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Mar 4, 2024
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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Lol. I love it!

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Mar 4, 2024
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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Right on!

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Operation Plowshare's avatar

Cory Hanson - his solo stuff is downright excellent. If you like something a bit more psych rock; check out Wand.

Danger Mouse & Daniel Luppi - Rome. Jack White. Norah Jones. A gentle album that is amazing through all 16 songs.

Mcbaise - Tubes.

Tame Impala - Lonerism

St. Vincent - St. Vincent <— nonstop ear yum-yums!

MGMT - Congratulations

Toadies - Rubberneck

Lots of 90’s alt rock MTV Unplugged: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots

Queens of the Stone Age - the whole damned discography.

Idles - Tangk

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Tyler Winters's avatar

Man, that Nirvana unplugged is one of the greatest albums.

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Sam Colt's avatar

How’s the new Idles? Haven’t gotten to it yet.

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Operation Plowshare's avatar

If you liked Crawler; Tangk should tickle your ears in a very pleasant way.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Every week I swear this is the week that I finally (finally!) really dive in to Tangk. Maybe this'll finally be the one where I give it a close listen.

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Chase Roper's avatar

I’m easing my way into it. So far, I really like Roy.

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Operation Plowshare's avatar

Roy has made it onto my Earworms playlist. It shall forever be there, so long as I keep paying for Apple Music.

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Chase Roper's avatar

LOVE St. Vincent! And man, I have not listened to the Nirvana Unplugged in sooooo long.

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Yana Bostongirl's avatar

No Ordinary Love - Sade

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Perfect! Always a good time for Sade.

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Andrew Smith's avatar

I don't *think* I shared it last week, but I put together a playlist for early Black Flag songs, in the order in which I think a long-time fan should listen to them. It's all pre-Rollins stuff (except the shared songs). Each song plays through all of the versions each singer did, all the way from Keith to Henry. I love it.

https://www.pandora.com/playlist/PL:178335290614616518:74638688

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Rad! Thanks for this.

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Faith Current's avatar

It's been a really rough week and the "laughing take" of George Harrison's Miss O'Dell got me through. It's impossible to listen all the way through and not smile.

https://open.spotify.com/track/6DRTAD0Vjl7qMf0jOBmw51?si=5e301a456ce34fe8

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Dave Purcell's avatar

Best wishes to you, Faith!

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Faith Current's avatar

Thanks. All good.. just creative pressures and some unusually strong existential angst.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I hope this morning finds things going a bit better for you!

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Faith Current's avatar

Aw, thank you for asking! Not yet, but the wheel turns. Everything passes.

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Abandoned Albums Podcast's avatar

Johnny Manchild & the Poor Bastards - which is my subtle way of saying that Johnny is this weeks guest on the podcast!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Right on! I'm looking forward to it.

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Songletter's avatar

Kerala Dust and The Blaze

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Kerala Dust rules. One of my coworkers introduced me to them, and I haven't really stopped playing them since.

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Travis DeVore's avatar

Lots of latest by Laura Jane Grace. Also picked up 7” from local band Dirt Fisherman. It’s great. Flashback discoveries include some early 80’s LA compilations called Radio Tokyo Tapes. Scoured Discogs for them. Pretty affordable still and they are an interesting assortment of sounds. Some early highlights from Minutemen, Bangles, members of Black Flag and X, and many others. There are four volumes. Sandy Bull, a super interesting guitarist, is probably my favorite new exposure.

Thanks for reading. Take care.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Those comps sound awesome! I'll have to see what I can find.

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Greg Layton's avatar

A few years back I did a deep dive of over 100 albums from the year 1970. Several of my favorites tended toward UK-based prog rock or hard rock, and were therefore more obscure and harder to find OG presses of. I knocked a big want off my list this weekend by picking up a first UK pressing of the self-titled debut of a band called Toe Fat. The music is above average blues rock, but I must admit that the real draw of this album for me is the unforgettable cover image (which, of course, was hilariously edited upon release in the U.S.) The nudity in the background isn't the memorable part though... once you see it you'll understand.

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Michael K. Fell's avatar

Ha! You and I may be amongst the relatively few who own this album. I also have their 2nd LP, which isn't particularly memorable, either. Both covers are oddly more interesting than the music. If you don't already have it, a good, obscure UK prog/hard rock album from 1970 worth hunting down is May Blitz's 1st LP. It also has a terrible cover, but side one, in particular, smokes!

