Category: Indie Rock

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (September 16, 2022)

Somehow, Ozzy Osborne was able to convince Eric Clapton to play on his new album and the latest single, “One of Those Days.”

Magnolia Park is doing their best Fountains of Wayne impersonation on the fantastically catchy “Addison Rae.”

And, the garage rock noise-nicks Murlocs come out blasting with their new one, “Ballerine Ballerina.”

But wait, don’t turn those ears down just yet, here a five more cool sounds for you to savor this week.

Crossword Smiles – Pressed & Ironed

As debut albums go, Pressed & Ironed, delivered by Crossword Smiles, is as great a debut record that you are likely to hear all year. From the breezy Little River Band adjacent “October Leaves” to the calmer side of The Replacements on “…Where’s The Sense,” and sliding into the early Who evoking wonderment of “The Girl With a Penchant For Yellow,” on this one, all of the coolest touchstones coalesce into a pool of power pop perfection.

From the opener, “Feet on the Ground,” the listener is introduced to a sparkling new band that brings to the minds-ear pre-Sweethearts of the Rodeo Byrds, and “Take It On the Chin” would have fit in quite likely between Full Moon Fever and Damn the Torpedos in the Tom Petty canon while the epic “Parallel Lines” seems to share some DNA with The Zombie’s and “She’s Not There.”

With the crisp and pristine production combined with an ear-pleasing mix with the vocals floating just in front of the guitars, there is no puzzle to be solved with these crosswords. 5 across, 6 letters……WINNER.

Rhett Miller – The Misfit

Rhett Miller, the head man of The Old 97’s doesn’t come out to play solo very often, his last effort was way back in 2018 with The Messenger, but when he does, the results are typically outstanding as is the case with The Misfit.

Once again teaming up with Sam Cohen, a former member of Apollo Sunshine, this time out the order of the day is psychedelic infused Indie Pop instead of the Americana version of The Replacements like we are used to with him. Touches of Big Star, The Beatles and Tom Petty make this one a relaxing sail in calm waters.

Starcrawler – She Said

With front-woman Arrow De Wilde and their new record She Said, the band Starcrawler is in full throttle mode to continue their assault on rock and roll supremacy.

With a style that brings to mind John Doe and his band X, The Distillers, along with the sleazier side of The Rolling Stones, it is no wonder that they count Jack White, Dave Grohl, Angel Iggy Pop in the fold as super fans.

Lead single “Roadkill” travels down the highway sounding like The Go Go’s on steroids, “Thursday” would make The Runaways proud, and “Midnight” takes thing low and a bit back alley slow.

If this five piece L.A. collective can stay raw and hungry there is no telling the heights they can reach.

Ondara – Spanish Villager No. 3

Having taken the Americana world by storm with his Grammy nominated album Tales of America, Nairobi, Kenya native Ondara moved to Bob Dylan’s Minnesota stomping grounds in an attempt to capture some of the mojo from his idol.

Now, three years beyond his debut, Ondara finds himself settling into his new life quite nicely, case in point the autobiographical “An Alien in Minneapolis.” With songs like “A Shakedown in Berlin,” “A Seminar in Tokyo,” and “A Drowning in Mexico City” the album is part travelogue, part vagabond love letter, and all heart courtesy of an artist that really should be more widely known than he is.

The Black Angels – Wilderness of Angels

Remaining slavishly devoted to Psychedelic Rock forbearers Syd Barrett Roky Erickson, and Arthur Lee, Austin’s Black Angels deliver on all fronts with this mellotron forward, swirling tour de force.

On “The River” Syd and Roky along with members of The Velvet Underground are name-checked, while “Firefly” is straight up ‘60s flashback, Donovan by way of Austin Powers. And, “A Walk on the Wild Side” careens down the paisley highway managing to bring itself together just as the proceedings seem to be blindly veering into magical mystery tour territory.

This record is yet another ambitious undertaking from a band that continues to push the psychedelic boundaries.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (July 15, 2022)

There is a distinct anticipating in the air as the artists and the record companies are gearing up for the summer season.

Auckland, NZ’s four-piece, The Beths, has released a new video for “Expert In A Dying Field” from the album of the same name to be released in September.

Singer-songwriter Beth Orton has released “Forever Young,” no not that one, in advance of an August release date.

And, The Black Angels are zooming up our radar with the intoxicating “Firefly.”

But, don’t change the channel just yet. Here are 5 choice nuggets for your listening pleasure.

Beabadoobee – Beatopia

Beabadoobee is Indie DIY singer songwriter Bea Kristi. Famous for theTic Toc hit single, “Coffee,” her sophomore full-length is very much a fully formed affair.

