The Black Keys – Let’s Rock
After spending time apart going back to 2014 Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are reunited and it feels so good. Blues, Garage, and old Soul are still at the core of their sound, but this time around there is a joie-de-vie amplification that seems to have the band reenergized.
Chris Stamey and The ModRec Orchestra
This release is notable for a couple of reasons. First, it is Chris Stamey of the db’s, and that’s worth the price of admission alone. Second, and most importantly, the guest list of artists that appear on the album is stellar. Branford Marsalis, Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, Marshall Crenshaw, and Caitlin Carey of Whiskeytown and many others. Inspired by Cole Porter, Henry Mancini, George and Ira Gershwin, and the rest of the great songsmiths from days gone by, Stamey puts a new shine a classic sound.
The Alarm – Sigma
Decades in The Alarm doesn’t seem to have missed a beat. The template doesn’t seem to have changed much on this, their sequel to 2018’s Equals, and as always, front-man and co-founder Mike Peters is in fine form.
Foy Vance – From Muscle Shoals
The sequel to this one, To Memphis, will be one part of a book end of releases, the first recorded at Fame studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the second recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis will be released early next year.
Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers – No Good Deed
Winners of many 2018 independent Blues awards including artist of the year, No Good Deed might be the roadhouse record of the year.
Rock Is The New Roll 