Tag: 2020s
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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.
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Shame, Food for Worms, 2023 on Dead Oceans
My membership in Secretly Society actually introduced me to shame, a post-punk band from the UK (who style their name in lower case). This was their third LP for Dead Oceans, recorded at Assault and Battery studios in London, and produced by Flood. My copy in red/blue split vinyl via Secretly Society where it was…
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Sylvan Esso, No Rules Sandy, 2022 on Loma Vista / Psychic Hotline
My copy is the VMP limited, numbered edition on orange vinyl, pressed at Memphis Record Pressing. There’s a partially opaque slipcover through which you can see the tracklist with “No Rules Sandy” on the slipcover fitting into the ( ) on the printed cover. Amelia Meath and Nicholas Sanborn perform as Sylvan Esso, out of…
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Bonny Light Horseman, Rolling Golden Holy, 2022 on 37d03d
The sophomore album from Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman, joined here by Mike Lewis, and JT Bates. (Does this make BLH technically a supergroup, given all those three do outside this trio?) My copy via Secretly Society – this was the December 2022 release
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Echo and the Bunnymen, B-Sides and Live (2001-2005), 2022 on Demon Records
Released digitally in 2007 by Cooking Vinyl, but reissued on vinyl by Demon Records for Record Store Day 2022, on clear vinyl. A number of songs from Live at Reading Festival 2005, a remix of “Rescue,” and some acoustic versions. Great pressing and package. My copy via the discount rack at Newbury Comics in the…
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Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder , Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, 2022 on Nonesuch
How could you possibly go wrong with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder together? Joachim Cooder joins on drums and bass. Produced by Ry Cooder; recorded, mixed and mastered by Martin Pradler. Gets its name (and inspiration) from Smithsonian Folkways FA2028: “Get On Board: Negro Folksongs By The Folkmasters” – which you can still get as…
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Sharon Van Etten, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, 2022 on Jagjaguwar
Van Etten’s sixth full length and fourth on Jagjaguwar, this was one of my favorite albums of 2022. Van Etten produced along with Daniel Knowles, with musicians Devin Hoff (bass), Jorge Baibi (drums), and Charley Damski (keys) joining on most tracks (along with a few others). My copy via Newbury Comics in the Natick Mall
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Various Artists, Bills & Aches & Blues, 2021 on 4AD
Compilation 4AD issued in celebration of their 40th anniversary. It’s a bit hit-and-miss, as such collections often are – for some reason the two Breeder’s tracks (Tune-Yards take on “Cannonball” and Big Thief’s take on “Off You”) stand out to me as does Tkay Maidza’s take on The Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?.” My copy…
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Cat Power, Covers, 2022 on Domino
Chan Marshall’s third album of covers. Like the previous two, it includes a re-recording of one of her own – the song “Hate” covered here as “Unhate.” Favorites for me include The Replacements’ “Here Comes a Regular,” Nico’s “These Days.” and Kitty Wells’ “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” My copy is the…