Tag: #thekills

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Singles Club — Seven Standalones and Heavy Heavy Strays

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

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The Other Half of the Glass — More Filings From The Fifty Fifty Club

Continuing the theme from the previous post — and frankly the bulk of the year, for that matter — I thought it was time to share some more songs from the hit and miss roller coaster we’ve been on and ride into the weekend with a few more songs under our belts. For whatever reason the overarching pattern of this year has seemed to be moments of excellence and joy quickly tempered by those of mediocrity and frustration. (Some might merely call this “life” or “adulthood,” but I suspect an international conspiracy I’ve not yet managed to unravel instead — STAY TUNED for groundbreaking developments as I manage to unearth them…)

It’s held in everything from my professional and personal lives (relentless ridiculousness at work countered by momentary innovations and wins, an ongoing bounty of delights in my beloved city by the lake juxtaposed with COVID decimation and myriad other maladies) to my musical meanderings and most things in between. It’s been so pervasive it applies both between and within these categories — lousy day at work balanced by an amazing show or meal that night. Hellacious week shadowed by a heavenly weekend. Crummy song/album or two quickly followed by a couple winners. It’s been like this the entire year, with the past few weeks being perfect examples. Increasingly atrocious work weeks attacked afterwards by some amazing off hours adventures — shows by Jeselnik, Bargatze, and the Hives, along with a visit from one of my favorite humans. Outstanding show by MMJ last night preceding what will almost certainly be the worst work week yet.

The music by and large has been mostly the same — we highlighted a handful of examples last post from some long-time favorites and I’ve found several more since, each testing the old adage of whether the glass is half full or half empty. As always I strive to focus on the former (am I not Bobby Sunshine?) and we’ll keep those efforts up here with seven sets of selections to super-size your weekend. We’ll start with the ones that test that adage the most before sliding into those more obviously overflowing examples, with the first being another pair of underwhelming albums from old faves.

The first comes from Parquet Courts frontman Andrew Savage who recently released his second solo album, Several Songs about Fire. It’s been two years since his last Courts album (2021’s Sympathy for Life, which landed at #14 on my year end list) and close to six since his solo debut (2017’s Thawing Dawn) and unfortunately this one mirrors more of the latter than the former.

Savage and his band are always an eclectic (and often amazing) listen — there’s the more straight ahead punk/indie songs of the flagship entity and the noisier, more experimental work of their alter ego Parkay Quarts, while his solo effort showed a more subtle, at times country vibe that added an interesting element to their/his repertoire. He leans into the latter here, giving just a couple tracks whose pace surpasses a lazy lope, and those end up being the ones that work best. Too often tracks meander without ever taking off (if these are songs about fire, they’re flicks on a lighter instead of sustained flames), but these two work really well. Check out “Elvis in the Army” and “David’s Dead” here:

 

Next comes the latest from NY/LA duo The Kills, back with their sixth album, God Games. It’s their first in nearly seven years (2017’s Ash and Ice) and unfortunately it deepens the slide begun there — that one had some solid tracks, but didn’t land on my year end list, breaking the streak of their previous three — yielding their most underwhelming album yet. For a duo known for its irresistible allure (they ooze cool, like my English aunt does gin fumes) and their taut marriage of slinky, slightly dangerous sounding songs, they’ve for some reason rendered the latter almost entirely impotent here. They’ve achieved this by largely stripping away half of their signature sound — Jamie Hince’s primal, fiery guitar — and instead given us an album of slower, at times almost sedated songs.

Similar to Savage’s the best tracks are the ones that most closely channel their “classic” sound. (I’m not looking to penalize artists for broadening their sound and trying something new. Not all experiments end up successes, though, and this unfortunately erases most of the things I love about this band.)  Allison Mosshart’s vocals still occasionally exude a sensuality that could stir the sensibilities of even the most steadfast of curmudgeons, but without the punctuation of Hince’s guitar (or a beat that rises above the resting heart rate of a blue whale) the songs mostly fall flat, hitting with the force of a spitball out of a soggy straw. Two in particular rise above, the opening “New York” and “103,” both of which are worth a listen. Give em a spin here:

 

We’ll start making the move to more solid footing with some mixed outings from some newcomers and a trio of former #Fridayfreshness champs from the sister site.  The first is the latest from Toronto band Zeus, back with their fourth album, Credo. It’s their first in nearly a decade (Classic Zeus came out in 2014) and as alluded to before it’s a mixed bag of an album.

