Happy Monday(s)! Welcome to each of you who joined us over the weekend!
It’s great to have you here.
For those of you who are new, we kick off every week by sharing what we’ve been playing.
The playlist below is some of what I’ve had in heavy rotation:
Now it’s your turn:
What caught your ear this week? Find anything good while crate digging? Are there any upcoming releases or shows you’re excited about? Are warmer temps returning to your part of the world?
I am generally not a huge fan of cover bands. But Leonid & Friends is a band that focuses a lot of horn-based covers - E, W & F, Chicago, Lighthouse - and every video I've seen of them is pretty solid. I would definitely check them out live, although they haven't made it up to my area yet https://youtu.be/YHRt_EtbzdY?si=2TOtKArbuNcGQq-f
Gaz Coombes Worlds Strongest Man and Turn the Car Around
BC Camplight Shortly After Takeoff
The Smile Light for Attracting Attention and Wall of Eyes <— i should just change my profile name at this point.
Beck Mutations <— my very favorite from Beck
Down Under:
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum and Butterfly 3000 <— was at their first Red Rocks marathon show, these guys shred in the studio and live. Deep catalog of music for fans of different rock genres. I had to take a break for a few months after several years of heavy listening, revisiting a record or two each week.
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Fronzoli <— their 2023 album has some high-energy rock that fits in with their previous 5 albums of - wait for it - high-energy rock. Saw these guys live in a small room in Denver that was full of human chimneys. Unreal live show. 3 guitarists all in a groove.
Tropical Fuck Storm Submersive Behavior <— they go off on a Jimi Hendrix cover to kick this EP off. One of the best live bands I have ever witnessed AND they put out excellent records. I don’t know what Australia puts in the water, but I am loving a lot of music from down under these days, great new rock music.
New:
Idles - Tangk <— I am hopelessly in love with Idles. These guys put on one of the most cathartic live shows, saw them in Milwaukee after Crawler came out.
MGMT - Loss of Life <—just ok. Was very excited for this record.
The Paranoid Style The Interrogator <—Thanks, Kevin! Got a lot of catching up to do…
New to me:
Gang of Four Entertainment! <— via another substackerer Penny Kiley. WHAT? IDLES HAVE A VERSION OF DAMAGED GOODS. HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS UNTIL NOW!?!?!?!?!
Good call on TFS! One of their best - and an amazing Hendrix cover. And I almost envy you getting to experience Entertainment! anew - one of the greatest debuts of all time. Other good stuff, but a bit of a spotty catalog after that one.
Live in Wausau these days. Grew up in the Milwaukee metroplex. Have to travel to see good live shows, happened to plan a weekend trip to see Idles and leave for vacay from MKE airport. Unforgettable live show, one of my favorite concerts of all time.
How did you get inside my brain and write out a list of some of my favorites? Love Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Hard to do the KG&LW thing and not sound like a pale imitation. They show that two can play at that game! I'm also mostly disappointed with MGMT latest. I'm hoping that in six months I'll feel differently, but I'm not hopeful.
I have somehow developed a lane for Indonesian indie/punk rock in recent years and stumbled across this over the weekend. Recent collection of really sold indie/lo-fi cuts from a few artists. https://disanorak.bandcamp.com/album/strawberry-punks-vol-4
Have been on a big The War and Treaty kick recently — give them a listen if you haven't. I also went down a huge Beat Farmers rabbit hole for the umpteenth time after randomly finding and rewatching a documentary on the band. Made me miss Country Dick and Mojo even more.
I was listening to the new Grandaddy album, Blu Wave, last week. Day Wave - As You Are and Teezo Touchdown- Impossible are a couple of tracks I’ve liked recently.
Electric Arguments by the Fireman. IMO, one of the finest experimental/electronic music albums ever made. It should be on lists of Best Albums of All Time and isn't because for some reason known only to Himself, the genius behind it keeps releasing his best work under psuedoyms and not promoting it.
Electric Arguments or Everyday Chemistry? (Either way, both are stellar. If you haven't heard it, it's here: (just ignore the wacky, very Paul-like "backstory". The music doesn't need it. It stands on it own.
