Category: Singer Songwriter

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (March 7, 2025)

Wow, what a week is in store for your ears to enjoy, one week just gets better than the last.

The Baboon Show are percolating their wild vibes with their latest single “Forward In Reverse.”

Aussie legend shares “New Day,” a song that shares DNA with Tom Petty’s “Learning To Fly.”

And, Brian D’Addario, the youngest of The Lemon Twig boys is out with a sublime single ahead of his upcoming full length.

But, don’t push all of your chips to the center of the table just yet. Here are five freshly minted morsels to savor.

Neil Young – Oceanside Countryside

A previously “lost” record that was recorded in an earlier time but took 40 years to see the light of ear, Oceanside Countryside culls songs from Neil’s ‘70s American Stars ‘n Bars era.

Many of the songs represented here were previously released on Rust Never Sleeps, Hawks & Doves, or Comes A Time but in different versions. With two distinct sides, side 1 features only Young and his guitar while side 2 was recorded additional musicians.

Not that we needed a reminder, but listening to the versions here of “Dance Dance Dance” and “Pocahontas” reminds us of what a national treasure Neil Young really is.

Jason Isbell – Foxes In The Snow

Recorded in five days with just voice and guitar in Electric Ladyland studios with this, his tenth solo album, we see Jason Isbell coming out of the other side of the tunnel reflecting on a failed marriage, and the pitfalls of stardom following his brilliant star turn on Killers of the Flower Moon, and his battle with dangerous memories.

Every song presented here is good bordering on great with the elegantly sparse arrangements providing the backdrop to some of the best songwriting in Isbell’s career.

One of the few artists whose solo work is on par with the music that they make with their band, now that he has gotten a few things off his chest, most notably on “Eileen” and “Good While It Lasted,” despite the loneliness that permeates the record, the future looks very bright. Talent always wins the Day.

Sorrows – Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Self-described by guitarist and front-man Arthur Alexander, Sorrows is an intoxicating blend of The Who, The Kinks and The Easybeats with a touch of early-era Rolling Stones thrown in for good measure. Just listen to the opening bombast of “Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadows,” and tell us we’re wrong.

“What A Boy” is pure My Generation with a dose of Elvis Costello, and “Somethin’ Else” could have been an Eddie Cochran monster hit, because, of course, it was.

Mike Farris – The Sound Of Muscle Shoals

Returning to his roots as a rocker and a soil singer, Mike Farris lays down a solid set of Muscle Shoals adjacent songs that resurrect the souls of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding and preach on the alter of Al Green.

Chris Stapleton comes to mind on “On The Humble, while “Slow Train” is Al Green Gospel bliss. A solid well crafted listen.

Hotwax – Hot Shot

Meant to be played loud, this Hastings via Brighton post-punk band rocks like some devil hybrid of Deborah Harry fronting Nirvana.

The opener, “She’s Got A Problem” sets the stage for a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride adventure down a careening bobsled track.

“Dress Our Love” has Chrissie Hind Pretenders on 78 vibes, and “Lights On,” a song that features Stella Mozgawa, is a burner of a gem.

This is the type of band that would headline CB GB’s one night and play Coachella the next without missing a fret.

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

The year is careening along and there are plenty of gems to savor this week, but don’t sleep on the one-offs.

ZZ Ward lays down some bone-rattling down home blues on her latest single.

Rock is the New Roll favorites Sunset Strip rockers Crazy Lixx are back and better than ever.

And, Lake Street Dive is releasing selective singles live from the road. “Walking Uphill” is spectacular.

But don’t put away those head phones just yet, it is a stellar week for new releases.

Larkin Poe – Bloom

With a consistently morphing sound, this time into the world of country-rock, the sisters Poe might be the best band you never listen to, but should.

“Pearl” is a proper country-glam rager, “Bluephoria” dips their toes into soul territory and “Bloom Again” is a tender ballad showing off their versatile chops.

If these descendants of Edgar Allen Poe are not your cup of musical tea, seek help pronto.

