Happy Monday, everyone, and a warm welcome to those of you who joined us over the weekend! It’s great to have you here with us.
As always, the playlist below is some of what I’ve been playing this week. Several of these came from reader recommendations, so please keep ‘em coming!
Now it’s your turn.
What caught your ear this week? Find anything good while crate digging? Is there an upcoming release you’re excited for?
Not much new music for me this week. Spent much of the last week listening to Sinéad O’Connor’s first five albums, all amazing in their own way. The last couple days I’ve been revisiting All Them Witches catalog. I’d totally missed (or forgotten about) their Baker’s Dozen project where they released one single each month in 2022 plus an extra track. Looking forward to giving that a listen later today.
Good week for new stuff. Joni Mitchell’s Live at Newport is a joyful capture of her comeback show, with just the right mix of nostalgia and excellent performances. Reckless Kelly, one of my favorite Texas/Americana acts, has Mega Kelly Live out. As for singles, I’m really digging JJ Shiplett’s “Already There” as well. Link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/already-there/1681185074?i=1681185476
I think I mentioned it before, but I inherited a box of records from my stepdad. Most were on-brand for him. A handful were unexpected and a couple were complete shocks. "Make It Big" was one of them.
Reconnected with Interpol's "Our Love to Admire" and "El Pintor." Those albums have their duds, but they are far better that they are given credit for, and are worth checking out if you're a fan of the first two albums.
Hi Kevin and fellow readers/writers! I’ve been listening to my friend Juliana a lot lately. She was a finalist in the Argentinian version of American Idol back in the day. I’ve been her fan ever since and we became friends over the years.
Here’s her jazz album in case anyone’s interested. The girl can SING!
Yes indeed! As a teenager I had her posters all over my bedroom walls lol. She still signs autographs when I ask her, but not without teasing me a little bit (we’re friends and share memes on Whatsapp, but she’s still my idol!)
Yet another great playlist - particularly digging Sarah Shannon & Miracle Legion. This week's new music input focused on albums from The Clientele & Madeline Kenney. Fell back in love with 1st albums from Shame & Iceage.
Received my vinyl copy of Coltrane/Dolphy - Evenings at the Village Gate this past week. If you can get past the recording issues (it sounds like it was recorded from the inside of a drum), it's an incredible document of Dolphy in particular. He is front and center here, much more than in the Village Vanguard recordings. Regarding the sound, this was an unauthorized proof-of-concept type recording, done with one microphone, that was stuffed in a box and then forgotten for sixty years, only to be found recently in the New York Public Library by a Dylan archivist. It really shouldn't exist, for multiple reasons, and yet I've listened to it three times in the past week.
If it feels like we've had a lot of Coltrane archival stuff recently, it's because we have. Most recent was a live recording of A Love Supreme in Seattle, but for me, where that release felt like a footnote, Village Gate feels exciting and fresh.
What an absolutely incredible story. I love that there are experts out there doing this work everyday; seeing how the sausage is made, in this case, filled me with a sense of wonder. Thank you for sharing that link!
That Soccer Mommy single actually got me to admire a Sheryl Crow song, LOL - but Sophie Allison can do little wrong! Also listened several times to the new magnum opus from The Clientele, a great, sprawling thing that delivers the usual pleasures along with some new ones. Getting more excited about album 2 from Summer Like The Season, based on the second single: https://open.spotify.com/track/5ejilZHqOnC8kb7VOeMzzw?si=8b95e839a9664c9f. Also watched a jaw-dropping livestream of Clipse from the Pier 17 rooftop here in NYC. I couldn't get tickets and it was too hot to go anyway...but, damn do Pusha-T and Malice still have it! When the last time you heard it like THIS?
The Nevis album Reververations has graced my office this week, on the turntable I listened to Ten Years After and their album A Space in Time. Deeper cuts are to be found here: https://weatheredmusic.ca/2023/07/31/repeating-205/
I think it was Rich Girl or Man-eater! But my sentimental fave is Method of Modern Love. I remember buying that as a 45 single in 5th grade with my not hard earned money 🤑
I was all prepared to talk about Steve Marino, but you already have a track on your playlist. I think it's a good album that gets even better as it goes along and I really dig the cover of "I Don't Want Control of You," which is one of my all-time favorite Norman songs.
I've also dug into the latest release from The Anderson Council - The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon. I'd come across "Alone With You" a few times and really liked it. Luckily, the album is full of good power pop, which is the kind that gets better the more you listen.
This band is so wild - been listening most of the day. The vocals remind me of the B-52s.
Also, I was watching the drummer play live and he had some intricate and complicated rhythms that made it super interesting. One of the songs they played live I noticed some irregular beat counts and I found out their kind of known for their unique rhythm signatures. “Future Doesn’t Know” has a bit of this -- repeating seven-beat phrases instead of eight, and somehow it works.
