Tag: The Sheepdogs

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (February 27, 2026)

The year is just starting to buzz a bit with an underbelly of dissent in the air. As always, we have music to sooth our soul, brighten our days, and cure what ails us. Molly Tuttle, when she is not putting out a Grammy-nominated record with Grace Potter, is showing plenty of sass on her latest single, “Old Me (New Wig).”

Rocker James Bruner is starting to get a bit if a buzz, look for a proper record later in the year.

And with “We Rise” the mighty 80’s AOR band Tyketto delivers their first new music in eight years, and it’s glorious.

So, let’s not mess around any longer. Here are five new platters to tickle your ear holes this week.

Bonerama – So Much Love

Check those time capsules, but it has been 25 years since Bonerana has released a proper record, and boy is this one a scorcher. This is massive and funky and about as New Orleans as it gets.

Known in recent years for reimagining classic rock tunes including pretty much the entire Led Zeppelin catalog, the Bones Boys don’t disappoint here with a soul-shattering rendition of “Ohio” featuring Trombone Shorty along with Cyril and Ivan Neville, along with “Meters Medley, a song that features newcomer Omari Neville.

With two tracks with Stanton Moore behind the skins, this one will be sure to cure your winter woes, if only for an hour.

Van Morrison – Someone Tried To Sell Me A Bridge

With his latest, Someone Tried To Sell Me A Bridge Van Morrison proves once again that he is incapable of generating a bad record. With the possible exception of the mildly political bent of the title track, this time out Van delivers a platter of deep cuts and need-to-be-heard classics digging into the archeological ruins of songs you forgot that you loved.

The best song of the litter might be the Junior Wells stomper “Snatch It Back And Hold It” with a greasy organ, sneaky riff, out front back up singers, and snarling vocals, this one is prime Van Morrison.

At 20 songs this one should, but does not feel bloated. How could it with epic collaborations featuring the likes of Elvin Bishop on “Play The Honky Tonks,” Buddy Guy slaying “Rock Me Baby,” and the mighty Taj Mahal on “Betty And Dupree.”

“Delia’s” Gone” is likely the most upbeat version of the song that you will ever hear, Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” is stripped down and reimagined, and the Blind Willie McTell penned “Deep Blue Sea” is vintage Van.

Van is back and he never really left. This one is an ears-down leader in the clubhouse for the album of the year.

Tyler Ballgame – For The First Time, Again

Tyler Ballgame delivers a soul-retro sound of ‘60’s crooner, 70’s singer songwriter. Produced in Nashville under the mentorship of Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado, Ballgame’s voice floats across the ether as the devil spawn of Rufus Wainwright and Roy Orbison.

“Down So Bad” could have been an Elvis B-side, “Waiting So Long” as a retro AOR vibe, and “Matter Of Taste” is a bit of a country rocker that would have been a nice fit in the canon of New Riders Of The Purple Sage.

With Tyler Ballgame it is the voice that carries the Day. The vintage analog recording captures the texture of the early ‘70s that is hard to replicate in today’s sterile studios.

This one rewards the listener with with artichoke leaves peeling off to reveal new surprises with each subsequent listen.

Sky Valley Mistress – Luna Mausoleum

The second full-length from psych-stoner rockers Sky Valley Mistress has Kaylie Davies and Max Newsome branching out as a duo in the wake of the 2020 covid induced departure of most of their band. Stoner desert rock in the Queens of the Stone Age mold with the most ferocious sound coming from two people this side of Meg and Jack White.

Cathy grooves, melodic hooks, and thumping bass lines are perfectly complemented by the dynamic vocals of Davies and the pulsing rock swagger delivery of a band in a scorched earth mission.

“Thundertaker” is Black Sabbath if they were fronted by a bad-ass rock chick, and “Blue Desert II” is an epic, sprawling masterpiece.

Luna Mausoleum is the leader in the clubhouse for rock album of the year.

The Sheepdogs – Keep Out Of The Storm

The Classic Rock spirit is alive and well with the release of The Sheepdogs’ 11th album and their first in the last four years.

Listening to a Sheepdogs album is like digging through crates of of old vinyl and coming across that perfect mix of ‘70’s rock swagger, up-to-date production techniques, and old-school analog mixing techniques that you forgot you missed. “Nobody But You,” the first single released, hooks you like an episode of Dangerous Catch, and “Playing All Night Long” could be the first cousin of The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek.”

