Five Cool Ones – Page 5 – Rock Is The New Roll

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (January 19, 2024)

The heat is on and there is a ton of new long- players to digest this round.

The mighty Saxon is scorching the earth with a new single and video.

Judas Priest never fails to amaze and will likely go on forever, case in point, their latest single and video, Panic Attack.

And, if AOR is your jam, Grand and their new single “Kryptonite” will wet your early Journey and Europe whistle.

But grab the popcorn, the main event is coming up with five new platters the likes of which we have not heard in a very long time.

Sleater – Kinney – Little Rope

Returning from a ten-year hiatus, Sleater Kinney is releasing their 11th album. One of the more taut efforts from Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, the guitar lines seem to be crisper, and the vocals are more textured than we are used to coming from the OG’s of the riot grrrl movement in the Pacific northwest.

The angst is still there front and center on “Six Mistakes” and the no-flinching songwriting has not been lost most notably with the lyric “get up girl, and dress yourself in clothes you love for a world you hate” as exhibit A.

The Love Gone Wrong song “Say It Like You Mean It” might be the poppiest of the pop songs the band has ever written, and “Don’t Feel Right” jumps right out of the speakers.

Look for this one staking a claim in the end of the year lists. The welcome return of a band we had forgotten we missed.

Chemtrails – The Joy of Sects

One of the rare female-centric Post Punk bands in the game today, Manchester-based Chemtrails has almost created their own sub genre, Garage Pop.

The opener “Detitrus Andronicus” sucks you in with the first bouncy guitar riffs, with the distinct vocals of Mia Lust and Laura Orlova introducing themselves to your ears.

Most, at first listen, will have a love-hate relationship with the Cindy Lauper fronting the B-52’s vocal stylings that some might find irrating at best, unlistenable at worst.

A record that needs to be savored in the correct setting, don’t jump off the island until you check out the “Rock Lobster” vibing of “Superhuman Highway.”

Lizzie No – Halfsies

Emerging Folk-Americana artist Lizzie No, with her latest record, Halfsies, is poised to be one of the hottest break-out artists of 2024.

A New York to Nashville transplant, Lizzie combines the best of the musical melting pot waving the inclusion flag in everything she does.

All of the hot spots are touched here with elements of Country, Bluegrass, Folk, Pop, and Rock all represented with aplomb.

80’s ladies’ country is all over “The Heartbreak Store,” “Lagunita” is a straight-up rocker, and “Deadbeat” is pure Laurel Canyon Joni Mitchell.

This record is a stunner well worth your aural respect.

Green Day – Saviors

Green Day is one of those bands that will immediately transport you to a place in time from your not so distant past where life was simpler and music was real.

With this, their 14th album Billie Joe and the fellas build that bridge connecting 1994’s Dookie, American Idiot, their most popular record, and now Saviors.

Weighing in at a compact 15 songs in 45 minutes, this one has Green Day doing what they do best, melding a scattershot of socially relevant songs around a soundscape of Post Punk fury that is unique to the band.

The opener, “The American Dream Is Killing Me” will remind you why you fell in love with the band in the first place, and “Corvette Summer” could be a long lost Jellyfish B-Side.

A welcome return from a band of our youth.

Emperor Penguin – Emperor Thieves

“What’s The Worst That Could Happen,” the leadoff single from Psych Pop band Emperor Penguin pre-dispositions the template on this one with the early Beatles rock and roll groove and psychedelic undertones.

“ I Wouldn’t Put It Like That” is Elvis Costello at his poppiest, “You And Me” will envelope you in the secondhand smoke of a Sgt. Pepper sit-in listening party and the band goes all hipster French on “Sonnez Les Martines.”

Pristine Power Pop for pure people.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Platters Released This Week (January 12, 2024)

The dam is getting to break as the artists come out of their winter hibernation and begin to release new music.

On that front, Indie Pop maestros Gospelbeach are out with a refreshing Laurel Canyon vibing tune, “Hang Thyme.”

Great White’s Jack Russell and LA Gins Tracii Guns combine their collective rock and roll creds to a collaboration.

And, new to us the EMO influenced Remo Drive are out with a new single.

But all hail rock and roll, here are five new records to hit the ear-waves this week.

Bill Ryder Jones – lechyd Da

For this this, Coral frontman’s sixth proper record, Bill Ryder Jones has pulled out all the stops even employing a kids choir on several tracks on his latest, lechyd Da, Welsh for cheers.

With an Elliott Smith appeal and Beatles carnival pop feel, the production value is first rate with ELO inspired strings delicately placed in all the right places.

“I hold Something In My Hand” is a song that Ryder Jones goes to frequently do get him through hard times, and the symphony-laden “This Can’t Go On” will have you facing your own demons with The Moody Blues leading the parade.

