Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend is here, though it appears to be melting before my eyes as the thermometer creeps up near 100º around these parts. Two things you need on a weekend like this is a cool place to hide in, and lots of music to pass the time. I've been catching up on some new releases this past week, as well as catching up on music from the past. I'm been finding my tastes evolving and expanding lately, not that they haven't been forever evolving and expanding my whole life, but that has been accelerated in the past few months. Hopefully there's something here to aid your expansion. Enjoy. 

Yeasayer - Erotic Reruns: This is the fifth album from the indie psychedelic pop band out of NYC. This is a band that I've been following since their 2007 debut and with only one exception, have really loved their albums. This is another great record that combines psych elements with pop rock in a way that creates a sound that I love. "People I Loved," "Blue Skies Dandelions," "I'll Kiss You Tonight," and "24 Hour Hateful Live" are my personal favorites.  

Sir Lord Baltimore - Sir Lord Baltimore: The second album from the legendary NYC heavy psych band was released in 1971 and it would be their last. This has been on my search list for years and I stumbled across a reasonably priced copy at the local shop and snatched it up. Way ahead of their time, these guys must have sounded incredibly dangerous in the early 70s. An epic record, as is their first. If you ever come across one their albums, do yourself a favor and buy it. I passed on their debut a few years back at a record fair because the price tag was a bit steep...haven't seen it again.

The Last Internationale - Soul on Fire: The fourth album from the NYC trio was released last month, five years after their last album. Shockingly, this is my first encounter with them. This is a blues based indie rock album that veers towards pop rock on a lot of tracks, especially the title track. It's not as gritty as I'd hope, but it's a decent rock album. Delila's voice is powerful and soulful, and there are a few great tracks. "Mind Ain't Free," "Tempest Blues," "Modern Man," and "5th World" are my personal favorites.

Queen - Queen II: The second album from the iconic British rock band was released in 1974. I've had a copy of this record for nearly ten years and had never listened to it, because I've never been a fan, but never truly hated them enough to get rid of it. I'm glad I didn't, because after watching Bohemian Rhapsody, I started to wonder why I never was a fan. I think it's because memories are mainly of their super hits (which I'm not a huge fan of). But in the spirit of revisiting bands, something I've been doing over the past several years, I've discovered that I love this record. These guys more rock n roll that I gave them credit for, and I can hear their influence on bands like GnR. "The March of the Black Queen" is phenomenal. 

The Black Keys - "Let's Rock": The Ohio garage rock duo's first album in five years was released last month. Of course, Dan Auerbach has been involved in other projects during that time, but it's still surprising that they'd wait so long...and then to return with an album that feels sort of flat. Don't get me wrong, this is a solid album with lots of belters, but kind of by-the-numbers. "Walk Across the Water," "Sit Around and Miss You," and "Breaking Down" are standouts for me.   

Jean-Michel Jarre - Zoolook: Released in 1984, this is the sixth solo album from one of the pioneers in electronic music. This is truly an experimental album that fuses elements of space rock, trance, and synth-pop. Like all experimental electronic music, it's a mood piece. This one has a darkness that hangs over it, something eerie and primal, yet entirely pleasurable at the same time. It's an album that was very ahead of it's time and would have been huge on the 90s underground club scene. A wonderful sound collage.