The band has three different songwriters — multi-instrumentalists Neil Quin, Mike O’Brien, and Carlin Nicholson — and those disparate voices/influences lead to a somewhat incoherent feel as they bounce from style to style. There’s an 80s era Dire Straits and the Cars vibe to some tracks, while others have more modern echoes of bands like Cold War Kids and War on Drugs. None of those are bad on their own, it just prevents things from gelling quite as strongly overall — perhaps if there were a few less voices/styles vying for attention it would seem less jarring. That said there are still several solid tracks that’ve been getting stuck in my head and are worth sharing — here’s a mini EP with three of my faves: “Air I Walk,” Kickin’ up the Dust,” and “Candy:”

 

Next up comes Nashville’s Natural Child, back with their seventh album, Be M’guest. (Their last, self-titled album came out in 2020.) As I noted on the ‘Gram during their coronation, these guys mix rock, country, and blues styles in their songs and there’s everything from swampy ZZ Top and Skynyrd elements to flickers of forebears like Jimmy Buffet and Chuck Berry on the album. For some reason the variety coheres a bit better here than on Zeus’ album (maybe because the influences are cousins instead of mere cohabitants), but the Southern-inspired songs are my faves.

Tracks like the Skynyrd-flecked “Mexican Adderall” or the ZZ-esque “Check the Mirror”/”Lost and Found” are all great, with most of them showcasing some ripsh#$ little runs by guitarist Seth Murray that’re sure to get the pulse/fist pumping.  Don’t sleep on the one that won on the sister site either, “Tell Me I’m Wrong.”  A fun, light album good for getting you in a groove — give the tunes a taste here:

 

Speaking of ripsh#$ riffs — Boston’s Palehound. Otherwise known as frontwoman/guitarist Ellen Kempner, bassist Larz Brogan, and drummer Zoe Brecher, they’re the last of the former #freshness champs, back with their recently released fourth album, Eye on the Bat. (Their third, Black Friday, came out in 2019.) This one brings to mind 90s era acts like Liz Phair and Tracy Bonham with its confessional lyrics and toughness (alongside some of the aforementioned grungy guitars).

Kempner toggles between a delicate coo and a slightly more ferocious wail with her delivery and her guitar playing definitely throws off some sparks. (The rhythm section of Brogan and Brecher isn’t too shabby either…) I really dig some of the melodies, too — similar to the last two there’s a trio of faves to note here as well. Check out the killer triple play (which hit 2-3-4 on the album) of “Independence Day,” “The Clutch,” and the title track here:

 

We’ll close with another duo, this time a pair of Spots spillovers and new finds, the first of which is South Carolina’s SUSTO. Primarily the product of singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Justin Osborne (who’s since been backed by a medley of supporting musicians) the band is back with their fifth album, My Entire Life. They last released an album less than two years ago (2021’s Time in the Sun), but they’re back for more with another dozen songs here and it’s a mostly solid bunch.

This one kept coming on after I’d listen to other albums, constantly hitting me with one song or another, and after the fourth or fifth time I decided to see why the Spots was being so forceful with its recommendations. (Maybe this is part of that international conspiracy I mentioned at the top? — I’m adding it to the flow chart. We’ll get to the bottom of this yet!) Writ large this one’s got a nice feel good vibe that reminds me a bit of Mt Joy/Caamp/Oliver Hazard, and while sometimes things veer a bit too close towards Christian rock for my taste, there’s more than enough for secular heathens such as I to enjoy. Check out three of my faves — “Mt Caroline,” “Hyperbolic Jesus,” and “Cowboys” here:

 

Last but not least is another album full of good tunes, the self-titled fourth release from Athens, Georgia’s New Madrid. It’s a bit of an older album — it came out nearly two years ago — but similar to SUSTO’s it slipped in after listening to one of my other albums and immediately grabbed my ear. (Unlike the aforementioned this one only came on once, but that single listen was enough to drive me straight to the album and I’ve been obsessively listening to it ever since.)

