Weekend Music Roundup

 It's the weekend...and not only that, it's the first of a several Record Store Days that were postponed back in the spring. Today I got up early for a Saturday in order to make a stop at the local shop and see what's cooking. In the spirit of the day, this week I'm featuring all new releases to get you all inspired to seek out something new, even if from your own home. Enjoy.

Green Seagull - Cloud Cover: The second album from the London neo-psychedelic band is the follow up to their outstanding 2018 debut, Scarlet Fever. That had been one of my favorite albums of the year, and so this was a pleasant surprise to see this come out at the end of July. This picks up in stride and delivers another gem of brightly colored psych in the style of The Mystic Braves and Skygreen Leopards and a number other Cali based bands, but with a tinge of the London sound that makes it all so special. 

 

Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers - Just Coolin': This archival album release was recorded in 1959 is finally being made available. Given that Art and Messengers produced about a dozen albums between '58 and '59, Blue Note held this one back and I guess sort of forgot about it. This new music from the heyday of Hard Bob and absolute gift to have been finally released. There's something magical about the sounds that were coming out back then in this genre, so super cool and with lots of intrigue. It opens with the fantastic "Hipsippy Blues" which sets the mood for the entire album. 

 

Hockey Dad - Brain Candy: The third album from Australian indie band was released in July. Having purchased their first two albums, I was pretty excited about this one. Their brand of surf inspired garage rock has appealed to me since I heard their debut four years ago. This album is a bit looser than the last. There are moments where they manage to sound like the Arctic Monkeys on this record, and those are their finest moments. Overall though, the entire album falls a little flat in places. It's a solid okay, but I recommend their previous albums Boronia and Blend Inn. 

 

Holy Serpent - Endless: This is the third album from the Australian stoner metal band, and my first taste of their sound. They have a nice heavy psych vibe that they add to the traditional stoner rock formula. At times, it's almost shoegazer-esque. The key is the slow and heavy drums that permeate throughout, giving it weight. "Hourglass," "For No One," and "Daughter of the Light" were standouts on this solid effort.

 

Alberta Cross - What are We Frightened Of?: It's been five years since the Brooklyn based band's last record, but they have returned with this, their fourth album. I've been a fan of this folk inspired indie band since their debut over a decade a ago and was happy to see this come out recently. There's a sadness to these songs, though they are not exactly downers. I guess it's more a sense of regret that permeates throughout, giving the songs a richness that is palpable. "Keep the Damage to Myself," "Near Misses and Defeats," "Real Life and Disasters," and "Without" are my personal favorites.

 

 

 

Fiction Friday (112)

 

 

 

Per my last Fiction Friday, I spent two days picking one-night reads while waiting for my library books to come in. This is the second of those books. I went to my shelves of unread books, looking for the skinny ones and found this book. The odd thing is, I have no recollection of ever acquiring this book, or even seeing it before. I have no idea where it came from, but there was a Ray Bradbury quote on the back that says this book gave him flight, and made him young. That was enough for me.

 

 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

(Avon, 1973)

 

Jonathan Seagull is not like the other birds in his Flock. He believes life is more than scrambling and fighting for crumbs. He believes life is the art of flying. He seeks the perfection of flight, beyond the physical limitations of being a gull. He seeks freedom.

This is one of those meditative stories in the tradition of The Little Prince, Siddhartha, or The Prophet...all books that I have loved. It's a story whose meaning lies beneath the surface story of a bird that travels through planes of existence on a path toward something spiritual. It's about community, about loving those who scorn higher pursuits or reject the herd mentality. 

Beautifully sublime and moving. Illustrated with black and white photographs by Russell Munson, the pictures work with the story to give you a sense of weightlessness. One of those little gems that takes only an hour or two to read, and stays with you much, much longer.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

 

 

Welcome to the weekend and the return usual roundup ramblings about albums that I've been grooving to. Hopefully you all spent the week exploring Jazz after last week's post. This week I'm looking a few new releases and a couple of older ones. It's mostly indie rock, with a bit of soul and a bit of glam. All in all, this is a nice bunch of albums and hopefully there's something you find interesting enough to explore.

