New Music Musings

Happy Saturday and welcome to my latest picks on the new music front. Except for the final track, which is a single that came out on Thursday (May 9), all highlighted songs are included on albums that were released yesterday (May 10).

Pokey LaFarge/So Long Chicago

Pokey LaFarge (born Andrew Heissler) is a singer-songwriter currently based in Maine. AllMusic describes his style as Americana, blending blues, country, and Western swing into his own unique style. LaFarge independently released his debut album Marmalade in 2006. His eighth and latest album Rhumba Country was inspired by his recent experience of working 12-hour days on a local farm. The songs came to him while farming, his Bandcamp page notes, as well as the kaleidoscopic sound informed by his love of music from far-ranging eras and corners of the globe, including mambo, tropicália, rocksteady, and mid-century American rock-and-roll. Here’s So Long Chicago, co-written by Addie Hamilton, Elliott Bergman and LaFarge. Something about this song drew me in right away – not exactly sure why, I just find it cool!

Hot Water Music/Chewing On Broken Glass

Hot Water Music are a post-hardcore group from Florida, formed in 1994. During their initial run until late 2005, they released six albums. For the next six years, they were largely on hiatus before reforming in 2012. Since 2017, Hot Water Music’s line-up has included their four original members Chuck Ragan (guitar, vocals), Chris Wollard (guitar, vocals), Jason Black (bass) and George Rebelo (drums), as well as Chris Creswell (guitar, vocals). Their latest album Vows coincides with the group’s 30th anniversary. Here’s Chewing On Broken Glass, credited to the entire band. Nice melodic rock!

Villagers/I Want What I Don’t Need

Villagers are an Irish indie folk band and music project by Dublin-based singer-songwriter Conor J O’Brien who has been their sole constant member. He formed the group in 2008 after his previous band The Immediate had disbanded. Starting with their May 2010 debut album Becoming a Jackal, Villagers enjoyed immediate chart success in their home country, where their first three albums topped the charts. They also have charted in Belgium, France, Germany and The Netherlands. Off Villagers‘ sixth and latest studio album That Golden Time, here’s the pleasant I Want What I Don’t Need.

Jackie West/End of the World

Jackie West who was born in Boston and grew in St. Louis is a singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York. Her debut single Amelia appeared in January 2022, followed by EP Find Indigo the following month. West is now out with her first full-length album Close to the Mystery, which her Bandcamp page overall characterizes as baroque pop. Here’s the opener End of the World. West’s vocals sound intriguing, which is what caught my attention initially.

The Sonic Dawn/Nothing Can Live Here

The Sonic Dawn are a Danish acid rock band formed in Copenhagen in 2013 by childhood friends Emil Bureau (guitar, vocals), Niels ‘Bird’ Fuglede (bass) and Jonas Waaben (drums, percussion, backing vocals). Since their 2015 debut Perception, they have fused genres from sitar pop to heavy psych. On their fifth and new album Phantom they are joined by long-time collaborator Erik ‘Errka’ Petersson on organ and keyboards. Here’s Nothing Can Live Here, with both lyrics and the music credited to Bureau, Fuglede and Waaben. Alternating between fairly melodic, mellow parts and full-blown psychedelic rock, I think the song makes for an interesting listening experience!

The Cold Stares/Coming Home

Wrapping up this weekly new music review are blues and roots rock-oriented The Cold Stares. Formed as a duo in 2010 by guitarist and vocalist Chris Tapp and drummer Brian Mullins, starting with 2014’s A Cold Wet Night, they released five albums in that configuration. In 2022, they added bassist Bryce Klueh and released their first album as a trio, Voices, in 2023. Here’s their new single Coming Home, which appeared on May 9. It’s the second upfront track released this year from their next album The Southern, slated for September 6.

Sources: Wikipedia; Consequence; AllMusic; Pokey LaFrage Bandcamp page; Jackie West Bandcamp page; The Sonic Dawn website; The Cold Stares website; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

Happy Saturday and welcome to my latest weekly new music review. Today, I’d like to offer songs that come from a mix of studio albums and EPs, which were all released yesterday (April 26).

Liz Brasher/Be in California

Memphis, Tenn.-based Liz Brasher is a singer-songwriter and guitarist whose style AllMusic characterizes as eclectic retro soul with elements of adult pop, rock, blues, and gospel. Here’s more from her AllMusic bio: Brasher sang in her church choir as a child and eventually found influence in The Beatles, the Delta blues, and Southern soul. She delved into American music history, learning the works of songwriters ranging from Stephen Foster to Lead Belly, and later Bob Dylan and The Staple Singers, as a college student in Chicago. She soon taught herself guitar and began writing songs. Her debut album Painted Imagine appeared in January 2019. Be in California is a great-sounding track off her second and latest album Baby Damn.