It’s a really good album — it reminds me a bit of Vundabar and the Shins at times — and there are loads of good tunes filling its forty minutes. Opening “I Want It” and “Are You the Wind” have an effervescent energy and pace, while back half tracks like “I Tried to Wait” add some heft with its gonzo sax freakout and muscular riff. Three of many faves include “It’s OK (2 Cry),” “Queen for a Day,” and “Q&A” — give each of em a listen here:

 

We’ll close with some reading material, walking us through some recent anniversaries of some classic albums. First up is the 30 year (holy fu#$, how is that possible) anniversary of the Smashing Pumpkins’ monster breakthrough Siamese Dream. The article does a good job highlighting both the importance of the album, as well as the issues frontman Billy Corgan causes fans (then and now). He’s undeniably been the driving force behind the band since the beginning (although I’ll argue drummer Jimmy Chamberlin might be the most important), a fact that’s done almost as much damage as good, particularly in recent years — the right-wing conspiracy theories, marrying someone he himself joked seemed young enough to be his daughter (in his own wedding speech!), and just misunderstanding what made albums like this so special and beloved.

It wasn’t just how hard it rocked, it was how it balanced that with sweet, swirling subtler notes and sincere, vulnerable lyrics. (See Zeitgeist for what an album solely full of rawking Pumpkins sounds like.) For years I took it for granted how great this band was — Corgan went to the high school across town and the band was constantly on local radio before they blew up and dominated MTV — but albums like this remind you why they were never going to stay secret for long, the songs were simply too good. Take a listen to two of my faves, the thundering “Quiet” and the understated “Spaceboy” here:

 

Up next comes the other side of the coin and what should have been a monster band — NY’s The Rapture and the 20th anniversary of their masterful Echoes. The fact these guys didn’t become sustained superstars remains something of a headscratcher, though the article (as well as the fantastic Meet Me In The Bathroom, which is required reading for any fan of 00s indie music) do a good job giving a glimpse of why — bad timing of the album’s release, battling egos and oversized personalities, etc — which only makes it more unfortunate when you listen to this album.

This remains among my top five albums from that era and one of my overall faves — it still sizzles 20 years on, and that’s even if you ignore the irresistible juggernaut that is “House of Jealous Lovers.” (Which you can’t do, even for a silly hypothetical exercise — the track is that good.) Frontman Luke Jenner’s nasally, slightly deranged falsetto was the perfect foil to the rest of the band’s sledgehammer grooves — he’d draw you in on slower songs like “Open up Your Heart” and “Infatuation” and then soundtrack your screams as your brain broke down on jagged bangers like “The Coming of Spring” and “Heaven.” (He also stars in some of the funniest stories/has some of the best lines in Bathroom — yet another reason to read that fantastic book.)

The band mostly kept the groove going for their follow on Pieces Of The People We Love, but by the time they recorded their final album In the Grace of Your Love they were almost a completely different band — far more subdued and spiritual, with barely a glimpse of the punky dancefloor destroyers they used to be. (Still a good album — it landed at #8 on my 2011 list — just a completely different feel, like going to church Sunday morning instead of the club the night before.) Like I said, it still bums me out 20 years later, but we’ll always have this gem to hold onto — crank up the title track and the equally unstoppable “Sister Saviour” and remember why here:

 

Last but not least we’ll close the library with another 20th anniversary remembrance, this time for the beloved Kentucky quintet My Morning Jacket and their perennial classic It Still Moves. As the eight of you occasional readers are abundantly aware, this is one of my favorite bands — their albums often end up on my year end lists (their last two landed at #4 in 2021 and #10 the year before), I’ve ranked all their albums and even given a concentrated starter kit for which songs the uninitiated should listen to first. In short, I love them, and this album (as the article notes) remains the pinnacle for a great many fans. (Including me.)