Matt Berry – Heard Noises

More widely known as the vampire Lazlo in the hit series What We Do In The Shadows, Matt Berry is more mostly known as a musician and has 13 Albums under his vampire belt.

Known for his 60’s influenced jazz-tinged beats and an Austin Powers esthetic, this record is set somewhere squarely in the late ’60s, early ‘70s

“Sky High” has a spooky vibe that would fit in perfectly in a remake of the X files, the hipness of “Stay on the Ground” comes across like a slightly stoned David Byrne, and “I Gotta Limit” soars in the Box Tops “Cry Like A Baby”Mold.”

With the hippy beats and unicorn song textures this one is the leader in the clubhouse for party recording of the year.

Jeannie Piersol – The Nest

A card-carrying member of the San Franciso psychedelic scene of the ‘60s Jeannie was a Grace Slick-adjacent singer and a founding member of the enigmatic band The Great Society.

And now, High Moon Records has released an anthology of her work that includes demos, outtakes, and performances.

With a quick listen it will become auditorially apparent why Piersol never reached the heights of her fellow scenesters Grace Skick and Janice Joplin, but since beauty is in the ear of the beholder there is a lot to savor here with a few spins of this record. The title track is worth the price of admission alone.

Rose City Band – Sol Y Sombra

If Poco, The Pure Prairie League, and a Grateful Dead cover band merged together they would sound suspiciously like Rose City Band. A self-professed space-aged country jam band their latest effort Soul Y Sombra would have been a ‘70s country rock fm radio fixture back in the day.

Opener “Lights On The Way” lives and breathes Grateful Dead’s “Sugar Magnolia showcasing Barry Walker’s stellar pedal steel guitar, “Open Roads” might be the driving tune of the year thus far, and “Seeds Of Light” is a hippy-dippy mellow wonderment.

Stop taking life so seriously for a minute and bathe yourself in this one Grateful-Dead style.

C Duncan – It’s Only A Love Song

Lush, atmospheric, and it couldn’t be more beach boy adjacent and without fighting with Mike Love, the latest fom C Duncan, the love child of Todd Rundgren and Brian Wilson is a smooth ride down a river of rose petals.

The opening title track introduces the piano-centric artist in all his Barry Manilow meets England John and John Ford Coley glory.

The understated vocals along with the lush orchestration will meander your ears back to a timeless era when pop was king and Carole was Queen.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (January 17, 2025)

With the new Eric Clapton, Rose City Band, and Delines records in the hopper, 2025 is shaping up to be a boffo year.

The Waterboys have a Dennis Hopper themed record ready to be released soon.

Swedish rockers The Hellacopters have a new record out on January 31. Overdriver.

And Frontier Records own, Perfect Plan delivers the AOR goods on their latest “We Are Heroes.”

And here, in an abundancy of riches, here are five new records that saw the light of ear this week.

David Gray – Dear Life

On his 13th album and first since 2021, David Gray gets a bit more sparse and introspective than we are used to from the artist that first hit our ears with the mega-hit “Babylon.”

Recorded mostly in his home London studio, this time out Gray reflects on things getting old on “Plus & Minus,” on “I Saw Love” he is heavily influenced by Raymond Carver short stories, and “Leave Taking” with its horns and intricate production is worth a headphone listen.

The Weather Station – Humanhood

With Humanhood Tamara Lindeman and Weather station doubles down on the jazz-inflected pop sound version of the band that she brought to our ears going back to the 2021 release, Ignorance.

“Body Movement” has a certain Joni Mitchell element to it, while “Neon Signs” will float you on a Suzanne Vega cloud.

The instrumentation on this record with bass, sax, and flute delicately dispersed throughout the record is next-level quality. Listening to this one while chemically induced will take you back to the ‘70’s sitting under a tree deep in a forest.

20/20 – Back To California

Think of the spawn of the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Little River Band and you will have a bit of an idea of what this band is all about.

In business under various configurations going back as far as 1979 and their eponymous record, these guys are all Laurel Canyon all the time.

