It’s been another busy month, full of non-stop stupidities at work and back breaking projects around the house, but thought it was time to check back in to share some tunes before things come to a boil in the election and we see what sort of future we’ve got in store for us. After all, it may be the last time I’m able to do so before having to flee imprisonment or execution as one of “the enemy within,” so didn’t want to deprive the dedicated eight of you in case you might need to do the same. (Having good music on a road trip IS critical, after all…)
We’ll kick things off with the Mobile quintet Red Clay Strays who released their sophomore album Made by These Moments over the summer and have found themselves in rather steady rotation in the months since. It’s been two years since their debut, Moment of Truth, but the time away hasn’t found them losing focus or changing their tune. Frontman Brandon Coleman’s gruff voice and lyrical focus (on God, gittin’ down, and other country stalwarts) still reminds me a bit of Chris Stapleton, but what really makes these guys shine is the strength of his backing band, who call to mind Lynyrd Skynyrd when they let loose. On tracks like “Ramblin’,” “Wasting Time,” and the opening “Disaster,” guitarists Drew Nix and Zach Rishel divebomb around Coleman in the best tradition of the aforementioned legends’ triple guitar attack while bassist Andrew Bishop and drummer John Hall keep things chugging along.
The softer, slower songs work well too, allowing you to catch your breath in between the barrages. From the stately “Wanna be Loved” and “I’m Still Fine” to more soulful songs like “No One Else Like Me” and the joyous handclap jamboree “On My Knees,” the band shows a nice range within the genre. Even Lord Almighty love songs like the closing “God Does” works on irredeemable non-believers like me. It’s a solid return from the ‘Bama boys who’ve been touring with beloved rabblerousers Black Pistol Fire this year — they’ve got a live album from the legendary Ryman coming out in mid-November, too, which should capture some of the fireworks nicely, so keep your eyes out for that. In the meantime give their opening statement “Disaster” a spin here and pretend you don’t hear the ghosts of Ronnie and the boys:
Up next is the full length debut of Brighton band the Heavy Heavy, otherwise known as guitarist Will Turner and keyboardist Georgie Fuller. The duo released their solid EP Life and Life Only two years ago and it quickly caught fire on the back of the irresistible single “Miles and Miles,” which was a bright, buoyant slice of nostalgia almost engineered to defeat even the most withering of defenses. The band’s retro sound of Motown meets Laurel Canyon went down easy and they thankfully have kept that recipe intact here, giving us another dozen songs of rose-colored wonder.
On One of a Kind they continue to channel their inner Mamas and the Papas, giving us a bounty of beautiful harmonies balanced atop “simpler time” lyrics about sunshine, love, and airplane rides. The words won’t necessarily bowl you over (“I’ll never be like you, man, I’m nothing like you, man, your hair’s not long enough” is but one example), but that’s somewhat beside the point. Similar to jazz scatters or stream of consciousness riffers like RHCP’s Anthony Keidis what’s often most important for acts like this is what surrounds it and that’s the music, energy, and vibe, which these guys have down pat. Think of how many songs from the 60s had simple, almost throwaway lyrics, yet remain beloved classics six decades later. (“I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “My Girl,” “Surfin’ USA,” “Wooly Bully,” “Tequila…”) I can’t say for certain any of these will have such staying power, but I can say if you let yourself focus on the music and the mood it’s tough not to like what they’re sharing.