I’ve enjoyed the odder, funkier moves they’ve made since (the outer space explorations of Jim (or Yim’s) cape era) as well as their frequent returns to the warm, pastoral elements so often in view here, but it’s this album’s masterful collection of the latter which remains the high point. Its songs remain a stalwart of the live shows, accounting for anywhere from 15-20% of their setlists even now, despite having released six studio albums since then. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing them perform the album in its entirety the other night and it was every bit as transcendent as it’s so often been over the past 20 years. (This is a band that knows how to nail mind-wreckingly uplifting live shows — they’re flat out one of the best performers out there — but even having seen them do it a dozen times or so over the years, this show was on a whole other level.) It’s almost impossible to pick a favorite, but here’s two I always come back to, the slowly building face melter “Run Thru” and the fall on the floor beauty “Steam Engine.” Give em (and then the entire album) a spin here:

 

Finally I’ll leave you with the speech from Tom Morello last weekend for Rage Against the Machine’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Morello was there on his own — not entirely unexpected for Zach to be absent (although he did induct Patti Smith in 2007), but I was somewhat surprised that Brad and Tim weren’t there. Nevertheless, the Rage guitarist delivered an outstanding speech, a call to arms every bit as undeniable as the band’s songs. If you aren’t moved to do something — start a band, run for office, protest (or stir up a SH#$load of trouble) — I don’t know what’s wrong with you. So do as the man says — crank up the Rage and go make this place something worth shouting about.

Until next time, amici… — BS

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Echoes of the Past: Old Friends, New Songs

I’ve been having some really strange dreams lately — the other night I was supposed to play in a five on five basketball tournament, but got distracted in the building’s museum separating bales of cotton and missed the game (my dream machine was foot operated, but somehow not otherwise off when I looked up how the f#$k a cotton gin worked on Youtube).  Then last night I was making a mound visit to the Yankees pitcher for some reason when I suddenly, urgently needed to use the bathroom and was worried I was going to sh#$ myself on the diamond.

No idea where any of these things came from — haven’t been studying Southern agriculture or watching the NBA lately (and fu#$ the Yankees) — but suppose it’s just further proof that the prolonged lockdown continues to rot my brain. Thankfully I’ve had some calming companions to ride out the decline with the past few weeks, in the form of new material from a bunch of old favorites.

We’ll start with a half measure, new songs from old albums, and a couple of B-side collections coming out soon.  First up is the upcoming collection from the Kills, who plan to release their album Little Bastards just before Christmas (are we still doing that this year? I’m honestly not sure…) The first single is a demo that dates back to their Midnight Boom days and sounds perfectly in line with all their other stuff (no sitar-laden sidetracks here, thankfully).

Would be cool to hear a more powered up, polished version with Hince’s guitars cranked to the heavens as he stalks the stage live (are we ever doing that again? Not if we don’t save our stages… #RIPUHall), but this is as good as we get right now.  Give “Raise Me” a ride here:

Next comes the surprising news that departed legend Tom Petty (#RIPTP) recorded an entire additional album’s worth of songs back in 1994 when he released the great Wildflowers. Apparently Petty always envisioned that being a double album, but the label didn’t think that would sell so refused to put it out that way.  Petty was thus forced to use some of the material on the She’s the One soundtrack (also solid), while the rest was left to gather dust in his sizeable archives.

Until now, that is.  Petty’s family is thankfully putting the material out as he originally intended next week, with the Wildflowers & All the Rest box set. It will contain not only the original album, but all the missing pieces (including a bunch of alternate versions for songs previously released). His family has released several of the unheard tracks so far (including one only after taking a quiz on Petty’s website) and it really makes you wonder why the label was so resistant.  I’m really looking forward to hearing it how Petty wanted next week — in the meantime take that quiz and listen to “Leave Virginia Alone” here:

We’ll transition now to a trio of updates from three favorites, Kevin Morby, Jeff Tweedy, and Matt Berninger.  Each has new albums coming out soon (some of which we’ve already posted here), but they’ve released more material in recent weeks and two of the three sat down with Stereogum for lengthy interviews in the run-up to the albums.