The opening title track has an R.EM. bent to it, “The End Of Summer” could have been a Bodeans B side, and “Laurel Canyon” is pure power pop.

If you are looking for a record full of melodic nirvana wrap your ears around this one.

Mick Clarke – Bad Whisky Blues

Recorded entirely in his Surrey, UK studio Bluesman Man Mick Clarke delivers up a set of whisky-drenched songs that run the gamut from stone-cold classic covers to self-penned tumblers.

“Killing Floor” and “Smokestack Lightning” are adequately covered and “Watch Your Step” is a ZZ Top worthy jam.

This one is the perfect soundtrack for that next bender, but make sure that you cleanse the palette with a nice single malt before extinguishing the flame.

Ex Void – In Love Again

A behemoth of an Indie Rock record, everything that you thought of the genre is wrapped up for you in one tight package.

My Bloody Valentine, check. The Smiths Check, The Cranberries, Dinosaur Jr., check, check, check. Cobbled together from several indie-pop U.K. bands of stirling quality including Joanna Gruesome and The Tubs, the dual frontpeople consisting of Lan McArdle and Owen Williams take center stage on this one that is sure to be top 10 contender.

And, if you don’t believe us have your ears take a gander at the Lucinda Williams cover, “Lonely Girls.”

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (January 10, 2025)

Amazingly, 2024 is in the books and we are ready to do the work since you don’t have to to find the best music, according to us anyway, to hit your ear-waves.

The new record comes out in March, but in the meantime check this out with vocal help from Fivers Simone Schmidt. This one is the leader in the clubhouse for video of the year.

Youth Lagoon, the project of Idaho-based singer-songwriter Trevor Powers has released a single in advance of his February 21 record, Rarely Do I Dream.

And, Horsegirl has released a new single, “2468” in advance of the Chicago-based trio’s album Phonetics On And On

But wait, don’t jump off the train just yet. Here are five new records to keep the toes moving and the heart beating.

Lambrini Girls – Who Let The Dogs Out

Labrini Girls will remind you of the night you left the party with that wild girl and ended up in the alley with a ripped shirt and no socks on top of a pile of beer cans and cigarette butts.

“Big Dick Energy” careens down the black diamond slope like a ski racer with Tourettes, and “Filthy Rich Nepo Baby” is the GoGos on steroids. And, thankfully there is nary a cover of “Who Let The Dogs Out” to be found in this rambunctious set.

Ringo Starr – Look up

Not since the iconic Buck Owens cover of “Act Naturally” have we heard Ringo Starr embrace country music with the fervor that he does here with his lasted record, Look Up.

Guest spots abound, both country and laymen, with Molly Tuttle, Alison Krause, Billy Strings, and Larkin Poe leading the way.

This one is a listenable record that we can put in our pocket waiting for the next Paul McCartney album.

Franz Ferdinand – The Human Fear

Scottish Indie rockets Franz Ferdinand shows whats under their kilt with their latest, The Human Fear. Buoyant and danceable, there is nothing not to like on this one.

“Everdaydreamer” sounds like U2 if Bono actually decided that he wanted to have fun, “The Doctor” bounces like Duran Duran on the bumper cars at the amusement park, and “Hooked” is Devo set to 78rpm at the disco with their side piece The Talking Heads.

A ray of sunshine in a gloomy world.

Early James – Medium Raw

With Medium Raw, his third effort for Dan Auerbach and his Easy Eye sound label, Early Janes takes things low and slower with this set recorded at a 100-year-old house in Nashville dubbed The Honky Chateau using an old tube console mostly recorded in one take.

A young man with an old soul, the record brings out the blues side of the singer mostly known for his Americana leanings. This stripped down affair may not be as favored as its more polished predecessors, but discovering another layer of this still-up-and-coming artist bodes well for the future.

