Category: Artists We Like

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (February 21, 2025)

While the world spins around us, there is peace and solace to be found in music. Thankfully, we are living in an age where music is better and more accessible than ever.

Case in point, Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown deliver Jerry Lee Lewis with “Bloodshot Baby.”

The high octane Rattlebacks scorch the earth with their Pearl Jam by way of GN’R dusted “How Calm The Silence.”

And, Joanne Shaw Taylor channels her inner Bonnie Raitt with “Hell Of A Good Time.”

And the riches keep getting better. Here are five highly excellent albums to drill into your earholes.

Sam Fender – People Watching

Starting with the openening title track that travels down the highway like the best of Don Henley’s drivable tunes, Sam Fender and his latest, People Watching” is the kind of friendly, all-inclusive record the likes of Bryan Adams and John Fogerty used to make.

Riding on the coattails of his highly excellent 2021 release Seventeen Going Under, this latest release evokes a certain “Springsteenism” in the songwriting as Fender grapples with growing fame and increased expectations.

Patterson Hood – Exploding Trees and Airplane Screams

The blueprint has not changed much for Patterson Hood whether he is driving by with his main gig as head honcho of the Drive-By Truckers, or here on the batch as a solo act.

The Delines-centric other side of the tracks characters are all alive and well here with the sparse instrumentation, often just Hood and his piano adding to the foreboding atmosphere on this one.

With guest sit-ins courtesy of Kevin Morby, Steve Berlin, Lydia Loveless, and Waxahatchee, this one deserves a secluded listen in a safe space.

The Stylistics – Falling In Love With My Girl

Remarkedly, Falling In Love With My Girl with the original members of The Stylistics is more listenable than it really should be. With collaborations-aplenty on this set of original songs, singer Airrion Love seems to be in fine vocal form.

With Elton John original band members Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone setting the foundation there are plenty of notable performances delivered courtesy of Shania Twain, Billy Gibbons, Ray Parker Jr., Tower of Power, and Justin Hawkins from the Darkness. Feel free to slide right on by “Don’t Leave Me Here,” a song that features the vocal prowess, or lack thereof of Gene Simmons.

Give this on a listen, the production is spot-on, and who doesn’t need a bit of Tower of Power in their life?

Mandrake Handshake – Earth-Sized Worlds

If Laura Nyro and Grace Slick had a love child together the resulting spawn might sound a bit like Mandrake Handshake.

Self-described on their various platforms as a multi-dimesional collective showcase of ‘flowerkraut’: a hedonistic brain-frying feast of Krautrock, art-pop and psychedelia, sliced with enigmatic grooves and fearless improvisations, this one is a hippy-dippy feast for the ears.

A grower after several well-induced listens for sure.

The Liminanas – Faded

Lionel and Marie Liminana, the curators of their band The Liminanas have birthed a band that is tailor-made for a Tarantino soundtrack or a vampire movie.

This one features a bunch of guests including Bobby Gillespie, Jon Spencer, and French actor Bertrand Belin all adding to the sultry-cool atmosphere.

Spend some time with “Space Baby.” Where else are you going to hear Bridgette Bardot’s classic single “Contact” wedged into a song?

Come for the Francophile swagger of Bertrand Belin on “J’adore le monde,” but stay for the epic Francoise Hardy cover, “Ou Va La Chance.”

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (February 14, 2025)

The year is zooming along with great new releases all over the place.

“Lady On Fire” is the over the top third single from glam-prog rocker Bobbie Dazzle from her latest record Fandabidozi.

Robert Jon and the Wreck are “Sittin’ Pretty with their high-octane single from their upcoming long player.

And, Elton John and Brandi Carlile are set to release a proper great album in April.

But don’t stop there. Here are five really cool albums put forward for your listening pleasure.

Crazy Lixx – Thrill Of The Bite

With a slightly revamped band following the departure of drummer Joel Cirera leaving only one original band member since their debut in 2007, Crazy Lixx is out with their latest long player of unflinching, never wavering Sunset Strip sleaze rock. And it’s glorious.

The opener “Highway Hurricane” is AC/DC on steroids complete witj just the right nuance of cowbell, “Midnight Rebel” could have been a great call and response early era Bon Jovi song, and who can argument with the sentiment expressed on “Who Said Rock And Roll Is Dead”

If you are looking for a less than nuanced guilty pleasure listen that will take you back to the good time freewheeling days, the swinging Swedes in Crazy Lixx will scratch that itch.

Honey Crisp – Yesteryears

Hailing from Helsinki Poland, Honey Crisp draws from the melodic side of the singer-songwriter esthetic that was popular back in the day.

Wandering from a less vocally talented Brian Wilson to a lower register Leo Sayer and a Greg Kihn clone, the record carries a bit of nostalgia about it while still maintaining a certain freshness.

Thankfully, just when the waters are starting to venture into yacht-rock territory the course is triangulated into a smooth ride of 60’s crooner proportions that would make Peter Noone blush.

The Altons – Heartache In Room 14

The Altons, and their latest record Heartache In Room 14, just might be the salve that is needed to cure all of the negativity swirling around the world right now.

With a blend of a Soul and Jazz infusion, it is somewhat incongruous to believe that this record was birthed in 2025 and not in the back of a dimly lit Soho Jazz bar with a drugged-up Niba Simone commanding the smoke-filled room.

The musicianship here is on point. The production is not pristine but is perfectly tuned to the retro vibes that the record is going for.

This one is a refreshing listen meant to be heard in one sitting.

The Delines – Mr. Luck Ms. Doom

The Delines, courtesy of Willy Vlautin, crown prince of the dour, disenfranchised, and the down-and-outers, are back with another set of vignettes that give you a glimpse of what it looks like on the other side of the street. If you don’t already live there that is.

With Amy Boone providing the world-worn vocals, the listener is presented with a woman who is on the lam after robbing a drug operation in “Maureen’s Missing,” a failed criminal and a housekeeper in the title track, and “Nancy & The Pensacola Pimp,” where a woman takes revenge on her pimp.

Listen to this live-affirming set of Raymond Chandler-noir short stories set to music in a leather chair with a good whisky and a cigar.

Spiders – Sharp Objects

There is a freshness about the Swedish rock band Spiders that is contrary to its classic rock roots. Drawing inuences from 80’s Sunset Strip, British New Wave, and Garage rock scenes, their latest record rides the rails with the smoothness of a bullet train.

“What’s Your Game (Miss Insane) could have been an Adam Ant B Side, Opener “Rock ‘n’ Roll Band” has a bit of Faces by way of Boston about it, and “Fun In The Sun,” courtesy of front-woman Anne-Sofie Hoyle’s vocal prowess is The Go Go’s on steroids.

Spanning era’s genres, and styles, this is a band that 13 years in may just be hitting their stride.