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On to the music:
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. This week, we’re starting with one from Former Champ and the latest from Chicago’s Ratboys, before heading down to Louisville for the new single from Second Story Man, a band a reviewer once asked readers to think of as a “female-fronted Jawbreaker.” ICYMI, Natalie Weiner recently wrote a great piece on Amanda Shires for Texas Monthly. Tsar’s 1998 demos are finally (!) seeing the light of day and sound fantastic.
Side 2 kicks off with some Immersion. If you’ve been here a little while, you know what a fanboy I am of Wire and frontman Colin Newman’s solo work. Immersion is the work of he and his partner Malka Spigel. Look for a review of the record later this week. There is also a (relatively) deep cut from Depeche Mode, and a little something from Total Wife, before coming back to Chicago and ending with a (definitely) deep cut from Urge Overkill.
I know I’ve said it for several weeks now, but it’s true: 2025 might be is a hot mess, but not when it comes to new music.
Note: I’ve moved some things around. Going forward, the curated playlist(s) for paying supporters will be moving to Thursdays. Please keep an eye out for that.
As most of you have seen, I am a huge fan of the music streaming platform Qobuz. The sound quality is second to none, and the entire UX is fantastic. Thanks to our friend Kenn Richards, you can now see it for yourself.
I’m thrilled to share this exclusive offer for 2 free months. Not an ad, and there’s no catch. Just hella good sound quality, solid recommendations tailored to your tastes, and editorials well worth your time.
Some older stuff this week for me. I listened to Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic by The Sundays a couple of times to decide whether to buy the vinyl reissue that came out Friday. It holds up well for sure. Blind was also reissued, but still on my list to listen to. I know I had Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic on cassette and listened to it a lot, but don’t think I had Blind.
* Donny McCaslin - Lullaby for the Lost. If you're not familiar with McCaslin, he's best known for leading the band on Bowie's brilliant swan song, Blackstar. In the jazz world, he's known for his own fantastic releases and this one continues his excellent track record. He's created his own subgenre of jazz and jazz-adjacent music and sounds like no one else.
* Phish - The Siket Disc. I'm not a Phish or jam band guy, but a recent Pitchfork Sunday Review covered this record, a series of instrumental outtakes and edits from the making of their The Story of the Ghost record. It's fantastic! It's like Eno x Miles' In A Silent Way -- meditative, ambient, and not what you'd expect from Phish. The article is good, too.
McCaslin sounds right up my alley! I'm not a jam band guy, either, but you gotta love how into Phish some people are. Gonna play this one here coming up. Maybe it'll be the one record that finally unlocks it all for me?
I am obsessed with Mariah’s new record. The entire album is great but the title track, Here For It All, says it all for me. This is the most honest she’s sounded in years.
I know you don’t necessarily love it when a song sends you to church, but I struggle to think of another song that can talk about praising the Lord, red carpets in Cannes, test flights, Bugattis, bouncing off the walls, and keeping your shit together, and make it all work 😂 She really knocked it out of the park. Vocals wise, her abilities are intact, with some inevitable signs of age and wear and tear. We’ve got to remember most other singers would have no voice at all if they’d done an ounce of what she’s been doing for 35+ years. Hope you like it! Curious to hear your thoughts.
Die Spitz rule. I *love* the energy they bring to the table. I hope the Ratboys show is (was?) good! They came through here recently, but I had to work early the next AM and had to skip it. I think I need a new job. lol.
P.S. For anyone scrolling the comment's Joi's got a great radio show on Mixcloud that's well worth your time!
Last Monday I tuned into one of my favorite DJs/curators on Mixcloud, who featured a selection from Tour De Manège, a beatmakers collective from Quebec. They craft lo-fi soundscapes and cinematic rhythms.
They’ve been active since 2013, but I only just discovered them. And to show how much I loved it: I instantly bought six of their albums. They’ve been on non-stop rotation ever since. Go check them out : https://tourdemanege.bandcamp.com
I'm heading to ACL Fest's first weekend so I've been catching up on the various acts scheduled for that lineup. While none of the headliners are really appealing to me I am looking forward to seeing a lot of the acts throughout the day. One in particular is Rainbow Kitten Surprise. When I was an adjunct professor at Appalachian College in Boone, NC I taught a few of the members in Rainbow Kitten Surprise and they were just starting out and getting some of their first shows, so it will be great to see them again at this stage in their careers.
This dude is one of my fav contemporeanous rappers. Definitely a "writerly", thinking persons artist. This album from 2020 is a pandemic album if there ever was one. "wtf is self care" says it all.