Released a bit early for sure, thus one should have the legs to be your summer jam once the hot weather rolls around.

What We’re Listening To (August 26, 2024)

The Sheepdogs – Take Me For A Ride

Coming off their somewhat ear-scratching foray into yacht rock with the last single, “Darlin’ Baby,” the boys from Saskatoon are back with the drop of a surprise E.P. A sunny ‘70s glam stomp of a single.

The Hot Damn! – Can you Hear Me Now?

How much more disco-era can you get with the mantra “come on, come on the disco’s calling” ringing in your ears? This single from their up and comer, Dancing On The Milky Way, due in September, is a straight up balls to the wall ‘80s Power Pop stunner.

Lions In The Street – Moving Along

This one is so Stones adjacent it might as well come with its own supermodel and heroin addiction. Back after life’s circumstances threw them several curve balls, Lions In The Street landed their time machine to fire up our speakers and light up our world.

The New Roses – When You Fall In Love

If Bryan Adams was the frontman for Def Leppard you would be getting the essence of German rockers The New Roses. This ‘80s anthemic rocker is a throwback to those days when rock and roll was pure.

Amyl & The Sniffers – Chewing Gum

Another banger of a band from the thriving Aussie music scene. This one head-bangs along led by lead singer Amy Taylor, with a swagger about her that would make Exene Cervenka jealous.

Song of the Day: The Sheepdogs – Darlin’ Baby

Some real controversy brewing here in the halls of Rock is the New Roll H.Q. Site favorites The Sheepdogs may have just jumped the shark with their latest tune, “Darlin’ Baby. This couldn’t be any more yacht rock this side of Christoper Cross opening for Toto on an actual yacht. But don’t sleep on it. The song is actually great.

Five Cool Ones: Five Reasons Rock Is Not Dead (2022 Edition)

Way back in 2017, the band Greta Van Fleet hit the scene and was widely lauded as the next big thing in Rock and Roll. Truth be told, these young whippersnappers from Frankenmuth, Michigan were just a bit too Led Zeppelin-adjacent, and in most musical circles their sound was considered to be simply an esoteric listen. Yet, they were considered to be the next great thing in Rock and Roll.

The truth is, there are many high-caliber Rock bands that are putting out great Classic Rock inspired high-octane rock music. Whether it be Glam Rock in the T Rex, early David Bowie mold, AOR (Yacht) Rock treading the waters of the Little River Band, or straight-up Sunset Strip good-time jams, the spiritual progeny of the bands those of a certain age were weaned upon are making the current scene in all of their spectral glory.

Here are five songs from five bands that will have you digging out your old black light posters and turning on your lava lamps.

“Heart Stopping Kinda Show” – DeWolff

This Hammond B-3-centric band from the Dutch province of Limburg combines ’70s Psychedelic flair with Southern Rock tendencies in the Wet Willie and James Gang mold. Look for the new record Love, Death & In Between to be released in February 2023.

“White Buffalo” – Crown Lands

A Juno award winner for the best-emerging band, Ontario-based Crown Lands combines the most digestible flavors of Progressive Rock with Led Zeppelin’s over-the-top bombast. Picture in your mind’s ear Robert Plant fronting Rush on one of their most accessible songs and you pretty much will have nailed the template for their single from 2022’s breakthrough record, Discover Crown Lands.

“I Wanna Know You” – The Sheepdogs

Having hit the scene after being featured on the cover of Rolling Stone as one of the new-face bands in Rock and roll, these road warriors apply their trade somewhere between Foreigner and The Guess Who. Their most recent record, Outta Sight will evoke all of your favorite ’70s Rock and Roll bands without sounding pastiche. With this band, it is all about the songs. And, they are stellar.

“Girls On The East Side Of Town” – Tuk Smith

Standing right up there with The Struts Luke Spiller, and Justin Hawkins from The Darkness, Tuk Smith is on the medal stand of top present-day Rock and Roll front-men. His 2022 record, Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts is as good a guitar-based rock record as you will have heard all year. For extra credit, go back and check out his work with his old band, The Biters, but stay for this Thin Lizzy adjacent tour deforce.

“Going Back To Hoonsville”- Datura4

Given that the Aussie band, Datura4 takes its name from a stretch of Western Australia highway, it should come as no surprise that the band has released the number one driving song of 2022 in “Going Back To Hoonsville”. This Psychedelic, organ-centric, Blues Boogie makes ZZ Top blush, and could very well be calling Radar Love its bitch.