The year is bobbing and weaving along quite nicely and is shaping up to be a pretty fine one on the music front. While the number of new releases might not be up to the cornucopia of riches we have seen a couple of years back, the diversity and the quality week after week is definitely first-rate and prime cut material.
Rock is the new roll Retro Rockers Cats In Space are out with a live video from their latest release, Atlantis.
Chuck Mead delivers a spirited version of “Daddy Worked The Pole.”
And, we are starting to see the delightful David Gray bubbling to the surface with some new music with “Heart and Soul.”
Here are five records that are particularly enticing our ear-buds and dazzling our senses this week.
DeWolff – Wolffpack
It’s official folks. With the release of Wolffpack, the terrific new record from Dutch Psych-Rocker trio DeWolff, the band has moved with a bullet to the number one spot on our list of great bands that are saving Rock and Roll stepping ahead of The Struts. At least for the moment. This new record doesn’t just stand on its laurels and imitate the great rockers of the past so much as they build on a template of infectious melodies, delicious organ riffs, and swirling guitars. The opener “Yes You Do” is an organ drenched propulsive stunner worthy of Deep Purple, “Do Me” is as close to a ballad as you are going to find here, and “Lady J” travels a bit into Blues territory.
With full fan participation, the band released three songs every two weeks for ten weeks through their Wolffpack subscription service allowing subscribers to get an early listen as well as to participate in selecting the tracking order of the album. If you are looking for funky swamp grooves, dizzying organ drenched jams, and top-down drive worthy anthems then this new DeWolff record is most definitely your jam and the leader in the clubhouse for the best Rock album of 2021.
Bones Owens – When I Think About Love
The self-titled debut album from Bones Owens is not set to be released for another three weeks yet, however, this early e.p. release with six highly addictive tunes should be more than enough to wet our collective whistles and give us a glimpse of what we can look forward to from this exciting young artist.
Drawing on Hill Country Blues, Swampy Roots Rock as well as Americana influences in the Creedence Clearwater mold this Nashville transplant is ready to let his own light shine after performing with the likes of Yelawolf, Mikkey Ekko, and Whiskey Myers. His current single “White Lines” and the almost Brit Rock feel of “Keep It Close” are just two examples of this tip of the iceberg moment from an artist that should be around a very long time.
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings – Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In
It is hard to believe that It has been four years since the Diva of Soul Sharon Jones passed away. Thankfully, to keep her memory alive, Daptone records has mined the vaults and repackaged several of their flagship artists’ best cover songs delivering a set of 13 tasty morsels mostly performed for tribute albums or film soundtracks. Some, like the faithfully rendered Stevie Wonder classic “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” play it pretty close to the vest not varying the blueprint, while other songs, most notably “This Land Is Your Land,” that has a bit more passion and defiance in the delivery, play the song forward.
Her impressive band The Dap-Kings shine as per normal setting into the groove on “Rescue Me” and funking it up on the Prince deeper cut from Purple Rain “Take Me With You.” The entire record is first-rate, however, it is on the more obscure, rarely covered tunes that Jones really hits the mark. Bob Marley’s “It Hurts To Be Alone” is delivered with knee dropping passion and the out of left field version of the Musique disco anthem “In The Bush” is staggeringly great.
Here’s hoping the Dap Tone mine has more gems like this one to be unearthed as a reminder of a great talent that has left us way too soon.
The Staves – Good Woman
The sister trio’s first self-penned record in six years, the group has drawn from heavy real-life experiences including the death of their mother, a couple of dissolved relationships, and the birth of eldest Emily’s child to use as inspiration for what it means to be a good woman.
The vibe goes from the mellow gold opening title track to the Carole King inspired “Waiting on Me To Change” in the blink of an ear. The textures and the drifting between individual, then two-part, and plenty of three-part harmonies are what makes this record really shine. There are enough subtle differences in the sibling’s voices to ensure that a listening sameness never kicks in, and when they all come together in a glorious whole all is right with the world.
Aaron Lee Tasjan – Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!
Rock Is The New Roll 