Tag: 2020s
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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…
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Lucinda Williams, Runnin’ Down a Dream: A Tribute to Tom Petty, 2021 on Highway 20 Records
As a fan of both Tom Petty and (especially) Lucinda Williams, I couldn’t pass on this three sided LP – the fourth side is etched with the photo of Williams used on the cover. The album was the first volume in the “Lu’s Jukebox In Studio Concert” series that has gone on to include tributes…
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Wednesday, Rat Saw God, 2023 on Dead Oceans
Wednesday is out of Asheville NC, and blends together shoegaze / noisy indie rock with a kind of alt. country / country rock vibe. Expect to see much more from them in the next few years. Naming your band “Wednesday” in the area of search engine optimization is delightfully perverse – though “Wednesday Band” does…
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Jeff Tweedy, Love is the King, 2020 on dBpm Records
Tweedy went into recording mode when Wilco’s tour was put on hold due to Covid-19 in April of 2020. Both Tweedy’s sons, Spencer and Sam, contribute to the album: Spencer primarily on drums and Sam (credited as Sammy) on harmony vocals. It’s a wonderful album full of great writing and classic Tweedy vocals. (Side note:…
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Dean & Britta, Quarantine Tapes, 2021 on Double Feature Records
This was released first in 2020 in digital format by Dean & Britta themselves, but then issued on vinyl and CD by Double Feature Records in 2021. Dean & Britta are Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips of Luna. (Wareham was also one of the founding members of Galaxie 500). They’ve been doing film scores under…
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Maggie Rogers, Notes From The Archive: Recordings 2011-2016, 2021 on Debay Sounds
Like many people, I first became aware of Rogers when a clip of her song “Alaska” being played to Pharrell Williams during a class at NYU Tisch went viral – he essentially had no advice for her other than to keep doing what she was doing. This release (on her own imprint) collects pieces from…
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Various Artists, Live Forever: A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver, 2022 on New West Records
Fantastic collection of covers of the original outlaw country troubador. Standouts for me are Miranda Lambert and Margo Price but really all the tracks are wonderful. Produced by Charlie Sexton and Freddy Fletcher. My copy is the limited edition on “Old Chunk of Coal” grey vinyl via Vinyl Me Please.