Weekend Music Roundup

 

The last weekend of summer is upon us which means that my musical tastes will start settling into the Fall stylings. With the summer having been so busy, the Roundup has been sparsely released, leading to quite a backlog of albums to ramble about. Here are a few things that I discovered or listened to over the summer months. A little bit of everything, so hopefully there's something you'll want to check out. Enjoy.

Manic Street Preachers - The Ultra Vivid Lament: The Welsh band's first album in three years is one of the albums I've been most looking forward to this year. Having been a favorite band of mine for years, each new album is an event for me. This one came out on Friday and these are my thoughts upon the first listen. It opens with the moody "Still Snowing in Sapporo" and continues on much in the fashion of their recent work, but there's something softer and more internal about this album which feels a little inspired by David Gilmour. "Into the Waves," "Diapause," and "Blank Diary Entry" are my personal favorites on another beautiful album. Though their sound has softened, they still speak honesty.  

 

Bang - Bang: The 1971 debut from the heavy psych band out of Philly is an album I'd been hunting for some time. It's terribly rare in the sense that it's silly expensive, but it's just not one of the albums you see in the wild. I was first tuned into this Sabbath sounding band a few years back when I picked up their second album. They are one of the best heavy psych bands out of America from the time of the genre's infancy. I found a copy in the local shop recently and it did not disappoint my expectations, which were high given the genius of the next album.

 

Josh White - The Josh White Stories Vol II: Released in '58, this compilation collects work from the soulful southern blues artists who hit his stride in the 40s. This is different than a lot of southern blues singers that I've heard before. There is a clear rhythm and blues sound to his voice and melodies, something that would certain influence the music of 50s, which is probably why this record was released when it was, in order to reach the Elvis fans. 

Hank Williams Jr. - Habits Old and New: This 1980 album was one that I acquired for free and for a free album, it's pretty damned solid. This is 70's outlaw country at it's finest. While country music isn't my first choice in genre, when I do listen to it, I like that old style country. The modern boring FM rock with a twang in the singer's voice is NOT country, it's just poor rock with a southern accent. Country music to me is the kind you drown your tears in at a honky tonk. I prefer Waylon, but Hank Jr. is undeniably an icon of the genre. 

 

Becca Mancari - Juniata: The newly released EP from the Nashville via NYC singer songwriter. Only four songs, but still such a powerful listen. Primarily acoustic, these songs showcase her amazing voice and the heartfelt lyrics. I've been listening to this a lot while working in the art studio and it's been very inspiring. She has two full length albums that I'm hoping to check out. 

 

Richard Swift - Even Your Drums Will Die: This live album was recorded in 2011 and released at the end of last year. In the first decade of the 2000s, Swift released some of the best singer songwriter albums, like The Novelist and Dressed Up for the Let Down. I was excited to hear this live album of material from that time period. One of the truly honest voices of the 21st century and fans will enjoy these renditions. He passed away a few years ago, and he is missed.