Billy Tibbals/Dream Away

Billy Tibbals is a Los Angeles-based alternative rock artist I first featured in April 2023. Originally hailing from London, Tibbals has lived in L.A. since 2014. During his childhood he became obsessed with British rock & roll – not a bad obsession, as far as I’m concerned! His debut EP Teenage, which offered a mix of power pop, glam rock and, of course, rock & roll, appeared in April 2023. Tibbals who optically reminds me a bit of Marc Bolan is now out with his second EP Nightlife Stories. Like the predecessor it was produced by Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes. Here’s the closer Dream Away, a neat power ballad with a cool retro vibe.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong/My Own Way

Maryland psychedelic funk band Pigeons Playing Ping Pong win this week’s prize for best name. They also sound really good! The quartet of Greg Ormont (vocals, guitar), Jeremy Schon (guitar, vocals), Ben (bass, vocals) and Alex Petropulos (drums, vocals) came together in college 15 years ago. Day in Time is the group’s seventh full-length album since July 2014′ Psychology. Here’s My Own Way. This is groovy stuff!

Gramercy Arms/Never Say Anything (Acoustic)

Gramercy Arms are a revolving New York-based collective of musicians and artists led by songwriter and producer Dave Derby, who I first included in a new music review in February. Prior to Gramercy Arms’ eponymous 2008 debut album, Derby co-founded indie rock band The Dambuilders and lo-fi home recording project Brilliantine; released two solo albums; and composed and produced some music for film and TV. Off their latest album The Making of The Making Of, here’s Never Say Anything (Acoustic), an alternate version of a song the group first included on their March 2023 predecessor Deleted Scenes – pleasant indie pop!

Anders Osborne/To Live

I’m pleased to highlight more new music by versatile New Orleans-based singer-songwriter and ace guitarist Anders Osborne, who I featured in a catching up on new music post 10 days ago. Osborne was born in 1966 in Uddevalla, Sweden and has lived in New Orleans since 1990. He blends multiple genres, such as funk, soul, rock, blues and R&B, into a tasty gumbo. Since his 1989 debut Doin’ Fine, Osborne has released more than 20 studio and live albums. His latest album Picasso’s Villa is now out. Here’s the rootsy To Live – love Osborne’s guitar work!

Ringo Starr/Gonna Need Someone

If you read my aforementioned catching up on new music post, you won’t be surprised this week’s picks include Ringo Starr, whose new EP Crooked Boy has now been released as well. His fifth EP since March 2021 comes six months after Rewind Forward, from which I covered the title track at the time. A marble vinyl limited edition of Crooked Boy was first released on Record Store Day on Saturday, April 20, followed by yesterday’s digital release. Here’s the upbeat Gonna Need Someone, which like the three remaining tracks was written specifically for Starr by Linda Perry who also produced the EP – I just love the man!

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Pigeons Playing Ping Pong website; Ringo Starr website; YouTube; Spotify

Catching Up: Short Takes On New Music I Missed

I realize I’m starting to sound like a broken record. While I’m taking a fresh look each week, there’s way more decent new music coming out than I can track. Once again, Spotify’s Release Radar comes to the rescue. Following is some good stuff that appeared over the past four weeks I missed.

The Reds, Pinks & Purples/What’s Going On With Ordinary People

The Reds, Pinks & Purples is an indie pop project launched in 2015 by San Francisco-based musician, singer-songwriter and producer Glenn Donaldson, who I first featured in March 2023. Their Bandcamp page notes six albums, several EPs and many singles they have released over the past five years, citing The Go-Betweens, The Smiths, Magnetic Fields and Felt as inspirations. Off their latest album Unwishing Well, which dropped on April 12, here’s the great-sounding What’s Going On With Ordinary People.

Ringo Starr/February Sky

Bless Ringo Starr who continues to release new music and keeps touring! February Sky, which came out on April 12, is the first single off his upcoming EP Crooked Boy scheduled for April 26. It comes six months after his previous EP Rewind Forward and is his fifth in a row since March 2021. Like the remaining three tracks on Crooked Boy, February Sky was written and produced by Linda Perry. “February Sky is great – very moody,” Starr said. “But since Linda wrote these specifically for me – it of course has to have a positive peace & love element.” Pretty decent pop rock song!

Lions in the Street/Down in the Hole

Lions in the Street are a cool ’70s style rock & roll band from Vancouver, Canada, who only entered my radar screen a few months ago when I featured them in another Catching Up post. Formed in 2000 as The Years, they changed their name to Lions in the Street in 2006 after a label deal to release an album had gone sour. With their latest single Down in the Hole, released on April 8, they deliver more of that kickass style rock & roll. Check out that neat b-b-b-b-bad to the bone slide guitar action!

James Bone/Left Side Right Side

Speaking of bone, here’s the new single by James Bone, a British singer-songwriter who strangely has a website and an online store but no posted bio! According to this review I found in Louder Than War, Bone released his debut album in April 2023. “I played in bands for years but they all fell by the wayside as is often the case,” he’s quoted in the review. “Then I wrote/directed a short film about a boxer which kept the creativity bubbling, but I knew I had to get my ass in gear and make a record, then Covid happened and it seemed like the time was ripe!” Here’s Bone’s new single Left Side Right Side – neat song! The next step I’d humbly suggest is to throw us a bone and post a bio.

Stewart Forgey/Look For the Truth

Stewart Forgey is a Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist and member of Pacific Range, a country-oriented jam band formed in 2013. Look For the Truth appeared on March 26 as an upfront single to Forgey’s solo debut album Nature of the Universe, set to drop on April 24. This is a gorgeous song with a neat West Coast vibe that reminds me a bit of America. It follows Starry Dream, another nice-sounding track from the forthcoming album. Looking forward to hearing the rest of it!

