Category: 1/2/3/4

The world of cult Canadian songwriter Jon McKiel is one in which butterflies rise from the daisy beds while distant wreaths of smoke vandalize the horizon. His songs are born of the bruised marshlands of remote New Brunswick, from the craggy shores of the Atlantic coast; places where nature is a powerful wonder and the made-world is in slow decay. His latest Hex, is a great listen.

Chime School ARE the boys who run the Paisley Hotel, their gorgeous jangling ’60s influenced chiming guitars create perfect pop sounds, following the footsteps of like East Village, The Go-Betweens, and The Loft. This will be one of my favourite records come years end, with melodies that stick in your head. Highly Recommended.

Habibi from New York have been mesmerising me for a while now, their new album “Dreamachine” blends dreamy melodies and rich harmonies, exploring themes of love and self-discovery through a captivating sonic journey. Top notch!

GRAMMY-nominated Orquesta Akokán continue to vibrantly usher the mambo into the 21st century and offer a glorious return to the iconic grooves of an era indelibly marked Cuba’s orquestas gigantes of the mid-twentieth century. The album’s fierce, effervescent grooves are designed to transmit feelings and emotions – This is music which inspires the body to move and the mind to uplift. Highly Recommended.

Hannah Mohan is a critically acclaimed musician. Making music has been at the center of Mohan’s life ever since, even as other circumstances have changed—sometimes radically. A long-term relationship crumbled in 2019. Then the pandemic arrived, bringing an end to her band. After writing a batch of new songs taking stock of her situation, Mohan asked Alex Toth of Rubblebucket and Tōth to produce them, the latest installment of a longtime friendship and occasional creative collaboration.

One of the great post-punk releases of 2024 comes from SF Bay area band Neutrals. There’s something VERY good in the water of that city with so many fantastic bands emerging and Slumberland yet again shows why it’s continuing to be one of the great labels. The trio channel a wide range of ’70s and ’80s DIY indiepop with terse angularity, but not skimping on melody or intimate storytelling. File under “scrappy Jam-meets-Television Personalties” and that’s totally fine by me. Great listening.

Johanna Samuels is an extraordinary songwriter, her lived experience and darkest moments seep deep into her compositions, which makes for powerful listening. Written in dark times while isolated, she was inspired by conversations with producer Josh Kaufman (The Hold Steady, Bob Weir, Cassandra Jenkins) and by deep friendships in the music community (her old friends in the band Bonny Light Horseman). The result is a sonic template that ranges from the soaring and orchestral to the understated and confessional; at turns free-wheeling and filled with swagger then sincere and precise, with each subtle movement serving to highlight Samuels’ lyrical journeys. A simply brilliant listen from start to finish.

Nick Lowe is something of a magician. He’s a brilliant producer, songwriter, performer and he returns with his first new album in over a decade for the Yep Roc label, Indoor Safari. Twelve songs of brand new originals, signature deep-cut covers and refitted versions of tracks previously released in nascent form as singles, representing a culmination of Lowe’s decade-long working relationship with those mysterious masked men and Yep Roc labelmates Los Straitjackets.

With each subsequent release from California three piece Sour Widows, I became more and more excited, I couldn’t wait for their debut album, it certainly hasn’t disappointed. “Revival of a Friend” evolves their beautiful sound and mountainous grief into a wonderful cathartic yet healing whole. Excellent musical dynamics with lyrics that unveil the spiritually purifying power of connection and love in the face of loss. Highly Recommended listening.

Minneapolis duo The Cactus Blossoms are back! Here are two blokes who harmonize beautifully with a nostalgic blend of folk and country, capturing a timeless sound that transports you to a bygone era with their heartfelt melodies. They have a new album out at the end of August and we’ll hear the first single on this episode.

Nobody’s Watching? As long as someone is listening. Especially to this excellent debut release from Louisa Stancioff who has her debut album issued on Yep Roc Records. Born and raised in rural Maine, Louisa has emerged as a gifted writer with a cinematic eye for richly detailed, emotionally- charged character studies that grapple with the complexities of everyday life.

Joe Pernice has been writing for a long time and has crafted a remarkable catalog that boldly reinterprets and recasts classic American pop. He formed Pernice Brothers in Massachusetts with his brother Bob in 1997 and this is a group that always excites me. His latest, Who Will You Believe showcases a beautiful balance between sadness and moments of solemnity with warm humor and camaraderie.