- Hurray For The Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive. It's mellower than I prefer as The Navigator is my favorite of theirs, but it's a solid record.
- Alejandro Escovedo - The new single, a reworking of "Castanets," from his upcoming record, which then took me to his fantastic The Boxing Mirror album.
- Bill Fay - Investigating his catalog after a Guardian article turned me onto him. He's a hushed and often intense piano driven singer-songwriter. Tweedy produced one of his recent records.
- Modern Guilt - I'm digging their new single and getting into their previous records after learning about them from Kevin's playlist last week.
Echo Dancing, his new record that will be out at the end of March, is a set of reworked songs from throughout his catalog. The first single was "Bury Me" from Gravity and now "Castanets." I'm digging so far.
I had the good fortune to open for him once and he was so kind and supportive -- he and his bandmates treated us like equals.
Spring is peeping about in shaggy grasses and fruit blossoms so rambling is in order.
The quiet musings of multi-instrumentalist Misha Panfilov and Dominique Dumont are good companions.
More psychedelic wanderings are in rediscovering Pond after too many years and getting blasted by the endearing sonic non sequiturs of The King Khan & BBQ.
I so appreciate your question, and I so badly want to gain your approval and respect (I do own all of The Cure's catalog, and I've seen them live once...sadly just once), but my eternal favorite is "Pictures of You." My wife has my permission (as I requested it) to play it at my funeral. And full disclosure, I don't think building a funeral playlist is a melancholy act of woe. It kind of feels life-affirming. Okay. Thanks for reading.
You already have my respect (people generally do unless they give me reason not to) and you certainly don’t need my approval. ‘Pictures of You’ is a fantastic song and a fine favorite. If it came to an album track for me it might have to be ‘How Beautiful You Are’ from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.
I see you’ve seen my earlier pick of ‘A Few Hours After This’ but if I had to pick a couple more lesser known gems I’d go with ‘Breathe’ and ‘A Chain of Flowers’ which were on the B Side of the 12” single of ‘Just Like Heaven’
What a privilege it’s been to be a lifelong fan of The Cure. I’m praying they release Songs of a Lost World this year.
I like the idea of building a funeral playlist. I’d rather that than have someone else construct one for me.
Pictures Of You is top favourite and a friend of mine used it as his wedding song and I thought that was pretty cool. 2 Late is a favourite b-side and they had so many great songs. I have even collected quite a few Cure covers and tribute CD's, some awful and some quite enjoyable - I even found a tribute done by all Spanish bands with some cool covers on it.
I have MGMT's "Loss Of Life" on repeat. Also, I have been listening to Nick Shoulders, in preparation to see him this Friday night in Birmingham. Yee Haw! I took a trip back to Rush, "Counterparts." Absolutely one of their better records, and often missed.
Saw my first live show of 2024 on 2/21 - Or Best Offer album release show at Purgatory in Brooklyn with support from Theadoore and Kid Droba. All great, but the headliners were intensely great! Cool club, too - hope to return when Summer Like The Season shows up there in April, if not before.
Spent a lot of time over the last week editing my first interview for my podcast. Lots of work but I think it's a great conversation that I'm excited to share. Should be out later this week.
Finally have my final Best of 2023 sorted, focused on reissues, so I've been listening to the 10 I chose - hope to have that out later this week, too!
Really enjoying the playlist this week - thank you!
I’ve been listening to two excellent EPs - Damage Reversal by Bridget is so good and I’m also really enjoying Dead Centre by Man and the Echo. The opening track feels like it could’ve been lifted off Gerry Rafferty’s “City to City” album.
I'll pile on the Hurray for the Riff Raff bandwagon. The Past is Still Alive is my favorite from them since Small Town Heroes, and I had Hawkmoon on repeat for a good part of Friday afternoon.
I've also been playing Wah Wah by James - their improv twin to Laid - on repeat.
