Boo Boo Records

July Program Titles Released This Week:

The Alarm – Sigma CD/LP (Twenty First Century)

Sigma acts as a sequel to 2018’s Equals and features musical contributions from original Alarm guitarist Dave Sharp and Billy Duffy from The Cult. The album features a vast array of instrumentation that The Alarm currently has at its disposal, with guitarist James Stevenson playing both guitar and bass through a unique combination of pedals, double neck, six and four string instrumentation. Charismatic drummer Smiley drives the rhythm unit with a traditional acoustic drum kit augmented by electric percussion and diverse tribal beats. Pianist Jules Peters deploys a wide-ranging palette of orchestral string and synthesized tones, along with pure pianoforte for some of the stripped down sections the songs demand. Throughout, Peters is at the forefront with his impassioned vocal delivery and ever changing use of electro-acoustic instrumentation, custom developed by British luthiers Auden Guitars, to represent the beating heart of the group’s signature sound.

The Allman Betts Band – Down To The River CD (BMG)

Led by Devon Allman, son of founding Allman Brothers Band keyboardist and singer, Gregg Allman, and Duane Betts, son of founding Allman Brothers Band guitarist and singer, Dickey Betts, Down To The River was recorded at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studios with producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine and Elvis Presley). The beginning of the partnership between Devon Allman and Duane Betts goes back to the Gregg Allman tribute show at the Fillmore in San Francisco. It was time, in that historic venue, to pass the spirit to the next generation. It was time to take all the lessons of the past, all their collective experiences, and make something new.

The Black Keys – Lets Rock CD/LP (Nonesuch)

The Black Keys’ long-awaited album ninth album Lets Rock – the band’s first in five years – is a return to the straightforward rock of singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney’s early days. Auerbach says, “When we’re together we are The Black Keys, that’s where that real magic is, and always has been since we were sixteen.” The 12-track collection was written, tracked live, and produced by Auerbach and Carney at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville and features backing vocals from Leisa Hans and Ashley Wilcoxson. “The record is like an homage to electric guitar,” adds Carney. “We took a simple approach and trimmed all the fat like we used to.” Rolling Stone said that with lead single “Lo/Hi”, “The Keys have officially returned, louder than ever” while the New York Times hailed it as “the kind of garage-boogie stomp that the band never left behind.” Equally as infectious follow-up single “Eagle Birds” is anchored by some stellar blues guitar work from Auerbach. [Indie-exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 28, 2019

July Program Titles Released This Week:

Bad Books – III CD/LP (Concord/Loma Vista)

“For their first record in seven years, Bad Books made sure it was worth the wait, and not a side project worth forgetting. Helmed by singer-songwriters Kevin Devine and Andy Hull (of Manchester Orchestra), III brings their talents together and distils them into an album that’s all of a piece while preserving each writer’s own identity. In the realm of Frightened Rabbit and Volcano Choir, Bad Books offer a sometimes exuberant, sometimes somber sound that takes simple folk songs and blows them out with dramatic piano chords, churchlike choral arrangements, spacey atmospherics and digital embellishments. For all their basis in acoustic instruments, these are songs that shimmer and echo at length — not for a coffee house, but an opera house. Devine and Hull contribute five songs each, trading back and forth, track-by-track. In spite of the album’s cohesive feel, the differences between each writer’s songs are quite drastic — Devine’s are generally upbeat and full-bodied, while Hull’s are far gloomier and barren. III is a record that fluctuates between the joyous and the melancholy over and over, making those many contrasts of dark and light all the more impactful.” — Exclaim

Philip Bailey – Love Will Find A Way CD (UMG)

On Love Will Find A Way, legendary falsetto Philip Bailey proves that the atmosphere and ideas that made Earth Wind & Fire possible – a respect for genuine musicianship, a conviction that all music matters – are alive and well in 2019. Along with trusted friends like bassist Christian McBride, the iconic jazz pianist Chick Corea and drum legend Steve Gadd, the album features several of the brightest contemporary lights in jazz, R&B, pop and more: keyboardist Robert Glasper, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, rapper, musician and producer will.i.am, trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, singer-songwriter Bilal, singer-saxophonist Casey Benjamin, guitarist Lionel Loueke, drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Derrick Hodge, among many others. [Vinyl edition due July 12.]

