this collection. I've heard a few of these live versions, and let me tell ya - this will be a fine set of songs.

Carbon Leaf - Indian Summer Available July 13
I just recently discovered Carbon Leaf this spring, after seeing them open up for Guster here at Tech. Many of my Virginian friends swear by them, however, and I can see why after being exposed to them for a few months now. They are great musicians, that's for sure, and their songs seem to capture that feel of Virginia like few bands can (Eddie From Ohio, maybe). They've released several albums independently up to this point - including Echo Echo, which I highly recommend. Summer, however, is their first big label debut, which is a major step up for these guys. Hopefully, this increase in marketing muscle will make it easier for you to find the disc in stores; if not, you can always order it online. But definitely, definitely do yourself a favor and check out some Carbon Leaf soon.