Tag: 2020s
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Willie Nelson, I Don’t Know A Thing About Love, 2023 on Legacy
The missing subtitle here is “the songs of Harlan Howard” – the primary songwriter on all these tracks. It’s a great collection, released on the 23rd anniversary of Howard’s death in 2002. Artwork is by Micah Nelson (aka Particle Kid). My copy is the VMP vinyl edition (which also seems to be the only vinyl…
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Justin Townes Earle, Single Mothers & Absent Fathers, 2022 on Vagrant Records
Combination of two previously released Justin Townes Earle LPs: 2014’s Single Mothers and 2015’s Absent Fathers, issued as a 2xLP release in celebration of Vagrant’s 25th Anniversary on yellow/black splatter vinyl. Putting these two together isn’t crazy, of course – the recording sessions were originally intended to be a double album but turned into two…
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Mose Allison, Live 1978, 2022 on Liberation Hall
Although this was recorded (at the Showboat Lounge in Silver Spring Maryland) in 1978, it was unreleased until 2022 when it was put out as a Record Store Day release. Allison is accompanied by Tom Rutley on bass and Jerry Ganelli on drums. As the liner notes put it: Most of the material is fairly…
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St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Angels in Science Fiction, 2023 on ATO Records
This is the fifth full length album from Alabama’s St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and their second on ATO. Beautiful packing with a lovely lyrics booklet. It’s also a great record, with its origins reportedly in letters Paul Janeway wrote to his (at the time) not yet born child. It’s the kind of album,…
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Mary Gauthier, Dark Enough to See The Stars, 2022 on In The Black Records
I’ve posted a number of Mary Gauthier records before – been following her career from the beginnings as she transitioned from chef/owner of Dixie Kitchen on Mass Ave by Berkeley to singer/songwriter at the Mews in Provincetown in the off-season. The title track is a co-write with Beth Nielsen Chapman: In an ocean black and…
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The Dropkick Murphys, Turn Up That Dial, 2021 on Born & Bred Records
The Dropkick Murphys formed in Quincy Massachusetts in the mid 90s, with Ken Casey, Rick Barton and Mike McColgan – Casey’s the only one still involved as of this recent LP. They created Born & Bred as an imprint to release their own music through the Independent Label Group / Alternative Distribution Alliance. My copy…
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Iron and Wine, Lori, 2023 on Black Cricket Recording Co
Tribute EP to Lori McKenna, released as a limited edition sky blue vinyl record in 2023. It’s a double-sided EP, with the same four tracks on each side, though the track order doesn’t actually match what’s printed on the jacket. I’m a huge fan of Sam Beam (Iron and Wine) and of Lori McKenna so…
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Son Volt, Day of the Doug: The Songs of Doug Sahm, 2023 on Transmit Sound
Jay Farrar and Son Volt performing the songs of Doug Sahm, over 20 years after he passed in 1999. This was a “Record Store Day First” release back in 2023 on green vinyl. It’s got a vocal intro and outro by Doug Sahm, lifted from voicemails. The back cover is an homage to the cover…
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Drop Nineteens, Hard Light, 2023 on Wharf Cat Records
Boston’s own Drop Nineteens were a standout “shoegaze” band in the early 90s but broke up in 1994 – this is their first release since 1993, and it sounds fantastic. I think I appreciate it even more than their earlier material. The current line up includes Greg Ackell, Paula Kelley, Motohiro Yasue, Steve Zimmerman, and…
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White Bike, Give Up, 2023 on Turntable Kitchen.
Full album cover of The Postal Service album (of the same name) from 2013 by Portland OR indie band White Bike. I love this series and this album – although there have been many covers of “Such Great Heights” it’s wonderful to hear the full album get the cover treatment. I’m especially fond of their…
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Julie Byrne, The Greater Wings, 2023 on Ghostly International
This is Byrne’s first release on Ghostly International and third full-length. Her collaborator and partner Eric Littmann died suddenly during the recording of the album which he was producing. Alex Somers (of Jónsi & Alex) completed the production. Byrne says in the sleeve notes “we worked with devotion and deliberate exploration of how our collaboration…
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Nickel Creek, Celebrants, 2023 on Repair Records
The first Nickel Creek album since 2014 and a welcome reunion for Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins, all of whom have been busy doing other things. It become a nominee for best folk album at the Grammy Awards but lost to Joni Mitchell at Newport. It was recorded in 4 weeks at Nashville’s…
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Various Artists, L80s: So Unusual, 2023 on Numero Group
Really interesting package here – the sleeve is basically denim, with a pocket looking like an 80s jeans pocket, complete with lipstick mark and phone number (which actually rings Numero group). Part of a series Numero group did: “The Cabinet of Curiosities,” each of which is said to be in “lavish” packaging. The contents: Yes,…
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Baby Rose, Through and Through, 2023 on Secretly Canadian
Debut album on Secretly Canadian for Baby Rose (aka Jasmine Rose Wilson) and her second album. Sort of a psychelic soul throwback – her voice gets lots of comparisons to Nina Simone but as though Simone was fronting a contemporary R&B group. It’s not that she’s imitating or calling back to an older form –…
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Sunny War, Anarchist Gospel, 2023 on New West
Sunny War, for me, came out of nowhere – I was not familiar with her earlier work though she’s put out 6 previous full length albums (one with Micah Nelson aka Particle Kid), but I will definitely be looking to pick up those older albums now that i’ve heard this one. Her bandcamp says: Sunny…
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Nikki Lane, Denim & Diamonds, 2022 on New West Records
Nikki Lane’s fourth full length – her third on New West – produced by Josh Homme. My copy is the purple vinyl edition purportedly limited to 300 units per the hype sticker, which I got directly from New West. From the title track: My boss called me up, said if you don’t tow the line…
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Steve Earle & The Dukes, Jerry Jeff, 2022 on New West Records
Earle’s made a number of “tribute” records: Guy (for Guy Clark), J.T. (for his son Justin Towns Earle), Townes (for Townes Van Zandt), and this one, for Jerry Jeff Walker, known to most of us as the writer of “Mr. Bojangles.” Bojangles is here, of course, but so are a number of lesser known Walker…
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Billy Bragg, The Million Things That Never Happened, 2021 on Cooking Vinyl
This is Bragg’s COVID album, the title referring to all the events that didn’t take place due to social distancing and stay-at-home protocols. It was produced by The Magic Numbers’ Romeo Stodart and ends with a track co-written with Bragg’s son, Jack Valero: “”Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained.” I particularly like “I’ll Be…