Rock Is The New Roll

The rock is beginning to roll in fine fashion as the freeze starts to thaw and summer is right around the corner. Rock is the New Roll Favorite Tuk Smith has released a freshly minted video from what his upcoming record that is certain to be a candidate for rock record of the year.

The mighty Gems have released a new video in support of their debut record, Phoenix.

And, The Quill delivers on a soundscape of Black Sabbath – Adjacent riffage.

But, that’s not all. Here are five more ear pleasing morsels to savor this week.

Sawer Brown – Desperado Troubadours

With their first proper record since 2011, Sawyer Brown, under the tutelage of Blake Shelton, is back and better than ever with Desperado Troubadours.

This time around with a bit more swagger and a lot more honky Tonk in their vibe, the band has morphed from an ‘80s love ballad band to a proper outlaw country force of nature in the blink of a decade.

From the opening driving – tune worthy “Under This Ole Hat” the stage is set, this is not your daddy’s Sawyer Brown. “Nashville Cat” is yet another ode to the music city and the closing title track is a perfect night cap to a solid effort from a band that had forgotten we missed.

Norah Jones – Visions

It seems to be ear-boggling that it has been over 20 years since Norah Jones released the stellar Come Away With Me. And now, with her L.P. Visions Jonesbhas somewhat distanced herself from her standard piano-driven love ballads having replaced them with a mix of folk, Americana, pop, and psychedelic soul vignettes.

Written and produced with collaborator Leon Michels, this 12-song cycle seems to be nostalgic while at the same time demonstrating the firm hold that Norah Jones has on her career. “Staring At The Wall” has a Jenny Lewis flair to it, “Queen of the Sea” is vintage Norah and highlights her delicate vocals, and “I Just Wanna Dance” sums up all of her emotions released with this effort quite nicely.

The Northern Belle – Bats In The Attic

The band Northern Belle is part of the growing Nordicana scene. Taking inspiration from letters she found after 60 years in her grandmothers attic, Stine Andreassen, singer and songwriter for the band, crafted the new record around transcontinental missives between her grandmother and grandfather separated during the war.

Their is a distinct cardigans and First Aid influence throughout the record and virtually every song has the misty ebb and flow of the sea with “Japanese” a highlight detailing a particular letter her seafaring grandfather wrote to her grandmother.

Nordic Americana doesn’t get much better than this.

Dion – Girlfriends

Dion is one of the few legacy acts that seems to be enriching instead of diminishing his legacy with each subsequent release. Maintaining the perfect vocal range fitting for a singer in his age bracket, his latest song set pairs him with female singers across multiple genres ranging from Country, Soul, Blues, and beyond.

Susan Tedeschi lends a fret on the opener, “Soul Voice,” Carlene Carter assists on the somber, made-for-these-times “American Hero,” and Joanne Taylor Shaw helps to scorch the earth with the closer “Just Like That.”

There is nothing not to like about this record, and that says a lot coming from an artist who has been applying his trade for this long and is still going this strong.

The Hanging Stars – On A Golden Shore

With a sound that Channels The Birds, Big Star, and The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Hanging Stars just might be your new favorite band.

Their latest single from their fifth album, On A Golden Shore, blends pedal-steel and Lou Reed guitar into a smooth Americana oasis, “Happiness Is A Bird” is Lately Canyon wonderment backed by The Beach Boys, And, the opener, “Let Me Dream Of You” takes the stage like a redux version of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

This one is an infectious joy from stem to stern.