The year is just starting to buzz a bit with an underbelly of dissent in the air. As always, we have music to sooth our soul, brighten our days, and cure what ails us. Molly Tuttle, when she is not putting out a Grammy-nominated record with Grace Potter, is showing plenty of sass on her latest single, “Old Me (New Wig).”
Rocker James Bruner is starting to get a bit if a buzz, look for a proper record later in the year.
And with “We Rise” the mighty 80’s AOR band Tyketto delivers their first new music in eight years, and it’s glorious.
So, let’s not mess around any longer. Here are five new platters to tickle your ear holes this week.
Bonerama – So Much Love
Check those time capsules, but it has been 25 years since Bonerana has released a proper record, and boy is this one a scorcher. This is massive and funky and about as New Orleans as it gets.
Known in recent years for reimagining classic rock tunes including pretty much the entire Led Zeppelin catalog, the Bones Boys don’t disappoint here with a soul-shattering rendition of “Ohio” featuring Trombone Shorty along with Cyril and Ivan Neville, along with “Meters Medley, a song that features newcomer Omari Neville.
With two tracks with Stanton Moore behind the skins, this one will be sure to cure your winter woes, if only for an hour.
Van Morrison – Someone Tried To Sell Me A Bridge
With his latest, Someone Tried To Sell Me A Bridge Van Morrison proves once again that he is incapable of generating a bad record. With the possible exception of the mildly political bent of the title track, this time out Van delivers a platter of deep cuts and need-to-be-heard classics digging into the archeological ruins of songs you forgot that you loved.
The best song of the litter might be the Junior Wells stomper “Snatch It Back And Hold It” with a greasy organ, sneaky riff, out front back up singers, and snarling vocals, this one is prime Van Morrison.
At 20 songs this one should, but does not feel bloated. How could it with epic collaborations featuring the likes of Elvin Bishop on “Play The Honky Tonks,” Buddy Guy slaying “Rock Me Baby,” and the mighty Taj Mahal on “Betty And Dupree.”
“Delia’s” Gone” is likely the most upbeat version of the song that you will ever hear, Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” is stripped down and reimagined, and the Blind Willie McTell penned “Deep Blue Sea” is vintage Van.
Van is back and he never really left. This one is an ears-down leader in the clubhouse for the album of the year.
Tyler Ballgame – For The First Time, Again
Tyler Ballgame delivers a soul-retro sound of ‘60’s crooner, 70’s singer songwriter. Produced in Nashville under the mentorship of Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado, Ballgame’s voice floats across the ether as the devil spawn of Rufus Wainwright and Roy Orbison.
“Down So Bad” could have been an Elvis B-side, “Waiting So Long” as a retro AOR vibe, and “Matter Of Taste” is a bit of a country rocker that would have been a nice fit in the canon of New Riders Of The Purple Sage.
With Tyler Ballgame it is the voice that carries the Day. The vintage analog recording captures the texture of the early ‘70s that is hard to replicate in today’s sterile studios.
This one rewards the listener with with artichoke leaves peeling off to reveal new surprises with each subsequent listen.
Sky Valley Mistress – Luna Mausoleum
The second full-length from psych-stoner rockers Sky Valley Mistress has Kaylie Davies and Max Newsome branching out as a duo in the wake of the 2020 covid induced departure of most of their band. Stoner desert rock in the Queens of the Stone Age mold with the most ferocious sound coming from two people this side of Meg and Jack White.
Cathy grooves, melodic hooks, and thumping bass lines are perfectly complemented by the dynamic vocals of Davies and the pulsing rock swagger delivery of a band in a scorched earth mission.
“Thundertaker” is Black Sabbath if they were fronted by a bad-ass rock chick, and “Blue Desert II” is an epic, sprawling masterpiece.
Luna Mausoleum is the leader in the clubhouse for rock album of the year.
The Sheepdogs – Keep Out Of The Storm
The Classic Rock spirit is alive and well with the release of The Sheepdogs’ 11th album and their first in the last four years.
Listening to a Sheepdogs album is like digging through crates of of old vinyl and coming across that perfect mix of ‘70’s rock swagger, up-to-date production techniques, and old-school analog mixing techniques that you forgot you missed. “Nobody But You,” the first single released, hooks you like an episode of Dangerous Catch, and “Playing All Night Long” could be the first cousin of The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek.”
Released a bit early for sure, thus one should have the legs to be your summer jam once the hot weather rolls around.
Rock Is The New Roll 