We’ll start with Morby, whose upcoming Sundowner (due out next week) is a bit of a bridge to the previous two albums in that he recorded most of the songs a while ago, but is only releasing them now.  Reading the interview there’s no disputes with labels that prevented him from doing so, it just didn’t feel like the right time to him then.  (Morby instead recorded and released Oh My God, which landed at #7 on last year’s annual list.)

It took the world shutting down and his going into hibernation in rural Kansas to give the songs their due. We’ve already heard the lovely “Campfire,” as well as the equally outstanding “Don’t Underestimate Midwest American Sun” (which I first heard him play for Willie Nelson back in April — what was that, like two years ago now at this point?) and this week he released the title track, which might be my favorite so far.  It’s simple, stripped down, and pretty — which is just what the doctor ordered these days.

We got to catch Morby and Nathaniel Rateliff doing a livestream from Red Rocks last week, which was pretty fantastic.  Ms Katie was there, too, so a couple songs had all three singing together, which was as close to perfect as I think we’re allowed to get right now.  Next week’s gonna be a good week (at least musically…)  Check out “Sundowner” until then:

Next comes another King of Quarantine, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, who in addition to STILL doing his nightly livestream (albeit more sporadically now), has not only found the time to write another book (How to Write One Song, due out this week), but another album as well (Love is the King, due out the following week).  Really makes you question how you’ve spent your lockdown, doesn’t it? (“I’ve cleaned the windows 77 times and………listened to a podcast on illegal fishing…….and…….um…….went for a run……twice?”)

Tweedy just released a Wilco album and solo outing last year (both of which landed at #9 on the annual list), so it’s slightly surprising he’s back so soon — but this being the year of constant, shitty surprises, it SUUUUUUUURE is a welcome alternative!  Tweedy’s released a couple tracks so far (the title track and “Guess Again”) and they’re both solid outings, but thought this one was worth posting based on the cool/comical video.  It sports appearances (albeit only from the nose down) of several famous friends, everyone from Jeff Garlin, Nick Offerman, and Jon Hamm to Seth Meyers, Abbi Jacobson, and Courtney Barnett. It’s a good song, too — see who you can spot in the video here:

Last up in the lineup of old friends is National frontman Matt Berninger, who’s set to debut his first solo album, Serpentine Prison, next week as well. (I TOLD ya next week’s gonna be a good one!) Berninger walks through the recording of the album (produced by soul icon Booker T), as well as a range of other topics in this interview, which is worth a read as it’s a good career retrospective.

As for the album, we’ve heard a couple tracks so far, including the lovely “Distant Axis” and the title track, but wanted to throw this one up, too, since it’s another soft, soothing affair. (We really gotta take it easy on ourselves, guys — sh#$’s getting crazy out there…) It’s right in Berninger’s/National’s wheelhouse, both melodically and lyrically, all merlot glow and tenderness. Embrace the warmth here:

We’ll close with a couple new faces and songs from bands I’ve never really gotten into, despite an inordinate amount of hype.  First up comes the lead single from Buck Meek’s latest solo album, Two Saviors (due out in January).  Meek is the guitarist for indie darling Big Thief, who critics adore, but I’ve never really gotten into. (Although I do like the track “Masterpiece,” for one.)

Meek’ solo stuff is more in the folksy Americana vein, which works a little better, his warbling voice pairing nicely with his acoustic guitar.  The lead single “Second Sight” is in line with his previous outings, calling to mind Avett Brothers and Clem Snide at times with its harmonies.  It’s also lyrically in line with our theme of “take it eaaaaaaaasy, man,” all sunshine, hugs, and loving affirmations.  Just lie back and bask in the glow here:

Last up comes a song from a recent Daniel Johnston tribute concert, which starred several of the folks mentioned above — Morby, Waxahatchee, and Tweedy, as well as Beck, Lucius, and more.  Johnston’s another who’s beloved in the indie world (as evidenced in part by that lineup), but one I’ve never really enjoyed on his own.  His lyrics occasionally veer too far into the nonsensical or overly childish, while my ears almost always fight his thin, shaky voice.