Anders Osborne/Reckless Heart

I’m thrilled to wrap up this post with new music by Anders Osborne, a versatile singer-songwriter and guitarist who my longtime German music buddy Gerd first brought to my attention many years ago. Osborne was born in 1966 in Uddevalla, Sweden and has lived in New Orleans since 1990. He blends multiple genres, such as funk, soul, rock, blues and R&B, into a tasty gumbo. Since his 1989 debut Doin’ Fine, Osborne has released more than 20 studio and live albums. The great roots rock-flavored Reckless Heart is from his upcoming album Picasso’s Villa scheduled for April 26. The song first appeared as an upfront single on March 21.

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; The Reds, Pinks & Purples Bandcamp page; Ringo Starr website; Lions in the Street website; Louder Than War; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

Happy Saturday and welcome to my latest weekly look at new music releases. All picks are on albums that came out yesterday (April 12).

Maggie Rogers/So Sick of Dreaming

First up is Maggie Rogers, a singer-songwriter and record producer from Easton, Md., combining folk, dance and pop in her music. By the time she began writing songs in 8th grade, Rogers had picked up the harp, piano and guitar. She gained popularity in 2016 at the age of 22 with Alaska, a song she wrote while attending a master class at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. By that time, Rogers already had released two independent albums. Her first label release Heard It in a Past Life, which came out in January 2019, debuted at no. 2 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200. Off her third and latest album Don’t Forget Me, here’s the pleasant So Sick of Dreaming.

Will Hoge/Good While It Lasted

Will Hoge is an Americana and southern rock singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tenn., who I first featured in July 2020. In 1997, he released an EP with his band at the time Spoonful, but it wasn’t successful and the group disbanded. After self-releasing a live CD and his first studio album Carousel, Hoge managed to get a deal with Atlantic Records in early 2002. While it was short-lived, it resulted in his major label debut Blackbird on a Lonely Wire in March 2003. Good While It Lasted, co-written by Hoge and Hayes Carll, is a song from his new album Tenderhearted Boys.

Nicolette & The Nobodies/Better Days

Ontario, Canada-based Nicolette & The Nobodies win the prize for best band name this week. Glide Magazine noted the group is led by singer-songwriter Nicolette Hoang, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants. Their Bandcamp page describes them as “heavily influenced by the songs and stage presence of 60’s and 70’s country starlets” while retaining “the gritty rough edges of outlaw country.” From their debut album The Long Way, here’s Better Days. The song’s rock vibe immediately grabbed me.

Trummors/I Can Still Make Cheyenne

Trummors are a country rock duo from Taos, N.M., consisting of multi-instrumentalists David Lerner and Anne Cunningham who rely on a rotating cast of musicians. Their AllMusic bio notes they came together in 2010 in Brooklyn, New York and released their debut album Over and Around the Clove in 2012. Off their fifth and latest album, appropriately titled 5, here’s I Can Still Make Cheyenne, a song with a nice country vibe. Like all other tracks on the album, it was written pre-pandemic.

Mark Knopfler/Two Pairs of Hands

After Mark Knopfler quietly dissolved Dire Straits in 1994, the British guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer launched a solo career. The first album under his name, Golden Heart, appeared in March 1996. While not comparable to Dire Straits, Knopfler has continued to enjoy success with his solo albums. Off his 10th and latest, One Deep River, here’s the opener Two Pairs of Hands, written by Knopfler. I’ve always loved his distinct guitar-playing!

Blue Öyster Cult/Don’t Come Running to Me

Rounding out this post are Blue Öyster Cult. Formed in 1967 on Long Island, N.Y., the rock band first entered my radar screen with the great Don’t Fear the Reaper sometime in the late ’70s. Their 15th and latest studio album Ghost Stories is a collection of unreleased tracks they started but didn’t finish between 1978 and 1983, as well as three covers of Animals, Beatles and MC5 songs, Ultimate Classic Rock reported in a review. Here’s Don’t Come Running to Me, a pop rocker that stylistically would have fit on Mirrors, Fire of Unknown Origin or other BÖC albums from the late ’70s/early ’80s.

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Glide Magazine; Nicolette & The Nobodies Bandcamp page; Trummors Bandcamp page; Ultimate Rock; YouTube; Spotify

Musings of the Past

Coincidentally, I stumbled across this previous post when searching my blog for something else and thought it would be worthwhile republishing. This piece, which has been slightly edited, first appeared about 4.5 years ago. I realize it’s lengthy but hope you’ll find it worth your time, especially if you’re into protest singer-songwriters.

Phil Ochs, Brilliant Yet Widely Obscure Troubadour

What do Robert Allen Zimmerman and Philip David Ochs have in common? Both wrote brilliant protest songs in the ’60s. The difference? Robert changed his name to Bob Dylan and became one of the most famous music artists of our time. Philip chose to perform as Phil Ochs and remained largely obscure outside singer-songwriter circles. That’s a shame!

Until recently, I had never heard of Phil Ochs myself. Then I saw somebody ranting on Facebook that Bob Dylan undeservedly gets all the credit for being this brilliant protest singer when the recognition should really go to Ochs. The truth is while both artists at some point were important protest singer-songwriters, none of them invented the genre. According to Wikipedia, the tradition of protest songs in the U.S. long predates the births of Dylan and Ochs – in fact going all the way back to the 18th century.