Part Pop, part Psychedelic, there is even a distinct ‘90s Indie Rock feel on “10:36.” With “Talk” a summer anthem for those of a certain age.

This record is as perfect a pairing of singer-songwriter fare and Pop sheen as you will find all year.

Arlo McKinley – This Mess We’re In

Emerging out of the other side of a tough year of personal losses in the last couple of years, Arlo McKinley’s second effort is, more than anything else, about change.

“Dancing Days” mourns the death of his mother, and “Back Home” laments the death of his Beth friend to addiction.

The songwriting is crisp, the vocals front and center in the mix, and the messaging circling around addiction and mental health is perfect for the times.

Nick Dittmeier and the Sawdusters – Heavy Denim

One of those bands that built their chops on touring with a Grateful Dead-worthy road dog mentality, and if you would be so lucky as to stumble into a bar where they happened to be playing.

The songs presented here, gritty and character-driven, have been stripped down from their usual barroom fare to a more laid-back approach with a flavor of Dire Straits carrying the day.

“Doing Wrong For All The Right Reasons” has a real Sturgill Simpson aura about it, while “… Turned and Walked Away” is a strong vocal turn in the Charley Crockett mold.

Elf Power – Artificial Countrysides

Elf Power, out of Athens Ga., is another of the bands along with Apples (In Stereo) and Neutral Milk Hotel associated with the Elephant 6 collective. With hints of early R.E.M. as well as Vic Chestnutt, a former band collaborator, there is a pastoral cohesiveness to the record that makes for a pleasant listen.

The title track “Artificial Countrysides” would have fit in quite nicely on R.E.M.’s Murmer, and “Dark Rays” could have been on any of the self-titled Peter Gabriel albums.

A nice pastoral listen with hints of progressive rock and British folk to make things a bit more relaxing.

Tami Neilson – Kingmaker

Don’t let the Bond-theme swagger of “Kingmaker” the title track on Tami Neilson’s eclectically pleasing latest release sway your opinion. Shirley Bassey Bombast aside, there is a dangerous curve around every corner on this one. “Careless Woman” has a bit of R&B girl-group gravitas while “Baby, You’re A Gun” would be perfect fare for Kill Bill 3 should Tarrantino ever design to make another one.

The great Willie Nelson is even on board and featured on “Beyond the Stars,” while ’60s mojo in the dojo vibes is essenced on “Mama’s Talkin’.” Things even go lower and slower into Laura Nyro’s territory on “I Can’t Forget.”

If you are scoring at home, this record ticks off many of the cool genre boxes including Classic Country, ’60s Chanteuse, R&B, Rockabilly, Western-Noir, ’70s Rock, and more. Highly eclectic, indeed.

The 50 Best Albums of 2022 (So Far)

50. Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia

A turbulent record for turbulent times. Reminiscent of Joy Division at their peak, if they had been around long enough to have a peak.

49. Miranda Lambert – Palomino

15 tales of love and chasing the American dream as only Miranda Lambert can deliver. Palomino represents an artist that is maturing before our very ears.

48. Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Nightroamer

Pedal steel-era country-tinged Rock and Roll. Sarah Shook will make you want to drink, dance, or fight in whatever order you choose.

47. St. Paul and the Broken Bones – The Alien Coast

Paul Janeway and the band venture into new musical horizons. Loosely based on the land in the Gulf of Mexico and unwanted colonization, there is a lot of soul to go with the vocal swagger.

46. Sharon Van Etten – We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong

Sharon Van Etten transfers her pandemic angst into her most personal album to date.

45. Wet Leg – Wet Leg

Hailed as the saviors of post-pandemic guitar rock, their song “Chaise Lounge” may very be the earworm of the year.

44. Jody and the Jerms – Flicker

Upbeat and sonically pleasing Power Pop from Oxford, England. Blondie, The Go Go’s, The Bangles, all of the touchstones with a scent of Americana are all front and center.

43. Father John Misty – Chloe and the Next 20th Century

Floating between bossa nova, swing, big band, and John Barry soundtrack-noir this one is about as expansive as it gets.

42. Sundowners – Pulling Back The Night

With Paul Weller and members of The Coral collaborating there can be nothing less than gorgeous harmonies and Laurel Canyon vibes.

41. The Hanging Stars – Hallow Heart

Terrific cosmic cowboy stuff from a Scottish band that wears their influences on their collective sleeves with aplomb. Listen closely and you will hear some Pink Floyd and mid-era Fleetwood Mac fertilizing the garden.

40. Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit

The Garage Rock dynamo that is Jon Spencer fires up a set of scuzz-laden grooves worthy of a night of Rock and Roll debauchery at CBGB’s. A return to worm town, indeed.