Hey that's me at the end there! Thanks so much for sharing the tune. In terms of what's been in rotation for me this week:
I've been spinning Wall of Eyes by The Smile pretty frequently. Really like "Bending Hectic" and "Under Our Pillows" off that record. Past that, been digging into some early B-52's stuff after being introduced to it at a show last weekend. "Mesopotamia" has been a favorite so far. Happy Monday everyone!
I just read Charles R. Cross's Kurt Cobain bio, so despite having largely gone off Nirvana's music a long time ago, I've been listening to Nirvana and Hole. Also read Please Kill Me, an oral history of punk, so I've been listening to some of that 70s NYC punk, which factors heavily in that book. And really digging a live Ramsey Lewis record, The In Crowd, when I write.
Yeah, he doesn't come off looking great. Not that many people in that book do. But he manages to look worse than most of them. Which is saying something. LOL.
Sup Kevin! It has been a minute since I've posted something here so I made a playlist for your readers. I receive hundreds of emails from publicists every month promoting the new releases of their clients. Mostly are new-ish artists so hopefully this playlist will help people to find some new music 🙌
Working as a bouncer at an Irish pub in Portland, I developed a ear for a Irish Sea Shanty. It started with 25 plus versions of Drunken Sailor. Needless to say, it went down hill from there...😂😂
Also I watched the documentary on Frank Sidebottom recently and it reminded just how talented Chris Sievey was, from his work in The Freshies to his solo stuff and then his crazy antics with Frank Sidebottom, so if anyone hasn't heard this album by him, they are in for a treat:
It also seems there are loads of unreleased music he recorded that are only on cassette so I'm hoping that a label will discover and release some of this music as they did with The Cleaners From Venus.
When desperate for a break from my labors the past few days, I embarked upon a listening project , of all Little Feat singles released during Lowell George's tenure as bandleader; from "Hamburger Midnight" on up to "Time Loves A Hero".
I'm embarrassed to say that I still don't quite understand how they did what they did musically; + there's always a moment where I hit pause and go "Wtf was THAT???"
Incredibly tight band, Incredibly complex arrangements; and I'm trying to use it as "school".
I don't know why but I dialed up The Balck Crowes "Amorica". Probably because I missed it and it's been a while. This listen once again hit me with the realization that even though there are fantastic others to choose from this is my favorite album of theirs.
Joining my small but perfectly formed Americana (and adjacent) collection has been Susto's 2023 album My Entire Life.
On the same CD purchase was the latest release from NWOBHM stalwarts Saxon. I'm sure there was a "what's going on here" raised eyebrow when that order was packed.
Happy Monday(s)! Lots of Stevie Wonder at the weekend. This morning, D Train’s “Something’s On Your Mind”.
D Train! Nice! I love his take on “Walk On By.”
Yes! Never gets old
Circle in the Sand - Belinda Carlisle
I love it.
I am generally not a huge fan of cover bands. But Leonid & Friends is a band that focuses a lot of horn-based covers - E, W & F, Chicago, Lighthouse - and every video I've seen of them is pretty solid. I would definitely check them out live, although they haven't made it up to my area yet https://youtu.be/YHRt_EtbzdY?si=2TOtKArbuNcGQq-f
I’m on it!
Great playlist! I'll have to check out more Dusty Wright.
My week involved heaps of Oingo Boingo, L7 & Shack.
Still can't get enough of these new albums...
* Lime Garden - 'One More Thing'
* William Doyle - 'Springs Eternal'
Latest Library $1 CD bin gems...
* Galaxy - 'Nature's Clear Well'
* Eddie Warner - 'Progressive Percussions'
At first I wasn’t sure Dusty’s work was my thing, but boy was I wrong. I had a lot of fun wading through his last couple of albums.
James Brown and The Animals' Animalization
Nice! Also great to see the American Crisis Playlist back, though obviously I wish conditions didn’t warrant it.
Gaz Coombes Worlds Strongest Man and Turn the Car Around
BC Camplight Shortly After Takeoff
The Smile Light for Attracting Attention and Wall of Eyes <— i should just change my profile name at this point.
Beck Mutations <— my very favorite from Beck
Down Under:
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum and Butterfly 3000 <— was at their first Red Rocks marathon show, these guys shred in the studio and live. Deep catalog of music for fans of different rock genres. I had to take a break for a few months after several years of heavy listening, revisiting a record or two each week.