The Vaccines – Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations

Put a pin in this one and allow it to resurface several times over the next few months as there is a tendency to neglect January records in the avalanche of new releases.

As per usual, with this Indie rock band The Vaccines deliver boisterous wide screen anthems on a foundation of sticky hooks and Brit Pop influences.

High octane with a hint of garage rock, “Lunar Eclipse” is a sun-kissed bouncer, and “The Dreamer” is patented Vaccines pop song craft.

Look for this one to show up on many year end best-of lists.

Magnum – Here Comes The Rain

Magnum is an English hard rock and AOR band that applies their trade in the being of Night Ranger and early Journey.

Doing business since 1972, with Hear Comes The Rain, the band’s 23rd album, the band delivers melodic power ballads combined with straight ahead rockers thrown in for good measure. The title track is pure orchestral AOR splendor, and “The Seventh Darkness” rides the rails along the darker side of Bon Jovi.

Sadly, Tony Clarkin, guitarist and songwriter for the band, passed away two days before the release of the record.

Mike Flanigin – West Texas Blues

Texas Honky Tonk Blues in the Stevie Day Vaughan mold, Mike Flanigin is mostly known for his proficiency on the Hammond B3 organ and collaborations with Jimmie Vaughan, Billy Gibbons and Steve Miller.

“I Got My Eyes On You” will drift you right back to your favorite Texas roadhouse, the opener “West Texas Blues” seances the spirit of SRV’s “Pride and Joy,” and “I Live Where The Action Is” presents a love letter to the Austin music scene.

Brothers Brown – Nowhere Left To Go

From the VW van with the peace sign on the cover of the album there is a retro vibe to the proceedings that will take you back to the Fillmore West on a bill with The Band, The Grateful Dead, and Van Morrison.

Opener, “Wrong Side of Town” could have been a “Tupelo Honey” B-side, “Junior’s Back” settles in like a lost Songs From The Big Pink demo, and “My Baby” will put you right on the sawdust honky tonk floor with Delbert McClinton.

There is nothing not to like with this one.

Five Cool Ones: Five (More) Reasons That Rock Is Not Dead

The state of rock music in 2023 is definitely destination full speed ahead. If The Rolling Stones can put out an album that is actually ferocious, there is hope for the world.

Here are five particular cool platters that we have been vibing to at Rock is the New Roll.

Black Spiders – Hot Wheels

Every song from their 2023 record Can’t Die Won’t Die is a scorcher with the monster riffs and gang vocals on “Hot Wheels” standing out.

The Struts – Rockstar

Unrelenting glamsters, Luke Spiller and The Struts offer up an addicting form of Rock and Roll on this arena-worthy gem.

Kelsy Karter & The Heroines – Love Goes On

New Zealand rocker Kelsy Karter delivers a Def Leppard worthy sugar pop frenzy on this one.

The Cold Stares – Cross The Line

Mixing Blues, Southern, and Hard Rock, The Cold Stares amped up from a duo to a power trio on this stomper.

Gypsy Pistoleros – Come On Eileen

Ears down the best Rock cover song of the year, Gypsy Pistoleros wear the mantle of best Glam, Flamenco, Rock band proudly.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (September 23, 2023)

There is a distinct essence of Rock and roll wafting in the air this weekend. The Dollyrots are out with a new single in advance of a new record later in the year.

The mighty Dokken is showing a pulse with their new single, “Fugitive.”

And, Indie Rock veterans The Vacant Lots are priming the pump in advance of a new record.

But, there is no time like the present to introduce five new albums worthy of your ear time.

Starbenders – Take Back The Night

With a glam-stomping sound that sounds like it is coming from the love child of Johnny Thunders and Joan Jett, and with this, their fourth proper record, their presence on the festival circuit and their growing reputation as one of the best live acts in the game today, is on full display here.

Opener “The Game” strays from a Geddy Lee worthy intro into a rock and roll anthem that Greta Van Fleet only wishes they could conjure up. And, “Body Talk” would have fit in quite nicely on any of the early-era Runaway’s records.

Roger Joseph Manning Jr. – Radio Daze/Glamping

The keyboard player and former Jelly Fish band member takes a break from his side-piece band The Lickerish Quartet to lay down 16 nuggets of pure power pop perfection.

“Rockin’ It Our Way” is Marc Bolan T-Rex deliciousness, and “We’re Starting A Band” just might be the Power Pop song of the year.

If you are looking for a record that simply will make you feel better, let this be your jam.

Lydia Loveless – Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again.

Americana’s bad girl, the little sister to more established stalwarts Margo Price and Nikki Lane, Lydia Loveless has come out the other end of a failing relationship and sketchy record deals to produce as solid of an Americana record as you will hear all year.

