First Listen: Catching Up Over the Last Few Weeks
Album: Any River
Quick Thoughts: As a lifelong R.E.M. fan, any time a band wants to lean into a folk-adjacent jangly pop, I'm on board. Styrofoam Winos leans hard, and it works really well. I loved so much of this album, whether it's leaning into the western "You'll Never Take Me Alive" or the pastiche of "Pearls," and it's a great summer soundtrack in a lot of ways. Worth the time.
Songs of Note: "Pearls," "Somebody Wants to Send You a Message," "Next Thing," "You'll Never Take Me Alive"
Album: Regenesis
Quick Thoughts: I don't have a lot to say about this album, but I do think it's a really compelling, friendly listen. Lots to love throughout, a bright record with a distinct voice and a ton of heart. Really enjoyed this one on repeat listens, check it out.
Songs of Note: "I'm In Love With My Friends," "No One Like You," "The Fighter," "Full Moon," "It's the Way"
Album: Fire From the Hip
Quick Thoughts: Finn Wolfhard might not ever shake the "kid from Stranger Things" label, but I'll be damned if his musical moonlighting efforts aren't winning me over. This is weird, fun indie rock that would have fit right into the mid-aughts blogcore stuff, and I am very on board. He might not get as big as Djo has, but he's forging his own path and it's one I'm happy to walk along.
Songs of Note: "Tunnels," "I'll Let You Finish," "Nice to Meet You Again,"
Album: Loveland
Quick Thoughts: I'm gonna tell my kid this was Lana Del Ray. She's a pretty well-established pop star on her own now, but I found this sort of pseudo-retro effort truly compelling and memorable. Definitely a fun listen and worth your time, especially if you want to enjoy something that won't alienate your friends.
Songs of Note: "Back in Love," "Notting Hill," "Teardrops," "Tiny Raisin," "Jukebox"
Album: El Poder
Quick Thoughts: Wanted to highlight this one. We've had a pretty strong year of Latin American music, and this one just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. This is a fun collection of Cumbia tracks that deserves to be heard, it was one of my favorites of the last month.
Songs of Note: "Fantasma," "Chipi Chipi," "Escalofriante"
Album: River Shook
Quick Thoughts: This album, the first official solo album from the artist formerly known as Sarah Shook, sans The Disarmers, is as good a "comeback" or revival record as they come. Their voice hasn't been clearer, the songwriting more on point, and we loved the previous incarnation here. Do not sleep on this one, as I fully expect it to land on some end-of-year lists.
Songs of Note: "Country Angel," "If We Got a Chance," "Fading," "Blue Vervain"
Of Note:
* Tierra Whack - Whack's Museum (Great rap album w/production from Conductor Williams.)
* Madonna - Confessions II (Club bangers from one of the best to ever do it.)
* Jack White - Frozen Charlotte (Arguably his best solo effort in a decade.)
* Swamp Dogg - Swamp Dogg Contemplates the Afterlife
* Max Wareham - If the Cosmos Were Whiskey...
* Other Brother Darryl - Hey Yeah Hey
* Lemoncello - Perfect Place
* Graham Coxon - Castle Park
* Chainlacing - Messuage
* Andrew Sa - American Rough
* Alia - Where the Echoes Bloom
* Dead Pioneers - Wagon Burner
* Laurent Bardainne - Prologue
* Luluc - Sweet Thief
* Chad Crouch - Wildwood Trail Soundwalk / Maple Pass Soundwalk
* Allison Russell - In the Hour of Chaos
* Deadbeat Beat - From Here to Ohio
* Rodney Crowell - Then Again
* Steep Canyon Rangers - Old Dreams and New Dreams
* Kronos Quartet - Nicole Lizee: ZonelyHearts
* Bebe Stockwell - Volume 1
* ill peach - Eavesdropping
* Emperor X - Unified Field
* Madeon - Victory
* Pye Corner Audio - More Songs About the Sun
* The Telescopes - Static Charge
* M. Geddes Gengras - Guest List
* Houndmouth - Lordy
* Sincere Engineer - Probable Claws
* Gold Panda - Ton Up
* Life - Abstract / Natural
* The Rolling Stones - Foreign Tongues
* mary in the junkyard - Role Model Hermit
* Margo Price - Days of Unrest
* Parent Teacher - Tricks for Meds
* Leah Senior - Pt. Roadknight
* Sophie Wellington - Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still
* Allison Cotton - The Gods Laugh
* Atta Boy - Silt
* Veradas - Universal Relays
* Ellen Allien - New Life
* Forest Drive West - Mantis 1920
* Melanie Radford - For the Sake of Stillness
* Downtown Boys - Public Luxury
* Tucker Zimmerman - Dream Me a Dream
* Taxi Girls - Static
* E.Vax - Just Like Fire
* The Mighty Rootsmen - The Mighty Rootsmen Strike Back
* Born at Midnite - Eternal BAM Nation
* JJerome87 - The Canyon
* Willow Avalon - Pink Pocket Pistol
* The Garden - Bootleg
* Felicia Atkinson - Sans Visage
* Julez and the Rollerz - Dirty Little Rock 'n' Roller
* Nostalghia - Departure
* Onesie - Way Thousand Bump to the Sky
* Stupidity - Beyond Stupidity
* Brutalismus 3000 - Harmony
* The Hobknobs - Helmets Off
* Georgia Gets By - Heavy Meadow
* Trophy Wife - Pathetic
* Tift Merritt - Sugar
* Xiu Xiu - Eraserhead Xiu Xiu
* Jordan Patterson - The Hermit
* The Black Dog - Music for Real Airports - The One Escape Bar / Loud Ambient 2
* Daniel Lanois - Belladonna Nocturne
* sad13 - 1331
* Sad Daddy - Ozark Shine
* ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ - ʅ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡(̸̢̛̼̞̭͋ͅ)̸͚̰͛̔̾̀̿͒͂:̴͓̞̑̌̂̆̊͋̀:̸͎̟̯̂̓̌ ҉ ͡ ͞ ͞ ͞ ҉● ࿀ ● ࿀ ● ҉⃝ ⃝͢ ͞ ͘ ͞⃝̕ ͢ ̛ ⃝ ̸ ̡ ͢⃝̧ ͡ ͡ ̀ ̧ ̢⃝͜ ҉ ͞ ͞ ⃝͞ ͞ ͡⃝ ⃝҉҈҉҈҉҈҉҈҉҈҉ :̶̢͙͙͕̠̩͆(̷̮͍͚̫͚͂̍)̵̳̗̊( ̟̞̝̜̙̘̗̖҉̵̴̨̧̢̡̼̻̺̹̳̲̱̰̯̮̭̬̫̪̩̦̥
EPs:
* Snarls - In Heaven There's Rainbows
* Her Last Sight - Hit Me Like a Pinata (...One More Time)
* Darren Hayman - The Doll's House Room
* Leenalchi - Here Comes That Crow
* Sick Gazelle - Veld
* Mercedes Brown - Light the Fire
* Big Freedia and SOPHIE - Released At Last
* Frost Children - Tweaker Poem
* She's Green - Swallowtail
Live Albums / Compilations / Reissues:
* Colin Meloy - Colin Meloy Sings Together (Reissue of his solo tour EPs from the 2000s.)
* Placebo - Placebo RE:CREATED
* Butthole Surfers - After the Astronaut
* DJ Shadow - The Mountain Will Fall (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
* DJ-Kicks: TEED
Also Out:
* Beth Orton - The Ground Above
* Temples - Bliss
* Muse - The Wow! Signal
.jpeg)