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Fronzoli <— their 2023 album has some high-energy rock that fits in with their previous 5 albums of - wait for it - high-energy rock. Saw these guys live in a small room in Denver that was full of human chimneys. Unreal live show. 3 guitarists all in a groove.
Tropical Fuck Storm Submersive Behavior <— they go off on a Jimi Hendrix cover to kick this EP off. One of the best live bands I have ever witnessed AND they put out excellent records. I don’t know what Australia puts in the water, but I am loving a lot of music from down under these days, great new rock music.
New:
Idles - Tangk <— I am hopelessly in love with Idles. These guys put on one of the most cathartic live shows, saw them in Milwaukee after Crawler came out.
MGMT - Loss of Life <—just ok. Was very excited for this record.
The Paranoid Style The Interrogator <—Thanks, Kevin! Got a lot of catching up to do…
New to me:
Gang of Four Entertainment! <— via another substackerer Penny Kiley. WHAT? IDLES HAVE A VERSION OF DAMAGED GOODS. HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS UNTIL NOW!?!?!?!?!
Good call on TFS! One of their best - and an amazing Hendrix cover. And I almost envy you getting to experience Entertainment! anew - one of the greatest debuts of all time. Other good stuff, but a bit of a spotty catalog after that one.
Oh I'll have to look for that Gang Of Four cover by Idles
I’m glad you’re enjoying ‘The Interrogator!’ Are you in MKE, or were you visiting there for the show?
Penny’s Substack is amazing. Like having a tour guide in a Time Machine.
Live in Wausau these days. Grew up in the Milwaukee metroplex. Have to travel to see good live shows, happened to plan a weekend trip to see Idles and leave for vacay from MKE airport. Unforgettable live show, one of my favorite concerts of all time.
Nice! (Waves from Madison).
How did you get inside my brain and write out a list of some of my favorites? Love Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Hard to do the KG&LW thing and not sound like a pale imitation. They show that two can play at that game! I'm also mostly disappointed with MGMT latest. I'm hoping that in six months I'll feel differently, but I'm not hopeful.
I have somehow developed a lane for Indonesian indie/punk rock in recent years and stumbled across this over the weekend. Recent collection of really sold indie/lo-fi cuts from a few artists. https://disanorak.bandcamp.com/album/strawberry-punks-vol-4
Oh, Ill have to check this out!
Tony Bennett, I think, cover Happy Together by the Monkees in a Toulouse wine bar.
Ha! Not what I would’ve expected, but also kinda on brand.
Wrote up two of my Indonesian favorites here -- https://3albums6oldguys.substack.com/p/week-2-indonesian-punk-rock-open-mike-eagle-and-an-homage-to-elo -- and I try to start as many days as i can with the opening to this EP by the Battlebeats -- https://thebattlebeats.bandcamp.com/album/the-battlebeats-2. Just listen to the first 30 seconds, and you're sure to have a smile on your face, esp if you have ever liked any song by the Ramones.
Right on. Thanks for the links!
Have been on a big The War and Treaty kick recently — give them a listen if you haven't. I also went down a huge Beat Farmers rabbit hole for the umpteenth time after randomly finding and rewatching a documentary on the band. Made me miss Country Dick and Mojo even more.
I’m out; they’re definitely a new one for me.
Join us, won’t ya?
I was listening to the new Grandaddy album, Blu Wave, last week. Day Wave - As You Are and Teezo Touchdown- Impossible are a couple of tracks I’ve liked recently.
I’ve been meaning to listen to the new Granddaddy. Sounds like I’ve been missing out.
Electric Arguments by the Fireman. IMO, one of the finest experimental/electronic music albums ever made. It should be on lists of Best Albums of All Time and isn't because for some reason known only to Himself, the genius behind it keeps releasing his best work under psuedoyms and not promoting it.
https://open.spotify.com/album/1MbT7Ct4YAw4MRypVTCvLq?si=dzUiErPSSnWJihPAY5Bciw
I love that album, easily top 5 post-Beatles McCartney.