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Greg Layton's avatar

I am familiar with the May Blitz cover, but it looks like I only gave it a 2.5/5 when I listened to it the album. I'll have to give it another shot.

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Michael K. Fell's avatar

It's worth a revisit. "Smoking The Day Away," "I Don't Know?," and "Squeet" have a funky/plucky guitar riff and eventually breakout into a serious jam. I wouldn't go out of your way or break the bank for a copy of Toe Fat 2, tho! 😀

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Ha! I'd never heard of this band, and of course had to go see what the cover looked like. More importantly, I'm glad you knocked a big want off of your list!

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Dave Purcell's avatar

Last week was all about the new ones from Hurray For The Riff Raff and Sleater-Kinney, revisiting Grant Lee Buffalo (criminally underrated even if their catalog is uneven), and digging into the Static On Every Station EP by Substacker Tom Andes.

We saw Sleater-Kinney for the first time in the post-Janet era on Saturday. It was a good show and Carrie and Corrie are still in fine form, but I probably won't see them again. The festival-ization of their sound and show -- flashing lights synchronized to snare drum roll and other things seemingly designed more for festivals than for a rock show in a small theater -- was a turnoff for a band that was so amazing in classic trio form (I saw amazing shows around 2005 and 2018). I've never seen a band I love choose such a dramatic musical and stylistic makeover. They lost a lot in the process. Black Belt Eagle Scout opened and were really good -- I'm looking forward to getting into their catalog.

Have a great week, everyone!

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Marcus Meeks's avatar

Reminds me that I want to check out Black Belt Eagle Scout

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

'The Land, the Water, The Sky' is really good.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Sorry to hear that about Sleater-Kinney. I don't know that I'd want to see them anywhere but a small theater--and without the theatrics. IMO, they're a band that doesn't need to add anything to their stage presence.

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Dave Purcell's avatar

Exactly!

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Marc Klant's avatar

Cape Sleep - Video Days. Amazing indie pop from The Netherlands. Think the national, phoenix, vampire weekend, bon iver.

https://open.spotify.com/album/7Kb0oZR3DBNB3SU5JO2MPd?si=exbfnkNPS6S4iHQCvtr7Kg

Darling West - LIghts. Charming folk act from Norway(?). Atmospheric but still with good songs.

Night Shop - In the Break.

Superb album from 2018. Love this sound (allah las, beck..)

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Cape Sleep sounds like my kinda band! Thanks for the rec. Love Night Shop too. We featured 'Let Me Let it Go' on here a while ago.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thekevinalexander/p/night-shop?r=3cbf2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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Marco Romano's avatar

Paulo Flores' back catalogue. He is an Angolan singer and I have been listening to him since the mid 1990's.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

He's new to me. Anywhere in particular I should start?

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Marco Romano's avatar

I would start with his Brincadeira Tem Hora 1993

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Thank you!

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Marco Romano's avatar

No problem

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Senor Fix's avatar

What a week! So many stellar new albums in rotation:

* Dune Part Two - Soundtrack

- Film & Soundtrack are STUNNING!

* Modern English - '1 2 3 4'

* Mannequin Pussy - 'Nothing Like'

* Liam Gallagher & John Squire - S/T

* Sheer Mag - 'Eat It & Beat It'

* Monkey3 - Welcome To The Machine

* Mary Timony - Untame The Tiger

* The Bevis Frond - Focus on Nature

* YardAct - Where's My Utopia?

* Whitelands - Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day

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Bob Tooker's avatar

Is the Mannequin Pussy good?

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Senor Fix's avatar

I quite like it. It's messy, catchy, aggressive and diverse. MP is a new discovery for me, though I'm presently checking out the back catalogue. I'm guessing any previous fans will love the new album.

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Bob Tooker's avatar

Nice. I like everything that I have heard. I really wan to check out the new album. It's nice to know it's good before I get it.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

What a week indeed! I'm looking forward to spinning 'Nothing Like" & "1 2 3 4."

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Senor Fix's avatar

Given my limited knowledge of your taste, I actually think you will enjoy Sheer Mag more than Mannequin - let me know perhaps. Note, don't miss checking out a bit of Whitelands given your propensity for Shoegaze.

Yes, the Modern English is definitely worth a listen as well.

