Happy Monday, and hello to all who joined us over the weekend! It’s great to have you here with us.
The playlist below is some of what I’ve been playing this week. There’ve been some killer releases lately, so if you’ve got one (or some), please share ‘em!
Now it’s your turn.
What caught your ear this week? Find anything good while crate digging? Is there an upcoming release or show you’re excited for?
Listening to Harry Nilsson and watching the documentary "Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talking About Him)?
Also the debut album from a guy named Stephen Wilson Jr., "Son Of Dad." It's kinda country-ish, maybe southern rock-ish. The guy has an interesting background and the album is a double. The songs are quite strong for a debut, imo.
Listening to Way of the Vaselines by The Vaselines and relistening to the excellent Langkamer album The Noon and Midnight Manual. If you like a bit of alt-country, bit of lof-fi, bit of Pavement, then you'll like them.
Love me some Pretenders and The Record Company. Now I have to check out Ringo Deathstarr.
Just tripped over "Stand Up" by the Revivalists. It didn't floor me on the first listen, but now I can't stop playing it. If you do listen, "the doctor" is Dr. John.
I am anxious to listen to new music from The Record Company. Currently digging “Yet To Be” Rhiannon Giddens and have been deep diving into Against Me’s catalog.
Wu-Tang Clan: Slow Blues (winding down my writing/reading phase where I only listen to instrumentals to start every day). Probably moving on to Ultramagnetic MCs.
Happy Monday Kevin and fellow music lovers! On the turntable: Street Songs by Rick James. Controversial character but the music is lit. Streaming-wise, I’m discovering (bit late, I know) Matt Maltese’s album Bad Contestant.
Patti Smith was the surprise hit of The National's Homecoming festival on Friday for me. Her set blew my mind, so I've been listening to a lot of her. Oh, and her roadies aren't half bad either.
Read a very positive review of The National album in The Guardian (UK newspaper) today. You seem just a little enthusiastic too, so I'll have a listen soon.
Watched a bit of The Smashing Pumpkins livestream Sunday night - playing acoustic in a pop-up Tower Records inside Billy’s cafe in Highland Park, IL. Good stuff!
Sarah Jarosz's Jealous Moon, from her forthcoming album. 🔥🔥🔥 (Though I do wish it sounded a little less like Sweet Child O' Mine).
Also Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra's new version of Brothers in Arms, from their new release Amerikakoffert, which also includes one of my favorite versions of Dylan's Girl from the North Country.
This week has mostly been about working through The Who's massive box of 'Who's Next | Life House'. It doesn't leave time for much else, so it's fortunate (no, good planning!) that I'm writing about 'Who's Next' in this evening's post.
Coming up, I'm very much looking forward to Steven Wilson's 'The Harmony Codex', the remix of XTC's 'Big Express', and Thea Gilmour's self-titled new album (amongst a ton of other stuff).
Oh, and I'm reading Andrew O'Neill's 'A History of Heavy Metal'. You don't have to be into metal to enjoy the book; it's an expansion of one of their stand-up shows, so it's funny as well as an opportunity to learn about a genre that often passes me by.
A week of COVID had me mostly watching B-movies, which I found easier to relate to than music. I did start to catch up at the end of the week, with new releases by Mitski and National Of Language floating my boat. I'm also reading Lost Rockers, a book which is now kind of lost itself, and compiling a playlist as I go. Feel free to follow along here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1GzzNxakLff3NB22NI9nG6?si=1ba50b8128634d56. I'll have more to say on the book later, as well as making a few additions of my own to the list...
I've been seeing some Corinne Bailey Rae recs from places I woulda never expected. Sounds like I'm late to a good party again. I'll have to fix that ASAP!
Queuing up the new national album now, I like "space invader" quite a bit and was a stand out when I heard it live. Been experiencing a lot of National nostalgia lately. I might post a quick cover on Notes today...
I didn;t know Dengue Fever had a new one out! Adding that to the list now. I mentioned it upthread, but a lot of people have been really surprised by Corinne Bailey Rae's latest. I'm really curious to hear it for myself.
Great list! Quite a few new (to me) ones on there for me to root through. Popsicko is awesome. I'm going to see Stop Making Sense on Friday- hopefully, the sounds is a little better at the theater I'm going to. We'll see...
