Posts Tagged ‘New Music’

First Impressions: Leslie Stevens’ Sinner

Posted: August 24, 2019 in 2010s, 2019, First Impressions, Leslie Stevens, New Music
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The end of the decade is nigh. I’m not sure why I didn’t realize it until this week, but the clock’s hands are tick-tick-ticking closer to midnight. Before this annus horribilis gives way to the Year of Visual Acuity, however, listen to this:

That’s the opener to Leslie Stevens’ new album, Sinner, which as a whole conjures a century’s worth of country music in its 10 tracks, echoing everyone from Glen Campbell to Dolly Parton to Gram Parsons to Emmylou Harris and her Spyboy band. It’s the kind of album you play once, and wind up playing again and again, each time hearing something new. Her vocals are a thing of ever-shifting beauty, soulful and sweet and pure, and the songs are strong and sure.

It’s traditional. Alternative. Unique. Her voice trembles, rises and falls, dynamic and dramatic, in sync not just with the lyrics but the soul. Some are story-songs. Others are from the heart.

Here’s a live rendition of another of the album’s highlights:

Leslie Stevens is currently on tour in the States, and thankfully isn’t bypassing my neck of the woods. You can see where she’s playing, and buy Sinner, at her website. (It’s also available via the normal streaming sites.)

Today’s Top 5: New Music, Vol. LVIII

Posted: July 29, 2018 in 2010s, 2018, Amanda Shires, Hannah's Yard, Karrie, Paul Weller, Shelby Lynne, Stone Foundation, Top 5
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There’s no denying it: I’ve been in a Shelby Lynne frame of mind for the past few weeks. How could I not? But that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been time for new music…

One of my favorite young acts, Hannah’s Yard, released a delightful four-song EP this weekend. Titled Revelations, it features renditions of the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” Jack Johnson’s “Better Together” and Randy Newman’s “Feels Like Home,” as well as their own “Never Gonna Say I’m Sorry” (from their 2017 Beginnings album). “Blackbird” is beautiful.

 

Hannah’s Yard hails from Olney, Buckinghamshire, the small British town that gave birth to “Amazing Grace.” About two hours south, in Surrey, lies Paul Weller’s Black Barn Studio, where the R&B/soul-infused Stone Foundation and assorted friends, including Weller and his former Style Council mates Mick Talbot and Steve White, recorded their forthcoming Everybody, Anyone album. The latest teaser track is “Carry the News”…

The singer-songwriter Amanda Shires released her self-made video for “Parking Lot Pirouette,” from her forthcoming album To the Sunset, last week. It features Shires on vocals and violin, husband Jason Isbell on acoustic and electric guitar, Dave Cobb on bass, Peter Levin on Wurlitzer and synthesizer, and Jerry Pentecost on drums.

Karrie O’Sullivan – “I Love You the Most.” Here’s another tantalizing track from the Irish singer-songwriter. It was released back in May, and I’ve enjoyed it since – but I was unaware that there was a video for it until just now. Like last summer’s single, “I Don’t Here You,” it’s quite addictive…

And because I am in a Shelby frame of mind…  here’s “Off My Mind,” one of the songs from her movie Here I Am. It was released back in April…and was a song we’d hoped to hear her perform in Ardmore.

Finally, one bonus… Shelby again, this time from just last night in Knoxville, Tenn., where she performed an a cappella version of Dusty’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”… “hypnotic” doesn’t begin to describe it.

Today’s Top 5: New Music Monday

Posted: February 5, 2018 in 2010s, 2018, Anna Burch, H.C. McEntire, Middle Kids, Neil Young, New Music, Top 5, Whitney Rose
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It’s Sunday afternoon as I write, though I plan to post this Monday night. So I’m prognosticating here when I say the Delaware Valley is awash in beer and tears of gratitude. And what better way to celebrate than to dive deep into the digital tubes that connect the Internet and discover great new music?

Here’s a collection of recent videos from new-to-me artists – and one longtime favorite.

1) H.C. McEntire – “Quartz in the Valley.” Mojo – or was it Uncut? – had a good review of McEntire’s solo debut, Lionheart. And after hearing this song, and listening to the album on my morning commute, I have to say – I’m a fan. She’s amazing.

2) Whitney Rose – “Can’t Stop Shakin’.” According to the fine folks over at Uproxx, Whitney – who’s a country singer by way of Canada – penned this infectious tune on Inauguration Day. It’s about seeking escape from the drumbeat of insanity that is the news. The song is from her album Rule 62, which was released last year.

3) Middle Kids – “Mistake.” I stumbled across this Sydney-based trio yesterday, while killing time. Very catchy. Very cool. Their debut album, Lost Friends, is out May 4th.

4) Anna Burch – “Tea-Soaked Letter.” And yet another artist I know nothing about beyond the addictive songs I sampled yesterday. This video was released in December ’17, and the song can be found on her album Quit the Curse, which was released on Friday

5) Neil Young – “Almost Always.” The latest single from Neil’s recent The Visitor recycles the melody – at least in part – from Harvest Moon’s “Unknown Legend.” But it’s Neil. And even recycled Neil is great.

Today’s Top 5: Retro Sounds (aka New Music, Vol. XXII)

Posted: July 1, 2017 in 2010s, 2017, Hannah's Yard, Lia Pamina, Lucy Rose, New Music, Sundowners, The Parcels, The Primitives, Top 5
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The lazy, hazy days of summer are upon us, and while my intent today was to delve deep into the Natalie Merchant Collection – well, I’m feeling lazy and, thanks to the Delaware Valley’s patented humidity, my thought process is as hazy as the sky looks from my window. Even with the a.c. running, the thick air has seeped into my skull and clouded the synapses, making analysis more of a chore than it should be.

So, instead, I’m tripping into the past with new songs that sound like they could’ve been released in the late 1960s in preparation for another sojourn into the sunny sounds of the Summer of Love, which I plan to post on July 4th (if not sooner).

1) Lucy Rose – “No Good at All.” I suppose I should have heard of Lucy Rose before March of this year, given that she’s been turning ears since 2012. But it wasn’t until she released “Floral Dresses,” which features backing vocals by the Staves, that she appeared on my radar. This, the second single from her forthcoming Something’s Changing album, possesses a wondrous retro vibe.

2) Lia Pamina – “Sycamore Tree.” Elefant Records is one of my favorite labels – just about everything it releases sounds like a lost treasure from yesteryear. This sweet song was written and produced by Joe Moore (the Yearning).

3) The Primitives – “I’ll Trust the Wind.” The Coventry-based indie-pop band, another Elefant Records act, is probably best known for their 1988 hit “Crash.”

4) Sundowners – “Ritual.” I don’t know much about this Liverpool-based group beyond the inclusion of this track on Mojo’s June Children of Pepper CD compilation. I like them.

5) Hannah’s Yard – “Better Together.” Hannah & Co. cover the Jack Johnson song from the singer-songwriter’s 2005 In Between Dreams album. I’m cheating a bit by including it, I know, as  it’s not exactly retro – but Hannah’s voice is timeless.

And one bonus:

6) The Parcels – “Overnight.” They’re an Aussie band that’s now located in Berlin, and they blend ‘70s-era disco and pop. This song conjures Blondie and Chic.

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