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Dusty Wright's avatar

Tommy Collins - “The Two Sides of Life” on Dwight Yoakum’s SiriusXM channel

Fresh - Sky & The Family Stone, the entire album

“Tropical Hot Dog Night” - Captain Beefheart

“1-2-3-4” - Feist

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Pete Riddle's avatar

I blame my Ween rabbit hole for this week on this podcast with the always-excellent Cheryl Waters https://www.npr.org/2024/02/27/1197959104/beck-loser-mellow-gold

Also really enjoying the new single from The Ophelias - Black Ribbon. Plus this to look forward to: “The band [The Ophelias] is currently finalizing Spring Grove, their most ambitious album to date, which features production by boygenius’ Julien Baker”

https://xtramagazine.com/culture/eccentric-folkies-the-ophelias-262364

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

This new single is fantastic!

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Dave Purcell's avatar

It's fun to see The Ophelias continue to develop. I first saw them at a music festival in my neighborhood when they were in high school. I told them I thought they were great and they seemed amazed that anyone thought that.

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Marcus Meeks's avatar

Newish:

Mary Timony - Untame the Tiger (quite good)

Friko - Where We’ve Been, Where We Go from Here

Faye Webster - Underdressed at the Symphony (starts strong but fades; features Nels Kline on guitar)

Brittany Howard, What Now

Old:

Erykah Badu, Baduizm

Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd, Jazz Samba

Cannonball Adderley/Miles Davis, Something Else (opener Autumn Leaves is the final track in American Fiction, which I finally saw this weekend)

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Jeremy Shatan's avatar

Wow, aside from Howard, who's never done it for me, your Newish list could be my own...and Getz/Byrd is a gem. Also, if you liked American Fiction (I thought it was grand), read the book - Erasure by Percival Everett - it's even better!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I've been meaning to play the new Friko. Need to get on that ASAP! Separately, I just picked up a Cannonball Adderley/Nancy Wilson record over the weekend. More on that tomorrow (Weds.).

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Andres's avatar

Happy Monday(s)! I’ve been digging Usher’s and Chromeo’s latest albums 😊 I want to get them on vinyl if I can!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

That's a good combo! If anyone can find them on vinyl, you can! :)

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Andres's avatar

Aw, thanks for saying that! I’m on a mission now 😎

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David W. Friedman's avatar

ROMEO VOID!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Yes! A little more on the band coming in tomorrow's post.

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Norman's avatar

Rose Alaimo - A Place To Go When You Need To Hide

Louise Lemón - Lifetime of Tears

Tonio K - Life In The Foodchain

Tonio K - Amerika

The Dead South - Chains and Stakes

Dire Straits - Making Movies

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Great list!

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Thomas D’Arcy O’Donnell's avatar

Marley - Exodus 🏴‍☠️🦎

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

A classic in every sense of the word.

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Thomas D’Arcy O’Donnell's avatar

Have also ‘been creatively mood theming’ excessively to Exodus plus moreso via Title Track of Pet Sounds ie ‘Pet Sounds’ which so far so awesomely bodacious & good as opening Music Track with Titles Sequence Soundtrack for ‘Turks Gambit - Takedown @ Barracuda’s Bight’ set in Providentiales TCI - & well underway here on ‘Substack

Another aspect of this ‘Musical Theming Approach’ is for ‘cinematic reasons’ when reading the somewhat ‘Hyper Synopsis’ inside the Turks Gambit Section.. Will be adding the Track later today so any stray visitors can ‘read while listening to - my introduction to the Overall Property..

.. this all ‘sounds complicated’ - but ain’t a’tall - just helps the envisioning - as I ‘Write For The Camera & Action.. actual Dialogue Writing comes later.. or by somebody far more talented working off my Story Outline toward an actual ScreenPlay - subsequent to Terms & Property Sale - at very least to Development Status

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Jeremy Shatan's avatar

Got to Carnegie Hall (well, Zankel Hall in the basement, anyway) for the first time since 2019 - and for another Du Yun world premiere. Fantastic stuff and a well-programmed concert, too, with an interesting interpretation of Dylan's When The Ship Comes In near the end. Friday was all about Faye Webster - I can't get enough! Also played Friko for my wife and daughter on the way to the movies and they agreed that it's FAB. Saturday got to hear more world-premiere music performed by the Tak Ensemble...still processing, but incredible stuff. Also had fun blasting The Exploding Hearts and The Replacements while finishing up my last Best Of 2023 piece, which focused on reissues: https://anearful.substack.com/p/best-of-2023-out-of-the-past

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Marcus Meeks's avatar

Webster is on tour this summer. I already have tix for her show in DC

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Jeremy Shatan's avatar

Nice! I have yet to see her live...and unless I win tickets to the Governor's Ball (her only date in NYC so far), I'll still be waiting a while...