The new Drab Majesty has definitely been in my rotation lately (I'm still getting used to it); along with some "motivated listening" to Blue Oyster Cult (thinking of adding a couple BOC covers to one band's set) and The Godz (who my other band is opening for in a month).
I never gave Squeeze the time of day, but wow! That’s musicianship!! Enjoyed driving through Cambridge, MA to my favorite Monday night hangout -The Cantab! Squeeze Singles sure did delight!
Take me I’m yours. Cool for Cats- love the cocktail of synths, drum machines, doubled vocals and gargling basses. Up the Junction. -that one has some serious craftsmanship!!
Punk band from Sonoma that I've been thinking about since Rancid named its new album "Tomorrow Never Comes" which is also the name of a very good song by The Randumbs, a band I interviewed a bazillion years ago in Costa Misery!
With a description like that, I gotta check it out!
Listening to Harry Nilsson and watching the documentary "Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talking About Him)?
Also the debut album from a guy named Stephen Wilson Jr., "Son Of Dad." It's kinda country-ish, maybe southern rock-ish. The guy has an interesting background and the album is a double. The songs are quite strong for a debut, imo.
Great doc!!
I hope you get to The Point!
Genie in a Bottle by Christina Aguilera :)
Never gets old! I love the video as well
That's one I haven't heard in awhile!
Listening to Way of the Vaselines by The Vaselines and relistening to the excellent Langkamer album The Noon and Midnight Manual. If you like a bit of alt-country, bit of lof-fi, bit of Pavement, then you'll like them.
I like all of the above!
Love me some Pretenders and The Record Company. Now I have to check out Ringo Deathstarr.
Just tripped over "Stand Up" by the Revivalists. It didn't floor me on the first listen, but now I can't stop playing it. If you do listen, "the doctor" is Dr. John.
Hi music lovers! This song included in Reflect & Relax Cafe #45 was suggested by the artist and I specially like it. It’s worth a spin.
https://spotify.link/d0RmFHC6bDb
Has a laidback, cleaner Belle & Sebastian vibe. Nice.
a deliciously dancey, vibey Italianissimo EP 🇮🇹🕺 I came across it a few days ago and literally was literally blown away. I recommend it to everyone who feels sluggish today - this EP will get you back on your feet in a flash https://open.spotify.com/album/0nHgSQx4sKmFItKIm8M8rt?si=PMOods9qRsS2ht1aOiihbg
PS I really enjoyed The Chemical Brothers and MJ Lenderman on your today's playlist 🫶
Thanks! If you get a chance, check out the new Chemical Brothers record; the whole thing is fantastic.
It sure is! Especially the last 4 songs are 🔥🔥🔥🥵
Listening as I type this! Really digging the energy here.
Currently diving into new ones by Tony Jay and Woods.
I am anxious to listen to new music from The Record Company. Currently digging “Yet To Be” Rhiannon Giddens and have been deep diving into Against Me’s catalog.
💯
Here are a few new songs that I've been listening to this week:
https://holyjoe1.bandcamp.com/track/money-cant-buy-me-love
https://spencersegelovgreatpaintings.bandcamp.com/track/disco-in-your-heart
And also ordered the new double CD by The Photocopies who I really love - https://thephotocopies.bandcamp.com/album/triple-decker
And my apologies if I'm making you spend more money on music.
Lol. It's a great problem to have! :)
Spencer Segelove keeps knocking itout of the park. Photocopies are on my (evergrowing) Wantlist.
Wu-Tang Clan: Slow Blues (winding down my writing/reading phase where I only listen to instrumentals to start every day). Probably moving on to Ultramagnetic MCs.
Thanks for the recommendation. I love Wu-tang, but actually never really listened to that album. Do you prefer the regular or the instrumental?
Definitely enjoy both, but for deeper work (or manipulating words, like when I'm writing), I have to have instrumental stuff. They're good, though!
You might also like "Special Herbs" by MF Doom. It's different, but really good, especially if you need instrumentals.
Happy Monday Kevin and fellow music lovers! On the turntable: Street Songs by Rick James. Controversial character but the music is lit. Streaming-wise, I’m discovering (bit late, I know) Matt Maltese’s album Bad Contestant.
