Weekend Music Roundup

 

The weekend is here, and it appears so it Spring...at least around these parts where the snow has melted, the flowers have bloomed, and the breeze has warmed. This week I've got a few new releases and some recent pick-ups of older albums. It's mostly rock, but with a dash of funk thrown in. Happy exploring and as always, enjoy.

Nik Turner and the Space Falcons - Interstellar Energy: The new album from Hawkwind alum and The Orb's Youth, this bit of space rock/jazz was released last spring. Nik Turner has re-found his 70s style on his recent albums, and this one continues that trend. An immersive piece of space-y soundscrapes that will please any old school fan of the Hawk. "Sygnus," "Solar Probe," and "Space" are personal favorites. 

Bauhaus - In the Flat Field: The groundbreaking 1980 debut from the gothic was an album that was sorely missing from my collection. This is a band that I haven't listened to thoroughly since my youth and I forgot how amazing they are. Along with Christian Death and Joy Division, these guys are the architects of a sound that has always reached into that place of imaginary creation. A deserving classic. 

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators - Living the Dream: Released in 2018, this is the third album that Slash collaborated with Myles Kennedy on and they are truly in-sync on these tunes. The guitarist slips even further into a traditional guitarist role despite the font size of his name on the cover. Myles is the star of this album. He sounds amazing, blending the Seattle metal sound with Slash's L.A. sleaze guitar. This isn't music that I think the youth would respond to, and I say that because this is a great example of Generation X still making art that speaks to their own generation as it matures. I love that about us."My Antidote," "Lost Inside the Girl," "Slow Grind," and "The Great Pretender" are standouts for me. 

Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark: The first proper album in 15 years from the British indietronica band. I first came in contact with this band in the mid-90s, and their blend of spoken word, electronic and experimental indie music was pretty cutting edge. It's been imitated a lot in the past two decades, but they still do it better than most. As the title suggest, this is a bleak album, not that any of their others are exactly uplifting. It's very much a document into the mind of modern humanity.

 

The Telescopes - Songs of Love and Revolution: The 12th album from the UK band that started it's career in latest of the 80s. This is a band that I recently discovered their old music, a fantastic early 90's Spacemen 3 psych noise before developing into one of the pioneering shoegazer bands of the decade. They have remained true to that sound, creating soundscapes that seem to get progressively darker on this album. This is one of those true dead of winter albums. "Strange Waves," "Mesmerised," and "You're Never Alone with Despair" are personal favorite. 

 

Joe Tex - Bumps and Bruises: My introduction to Joe Tex was on the Death Proof soundtrack, which left me much impressed by the Texas soul artist, best known for his rivalry and disputes with James Brown. Released in '77, this album is one of the last before his untimely death five years later. This is definitely more funk than soul, seen through the disco prism. This is a party album, and Joe Tex knew how to party. When I came across this album for $5 at the local shop, I knew it was going to totally be worth $5 bucks.