Sixty-nine year old Robert Finley has a new DanAuerbach produced album coming out, and the new single off of it is going to be perfect for fans of 2021's Sharecroper's Son. "Sneakin' Around" is just pure Louisiana blues and soul. Finley's voice just has a natural grit to it which fits Auerbach's slick production perfectly. It's a sound that is timeless, sounding both vintage and modern at the same time. If you have a shred of soul in you, you're going to love "Sneakin' Around." Even if you're not normally a fan of blues, R&B, or any variety of Americana, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
You can watch the video for "Sneakin' Around" below. Black Bayou is due out October 27 on Easy Eye Sound, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Robert Finley, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023 - Nashville, Tn - Brooklyn Bowl Nashville With the Black Keys Saturday Aug. 12, 2023 - Rauma, Finland - Rauma Blues 2023 Thursday Oct. 26, 2023 - New York, NY - Knitting Factory Saturday, 4 November 2023 - Groningen, NL - Take Root Festival Sunday, 5 November 2023 - Brussels, BE - Rotonde @ Botanique Wednesday, 8 November 2023 - London, UK - Jazz Café Thursday, 9 November 2023 - Manchester, UK - Blues Kitchen Friday, 10 November 2023 - Pandrup, DK - Blues Heaven Festival Tuesday, 14 November 2023 - Toulouse, FR - Salle Nougaro Wednesday, 15 November 2023 - Saint-Nazaire, FR - VIP Thursday, 16 November 2023 - Amiens, FR - La Lune des Pirates Saturday, 18 November 2023 - Šumperk, CZ - Blues Alive Festival Monday, 20 November 2023 - Tourcoing, FR - Le Grand Mix Tuesday, 21 November 2023 - Paris, FR - Maroquinerie Thursday, 23 November 2023 - La Roche-Sur-Yon, FR - Quai M Friday, 24 November 2023 - La Rochelle, FR - La Sirène Saturday, 25 November 2023 - Castres, FR - Lo Boegason Sunday, 26 November 2023 - Saint-Etienne, FR - Le Fil
Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
Photo by Cecil Sykes Midnight Peg are an Edmonton, AB based band that are referred to as "madhouse punk." Their latest single, "Thirstland," is a just barely under control two minute burst of punk. You have guitar riffs that will make you think of At the Drive In, and somewhat spoken and yelled vocals which create a feeling of chaos throughout. This is a loud and angry track that is completely in your face. But, unlike most tracks this loud and punk based, "Thirstland" still keeps a sense of art in their music. Midnight Peg feel like a higher class of loud, angry punk rock. This one is great, with just enough of an emo undercurrent to make the song kind of melodic and almost palatable to a mainstream audience. You can listen to "Thirstland" below. Skinning is due out in October on Thousand Island Records. For more on Midnight Peg, check out the artist's website .
Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it. “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....
