Staff Picks for April 2016
April 30, 2016
A breezy, lyrically bold, sonically beautiful soft barrage of bucolic country-folk, the third studio album from the Kentucky songstress feels rooted but not rootsy. Over and Even's wistful mountain music eschews bluegrass twang for an almost English folk vibe. It draws from immigrant-rich Appalachian traditions, where a misty morning is just as likely to invoke fog rising over the Shannon or the Thames as it is the Mississippi, and it draws you in like campfire smoke.
April 29, 2016
What begins with scorching, melodic twin leads, a mead-induced flurry of double-kick drumming, and the meatiest, most malevolent vocals this side of Valhalla? If you answered "The ninth studio outing from Swedish melodic death metal legends Amon Amarth" then you are correct and can drink from the chalice.
April 28, 2016
With a spacious sound and laid-back vibe, singer/songwriter Afie Jurvanen's Juno-nominated sophomore LP manages to be intimate without being voyeuristic, approachable without being patronizing, and sparse without being cold. It merges plaintive folk and bluesy soul with just enough pop to make the whole thing go down smooth as whatever's on tap.
April 27, 2016
A sharp left turn from machine soul specialist Kirk Degiorgio and previous As One associate Jinadu, this album hybridizes folk, soul, and soft rock of the late '60s and early '70s. It's a big production that, despite its apparent inspirations, maintains a wholly modern sound and quiet power. These ten songs have no sharp edges. They're sensitively played, immaculately produced.
April 26, 2016
Someone as important as Detroit house producer Kelli Hand shouldn't have to be referred to as overlooked or underrated, but she doesn't get nearly enough credit from today's dance music world. This CD compilation might be hard to find now, but it collects a grip of classic tracks from the early days of her groundbreaking Acacia Records label.
April 25, 2016
A decade after its release, Natasha Khan's 2006 debut remains a stunning collection of fairy tales from another planet. A graduate of the Kate Bush/Tori Amos school of musical magic, Khan crafted a dense and atmospheric experience fit to soundtrack a secret rendezvous in the moonlight or at the icy break of dawn. She imparts a richness and emotional swell that delivers goosebumps every single listen. Prepare for LP #4 to drop this summer.
April 24, 2016
Weird, outerspace glam rock from the underbelly of 1970's L.A., the band sounded like Bowie's bratty American cousins and looked like extras from an episode of Lost in Space. Yes, it's fun. Yes, it's weird. Yes, it's amazing. All their vital records are here in one rocket blast of glittering noise.
April 23, 2016
All hail the late, great Rawkus label who revitalized the underground hip-hop scene in the '90s with classic albums, like this. The group Company Flow gave us the mighty solo artists El-P and Mr. Len, and this compilation is a great place to experience their early, collaborative work. Start with the mighty single "8 Steps to Perfection" and listen for guest appearances from the long lost J-Treds and BMS.
April 22, 2016
Having lost one parents to AIDS and the other to the September 11 attacks, Elvis Perkins knows more than a bit about what loss feels like. His debut album, 2007's Ash Wednesday, is superb, often moving chronicle of tragedy, both personal and on a grand scale, These songs are utterly lacking in self pity while acknowledging the pain felt by himself, and so many others. Modestly constructed, but strikingly effective.
April 21, 2016
Slade's first live LP was a blistering set of originals and covers culled from their early repertoire that proved their reputation as a premier live band was well-earned. A fortunate group of the band's fan club members were assembled at London's Command Theatre Studio to serve as the audience for this sweaty, live-in-the-studio workout as Noddy Holder and the gang tore holes through songs like "Get Down With It" and "In Like a Shot From My Gun."
April 20, 2016
Blessed with a voice as cool as sparkling ginger ale on hot a summer night, Beverly Kenney was tipped as the next crossover jazz sensation. However, by 1960 personal issues and career troubles exacerbated by the cultural tsunami of rock'n'roll had taken their toll. Sadly, Kenney committed suicide in 1960. She left behind a handful of sophisticated, lyrical albums like 1958's Sings for Playboys. Her bittersweet take on "Try a Little Tenderness" is dewy with romance and the promise of what might have been.
April 19, 2016
While it doesn't scale the heights that Gears did a few years later, this Bob James-arranged session for Kudu by the B3 maestro is nonetheless full of killer material. The star-studded lineup (George Benson, Grover Washington Jr., Bernard Purdie, et. al) groove hard on six covers of tunes that might have been considered unlikely for funky soul jazz charts, including Cat Stevens' "Peace Train."
April 18, 2016
Sill's second album (and the last she would complete before her death) is uneven in comparison to her self-titled debut. But 1973's Heart Food is also a significantly more ambitious effort, and if Sill was still learning the finer points of orchestration here, the album's triumphs far outweigh its missteps. And the spectral beauty of "The Kiss" and the grand scale majesty of "The Donor" are stunning, powerful reminders of what was lost when Sill died in 1979.
April 17, 2016
This is one of the great unsung live records blues albums to emerge from the late 1960s. Cut in a roadhouse in the middle of nowhere with a (hidden) mobile unit, it is rough, soulful, often rowdy and always grooving. Along with stellar versions of classics -- "Key To The Highway," etc. -- it features some of the singer-songwriter's finest originals including "Four Women" and the title track (not to be confused with R&B standard) of brooding, near apocalyptic intensity.
April 16, 2016
1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath doubled down on the more progressive elements of the group's last album, even going so far as to tap cape-loving Rick Wakeman from Yes to contribute keyboards to the track "Sabbra Cadabra." Bolstered by iconic title cut, the LP not only resonated with fans, but elicited positive comments from mainstream critics as well, becoming Sabbath's fifth platinum album in the U.S. and earning their first silver certification in the U.K.