4) Anna Of The North - Dream Girl
I listen to my local college station in my car in a pathetic attempt to stay relevant. "Used To Be" was in heavy rotation awhile back and piqued my interest. Its an overall good album; synth pop tunes about love and feeling feelings. It gets a little same-y. Not something I'm gonna go to often (I am nobody's Dream Girl 🤪) but I bet my Gen Z niece would like it.
3) John Coltrane - Coltrane Plays The Blues.
You're goddamn right he does.
2) Tune Yards - Bird Brains
Another "Hello Fellow Kids" selection. I really like their later album "Nikki Nack." This one is earlier stuff (2009) where you can hear that sing-song schoolyard style developing. If you've never heard these two before go to Nikki Nack first. This one is interesting in context, not essential.
1) Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol. 11 09/27/72 Jersey City
Substacks resident Deadhead Mangrove Valley posted a Note about Fall 72 which lead me here. A 30:49 long "Dark Star" space odyssey flowing organically into the peppy worker's anthem "Cumberland Blues." No other band has ever done shit like this. Absolute Peak Dead IMHO. 5 (dark) stars.
I was wondering what the Urge Overkill deep cut would be and then had to laugh when I saw it was from Saturation. I've listened to that so many times that I didn't think there were deep cuts, but obviously there are.
I listened to the new Sloan album, Based on the Best Seller, three times this weekend. It's pretty darn good. Also dug into the new ones from Neko Case, Jeff Tweedy, White Reaper, and the debut from The Cords.
Deep cut is all relative in this case. lol. Was a three-way toss up between this one, The Candidate, and Ticket to LA, all of which were in heavy rotation this week.
Still exploring the world of Jazz. I've been learning piano recently, so I grabbed a copy of Thelonious Monk's "Solo Monk" since it's nothing but piano. He had a very unique playing style that took me a bit of getting used to, but I'm really digging it now.
Other than that, getting into Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, and Hank Mobley.
Also adjacent to music, I watched the movie 'Round Midnight which was based off the sof Bud Powell and Lester Young, two great jazz musicians back in the day. The cast is full of jazz artists and it's just a super cool movie if you're into jazz. Plus, the soundtrack's by Herbie Hancock (Who is also in the film!) which sold me on it in the first place. I'd highly recommend!
Thanks for the link! I love the band's description of Wild in Love: "It’s the sound of falling for someone you know you shouldn’t, but loving the thrill of it anyway.” Good music, bad decisions...sounds like most of my teens & early 20s. lol.
I'm obviously very late to this week's discussion, but I'm joining late as a recommendation to the community *and* a reminder to myself to keep listening to Rochelle Jordan's new album 'Through the Wall.' I really liked it on first listen. In terms of its sound and style, it fills the gap left by my conscientious objection to listening to a certain controversial artist whose name begins in Azealia and ends in Banks.
And I'm still listening to Gelli Haha's album a lot thanks to you!
Wish you here - Bee Gees
A deep cut this week! Not sure I've ever heard this one.
Massive fan of Former Champ. It’s such a great album. Perfect way to kick off your playlist! My two favourite releases from Friday were Caramel by Coach Party, who I saw perform the album in full on Friday night - really excellent! https://open.spotify.com/album/4MPKYvLAMqP8NoKIVdjrcR?si=AU_wPFSZQLO6mJXGv-sVpg and Straight To It by The Zac Schulze Gang, who I saw last night and are genuinely some of the best musicians I’ve had the pleasure to watch live. Go and see them if you get the chance! https://open.spotify.com/album/3DnMUA3F2jMckDyHClrUjt?si=WcZP8sWfSE2sK02UCELOlw
Thanks Lou! Just felt like a good way to get the show started. :)
I'm really digging the Coach Party record as well. Stay tuned for a write up on that coming soon.
Some older stuff this week for me. I listened to Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic by The Sundays a couple of times to decide whether to buy the vinyl reissue that came out Friday. It holds up well for sure. Blind was also reissued, but still on my list to listen to. I know I had Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic on cassette and listened to it a lot, but don’t think I had Blind.
DO IT!
^What he said!^
Both of those are great! I had such a thing for Harriet Wheeler back in the day.
I’ve had the new Biffy Clyro looping all weekend. True Believer is the song of the year so far. https://youtu.be/hOxVB7MxETc?si=nqJSxbJ1HKjvKnQu
That's a strong endorsement! I'm not sure I know this song, but clearly need to fix that ASAP.
i've been listening to Water From Your Eyes and This Is Lorelai a lot lately
Water From Your Eyes has been a revelation! Such a great record.
My week was about:
* Donny McCaslin - Lullaby for the Lost. If you're not familiar with McCaslin, he's best known for leading the band on Bowie's brilliant swan song, Blackstar. In the jazz world, he's known for his own fantastic releases and this one continues his excellent track record. He's created his own subgenre of jazz and jazz-adjacent music and sounds like no one else.
