Welcome to another Best of What’s New 90. While I’ve been able to find new music for the past 89 installments, which I find reassuring, the reality is contemporary music can be a tough proposition when you dig the ’60s and the ’70s as much as I do. Some weeks can be challenging, and this was one of them. I’m still happy with what I found. Hope you like some of my picks as well!
Aeon Station/Everything at Once
Aeon Station is a project by singer-songwriter Kevin Whelan. While he just released the debut album Observatory under that moniker, Whelan has been active for more than 30 years. In 1989, he co-founded indie rock band The Wrens, together with his brother Greg Whelan. The group released three albums and disbanded after a drawn-out conflict over a fourth record. According to this short piece in Stereogum, Kevin Whelan took some of the tunes he had written for The Wrens’ fourth album, added some others and put together Observatory, which was released yesterday (December 10). Apparently, his brother and Jerry MacDonald, former drummer of The Wrens, were involved in the project as well. Here’s Everything at Once, a melodic pop-oriented song.
The Tea Party/The Beautiful
The Tea Party are a Canadian rock band initially formed in Toronto in 1990 by multi-instrumentalists Jeff Martin (vocals, guitar, other), Stuart Chatwood (bass, keyboards, other) and Jeff Burrows (drums, percussion). During its initial run until 2005, the trio released seven studio albums. After disbanding in October 2005 due to creative differences, The Tea Party reunited in 2011. Since then, two full-length albums and three EPs have appeared. The Beautiful is a tune from their most recent EP titled Sunshower that came out on November 26. I dig the sound of this tune, which is credited to all three members.
Joey Landreth/Two Trains
Joey Landreth is a Canadian guitarist. From his website: By pushing the boundaries of guitar and tone, Joey Landreth has earned rave reviews from critics and fans for his brand of electric and deeply meaningful songs, amplified by Landreth’s dynamic guitar mastery and spellbinding performances...[His] music has taken him around the world many times. His break-out project as one half of JUNO Award winning roots-rockers The Bros. Landreth, took a short break after their acclaimed album Let It Lie kept them on the road for 4 years. The time-off afforded Joey the opportunity to tackle new creative challenge, and in 2017, he released his debut solo album Whiskey. Fast forward to November 26 and Landreth’s third and most recent album All That You Dream. Here’s the catchy funky closer Two Trains. Also, check out that neat slide guide action!
Jim Lindberg/I Feel Like the Sun
American singer-songwriter and guitarist Jim Lindberg is best-known as lead vocalist of punk rock group Pennywise. He is one of the co-founders of the band that was formed in 1988. After nine studio albums, Lindberg called it quits in August 2009. He subsequently founded The Black Pacific, another punk outfit that released one album in September 2010 and folded in 2012. Lindberg returned to Pennywise in October that year and has been with the group ever since. I Feel Like the Sun is a great track off Songs from the Elkhorn Trail, a solo album Lindberg put out on November 19. The alternative rock tune sounds very different from his music with Pennywise. That works for me!
Sources: Wikipedia; Stereogum; Joey Landreth website; YouTube
Christian's Music Musings 
Better Late than never!
Ok Christian… All 4 are winners! I like all four of them. When I review one I listen to the first while reading…then I start writing…I kept doing it and just stopped because I was saying how I liked each one. Great batch this week! You picked them well.
I’m excited about Aeon Station and The Tea Party…both are excellent! I can say that about the other two as well.
The sound they get is something I would do on my own…in my music. they hit the spot.
.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Max, glad you liked my picks. This was a week where I had a hard time finding four new tunes I felt like featuring.
Ironically, after I had put together the post, I came across another band I like. For some reason, their brand new album didn’t show up when I browsed all new releases in iTunes on Friday.
Interestingly, the group’s name was inspired by what suposedely was John Lennon’s favorite drink. I have something scheduled on their album for tomorrow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good for you for finding new stuff from less-than-famous musicians. Spotify sent me my “here’s what you listened to the most” list and it was mostly classic rock with a few jazz numbers thrown in. I need to make a New Year’s resolution. All good stuff here but the last two- especially “Two Trains” – are favorites. Landreth sounds like a guy to watch. Ironically, Sonny Landreth (from New Orleans) is, as I think you know, also a premier slide guitarist.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m with with you, Jim, Joey Landreth is my favorite. When I saw his last name, my first thought was he might be related to Sonny. I don’t recall having heard the last name Landreth before. I guess it’s not very common?
I also find that Lindberg tune pretty good, as well as The Tea Party track.
LikeLike
I hear good stuff from you and others – even from myself – but almost never follow up enough on new bands or tunes to make it stick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
While over the past two years or so I’ve certainly paid much more attention to new music compared to before (when I pretty much ignored it all together), I can tell you keeping new artists on my radar screen is difficult, given time constraints.
LikeLike
Right. For me it’s somewhat that and somewhat that when I listen to music I want to rock out to stuff I know. Lazy I guess.
LikeLiked by 1 person