Little Kid - "All Night (Golden Ring)"

Toronto's Little Kid exist in a world that mixes folk and indie rock with heavy leanings towards artists like Neil Young. Their latest single, "All Night (Golden Ring)," is a duet between band members Kenny Boothby and Megan Lunn. Despite the song not being country at all, it's inspired by the relationship between Tammy Wynette and George Jones. The country superstars were a real life couple who also collaborated musically quite frequently. The couple divorced due to abuse from Jones. Their solo careers weren't as successful as their work together, so they recorded Golden Ring, which was their first ever number one album. 

Kenny Boothby explains how "All Night (Golden Ring)" is related: 

“I was really saddened to read about that, and to picture how that must have felt for Tammy. I can’t relate directly, but as a survivor of abuse, I can only imagine what it would feel like to have to sing with my abuser, much less to have to sing love songs with him and act like everything is OK.”

You can listen to "All Night (Golden Ring)" below. Transfiguration Highway, the upcoming album from Little Kid, will be out July 3 on Solitaire Recordings. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Little Kid, check out their website.

First Listen: New Releases for 5 June

Artist: Run the Jewels
Album: RTJ4
Quick Description: RTF with album #4.
Why You Should Listen: Run the Jewels is maybe the most exciting rap act going.
Overall Thoughts: Listen, we don't need to tell you about RTJ, and the quality speaks for itself. This was a surprise-ish release considering everything happening at present, but the album (much of which, we can assume, was recorded prior to the world lighting on fire) has a sense of immediacy and urgency that, at least on first listen, maybe makes it the most essential RTJ album yet. With that said, each album has been an improvement over the previous, so this shouldn't be a shock. Just listen to this. There's no better or more important album out this week.
Recommendation: A required listen.

Artist: Ada Rook
Album: 2,020 Knives
Quick Description: Black Dresses singer flies solo.
Why You Should Listen: This is a really fascinating listen.
QUICK NOTE: Ada Rook is decidedly unhappy with Spotify to the point that the Spotify version has an advertisement for her Bandcamp page after every song. I will stay decidedly neutral on the topic (we're Spotify guys here, but there are strong arguments on all sides of this about streaming and reimbursements we're not in a position to judge), but the album is "Name Your Own Price" at the moment, with the intention that the money you would spend on the album go to social justice organizations.
Overall Thoughts: Black Dresses combusted at the beginning of this month after some problems with "fans" on social media, but we quickly get a new solo album from one of the members, and it's great. There's a lot of odd, crazed elements throughout, and it feels like a cohesive unit as opposed to a situation with just a collection of songs. I definitely already miss Black Dresses, but this is more than a worthy substitute.
Recommendation: One of the best of the month.

Artist: Happy Spendy
Album: You're Doing Okay
Quick Description: Solid indie rock.
Why You Should Listen: The rare album that sounds like what you expect it to sound like.
Overall Thoughts: I don't have a ton to say about this except a) I really liked it and b) I feel like this would fit into a lot of that mid-to-late aughts style indie stuff that's just a solid listen and ends up being the key to some blogger's heart. It's great.
Recommendation: Don't miss out.

Artist: Sarah Jarosz
Album: World on the Ground
Quick Description: Latest album from the bluegrass virtuoso.
Why You Should Listen: It's got the textbook Jarosz approach along with a more experienced sound.
Overall Thoughts: I use the term "mature" a lot when I talk about artist growth, but as a pushing-40 dude talking about Sarah Jarosz who started so young, it just feels wrong here. She's such a talent, and the progressive and strange approach we've gotten used to is toned down a bit on this latest album and could really be something that could cross over a bit. I really enjoyed this and want to get back to it, in part because it's a much more subtle and cohesive listen, but also because it's so good. You won't regret your time with this one.
Recommendation: Make time for this.

Of note:

* Girls Rituals - Crap Shit (Deliciously chaotic.)
* Tenci - My Heart is an Open Field (Really enjoyed this effort.)
* Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways to New Italy (Power pop lives!)
* Hinds - The Prettiest Curse
* Ohmme - Fantasize Your Ghost
* Brigid Mae Power - Head Above the Water
* Momma - Two of Me
* No Age - Goons Be Gone
* Katie Malco - Failures
* Sarah P. - Plotting Revolutions
* Muzz - Muzz

Seven Song Efforts:

* Two Door Cinema Club - Lost Songs (Found)

EPs:

* Bad Moves - Cape Henlopen
* Inara George - The Youth of Angst
* Flatbush Zombies - Now, More Than Ever
*
* Courtney Marie Andrews - It Must Be Someone Else's Fault

Also out:

* Janet Devlin - Confessional
* Ava Luna - Live at Market Hotel

Squirrel Flower Covers Strand of Oaks

Photo by Maria Gelsomini

In what might be the best song to possibly cover in 2020, Squirrel Flower has released a cover of Strand of Oak's "Shut In" from 2014's HEAL. For Squirrel Flower's version, the upbeat pop anthem has been stripped way down to a more intimate, acoustic song dripping with reverb. At least partly done out of quarantine necessity, the change of style truly fits our "unprecedented times" perfectly. You can hear the feeling of going stir crazy mixed with anxiety on steroids in Ella O'Connor Williams's voice.

You can listen to Squirrel Flower's version of "Shut In" below. It is included on Co-Mission: An Artist Relief Compilation, Vol. 2 from Folkadelphia. According to the post on Bandcamp, "Any and all proceeds raised from donations for Co-Mission will be used to commission and fund more home recordings from in-need musicians and artists." You can find the compilation, which also features contributions from Twain, Sadie Dupuis, Jolie Holland, and more here. For more on Squirrel Flower, check out the artist's website.

Dear Elise - "Dissociation"

Photo via Facebook

A key way to know you've gotten old is when your favorite bands have kids that are now in bands. Dear Elise is a Los Angeles based band that features Henry Eisenstein (aka Kay Hanley and Michael Eisenstein from Letters to Cleo's son) on drums. Even if you didn't know the connection to Letters to Cleo, odds are Letters to Cleo's fans are going to like this. Dear Elise's latest single, "Dissociation," has a very mid-90's alt-rock feel. It's pure power pop from the time when we were all moving on from grunge but still wanted that fuzz and crunch from our guitars and moved to various forms of power pop for our rock needs. It's a huge rock song with some absurdly catchy pop elements. Not bad for a group of teenagers just starting out.

You can listen to "Dissociation" below. For more on Dear Elise, check them out on Facebook and Instagram.

Ian O'Neil Covers Chuck Berry

There are roughly a million benefit compilations for everything going on in the world right now. Since getting bands together to write and record new music is virtually impossible, we're seeing a ton of solo covers getting released, which is one of very few positives these days. One of my favorites I found this past weekend was Ian O'Neil of Deer Tick covering Chuck Berry's classic "Brown Eyed Handsome Man." Chuck Berry songs are the best to cover since it's virtually impossible to mess up any of the perfect songs he wrote. O'Neil's cover is definitely more folky than old time rock 'n' roll, mostly since it's a solo acoustic songs, which always sound a little folky by default.

You can listen to Ian O'Neil's version of "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" below. The song is one of forty two tracks on Protest & Survive Compilation put out by Protest & Survive out of Asheville, NC. The compilation is to benefit bail funds and legal aid for protesters. You can find the compilation here. For more on Ian O'Neil, check out his Twitter.

The Bobby Lees Cover Richard Hell & The Voidoids

Our anticipation continues to grow for the new album from Woodstock, NY's The Bobby Lees. Their version of garage punked up blues is something I simply can't resist. Seeing how well documented my love of covers is, hearing that they have a cover of Richard Hell & The Voidoids's beyond classic "Blank Generation" thrilled me. The cover delivers. First of all, how could it not? Second... this is just perfect. The Bobby Lees keep relatively the same tempo as the original, but somehow it feels like this out of control song that threatens to explode at any time. They somehow took a song that's forty three years old and gave it back its menace.

You can listen to The Bobby Lees's version of "Blank Generation" below. Skin Suit, the upcoming Jon Spencer produced album from The Bobby Lees, will be out July 17 on Alive Naturalsound Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on The Bobby Lees, check out their website. Current tour dates are below the song, but... we'll see.

7/17 Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY
7/18 Melody Inn, Indianapolis, IN
7/31 Lux, Rochester, NY
8/1 The Colony, Woodstock, NY
8/6 Buzzbin, Canton, OH
8/7 Schubas Tavern, Chicago, IL
8/13 Growlers, Memphis, TN
8/14 Three Links Deep Ellum, Dallas TX
8/15 TBD, Tulsa, OK
8/17 Blue Note, Oklahoma City, OK
8/21 Outer Limits Lounge, Detroit, MI
8/22 Rumba Cafe. Columbus, OH
9/4 The Earl, Atlanta, GA
9/5 Muddy Roots Festival, Cookeville, TN

Bob Mould - "American Crisis"

Photo via Facebook

You're going to read a lot about how the new song from Bob Mould is angry. It is. "American Crisis" is the angriest we've heard Mould sound in decades. It's not quite as discordant as he could be in Husker Du, but it's not far off. The song starts right off into hyperdrive as soon as it starts, and keeps that up for a full two and a half minutes. I think we all knew where Mould would stand on the issues of the past four years, but if you were unsure lyrics like "Here's the newest American crisis / Thanks to the evangelical ISIS" and "You're one of us, or one of them / If you're one of them, don't come near me again" don't leave any questions. 