One of the important forerunners to the 1950s and 1960s protest singer-songwriters were the Hutchinson Family Singers, who starting from 1839 became well known for singing about social issues, such as abolition, war and women’s suffrage. And let’s not forget Woody Guthrie, who was born in 1912 and started learning folk and blues songs during his early teens. Over a 26-year-period as an active music artist, Guthrie wrote hundreds of political, folk and children’s songs. He was a major influence on numerous other songwriters who in addition to Dylan and Ochs included Johnny Cash, Pete Seeger, Harry Chapin, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and many other former and contemporary artists.

Hutchinson Family Singers in 1845 painting by an unknown artist

‘I get it,’ you might think, ‘but who the hell is Phil Ochs?’ Sadly, it’s a pretty rough story, and it doesn’t have a Hollywood happy ending.

Ochs was born on December 19, 1940 in El Paso, Texas. His dad Jakob “Jack” Ochs was a physician from New York, and his mom Gertrude Finn Ochs hailed from Scotland. The two met there and got married in Edinburgh where Jack was attending medical school at the time. After their wedding, they moved to the U.S. Jack joined the army as a doctor and was sent overseas close to the end of World War II. He returned as a sick man with bipolar disorder and depression.

Jack’s health conditions prevented him from establishing a successful medical practice. Instead, he ended up working at a series of hospitals around the country and frequently moving his family. As a result, Phil Ochs grew up in different places, along with an older sister (Sonia, known as Sonny) and a younger brother (Michael). His father was distant from the family, eventually got hospitalized for depression, and passed away from a brain bleeding in April 1963. Phil’s mother died in March 1994.

Phil Ochs as a teenager playing the clarinet

During his teenage years, Ochs became a talented clarinet player. Prior to the age of 16, he was principal soloist with the orchestra at the Capital University Conservatory of Music in Columbus, Ohio. Although Ochs had become an accomplished classical instrumentalist, he soon discovered the radio and started listening to the likes of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.

Initially, Ochs wanted to become a journalist. Well, he of sort did, combining his interest in writing about politics with music. During his journalism studies at Ohio State University, he met fellow student, activist and future folk singer Jim Glover in the fall of 1960, who introduced him to the music of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and The Weavers, and taught him how to play guitar. It wouldn’t take long before Ochs merged his interest of politics and music and started writing his own songs. He preferred to characterize himself as a topical rather than a protest singer.

Glover and Ochs started performing as a duo called The Singing Socialists and later The Sundowners but broke up before their first professional gig. Glover went to New York, while Ochs started performing professionally at a local folk club in Cleveland. In 1962, he went to the Big Apple as well and soon established himself in the Greenwich Village folk music scene. Ochs described himself as a “singing journalist,” explaining his songs were inspired by stories he saw in Newsweek. By the summer of 1963, he had developed a sufficiently high profile and was invited to perform at the Newport Folk Festival, along the likes of Dylan, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul & Mary.

Ochs’ debut album All The News That’s Fit To Sing, an allusion to The New York Times‘ slogan “All the news that’s fit to print,” appeared in 1964. Here is Ballad of William Worthy. The tune tells the story about an American journalist who traveled to Cuba despite the U.S. embargo and was forbidden to return to the U.S. Check out the brilliant lyrics of this tune – safe to assume Ochs’ words didn’t endear him to the Johnson Administration.

In 1965, Ochs’ sophomore album I Ain’t Marching Anymore came out. Here’s the excellent satirical anti-war tune Draft Dodger Rag, which quickly became an anthem of the anti-Vietnam war movement.

After Ochs’ first three albums with Electra Records had gone nowhere commercially speaking, he signed with A&M Records and in October 1967 released his fourth studio record Pleasures Of The Harbor. Unlike his first three folk music-oriented records, the album went beyond folk, featuring elements of classical, rock & roll, Dixieland and even experimental synthesized music. Apparently, the idea was to produce a folk-pop crossover. While the album included great tunes, it’s safe to say it didn’t bring Ochs commercial success. Here is Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends, which became one of Ochs’ most popular songs. The tune was inspired by the case of a 28-old woman who was stabbed to death in front of her home in Queens, New York, while dozens of her neighbors reportedly ignored her cries for help.

Tape From California is Ochs’ fifth album. Released in July 1968 on A&M Records, it continued his shift away from straight folk-oriented protest songwriting, though he was far from abandoning topical songs. The War Is Over is a tune that was inspired by poet Allen Ginsberg who in 1966 declared the Vietnam war was over. Ochs decided to adopt the idea and organize an anti-war rally in Los Angeles, for which he wrote the song.

Phil Ochs’ final studio album came out in February 1970. Weirdly, it was called Greatest Hits, even though it was not a compilation but a collection of 10 new tracks. Most of the record was produced by Van Dyke Parks, who previously had appeared on Tape From California, contributing piano and keyboards to the title track. Greatest Hits featured an impressive array of guest artists, including Clarence White and Gene Parsons, both from the Byrds; Ry Cooder; Jim Glover; and members of Elvis Presley’s backing band, among others. The album cover was an homage to Elvis, showing Ochs in a gold lamé suit reminiscent of the outfit Elvis wore for the cover of his 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong greatest hits compilation. Here is Jim Dean Of Indiana, a tune about the actor James Dean, who like Elvis was one of Ochs’ idols.

