Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Alison Goldfrapp: The Love Invention

London's own Alison Goldfrapp has dropped her first solo record and it's quite refreshing to see her out on her own. The Love Invention is Synthpop at its finest, guaranteed to make any get up and move, dancing away whatever stress they might have in their lives. 

Opening track...

Monday, May 29, 2023

Durand Jones: Wait Til I Get Over (Album of the Week)

The mind and soul of Durand Jones are American treasures. His first solo outing, Wait Til I Get Over, sees him channeling his inner Ray Charles, challenging all of us to think beyond what we consider "soul" music. Social justice themes now join his usual palette of love and loss. After all, it's all part of the same heart...

Here is one of my faves...

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Avalon Emerson: & The Charm

I've been digging Avalon Emerson's & The Charm album of late. It's a wispy, dream pop collection of dream pop that would make David Lynch proud. It also has an early 60's lounge vibe to it. 

Check it out!

Monday, May 22, 2023

Emily King: Special Occasion (Album of the Week)

Emily King is an R&B jewel. The NYC native has just dropped her fifth record and it's a triumph. I got up and started dancing on the first listen and I'm not really a dancer! It's pure R&B bliss and a must for summer listening. Special Occasion even has some genre hopping moments ("Home Now") that add to her lexicon of awesomeness. 

Opening track...

Sunday, May 21, 2023

The Lemon Twigs: Everything Harmony

The charm and pride of Long Island, York are back with Everything HarmonyThe Lemon Twigs are most definitely channeling their inner Paul McCartney Wings-era spirit on this one (with a big dash of Todd Rundgren).  

70's bliss!

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Tiny Ruins: Ceremony

Auckland's own Tiny Ruins is back with Ceremony, an album inspired by the Manukau Harbor, the second largest harbor in New Zealand. It feels breezy on the first listen and then just takes hold with all its indie rock bliss. 

Here is one of my faves...

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Josh Ritter: Spectral Lines

Some chill folk rock is on tap for today and Josh Ritter has delivered it with Spectral Lines. This is the Moscow, Idaho native's eleventh record and he continues to live up to his billing as a Top 100 songwriter. His grasp of the American landscape is truly mesmerizing. 

Mellow greetings, yukey-dukey...

Monday, May 15, 2023

Smokey Robinson: Gasms (Album of the Week)

The legendary Smokey Robinson has released a new album and it sounds every bit as a good as his first album did 62 years ago. Gasms is..well...orgasmic in sound, body and mind. The title track does get a little silly with the overuse of the word but it's still a solid song. The rest of the album is out of this world amazing. 

Here is my fave...soul=love. 

Friday, May 12, 2023

The National: First Two Pages of Frankenstein

The National is back with First Two Pages of Frankenstein and my indie soul is satiated once again. It's a darkly optimistic record that is more stripped down than their last couple of releases. I feel like I'm in the woods on a rainy day when I listen to it.

Here is one of my faves...

Thursday, May 11, 2023

Motifs: Remember A Stranger

The debut album by Motifs is pure shoegaze bliss. The Singapore outfit has come out of the gate with an instant dream-pop classic called Remember A Stranger. The key to a good shoegaze, dream pop record is if the song sounds like the words in the title. 

Example...


It sounds like how "dusk" sounds!

Monday, May 8, 2023

Eloise: Drunk On A Flight (Album of the Week)

London's own Eloise has dropped her first record and it's just bloody mags. Drunk On A Flight is stellar from start to finish in its torch song malaise with many tinges of AM Gold. The twelve tracks are overwhelming in their beauty and I found myself lost in them at so many points that it was just pure magic. 

Here is the title track. Grab a cocktail and lament...

Sunday, May 7, 2023

The Smashing Pumpkins: Atum

The Smashing Pumpkins have made a sequel to Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It's called Atum and it's quite good. Coming in at a voluminous 3 discs (reminds me of those halcyon days of double or even triple albums), this album contains just about every style of music you can imagine. Dream Pop? Yep. Classical? Yep. Dance and Electronica? Yep.

Of course, there is the classic Pumpkins 90s grunge sound...

Friday, May 5, 2023

Teleman: Good Time/Hard Time

The London-based pop outfit Teleman has their fourth long-player out and it's a corker. Good Time/Hard Time is dance-pop extraordinaire.  Grab a partner and get out on the floor!

Monday, May 1, 2023

Everything But The Girl: Fuse (Album of the Week)

After a 24-year hiatus, Hull's Everything But The Girl is back with new music. The dynamic duo of Tracy Thorn and Ben Watt still have all the magic with Fuse. Their take on dance pop sounds even more relevant today than it did 40 years ago. The love they have for each other bursts through so strongly in their music, both thematically and stylistically. 

Romance at every conceivable level...