 

Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas: The third album from neo-soul artist out of London is finally getting this singer songwriter some of the attention she deserves. I loved her previous album, 2015's Blood. This album shows the maturity that comes with a five year span. Her voice has always been soulfully beautiful, and musically, the songs are stunning. It reminds me a bit of Sade, or mellower Brand New Heavies. This album hooked from the magnificent opening track, "Bittersweet." It's more jazzy and subtle than the previous album, which I respect. "Paper Thin," "Please Don't Make Me Cry," "Seven Times," and "Sour Flower," are also standouts on this near perfect summer evening album.

Palaye Royale - The Bastards: This is the third album from the Las Vegas via Toronto glam rock band. It opens with the fantastic "Little Bastards" that sets the scene for their unique take on the genre. They are the spawn of Marylin Manson, but veer more toward glam roots than metal, however, there are shock metal elements. The overwhelming feel of this record is fun and careless danger. It's not high art, it's just rock n roll. It's not perfect, but it's pretty cool. "Massacre, The New American Dream," "Tonight is the Night I Die," "Lonely," "Hang On To Yourself," and "Black Sheep" are my favorites. 

 

Sonic Youth - Perspectives Musicales: A live album from Aug. 5th 2000 performance at Cat's Cradle in North Carolina. Sonic Youth deserves more credit as being one of the most consistent bands in rock history. They never had a bad period. They were always innovative, and unafraid. "Psychic Hearts," "Mote," "Halfway to a Threeway," "Nevermind," "Kool Thing," and an early instrumental acoustic guitar only version of "Disconnection Notice" are standouts.  

The Lilac Time - & Love for All: The third album from the Birmingham jangle pop band was released in 1990 and is an album that has been in my wife's collection since before we met. Together we were fans of Stephen Duffy when we met in the late 90s, and I decided to spin this vinyl recently, having not listened to it in years. This is pretty standard jangle pop with rattly guitars and swoony pop vocals, but there were some bands that could do it and some who couldn't. Duffy was a master at it and this is a quality representation of the short-lived genre. "All For Love and Love For All," "Paper Boat" are my personal favorites.  

 

Vagabond Blues - Vessel: Released this past February, this is the second album from the Australian stoner rock band. This a sludgy psychedelic heavy blues album with lots of great riffs. There is a certain recipe that makes for a good album in this genre, one that varies very little from one good record to the next. This is one of them, they have all the ingredients and they bake it together in a pleasing way. "Red Witch," and "Dark in the Light" are my personal favorites.  

Arctic Monkeys - Unplugged: The Missus' birthday came around recently, and I usually like to make sure I purchase a record for her, one that she will love. When I saw this unofficial release with so many of her favorite AM songs in acoustic format, there was no question that this was her birthday record for the year. This isn't a band that does a lot of acoustic stuff, so it was very fresh and as brilliant as I expected.

Fiction Friday (111)

 

 

 

On my last Fiction Friday, I reported that I would be spending a lot of time in Wonderland...and I still plan to spend that time. However, my library books were either on hold or in transit, so I was forced to pick up a book that I could read in a day. I had to do this twice, so expect two interludes before I return to Alice. This is the first of the one-night reads.

 

 

Two Fables by Roald Dahl

(Viking, 1986)

 

Most people know Roald Dahl as the master children's storyteller of classics such as James and The Giant Peach, Matilda, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There is another side of his writing career and that is his shot works written for adults. Two Fables is the meeting of these two sides of him into one collection.

The two stories in this book, "The Princess and the Poacher" and "Princess Mammalia" are traditional fables in style and theme, but have that dirty old man air of Dahl's adult fiction often contains. By using a child's format, he is able to blend what are essentially child's lessons re-imagined for adults into stories that appeal to grown-ups. 

Both stories deal with the idea of beauty, or complete lack of beauty, and the power that it wields. It also about the careless passions of youth and righteousness of civility. A quick, fun, and interesting read.

