Weekend Music Roundup!

The first weekend of March has arrived, and brings with it the threat of the biggest snow event of the year. Yay! As is usual, this week I'm talking about a mixture of new releases and some recent discoveries. The new releases were mostly unexpected and came to me without any foreknowledge. They were bonuses and very nice surprises. The older albums are ones that I picked up over the past few months. There's a mix of blues, rock, hip hop and folk. As always, enjoy!

Robert Ellis - Texas Piano Man: In 2014, Robert Ellis released his second album (The Lights From the Chemical Plant) and I've been following his career ever since. This is his fourth solo record and it's the gem that I've been waiting for. He has a 70's singer songwriter vibe that reminds me of early Cat Stevens and even some more bluesy numbers by Elton John. This album is fantastic, with tons of great tracks including "When You're Away," "Nobody Smokes Anymore," and "Fucking Crazy." 

Fleetwood Mac - English Rose: The third album from the iconic band, released in 1969, is a British Blues masterpiece. Peter Green is in great form as he helps to define the genre with this album. I'm not sure why I bypassed this one several years ago when I first got into Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac because this is probably the best of the albums he made with the band. This is British Blues at it's absolute best. 

Kyle Falconer - Almost Pleasant: The covers EP follows The View frontman's debut solo album released last year and shows him in nearly perfect form. I've been a huge fan of his work since the debut album came out 12 years ago. He picks great songs that showcase his talents, and manages to reinvent well known pop songs like "What's Love Got To Do With It," and "Go Your Own Way" into touching indie love songs.

Mad Season - Above: This supergroup recorded only one album in 1995 and it's definitely Layne Staley's masterpiece. I think he felt a little boxed in with Alice in Chains at the time, as Jerry Cantrell started to dominate the band, so he formed this side-project with members of Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees. The result is a stunning album that is the peak of grunge rock. I recently found a reasonably priced copy of the vinyl re-issue with bonus tracks and couldn't turn it down. Every song on here is a gem. 

DJ Krush - Hip Hop Generation: For more than 25 years, the Japanese artist has been creating some of the best instrumental hip-hop around. The fact that he's Japanese has been able to distinguish his sound from the hip-hop flavors of the two coasts here in the states. His work has a darkness to it, but a kind of anime darkness that always intriguing to me. This is a great moody record that is perfect for night drives. 

The Mammals - Sunshiner: This is a local folk band that throws a great festival every year, which we have attended the past two years. It features the married couple of Ruth Unger and Mike Merenda and their brand of roots folk, with hints of bluegrass. Released this year, this is their sixth album of songs that carry an obvious social agenda, which is what folk music used to be all about. Everyone who plays on here is extremely talented and there are some dynamite tracks. Like all socially conscious folk, there are moments that are a touch corny, but that's probably just my own artistic snobnishness.