With a cracker Jack band including Jay Gonzales of The Drive By Truckers, the live in studio feel along with the stellar heart on the sleeve songwriting continues to reveal the many layers of an artist that has paid her dues.

With this triumphant return to her original label, Bloodshot records, Lydia Loveless is here to stay.

Diamond Dogs – About the Hardest Nut To Crack

About as close as you can come to The Faces without marrying a super model, Diamond Dogs are not shy about putting their Tom Petty by way of The Black Crowes influences on full display on their latest record, About the Hardest Nut To Crack.

“Get A Rock And Roll Record” would have been a great Chuck Berry single, and “Guru’s and Gangsters” has a Dave Edmonds and Rockpile appeal.

This one is all about having fun ‘70s rock style. And, who are we to argue.

Teenage Fanclub – Nothing Lasts Forever

Somewhere along the line Teenage Fanclub has shed their Brit Pop vibe on 1991’s Bandwagonesque in favor of the more lid back Laurel Canyon essence as displayed on their new record, Nothing Lasts Forever.

From the opener “Foreign Land” that could have been a Buffalo Springfield hit all the way to “I Left A Light On” that is Jellyfish meets Nilsson, the record takes subtle, atmospheric turns that with nary a miss step among the ten nuggets presented here.

In a world where bands that have been around for more than 30 years that are releasing less than stellar records, Teenage Fanclub is a refreshing exception to the mold.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (September 15, 2023)

The weather is cooling but the music is getting even hotter.

The Rolling Stones are alive and kicking better than they have in the last 10 years with the release, “Angry,” from their soon to be released record.

Relative newcomer Creed Fisher Ouija boards Merle Haggard and Alan Jackson with “This Ain’t The Hamptons.“

And, Paul Cauthen goes old school drinking song laying down “25 Tequilas.“

But, don’t call for that Uber just yet, here are five new albums to wet your music whistle.

The Bites – Squeeze

With Sunset Strip back in the day vibes emitting from every pore of their Rock and Roll soul with with their debut record, Squeeze, courtesy of Earache Records, the Bites are inviting you to a party that you don’t want to miss.

From the opening salvo of “Knockin’ On The Door” to the sleeze glam of “Pretty Boys,” a trip to the Whiskey and a late night hang with Lemmy at The Rainbow followed up by breakfast at Canter’s Deli just might be in your future.

Willie Nelson – Bluegrass

Does the world need another Willie Nelson album in general or a Bluegrass record in particular? Probably not, but we will take them while we can still get them.

Basically, Willie’s greatest hits with a banjo, “Bloody Mary Morning” seems to sparkle, and there is never a bad version of “Yesterday’s Wine.” Give this one a whirl, then cleanse the palate with Willie and Family Live.

Ashley McBride – The Devil I Know

Seeming to play the little sister role on the women in Americana scene, Ashley McBride should put her stamp on the certificate as a legitimate star with her latest, The Devil I Know.

With plenty of tear in your beer ballads to help you through your latest misery including the George Jones shadow of “Whiskey and Country Music” and the hangover lament of “6th of October“ the songwriting presented her is legitimate old school Outlaw Country.

You will be drawn in by the bouncy title track, but you will stay for the “Coldest Beer In Town.”

This one might be the Honky Tonk record of the year.

Brian Setzer – The Devil Always Collects.

The template hasn’t changed in 40 years, and if you think I’m wrong go back and listen to the Stray Cat’s Built For Speed. Otvstill holds up.

And, thankfully Brian Setzers latest, The Devil Always Collects, is raging Rockabilly coolness. Jump in the car and crank up “The Girl on The Billboard” to lose yourself in what might be the driving song of the year, and “Rock Boys Rock” is “Rev It Up And Go” on steroids.

Mitski – The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We

Ever the shapeshifter, Mitski is back with her second album in two years. Shedding her pop roots that were starting to show on her last record, Laurel Hell in favor of this more acoustically sparse orchestral approach, Mitski is proving that she is her own artist living in her own world.

From the mini-epic opener “Bug Like an Angel” all the way to “I’m Your Man” there is a spiritualness inherent in this record that will cleanse the heart and heal the soul.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (July 14, 2023)

Back from hiatus, we are back and better than ever, doing the work so you don’t have to.

The band Sweet, yes, the group that brought you “Ballroom Blitz,” “Fox On The Run,” and “Love is Like Oxygen,” is back with a new single, “Changes.” More E.L.O. or Boston than Glam, but it is still very cool.

Sunset Strip Wonderboys, The Bites, are scorching the earth with their mulleted masterpiece, “Heather Leather.”