* Phish - The Siket Disc. I'm not a Phish or jam band guy, but a recent Pitchfork Sunday Review covered this record, a series of instrumental outtakes and edits from the making of their The Story of the Ghost record. It's fantastic! It's like Eno x Miles' In A Silent Way -- meditative, ambient, and not what you'd expect from Phish. The article is good, too.
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/phish-the-siket-disc/
Looking forward to the playlist and your picks!
Love Donny McCaslin. Sorta fusion but not like all the other fusions. I think a rocker who thinks they don't like jazz might dig Donny.
McCaslin sounds right up my alley! I'm not a jam band guy, either, but you gotta love how into Phish some people are. Gonna play this one here coming up. Maybe it'll be the one record that finally unlocks it all for me?
Good morning from the left coast. Here is what has been in my ears:
1. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3wBlm9P7dw8ZMh4DgXzNcJ?si=e0348bd00d084d09
2. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1knJSMzp6SWo8aUh3W2hVo?si=39c6be697d1c4099
3. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EpiZRrzSeuNAh?si=8e1b4b3240cd402f
Have a great week and thanks for the music leads!
JP
great lists as always, Jon! Thank you!
good morning Kevin and you are welcome!
I am obsessed with Mariah’s new record. The entire album is great but the title track, Here For It All, says it all for me. This is the most honest she’s sounded in years.
I'll give it a spin! I'm curious to see what it (and she) sounds like.
I know you don’t necessarily love it when a song sends you to church, but I struggle to think of another song that can talk about praising the Lord, red carpets in Cannes, test flights, Bugattis, bouncing off the walls, and keeping your shit together, and make it all work 😂 She really knocked it out of the park. Vocals wise, her abilities are intact, with some inevitable signs of age and wear and tear. We’ve got to remember most other singers would have no voice at all if they’d done an ounce of what she’s been doing for 35+ years. Hope you like it! Curious to hear your thoughts.
I'm still listening to the latest Die Spitz record. https://open.spotify.com/album/2njlELTfA1tcJ7LnE2855T?si=oCgWT9UvTY2jLiGQsW4ZAA
Other listens, Widowspeak and Massive Attack
Ratboys are great in concert! looking forward to checking that out this week
Absolutely loved Widowspeak's The Jacket. Eagerly anticipating a new album from them...maybe next year?
Die Spitz rule. I *love* the energy they bring to the table. I hope the Ratboys show is (was?) good! They came through here recently, but I had to work early the next AM and had to skip it. I think I need a new job. lol.
P.S. For anyone scrolling the comment's Joi's got a great radio show on Mixcloud that's well worth your time!
Check it out here:
https://www.mixcloud.com/Just_Joi/
Ratboys will be around for awhile!
And thanks for your support and sharing info about my show:)
Last Monday I tuned into one of my favorite DJs/curators on Mixcloud, who featured a selection from Tour De Manège, a beatmakers collective from Quebec. They craft lo-fi soundscapes and cinematic rhythms.
They’ve been active since 2013, but I only just discovered them. And to show how much I loved it: I instantly bought six of their albums. They’ve been on non-stop rotation ever since. Go check them out : https://tourdemanege.bandcamp.com
Thanks for this, Pe! I love Mixcloud and am always finding new shows on there.
BTW, for anyone scrolling the comments, PE has a show well worth your time!
The 12Inch: https://www.mixcloud.com/pedupre/
My heavy rotation in September
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ZPH9mqCB263dzIgEIUF15
Good to "see" you here, Gilby! Thanks for the list. I think I only know 1-2 of these? Looks like I've got some homework to do. :)
Always fun to share my weird music taste with you and your subscribers 🙌
"Kiss Off" - Violent Femmes
Would you say they do it all the time ?
When I say dance, you best dance, motherfucker!
One time I didn't dance and now it's on my permanent record ☹️
Yeah. Yeah!
They do it *all* the time.
It's fairly annoying.
I'm heading to ACL Fest's first weekend so I've been catching up on the various acts scheduled for that lineup. While none of the headliners are really appealing to me I am looking forward to seeing a lot of the acts throughout the day. One in particular is Rainbow Kitten Surprise. When I was an adjunct professor at Appalachian College in Boone, NC I taught a few of the members in Rainbow Kitten Surprise and they were just starting out and getting some of their first shows, so it will be great to see them again at this stage in their careers.
https://youtu.be/fXPgH13jI74?si=12K7P3pHgBaAo0zo
A friend of mine recently turned me on to Frankie and the Witch Fingers, so I was checking out their catalog pretty heavily the last half of the week.
https://youtu.be/XmpvB8AxZ5c?si=1HMuOjrGOWSysOQp
I love it! I'm looking forward to hearing how it went. Hopefully, you'll be able to at least say "hi" to them.
