What a change in direction this week. I was getting a little prog rock numb so I turned to Gnoosic to give me some ideas on a softer song set. Gnoosic is a great tool. It asks you to enter the names of three bands and it comes up with suggestions based on the three bands chosen. I chose R.E.M, Cracker, and The Loud Family, all three featuring excellent song writing from the 80’s. These ten releases came from that search. The vibe is more of a folk rock, psychedelic rock style featuring singer songwriters I’ve never listened to in the past.
Best of the Week
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Salad Boys - This is Glue
This band hails from Christchurch New Zealand, which is awesome because it made me look up where Christchurch is and check out the weather (it’s dead of winter there, but it sounds Seattle like). Jangly guitars, harmonizing vocals, and easily accessible tunes make this an enjoyable band to listen to.
Stormy Strong - Stormy Strong
Clearly this group wants to be the next Pixes right down to the easy tunes progressing into a fiery explosion. In fact, they do a cover of “Where Is My Mind” from Surfer Rosa. The good news is they are excellent at it and do honor to the original band.
The War On Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
(2017) 10 tracks (1:06:20)
A Best Rock Album Grammy winner, it’s not hard to see why. Like Arcade Fire, they have big arrangements and well-written songs to draw in an audience.
Interesting Finds
Courtney Barnett Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice
2017 9 tracks (44:33)
Two really dazzling singer songwriters combine to make this fine release of folk rock. Listen to “Over Everything”, ignoring the Lou Reed style vocals by Vile and Barnett and enjoy how it just rocks.
Kurt Vile - b’lieve i’m goin down…
2015 12 tracks (1:01:01)
A songwriter of note being one of the original War On Drugs group, he must be a very prolific writer of songs to support a group, his solo work, and other side adventures. The song writing is so strong, it’s easy to forgive the fading vocals that are a little tuneless.
The Barbarellatones - Glam Rock Girl
2015 14 tracks (44:55)
If you like quirky funky songs with funny lyrics, this works for you. Fun, campy, enjoyable using standard rock tempos and rhythms. Check out “Mean Ass Girlfriend” and “Devil in Miss Jones” for the fun of it.
Ultimate Painting - Green Lines
2015 12 tracks (31:19)
Maybe not sizzling, but I hear a lot of the Grateful Dead in their music. With all the tunes coming in at the 3 minute mark, I wonder if they had extended some of them into jams because it sure seems like it would have worked.
Woods - With Light and with Love
2014 10 tracks (39:25)
Enjoyable straight forward pop rock ala Death Cab for Cutie. Lively arrangements with simple guitar-based twangy sounds and nice harmonies are featured. Hammond organ mixed with finger-picking guitar gives that Byrds early rock feel. Nicely done.
Ryley Walker - Primrose Green
2015 10 tracks (44:44)
Another relatively unknown voice with a prodigious amount of releases under his belt. Nicely put together and it is very evident a lot of work was put in to add depth and texture with many contributors. Listen to “All Kinds of You” and feel the jazz interplay that comes through despite the folk/pop vocals.
Forgettable
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Low - HEY WHAT
2021 10 tracks (46:13)
Described as “slowcore” which is a slower moody version of hard rock with minimalist arrangements, it is interesting and different. A fair amount of industrial noise is thrown in, just so you know. Plus, a lot of induced distortion is intentionally integrated with the music. It isn’t pleasant. For some reason, several of the songs include this “feature” making a listenable song unlistenable.
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