Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend, and once again I'm here to ramble on about music I'm listening to. This week features a lot of newish releases, some from bands that I've been digging for awhile, and others new discoveries.  I also threw in an older album that I recently picked up from a band I'd never heard of before. It's mostly rock on here, but also a fantastic soul record that kind of blew me away. Lots of great stuff to explore. Enjoy.

L.A. Witch - Play with Fire: The second full length album by the garage rock all female trio was released at the end of the summer. Their "Octubre" EP from 2018 was one of my favorite releases of that year, so I was excited for this. They have an eerie vibe about them, the sound of cars driving late at night in Hollywood Hills without headlights on. Their music would be perfect for a scene in a Tarantino or Lynch film, because it's that awesome. "Motorcycle Boy," "Dark Horse," "I Wanna Lose," "Gen-Z," and "Sexorexia" are standouts on another great record for this band.  

 

Raven - Raven: Released in '69, this is the only album from the New York (via Buffalo) psychedelic blues band. This is pretty standard bar blues rock of the time, but played with passion and skill. It reminds a bit of Canned Heat and Leon Russell with a groove the runs throughout. I picked this up on Record Store Day during the local shop's sale on used vinyl. It's always nice to explore forgotten bands, especially when it doesn't come with a big price tag.

 

The Sisters of Mercy - John Peel Session: 1984: This four track EP archival release came out in June and was recorded a year before the goth legends' first album. However, the band had been building for a two years, releasing singles and EPs and this captures some of the single from that time, but also includes a cover Hot Chocolate's "Emma" which is one of my favorite songs (personal favorite is Urge Overkill's rendition called "Emmaline"). This is from the band's best period, the true early days of Goth, a genre that always seems better in small doses, so four tracks is pretty perfect.

Turtle Skull - Monoliths: This is the second album from the Australian stoner rock band, released at the end of the last summer. This has the heavy beat that one expects from stoner rock bands, but it also has more psychedelic vocals and guitar, reminding me of early Warlocks. There was actually a good amount of this type of music coming out 15 or so years ago, bands like Black Angels, Dead Meadow, and the like. It's nice to hear a new band pick up the groove. "Rabbit," "Heartless Machine," "Apple of Your Eye," and the epic "The Clock Strikes Forever" are standouts on this terrific album.

Jyoti - Mama, You can Bet.: The new album from Georgia Anne Muldrow, who also releases under her name, came out in late August. The L.A. singer has been actively releasing albums for 15 years and is one of the shining lights of psychedelic soul and nu jazz. This album draws musically from the hard bop era of jazz, but much like trip-hop, nu jazz broadens the scope to create something that represents the mood of the day. This is a fantastic record, achieving things that others have sought to do for a long time.

King Buzzo - Gift of Sacrifice: It's been six years since the last Buzz Osborne solo album, 2014's remarkable This Machine Kills Artists. Sure he's been busy with Melvins and other projects, but there was something real special about the last solo album, making me super excited for this one. It picks up right where the last one left off, a sludgy kind of folk punk that feels unique to Buzz.