CDs + Vinyl:
68 – Two Parts Viper CD (Cooking Vinyl)
There are some wild song titles on 68’s second album Two Parts Viper, which is certainly a different approach than the untitled songs of their 2014 debut. “The Workers Are Few” and “This Life Is Old, New, Borrowed And Blue,” “Death Is A Lottery” and “Without Any Words (Only Crying and Laughter)” are among them. The sound is equally unique – a rollercoaster of sonic emotion. Just when you think you know what will happen next, the song takes an unexpected turn. As for lyrical content, Josh Scogin usually makes the album a time capsule – writing his lyrics in short periods of time. [Limited green color vinyl pressings also available.]
Adrenaline Mob – We The People CD/2xLP+MP3 (Century Media)
Each riff is massive, every drum hit a chest-thumping pound, and each line frontman Russell Allen sings exudes power and heart.
JD Allen – Radio Flyer CD (Savant)
JD Allen’s previous recording Americana won widespread critical acclaim for its groundbreaking melodic and harmonic explorations and for its impressive emotional intensity. While that album presented Allen’s ideas with a somewhat contemplative hand, Radio Flyer moves with a more unbridled enthusiasm, testing the possibilities jazz has for individual expressionism and improvisational freedom.
All Time Low – Last Young Renegade CD/LP+MP3 (Fueled By Ramen)
Maryland pop-punk mainstays All Time Low follow-up 2015’s Future Hearts with the new release Last Young Renegade. The band’s seventh studio effort overall comes preceded by the anthemic title cut banger which sets up the ten-track collection’s lyrical narrative. Frontman Alex Gaskarth explains, “We tried a lot of new things on this album, all within the context of what we love so much about All Time Low – There’s no denying that we were binge watching Stranger Things at the time, while also reflecting on the loss of some of our favorite musicians; Prince, Bowie, George Michael. I think the influence comes through in the best ways. We all felt pulled to exciting and different places as we searched for inspiration, approaching something that’s become so familiar to us from a new direction.”
Alt-J – Relaxer CD/LP+MP3 (Canvasback/Atlantic)
Alt-J is a group that can’t be pigeonholed. Plenty of bands place a solid mix of fast- and slow-tempo songs on their albums, and while Alt-J is no exception, there’s something different about their mix of music. Literally. No two songs sound the same. They’ve got a knack for creating unpredictable music, pleasantly surprising fans with a new sound on each track. From the horse’s mouth, that’s because they’re their own harshest critics. Their past two albums have met critical success both in the UK and North America, with their debut record An Awesome Wave winning the 2012 Mercury Prize and their sophomore effort This Is All Yours earning a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album in 2015. Their new album, Relaxer, was recorded all over London – from Shoreditch to St John’s Wood, Crouch Hill to Brixton – with producer Charlie Andrew at the helm for the third time. A first taste of the album comes in the form of the broody lead single “3WW.” The stereo-heavy tune is a production gem, sending out shakers into your eardrums and guitar chords into your heart one line at a time.
Anti-Nowhere League – League Style CD/LP (Cleopatra)
Renowned UK punk rockers Anti-Nowhere League cover 10 reggae and rocksteady classics.
Dan Auerbach – Waiting On A Song CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch)
Dan Auerbach’s second solo album, Waiting On A Song, is a love letter to Nashville. As such, he recruited some of Nashville’s most respected players to write and record his latest, including John Prine, Duane Eddy, Jerry Douglas, Pat McLaughlin and Bobby Wood and Gene Chrisman of the Memphis Boys. Auerbach said about working with his musical heroes: “Living in Nashville has definitely changed the way I think about music and the way that I record it. I didn’t have all of these resources before. I am working with some of the greatest musicians that ever lived.” Auerbach moved to Nashville from his native Akron, Ohio in 2010 and with this release, his first solo album in eight years, it is clear that he has made Music City his home. During the summer of 2016, taking a break from the non-stop touring he’d done with The Black Keys and the Arcs, he finally got acquainted with the city he loves so much, as well as the world-class musicians who live there, and subsequently collaborated with some of Nashville’s heavyweights. [Limited edition blue/yellow color vinyl pressing also available.]