39. Kevin Morby – This is a Photograph

A love letter to Memphis of sorts, the album was inspired by a two-week stay at the historic Peabody hotel where he visited the Lorraine Motel, Graceland, and the exact bank of the Mississippi where Jeff Buckley met his demise.

37. Calexico El Mirador

Forced to stay home, these tour dogs made good use of their pandemic-induced isolation to produce this Desert-Noir classic.

36. The Lazy Eyes – Song Book

These young Aussie popsters channel everything from Revolver-era Beatles to Foxygen all the way to your favorite new psychedelic band of the day. A warm and fuzzy jam of the highest order.

35. Mordecai Smyth – Things Are Getting Stranger On The Shore

A lavishly adorned Psychedelic Pop record. Don’t let the latter-day prog feel of this one-stop you from lounging in the octopus’ garden under the influences.

34. Kai Danzberg – Satellite

All in on Jeff Lynne and ELO down to the spaceship on the cover, you are not going to hear a better hot tub time machine record this year.

33. Fantastic Negrito – White Jesus Black Problems

Never has the story of an indentured Scottish servant who falls in love with a black slave been told with such rock and roll panache. Merging Black Sabbath, James Brown, Frank Zappa, and a whole lot of Prince-ly funk, learning has rarely been this toe tapping.

32. Nicki Bluhm – Avondale Drive

Girl group Phil Spector’s swagger mixes with tropical Tiki vibes and Sheryl Crow singer-songwriter pathos for an immensely pleasing listen.

31. Sheepdogs – Outta Site

The best new band to hit our ear holes in the last 5 years. These guys are what the James Gang could have been having if they stayed together long enough to be fully formed.

30. Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band – Dear Scott

A perfect follow-up to 2017’s Adios Senor Pussycat, here, Head delivers a set of perfectly crafted songcraft.

29. Los Peyotes – Virgenes

Bold, sexy, and ear-catching, Los Peyotes is Tarantino-Noir at its most dangerous. The Surf Punk album of the year without a doubt.

28. Willie Nelson – A Beautiful Time

Another deftly produced record from the twilight of Willie’s career. The guitar picking, dusty vocals, and songwriting remind us that we should all age as gracefully as Willie.

27. Kurt Vile – (watch my moves)

With spit-shined lyrics and Pop sensibilities that would make Matthew Sweet blush, this set of laid-back missives will swirl around in your head long after the last note is played.

26. Monophonics – Sage Motel

With heavy doses of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, never has a concept album about a by-the-hour flophouse sounded so grand.

25. Anton Barbeau – Power Pop!!!

There isn’t much Power Pop on this record, but that is pretty much the point. What you do get is a delicious concoction of ABBA if they were a synth band, glam-dusted flower power, and Bowie if he ever went techno.

24. Ceramic Animal – Sweet Unknown

Another fine effort from Easy Eye Sound, Ceramic Animal lays down a palate of T-Rex, Todd Rundgren, with Tame Impala thrown in for those that like their musical touchstones less dated. A fresh record with a vintage feel.

23. Ghosts of Jupiter – Keepers of the Newborn Green

No less than Shindig magazine has hailed this record as a potential album of the year candidate. And who are we to argue. The music has shades of West Coast ‘60s pop, ‘70s psychedelic grooves, and English Canterbury sounds.

22. Goodbye June – See Where The Night Goes

Rock and Roll is not dead And, neither is Lynyrd Skynyrd despite a plane crash it seems. Come for the Southern Rock vibes stay for the AC/DC bombast of the opening track, “Step Aside.”

21. Classless Act – Welcome To The Show

No inhibitions showing with this Sunset Strip-worthy record. All your favorite bands are spirited here in unfiltered, lighter waving style.

20. Hollis Brown – In The Aftermath

After much debate in the halls of Rock is the New Roll as to whether or not to include this on the list, common sense prevailed. After all, Aftermath is a favorite Stones album among many. Here, the presentations are not slavish interpretations and don’t try to replicate the swamp-boogie of the original. Which at the end of the day is extremely cool.

19. Simon McBride – The Fighter

This Blues-Rock guitar slinger from The Emerald Isle channels Paul Rodgers and Bad Company with the best of them. Just listen to the opening track, “Don’t Dare,” and tell us we’re wrong. And, things only get better from there.

18. Banditos – Right On

Mary Beth Richardson is the secret sauce behind Banditos, an eclectic band with touches of Los Lobos, Lone Justice, and the backing band for the Titty Twister bar in Tarantino’s From Dusk Til Dawn.

