New Music Friday - the Apathy Edition

 

                Hey there Cats and Kittens, welcome back to (the long overdue) New Music Friday - or, as I’m calling it this week, Sad Music Friday.  Today’s word is longevity, can you say that? In searching through the dozen new releases of auto-tune/emo (C)rap and for some reason, bluegrass (???), that I’ve never heard of, I have to wonder which of these will be deleted/replaced with next week’s Spotify song of the day.  I know I’m showing my age when I say this all sounds the same AND as always, I don’t buy that any of this is what the NPR hosts are really listening to, nor are the people buying iann dior listening to NPR.  Do we really need to analyze “how effortlessly he shifts between genres” when next week’s flavor will autotune another playlist?  Only two names standout on every new music list this week - Aoife O’Donovan and Janis Ian.  O’Donovan’s third solo release, Age of Apathy (Yep Rock Records) is nice, but nothing really stands out, lost in the mix of other female singer/songwriters doing the same thing. Nice songs - the tracks “Phoenix” and “Prodigal Daughter” (a duet with Allison Russell) stand out.  Give it a listen, we’ll have to wait and see where this might catch on in today’s world. Meanwhile, Janis Ian returns with her first new album in 15 years, The Light at the End of the Line (Rude Girls Records) - a clarity of voice and lyrics that has been missing in the singer/songwriter genre.  Take note, this is how it’s done, Janis is here to instruct. This is longevity.  Whether her songs of where we’ve been and where we’re going find a place, again that’s up in the air, but you should hear this one too,

                In keeping with the theme of longevity - other Longevites have extended their career with new releases of late.  Elvis Costello is touting a return to his angry punk roots - with the Imposters (as opposed to the Attractions), The Boy Named If (Capitol/EMI). The same good songwriting, as always, but the voice is no longer angry - “The Death of Magical Thinking” is the only track that come close to the Elvis of old.  For my book, it’s the all-Spanish re-imagining of This Year’s Model, 2021’s Spanish Model (UMe) with its infused border-punk vibe that comes closest to making me forget stodgy old Elvis. John “Eyepatch” Mellencamp returns with Strictly A One-Eyed Jack (Republic). Musically perfect - his most accessible I n years, but the years of cigarette smoke have taken its toll on Mellencamp’s voice and songs like “Gone Too Soon” paints the picture of an old bitter Mellencamp sitting in a smoke-filled bar in Bloomington.  The two duets with Springsteen feel out of place, although maybe not. This one may appeal to his fans but will be hard pressed to find new ears.  There’s new music from Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Gov’t Mule, and Aimee Mann, as well as a batch of covers from singer/songwriter Cat Power. All welcome news for fans, as you know what to expect, but I doubt anything this week will be topping the Spotify charts.  I’ll just leave the recent Colin James (Open Road), Lindsey Buckingham, Colin Linden (bLOW), my latest fav - Austin duo Deer Fellow - and the reissue of The Band’s Cahoots on repeat for the rest of the week.  Trust me, I know better than anyone else, I’m old!  One last note - just finished Rickie Lee Jones’ book Last Chance Texaco - brilliant, made me want to live in a cave and write songs. . .oh, wait, I do that.