Weekend Music Roundup

 

It's the weekend and the roundup is back. I've been listening to a lot of new albums recently and have heard some great ones. I've also picked up some older albums on vinyl in the last few weeks, and always, have come across some eclectic stuff. Getting ready for the long haul of summer by lining up the albums I plan to enjoy while the heat threatens to bring me down. It's hard to be too down when the sounds around give you joy. Enjoy.

The Coral - Coral Island: This is the tenth album from the neo-psychedelic band out of Liverpool. I've been a fan of these guys since their 2002 debut and was pretty excited that a new album arrived after three years. This double album reminds me most of 2016's Distance Inbetween, which is one of my favorites of theirs. There's a blend of psyche folk and they do really well with that mellow late 60s Pink Floyd sound. "Change Your Mind," "Mist on the River," "Autumn Has Come," "Old Photographs," "Calico Girl," and "Watch You Disappear" are standouts on this exceptional album. 

New Bums - Last Time I Saw Grace: This is the second album from the indie duo that features Donovan Quinn from The Skygreen Leopards. Like that band, this is a stripped down acoustic album with psychedelic folk influences. There's nothing earth-shattering about this album, but that doesn't mean it's quite stellar. It's got a classic Drag City sound to it that I've always enjoyed. "Billy God Damn," "Wild Dogs," "Turned to Graffiti," "Cover Band," and "Hermitage Song" are personal favorites, though I love the entire album. 

Ryley Walker and Kikagaku Moyo - Deep Fried Grandeur: This EP from one of my favorite guitar players consists of two 18 minute instrumental tracks. It's beautiful psychedelic folk. As with all of Ryley's work, there's a deep 70s influence and often feels like solo Neil Young stuff, or at least has a similar vibe. Another fine addition to his growing catalog.

 

Rosalie Sorrels - Always a Lady: Rosalie was an American folk singer from Boise who began recording in the early 60s and remained active up through the early 2000s, before passing away in 2017. This album is from 1976 and I picked it up on a whim from the 4 for $10 bin at the local shop. This album has a rugged natural sound that reminds me of Karen Dalton. It's also very conversational at times, something that was pretty common in folk revival of the early 60s. A real solid folk record with my personal favorites being "Baby Rocking Melody," "Hey Little Girl," "The Caterpillar and the Butterfly," and "the Moth."

The Kinks - One For the Road: This live album was released in 1980 and features mostly work of the late '70s, with very few of their classic tracks (with exception of Side D..yeah encore). Because of that, I enjoy it...but that's also because I have live albums from their early days and have all those classic tracks live. Over the past couple of years, I've learned to appreciate this Kinks era and the maturity of their sound which really shows through on the way the classic tracks evolved over 15 years. Live always have never really been my thing, but this one I enjoy. 

Floatie - Voyage Out: The debut album from the Chicago four-piece indie band was released in March. This album is a bit math rocky, but in a subdued way. The vocals fade into the background as the repetitive notes build in sequence and retreat back again. It feels like one of those albums that good to have on in the background. Nothing really stands out on it as it really feels like a continuous exploration of one sound.