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I know our opinions on 'Tim' differ, but this is a fantastic read. I'd forgotten about the Exploding hearts tragic backstory.

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Jeremy Shatan's avatar

Cheers - thanks for reading!

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E.R. Flynn's avatar

I decided to dust off some of my old records and rip them to digital:

"Urgh! - A Music War" and "I.R.S. Greatest Hits Vol.2 and 3" both are 2 disk collections of great I.R.S. New Wave and Punk artists.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Both of those look awesome. I'll have to see if I can find them.

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E.R. Flynn's avatar

Yes. Both are great collections. I think you can find them on Ebay for pretty cheap.

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Paco Jurado's avatar

Hania Rani - Ghosts

Domi & JD Beck - Nota Tight

Anoushka Shankar's recent EPs

Also re-listening some old Pat Metheny's records (Bright Size up to Wichita Falls) ...

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

You may have already seen it, but Marshall Bowden did a great write up of Metheny's 'American Garage' a while ago.

https://newdirectionsinmusic.substack.com/p/american-garage

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Paco Jurado's avatar

Thanks! I just read it, and I'm already subscribed XD

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miter's avatar

Last week I said Sheer Mag thinking it was an EP and didn't realize they had a new full length coming out! The entire album is great. Think KISS mixed with Jackson 5 and a little VH. Nice grooves, hard rock, feels Philly in a good way.

Also digging the new Pissed Jeans tracks that have come out, excited for that album.

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Nat's avatar

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Pissed Jeans!!!! We saw them open for Mudhoney (their 30 ani. Tour) and they killed it! I saw they released something, so thanks for the reminder! Doing it now!!!!

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miter's avatar

Pissed jeans rule!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

How was Mudhoney?

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Nat's avatar

Amazing! I think they played for three hours if I remember correctly?!?! We were right at the front, so def tired hahaha.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Nice! Happy to hear that they can still put on a show!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

You had me at 'Philly in a good way!'

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Matt Bull's avatar

Here's my week's Recent and Decent playlist: https://open.substack.com/pub/recentanddecent/p/recent-and-decent-10?r=1z6rnh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true Defo going to go back and listen to some more of the Beths now!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Killer list! Thank you for sharing it here!

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Nat's avatar

Linger by the Cranberries is the “Toddler Whisper” song of the week!

Also blasting (live) Fingertips Pt. 2 by a 12 year old named Stevie Wonder :) Crazy when you think about it. That must have been insane to see live.

Oh and The Replacements, because when does one not want to listen to them.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Indeed! It's always a good time/reason/occasion to listen to the Replacements.

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Kristin DeMarr's avatar

Primus - because I won tickets to see them this summer in Cedar Rapids and I’m stoked as hell!!

Also, some Tracy Chapman and Sinead O’Connor reminiscing about the Grammys. And the youngest is back on his Weezer kick 🤣 at least it’s the whole Teal album

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Nice! Congratulations! Should be an awesome show.

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Bob Tooker's avatar

Started with "Love has taken it's toll" by Saraya. The went on an all ladies weekend. Doro, Nicks, Benatar, Grace Potter, Girls School, and more.

Ended the weekend listening to both of the Kingswamp albums.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

That's a good list right there.

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Senor Fix's avatar

I quite like it. It's aggressive, messy, catchy and fairly diverse. If you like MP you'll probably love it - the band was a new discovery for me, though I'm checking out the back catalogue now.

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Sam Colt's avatar

Been too slammed with work to do much listening but I just got tickets to see Neil Young and Crazy Horse in July. First time seeing him and I’m beyond stoked!

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Right on! You get to some of the best shows. I love it.

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Sam Colt's avatar

I just use Songkick to track concerts. I love that app.

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Lou Tilsley's avatar

The Beths!!!!! 🙌

Some great new releases this week, most notably Where’s My Utopia from Yard Act and Engines of Honey by Bull.