This is not new and is short, but oh so sweet. It makes my heart happy to listen to every time.
The Sunshine, by Manchester Orchestra:
https://open.spotify.com/track/63k361zOGEhmvgzBdzzSGP?si=0f5f1fcc0fd1458b
Anything that makes one's heart smile is a great pick! We can use all of that we can get!
Last 5)
5) Open Mike Eagle - Anime Trauma and Divorce
This dude is one of my fav contemporeanous rappers. Definitely a "writerly", thinking persons artist. This album from 2020 is a pandemic album if there ever was one. "wtf is self care" says it all.
4) Anna Of The North - Dream Girl
I listen to my local college station in my car in a pathetic attempt to stay relevant. "Used To Be" was in heavy rotation awhile back and piqued my interest. Its an overall good album; synth pop tunes about love and feeling feelings. It gets a little same-y. Not something I'm gonna go to often (I am nobody's Dream Girl 🤪) but I bet my Gen Z niece would like it.
3) John Coltrane - Coltrane Plays The Blues.
You're goddamn right he does.
2) Tune Yards - Bird Brains
Another "Hello Fellow Kids" selection. I really like their later album "Nikki Nack." This one is earlier stuff (2009) where you can hear that sing-song schoolyard style developing. If you've never heard these two before go to Nikki Nack first. This one is interesting in context, not essential.
1) Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Vol. 11 09/27/72 Jersey City
Substacks resident Deadhead Mangrove Valley posted a Note about Fall 72 which lead me here. A 30:49 long "Dark Star" space odyssey flowing organically into the peppy worker's anthem "Cumberland Blues." No other band has ever done shit like this. Absolute Peak Dead IMHO. 5 (dark) stars.
That's all folks.
Peace
Peace
In a very meta twist, I worked a "hello fellow kids" reference in at work, and none of my younger coworkers got it.
(sigh)
My favorites this week:
Sloan - Action Pact
David Byrne - Who is the Sky?
The Dark Fantastic - s/t
Scrawl - Nature Film
Nation of Language - Dance Called Memory
Alan Braxe - The Upper Cuts
Now this is a mix!
I was wondering what the Urge Overkill deep cut would be and then had to laugh when I saw it was from Saturation. I've listened to that so many times that I didn't think there were deep cuts, but obviously there are.
I listened to the new Sloan album, Based on the Best Seller, three times this weekend. It's pretty darn good. Also dug into the new ones from Neko Case, Jeff Tweedy, White Reaper, and the debut from The Cords.
Deep cut is all relative in this case. lol. Was a three-way toss up between this one, The Candidate, and Ticket to LA, all of which were in heavy rotation this week.
I'm catching up on some recent releases. The new Maura Weaver album sounds good, as does the new New Eves single.
Both of these are new to me. Thanks for getting them on my radar!
Still exploring the world of Jazz. I've been learning piano recently, so I grabbed a copy of Thelonious Monk's "Solo Monk" since it's nothing but piano. He had a very unique playing style that took me a bit of getting used to, but I'm really digging it now.
Other than that, getting into Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, and Hank Mobley.
Also adjacent to music, I watched the movie 'Round Midnight which was based off the sof Bud Powell and Lester Young, two great jazz musicians back in the day. The cast is full of jazz artists and it's just a super cool movie if you're into jazz. Plus, the soundtrack's by Herbie Hancock (Who is also in the film!) which sold me on it in the first place. I'd highly recommend!
Good on you for taking up the piano! Monk is a great (and kinda wild) place to start. I'm here for it.
A couple of fun new tracks, Kevin: https://danpal.substack.com/p/new-tunes-from-the-happy-fits-and?r=lru5s
Thanks for the link! I love the band's description of Wild in Love: "It’s the sound of falling for someone you know you shouldn’t, but loving the thrill of it anyway.” Good music, bad decisions...sounds like most of my teens & early 20s. lol.
I'm obviously very late to this week's discussion, but I'm joining late as a recommendation to the community *and* a reminder to myself to keep listening to Rochelle Jordan's new album 'Through the Wall.' I really liked it on first listen. In terms of its sound and style, it fills the gap left by my conscientious objection to listening to a certain controversial artist whose name begins in Azealia and ends in Banks.
And I'm still listening to Gelli Haha's album a lot thanks to you!
-max
Right on! I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying it! It’s a wild record.
P.S. it’s never too late to chime in! 😀