Music Monday: Branford Marsalis Quartet, Edison Chair, Cowboy Junkies & More…

More music picks for your Monday. If you like what you hear, use the links provided to snag it for yourself from Amazon. Doing so through us gives us kickbacks, and those help pay for stuff like more bandwidth. And also so we can buy more music.

First up, while trawling through music I missed in 2012, I came across the latest release from the Branford Marsalis Quartet. And it has one of my favorite album titles of last year: Four MFs Playin’ Tunes. And it’s a very apt title as well: here’s them performing the track “The Mighty Sword” from the album live. These guys are so good it’s just ridiculous. (Amazon: CD, MP3.)

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A pair of tunes here: first, from January, it’s Edison Chair, out of Austin. A nice pop groove, a drummer that sing-screams, and other vocals that kick in as necessary. It’s reasonably tasty stuff. Here we have “I Think I’m Into You” from the Same Old Lies EP. (Amazon: MP3.)

And from The Wilderness, out last year–Cowboy Junkies‘ final album in their Nomad series. It’s a song that might resonate with many: “Fuck, I Hate the Cold. (Amazon: CD/MP3, Vinyl.)

So Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ new single, “Sacrilege,” is quite tasty from jump. But…when they break out the gospel choir? Holy crap, Cisco. It’s from their new album Mosquito, due out April 16th. Choirs come right behind strings and horns as things that, when properly used, can get my attention. So I’m looking forward to this. (Amazon: “Sacrilege” MP3 Single; Mosquito: CD, Deluxe CD, Vinyl.)

Back to last year and me making the rounds to catch up on everything I missed. One of those things was Dan Deacon and his noise/instrumental/mental album America. I’ve found it’s best taken in all at once rather than piecemeal, but knowing you’re busy people…here’s “Lots.” (Amazon: CD, MP3, Vinyl.)

Here we have some classic jazz: Johnny Hawksworth & Hampton Hawes with “Jazz Rule.” It’s taken from Spiritual Jazz 4: Americans in Europe. It’s out this week–a collection of many rare re-issues of jazz performances from American musicians who decided to cross the pond when things weren’t going so hot for them here. An excellent array of tracks. MP3 (just $7.99) is the best way to go as the CD set is pricey. (Amazon: CD, MP3, Vinyl.)

Normally, straight up pop isn’t the sort of thing I can stand unless it’s remixed or mashed up with something. However, Hands manages to give me some poppy stuff that pleases me. And that’s hard to do. Can’t quite say what it is: it feels a bit askew, so maybe it just fits my personality. Here’s “The Game is Changing Us” from their album Synesthesia, due out April 30th. (Amazon: CD, Vinyl)