Author: falconi5

A place for musically minded folk to get together and share ideas, reviews, and basically spread the word.

Five Cool Ones: Five Cool Albums Released This Week (April 19, 2019)

Don’t adjust your ears just because The O’Jays and Bananarama both release two albums in the same day doesn’t mean it’s 1994 all over again. Cage The Elephant also stages a welcome return, and The Cranberries release “In The End” in anticipation of their latest record. So, let’s get to it.

Dianne Coffee – Internet Arms

If Prince and David Bowie had a love child he probably would sound like Foxygen drummer Shaun Fleming and his swaggering odd ball alter ego Dianne Coffee. Mining the the same Glam Psychedelic territory that he favors with his main gig, Internet Arms feature mostly mid-tempo synth numbers with “Stuck In Your Saturday Night” a real banger, and “Like A Child Does” turning of the beats a bit on a thoughtful dance tune. This record is one to put on when you are ready to go out on a Saturday Night.

Joyous Wolf – Place In Time

All you really need to know to understand the vibe coming through from these L.A. rockers is that their first single available for public consumption was Mountains guitar epic “Mississippi Queen.” Full of riffage and swagger this one will be up for Rock Album of the year on a lot of year end lists.

Jade Bird – Jade Bird

One of the British shining stars on the Americana Folk scene, on her debut record there are soaring pop epics the likes of “Side Effects,” introspective slow burners with “My Beauty” where she sounds like Melissa Etheridge in her prime, and on the low and slow “Does Anybody Know” her songwriting talents really shine. This one will be on heavy rotation for quite a long time.

The Yawpers – Human Question

If you could only listen to artists from one single record label then Bloodshot Records should be your jam, and The Yawpers are right up there as show horses in their stable. A little more on the Rock and Roll Side than their last album, “Earn Your Heaven” will Rock your ears off and on “Dancing on My Knees” the rhythm section shows the musicianship and energy worthy of Stevie Ray’s Double Trouble.

Will Kimbrough – I Like It Down Here

When you are working with the likes of Shemekia Copeland, Mary Gauthier, and Hayes Carll just to name a few collaborators Will Kimbrough has had over the last couple of years, it is no surprise that his own career has been put on the back burner. Now, he is front and center with this great bluesy, swampy, purely honest record. This somewhat short set of 10 songs portrays an artist at the peak of his writing career.

Sunset Strip Song of the Day: Sandness – Tyger Bite

“Tyger Byte” is the latest song and video from Italian power trio Sandness. There is little nuance in the look of this band or the songs that they play but that is sort of the point. If there is a genre called NWOHB (New Wave of Hair Bands) these guys would be among the torchbearers.

Song of the Day: Dinosaur Pile-Up – Thrash Metal Cassette

Don’t hate on Dinosaur Pile-Up because they recently opened for Shinedown. Hey, a band has to make a living. Actually, these guys are legit. Having formed in Leeds back in 2007 this Indie Rock band has been working at their craft building a catalog of solid songs. “Thrash Metal Cassette”  is the first single to be released from their upcoming album Celebrity Mansions.

Video of the Day: Little Big Town – The Daughters

Little Big Town continues to impress and break themselves out of the cookie cutter modern Country mold. Their new song “The Daughters” details the challenges that young females face every day in living up to expectations that others put on them. This record is a dead-on cinch for  Country Music song of the year. You can bet on it.

Rocking With The New Roll: April 12, 2019

This new feature, Rock With The New Roll, will be a somewhat random, usually spontaneous series of musings on the week in music. Some new, some old, this will be designed to highlight what is capturing our ear-tention.

Winetka Bowling League – Slow Dances

This Los Angeles band with firmly entrenched New York roots delivers music that has hooks for days. Much of their new music was written during a drive back to new york where the California vibe was ultra present all the way to the East Coast.

The song “On the 5” with the line “I want to go back to that summer in San Fran, listening to nothing but Revolver and Pet Sounds,” says all you need to know about this excellent band.

Nick Lowe – Trombone

This new song from Nick Lowe features Lowe’s recent collaborators Los Straightjackets as his backing band and Duane Benjamin on Trombone. The song addresses the handling of the feeling of abandonment after a lost love.

The Magpie Salute – The Killing Moon

Skip the Record Store Day lines and enjoy this first listen of the Magpie Salute’s tribute to Echo and the Bunnymen with their version of “The Killing Moon”

Walker Lukens – Didn’t Wanna Do Right

The latest single to be released in support of his upcoming record, “Didn’t Wanna Do Right” is a spectacular, pristinely produced song that is next-level great from this rising star.

Hayden Thorpe – Love Crimes

With the relatively recent of his band Wild Beasts, Hayden Thorpe is making great use of his time as a gets ready to release his first solo record to be released in the next couple of months.

Video of the Day: The Cadillac Three – Crackin’ Cold Ones With The Boys

No need to wrestle with the mental imagery here.

“We got ice, check.  We got coolers, check. “We got cases of cold domestic gold just waiting for the sun to set.”

“We got tunes, check. We got girls, check. So come on, have another, we got Sunday to recover and we ain’t started yet.”

Your jam of the summer has just been released.

Five Cool Ones: Five Cool Albums Released This Week (April 12, 2019)

The year seems to be pretty much hitting its stride with some major developments on the digital scene. The mighty Slade is now available on all of the digital and streaming platforms. More Glam all of the time is a very good thing. As far as the rock and mortar releases, it has been a crackin’ week as well. Bruce Hornsby is back, this time without his noisemakers, Norah Jones announces her welcome return and retro blue-eyed Blues belter Eli “Paper  Boy Reed” makes his triumphant return. And Yes folks, there’s more.

Big Search – Slow Fascination

If you are a fan of the Laurel Canyon Beach Boys West Coast vibe then the new record, Slow Fascination, is definitely your jam. Big search is the solo moniker for Matthew Popieluch who when he is not sitting in as a sideman for bands like Papercuts and Fools Gold is creating lush Indie Pop orchestrations. Pianos and acoustic guitars blend delightfully with blended harmonies and intricate arrangements.

Shovels and Rope – By Blood

The opening salvo on this set, “I’m Coming Out,” sets the sonic stage for this one. With a sound palette that is much more out front than their past more introspective affairs. By Blood rocks a bit more than 2017’s Busted Jukebox, Vol. 1, but no worries, the skin-tight harmonies are still front and center and the energy is satisfying.

Aaron Lewis – State I’m

Somewhat stepping through the Waylon Jennings-Noir door opened by Chris Stapelton, Cody Jinks, Jamey Johnson, and Whitey Morgan  Aaron Jennings borrows heavily from Waylon and the “Possum” George Jones on this set of Honky Tonk style tunes.

John Paul White – The Hurting Kind

Three years removed from his first post Civil Wars album, Beulah, a somewhat dark affair, John Paul White is back with an eclectic blend of Americana and Country that should go far in moving his star forward. With a voice that travels between Roy Orbison and Ray Price, this record has a classic sound with a modern feel.

Band of Skulls – Love Is All You Love

This British three-piece Rock band mixes electronic and live instruments on their fifth album. Propulsive and full of energy, “That’s My Trouble” is sexy, Cool Your Battles would be a great selection for your 2019 driving tune playlist, and “We’re Alive” has a bit of an 80’s Brit Rock tinge to it. Emma Richardson is the real star here, but the entire band shows a diversity that can be rare in the Rock and Roll world.