That said — when others perform his songs, I tend to hear what I’ve been missing and understand the fuss.  Built to Spill’s album of Johnston covers from this year is really good (sporting tracks like “Life in Vain,” which we wrote about before), while Tweedy’s rendition of “True Love Will Find You in the End” is one of my absolute, all-time favorites. (Particularly when he does it solo.)

For some reason I need to hear it through others’ ears to get it.  Another case in point is Cut Worms’ version of “To Go Home,” which was the highlight of the tribute concert for me.  Repackaging the melody and allowing the slyly funny chorus to shine in a way it just doesn’t in the original, this one’s a real winner.  Give it a listen here:

That’s it for now — until next time, amici. Stay safe, sane, and sequestered…

— BS

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Songs for the Dead — The Drawing of Three

On this week’s edition of Home School Hibernation we find our fabled author doing much the same as before — passing the days logging hard-earned miles on the hunkered down highway with his snoring, farting sidekick asleep on his lap, taking the occasional break to work from his now award-winning toaster oven standing desk instead of the porch or couch, while streaming one of the many daily concerts put out there by similarly shutdown artists.  There’s been solid one-off mini-sets from Hamilton Leithauser and Waxahatchee this week, along with more recurring highlights like the nightly Tweedy Show (which is basically just the Wilco frontman hanging out in his living room while he and his sons crack jokes and sing songs — a space that’s every bit as calm and enjoyable to lounge in as that sounds) or the weekly Thursday night stream from Waxahatchee and Kevin Morby (which finds the couple doing duets, solo tunes, and a bunch of covers).  It’s been a welcome reprieve from what’s otherwise been a really bad news week — aside from the usual corona-related news, which saw us somehow DOUBLE the global death toll in THREE DAYS (?!?!?) while also adding 600,000 confirmed cases in the same time span (stats that are as alarming as how little fanfare they generated in the news), we also lost three music legends — Kenny Rogers, Bill Withers, and John Prine.

Each of these men had a slew of iconic songs — songs almost everyone knows, whether you love them or not — Rogers had “Lady,” “We Got Tonight,” “Islands in the Stream,” and the titanic “The Gambler,” among others.  Withers had “Just the Two of Us,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lovely Day,” and “Lean on Me,” just to get started. Prine is the lesser known of the three — at least to the general public — but he’s got both a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys and membership in the Songwriters Hall of Fame for tunes like “Illegal Smile,” “Far From Me,” “Spanish Pipedream,” and “Sam Stone.” Perhaps that underdog, everyman status is why so many artists recorded tributes for Prine this week, instead of for Rogers and Withers — he belonged to them, whereas the latter two belonged to everyone.

Rolling Stone had a really good obituary/retrospective on him that’s worth a read — he used to be a mailman in the town my old man was born in, which is wild — but pop on these tributes while you do.  There were three that were quite good, two coming from our aforementioned recurring delights.  The first of those is Kevin Morby singing Prine’s classic “Angel From Montgomery” on last week’s stream (they reprised it as a duet this week after he passed), while the second is Tweedy singing “Please Don’t Bury Me” on his nightly show.  The third is probably the most poignant — Dave Matthews singing “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” on Colbert, which he gives a mournful, melancholic tone missing from the original.  It’s quite lovely and all three give folks a reason to pay more attention to Prine — his solid storytelling and straightforward, sometimes funny lyrics almost glide by unnoticed with his simple, nonchalant delivery.  May he, Rogers, and Withers all rest in peace.