Greatest Hits was Ochs’ final attempt to connect with average Americans, who he was convinced weren’t listening to topical songs. Disillusioned by key events of 1968, including the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the police riot in Chicago around the Democratic National Convention and the election of Richard Nixon, Ochs felt he needed to be “part Elvis Presley and part Che Guevara,” as Wikipedia puts it. Ochs supported the album with a tour, performing in the Elvis-like suit and being backed by a rock band, singing his own songs, along with tunes by Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and Merle Haggard. But his fans weren’t sure what to make of the “new Phil Ochs.”

Pretty much from there, things went downhill for Ochs. He developed writer’s block and slipped into depression and alcoholism. He did not release any additional records. On April 9, 1976, Ochs committed suicide by hanging himself in the home of his sister Sonny. He was only 35 years old.

I’d like to conclude this post with a few quotes I found on Life of a Rebel, a blog dedicated to Ochs. “As a lyricist, there was nobody like Phil before and there has not been anybody since,” said fellow folk singer Dave Van Ronk. “He had a touch that was so distinctive that it just could not be anybody else. He had been a journalism student before he became a singer, and he would never sacrifice what he felt to be the truth for a good line.” In a note to Ochs in 1963, Pete Seeger wrote, “I wish I had one tenth your talent as a songwriter.” And what did the mighty Bob Dylan tell Broadside magazine in 1964? “I just can’t keep up with Phil. And he’s getting better and better and better.”

– END –

If you’re still here, thanks for reading this post, which first was published on October 13, 2019.

Sources: Wikipedia; Life of a Rebel; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Happy Sunday and I hope everybody is feeling groovy. After having put together music time travel itineraries for just over three years, I thought this would be a good moment to step back temporarily and let others pick the six stops for today’s trip. I’ll remain your conductor, and we will still hit six different decades with music in different flavors, so hop on board, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s have some fun!

Sonny Rollins/I’m an Old Cowhand

Jazz aficionado CB, aka. Cincinnati Babyhead was kind enough to take a break from fishing to determine our first stop: Way Out West, a 1957 album by jazz tenor saxophone great Sonny Rollins. Over an incredible 70-year-plus career, Rollins has recorded more than 60 albums as a leader and appeared on many additional records as a sideman. He has played with the likes of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach and Modern Jazz Quartet. Off the above mentioned album, here’s I’m an Old Cowhand, a comic song written by Johnny Mercer for the Western musical picture Rhythm on the Range and released as a single in 1936 by its star Bing Crosby. Rollins who is now 93 and retired was backed by Ray Brown (bass) and Shelly Manne (drums).

Ozzy Osbourne/Bark At the Moon

Next we’re pushing the pedal to the metal and zip to November 1983, which saw the release of Ozzy Osbourne’s third solo album Bark At the Moon. Can you guess who might have suggested the destination, or should it have been distortion? Of course, our resident heavy metal expert Deke from deKe’s Vinyl Reviews & More…, who also hosts The Distortion Den on YouTube, together with Jex. Bark At the Moon marked the ex-Black Sabbath lead vocalist’s change to a more a synth infused pop-metal sound. Listeners evidently didn’t mind, especially in the U.S. where the album secured 3X Platinum certification (3 million certified sold units). Here’s fiery title song and first single, which like all of the album’s other tracks officially were credited to Ozzy only – melodic kickass rocker that makes it very accessible – ha ha ha ha!

Rough Cats/So Alone

Time to take a bit of a breather by traveling back to the present with the latest single by Rough Cats, a group around Aussie singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brad McClean, aka. Slap Cat. They say their music spans multiple genres with lyrics injecting doses of cynicism, observation and humor. While official information on Rough Cats may be a bit ambiguous, I can say with no uncertainty that I dig So Alone, a great suggestion from fellow music blogger and accomplished and published poet Lisa at Tao Talk. The single came out on December 8, 2023.

Traffic/Dear Mr. Fantasy

Time to pay a visit to the ’60s with a wonderful stop proposed by Max who pens the terrific PowerPop blog and whose sentiments about music are so similar to mine that I’m still convinced we somehow are distant relatives! When English rock band Traffic released their December 1967 debut album Mr. Fantasy, the multi-instrumentalists and vocalists were still in their original line-up of Chris Wood, Steve Winwood, Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi. With Dear Mr. Fantasy, Max shockingly one of my all-time favorite songs, co-written by Capaldi, Winwood and Wood.

Bobby Caldwell/What You Won’t Do For Love

Our next stop takes us to the ’70s and a proposition from an expert for that decade, Paul, one of the creators of the fun Once Upon a Time in the ’70s blog. When he told me to feature Bobby Caldwell’s What You Won’t Do For Love, a title I didn’t recall, I immediately knew we had a smooth-sounding winner once I started listening. Co-written by Caldwell and Alfons Kettner, the track was the lead single of Caldwell’s 1978 eponymous debut album and became his signature song. Active between 1968 and 2020, the American singer-songwriter and musician spanned various genres, including R&B, soul, jazz and adult contemporary. Caldwell passed away in March 2023 at the age of 71.