Nice list. When I started DJing at WXPN back in the mid 80s, The Backyard was in heavy rotation. It's still a classic (of college radio years or otherwise). Marc Mulcahy is so underrated as a songwriter. I suggest checking out a "tribute" record called Ciao My Shining Star - it's got an all star cast. Highlights of my week: Joni Mitchell - Newport; Nina Simone - You've Got To Learn; new Carly Rae, and new Black Milk. I revisited August and Everything After by the Crows (for obvious reasons). Great to see/hear Sarah Shannon on this list. Was a big fan of Velocity Girl ("My Forgotten Favorite") back in the day.
Left field is a great place to be!
They definitely can!
Not much new music for me this week. Spent much of the last week listening to Sinéad O’Connor’s first five albums, all amazing in their own way. The last couple days I’ve been revisiting All Them Witches catalog. I’d totally missed (or forgotten about) their Baker’s Dozen project where they released one single each month in 2022 plus an extra track. Looking forward to giving that a listen later today.
Miracle Legion, nice!
Good week for new stuff. Joni Mitchell’s Live at Newport is a joyful capture of her comeback show, with just the right mix of nostalgia and excellent performances. Reckless Kelly, one of my favorite Texas/Americana acts, has Mega Kelly Live out. As for singles, I’m really digging JJ Shiplett’s “Already There” as well. Link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/already-there/1681185074?i=1681185476
Nice to see Ribbon Stage on your playlist! That has gotten a lot of plays in my house this year.
I discovered The Soundcarriers this past week and I’ve been listening to their 2010 album Celeste over and over.
“Hit With the Most” was one of my faves from last year.
I have to check out The Soundcarriers!
I wish I would have discovered Hot With the Most last year. Definitely would have been in my top ten!
Podcasts. The Bill Simmons Podcast and The Fantasy Footballers, mostly.
I pretty much only listen to music while driving, and since I work from home, I'm not driving much these days. My kids use my car more than I do!
That sounds familiar. lol.
Besides these, any other pods I should be checking out?
I mean, Dan Carlin's Hardcore History is the GOAT in my opinion. Stuff You Should Know is a classic. I also enjoy The Rewatchables.
Listening to Jay Bennett this morning after watching the excellent doc. Where Are You, Jay Bennett? yesterday.
Also, full disclosure - listening to Wham! Make It Big.
I think I mentioned it before, but I inherited a box of records from my stepdad. Most were on-brand for him. A handful were unexpected and a couple were complete shocks. "Make It Big" was one of them.
Oh I think I remember you saying that.
Your stepdad and I might be spirit animals because I owned that album, too. I think I still have it at my mom's.
Classic old-school punk playlist: Vice Squad, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Filth, Dead Kennedys, etc.
Right on!
A here, there and everywhere :
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Burning
Lake Street Dive - Hypotheticals
The Revivalists - Good Old Days
Fad Gadget - Collapsing New People
XTC - No Thugs In Our House
Semisonic - Closing Time
and of course, Sinead :(
Always loved “Closing Time”
"Here, there, and everywhere" is one of my favorite genres!
Hi Kevin! I had been preparing the current release of my playlist, so these were the twenty-five selected:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6EcLhgESeOBX3Fvfxt8SH4?si=iDxQOHUWQgWQE6cJuSM_VQ
Reconnected with Interpol's "Our Love to Admire" and "El Pintor." Those albums have their duds, but they are far better that they are given credit for, and are worth checking out if you're a fan of the first two albums.
Hi Kevin and fellow readers/writers! I’ve been listening to my friend Juliana a lot lately. She was a finalist in the Argentinian version of American Idol back in the day. I’ve been her fan ever since and we became friends over the years.
Here’s her jazz album in case anyone’s interested. The girl can SING!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mivu8gyvGyVJ1zE1RiDNMj4ibSJgzmI38
https://open.spotify.com/album/1UAwMy5pFd1wGC4wW3Xtyw
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/querido-george-querido-ira/925021576
What a voice!
Glad you enjoyed, Michael! I know I’m a bit biased, but she really is one of a kind!
Is this the friend that came to visit you recently?
Yes indeed! As a teenager I had her posters all over my bedroom walls lol. She still signs autographs when I ask her, but not without teasing me a little bit (we’re friends and share memes on Whatsapp, but she’s still my idol!)
Yet another great playlist - particularly digging Sarah Shannon & Miracle Legion. This week's new music input focused on albums from The Clientele & Madeline Kenney. Fell back in love with 1st albums from Shame & Iceage.
I've been listening to and really liking the new Clientele. It's brilliant.
Also listening to a lot of Arthur Russell- glad that more of his music and catalog are more accessible now- the breadth and scope is incredible. Here's a fun one- https://open.spotify.com/track/6unoi0nMfcSG7IzjRUKpJq?si=820c3b6437744677
I keep meaning to get into the Clientele record, but life keeps getting in the way. I'm on it.
Gotta 4 hr drive today and wednesday-will give the new diesel boy a listen as well as mutoid man
Received my vinyl copy of Coltrane/Dolphy - Evenings at the Village Gate this past week. If you can get past the recording issues (it sounds like it was recorded from the inside of a drum), it's an incredible document of Dolphy in particular. He is front and center here, much more than in the Village Vanguard recordings. Regarding the sound, this was an unauthorized proof-of-concept type recording, done with one microphone, that was stuffed in a box and then forgotten for sixty years, only to be found recently in the New York Public Library by a Dylan archivist. It really shouldn't exist, for multiple reasons, and yet I've listened to it three times in the past week.