 

 

Weekend Music JAZZ Roundup

 

 

 

I've been planning for quite some time to dedicate an entire Roundup to the one true American art form of Jazz. My jazz journey began in earnest when I was around 16 or 17. It was a time of many opening doors of perception and I recall switching to the jazz radio station in the car one late night drive home from some nefarious adventure and being instantly transported. It wasn't long before I went out and picked up some classics from Miles and Coltrane. Through college, I pretty much stuck with the giants, expanding to Mingus, Dolphey, Monk and the like, but budgets were tight, and rock and hip hop were still commanding my dollars. Though I do remember springing for a used Smithsonian Jazz vinyl box set back then, which was a big deal as it meant spending an amount that could've scored me multiple CDs. In the last decade or so, I've moved deep into the jazz world and typically pick up at least one jazz album on any shopping trip...and boy am I ever glad that random turn of the dial so many years ago woke me to the wondrous world that is JAZZ.

 

 

The Sonny Criss Orchestra - Sonny's Dream (Birth of The New Cool): There's a certain boldness involved in naming an album 'Birth of the New Cool' in 1968, eleven years after Miles Davis' brilliant 'Birth of Cool' record. From the first notes, he earns every ounce of that boldness. This album is on fire! One of the best post bop albums I've ever heard, it is out of this world genies. We are taken into Sonny's dream completely and it's one cool world to be in. This is an album that should be talked about in any discussions about the best records of the era. After several listens, this has moved into my top 10 all time jazz album list.

 

Art Pepper - The Artistry of Pepper: Released in '62 after Art entered prison to serve a two year drug sentence because the law thought he was part of dope gang, though he was simply a user who bought from the top. He would spend most of the '60s battling his addictions, leaving this album to stand in for his contribution to the decade. And true to form, it's cooler than cool. "Zenobia," "Powder Puff," "Popo," and "Bunny" are my personal favorites.  

Albert Ammons - King of Blues and Boogie Woogie: This compilation was released in '75 and spans the career of the Chicago legend. Considered one of the three kings of the boogie jazz sound, I found this in the local shop's 4 for $10 bin and snatched it up. The interesting thing about boogie jazz is that you can pretty much trace the roots of early rock 'n' roll from it. Jerry Lee Lewis pops into mind, and Little Richard, basically any early piano based early rock. That's probably because it's rooted in "rhythm" and follows a similar structure. Great stuff, this. 

 

Stuff Smith Quartet - Swingin Stuff: Recorded live in 1965 at the "Jazzhus Montmarte" in Copenhagen, this is one of the finest live jazz albums I've ever hear. I recently was introduced to Stuff's work when I picked up another album of his from '65, and the way he plays jazz violin is mind blowing. His plays it in a way to mimic trumpet and it's brilliant. "Old Stinkin' Blues," Ellington's "C-Jam Blues," and Basie's "One O'Clock Jump" are standouts.

 

Art Blakey Jazz Messengers - Caravan: Released in '62, at the peak of the Pittsburgh hard bop drummer's career, this was recently re-issued on 180g vinyl. There's a lot of these jazz reissues that you can pick up new for under $10, especially if they are not the top three or four names in jazz. But as readers here know, in the last several years, I've been digging deeper into the jazz trove and there is so many that are just as good as Miles, John, Charlie and Duke. Art is one of them. He was a pioneer of the hard bop genre, one of my personal favorites, and he brought a lot of talented musicians up through his band.

 

Don Patterson - These are Soulful Days: Released in '74, towards the end of the Ohio jazz organists' recording career, this is pretty record. Despite the title, it's attachment to soul music is slim, as this is clearly a jazz record, but a groovy one to be sure. As expected the organ is front and center, but Jimmy Heath on sax is outstanding as well. The epic "Muse Blues" which takes up the last 17+ minutes is a real standout on here. 

Fiction Friday (110)

 

 

 

I recently put together a presentation on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that I did for my library. During my research into books based on Alice, I found several books that I didn't know about. This surprised me since I'm a die-hard fan and thought I knew about most Alice related stories. I immediately put in a request of the first of what I expect to be an autumn filled with Alice. This one was stunning.