And, if that is not enough, Eric Clapton teams up with the late Jeff on a very Jeff Beck version of “Moon River.”

And now, without further ado, here are five new records to tickle the senses and bathe the ears.

Kool and the Gang – People Just “Wanna” Have Fun

Editors note, this is not an album that will get much airplay outside your pool or the hippest house party on the block. It is what it is, a set of highly danceable tunes that will have you getting down like you were one of the dancers on soul train.

The opening song, “Let’s Party,” will have you tapping your toes, the title track is pure ’70s disco pleasure, and “VIP” would have made Prince proud.

So touch up the afro, get those bell bottoms out of the closet, and dance like it’s 1979 all over again.

Lukas Nelson & Nelson and Promise of the Real – Sticks and Stones

Continuing to veer to the hippy side, Lukas Nelson and his band offer a solid set of blues boogies, barroom stompers, and campfire singalongs.

Since writing drinking songs is almost the family business, Lukas has composed his own “Whisky River” courtesy of “Every Time I Drink” and The anthemic Alcohallejula,” and there are not many songs written this year better than “More Than Friends, a song that features Lainey Wilson.

Unlike previous efforts, there is no real message on this one. This time delivering a set of loose good-time, bar-centric tunes is the order of the day, and to that, we say bravo.

Night Beats – Rajan

A Psych Rock lovers dream much in the mold of King Grizzard, Rajan, the latest from Night Beats, combines Turkish psych, Morricone Western Noir, and Funk into a blend worthy of a Tarantino soundtrack.

The mood is firmly set on “Hot Ghee,” where you don’t know if you are in an ashram outside of Tibet, a teepee in Sedona, or at a party at Donovan’s house with Austin Powers, Cheech and Chong, and Willie Nelson. The smokey swirl of “Blue” will remind you of that last time you were on mushrooms, and the more conventional “Moving Pictures” would have been spot-on playing over the credits in a Fellini movie.

A mood-setting record, this one is worth spending time with, if nothing else, to see what might be lurking around the next corner.

Colter Wall – Little Songs

With the best country baritone on this side of Charley Crockett, Colter Wall is back with another traditionist set of Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt-worthy storytelling.

With vivid imagery and concise arrangements, spending time with Little Songs is like walking along a Canadian prairie walking along with the cactus and the coyote.

“Standing Here” is a James Hand-worthy track with a simple message, you can accomplish a lot just by hanging out and standing there. “Honky Tonk Nighthawk” is as fine a honky tonk song as you will hear all year. Just give me a buckskin beer and a lap steel guitar.

Almost a decade in the making, the next in the line of great country stars may have just arrived.

Duane Betts – Wild & Precious Life

Another card-carrying member of the Allman Brothers and scion of Dickey Betts, Duane Betts partners up with Marcus King, Nicki Bluhm, and Derek Trucks on a Southern rock-centric album of Allman-worthy jams, double shot blues rockers that would make SRV blush, and Duane Allman proud.

“Waiting On A Song” is pure rambling man splendor, “Cold Dark World” sets the roof on fire with Marcus King front and center, and “Circles in the Stars” that Duane has a songwriting talent that can stand fret for fret with any Allman Brothers band member past or present.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (March 10, 2023)

Summer will be here before we know it, but things are heating up on the music front already. The Ruen brothers are beginning to come out of hibernation with the release of “Seasons Change,” the latest single from their upcoming long-player, Ten Paces.

The mighty Winger will take you back to your rock and roll youth with their latest release, “Proud Desperado.”

And if Tiki music and Tiki drinks are part of your vibe, The Tikiyaki Orchestra and “South Pacific Sojourn” will stir your Mai Tai.

But, enough of the preamble, here are five records that your ears should digest this week.

The Nude Party – Rides On

With their first self-produced affair, The Nude Party rides on with their Classic Rock adjacent retro sound that never fails to put an extra stride in the step and honey-drenched nectar in your ears.

Searching for an early ’70s Blues-Rock feel in the Sticky Fingers mode, one doesn’t have to stray much further past the opener “Word Gets Around” for audible evidence that the mission was definitely accomplished on this song that combines Rolling Stones swagger with T-Rev grooves.

The vocal prowess of singer Patton Magee which seems to channel the devil spawn of Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan carries the day whether he is kicking out the jams on the cowbell swirling, organ magnificence of “Hey Monet,” a song that would have fit in perfectly in the canon of The Flamin’ Groovies back in the day, or laying back on the Phil Spector inspired “Cherry Red Boots.”

Once the first couple of lines of the Velvet’s inspired almost title track “Ride On” hits your ears, the sales pitch is in, and the deal is closed on a record that will remain in heavy rotation well into the summer and beyond.