I wish more people knew about it. Maybe they do and I just don't know that they do
PS. I'm fairly sure Everyday Chemistry is a McCartney creation as well, and I would rank that in my top Beatles albums. Never mind post.
Makes me wonder what else he's done that we don't know about yet.
Your point is well taken- I had no idea this existed!
Electric Arguments or Everyday Chemistry? (Either way, both are stellar. If you haven't heard it, it's here: (just ignore the wacky, very Paul-like "backstory". The music doesn't need it. It stands on it own.
https://thebeatlesneverbrokeup.com/
Both!
Cheers Kevin! I nabbed Everybody's Scared Now by Vic Godard at the weekend. here's the link if you fancy a listen. https://gnuinc.bandcamp.com/album/everybodys-scared-now-2
I do, and thanks for the link!
The Spinners: "I'll Be Around" at this particular moment. I'm floating between 2 punk stations, Marvin Gaye, and Ella Fitzgerald. Good mix!
One of my all time faves. It’s sublime.
No, Kevin. Sublime are not punk.
Hahaha.
Last week was all about:
- Hurray For The Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive. It's mellower than I prefer as The Navigator is my favorite of theirs, but it's a solid record.
- Alejandro Escovedo - The new single, a reworking of "Castanets," from his upcoming record, which then took me to his fantastic The Boxing Mirror album.
- Bill Fay - Investigating his catalog after a Guardian article turned me onto him. He's a hushed and often intense piano driven singer-songwriter. Tweedy produced one of his recent records.
- Modern Guilt - I'm digging their new single and getting into their previous records after learning about them from Kevin's playlist last week.
Have a great week, everyone!
I'm excited to hear the new Hurray for the Riff Raff!
I didn’t realize ‘Castanets’ was being redone! I’ll have to go find that. Also happy to hear you’re enjoying Modern Guilt!
Echo Dancing, his new record that will be out at the end of March, is a set of reworked songs from throughout his catalog. The first single was "Bury Me" from Gravity and now "Castanets." I'm digging so far.
I had the good fortune to open for him once and he was so kind and supportive -- he and his bandmates treated us like equals.
Been listening to the new MGMT album, “Loss of Life.” Digging it so far.
I’m still working my way down the list to it, but a lot of people seem to be really enjoying it.
It's good. I like "Little Dark Age" more but this is definitely a worthy follow up and probably my second favorite album from them.
Oh yeah, love Doves and that track is great.
Just listened to the new Sheer Mag EP. Dig it, especially the title track "Eat it and Beat it". The title alone is great.
lol. The title alone is worth me seeking this one out.
Spring is peeping about in shaggy grasses and fruit blossoms so rambling is in order.
The quiet musings of multi-instrumentalist Misha Panfilov and Dominique Dumont are good companions.
More psychedelic wanderings are in rediscovering Pond after too many years and getting blasted by the endearing sonic non sequiturs of The King Khan & BBQ.
Wait, Pond the band from PDX?!
Nah, from Perth: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pond_(Australian_band)
Ah, ok. Gotcha. In the early 90s there was a band in Portland Oregon with the same name.
The Cure. Lots and lots and lots of The Cure. The security blanket of my collection.
what's your super secret Cure gem that you love but few have ever heard of? do you have one? or more?
I know you were asking Travis, but mine is '2 Late.'
Oooh very nice! For me there are a few but if I had to pick just one it would probably be ‘A Few Hours After This’
Oh. Just saw you already shared. Very cool.
Hey that's one of my favourite Cure B-sides
Great minds think alike! :)
I so appreciate your question, and I so badly want to gain your approval and respect (I do own all of The Cure's catalog, and I've seen them live once...sadly just once), but my eternal favorite is "Pictures of You." My wife has my permission (as I requested it) to play it at my funeral. And full disclosure, I don't think building a funeral playlist is a melancholy act of woe. It kind of feels life-affirming. Okay. Thanks for reading.
What Cure song is your secret gem?
