Sharing the sharing.
Former Dim Peaks member, Niilo Smeds’ recently released new album Once You Were A Baby is a lo-fi, country-like album of finger-plucked ballads and haunting instrumentals that are definitely worth your time . Check out “Marker of Days” and “Toward A More Thorough Rejection” below.
[Snag Niilo Smeds’ Once You Were A Baby on shiny black vinyl in the 3hive Co-op Shop, while supplies last.]
Molly Burch’s debut LP, Please Be Mine, is an early favorite of mine for album of the year. It’s 10 tracks of reverb-soaked, country-psych twang, along with Burch’s strong, smoky vocals, sets the bar high for the rest of 2017’s releases.
Please Be Mine is available now via Captured Tracks. Please give album standouts “Downhearted” and “Try” a spin (below). You will be glad that you did. Enjoy.
[We have Please Be Mine on vinyl – at the 3hive Record Lounge, while supplies last.]
13 songs of inversion clearing goodness. Enjoy.
1. The Rebel Set – Trails! [hidden volume]
2. Helens – Just Like Pet Sounds [self]
3. RUMTUM – Good Places [self]
4. L’Orange – Rest Like Pollen [self]
5. MF DOOM – Charnuska [high times]
6. Palmas – Sweet Water [lost colony]
7. Emma Russack – My Own Friend [spunk]
8. Cub Country – You Want It All [them are good]
9. BADBADNOTGOOD – In Your Eyes (feat. Charlotte Day Wilson) [innovative leisure]
10. GABI – Distance Makes Me Disappear [self]
11. I Am The Polish Army – David Bowie [self]
12. The Staches – Total Commitment [bongo joe]
13. Uranium Club – Who Made The Man? [fashionable idiots]
The Minni-Thins describe themselves as “…a loud hodge-podge of nineties indie rock, punk, folk, and even country…. think: the Butthole Surfers doing LSD with Connor Oberst and having a bad trip while trying to write an album in the style of The Pixies.” I can’t top that. Give their burner “Apparent” (below) a spin, it’s a sure thing to clean out your sinuses.
Their album, That Old Kentucky Blackgrass, has finally been unleashed upon the masses after being shelved for 10 years. You can get a hold of it now on their Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
The Minni-Thins – Apparent from That Old Kentucky Blackgrass (2006/2016)
Yea-Ming And The Rumours debut album, I Will Make You Mine, is an exceptional 33 minutes of indie-surf-country-pop-rock. Yea-Ming Chen’s smokey voice is a killer, and really matches up well with all the different genres she and her band, The Rumours, throw at these 10 songs. Give the country-like, album standout “You Took Be By The Hand” (below) a spin, you will not be disappointed.
I Will Make You Mine is available now on cassette from Burger Records and also available digitally from Yea-Ming And The Rumours Bandcamp page.
Yea-Ming And The Rumours – You Took Me By The Hand from I Will Make You Mine (2016)
There is nothing better than music to take you away to other times, whether they be good times or bad. Courtney’s voice always takes me back to when my kids were little, when his other band, Brothers And Sisters, were on constant rotation in the house and in the car. Good times.
Now, 10 years later, Will is releasing his sophomore solo effort, Planning Escapes, which was recorded in Texas with his backing band, The Wild Bunch, which features members of Brothers And Sisters.
Planning Escapes has a little bit of everything in it’s 10 songs, from down-tempo country ballads to straight-up rock ‘n’ roll. Give the Neil Young-esque “Sad, Sad Eyes” a spin below, you won’t regret it.
Planning Escapes is solid from start to finish, I highly recommend it. Get your hands on it now from Will Courtney’s site.
Will Courtney – Sad, Sad Eyes from Planning Escapes (2016)
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Nashville native, and member of The Paperhead, Peter Stringer-Hye recently released an incredible self-titled EP with Trouble In Mind Records. Check out EP closer “Throw Away The Day”, it’s a country tinged, psychedelic, toe-tapper and my favorite track from the EP. Head over to TiM’s site and snag yourself a copy before they are all gone.
Nashville’s Chris Denney has taken 70’s arena rock and mixed it up with bits of 60’s psych/garage, and a pinch of AM country gold to create his debut LP – as Denney and The Jets, titled Mexican Coke.
If Mick Jagger and Hank Williams were combined in some awesome accident of science, and Kiss was the backing band, their music would sound like Denney’s first single (below) from Mexican Coke, “Bye Bye Queenie”.
Mexican Coke was just released (April 8th) on Burger Records and Limited Fanfare Records. You can also stream/buy it from Denney’s Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
Denney and The Jets – Bye Bye Queenie from Mexican Coke (2014)
Former Gris Gris singer, Greg Ashley’s new album (and first with Trouble In Mind) A Generation of Slaves is a smooth slab of lo-fi goodness. Mixing jazz and folk with hints of country to create 9 songs that you will find yourself revisiting over and over again.
The male/female vocals and honky-tonk piano on “Misery Again” (below) combine to make it one of the best tracks on the album. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. A Generation of Slaves is out now and available from Trouble In Mind. I suggest you get your hands on a copy as soon as you can.
Greg Ashley – Misery Again from Another Generation of Slaves (2014)
Will Courtney’s debut solo release A Century Behind, is a longtime coming for me. I am a huge fan of his other band, Brothers and Sisters, and was bummed out when they went on hiatus back in 2010. Since then, I’ve been cyber-stalking Will, anxiously awaiting the announcement of this new album, which will finally be released in April.
The haunting organ tones, acoustic and surf-rock guitars, along with Will’s smooth vocals make “There’s No Answer” (below) one of the best tracks on the album. Whether you are brand new to Will’s music, or have been a fan of his for years, A Century Behind is a must own. Enjoy.
Will Courtney – There’s No Answer – from A Century Behind (2013)