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.