You already have my respect (people generally do unless they give me reason not to) and you certainly don’t need my approval. ‘Pictures of You’ is a fantastic song and a fine favorite. If it came to an album track for me it might have to be ‘How Beautiful You Are’ from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.
I see you’ve seen my earlier pick of ‘A Few Hours After This’ but if I had to pick a couple more lesser known gems I’d go with ‘Breathe’ and ‘A Chain of Flowers’ which were on the B Side of the 12” single of ‘Just Like Heaven’
What a privilege it’s been to be a lifelong fan of The Cure. I’m praying they release Songs of a Lost World this year.
I like the idea of building a funeral playlist. I’d rather that than have someone else construct one for me.
Yes. Such a blessing and a privilege. What's the latest on "Songs of a Lost World"? It does feel like it should be coming soon.
Okay. Found myself revisiting all these songs tonight. Great way to wind down a Monday. Thanks.
Pictures Of You is top favourite and a friend of mine used it as his wedding song and I thought that was pretty cool. 2 Late is a favourite b-side and they had so many great songs. I have even collected quite a few Cure covers and tribute CD's, some awful and some quite enjoyable - I even found a tribute done by all Spanish bands with some cool covers on it.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve done the same with the tribute and cover lps. The Spanish one sounds intriguing.
It's this one here:
https://www.discogs.com/master/954948-Various-Tributo-A-The-Cure-Por-Que-No-Puedo-Ser-T%C3%BA
But I think my favorite might be the American Laundromat tribute:
https://www.discogs.com/release/1526736-Various-Just-Like-Heaven-A-Tribute-To-The-Cure
Thanks. I love the American Laundromat one as well. Last night I was checking out the 100 Tears Tribute LP. It's rather interesting. Take care.
Greek band Youth Valley just posted their cover of Pictures Of You on YouTube - https://youtu.be/Up2_qXKnFLY?feature=shared
Very cool. Thanks.
Got home and gave a proper listen. Great version. Inspired to share a couple of Brian Fallon Cure moments:
1) Horrible Crowes’ Ladykiller and then at 3:43 he slips into Pictures of You.
https://youtu.be/gKo3-hblwIc?si=boj9dHWwxuQXUrVH
2) Catbite and Brian Fallon as the SlaCures. Make of it what you will.
https://youtu.be/fnKBS2sid9A?si=_Wdiu0HBTvXUxQG8
Thanks again for sharing links.
These are pretty cool, never seen them before 👌
Far & beyond the trk + title of the Never too be topped Cure absolute for me, forEver... 🫴🏼
"Faith!" 🤘🏼🖤
Awww that is an absolute classic!! Love it!
Right! up there w/ Charlotte Sometimes 🙏🏼
Yes! Young Fresh Fellows!
Indeed! I’m glad you liked that. Saw they are coming my way this summer, and it sent me down the best kind of rabbit hole.
Ghost Funk Orchestra's new album (released last Friday, Feb 23), 'A Trip To The Moon' has been on my turntable all weekend.
And Gil Scott Heron's-'Reflections' LP has also worked its way in there, as well.
Just saw you wrote about Ghost Funk Orchestra! It’s on my list to read at lunch today.
https://open.substack.com/pub/michaelfell/p/fuzzy-logic?r=3cbf2&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I have MGMT's "Loss Of Life" on repeat. Also, I have been listening to Nick Shoulders, in preparation to see him this Friday night in Birmingham. Yee Haw! I took a trip back to Rush, "Counterparts." Absolutely one of their better records, and often missed.
Another vote for MGMT. clearly I’m late to the party (again!).
Saw my first live show of 2024 on 2/21 - Or Best Offer album release show at Purgatory in Brooklyn with support from Theadoore and Kid Droba. All great, but the headliners were intensely great! Cool club, too - hope to return when Summer Like The Season shows up there in April, if not before.
Spent a lot of time over the last week editing my first interview for my podcast. Lots of work but I think it's a great conversation that I'm excited to share. Should be out later this week.
Finally have my final Best of 2023 sorted, focused on reissues, so I've been listening to the 10 I chose - hope to have that out later this week, too!
Right on! Looking forward to both of those. If you think of it, please share them here.