Bedouine – Songs Of A Killjoy CD/LP (Spacebomb Arc)

When you listen to the love songs of L.A.-based Bedouine, you will be reminded of Karen Dalton’s world-wise voice or the breathy seduction of Minnie Riperton’s vocals, the easy cool of French ye-ye singers, and the poetry of Joan Baez. Her folk is nomadic, wandering across time and space, and on the likes of new song “Dizzy” meander into danceable jams. On first discovery you may ask whether they’re dated to 2019, or whether you’ve uncovered some forgotten classic. It makes sense that singer-songwriter Azniv Korkejian’s arrival – both musically and personally – on her second record has been influenced by her own wanderlust, displacement, and curiosity. The 12-songs on Bird Songs Of A Killjoy contain several references to birds. It’s a soundtrack to Spring blossom, to warm air on skin, to the concept of possibility.

Black Pumas – Black Pumas CD/LP (ATO)

Black Pumas is led by the creative partnership between Grammy Award-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada and songwriter Eric Burton. The latter is a relative newcomer who arrived in Austin in 2015 after busking his way across the country from Los Angeles, while Quesada has a storied reputation for playing in bands like Grupo Fantasma and Brownout. After the two connected via friends in the Austin scene, they began to collaborate on a new sound that transmutes soul into something idiosyncratically modern. Reminiscent of Ghostface Killah and Motown in equal measure, this original sound ensured that Black Pumas’ weekly residency at C-Boys quickly became “the hottest party in town” (Austin-American Statesman). Produced by Quesada in his home studio and colored by Burton’s dark imagery and haunting vocals, their eponymous debut is equally as indebted to East Coast hip-hop as it is to classic funk and soul, resulting in a project that is of the moment rather than retro. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 21, 2019

July Program Titles Released This Week:

Bad Religion – Age Of Unreason LP (Epitaph)

Vinyl edition now available. Since Bad Religion’s formative years, the acclaimed Los Angeles, CA punk rock band has steadfastly advocated for humanism, reason, and individualism. Now, when these values are in decline and nationalism and bigotry are on the rise, the group’s message has never been more essential. The songs on Age Of Unreason are both furious and meticulously crafted. There are references to contemporary events; racist rallies, Trump’s election, the erosion of the middle class, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, alternative facts, conspiracy theories, as well as homages to the literary and philosophical works that have long inspired the band. This record is both a dire warning and testament to resilience. The overall message being – seek truth about the world and oneself.

Bastille – Doom Days CD/LP (Virgin)

London outfit Bastille’s third full-length album Doom Days sees the Grammy nominated and BRIT-winning four-piece stretch out into new territories and marks something of a shift in perception from its widely acclaimed predecessor Wild World, which confronted the world and the actions of those in power. Doom Days captures the need to temporarily switch off and escape whilst taking the listener on a big night out in search of distraction from the surrounding apocalypse. Be that screaming along to the radio in the back of an Uber careering through the city (“Quarter Past Midnight”), getting loved up in the company of good friends (“4AM”), a casual hook-up (“Another Place”) or the end-of-night longing to be with somebody (“Those Nights”). It also revels in the bad decisions we make both personally in our relationships and collectively on a macro scale (“Bad Decisions”), tells a relatable tale of being cornered into a deep discussion about the world’s problems when all you want to do is have a good time (“Million Pieces”), and wryly confronts modern anxieties, taking side-swipes at phone addiction, porn addiction, fake news and climate change denial. [ Indie store exclusive vinyl pressing available.]

Calexico/Iron & Wine – Years To Burn CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

Calexico and Iron & Wine first made an artistic connection with In the Reins, the 2005 EP that brought Sam Beam, Joey Burns and John Convertino together. The acclaimed collaboration introduced both acts to wider audiences and broadened Beam’s artistic horizons, but it was the shared experience of touring together in the tradition of Bob Dylan’s “Rolling Thunder Revue” that cemented the bond. Their metaphorical roads diverged in the years that followed, but they kept in touch and cross-pollinated where they could. Although they often talked about rekindling their collaboration in the studio and on stage, it wasn’t until 2018 that their schedules finally aligned. While Beam wrote all the songs for In the Reins, this recording features contributions from both Beam and Burns. While the two may have taken differing approaches to songwriting, the spirit of collaboration was alive and well in the studio; Sam shared demos ahead of time and was ready for the others to contribute with arrangement ideas and instrumental parts, while Joey spontaneous as ever, came in with concepts and an eagerness to improvise.

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 14, 2019