Weekend Music Roundup

It's a blustery Saturday evening in the Hudson Valley, which can only mean one thing...more random ramblings about music that I've been digging lately. This week features some of my favorite new releases of the year, some recent discoveries, and a couple of wonderful old albums that I picked up over the last several weeks. There's a range of music on here from heavy psych to blues and a few things in between. Have fun checking things out and as always, enjoy.

Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats - Wasteland: This is the fifth album from the heavy psych band out of the UK and each of their previous four have been favorite albums of the year when they were released. This one is no different. They have created a masterful formula or heavy psych that plays out like the best movies every made. It plays out like avant garde novels. It is art at its best and this album is absolutely fantastic. I didn't think they could top Night Creeper, but I think they just might have with this. "No Return," "Bedovin," "Shockwave City," and the title track are standouts.

Jordaan Mason - Earth to Ursa Minor: The eighth solo album from the singer songwriter from Toronto who has been involved in tons of projects over the past two decades. Throughout his career, many have thought of him as a Jeff Mangum clone, but that's not really fair at all. While there are similarities to between his aesthetic and that of Neutral Milk Hotel, over the years Jordaan has proven to be a a very different kind of artist, one that deals brutally with honest emotions that most keep hidden. His music has always been like a portal into some liminal space for me, one that I enjoy visiting and am thankful that I'm able to retreat from. This is a fantastic record, possibly his most consistent from start to finish. 

Willie Dixon and Memphis Slim - Willie's Blues: The Chicago blues legend released this album in 1960 with frequent collaborator and also legendary Memphis Slim. I recently found a promo copy of this album and picked it up. I love old school blues, and it's nice to hear blues that is piano and bass rather than simply 12 bar guitar. "That's My Baby," "Slim's Thing," "Sittin' and Cryin' the Blues," and "Go Easy" are my personal favorites on this fantastic record.  

Rubblebucket - Sun Machine: This is the fifth album from the Brooklyn indie pop band, and my first introduction to their unique sound. This is a kind of genre-bending album that has roots in folk, soul, trip-hop and others. It all comes together to create something that sounds new and refreshing. I heard the first single on the radio and was intrigued, so I took a chance and was rewarded by a great record that is far more interesting than most of the music labeled "indie pop" these days. "Lemonade," "Fruity," and "Formless and New" are my personal favorites. 

T. Rex - T. Rex in Concert: Released in '81, a few years after Marc Bolan's death, this recording is actually from the Electric Warrior tour of '71, which was Bolan's most brilliant period in my opinion. This concert isn't the kind of crystal clear live album that some bands try to put out, but rather more like Bowie's Santa Monica '72 album, which showcases the rawness of a polished band. As with most glam bands, when the show is live, it's a different feel than the production creates in the studio. This album is no different, but I happen to love hearing the chaos of the live performances, the imperfections and feeling. A wonderful record if you can find it.