Three other isolation-related items before leaving our living rooms — first, another highlight from last week’s Thursday night stream was Waxahatchee covering Emmylou Harris’ “Where Will I Be.”  Crutchfield is an Alabama native and she tends to like doing country covers in her shows/streams, so this one’s right in her wheelhouse.  She does it justice, with just a beautiful rendition of the song — give it a listen here (and tune in to them Thursdays — it’s pretty endearing to see such talented individuals interacting just as a couple hanging out, bantering while singing a bunch of great songs, so check em here at 9PM EST):

Next comes a somewhat surprising acoustic offering from PUP frontman Stefan Babcock and the new song “Waiting for Something to Happen.” He and his band of Canadian punks aren’t known for quieter fare (his amped up wail is one of their signatures), so this is an interesting departure.  It’s even got a French horn, for chrissakes?!  It’s a good tune, though — will be curious to see if he shows more of this side in the coming months.  Give it a listen here:

Lastly we’ll close with another plug for the monster quarantunes playlist I wrote about a couple posts ago. Since that time I’ve added another 40 hours’ worth of songs, going waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay further down the rabbit hole than I initially expected, but once you get started it’s kind of a fun little game. (Besides, what the hell else do I have to do with my time?) It’s now over 100 hours and counting, so PLENTY of stuff in there for you to listen to.  I’ve had it on all week while I work and only occasionally get a repeat, so think you should be fine for a good long while.  It’s pretty fun, if I do say so myself — give it a shot if you haven’t already here.

We’ll delve out into the big, bad world now for a few new songs, carefully trying to avoid The Invisible Enemy… (cue scary music and reverb, but DON’T necessarily put on a mask when you go — I mean you can if you want to, but I’m not going to. Sincerely, POTUS.) First comes a song from Kills frontwoman Alison Mosshart who for the first time is having a go as a solo artist.  It’s a slow burning song about recovering from a breakup — not too different sonically from her work with the Kills and Dead Weather — but works just as nicely as a little pandemic anthem. Listen to “Rise” here:

Next comes a little musical version of a home and home series (aw, remember when we had sports? Sniff…) between unexpected opponents — in this case indie band Rogue Wave and underground rap fave Aesop Rock.  A few months ago the latter put out a song with the name of the former — it wasn’t about the band, just a coincidental use of the phrase — but it caught the band’s attention and they decided to respond in kind, releasing a song in Aesop’s name this week.  It similarly is not about the rapper (best I can tell it’s sorta about the fables?), but it’s got a nice little guitar riff and melody.  Give “Aesop Rock” a ride here:

For his part Aesop was busy this week, too, releasing a soundtrack for a video game he did for a friend.  It’s mostly instrumentals, but a couple songs have him dropping verses, the best of which is this one, “Drums on the Wheel.”  Also not sure what this one’s about (something about a pilot in space talking to Major Cigar?), but who the hell cares — it’s a video game. It’s got a good beat and Aesop’s signature flow, that’s all I need.  See what you think here:

We’ll close with a little warmth, from the voice of Nathaniel and the heart of the Hunts, two frequent visitors to the list. For the former Rateliff released a pair of outtakes from his bigger band, the Night Sweats, this week, an instrumental along with this one, whose title earned it immediate entry to the aforementioned playlist.  It’s a statelier affair than the band’s more high energy offerings, which is nice in this climate — I can’t afford to get too excited, that might invite The Invisible Enemy in (no one’s quite sure how he attacks…) — so pour yourself a tall glass of somethin’ tasty and enjoy this one:

Last comes the latest from the brothers and sisters in the Hunts, back with yet another unabashedly earnest song about love. These kids write such pretty, heartfelt songs with such knee-buckling harmonies, it’s really quite remarkable.  They feel like such anomalies — both in the pre-pandemic music scene and the wider world — because of their lyrics, their optimism, and their pure prettiness.  I’m constantly amazed they haven’t had that beaten out of them yet, but every song like this reminds me I’m very thankful they haven’t.  Just close your eyes, pop this on, and picture what life would be like if it was this blissful and serene:

Stay safe out there… –BS