Over the last week I've been digging in to some of my favorite February releases. Not a bad month for music at all! Sorted by release date
The Bony King of Nowhere - Everybody Knows
https://tbkon.bandcamp.com/album/everybody-knows
Vera Sole - Peacemaker
https://verasola.bandcamp.com/album/peacemaker
Amiture - Mother Engine
https://amiture.bandcamp.com/album/mother-engine
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
https://chelseawolfe.bandcamp.com/album/she-reaches-out-to-she-reaches-out-to-she
Loving - Any Light
https://loving.bandcamp.com/album/any-light
IDLES - TANGK
https://idlesband.bandcamp.com/album/tangk
Molly Lewis - On The Lips
https://cafemolly.bandcamp.com/album/on-the-lips
Hurray For The Riff Raff - The Past Is Still Alive
https://hftrr.bandcamp.com/album/the-past-is-still-alive
Real Estate - Daniel
https://realestate.bandcamp.com/album/daniel
All of these are new to me. Adding them to the “must check out” queue now!
Really enjoying the playlist this week - thank you!
I’ve been listening to two excellent EPs - Damage Reversal by Bridget is so good and I’m also really enjoying Dead Centre by Man and the Echo. The opening track feels like it could’ve been lifted off Gerry Rafferty’s “City to City” album.
Of course! I’m happy you’re enjoying it. 😀
The new album from Hurray for the Riff Raff is more great music them!
I keep meaning to play it, and haven’t quite made it there yet. Soon!
The Mormons.
I'll pile on the Hurray for the Riff Raff bandwagon. The Past is Still Alive is my favorite from them since Small Town Heroes, and I had Hawkmoon on repeat for a good part of Friday afternoon.
I've also been playing Wah Wah by James - their improv twin to Laid - on repeat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wah_Wah_(album)
Hey that's me at the end there! Thanks so much for sharing the tune. In terms of what's been in rotation for me this week:
I've been spinning Wall of Eyes by The Smile pretty frequently. Really like "Bending Hectic" and "Under Our Pillows" off that record. Past that, been digging into some early B-52's stuff after being introduced to it at a show last weekend. "Mesopotamia" has been a favorite so far. Happy Monday everyone!
You bet! Thanks for letting me share it with everyone. Always happy to hear someone has found the B52s; I could prattle on about them all day. Haha.
For anyone scrolling the comments, Ryan has a new LP out, and you can check it out here:
https://open.spotify.com/album/14Uw73yeN6pYNBOCCFeaLk?si=Nlf6gIpTSVuSadVEa5FIKg
Hello again. Solid start with Doves! Here's my weekly playlist (this time recommended by my wife!) Some great songs include The Smile and Saint Saviour https://open.substack.com/pub/recentanddecent/p/recent-and-decent-9?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1z6rnh
Great list! Really digging that Bombay Bicycle Club track.
I just read Charles R. Cross's Kurt Cobain bio, so despite having largely gone off Nirvana's music a long time ago, I've been listening to Nirvana and Hole. Also read Please Kill Me, an oral history of punk, so I've been listening to some of that 70s NYC punk, which factors heavily in that book. And really digging a live Ramsey Lewis record, The In Crowd, when I write.
Please Kill Me is such a great book!
It is highly entertaining. Malcolm McLaren catching STDs in the American South might've been my favorite part? But there were so many.
He basically "invented" the Sex Pistols so he could sell "Ramones clothes" in London. McLaren in a nurt shell lol
Yeah, he doesn't come off looking great. Not that many people in that book do. But he manages to look worse than most of them. Which is saying something. LOL.
Gilby! Long time, no see. Hope all is well with you. 😀
Love Ramsey Lewis!
I'm kind of new to him, but I'm digging his stuff. The song itself, "The In Crowd," is a great jam.
Sup Kevin! It has been a minute since I've posted something here so I made a playlist for your readers. I receive hundreds of emails from publicists every month promoting the new releases of their clients. Mostly are new-ish artists so hopefully this playlist will help people to find some new music 🙌
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6FJLdzrD0gypi2t6qpo8mx?si=742c51c0c7ee4742
This list is great, and it’s good to see you here!