 

 

Alice by Christina Henry

(Penguin, 2015)

 

Alice is a broken girl in a broken world. The story opens with Alice as a young woman in a dismal mental hospital that is more like an 19th century prison. The hospital is in "Old City", a fantastical, Dickensian slum. Alice is from "New City" which we never see, but gather is a place of considerable more refinement. There is time period assigned to this world, but it feels very Victorian era.

Alice hates the hospital, but it is safe from the dangers of Old City and the criminals who run it, trafficking in girls and violence. It is also save from her memories of The Rabbit which left her hideously scarred. Plus she has Hatter, the scruffy man in the next cell whom she talks to through a mouse hall in the stone walls. But the hospital hides a secret buried below...a dangerous creature known as the Jabberwocky. Then one night, a fire breaks out, unleashing the Jabberwocky on the people of Old City, not to mention Hatter and Alice.

This is dark fantasy with noir elements, set in a world of almost unspeakable brutality. But as foreign as it is to Lewis Carroll's world, Christina Henry still captures the spirit of Alice and wonderfully integrates and re-imagines the elements of Wonderland into a compelling story that feels related enough to be part of the cannon. There's a second book in the series that I'm currently on a waiting list for.

Weekend Music Roundup

 

 

 

Welcome to the weekend. I've found myself listening to a good amount of folk these days, some of which are on this list. Being summer, I also tend to listen to a lot of hip-hop, but I'm still absorbing the new albums I've been hearing and will save the hip-hop for another list. Most of this list is new releases, with the exception of classic that recently had a new limited pressing. Some old favorites, some new discovers. As always...enjoy.

 

 

Little Kid - Transfiguration Highway: A decade into their career the Toronto lo-fi folk band's sixth album is one of a string of pleasant surprises I've encountered this summer. This reminds me of the underground bands of the late 00s and early 10s, who really jump started the indie folk revival with songs of simple beauty. These are delicate songs with the perfect wintry vibe that I like from this genre. "Made for Each Other," "Candle Out," "Close Enough to Kill," and the title track are my personal favorites on this outstanding album.  

Neil Young - Bottom Line 1974: I've had this bootleg on CD for ages, under the title Citizen Kane Junior Blues. It's one of my favorite Neil performances and features a mind-blowing rendition of "Revolution Blues" and other On the Beach tracks. There's been this weird thing that's happened recently that bootleg radio shows are being released without authorization of the label or artist. They are essentially bootlegs, but you can buy them anywhere. When this one got a 500 copy pressing, I snatched it up. Fantastic stuff, this!

 

Trickfinger - She Smiles Because She Presses the Button: The third acid techno release from John Frusciante under this name is easily the most listenable. Being a huge devotee of his, I checked out the first release five years ago, and wouldn't have bothered with this if it weren't for the title's nod to his second solo album. He's had a few years to work on this art, and being the talented person he is, he has improved tenfold. Though not my ideal choice of genres by any means, I can respect this one.  

 

Woods - Strange to Explain: The first album in three years from one of my favorite psychedelic folk outfits. This band has been around for 15 years, a band that I first encountered about 11 years ago. Their music is the exact kind of psych folk I'm into, with washed out vocals and near perfect pop eeriness. This one picks up where Love is Love left off, exploring interesting parts of the inner soundscapes in an uptempo way. "Where Do You Go When You Dream," "Weekend Wind," "Fell So Hard" "Just Fall to Sleep," and the title track are my personal favorites. A really really good album. 

Queen Elephantine - Tribute to Atrophos Vol. 1: The first in a series of EPs by the avant-garde psychedelic band formed in Hong Kong fourteen years ago and currently in Philly. These improvised recordings are a pleasant bit of stoner metal that has a drone sentiment, but without the constant repetition. There are now three in the series, this first one released back in April. This was my first intro to this band and it's definitely intriguing. You can give it a listen on their Bandcamp site.

