The weekend has arrived once again, and with it comes a fresh crop of my ramblings on music I've listened to in past several days. This week's list includes a few new releases that I was anticipating, along with some recent vinyl pick ups from the past. There's a broad range of genres here, from folk, to rock, to jazz, and hip hop. So there's no excuse for everyone not to find at least something you might be interested in checking out. Enjoy.
Winter Sisters - Together not Together: This 2017 album is a collaboration album from Jordaan Mason (one of my favorite song writers) and Sean Rovito (a song writer new to me). While it's very much inline with Jordaan's brand of indie folk, it's definitely more experimental than his records. It's a sound that might turn off some people, I really appreciate the beauty found in the strangeness. "Not Uxorial," "Fix Anything," and "Spider/Spit" are my personal favorites.
Spoon - Hot Thoughts: Without a doubt, this Austin indie band was one of my favorites of the last decade, having recorded two of my favorite records of the '00s with Girls Can Tell and Gimme Fiction. Though I've continued to enjoy their work, I admit I haven't loved their albums since Gimmie Fiction. This is their first record in four years, and it started off a little slow for me. While I liked the first few songs, they were clearly more produced and radio ready than I care for, but then something happened. About halfway through, I started to hear that old school Spoon sound come through and I was hooked. "Tear It Down," "I Ain't the One" and "Shotgun" are real standouts on another quality album by these guys.
Onry Ozzborn - c v p ii d: Keen followers of the Roundup will have noticed my renewed interest in hip hop over the past few weeks and it continues here. The Seattle rapper has been making music two decades and he continues with this semi-concept album about the mythical Cupid. This is abstract, conscious hip hop that reminds me of El-P. It has decent enough beats, and clever enough lyrics, but this one didn't grab me. Perhaps it's because I've been listening to so many recent hip hop records that have blown me away. A solid okay.
Charlie Parker - Carlie Parker Volume IV: Recorded four years before his untimely death and released nearly a decade after, this collection of live recordings captures the Bird at his mellow and relaxed best. Jazz is essentially a live genre since it relies on the interplay that happens as the music is performed and this is definitely true for Parker. I recently found this copy for a few dollars and will be on the look-out for other volumes in the series.
Family - A Song for Me: Released in 1970, this is the third album from the UK psych blues rock band. I've been into this band for some years now and still can't figure out why they aren't more popular than they are. I recently picked up three of their albums that were missing from my collection, and decided to listen to this one first as it is chronologically the earliest of the three. This is more blues inspired than some the records that would follow, which moved into prog rock. "Stop for Traffic," "Some Poor Soul," "Wheels" and the outstanding title track are real standouts on this wonderful record.
The White Stripes -Rare A Sides/ Rare B Sides: This collection of rare tracks is one that I've had digitally for years, and has been a long time favorite of mine. This past weekend I came across a 2012 red vinyl release of it and couldn't resist. There are some amazing tracks on here, including covers of Captain Beefheart's "Party of Special Things to Do" and "China Pig." Most die-hard fans will be familiar with a lot of these tracks as they've played many of them live, but casual fans should also check these out.
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