1. Laugh Track by The National
2. Laugh Track by The National
3. Laugh Track by The National
😁
Patti Smith was the surprise hit of The National's Homecoming festival on Friday for me. Her set blew my mind, so I've been listening to a lot of her. Oh, and her roadies aren't half bad either.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxQfpLTuZoU/?hl=en
Read a very positive review of The National album in The Guardian (UK newspaper) today. You seem just a little enthusiastic too, so I'll have a listen soon.
Nice!
Allison Russell’s new album!! 😍
I'm on it!
* New Mitski is my favorite Mitski.
* Parannoul 'After The Magic' vinyl finally arrived so I'm giving it a proper listen.
* Drab Majesty's 'An Object In Motion' is...?
* Discovered Lanterns on the Lake 'Versions Of Us' thanks to rec from Slowdive.
* Meanwhile Slowdive made me sleepy.
* Finally, two classic Poi Dog Pondering albums brought much comfort.
PS. Hello Ringo Deathstarr, where have you been hiding?
Agreed on the Mitski, it's a knockout.
Oh great now I'm inspired to buy the Parannoul record on vinyl and that requires spending money. Thanks a LOT
Hee, hee - sorry. The good news is that at least the price is reasonable still vs import or discord.
https://parannoul.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-magic
HA! I can relate. That happens a lot in here. :)
Poi Dog Pondering! That's one from the vault. "After The Magic" is fantastic. I need to listen to it w/good headphones, though.
Lot of great new singles out this week:
Big Thief - Born For Loving You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFtKgqJdGKg
Denzel Curry - SKED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyLZ9wHz4xI
Earl Sweatshirt + The Alchemist - The Caliphate (feat. Vince Staples): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjLeA9yS2ek
Sufjan Stevens - "Will Anybody Ever Love Me?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLeCIRC4taY
Watched a bit of The Smashing Pumpkins livestream Sunday night - playing acoustic in a pop-up Tower Records inside Billy’s cafe in Highland Park, IL. Good stuff!
Raveonettes new album “Rip It Off”
And they do...
I forgot to add: it was a 30th anniversary gig for ‘Siamese Dream’ playing the eight-song set they did back then... in Tower Records (Chicago)!
Fast Car cover by Luke Combs.
Sarah Jarosz's Jealous Moon, from her forthcoming album. 🔥🔥🔥 (Though I do wish it sounded a little less like Sweet Child O' Mine).
Also Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra's new version of Brothers in Arms, from their new release Amerikakoffert, which also includes one of my favorite versions of Dylan's Girl from the North Country.
This week has mostly been about working through The Who's massive box of 'Who's Next | Life House'. It doesn't leave time for much else, so it's fortunate (no, good planning!) that I'm writing about 'Who's Next' in this evening's post.
Coming up, I'm very much looking forward to Steven Wilson's 'The Harmony Codex', the remix of XTC's 'Big Express', and Thea Gilmour's self-titled new album (amongst a ton of other stuff).
Oh, and I'm reading Andrew O'Neill's 'A History of Heavy Metal'. You don't have to be into metal to enjoy the book; it's an expansion of one of their stand-up shows, so it's funny as well as an opportunity to learn about a genre that often passes me by.
I mentioned it on Notes, but I had no idea an XTC remix was in the offing. Very excited to hear that.
The Jayhawks and Tammy W.!!!
Fantastic combo!
A week of COVID had me mostly watching B-movies, which I found easier to relate to than music. I did start to catch up at the end of the week, with new releases by Mitski and National Of Language floating my boat. I'm also reading Lost Rockers, a book which is now kind of lost itself, and compiling a playlist as I go. Feel free to follow along here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1GzzNxakLff3NB22NI9nG6?si=1ba50b8128634d56. I'll have more to say on the book later, as well as making a few additions of my own to the list...
Oof. I hope you're feeling better!
I haven't found the time to sit down (or go for a drive) with the new Mitski yet - because I feel like it deserves my full attention.