April 15, 2016
Those dismayed by the breakup of power pop cult stars Jellyfish were treated to this excellent 1996 glam-inspired outing from two its former members. Keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. was already a known quantity thanks to Jellyfish's two critically lauded albums, but latecoming guitarist Eric Dover didn't become a member until after their final album had already been recorded. He gets his due here as Imperial Drag's frontman on their lone, criminally underrated LP.
April 14, 2016
On its 20th anniversary, Amos' third LP benefits from hindsight. Now an unimpeachable classic in her catalog, Pele is also her most difficult, experimental, and ultimately rewarding listen. From the harpsichord bangers to the Southern-fried jams, she ignited her sound with new-found power and pain. Fans of piano heartbreak still get their fill, especially with deep cuts like "Marianne," "Doughnut Song," and fan favorite, "Beauty Queen/Horses" Expect a deluxe reissue this year.
April 12, 2016
While it was kind of a mess, compiled from cast-offs, singles and the odd song written by Charles Manson, the Boys 1969 album contains some of the most affecting ("Be With Me,") and peaceful ("I Went to Sleep") music of their career. It also had a missing piece of the Smile puzzle, a version of "Cabinessence" with a newly done lead vocal from Carl Wilson. An overlooked gem in their catalog.
April 11, 2016
Happy Flowers were a Virginian noise-rock duo who called themselves Mr. Anus and Mr. Horribly Charred Infant, and all their songs were about gruesome childhood traumas. Song titles on this album include "My Frisbee Went Under a Lawn Mower," "I Saw My Picture on a Milk Carton," and "I'm the Stupid One." They managed to keep the disturbing yet hilarious joke up for four LPS and a handful of EPs and compilations.
April 10, 2016
If you've been reading Bob Mehr's fine Replacements bio Trouble Boys (and if you're not, how come?), you need no prompting to put this on and play it loud. For everyone else, this is a rough and ready masterpiece that deserves your attention. From soggy punk-wise hard rock to heart on the sleeve ballads, 1984's Let It Be is real rock & roll full of passion, soul, and cheap booze. More than 30 years on, this music still sounds gloriously liberating and dangerously fun.
April 9, 2016
The stylistic bridge between T-Bone Walker and Chuck Berry, guitarist/vocalist Goree Carter is one of the more overlooked blues artists of the 20th Century. This despite the fact that his "Rock Awhile" sits next to Jackie Brentson's "Rocket 88" on the shelf of "first ever rock'n'roll records" and actually predates Brentson's by at least three years. Whether he's rockin' or jumpin' the blues, Carter lays it down.
April 8, 2016
Often viewed as one of the most under-celebrated indie rock bands of the '90s, Greenwich Village's Madder Rose released four solid albums in the decade, charting briefly only in the U.K. and outside of the Top 50. Now's a good time to revisit or catch up on the group, starting with their debut -- songwriters Mary Lorson and Billy Cot -- have reunited for a new single due this spring.
April 7, 2016
Joe Budden's been in the trenches so long he's earned the right to speak on the state of hip-hop whenever, and as much, as he wants, but anyone who has stayed away from his supergroup Slaughterhouse's releases because they were too "preachy" should check this out. Coming from a "simpler" time, his 2003 debut is filled with club bangers, urban-crossover duets, and the Just Blaze-produced anthem "Pump It Up."
April 6, 2016
Combining elements of doom, thrash, and speed metal, the album takes the Norwegian duo further away from the gnarly crust punk sounds they've been working in and toward the elemental building blocks that live at the heart of so much modern metal.
April 5, 2016
With the "reunion" shows taking place this weekend, it's a great time to dig back into GNR's more dense work, where the genius moments ("Estranged," "You Could Be Mine") come up against the band's most head-scratching decisions ("Get i the Ring," "My World"). If Izzy decides to show up at any of the gigs, "14 Years" should be his spotlight tune, and maybe Steven Adler could sit in on "Civil War," the only song from the Illusion sessions on which he appeared.
April 4, 2016
For those not familiar with Pell's work, these sessions are similar in nature to recordings by Gerry Mulligan. The outstanding group includes baritone saxophonist Bob Gordon, trumpeter Don Fagerquist, and trombonist Ray Sims. In addition to the usual standards, Pell delves into infrequently heard gems like "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" (from the Broadway musical 42nd Street) and even a playful take of "Deep in the Heart of Texas."
April 3, 2016
Thanks to the 2016 Super Bowl, the Aussie dance duo scored their first US chart hit with an eight year old song. However, it's this sophomore album that packs the punch. Jam-packed with bangers, it's a perfect pop album, with tastes of Daft Punk, the Bee Gees, MGMT, and Madonna peppered in along the way. Try "DNA," "Celebrate" (featuring Daniel Johns), and the explosive "Old Flavours." Album #3 is on the way, so get acquainted.
April 2, 2016
From an indie pop quintet that makes their own custom guitars and sings multipart harmonies over expansive, synth-boosted atmosphere, this eponymous second album is a reflective, aurora-evoking listen that earns appropriate application of the word "vibey." Songs like "Where's the Time" manage to sound at once organic and of dreams.
April 1, 2016
The vinyl debut by this Vermont-based duo consists of hyperkinetic art pop miniatures played on grubby old Casio keyboards along with songwriters Sarah Delaney Smith and Zach Phillips' deadpan, echo-covered vocals. Resembling Young Marble Giants' 1980 minimalist classic Colossal Youth updated for the Tumblr era and given a few shots of an energy drink, it's one of the best best underground avant pop albums of the decade.