Fargo the Third

The Great Pandemic Viewing Stream seems to flow in a never ending current, kind of like the pandemic itself. For the latest binge, we turned to season three of Fargo. We had been big fans of the first two seasons, but this one slipped through the cracks as we were dealing with a two year old at the time it aired in 2017.

I'm not prepared to say this was the best season, but I'm prepared to say this was my favorite season. Ewen McGregor is brilliant in his dual role as brothers, and David Thewlis is spectacular as the shadowy villain. As with previous seasons, the show is incredibly cinematic and feels very much like a feature film. It also blends suspense, mystery, black comedy, and drama in a pitch perfect way, just like the film that inspired it.

If you're not caught up, don't worry. Each season of this show is set up as their own thing and are not directly connected, kind of like True Detective. If you missed this one, as I had, it's time to catch up. I'm now super excited for the upcoming season 4.

 

Weekend Music Roundup

Welcome to the first weekend of August, where we're holding true to the dog days of summer. It's been brutally hot in the valley over the last week, but last night the weather finally broke little bit. The only good thing about summer is that it's always a big season for new music and this week I'm taking a gander a few new releases that have been a very welcome relief to the heat. Enjoy.

My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall II: It's been five years since the midwestern alt country band's last album, The Waterfall. Jim James has been busy in that time, but the band has finally come together to make a sequel album. This has a very mature sound to it. The sound of band that knows what they are and what they want to be. It has a 70s vibe to it, a sort of Lindsey Buckingham style, and by that, I mean washed out in mellow cocaine bliss. "Still Thinkin," "Welcome Home," "Magic Bullet," and "Wasted" are standouts on this fine record.

The Kooks - Unshelved: Part III: The third in a series of EPs released this year to showcase demos that had been left off their previous two records. As with the other two installments, these songs are fantastic, and in many cases, better than tracks on the last album. I'm glad they chose to do it this way, giving us a few songs at a time, it's easier to digest than one big compilation, and each EP has a feel to it. "Window to the Soul," "Off My Knees," "Vicious," and "Let it Go" are favorites.

Keith Relf - All the Falling Angels: As the frontman for the legendary Yardbirds, Relf is an often overlooked icon of the 60s British Blues sound. After the band broke up and Jimmy Page went on to form Led Zeppelin with Plant, Relf formed Renaissance, but he also recorded several singles, the first being the great "Mr. Zero". This newly released compilation features his solo recordings from '65 until his untimely passing in '76. His sound would evolve into psychedelic folk that is reminiscent of Syd Barrett. There's some great tracks on here and well worth the listen.

Ritual King - Ritual King: The debut album from the Manchester stoner rock band was released in Feb and is a pretty solid introduction to the world. It has all the hallmarks of the genre, fuzzed out drone guitar, heavy drums, and mystical psych vocals. "Headspace" is an instrumental gem of solid riffs. "Dead Roads" is a great sludgefest track. "Black Hills" is the NWOBHM guitar shredding closer. Decent stuff.

Garland - Laser Eyes: The debut album from indie French band came out in June. It's a bit of a mix of styles, from shoegaze to indie rock to 80s goth. Unlike most shoegaze that feature a steadiness to each track, these songs are chaotic at times, though everything remains lost in the fuzz. II admit to taking a chance on this because of the artwork. You can listen to it for free on the band's Bandcamp site (linked above). This is one of those albums that washes over you and doesn't quite absorb into you unless you really pay attention. "The Northern Wind" was by far my favorite track.

David Bowie - Ziggy at the BBC: Years ago, I snatched up the three disc Bowie at the BBC set that came out, and while I've always loved Bowie, those takes were eye-openingly terrific. My favorite disc had been the Ziggy years, and when it came out on vinyl, I just couldn't afford the $75 price tag at the time...it's now much more. So when I came across this bootleg of my favorites, I definitely picked it up. Plus, Ziggy Stardust is one of the few Bowie records I didn't have on vinyl, so this killed two birds with one stone. Fantastic stuff.