The Cold Stares – Voices

Blues Rock is back and better than over, case in point, is Voices, the latest from Indiana’s own The Cold Stares. Bringing to the minds-ear other back-in-the-day trios, The Jimi Hendrix Experience on “Come For Me,” Stevie Ray and Double Trouble on the opener “Nothing But The Blues,” and ZZ Top on “Got No Right.”

The semi-funky “Lights Out” is a festival and arena-ready anthem, and while “Waiting For The Rain Again” might ride the rails entering into Kenny Wayne Sheppard or Jonny Lang guitar slinger territory, the muscular drive of the band, locked in the groove, carries the day.

If there is a miss-step here, it might be “Sorry I Was Late.” The Whitesnake meets Night Ranger ballad certainly highlights the vocal prowess of singer Chriss Tapp, for much of the song it sounds like the band is trying to work out the intro to “Stairway To Heaven.”

Overall, this record rocks hard where it needs to and allows time for reflection right at the very time that it is needed.

The Panhandlers – Tough Country

If you ever wanted to experience what it would be like cruising the Texas backroads going from Honky Tonk to Honky Tonk listening to red dirt music the way it was meant to be played, then The Panhandlers and Tough Country is your perfect hill country jam.

Originally coming together as a tribute to the legendary trio The Flatlanders, a band consisting of Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock, The Panhandlers are younger gun Texans, Josh Abbott, John Baumann, William Clark Green, along with Cleto Cordero of Flatland Calvary.

Standing on their own, the Panhandlers celebrate everything Texas on this record. Whether they are celebrating the real Texas on “West Texas Is The Best Texas,” lamenting the hipster take-over of Dallas and Austin, or languishing in the Marfa lights like they are doing on “Moonlight In Marfa,” it sounds like picking up some screw-top wine and a case of beer at the 7-11 and stepping out to the “Midland” Jamboree would be a perfect end to a perfect day spent with this record and the Panhandlers.

Matt Andersen – The Big Bottle of Joy

Rock and Soul is the order of the day on Matt Andersen’s new album, the aptly named The Big Bottle of Joy. From the opening Hammond B-3 riffage of “Let It Slide” the cathartic joyful noise is palpable.

“What’s On My Mind” is a ripped-from-the-headlines plea to get along with one another, and “Rollin’ Down the Road” is taken right from the J.J. Cale songbook. “Only an Island” takes things a bit low and slow in the Joe Cocker Mold, and the closer “Shoes” puts a poignant pin on an album of reflection and joy.

Doolin’ – Circus Boy

Festival favorites on both sides of the pond, the band Doolin’ is a French Celtic supergroup of sorts combining traditional Celtic influences with Creole, French Pop, and Folk inspirations to create a smorgasbord of sounds that transcend boundaries.

“Man Smart (Woman Smarter)” is the band’s New Orleans-style take on the King Radio, made famous by Harry Belafonte, calypso classic, “When I’m Done” has a bit of a Waterboys pathos to it, and the title track “Circus Boy” has a bit of a Kevin Rowland by way of Dawes vibe to the deal.

The “Darkest Day” breaks down like a Lumineers epic ode, and “A Place Where We Belong” could have been on a Bono solo record, if he ever were to record one that is.

Given the disparate influences on this record, it would have been easy to stray away from the core and lack cohesion. Such is not the case on this artistic tour-de-force mostly due to the collaborations from Ashley Davis (The Chieftans), Celtic band Screaming Orphans, and Niahm Gallagher (Lord of the Dance). This is a band that is clearly stretching boundaries and having fun. And, in the end, isn’t that what playing music is supposed to be about?

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (February 24, 2024)

The roll continues to rock this week with some intrinsically cool nuggets perfect for palate cleansing.

The mighty Luke Spiller and The Struts are out with an outstanding E.P., Unplugged at East West.

Americana OG’s The Long Ryders are out with a new video and single in advance of their upcoming record.

And, Brian Dunne, a newcomer we are starting to get behind, has released the single, “It’s A Miracle,” in advance of his soon-to-be-released long player, Loser On The Ropes.

But, enough with the foreplay. Here are five carefully curated selections to please the senses and tickle the earbuds.

Shamus – The Shepherd and the Wolf

Springing from the retro-rockers Sheepdogs collective, a stable that includes The Sheepdogs, the band BROS, and now Shamus, The Shepherd and the Wolf, is the latest project of band member and multi-instrumentalist Shamus Currie. With heavy 1970s influences throughout, the record is a concept album centered around a world of fantasy and adventure.

A rock opera of sorts, there are enough progressive rock touches to satisfy the faithful, leaving the edges to be rounded out with healthy doses of rock and roll. Think of a Jethro Tull without the flute.

