Kings of Leon are back with Can We Please Have Fun, a very fun and yet chill affair that sees the lads from Nashville doing what they do best: make romantic music with a statement. I continue to be most pleased that music with actual instruments continues to be made with aplomb.
Here is one of my faves...
I've been quite enjoying the latest offering from The Reds, Pinks, & Purples these last few days. Unwishing Well is, in many ways, a perfect spring album. Fresh and new! The San Francisco outfit has really outdone themselves on this one!!
Opening track...
What a year it's been for Taylor Swift. She's pretty much the monarch of the world right now, sowing envy in the hearts of men everywhere. So, it's really nice to see her make a theme record that focuses on the exact opposite of regency: tortured poets.
She may be a megastar but she her true personality is an emo chick who just can't deal...
Hey pandas! Guess what? The High Llamas have a new album out!! It's their first record since 2016. Guess what it's called?
Far too many British bands make a couple of records, gain massive fans like me, and then break up or form other bands. I honestly thought The Zutons, a Liverpool outfit, were one of those bands. I sadly left them back in 2008 when their third and supposedly final record came out, occasionally going back to listen to their catalog and lamenting the loss.
Yet here we are sixteen years later with a new Zutons record called The Big Decider. Fuck yeah!
The first track is just a corker...
Kelly Jones has a new solo record out called Inevitable Incredible and it's wonderful to see this artist's truest expression of himself. His recent foray into filmmaking has inspired his music to be more cinematic. Honestly, I feel like I'm watching a movie when I listen to this album.
Opening track...
Sometimes you just need a little alt country. That's why I'm massively hearting Sarah Shook and the Disarmers' latest record called Revelations. What a powerhouse this record is. I'm so thankful that bands still make albums like this.
Opening and title track...
Rock icon and monster guitar wizard Mark Knopfler's latest record is yet another gem in his now six decade catalog. The 12 songs on One Deep River are shining examples of why this man is a complete and total legend.
Opening track...
Venerated Brit rockers James are back with another excellent addition to their lexicon of solid rock and pop music. The Mancunians latest is called Yummy and it is indeed just that. The positivity is overwhelming on this one
Example...
London's own Still Corners is back with a bliss filled record called Dream Talk. The opening track takes you in like a David Lynch film...
The keyboard/synth/80s power of Boeckner is on my mind a lot these days. His first official solo album (self titled) just dropped and it is quite magnificent. Listen and dance!
Opening track...
Soft rock lovers will being completely mad for Swiss duo Klaus Johann Grobe's latest record, Io Tu il Loro. I've been feeling nostalgia for the 70s and summer breezes listening to this album for the last few weeks. They have completely nailed the genre!
Opening track...
The Black Keys are back with a rockin' new record called Ohio Players. The Akron Ohio natives have really outdone themselves on this one with the stories told and the style unfurled. Also, one of the best album covers I've seen in years!
Opening track...
Houston's own Khruangbin is back with another shag worthy record for lovers everywhere. A La Sala slides into your heart and soul like a fine Vesper martini.
Opening track, babies...
Readers of this site know how my soul is filled very deeply with British music. I love bands from that amazing island and The Libertines are a shining example of that excellence and superiority in music.
The lads from London have a new record out called All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade that is dripping with the culture of England and how it affects the lives of those who live there.
A great example is this track...
Vampire Weekend is back with Only God Was Above Us and the NYC outfit has never sounded better. Their deployment of a massive array of instruments on all ten of its amazing tracks.
Here is my fave...so chill...great vibe...
Chemtrails is quite an interesting outfit. The Mancunians latest is called The Joy of Sects and it reminds me a great deal of the B-52s. And they have this great way of singing that is just magical!
One of my faves...
Ithaca's own X Ambassadors take a very much welcome mellow turn on their latest effort, Townie. The stories told and the music played paint a very melancholy view of our country. It's important to hear in the year 2024.
Here is one of my faves...also the closing track...
NYC's own Blu Detiger gets my nod for this week's Album Of The Week. All I Ever Want Is Everything is a shovel to the head stunner of a first record. It cooks like my grandma's chili and soothes like the best healer in the world.
Example...
Today I'd like to thank Daniel Romano for making an album like they used to make them in the 70s and 80s. Too Hot To Sleep is an absolute gem. The guitar work and pop craftsmanship are out of this world.
Opening track...
I'm really digging the Derry outfit Cherym. Their latest is Take It Or Leave It, a wonderful collection of garage-ish hilarity and fun.
Ah to be young again...
Completely and utterly overjoyed that Sydney's best dream pop outfit, The Church, keep making thoroughly amazing music. Their latest is called Eros Zeta And The Perfumed Guitars and it's all the things we love about this band.
Here is one of my faves...they always have that "future" vibe...