Five Cool Ones: Five Cool Record Labels Making Great Music

A good way to turn yourself on to new music is to find an artist you like and find how what record label they are with. Then, subscribe to the label’s sight on YouTube and you will be able to go down a rabbit hole of really great music. Here are the Rock is the New Roll and The Falcon’s Nest’s five favorite labels.
Just click on the links to check out videos for the artists mentioned.
1.  Easy Eye Sound
Almost everything you have heard that is good over the last 12 months has been coming from Easy Eye Sound out of Nashville. Dan Auerbach and his crew are releasing, collaborating, or producing some really great artists. Recently producing the highly great new Marcus King solo record, break-out artist of-the-year Yola, Dee White, and soon to be household name Early James are just a few of the artists you should know.
2. New West Records
This record company, based out of Nashville as well as Athens, is especially diverse given they self-describe themselves as promoting music with integrity since ’98. The finest in Americana, Rock, Folk, Alternative, Indie, Country, and Blues. Stablemates include The Secret Sisters, newcomer Sam Doores, Rock is the New Roll favorite Aaron Lee Tasjdan, the fabulous North Mississippi All-Stars, and Nikki Lane. Need we say more.

3. Bloodshot Records

Having a professional relationship with the folks at Bloodshot records, it should come as no surprise that they are on our list of top record labels. Having been around for decades, this Chicago based band is probably as responsible for the advancement of Americana music this side of Francis Scott Key. Going back to Jon Langford and the Mekons, Roots Rockers The Bottle Rockets, Americana femme fatale Lydia Loveless, and newcomer of the year Jason Hawk Harris, every project they are involved in can be traced back to their core value of promoting music with honesty and integrity.

4. Third Man Records

Sure, Third Man Records out of Nashville and Detroit, can get pretty far out on that eclectic ledge, however, it can’t be denied that mostly everything Jack White touches can be pretty darn interesting. A shameless promoter of vinyl, the roots of the current resurgence of the format can be directly traced back to Third Man Records. Whether he is releasing records by his own band, The Raconteurs, reintroducing us to the Rockabilly verve of Wanda Jackson, or hipping us to The Black Lips, the label always provides an interesting ride. And, don’t sleep on former Balck Belles front-woman Olivia Jean. Her girl group, surf-guitar sound is a great throw-back listen.

5. Matador Records

Formed way back in 1989 out of New York City this record label has continued to remain relevant with a consistent funneling of top-notch artists into our collective ear-waves. The current crop includes Lucy Dachus, Steve Gunn, Stephen Malkmus, Kurt Vile, and many more really cool artists.

 

 

 

Video of the Day: Robert Ellis – Topo Chico

New West Records is on our list of favorite music labels with virtually every artist in the stable right up our musical alley. In addition to Robert Ellis, the diverse artists they represent include Wild Moccasins, Andrew Combs, Seratones, and Sam Doores, all of which are very much worthy of your ear-time.

Video of the Day: The Dead Daisies – Mexico

The Dead Daisies are a Rock collective of musicians with a slightly varied line-up every couple of years with David Lowy acting as ring-leader as he brings together available musicians for a new tour and album. As the DNA of the band stays pretty much the same with each version of the band, straight-ahead ’70’s style Rock and Roll is the order of the day, they are always making a great music no matter who is in the band. This song goes back to 2015 with John Corabi on vocals. The band is in the process of putting together an album and tour in 2020 with Glen Hughes on bass and vocals. It should be stellar.

The video for “Mexico” that features strippers and clowns is worth the price of admission alone.

Cover Song of the Day: Dirty Honey – Last Child (Aerosmith Cover)

The band Dirty Honey hasn’t even released a proper full-length record as yet and they are already on our radar as one of the best up and coming bands of the new decade. Here, the band covers the concert staple “Last Child” from the Aerosmith Rocks album.

 

Video of the Day: Revolution Saints – Price We Pay

What do you get when you mix in a member of Whitesnake, a Night Ranger, and a key member of the redux version of Journey? The answer is, you get Revolution Saints courtesy of Frontier records.

This “Band” is not likely to tour, after all, Jack Blades, Deen Castronovo, and Doug Aldridge all pretty have their day jobs keeping hair metal alive. But, if you like good old fashioned melodic rock, this band, and their new record Rise, just might be your jam.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (January 24, 2019)

The year is starting to get cranked up in fine style, there a lot of folks in the studio right now laying down the music that will set our ears on fire in the later months, but in the meantime, here are five really good records released this week.

The Wood Brothers – Kingdom in My Mind

Having recently built a new rehearsal space and studio, as the band was testing out different microphone arrangement in different pockets of the room, the inspiration hit them to write a new record. Their brand of skin-tight harmonies along with their own unique blend of Soul, Folk, Blues, and Gospel, sounds even more intimate in the new studio with a live, not over-produced feel floating over all of the songs.

Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman

An Astral Folk supergroup that consists of Anais Mitchell, Eric Johnson of The Fruitbats, and Josh Kaufman from The National, this band paints transatlantic traditional Folk with a contemporary brush. And, it’s never a bad thing to have Justin Vernon lend a vocal hand. This record comes fresh off their appearance at The Newport Folk Festival.

Andy Shauf – The Neon Skyline

Andy Shauf is a storyteller of the highest order. Here, on his latest record since 2016’s The Party, he weaves a narrative across 11 songs detailing the ashes of a lost relationship. Hearing his ex-flame is in town he invites her to The Skyline, his favorite dive bar and chronicles the thoughts, feelings, and the depths of emotions he is feeling over this semi-random encounter. The resulting album appears to be seamless, which must have been a challenge since Andy pared the record down from a starting point of 50 songs.

Black Lips – Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart

Another Athens, Georgia Band, these guys have been around since 1999. Toning down their amped-up Garage Rock vibe just a bit, there is a bit of T Rex and Country Rock Vibe going on with this one.

A Girl Called Eddy – Been Around

Having been on semi-hiatus since 2004 and with her highly excellent eponymous debut record, Erin Moran, doing business as A Girl Called Eddy is back and better than ever. Been Around, her 2020 record could very well be a classic in the making.

With a chocolaty smooth voice that brings to mind a young Chrissie Hynde, the record ebbs and flows with little mini-orchestral marvels. With Daniel Tashian of The Silver Seas twirling the knobs as a producer, different layers and textures are employed on every track. There is a bit of a Sheryl Crowe by way of Mary Chapin Carpenter going on in places, and in others, this girl called Eddy goes low and slow Laura Nyro style. “NY Man,” and “Two Hearts,” are just two of the stand-out tracks on this one. Sure, it’s really early, but this one is the leader in the clubhouse for the album of the year.

Live Video of the Day: Midland – Cheatin’ Songs (Live From The Palomino)

We are trying really hard NOT to like this Dripping Springs, Texas band. With their Nudie style outfits and Cosmic Cowboy embracing 70’s Glen Campbell vibe that takes us back in a Honky Tonk time machine, it is almost as if they are trying too hard to be cool. But heck, we don’t care anymore. It is official, we dig this band!