From the opening “Days of High Adventure,” the stage is set for an aural journey that will shape-shift your mood back to the days when the music was intelligent and escapism the order of the day. With musical muses the likes of Thin Lizzy, Early Steve Miller, Moody Blues, and King Krimson, the prog riffs are there for sure but are contained to the mini opus level.

Meant to be digested as an entire entity in one sitting, this is a journey worth taking.

Jenny O. – Spectra

Opening with the mighty Hammond B-3 organ on “Pleasure In Function,” Jenny O. introduces us to her newest record which is stylistically a bit of a departure with more indie pop than we may be used to from her.

“You Are Loved Eternally” floats on a George Harrison solo-years cloud, “Prism” is a floater that comes across a bit like Suzanne Vega, while “Advise at A Dinner Party,” a song that reminds us that we get better as we age, has a Bangles dance party vibe about it.

You won’t find yourself passing over any tracks on this record and while Jenny O. might not seem to be as edgy as she was back in her Automechanic Days, this more laid-back introspective version is pretty much perfect for our ears.

Lucero – Should’ve Learned By Now

Having curated a sound that has evolved from Southern rock to Americana, Stax soul and beyond, Lucero continues to release quality music that lifts the spirit and soothes the soul.

From the cowbell declaration of the opener, “One Last F.U.,” the ears perk up, and the train starts rolling, soundtracking a morality tale anthem that would make Tom Waits cringe. Veering away from the Southern-goth imagery, on this, the band’s twelfth record, they return to the barrooms and the bar-rock roots already well-traveled by The Hold Steady, The National, or the Drive-By Tuckers.

Essentially an album about drinking, “Macon If We Make It” is about waiting out a storm in a backwoods watering hole, “At The Show” espouses the youthful exuberance of waiting for your friends trying to figure out how to get into the bar where your favorite band is playing, and “Drunken Moon” speaks for itself.

Overall, Should’ve Learned By Now should stand up in the upper tier of the band’s canon, and for a band that has put out quality work for more than 20 years with essentially the same band members, that is saying a lot.

The Shootouts – Stampede

Coming quickly on the heels of their last record, Bullseye, the timeline for the follow-up shortened once Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson expressed an interest in working with the band. With Stampede, the band’s third long player, the musical template remains the same, Western swing with heavy doses of classic country and Americana thrown in for good measure.

With guest turns from Mary Stuart on “Better Things We Do,” Buddy Miller on “Anywhere But Here,” and the underrated Jim Lauderdale on “Tomorrow’s Knockin’,” the album at times takes on the collaborative feel of a Willie Nelson picnic.

If Bob Wills is the king of Western Swing, then Ray Benson is the crown prince, case in point, “One Step Forward” as presented here. And, if all of that fails to scratch your honky tonk itch, “I’ll Never Need Anyone More,” with Raul Malo pitching in, should have you heading for the dance floor post haste.

En Attendant Ana – Principia

With a vibe that flows somewhere between Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kate Bush, and the chanteuse go-go boots era, the Parisian combo En Attende Ana will hot tub time machine you back to a simpler time when your television had rabbit ears.

Hipster, stopping just short of being shoegaze, the opener, “Principia,” mood-sets the rest of the record with the jangle-adjacent guitar, echo chamber production, and floating Delores O’Riordan-style vocal textures.

“Ada, Mary, Diane,” while a bit more contemporary sounding than much of the record, is nonetheless a compelling jam, “Black Morning” is a bouncy pop tune that would have fit in quite nicely in Melanies’ canon back in the day, and “Wonder” is a vulnerable piece of art with the evocative lyric, “I’m a good human being, my mama said, I hope she’s right,” is a song right from the Aimee Mann playbook.

A groovy listen from start to finish, with the subtle horns, vintage organs, and selective use of the mellotron all coalescing to take you back to a simpler time while keeping your feet planted in the present.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (February 10, 2023)

The new release mojo is hitting its stride this week with artists jockeying for position, releasing new singles before proper releases to see the light of ear later in the year.

Connor Selby is the real Soul-Blues deal. If Ray Charles had played the guitar instead of the piano, this is pretty much what he would have sounded like.

Dangereens are bringing their Stones meets NY Dolls meets Hanoi Rocks T Rex Boogie rock to the masses with “Lucky In Love.”

And, La Luz Frontwoman Shana Cleveland is out with a new atmospheric single, “Ghost.”

But, as per usual this is all just foreplay for the main event. Here are five newly hatched records to savor from this week’s musical selections.

Wig Wam – Out of the Dark

Widely recognized in the trade as the father of Scandaviavan ’80s Sunset Strip Rock, Wig Wam is back with gusto on this high-voltage set of tunes that will make your hair grow with each subsequent listen.