Glad to be back 🙌
Hi Kevin! Just updated the playlist and these are the chosen for this fortnight:
https://open.substack.com/pub/reflectandrelaxcafe/p/reflect-and-relax-cafe-57?r=tmghd&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Right on! Just in time for a bunch of writing I’m getting ready to dive in to.
Working as a bouncer at an Irish pub in Portland, I developed a ear for a Irish Sea Shanty. It started with 25 plus versions of Drunken Sailor. Needless to say, it went down hill from there...😂😂
Kells?
Yes. I still have my Kell's jacket...lol.
Ha! A piece of history.
And the stories from that place are awesome
New Real Estate, Mary Timony, and Hurray for the Riff Raff, plus still mainlining Aimee Mann ahead on her concert on Saturday.
Now this is a mix!
Currently Goldfrapp live at the UAE in Brixton. Picked up for $2 at an OpShop.
That’s a steal!
Always enjoyed The Fresh Young Fellows.
The new song by Rachel Love is quite beautiful, you may remember from Dolly Mixture or Captain Sensible's backup singers - https://rachellove.bandcamp.com/track/without-you
This song is gorgeous!
Also I watched the documentary on Frank Sidebottom recently and it reminded just how talented Chris Sievey was, from his work in The Freshies to his solo stuff and then his crazy antics with Frank Sidebottom, so if anyone hasn't heard this album by him, they are in for a treat:
https://cordeliarecords.bandcamp.com/album/big-record
It also seems there are loads of unreleased music he recorded that are only on cassette so I'm hoping that a label will discover and release some of this music as they did with The Cleaners From Venus.
When desperate for a break from my labors the past few days, I embarked upon a listening project , of all Little Feat singles released during Lowell George's tenure as bandleader; from "Hamburger Midnight" on up to "Time Loves A Hero".
I'm embarrassed to say that I still don't quite understand how they did what they did musically; + there's always a moment where I hit pause and go "Wtf was THAT???"
Incredibly tight band, Incredibly complex arrangements; and I'm trying to use it as "school".
Those moments are the best!
A bit wounding to the pride, but yes. They are. Lol.
Feed The Clones by Shrinkwrap Killers. Bit of a new one for me.
https://open.spotify.com/album/7H04osB78HoddPXg3RoC9G
A new one for me. I’m on it!
I know, but it made me feel better just doing it. I understand that's a paradox.
I don't know why but I dialed up The Balck Crowes "Amorica". Probably because I missed it and it's been a while. This listen once again hit me with the realization that even though there are fantastic others to choose from this is my favorite album of theirs.
Joining my small but perfectly formed Americana (and adjacent) collection has been Susto's 2023 album My Entire Life.
On the same CD purchase was the latest release from NWOBHM stalwarts Saxon. I'm sure there was a "what's going on here" raised eyebrow when that order was packed.
This new song by M.E. Netzke is giving me Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds vibes! https://open.spotify.com/track/0tcS1w7FGPeoXO6hs3xYze?si=9bf2b15faad6481c
Lots of repeats and some nice new sounds.
Onceweresixty - The Flood
Martin Sjostedt and Jazz Orchestra - Horizon
Wilco - Cousin
Alexander Hulme - Lighting (single)
Various - The Harder They Come
Three Dog Night - Harmony
Corb Lund - El Viejo
The Dead South - Chains and Stakes
James Clark Five - Zoom and The Gadflies
They Harder They Come is the closest I get to going to church. That soundtrack is six stars.
Adrian Orange & Her Band — S/T
Congolese Funk, Afrobeat, and Psychedelic Rumba 1969-1978 — Veckys et l’Orchestre Vévé
feast, by ravens — Wahid
Eye of I — James Brandon Lewis
also this live set of The Microphones playing with Explosions In The Sky that’s only on youtube https://youtu.be/WVYHyEGbvx8?si=8wnJMPqVq5iK0Fh_
The Anthology of American Folk and Sounds of the South, an compilation of Alan Lomax recordings