Rdio Blog

Last June, after more than a decade of recording folk-pop ditties, Paxton, Nebraska singer-songwriter Josh Rouse promised his fans an album later in the year that would feature a new band called Josh Rouse and the Long Vacations.

This September 27th, he’ll make good on that promise with the release of their self-titled debut album on his own label, Bedroom Classics. The album is a showcase of Rouse’s influences — Ryan Adams, Jason Collett, Ben Kweller, Wilco — but it’s spun with Rouse’s own quirky take on folk and melody, and should please anybody who likes folk music with a little spring in its step.

Rdio is pleased to announce that we're exclusively streaming the album right now, two weeks prior to its official release. Listen to Josh Rouse and the Long Vacations and share it with your friends.

Five Questions with Josh Rouse

1. Who do you think is an important musician that most people have never heard of before?
   Josh Rouse: That´s a tough question because I know so many that have small followings but have not managed to reach a larger audience. Bart Davenport from San Francisco is one of my favorite singer-songwriters that a lot of people don´t know about.
2. If you had access to any record in the world, what would you listen to right now?
   JR: The La´s one and only record. Lee Mavers wrote what I believe to be one of the finest pop songs of all time with "There She Goes".
3. Which album or artist do you most associate with your childhood?
   JR: There are so many but the other day listening to a 80´s radio station in the car I remembered what a big fan of Kool and the Gang I was. Good grooves and simple melodies.
4. We hope people are ______________ when they listen to our music.
   JR: Making love
5. We were thinking about ______________ when we wrote music for the new album.
   JR: The sea

Skronking, North Carolina quartet Southern Culture on the Skids have been performing together for over 20 years now, but that doesn’t mean they’ve lost an ounce of their original energy. They still play a thrilling mix of rockabilly, surf rock, country and punk rock, and their shows remain highlighted by their trademark: throwing fried chicken and banana pudding into the audience.

This month, their 1998 Halloween-themed EP Zombified is being reissued, remastered and repackaged, with five new tunes added to the original disc. The album is streaming right now, only on Rdio, which means you get to be the first to hear these new tracks. Fans of the Reverend Horton Heat and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion should find plenty to love about Southern Culture on the Skids, whose exciting sound and memorable live shows still remain after all these years. Listen to Zombified now and share the EP with your party-loving friends.

North Carolina folk-mainstay Jonathan Wilson has the connections and the chops to make a name for himself. What sets Wilson apart comes to him naturally; gentle, sparse folk songs that haunt and inspire. His new album, aptly titled  Gentle Spirit, finds the long time Laurel Canyon producer and Bonnie “Prince” Billy collaborator tapping into his own songwriting ability. Combining pianos, banjos, guitars, and his plaintive voice, the results are greater than the sum of their parts and worth a listen.

The new record, his first since his 2007 self-recorded debut, includes guest appearances by veteran musicians like Barry Goldberg (from Muddy Waters’ band), Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) and Andy Cabic (Vetiver), among others. Gentle Spirit is available exclusively this week on Rdio. Listen, add it to your collection, share it with your friends—don’t miss out of this gorgeous new alt-country album.