Joan Armatrading – How Did It Happen And What Does It Now Mean Now

Having never really gone away, with her latest, How Did It Happen And What Does It Mean Now, Armatrading combines disco-light, yacht Rock, and straight-up pop on a set that is pleasant enough fare albeit lacking a bit of the heart that we are used to from an iconic artist.

Wholly produced in her home studio, sometimes adding polish to silver doesn’t make it shine any brighter.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (November 1, 2024)

Careening towards the end of the year, there is a bevy of great music to bathe our ears in.

The Nude Party is bubbling up with their unique take on the Laurel Canyon sound.

Newcomers Velvet Rush are setting the stage to be factors in 2025.

And, Los Lonely Boys are now touring promoting their aptly named record Resurrection.

But, don’t go to sleep just yet. Here are five new records to savor this week.

Warren Haynes – Million Voices Whisper

It has been ten years since his last solo trip around the sun with the highly recommended excellent Ashes and Dust released in 2014 after all he is an adopted son in the Allman Brothers family and has his active band in Gov’t Mule, so he has been sort of busy.

And Now, with guest drop-ins from Derek Trucks, Lukas Nelson and Jamey Johnson, Haynes has crafted one of the best records in his career.

With songs already written that had less of a Southern Rock vibe to them that did not fit the Govt’ Mule essence, Haynes culled them from the herd for his solo project.

“Real,Real Love with Duane Allman worthy slide work courtesy of Derek Trucks plays like a Bonnie Raitt ballad, the politically motivated Day Of Reckoning” is completed with a chorus that includes Haynes, Lukas Nelson and Jamey Johnson, and “Hall Of Future Saints” is a blues marvel that name checks Ray Charles, James Brown and Elmore James among others.

Welcome Home Warren Haynes.

The Virginmarys – The House Beyond The Fires

Part Punk, lots of Rock with a bit of blues sprinkled in, guitar player Ally along with drummer and husband Danny Dolan make some beautiful noise together with their band The Virginmarys.

From the full-tilt boogie of “You’re A Killer” to the frenetic swagger of “Lies, Lies, Lies.” on to the staccato rhythms of “Trippin New York City” there is barely a chance to take a breath on this post-punk call to arms.

Willie Nelson – Last Leaf On The Tree

With 153 records under his bandanna, there is not a lot to say that hasn’t been said when a new Willie Nelson record comes out. This one is pure Willie at his most frail coming from the perspective of a man and guitar that are at the back end of a life well Lived.

Much like Johnny Cash did in his Sunset series of songs with American V: A Hundred Highways, here with the title track “Last Leaf On The Tree,” the mournful “The Ghost,” and the poignant reading of Zevon’s “Keep Me In Your Heart” all cover the reflections of a man and a guitar that are peace with their mortality.

Jeremie Albino – Our Time In The Sun

Coming from the stable of thoroughbreds at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound, Our Time In The Sun, Jeremie Albino’s fourth album seems to straddle that line between glistening present-day and vintage throw-back with the dexterity of a tight rope walker.

Auerbach, with his effective usage of vintage instruments, live-in-studio recording, and uncluttered production perfectly complements the everyman vibe that Albino generates.

“Rolling Down The 405” with 70’s one hit wonder dusting just might be the driving song of the year.

Paul Kelly – Fever Longing Still

It seems absurd that this will be the first proper post we have delivered concerning Paul Kelly, universally considered to be Australia’s finest singer-songwriter. Yet, here it is.

With this, his 29th studio record, and first solo release since 2018’s Nature, Kelly mixes it up with minds-eye narratives on “Hounds Tooth Dress” and National Geographic-worthy widescreen landscapes as he does on “Northern Rivers” as well as on the closer “Going To The River With Dad,” a song that would have fit in quite nicely in the canon of Harry Nilsson.

Regarded now along with Paul Weller, Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello as one of the senior singer songwriters of the day it is no wonder that Paul Kelly is nationally considered to be the Bruce Slringsteen of Australia.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (October 25,2024)

Going down the stretch in 2024 there is a bustle of activity on the new music front.