The Bluetones/Slight Return

For our sixth and final stop today, I turned to Dave from A Sound Day, where he chronicles and celebrates great music. He also is the fearless host of Turntable Talk, for which he invites fellow bloggers to share their thoughts on topics he proposes. Dave picked Slight Return by The Bluetones, a British melodic guitar pop group I hadn’t heard of before. For this, we shall set our time controls to February 1996 and their debut album Expecting to Fly. Slight Return, credited to all four members – Mark Morriss (vocals), Adam Devlin (guitar), Scott Morriss (bass, backing vocals) and Eds Chesters (drums, percussion) – also became the album’s second single and their highest-charting in the UK, peaking at no. 2 after it had been reissued – lovely sounding power pop and a great way to finish yet another music time travel excursion.

I’d like to thank CB, Deke, Lisa, Max, Paul and Dave for their great itinerary suggestions. This was fun and I may harass you again sometime in the future!  🙂

For now, here’s a Spotify list of all the above goodies. See ya!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

It’s Saturday and time to take a fresh look at newly released music. This week, my first four picks are included on albums that dropped yesterday (February 9), while the last two songs came out before then, as indicated.

Tyler Ramsey/These Ghosts

North Carolina-based singer-songwriter Tyler Ramsey first gained prominence during his stint as lead guitarist in Band of Horses from 2007-2017. Three years earlier, with the release of his self-titled album, Ramsey had launched his solo recording career, which he continued in parallel while playing with the Seattle indie rock group. These Ghosts, penned by Ramsey, is from his latest studio album New Lost Ages. It was produced by Phil Ek who has worked with the likes of Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes and Father John Misty. The great sound of These Ghosts immediately grabbed me!

Itasca/Milk

Behind Itasca is Los Angeles-based guitarist and singer-songwriter Kayla Cohen who has released music under that moniker since 2012. According to a web bio, Cohen who grew up in New York and moved to L.A. in 2011 makes music that isn’t specific to any genre, featuring “both baroque, acid folk-inflected songcraft and deconstructive, textural sonics.” On Imitation of War, her eighth and latest album as Itasca, Cohen advances into rockier terrain. Here’s the opener Milk, written by her – another song that captured my attention because of its neat sound.

David Hedderman/Pokerface

David Hedderman is a visual artist who was born in Dublin, Ireland, and has been based in Berlin, Germany since 2008. From an announcement posted on the website of IMRO, a music licensing and royalty collection nonprofit organization: Over the last twenty years,…Hedderman has cultivated an impressive career as a visual artist with his vibrant style of portraits which often feature beautifully textured and captivating backdrops for his figures to exist within. Hedderman’s striking idiosyncratic style seamlessly translates in his songwriting, as demonstrated in his dynamic and deft debut album, Pulling At The Briars. From that album, which he wrote over 15 years, here’s Pokerface. Based on that great song, you really wouldn’t know music isn’t Hedderman’s original artistic endeavor!

Ducks Ltd./Heavy Bag

Ducks Ltd. are a Canadian indie rock duo from Toronto, formed by Tom McGreevy (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Evan Lewis (lead guitar). They first emerged as Ducks Unlimited in 2019 when they released their debut EP Get Bleak, which was reissued in 2021 after they had signed to U.S. and Canadian independent labels Carpark Records and Royal Mountain Records, respectively. That same year also saw the release of their first full-length studio album Modern Fiction. Ducks Ltd. now return with their sophomore album Harm’s Way. Let’s listen to the pleasant laid back closer Heavy Bag, co-written by Lewis and McGreevy.

Terry Gomes/Eeza Gomes

Terry Gomes is a Canadian composer and guitarist from Ottawa, who mostly writes instrumental music. He taught rock and classical guitar for many years, played in several rock bands, performed regularly in a flute/classical guitar duo, and was an elementary school teacher for 26 years. Since 2006, Gomes has released his own music spanning the singer-songwriter, pop, folk rock and instrumental genres. His latest single, Eeza Gomes, appeared on Wednesday (February 7). Gomes (guitar), who is joined by Ed Lister (trumpet), Alex Mastronardi (bass) and Jeff Asselin (drums), wrote the groovy and upbeat mambo-rock track in memory of his late, beloved Guyanese aunt. When I heard the first few notes by the trumpet, followed by “Gomes”, I immediately knew I love this happy tune!

J Mascis/You Don’t Understand Me

Wrapping up this review is new music by J Mascis, vocalist, guitarist, main songwriter and 1984 co-founder of alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. who I previously featured in April 2021. Mascis has also played drums and guitar in various side projects and issued albums under his own name starting with the 1996 live release Martin + Me. Off his fourth and latest studio solo album What Do We Do Now, which came out on February 2, here’s You Don’t Understand Me. Like all other tracks, it was solely penned by Mascis – love this!

Sources: Wikipedia; Itasca Bandcamp page; Paradise of Bachelors website; David Hedderman website; IMRO website; Terry Gomes website; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

Happy Saturday and welcome to my weekly new music review. All picks are from new albums that were released yesterday (February 2) except for the two final songs, which appeared as singles on February 1.

Britti/Lullaby

Kicking us off today is New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Britti (nee Brittany Guerin). Her Bandcamp profile lists Diana Ross, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton and Sade as influences. According to a press release, she grew up surrounded by classic soul and R&B, blues, zydeco and other music. Her uncle, jazz bassist Roland Guerin, took her to his gigs with Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and others. It all rubbed off. Lullaby, co-written by Britti, Dan Auerbach and Roger Cook, is from her debut album Hello, I’m Britti. Britti “grew up in the most musical environment in the world,” stated Auerbach who also produced the album. “It’s in her DNA.” He wasn’t kidding – Britti’s vocals drew me in right away!

