New Music Musings

It’s Saturday, and I’d like to welcome you to another installment of my weekly view at developments on the new music front. All picks are from albums released yesterday (June 28).

Aaron Frazer/Time Will Tell

Kicking things off today is singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer, who since I featured him first in January 2021 has relocated from Brooklyn, New York, to Los Angeles. He first gained prominence as co-lead singer for soul revival group Durand Jones & The Indications, who he co-founded in 2012. Frazer also penned some of their most notable tracks, including Morning In America, and sang lead on Is It Any Wonder? The latter caught the attention of Dan Auerbach who produced Frazer’s January 2021 debut solo album Introducing…. Time Will Tell is from his sophomore album Into the Blue, which he co-produced together with Alex Goose. Frazer’s website calls it a daring blend of soul, psychedelia, spaghetti western, disco, gospel and hip-hop, representing the impressive range of Frazer’s sonic talents. Featuring his neat falsetto, the song was co-written by Frazer, Goose, Ginger Dolden and Joey Dosik.

Guided by Voices/Fictional Environment Dream

Guided By Voices are an American indie rock band initially formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. Through an impressive 35-plus albums and numerous line-up changes, the group has always been centered on principal songwriter Robert Pollard (lead vocals, guitar) who remains as their only original member. After November 2023 and March 2022, this is the third time I’m including them in a new music post. Off their latest album Strut of Kings, here’s Fictional Environment Dream, written by Pollard – great song!

Sour Widows/Big Dogs

A band called Sour Widows was bound to get my attention. The San Francisco Bay Area alternative rock group were formed seven years ago by guitarists and vocalists Maia Sinaiko and Susanna Thomson. Longtime friend and trusted drummer Max Edelman and bassist Timmy Stabler complete their line-up. Reflecting a series of personal challenges, Sour Widows only now released their debut album Revival of a Friend. Their website calls out Joni Mitchell, as well as the groups Duster, Bedhead and Slint as musical inspirations. Here’s the opener Big Dogs, co-written by Sinaiko, Thomson and Edelman.

Queen of Jeans/Bitter Pill

Philadelphia’s Queen of Jeans have been around since 2015. Their Apple Music profile notes the group combines hooky, yearning indie pop tinged with surf rock, dream pop and psychedelic influences. They debuted with a self-titled EP in January 2016. Their first full-length album Dig Yourself came out in February 2018. Queen of Jeans are Miri Devora (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Matheson Glass (lead guitar, piano), Andrew Nitz (bass, keyboards) and Patrick Wall (drums). Bitter Pill, credited to the entire band, is a track from their third and latest album All Again.

Laughing/Garden Path

Laughing are a Canadian rock band from Montreal. According to their Bandcamp page, the four-piece are influenced by “some of the greatest pop songwriters of the past five decades.” Without further specification, this doesn’t narrow it down much. Their members include Josh Salter (guitar, bass, vocals), André Charles Thériault (guitar, bass, vocals), Cole Woods (guitar, bass, vocals) and Laura Jeffery (drums, vocals). Off their debut album Because It’s True, here’s Garden Path. The neat song is credited to all four members.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats/Get Used to the Night

My last pick are Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, who I first featured in November 2021. The band is led by Denver, Colo-based singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff whose influences include folk, Americana and vintage R&B. After two groups, Born in the Flood (2002-2008) and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel (2007-2014), he formed Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats in 2013. Rateliff has also released three solo albums to date. His fourth and latest with The Night Sweats is titled South of Here. One of the tracks on that album is Get Used to the Night – great combination of roots rock and horns!

Sources: Wikipedia; Consequence; Sour Widows website; Apple Music; Queen of Jeans Bandcamp page; YouTube; Spotify