Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend is here and it's hot as summer around these parts. With that in mind, I tried to put together a list of cool sounds for warm weather. I got some new releases on here and some unearthed old recordings. I tend to enjoy psychedelia, hip-hop, power metal and of course jazz in the summer and all of those are represented here. Hopefully there's something here you'll want to check out. Enjoy.

The Sonic Dawn - Enter the Mirage: One of the albums I was most looking forward to this year is this, the fourth album from the neo-psych Danish band, especially after last year's triumphant Eclipse record. I'm happy to say this one doesn't disappoint. They have that kind of sound that I've always been into. "Loose Ends," "Young Love, Old Hate," and "Shape Shifter" are standouts on this fantastic record.

Starbenders - Love Potions: The second album from the Atlanta rock band is blend of glam, noise rock, and power metal. It has a definite throwback sound to the '80s, though there is a fair amount of Riot Grrl style here. It reminds me a bit of early 00's band named Scarling meets Babes in Toyland. A very solid uptempo rock album that doesn't pretend to be anything other than it is. "Holy Mother," "Bitches be Witches," and "Never Gonna Die" were my personal favorites. 

Chet Baker - Il Grande Chet Baker: Recorded in '59, this album was originally released in '62 as Chet is Back and under this title in '65. Recently I've been really into the cool jazz, an offshoot of hard bob, and Chet is one of the icons of the movement. Having played with all the greats, he had the street cred to be the coolest white guy in jazz. He suffered addiction problems throughout his career, and this was during an "on" period. I've never been one of those people who believe drugs make you more creative, but at times, they can break you out of a groove and get you into a new one. This record is pure gold from start to finish, with personal favorites being "Star Eyes" and "Over the Rainbow." 

The Kooks - Unshelved Part 1 and Part 2: Recently "unshelved" and released in a two part EP are some tracks that didn't make it on to their recent albums. They have always been one of the more intriguing Britpop revival bands of the 00's and '10s but never got a whole lot of attention on this side of the pond. These songs are fantastic, and actually better than some of the songs on their last record. They always manage to add a sense of fun to a sound that reminds me of a more upbeat Suede or slightly more sinister Charlatans. "Femme Fatale," "All Through Your Life" and "Something to Say" are standouts.

The Senders - Seven Song Super Single: The debut EP from the NYC glam punk band came out in 1980 and features seven songs. This short lived band incorporated rockabilly with punk, which was a bit common at the time. I was just recently introduced this band and decided to check it out. Like all punk, it's appeal is it's rawness and attitude over any type of musicianship or songwriting. An interesting relic of the time and worth a listen. "6th Street," "Don't Make Me Mad," and "I Feel So Bad" are my personal favorites. 

Czarface - The Odd Czar Against Us: The new album from the Inspectah Deck project was released on Black Friday RSD this year. I recently picked up a lime-green vinyl copy on sale. In keeping with Wu tradition, they use a comic book esthetic and theme which besides being cool, it makes for great packaging. This is kind of what fans of NYC hardcore would expect, and more importantly, what they want.