Been really enjoying the new Corinne Bailey Rae, actually - very weird and meandering but with a pretty voice (almost always a winning combo for me)
I've been seeing some Corinne Bailey Rae recs from places I woulda never expected. Sounds like I'm late to a good party again. I'll have to fix that ASAP!
Monday mornings are always a great time to get some music recommendations in this space, thanks again Kevin and everyone in the comments! Just recently got into this one for some reason and have been playing it a lot: https://open.spotify.com/album/79yPlaLPyCMc9LC2slyB5l?si=ogwHtMNiRxOzz7TNFu3tcA
Queuing up the new national album now, I like "space invader" quite a bit and was a stand out when I heard it live. Been experiencing a lot of National nostalgia lately. I might post a quick cover on Notes today...
If you do (or if you did), please post it here!
I did! Here's the note with the link to the phone recoding.... https://substack.com/@miter/note/c-40343336?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=1ndrtf
Sweet! Thanks man.
Yep, also linked to in my last post, just fyi! https://miter.substack.com/p/streams-of-wordsmoke
I’ve been enjoying the new Mitski. Also really digging the Zivi album.
Can’t get enough of Corinne Bailey Rae’s latest, quite a change in style and way outside my expectations
https://spotify.link/MtKv1tUpcDb
I’ve had Dengue Fever’s latest release Ting Mon on repeat pretty much all day. Didn’t realize they had new material coming out and really enjoying it
https://spotify.link/6xRA3YeqcDb
I’m not familiar with Ringo Deathstarr but really enjoying what I’ve listened to so far!
Looking forward to listening to The National’s latest as I loved First Two Pages of Frankenstein
I didn;t know Dengue Fever had a new one out! Adding that to the list now. I mentioned it upthread, but a lot of people have been really surprised by Corinne Bailey Rae's latest. I'm really curious to hear it for myself.
This just came on my discovery weekly. Never heard of Sven Wunder before. Now listening to the entire album. https://open.spotify.com/track/1qdEvtfDmZu4mXLHSDdWyR?si=95dfccefbeff4a6e
Hannah Marcus - Desert Farmers. ;) - Episode drops on Wednesday!
Right on! I f you think of it, please post a link once the episode is live for everyone.
We've been giving the new Slowdive album, everything is alive, quite a few spins! Our favorite tracks are "kisses" and "shanty."
I love the new Slowdive. This record's pretty rad too: https://open.spotify.com/album/2VX4U9WU0gt69pazmIodJb?si=UnNjRYXWRdKmWNX4J7PN_A
Aw shucks! Substack's #1 wingman ;)
😀
Really enjoying James Blake's new album, Robots Playing Into Heaven. He's a real sound architect. https://open.spotify.com/album/2ZwNcWl8h9blysDE8i4juL?si=YWCO1ZyeRzWB89_0NaUVwQ
Tool, Fear Inoculum and Lateralus
The long read...https://weatheredmusic.ca
Great list! Quite a few new (to me) ones on there for me to root through. Popsicko is awesome. I'm going to see Stop Making Sense on Friday- hopefully, the sounds is a little better at the theater I'm going to. We'll see...
Little Dragon's new record is awesome 🐉
The new Drab Majesty has definitely been in my rotation lately (I'm still getting used to it); along with some "motivated listening" to Blue Oyster Cult (thinking of adding a couple BOC covers to one band's set) and The Godz (who my other band is opening for in a month).
I never gave Squeeze the time of day, but wow! That’s musicianship!! Enjoyed driving through Cambridge, MA to my favorite Monday night hangout -The Cantab! Squeeze Singles sure did delight!
They're sooo good! Any song in particular become a new favorite?
Take me I’m yours. Cool for Cats- love the cocktail of synths, drum machines, doubled vocals and gargling basses. Up the Junction. -that one has some serious craftsmanship!!
All 3 of those are awesome. “Another Nail For My Heart” is right up there, too.
The Randumbs.
Another new one for me for me to check out! I'm on it!
Punk band from Sonoma that I've been thinking about since Rancid named its new album "Tomorrow Never Comes" which is also the name of a very good song by The Randumbs, a band I interviewed a bazillion years ago in Costa Misery!
Sure thing! Here's a link to the Episode on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/33cmfnxk
Right on! Thanks for doing that.