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Robert C. Gilbert's avatar

Finally, after listening to Aretha Franklin's recording of Marvin Gaye's 'Wholly Holy' over and over again for days, have picked up a copy of her 'Amazing Grace' to fill in an embarrassing hole in my collection.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Nice! That's a great add.

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Nat's avatar

One of the best albums ever! The concert film will have you in tears! It’s electric!

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Robert C. Gilbert's avatar

Yeah - I'll need to watch it.

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Andy Weinnig's avatar

The Beaches - Blame My Ex album is pretty good. Wild Ones with the album Keep it Safe has kind of a Cranberries feel to it. Also a single by Charlotte Cornfield - Partner in Crime is good.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I'm on it! Thanks for the rec.

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Lou Tilsley's avatar

Blame My Ex is a great album! I love What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid.

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Sabrina LaBow's avatar

Here are the Oscar nominees for best original song --"The Fire Inside," "I'm Just Ken," It Never Went Away," "Wahzhazhe," "What Was I Made For." "What Was I Made For," is my absolute favorite song of the year. Billie Eilish is such a talent! sabrinalabow.substack.com

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

She really is, isn't she?

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clarke kelly's avatar

Sun Ra CELESTIAL LOVE (1982), FATE IN A PLEASANT MOOD (1960) & 2 CD compilation TO THOSE OF EARTH … AND OTHER WORLDS. Reading Sun Ra Sundays discography

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Sun Ra is fantastic.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Crown Lands are a new one for me. Checking it out here shortly!

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Michael's avatar

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown

Kayleigh Goldsworthy

Chuck Reagan

CCR

Jelly Roll

Hinano

Boston

Blair Dunlap

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Michael's avatar

Chuck Ragan - stupid spellcheck

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Justin Steiner's avatar

Material Issue's Freak City Soundtrack (for an upcoming post) and Nada Surf's Let Go for the eleventy billionth time.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Only eleventy billion? :) Such an underrated record/band.

I'm looking forward to the material Issue write up (also underrated)!

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Jim Ruland's avatar

Repo Man soundtrack.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Rad! How did I not know The Plugz were on this?!

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Jim Ruland's avatar

The Plugz do most of the transitional music in the movie. Whenever you see the Malibu, you hear the Plugz!

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Chase Roper's avatar

I am a sucker for surf guitar songs. Recently I stumbled across this Surf cover of Brittany Spears’ “Toxic.” I gotta say, it’s pretty great.

https://open.spotify.com/track/0QKehVihONUV5BYgoSaX29?si=sOS--zspS1Wkx8bGHMMzWw

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Billy Cuthrell's avatar

An eclectic mix on my turntable - Miles Davis's Sketches of Spain, Elvin Bishop's excellent 1977 live album Raisin' Hell, and working my way through a box of 45's I bought from Goodwill with Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth/Do I Have To Come Right Out and Say It, The Young Rascals Groovin/Sueno, Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman/Fate of Man, The Dave Clark Five's Nineteen Days/Sitting Here Baby, Paul Peek's Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu/Pin The Tail On The Donkey and ? & The Mysterians Midnight Hour/96 Tears.

Spotify - Bad Brains, Alejandro Escovedo.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Eclectic is good! Fell down a Bad Brains rabbit hole myself after stumbling on an old clip someone posted on IG.

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Billy Cuthrell's avatar

I'm a BB fan but my daughter is really into BB, so I was really listening by default when she was playing it in the car :)

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Jen Zug's avatar

You have a Mountain Goats song on your list this week! Bravo! Speaking of John Darnielle, I saw him play live this weekend and really loved the gal who opened for him. Her name is Rett Madison, and she opened her set with this track (acoustic guitar only):

https://spotify.link/MRlvlHwMIHb

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I do indeed! Sounds like a great show & thnaks for the link to Rett Madison! She's a new artist for me.

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jeleonard193's avatar

Well, at the behest of some digital diatribe, I threw "Making Movies" onto the metaphorical turntable and that made my day. Really just an enjoyable listen. What struck me though was the cojones on Mr. Knopfler. Opening Dire Strait's third album (after a disappointing sophomore effort) with an 8 minute and 11 second track? It all worked out OK, but it must have raised some eyebrows on release.

I think "Expresso Love" is now my favorite track on said album.

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Kevin Alexander's avatar

Lol. I'm glad you liked it, and good point about the opening track! I'm sure there were some strong thoughts on that when it first came out.

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