New Music Friday

 

     Hey there gang, welcome back to New Music Friday, it’s been a while since we did a big one, so whether you’re celebrating this weekend’s Puppy Bowl or the [insert shameless plug here] release of my new poetry chapbook Pretty Words for the “Iconoclass” of 2020 (available wherever fine Covid-prose is sold) - there is a great batch of quarantine produced music out there to get you through, so let’s get to it

  First up, those benevolent fighters of all things Foo have a beautiful new CD - Medicine at Midnight (Roswell/RCA)- a departure? Sort of? More of a late 70’s rock sound - which I love - plenty of Dave and Taylor drums throughout with distinctive Foo Fighters sound in “Waiting on a War.” Just wait until you hear the Beach Boy-esque “Chasing Birds.” Wow, who knew?

  Speaking of who knew, Paramore lead singer and cryptic social media honey Hayley Williams has been busy in lockdown proving herself as a singer/songwriter with the stripped down, Flowers for Vases/descansos (Atlantic).  Every song is brilliant and different, I don’t want to oversell it, so checkout “Wait On” “KYRH” and “Find Me Here” and then I’ll tell you what this reminds me off. I’m listening to this over and over.

  Staying with our lockdown theme (like we don’t know what that’s like) there’s Songs from Quarantine a CD benefiting the Music Health Alliance - a compilation of songs that we would have all recorded if we had mini-studios in our homes from Ry Cooder, Elvis Costello, Taj Mahal, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, John Hiatt, Jeff Tweedy, Roseanne Cash, etc.  It’s available for download for the next two weeks only at rodneycrowell.bandcamp.com, so hurry up - It’s only $13 you cheap bastards, come on it’s good music for a good cause. The best various artists CD of the year (so far).

We’ll round things off with the new release from A.J. Croce, By Request (Compass) a CD of covers that include Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing” and The Face’s “Stay with Me” and the Beach Boy’s “Sail on, Sailor”; there’s my “new” discovery (and back catalog) of The Mountain Goats with yet another release The Jordan Lake Sessions, Vol. 1 & 2 (Merge) a really nice acoustic retrospective of the work; and finally, triggered by abuse attention turning to Marilyn Manson this week, I have to note the release of a subdued Ryan Adams, from December - slipping back under the radar with Wednesdays (on his PaxAm label). eleven new songs reflecting on self-destruction.

Any of these (preferably all) will get you through the weekend, Enjoy and stay safe until the next time I get around to it. Wear a mask and expand your playlist. Peace and Love!

 


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