Gyasi embraces the joy of 70’s glam rock with “Sweet Thing,”

And, if all of that is not enough, Jesse Malin has just released his first new music since his stroke with “Argentina.”

Cats In Space – Time Machine

With Time Machine, Cats In Space continues to plant their flag on the hallowed grounds of Classic ‘70s Rock and Roll.

With loud guitars, pristine multi-track harmonies, and knob-twirling tighter than skin on an apple, this record brings to the minds ear the glory days of Deep Purple, Night Ranger, and REO Speedwagon.

The opener and title track would be well-placed on any Toto album, “Yesterdays Sensation” has a Styx “Renegade Vibe,” and the instrumental “Ivory Anthem” bursts out Meatloaf style like a bat out of hell.

Don’t sleep on this one.

Chuck Prophet – Wake The Dead

14 records in now, having recently recovered from stage four lymphoma, Chuck Prophet joined by Cumbia group Qiensave is at the top of his game with the release of his latest record, Wake The Dead.

Over 11 tracks Prophet digs deep into Cumbia music using traditional Latin American instruments including accordions, a bajo sexto (Mexican twelve-string guitar), and a Farisa Organ along with Tejano and bolero stylings making this an electrically groovy listen.

Beth Hart – You Still Got Me

This one has been bubbling for most of the year with the drip-release of some gritty singles including “Savior With A Razor” featuring Slash, and “Suga N My Bowl,” a song that features some axe assistance courtesy of Eric Gales.

With her vocal growl better than ever and her women empowerment messaging on full display, Beth seems to be at the peak of her powers most notably demonstrated on “Never Underestimate A Gal,” and the should-be country classic, “Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash.”

And, of course, Beth’s ability to craft a song that reaches the depth of your soul is always bubbling just beneath the surface, this time with “Don’t Call The Police” and “You Still Got Me.”

Scarlet Rebels – Where the Colours Meet

Scarlet Rebels Where The Colours Meet, released just in time for rock record of the year consideration, with a landscape of anthemic rock bringing both U2 and Muse to the minds ear.

From the opener “Secret Drug” a song that sounds like a street fight between AC/DC and The Cult, all the way to “Out of Time,” an epic ballad that features Elles Bailey, there is not a rat floating in this punch bowl.

Tack this band up on your bands to follow wall.

Lone Justice – Viva Lone Justice

From the band that virtually invented the term Alternative Country, Viva Lone Justice is their first album in 40 years. Releasing their self-titled record that was deemed the 1984 record of the year in some circles, they have scarcely been heard of since.

And now, with an album cobbled together in the studio with all of the original band members, going down a country classic deep rabbit hole reinterpreting other people’s songs.

With Maria Mckee serving as ringleader the band offers up an almost unlistenable version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” from the bowells of the Appalachian mountains “Wade In The Water” is delivered, and for some odd reason, “Teenage Kicks” is on the menu.

Is there a really good reason for this record to exist? The answer is no. But if for nothing else, bringing the albums Lone Justice and Shelter back to the minds ear for some much-delayed spins Viva Lone Justice has served its purpose

What We’re Listening To (October 13, 2024)

Chuck Prophet – Wake the Dead

Chuck Prophet, coming out of the good end of a cancer scare, has teamed up with Cumbia group Quiensave for a rhythmic journey across the globe.

Massive Wagons – The Good Die Youg

The ascent of Massive Wagons has been steady but strong over the last couple of years. Their ascension from club band to arena act has not diminished their ability to deliver in the Status Quo by way of Wildhearts mold.

Casts In Space – Time Machine

It would be a fool’s errand to sleep on the sincerity of Cats in Space and their ability to completely own their blanket of 80’s ballad rock.

The New Roses – When You Fall In Love

There is more than a little smoke from Rainbow’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” fire wafting in the air on this single from The New Roses latest record, Attracted To Danger.

The Heavy Heavy – Feel

Riding a British invasion train on a track of Goats Head Soup era Rolling Stones, this one would have been a spot-on summer anthem. If, summer was roll a thing that is.