I first found out about Waxahatchee through photographer Ryan Russell. He shot the cover of her new album Cerulean Salt and he shoots a lot of other great bands like Paramore, the Postal Service, Against Me!, and pretty much all of the bands in Alternative Press. Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee hails from Birmingham, Alabama, where she was in a bunch of bands with her twin sister Allison (of the band Swearin').

Cerulean Salt came out earlier this year, and I've been listening to it nearly non-stop since I found about it. It feels very gritty and personal, which is probably why many people have lauded it as really good angsty high school music, which I guess I agree with. Maybe they mean that the lyrics aren't shrouded with metaphors or covered up with auto-tune and electronic whatever stuff. (I don't even know about music; I just like it.) She also has a youthful voice, but I think that adds to the authenticity and grittiness of the album. Crutchfield does have a beautiful voice, though. It just isn't fancy or diva-like.

I can't really recommend one song over another. It starts off pretty soft with "Hollow Bedroom" but the electric guitar keeps the album from getting too sleepy. My favorite song might be "Dixie Cups and Jars" or "Brother Bryan," but I'm not sure. "Blue Pt. II" kind of reminds me of Kimya Dawson but more serious. Apparently she wrote this album about a really bad breakup, which explains why it hurts a little bit (in a good way, of course.) You might like it if you are fans of Best Coast, Kimya Dawson, or other stuff that's good. Also, watch the new video for her song "Coast to Coast" below.