You can watch the lyric video for "American Crisis" below. Blue Hearts, the upcoming album from Bob Mould, will be out September 25 on Merge Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Bob Mould, check out his website.

Fusilier Covers Martha and The Vandellas

Photo by Kevin Alexander

The term "re-imagining" gets used an awful lot, but it truly fits with Fusilier's version of Martha and The Vandella's Motown classic "Dancing in the Street." It's been covered a plethora of times, from The Mamas and The Papas and the David Bowie & Mick Jagger version, but never quite like this. Fusilier turns the 60's classic into a dark modern, minimalist R&B song with some drum and bass/apocalyptic vibes perfect for the world today. According to the press release, "Fusilier’s version turns the song into a queer indie punk fever dream coincidentally released at the kick off of Pride Month."

Despite the song being released at the start of Pride Month, Fusilier is critical of the modern celebration: 

“Pride is so boring. A protest-cum-celebration of marginalized people has become a mirror for the existing hierarchies of society. The people who now need uplift and recognition are the people who ‘Gay’ movements hide. They’re women, they’re queer, they’re trans and non-binary, they’re poor, they’re HIV positive, they’re Black. They’re the ones who aren’t going to bank with Santander because they’re issuing debit cards decorated with rainbows. We should get back to our riotous roots.”

You can watch the video for Fusilier's take on "Dancing in the Street" below. Upstream, the new EP from Fusilier, is available now via Bandcamp. For more on Fusilier, check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter.

Julian Taylor - "The Ballad of a Young Troubadour"

The latest single from Julian Taylor's upcoming album, "The Ballad of a Young Troubadour," doesn't sound like modern folk. Sure, the song is fairly mainstream as far as folk goes these days, but it has a distinct 1960's vibe to it. Taylor keeps the verses in a ramblin' style that fits the title of the song, but he has a certain weariness to his voice that just doesn't feel current. It reminds me of some of the elders of folk rock, like Van Morrison or Donovan.

Julian Taylor explains the song:

“'Ballad of a Young Troubadour,' taken from my forthcoming album out June 18th, The Ridge, harkens back to my early days as a travelling musician. When I was in high school, I really began to work heavily on my songwriting and my acoustic guitar playing. It was like a religion to me and it still is.  

I loved the ideology that Bob Dylan, Ritchie Havens, Jack Kerouac and musicians like them had forged and was determined to follow their path. So, when I was out of school for the summer, I packed my bags and set off on a journey across the country. 

My travels took me from Toronto down to New York City and then right across America, travelling west until I hit Seattle, travelling on Greyhound buses and trains. I hitchhiked too, all the while making money busking from place to place. It was one of my most cherished and memorable road trips, and it certainly gave me the itch."

You can listen to "Ballad of a Young Troubadour" below. The Ridge, the upcoming album from Julian Taylor, will be out June 18. For more on Julian Taylor, check out his website.

Butcher Brown - "#KingButch"

Photo by Jacob Blickenstaff

Richmond, VA's Butcher Brown blend hip hop and jazz perfectly. Their latest single, "#KingButch," is going to remind you of some 90's bands that blended jazz and hip hop like Guru and Digable Planets without sounding like a throwback. The single is a chilled out, laid back track that almost hides the edge inside of the song. "#KingButch" is pure hip hop, with a warm, inviting feel to the music.

Lyricist Tennishu describes the song: “To me, #KingButch describes the feeling when I walk into Jellowstone (Studios). It has an edge but is very warm and loose. The lyrics came after we laid down the track. We were hanging out, sitting down at the instruments. I wrote the lyrics to capture the vibe of the hang.”

You can listen to "#KingButch" below. For more on Butcher Brown, check out their website. Upcoming tour dates (god willing) are below the song.

August 31 – New York City, NY – Blue Note Jazz Club
September 01 – New York City, NY – Blue Note Jazz Club
September 02 – New York City, NY – Blue Note Jazz Club