Rick Rude/P2PU

Rick Rude are a New Hampshire-based rock band who have been around for 10 years. Their current line-up includes Ben Troy (guitar, vocals), Chris Kennedy (guitar, vocals), Jordan Holz (bass, vocals) and Ryan Harrison (drums). The group’s third and latest album is titled Laverne. On their Bandcamp page, they characterize it as “an effort in energy” that has “a thicker guitar punch than the quartet’s first three releases.” Here’s P2Pu, a song with an interesting guitar riff and sound that caught my attention.

Joe Wong/Waiting

Joe Wong is a Los Angeles-based composer, musician, producer and podcast host. Wong picked up several instruments during his childhood and already began touring and recording with punk and indie bands at age 14. Later, he worked as a drummer, first primarily with jazz, Latin and African artists, and later with rock acts. In 2020, Wong released his solo debut Nite Creatures, a psychedelic, orchestral album. He has also composed various film scores and is the host and co-producer of a podcast/radio show. Off his sophomore album Mere Survival, here’s the great Waiting. I’m not always into heavy orchestration but think in this case it works very well.

The Paranoid Style/Last Night in Chickentown

Washington, D.C.-based garage rock and punk pop band The Paranoid Style have been around since 2012. Led by husband-and-wife duo of Elizabeth Nelson and Timothy Bracy, their name is based on a 1964 essay by American historian Richard Hofstadter, titled The Paranoid Style in American Politics – and, yes, I doublechecked, this came out in 1964! The group released their debut EP The Power of Our Proven System in 2013. Last Night in Chickentown, written by Nelson, is a song off The Paranoid Style’s new album The Interrogator, which looks like their fourth full-length studio release – this rocks!

Studio D’Lux/Silence Is Louder

Studio D’Lux is a music recording project launched in 2021 by keyboarder and vocalist Doug Kistner. The New Jersey musician has performed with the likes of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, John Waite and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Currently, he plays with ’60s and ’70s classic rock and soul cover band Summer of Love, led by ex-Styx member Glen Burtnik, as well as The Lords of 52nd Street, a rock group primarily comprised of members of Billy Joel’s backing band from 1976-1981. Studio D’Lux’s new single Silence Is Louder, written and produced by Kistner, also features drummer Liberty Devitto (formerly of Joel’s backing band), guitarist Jon Herington (Steely Dan), Burtnik (vocals), vocalist Reagan Richards (Williams Honor), bassist Malcolm Gold (India.Arie, Sheryl Crow) and Tom Timko on woodwinds (Gloria Estefan, Tower of Power), according to a press release I received – quite an impressive line-up. Best of all, blending elements of classic and yacht rock, the song was instant love!

Billy Joel/Turn the Lights Back On

Wrapping up this week’s new music review is Billy Joel – funny coincidence, given the previous song. The piano man from Long Island, New York, who I trust needs no introduction, is out with Turn the Lights Back On, his first new single in 17 years. A statement on Joel’s website notes the song was co-written by Freddy Wexler, Arthur Bacon and Joel and produced by Wexler. The last song written by Joel, which was released as a single in December 2007, was Christmas in Fallujah performed by then-20-year-old Cass Dillon, another songwriter from Long Island. What’s most stunning to me about Turn the Lights Back On is that the song feels as if time had stood still, both musically and vocally. It’s classic Billy Joel and could have come out 30 or 40 years ago! Is this a one-off? That would be my assumption, but I guess we’ll find out!

Sources: Wikipedia; Britti Bandcamp page; Shore Fire Media press release; Rick Rude Bandcamp page; Joe Wong website; Mixtape Media press release; Billy Joel website; YouTube; Spotify

Catching Up: Short Takes On New Music I Missed

Recently, I took a closer look at Spotify’s Release Radar and realized what a neat source it is for finding new music. Thanks again to fellow blogger Lisa from Tao Talk, where I first learned about the algorithmic playlist. Updated weekly, it features new music from artists a listener follows and reflects their previous listening history. As January is coming to its end, I decided to put together this post featuring great new songs that appeared over the course of the month, which I missed in my Saturday reviews.

Jefferson Hamer/Palmetto

Jefferson Hamer is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based singer-songwriter and guitarist. Apart from his solo music, he has a long-running folk duo with Eamon O’Leary, called The Murphy Beds. Hamer’s Bandcamp page also notes collaborations with Anais Mitchell, Session Americana, Sarah Jarosz (who I just featured in New Music Musings) and Kristin Andreassen. Hamer’s new single Palmetto was released on January 19. His vocals remind me of Jesse Colin Young – captivating stuff!

Gold Star/Wild Boys

Gold Star is the Americana-oriented solo project of Los Angeles-based Marlon Rabenreiter who was born in Vienna, Austria. According to this story in Hero magazine, Rabenreiter first gained prominence fronting L.A. punk trio CG Roxanne and The Nightmares before striking out as a solo artist. Since March 2017, he has released three albums under the Gold Star moniker. His latest single Wild Boys appeared on January 16. Call me crazy, I can hear some Dylan in here, perhaps because of the harmonica. In any case, I really dig this song!