17. The Coffis Brothers – Turn The Radio Up

Seemingly hailing from Woodstock, laying down tracks that easily could have been songs from From The Big Pink, with Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers as the backing band, this is an Americana treasure.

16. Fernweh – Torschlusspanik!

T Tex meets ‘80s Brit Pop with a lot of Classic Rock nuances sprinkled in is the order of the day on this fine sophomore release. Listen for Paul McCartney and Harry Nilsson touchstones as well.

15. April March – In Cinerama

Truly, a cinematic wonder to behold April March walks that delicate line between the sultriness of Dusty Springfield and the bombast of Shirley Bassey. The French Pop arrangements sprinkled in only serve to enhance an already eclectic listen.

14. The Americans – Stand True

With no less than musical Sensei Rick Rubin in their corner, L.A.-based band, The Americans, are blazing a new Americana trail by putting one fret firmly in the here and now while placing another clearly in the past. If your Jam is Springsteen, Mellencamp, or Petty, these fellas will wet your whistle just fine.

13. Band of Horses — Things Are Great

Another raggedly glorious effort from The Band of Horses, this one is a bit of a return to form. Back to their Indie Rock roots, with a bit more jangle in their step than demonstrated on their previous two albums, Bill Barnwell and his latest band of horses deliver on one of the better Americana releases of the year.

12. Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs – External Combustion

A bit more rock than you might expect from the guitar player for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but that definitely is not a bad thing on this set of Midwest-rooted, Americana-tinged, tunes. Guest turns from Margo Price and Ian Hunter make this one even cooler.

11. Silverbacks – Archive Material

There is more than a hint of The Talking Heads in the DNA of this Irish five-piece. The melodies are catchy with a post-punk flair that will bring to mind Devo.

10. Hurray For The Riff Raff – Life On Earth

Best described as Folk Blues Punk, Alynda Seggara and the rest of the Riff Raff deliver a thoughtful set of songs that seem to reflect on their new found outlook on life with a fresh perspective and a less jaded world view.

09. Horsegirl – Versions of Modern Performance

Artfully blending ‘80’s Indie Rock and ‘90s shoegaze, Horsegirl has risen above the radar to emerge as on of the most vibrant young bands on the scene today.

08. Angel Olsen – Big Time

Much less symphonic and much more introspective, the new Angel Olson L.P. is a study in restraint. Going down like the last call at a honky tonk bar, the subtle arrangements and dreamy pedal steel coalesce with Olson’s dream weaver vocals to create a perfect antidote for a poisoned world.

07. Gymnasium – Hansen’s Pop ‘N’ Rock Music ’22

A who’s who of the Boston music scene pitch in on this robustly energized set of 22 songs that will rekindle your love for Power Pop. The Cheap Trick-induced “Tavern at the End of the World” is worth the price of admission alone, and the ghosts of Pink Floyd that make an appearance on “Down to a Glimmer” will leave you wanting more.

06. Gyasi – Pronounced Jah See

Glittering bombast of rock and roll excess, shades of T Rex, early David Bowie, and all the glam you can fit in one record, Gyasi will be your next favorite guilty pleasure.

05. The Delines – Sea Drift

Sure, the singer is mostly Amy Boone on this one, but the heart and soul of this band is Willy Vlautin, the songwriter and novelist. You probably missed this since it came out pretty early in the year. This one is a collection of William Faulkner’s short stories come to life in a song.

04. Bye Bye Blackbirds – August Lightning Complex

With Lenny Gill back and better than ever, Bye Bye Blackbirds have released their best record to date, which is saying a lot since 2020’s Boxer at Rest was an instant classic. Blending REM, Big Star, and the more listenable aspects of The Replacements, this record is rich in diversity, tones, and texture with first-class songwriting courtesy of bandleader Bradley Skaught who delivers a set of vocal turns that veer between Elvis Costello, lost weekend-era John Lennon, and Alex Chilton.

03. Black Keys – Dropout Boogie

Following quickly on the heels of Delta Kreame, the 2921 deep blues cover, album, this layer record is more loose and lively with a lot of Blues-Boogie to savor. “Baby, I’m coming home” gives a nod to The Allman Brothers “Midnight Rider,” and Kings of Leon’s Angelo Petraglia lends a hand on “Wild Child,” and the king of Boogie himself, Billy Gibbons even makes an appearance.

02. Michael Rault – Michael Rault

Fully entrenched in the studio wizardry of the ‘60s and the ’70s, this is a delicious throwback melding of ‘70s FM rock, pop, and soul.

01. Spoon – Lucifer On The Sofa

With a nod to The Kinks, Prince, and Motown, ten records in, this one might be their best. Good old-fashioned rock and roll, glam, and ’70s riffs all coalesce into one of the best albums of the year.