From the bright, opening title track and its follow on “Happiness” to back half winners like “Cherry” and “Lemonade,” they could be singing about sale items off a coupon for all I care, this stuff just feels good. Slower, more soulful songs like “Wild Emotion” and the CSN-inspired “Lovestruck,” or more raucous raveups like “Dirt” and “Feel” broaden things out and keep it from sounding too superficial and similar. The shimmering, soaring “Salina” is one of many favorites, closing things out on a lovely, wondrous note — give it a listen here:
We’ll wrap up with a slew of singles and start with the most divisive of the bunch, both in terms of content and author. It comes from Seattle’s Macklemore, always something of a lightning rod on his own (his overly earnest lyrics either rub you the wrong way or endear him to you), but especially when he’s wading into the ultra-contentious topic of Israel, Gaza, and Palestine. It’s his second bite at the apple, having previously released the fiery “Hinds Hall” track this summer in support of the Palestinian people. This one finds him doubling down, while inviting an assortment of appropriate assistants — Gaza-bred rapper MC Abdul, Palestinian-American singer Anees, and the LA Palestinian Kids Choir, among others. In classic rap medley fashion he saves the last verse (and best beat) for himself, delivering another pointed critique at our government’s response and the plight of the people on the ground. It’s another worthy listen, if only to keep the conversation going — give it a spin here:
Up next comes a new EP from Minnesota’s Trampled by Turtles, back for the first time since their ninth album, 2022’s Alpenglow. (Produced by none other than hometown fave Jeff Tweedy…) For this one frontman Dave Simonett conducted an interesting experiment, recording the same five songs two different ways, once under his primary Turtles umbrella and then again with his equally excellent side project Dead Man Winter. The results are winning no matter the source, with the former half probably taking it by a nose as the upbeat strings and extra flourishes (specifically a pair of appearances by LeAnn Rimes) giving it the slight edge. I really enjoy the opening track, whose bright bluegrass vibe and booming chorus get things off on a great foot. Give it a listen here:
We’ll hop across the pond next for the latest from the criminally underappreciated London quartet the Boxer Rebellion who briefly resurfaced earlier this year with the four song EP Open Arms. Their first outing in nearly six years, they quietly dropped this with next to no fanfare back in February with little explanation of what they’ve been up to in the meantime or what might come next. (They released their sixth album Ghost Alive in equally surreptitious fashion, which landed at #7 on my 2018 list nonetheless…) This one finds them striking an almost affirmational tone, as the songs bubble with positivity and their characteristic soaring sense of hope. The opener is another lovely ode to another, whose lipstick tastes as sweet as the titular product, and it’s a dreamy slice of pop perfection. Really hoping they’ve got more coming for us soon…
Also released earlier this year was a one-off from Philly’s Mt Joy and the live album they dropped at the same time, Live at the Salt Shed. It was recorded during one of the band’s frequent (and somewhat unexpected) multi-night stays here in town. (They closed their tour with three nights this year and pulled the album from a four night run they did to close the last one, ending with a New Year’s Eve blowout.) I’m not sure what we’ve done to win them over so much (I’ve been a fan since their early day set in the scorching sun at Lolla years ago that got a pretty big response, so maybe that’s it), but it’s always good to see them come round again. This was the sole new song on the album, so hopefully they’ve got some more in store for us soon. (Their last album was 2022’s excellent Orange Blood, which landed at #3 on my year end list.)
Next up comes the latest from the Kills who recently released an EP of acoustic takes on several songs from their disappointing sixth album God Games, which came out last year and landed with a thud. (At least for me.) These renditions show the issue wasn’t the songs themselves, but rather how they chose to present them, sapping almost all of the characteristic tension and fire and instead leaving a series of limp, overly subdued takes, which blurred into the equivalent of a flat line on a heart monitor. The remake of lead single “103” trades in the woozy, lurching pace off the studio album for a more driving, plucky feel that works wonderfully, while the redo of “Better Days” amps up the original’s Spanish flourishes to give us an elegant, almost Flamenco feel that’s just missing the handclaps and twirling mantón. Check it out here:
Up next is a one off from Nashville faves My Morning Jacket and a single they dropped in the run up to the upcoming election (two weeks away, people — I think I’m going to vomit…) Written by frontman Jim James “with a little help” from bandmate Bo Koster and Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull, it’s a slice of James’ characteristic positivity, calling on everyone to remember their similarities and quell some of the unrelenting divisiveness that seems to color almost every discussion about politics these days. It’s similar to the type of unabashedly sunny (some more callous folks may say “hippie dippy”) songs as “Love Love Love” off their last one, 2021’s eponymous album (which landed at #4 on that year’s list), but I don’t care. As the Vice President has been saying, people are exhausted with that stuff and I for one would much rather live in a world where sentiments like these are the soundtrack rather than all the vitriol and nonsense. See how it strikes you — give it a spin here:
We’ll close with one of my favorites as one of the year’s brightest spots is back with another glorious offering — the beloved Ms Katie (aka Waxahatchee) delivers us another song from the sessions for her excellent album, Tiger’s Blood, her second in the more overt embrace of her country upbringing (the first being 2020’s fabulous Saint Cloud, which landed at #8 on my list that year). It’s a near-flawless follow up, one she’s been touring relentlessly and playing in full most nights. (And which is guaranteed to show up close to the top of this year’s list in a few months…) This one’s another wonderful entry, as she battles with giving herself to another (“stare at your picture, it’s visceral and it’s crushing — much ado about nothing…”) Long a favorite, she’s playing at another level now — just fabulous stuff. Check it out here:
That’s it for now — until next time, amici… (VOTE! And let’s hope joy and inclusivity beat back the forces of self-importance and negativity once again…)
–BS