Lighters lit from the opening track, “Out of the Dark” which has a hint of Van Halen in the air if you listen closely enough, and “High n Dry” would have fit in nicely on any Billy Squire album from back in the day.

With enough interesting curves veering into ’80s Sleaze Rock, ’70s AC/DC, and even ’90s grunge in places, there is enough variety to give this one sustainability over several listens. And, we’re still trying to figure out what to make of the call to arms anthem, “Forever,” a song that literally features the style of Mongolian throat singers The Hu, along with a Celtic dirge vibe.

Come for the Ronnie James Dio splendor of “Uppercut Shazam” and stay for the blast of the Van Halen meets AC/DC of “Bad Luck Chuck” on this fun rollercoaster ride of a record.

Baby Cool – Earthling on the Road to Self Love

As debut albums go, Baby Cool’s is as fine an example as we have heard year-to-date. Firmly implanted in the hazy Psych-Pop genre, there is a certain scene setting to this record that will make you go limp in some places, and will give you over to the music in others.

The shoegaze of “The Sea” starts things off by transporting the listener to a marshmallow cloud full of peaceful vibes, and “Poison” has a bit of a surf guitar and mellotron vibe that will carry you away. And, once the slow-down, deep country evoking “Daydream” washes over your eardrums you will be looking for that last edible to end the evening in blissful contentment.

Doomsday Outlaw – Damaged Goods

Not quite shedding their Southern Rock past, there are still some heavy doses of Blackberry Smoke wafting in the air around these guys, what they have morphed into is a tightly constructed rock and roll band that can rip off Van Halen Worthy Riffs, and an AC/DC high voltage vocal barrage with equal aplomb.

The opener, “In Too Deep” burns the house down and opens up all of the cylinders to set the stage for the rock party that is about to break out. “On My Way,” cowbell indeed, is a cool hybrid of Blackberry Smoke and the Black Crows, and a potential instant classic. “Turn Me Loose” is a loose-limbed rocker, and “My Woman Comes On Strong” stacks up to anything that the Winery Dogs or Black Star Rider are throwing drown on the rock and roll front these days.

Not necessarily recreating the wheel here, when the debate continues that rock and roll is dead, Doomsday Outlaw and Damaged Goods is exhibit A to the contrary.

Laure Briard – Ne pas trop rester bleu

A strong contender for chanteuse record of the year, Laure Briard is a worthy descendant of Francois Hardy or Vashti Bunyan. Here she slips effortlessly between French and English on a sublime set of early ’60s hipster-noir tunes.

Based in Toulouse, France, while her vibe may be French, her spirit is firmly planted in the California desert, after a visit to Joshua Tree, with heavy influences from Carol King, Lee Hazelwood, and the psychedelic scene.

Translated to “don’t stay too blue,” the album title says it all about this record. There is a whimsical beauty to “My Love Is Right,” “Magical Beauty” could have fit in quite nicely in the Burt Bacharach ’60s canon, and “Me Pardonner” puts the chant in chanteuse.

Give this one multiple spins and listen for her songs in the Netflix series Emily in Paris.

CIVIC – Taken By Force

Steeped in the punk-adjacent world of Aussie pub rock, Melbourne’s CIVIC brings to the minds-ear the best of The Saints or Radio Birdman. Every song on this CBGB-worthy, kick out the jams blast of sonic energy is true to form.

“Born On The Heat” could have easily been a mid-era Clash anthem and the Pop-Punk gloss of “Wars or Hands of Time” carries the spirit of Iggy Pop in the days of The Stooges.

There is no real new ground broken here, just solid songwriting, a punk sneer, and a rebellious attitude that carries the day amongst searing guitar solos and propulsive energy. From start to finish this one rocks.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (January 27, 2023)

Of course, everything is just a placeholder while waiting for the new Metallica album to hit our shores, but in the meantime, there are a lot of new records to hit our earbuds.

The Power Pop splendor of The Push Puppets is a refreshing new find.

Sunset Strip retro rockers Backstreet Girls are out with a Sleaze-Glam rocker, “Too Cool For You.”

And, Golden Richards, a Power Pop band with hooks-a-million in the Fountains of Wayne and Cheap Trick mold has a cool new single out with “Shake Your Hair.”

But, enough of the pre-game hype. We do the work so you don’t have to. Here are five choice cuts to savor this week.

The Shang Hi Los – Aces Eights & Heartbreaks

That rare band with dueling male-female singers, Dan Kopko and Jen Angora, The Shang Hi-Los, create a beautiful noise mixing Phils Spector girl group and Cheap Trick by way of Blondie Power Pop into a mai-tai blender of semi-retro coolness.

