Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend is here! I missed last weekend due to a hectic schedule, but I'm back now with more music ramblings. There's a lot of recent releases on this list that I've been into lately. There's also some 90's throwbacks that I've picked up in the past few months, as well as some jazz. One weekend soon will focus solely on obscure late '60s and early '70s psych rock, so stay tuned for that. Hopefully there's something on here that perks your interest. Enjoy.

T. Hardy Morris - Dude, the Obscure: The third solo album from the Dead Confederate frontman is another wonderful lo-fi indie album with folk roots. I've followed his career since the first DC release and have really grown to appreciate his song writing on the previous two solo albums. This one is no different, as he continues to show maturity and depth. There's something genuine about his music and it reminds me of John Frusciante in that way. "The Night Everything Changed," "Cheating Life, Living Death," "When the Record Skips," and "Purple House Blues" are standouts on another fantastic record.

Gorillaz - The Now Now: This is the sixth album from Damon Albarn's cartoon band project which has always been a hit or miss outfit for me. Perhaps because this is less a parade of guest appearances (which some previous albums fell victim to), this is the most consistent album they've released. It's also the first one which doesn't have a bunch of "skip" tracks on it. An incredibly groovy record with standouts such as "Humility," "Hollywood," "Idaho," and "Fire Flies." 

Beat Happening - Black Candy: Released in 1989, this is the third album from the influential Olympia indie band. This is a band that never crossed my path during my youth, but one I'd been meaning to check out for a long time. This has the kind of lo-fi post punk sound that reminds me of Violent Femmes and a sound you don't hear any more. It's a very 80's sound that went on to influence the huge explosion of indie music in the decade that followed. Lots to appreciate on here. "Gravedigging Blues," "The Other Side," "Bonfire," and "T.V. Girl" are my personal favorites. 

Radiohead - OK Computer (OKNOTOK 1997-2017): Released for the 20th anniversary of the landmark album, this triple vinyl includes the whole album as well as another whole album of B-Sides and unreleased tracks from the era. I held off on this for about a year, partly because I've really grown to dislike this band over the last decade, and partially because of the price tag. But OK Computer remains a 5 star album and one of the most influential in my life, so I went for it and was rewarded with a wonderful product. The entire package is perfect and the extra songs flow seamlessly with the originals. 

The Dentists - Naked: In the late '80s and early '90s all signs pointed to this jangle pop band hitting it big time. And while they did achieve some success in the UK, they never made it stateside. I was really into this band during their third album, "Powdered Lobster Fiasco" when it came out in '93 but haven't listened to them in over a decade. I was excited to come across this self-issued EP from '91 and snatched it up. I now have No. 0544 of 1000 of this lo-fi 10" of raw songs that is even more compelling then the jangle production of their albums. "Reading the News," "Naked," and "We Thought We'd Got to Heaven" are my personal favorites. 

King Curtis - King Soul!: Released in 1970, a reissue of 1960's "The New Scene of King Curtis", this is a companion album to "Soul Meeting" and together they demonstrate the innovation of the Texas saxman. While definitely hard bop (my personal favorite sub-genre of jazz), this also shows Curtis developing the soul sound that would later sweep the decade. The two long tracks on here, "Have You Heard?," and "In a Funky Groove" are dynamite. Wonderful record.