Weekend Music Roundup

A weekend is more than a weekend when it's a LONG one. Hope you all are having a grand ole time giving thanks, spending cash, and of course, listening to music. As I mentioned last weekend, I'm blitzing you all with 2019 releases as the year begins to wind down and I scramble to get through all of the albums that I want to hear. This is pretty much straight up rock, most of it heavier than average, though some not. Enjoy.

Temples - Hot Motion: This is the third album from the UK psych band. I really enjoyed their 2014 debut and was pretty excited to see this come out. They're a little bit of a throw-back to the psych sound coming out of England two decades ago, an era I loved. There's a bit of Kasabian to them that I enjoy, a sort of stadium psych rock sound. There are some definite 60's mod inspirations here that mix well with the contemporary sound, especially on "Holy Horses." That track, "Atomise,"  and the title track are my personal favorites. 

Holy Shit - Nebula: This is the first studio album in 13 years from the Cali stoner psych band, and my first encounter with them. This has a typical stoner hard rock sound, with extended guitar riffs over pounding drums. There's a certain feel that stoner rock bands from Cali have that connects them, and this falls into that, reminding me of other bands from that geographical area. "It's All Over," "Man's Best Friend," and the Mudhoney inspired "Let's Get Lost" are my personal favorites. 

The Shining Levels - The Gallows Pole: This debut album from the U.K. band is inspired by the 2017 novel of the same name by Benjamin Myers. This is a minimalist ethereal album with some psychedelic soul influences. Being unfamiliar with the book, I can't comment on how much of that relates to the text or the atmosphere of the text, but it certainly has an atmosphere. It's one of those "almost" albums for me, where it feels like it almost reaches the height I want it to, but falls slightly short. Still a decent album. "Moonless Nights," "Valley Boys," and "Progress" are standouts for me. 

Hurricane #1 - Buddha at the Gas Pump: Having released two rather unsuccessful albums in the late 90s, this Britpop band featuring Alex Lowe and Andy Bell (Ride, Oasis), disbanded. Alex reformed the band a few years back (with Bell who reformed Ride) and released a new record in 2015. This is the band's fourth album, released this past summer. This doesn't reinvent the wheel. As the band did in the 90s, it sounds very much like faint copy of Oasis, but now, it actually sounds more like a faint copy of Beady Eye. I don't mean that disrespectfully, as I really appreciate both of those bands, which is why I've always found Hurricane #1 extremely listenable, though I rarely feel compelled to listen to them. 

Duff McKagan - Tenderness: The first solo album in 20 years from the GnR bassists is scaled down rootsy rock record that really showcases his talents. Always the "punk rocker" from the glam rock outfit, this sees him finding inspiration in everything that came before. The thing about Duff is that he's never been pretentious. There's an honesty about him that comes out in these songs. "Wasted Heart," "Last September," "Don't Look Behind You," and "Parkland" are my personal favorites.  

Iron and Wine - Live at Third Man Records: The Live at Third Man series continues with this latest release from the folk rock icon. This series has always been a little uneven, but Sam Beam brings it for his set. Playing songs from throughout his decades long career, and playing them perfectly, he manages to showcase why he is so revered in the indie community. Definitely one I want to add to my vinyl set of Third Man concerts.