Lions in the Street/Lady Blue

Lions in the Street are a ’70s style rock & roll band from Vancouver, Canada, who were formed in 2000 as The Years. After a label deal to release an album had gone sour, they changed their name to Lions in the Street in 2006. Their biggest release to date appears to be On the Lam, a 2013 EP with a dynamite sound reminiscent of The Rolling Stones and Faces. By comparison, their latest excellent single, Lady Blue, which dropped on January 8, is a bit more mellow – so cool listening to a group embracing rock & roll!

The Lemon Twigs/My Golden Years

The Lemon Twigs are a rock band from Long Island, N.Y., formed in 2014 by brothers and multi-instrumentalists Brian D’Addario and Michael D’Addario when they were still in high school. Including their 2016 debut, they have released four albums to date. The band’s retro sound has incorporated classic rock, glam rock and pop. On January 2, they released their most recent single My Golden Years – a neat jangly power pop song sounding like a cross between Byrds and The Beach Boys!

Following is a Spotify playlist of the above songs and some additional tracks from my recent Release Radar. This looks like a goldmine I intend to use going forward!

Sources: Wikipedia; Jefferson Hamer website and Bandcamp page; Apple Music; Lions in the Street website and AllMusic profile; Spotify; YouTube

New Music Musings

Happy Saturday and welcome to my weekly new music review. All picks are from albums that dropped yesterday (January 19).

Feral Family/Sold

Let’s kick things off with British post-punk band Feral Family and music from their debut album Without Motion. The trio features Jamie Lowe (vocals, bass), Oscar Woods (guitar) and Aidan Riby (drums). A statement notes the album is about growing-up and getting-by in a seaside town long-forgotten by the tourists but one overrun with complex characters and even more complex relationships. Here’s Sold co-written by Lowe (lyrics) and Woods (music). “Sold is based on life being taken over by work, it quickly gets to a point in your day to day where working to live becomes living to work, and I think it’s one that many people can relate to,” Lowe explained. It’s got a pretty cool haunting vibe.

Lizzie No/The Heartbreak Store

Lizzie No is a New York-based singer-songwriter, harpist and guitarist. From her bio: You could say that Lizze No makes “Americana” music, in that her work pulls from the rhythms and traditions of Blues, Folk, and Country — not unlike the artists to whom she’s most often compared: Allison Russell, Rhiannon Giddens and Adia Victoria — but her collaborations with Brian Dunne, Pom Pom Squad and Domino Kirke display an undeniable Indie influence that allows No to move frequently and seamlessly between overlapping musical circles. No’sdebut album Hard Won appeared in March 2017. From her third and latest album Halfsies, here’s The Heartbreak Store. I love No’s beautiful vocals and the song’s warm sound!

CobraKill/Razor Blade

CobraKill are a hard rock and heavy metal band from Augustdorf, a small town in the West German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Formed by lead guitarist Randy White in 2020, the group recorded their first album Cobratör in the summer of 2021 in Dortmund, Germany. They name Judas Priest, W.A.S.P., Ratt and Mötley Crüe as influences. Apart from White, the current line-up includes Nick Adams (vocals), Tommy Gun (rhythm guitar), Crippler Ramirez (bass) and Toby Ventura (drums). Off their new sophomore album Serpent’s Kiss, let’s listen to Razor Blade. This is melodic and rocks nicely – the kind of heavy metal I find very accessible.

Eddie Berman/Heartbroken

Eddie Berman is a folk singer-songwriter whose rugged tonality is tempered by warm introspection, according to his Apple Music profile. He built a solid D.I.Y. career in the front half of the 2010s, self-releasing a pair of albums and touring throughout the U.S. and Europe. In addition to his own material, the Portland-based musician gained recognition for his stripped down acoustic covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and others. Here’s Heartbroken, a song from Berman’s new album Signal Fire. Vocally, it reminds me a bit of present day Steve Forbert – really like this!

Packs/Missy

Packs is the moniker of Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist Madeline Link. After her 2018 debut album Ouch + B-Sides, Link turned Packs into a band who since May 2021 have released four albums. The indie rock group currently features Link (vocals, guitar), Dexter Nash (lead guitar), Noah O’Neil (bass) and Shane Hopper (drums, percussion). Missy, credited to all four members, is a track from Packs’ fifth and latest album Melt the Honey, which was recorded in Mexico. The Spanish vocals were provided by Lupita Rico. The song’s upbeat vibe drew me in.

Green Day/Strange Days Are Here to Stay

After the fifth upfront single Bobby Sox, which appeared on January 18, Green Day’s long-awaited new album Saviors is finally out. Their 14th studio project, which follows the cheerfully titled Father of All Motherfuckers from February 2020, seems to stick to the group’s style of combining grungy, primarily up-tempo rock with pop-oriented melodies, based on my initial impression. All lyrics were written by Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals, guitars), while the music is credited to all three members who in addition to Armstrong include Mike Dirnt (bass, backing vocals) and Tré Cool (drums, percussion). My pick Strange Days Are Here to Stay is a song that could have appeared on Green Day’s 1994 breakthrough album Dookie.

Sources: Wikipedia; Feral Family Bandcamp page; Lizzie No website; CobraKill website; Apple Music; Packs Bandcamp page; YouTube; Spotify