If it feels like we've had a lot of Coltrane archival stuff recently, it's because we have. Most recent was a live recording of A Love Supreme in Seattle, but for me, where that release felt like a footnote, Village Gate feels exciting and fresh.
Here's more info: https://www.npr.org/2023/05/31/1179098682/john-coltrane-eric-dolphy-village-gate-1961-lost-album
I read a similar article, and it's really sparked my curiosity about this record.
https://www.nypl.org/blog/2023/07/28/how-pair-unreleased-john-coltrane-tapes-surfaced-nypl
What an absolutely incredible story. I love that there are experts out there doing this work everyday; seeing how the sausage is made, in this case, filled me with a sense of wonder. Thank you for sharing that link!
I've been loving the new Bird album, Outside Problems: https://open.spotify.com/album/1ap3xRRaC35EQ2GC3v1NTe?si=gSVj_fGJQVGBq7o1uuyTuw
(waves hello from the east side)
This is a new one for me. I'll check it out here shortly!
Kevin, I just realized you are based in Madison? Small world!
That Soccer Mommy single actually got me to admire a Sheryl Crow song, LOL - but Sophie Allison can do little wrong! Also listened several times to the new magnum opus from The Clientele, a great, sprawling thing that delivers the usual pleasures along with some new ones. Getting more excited about album 2 from Summer Like The Season, based on the second single: https://open.spotify.com/track/5ejilZHqOnC8kb7VOeMzzw?si=8b95e839a9664c9f. Also watched a jaw-dropping livestream of Clipse from the Pier 17 rooftop here in NYC. I couldn't get tickets and it was too hot to go anyway...but, damn do Pusha-T and Malice still have it! When the last time you heard it like THIS?
The Nevis album Reververations has graced my office this week, on the turntable I listened to Ten Years After and their album A Space in Time. Deeper cuts are to be found here: https://weatheredmusic.ca/2023/07/31/repeating-205/
And, as always, thanks Kevin.
You bet! And thank /you/ for the killer list over on your blog!
Hall and Oates, and the Barbie OST 🩷
Nice! Which Hall & Oates?
I think it was Rich Girl or Man-eater! But my sentimental fave is Method of Modern Love. I remember buying that as a 45 single in 5th grade with my not hard earned money 🤑
That's one of my faves!
I was all prepared to talk about Steve Marino, but you already have a track on your playlist. I think it's a good album that gets even better as it goes along and I really dig the cover of "I Don't Want Control of You," which is one of my all-time favorite Norman songs.
I've also dug into the latest release from The Anderson Council - The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon. I'd come across "Alone With You" a few times and really liked it. Luckily, the album is full of good power pop, which is the kind that gets better the more you listen.
I'm glad you like that Steve Marino record! I'm really digging it. The Anderson Council is a new one for me!
I think you would like The Anderson Council album.
The new single by Red Sleeping Beauty is wonderful and highly recommended for fans of Sarsh Records -
https://redsleepingbeauty.bandcamp.com/album/from-sarah-with-love-ep
I just discovered The Sunday League last week and they are great and the connection to the Windbreakers and Bobby Sutcliffe is a bonus
I think I found their latest single through your mentioning of it?
Ha, that's social media working the way it should 😂😊
And if there are any XTC fans out there, then this album is a must hear for their twisted take on Making Plans For Nigel
https://thenewfools.bandcamp.com/album/seashells
Listen without prejudice George Michael
"Praying For Time" might be my favorite George Michael solo song.
Was at a music festival this weekend and liked a band we heard called Guerilla Toss -- been checking them out this week and I dig it.
(Don't look up the band name on Urban Dictionary while at work -- definitely NSFW!)
lol. You know that was gonna be the first thing I'd do, too.
😂😂😂
This band is so wild - been listening most of the day. The vocals remind me of the B-52s.
Also, I was watching the drummer play live and he had some intricate and complicated rhythms that made it super interesting. One of the songs they played live I noticed some irregular beat counts and I found out their kind of known for their unique rhythm signatures. “Future Doesn’t Know” has a bit of this -- repeating seven-beat phrases instead of eight, and somehow it works.
I have returned to Rilo Kiley today!
https://open.spotify.com/album/4n36X2GMJ84BKh9D9zMRVI?si=Py8hlMdRSXKN2-ftfXPwCQ
Nice list. When I started DJing at WXPN back in the mid 80s, The Backyard was in heavy rotation. It's still a classic (of college radio years or otherwise). Marc Mulcahy is so underrated as a songwriter. I suggest checking out a "tribute" record called Ciao My Shining Star - it's got an all star cast. Highlights of my week: Joni Mitchell - Newport; Nina Simone - You've Got To Learn; new Carly Rae, and new Black Milk. I revisited August and Everything After by the Crows (for obvious reasons). Great to see/hear Sarah Shannon on this list. Was a big fan of Velocity Girl ("My Forgotten Favorite") back in the day.
Thank you! I'm really happy to see Velocity Girl is getting back together for a couple of shows this fall.