Hailing from Boston, filling out the band with maestros from the area music scene, there is nary a dud inherent in this set of firecracker tunes. The opener, “Takes One To Know You” is Cheap trick with a Badfinger sensibility, “Monsieur Valentine” would have gone over well at CB GB’s in the ’80s with Debbie Harry behind the microphone, and “Plymouth Rock” has a bit of a Pretenders scent wafting in the air. And then there’s “Billy” with its over-the-top mariachi horns a song that is perfect Tarantanio-noir fare.

This record is a blast of a new find worth your extended ear time. Hard to believe, but it’s true. This cool album actually lives up to the cool band name.

White Reaper – Asking For A Ride

To our ears, the Rock album of the year may have just self-presented with White Reapers’ fourth proper record, Asking For A Ride. Over three years past their breakthrough single “Might Be Right,” with this one the band may have just painted their masterpiece.

Part Zenyatta Mondatta era police, part Black Sabbath, with a dose of the MC-5 and The Ramones for good measure, from the opening salvo of the title track you are hit between the ears with an aural blast of atomic energy that is as transformative as music can get without landing you in jail.

From “Asking For A Ride” and on to “Bozo” and “Fog Machine” the guitar and drum attack is relentless, and it is not until four songs in with “Getting Into Trouble W/The Boss” that the poppier side of the band shows through. And, with the Oasis evoking “Heaven or Not” it is clear that the time spent between records honing their craft and curating their sound has the band coming out the other side with a solid release that should stand the test of time.

The Foreign Films – Magic Shadows

With “Midnight Movies,” the opening track of the new album from Bill Majoros, dba The Foreign Films, the tone-setting begins with a dose of Kinksian butterfly splendor in the Schoolboys In Disgrace mold. And, once the second track kicks in with the All Things Must Pass George Harrison vibe on “Rain Clouds (Sunshine In Your Heart)” your minds-ear will be setting the coordinates directly towards cool.

With “Perfect Future,” a song that could have been on any David Bowie Dogs era record, and once the hippy-dippy Donovan dusted “Sparks In the Dark (Merry-Go-Round)” kicks in you will be left hoping that the time machine that took you back to 1965 has enough volts left in the tank to get you home.

Speaking of time machines, the song “Time Machine” will have you yearning for the days of The Dave Clark Five, and there is more than a little bit of Electric Light Orchestra landing on “Cinema Girl (Magic Shadows).” Pound for pound greta, this record, with its textured and fluid Joie-de-vie tickling your ears, will likely resurface once the end-of-the-year lists hit the presses.

David Ronaldo – Tunes For A Dime

A bit too country to be classified as Rock, not quite outlaw enough to ride the wind with Waylon and Jamey Johnston, David Ronaldo, with his new record, Tunes For A Dime, David lands right there in the Sturgill Simpson, Steve Earle universe with Tennesee whiskey, reefers, and wine the order of the day.

Deftly mixing Rock, Barroom Blues, and Country in equal measures, it is hard to imagine the driving ZZ Top adjacent “Laid-Back & Easy” not being a crowd-pleaser in any, pick-your-poison, juke joint where Ronaldo might be playing.

Sure, there is a miss-step along the way here, most notably on “Shadows Walking,” A song that is much too close to the Bon Jovi “Wanted Dead Or Alive” bone, and the environmental challenge of “What Have You Really Done” where the music doesn’t really fit the lyrics, but overall this is a solid listen with over the top guitar work that scorches the earth with a double bill of ZZ Top and Delbert McClinton evoking splendor.

The Arcs – Electrophonic Chronic

The Arcs, the side-piece band for the Black Keys singer-songwriter and Easy Eye Sound major-domo Dan Auerbach, are out with one of the more eclictically cool records of the year with Electrophonic Chronic.

With shades of R&B with “Heaven is a Place,” the yacht rock-adjacent Hall and Oates vibe of “Keep On Dreaming,” and the “Crimson and Clover” dusting on the intro to “Eyes” there is a warm familiarity to the proceedings here that makes this one sound vintage and fresh at the same time, a gift that is Auerbach’s superpower.

Making full use of the instruments available to him at Easy Eye, “River” has a old-school soul organ sound that comes acrsoss like Leon Bridges covering “Take Me To The Water,” and the piano-pop wondermint of “Sunshine” floats along like early era Bee-Gees. Once you get to “A Man Will Do Know Wrong” it is clear that the studio is a co-conspirator on this record taking on a life of its own much in the way that Muscle Shoals was the co-star for all those Soul albums back in the day.

Listen to this one once, twice, then thrice. A new experience will unfold with each subsequent tracking, and they are all glorious to behold.