New Album Cycle for 11-22

My thoughts on some new releases, the full album list and this weeks playlist

I keep talking about how things should be winding down, but we are still getting some heavy hitters and top album contenders. Two that I don’t write about here include the new Jeff Parker album, The Way Out Of Easy. My copy of this should show up on Monday or Tuesday. Parker’s album is not fully available for streaming until the middle of next month. He is one of the most consistent and best jazz artists out there (along with his work with Tortoise), and I cannot wait to drop the needle on these four new works. The other is Kendrick Lamar’s new album GNX, which is very good—his albums, I guess, need to be dissected every which way, and I don’t really want to get into that narrative. Here are the albums I did post some thoughts about and this week's playlist, which does include one of the Jeff Parker tracks available, a Kendrick song, and also an ambient piece at the end from Bibio.

Kim Deal—Nobody Loves You More—First solo album from the former Pixies member and long-running member of The Breeders. This is fantastic, and she put many years into these 36 minutes, and you can tell. Well-crafted songs with different vibes, from pop tunes to angry buzzsaw guitar tunes to wistful spaghetti western, string-laden easy listening pop, and more. Nothing on here doesn’t sound like it couldn’t be a Breeders song, but if it was a Breeders album, it would be one where she somehow put all the most interesting tracks into one album. This is as good as one could have hoped for, and when they said a Kim Deal solo album was coming, we had high hopes.

Alice Ivy-Do What Makes You Happy-Aussie EDM artist and producer whose music comes off more as mainstream pop music. She relies heavily on guest vocalists, and how much you like each song really depends on how much you like the guest. For the most part, this is a slick, well-done mainstream pop album, though a lot of the songs don’t really stand out or inspire a second listen for me. A few do like the Mayor Hawthorne track and chloethegod cut.

Daryl Johns-Daryl Johns-I almost stopped listening to this as while it was appealing, I started to think it was a joke, and it may be, but it’s just the most cheesy retro easy listening synth pop one can imagine. His label describes it as motivational jazz fusion, champion pop, pop for victory, or more. It sounds like something made using a lot of motivational cocaine. And much like that drug, this album is also very addictive and possibly not good for you. If you like fun cheese done for the sake of fun-this is for you. 

Father John Misty-Mahashmashana-I don’t dislike Father John Misty, but I don’t own any of his albums and have left his live show halfway through. I want to like him, and it sounds good for a bit, but then I lose interest very quickly and don’t go back. I appreciate what he does for sure. Just have a hard time connecting. Anyway, the single that was out from this album, “She Cleans Up,” was a really great Lou Reed-meets-Cake gritty rocker, so I listened to the album. Besides that song, it’s really long FJM-standard-sounding songs that sound really nice, and I bet if you are a fan, this will be awesome. I just am not sure it will hold my interest. That single is killer, though.

Soap&Skin-Torso-it’s been six years since we have heard from the Austrian experimental multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Anja Plaschg. Torso is a stunning album, both vocally and instrumentally. Jazz, neoclassical, and experimental music with sometimes seductive and sometimes kind of post-punk or dark wave in the most unique ways. These are covers of songs from Bowie, Velvet Underground, Cat Power, Tom Waits, and more. Won’t be for everyone, but worth checking out.

10,000 Years – All Quiet on the Final Frontier

 Alice Ivy – Do What Makes You Happy

Ant (of Atmosphere) – Collection of Sounds: Volume 2

 Bibio – PHANTOM BRICKWORKS (LP II)

 Black Pumas – Live From Brooklyn Paramount

Body Count – Merciless

Boldy James and Harry Fraud – The Bricktionary

 Can – Live in Keele 1977

 Clay Aiken – Christmas Bells are Ringing

 Common Sage – Closer To

Crossbone Skully – Evil World Machine

Daryl Johns – Daryl Johns

 Dean & Britta & Sonic Boom – A Peace of Us

 Defeated Sanity – Chronicles of Lunacy

 Father John Misty – Mahashmashana

The FMs – 51122

Golin – sensor

 Heavy Moss – Dead Slow

 Ice Cube – Man Down

 Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Jordan Mailata – A Philly Special Christmas Party

 Jeff Parker ETA IVtet – The Way Out of Easy

 Kim Deal – Nobody Loves You More

 LEYA – I Forget Everything

 Marilyn Manson – One Assassination Under God – Chapter 1

 My Morning Jacket – MMJ Live Vol. 4: Terminal 5 – NYC – The Tennessee Fire 10/18/10

 Opeth – The Last Will & Testament

 Painting – Painting Is Dead (Reissue)

Papa M – Ballads of Harry Houdini

Soap&Skin – TORSO

Steve Julien – DJ-Kicks: Steven Julien

 Tashi Dorji – we will be wherever the fires are lit

TOKiMONSTA – Eternal Reverie

 Warhaus – Karaoke Moon