Ten New Albums I Can’t Wait To Play A Lot!
Sounds Good!
I’m always looking for music to write about. Which is not my ‘job’. But it is my ‘role’. Something I selected for myself a long time ago, long before I was ever published or paid. Music started speaking to me on the level where I felt I had to speak back to it – and about it – when I was 13. Music and writing have been connected for me since then. I was listening to music a lot earlier, obsessed since six or seven I would say. But since I was 13 years old, since I had an electric typewriter, since I armed myself with a copy of Leonard Cohen’s tome, Stranger Music (lyrics and poems), since I started typing out my favourite lyrics, writing my own poems, keeping diaries, listing the albums I bought, listing the albums I listened to – it’s been on.
One long, strange trip.
From there through protracted study – with far too many breaks – I have ended up in some pretty funny, surreal situations. One day I’m in a radio studio with Steve Gadd, the legendary drummer for Paul Simon, Steely Dan and Rickie Lee Jones (among so many others) and while I am there, in that moment I am also thinking back to when I booked my own meeting with a community paper to see if I could get a column about music. To that meeting I took a wee briefcase and inside it, a pad and pen, a couple of CDs and a banana.
From student journalism to writing regularly for Wellington’s newspaper, on TV doing reviews as part of the Good Morning show, having my ugly mug on a national news website for just under a decade – opinions galore. About music. Every weekday.
And it’s nearly been a decade now of posting all sorts of writing on my site.
That’s a short version of over 20 years of plugging away. Always as a side-gig, sometimes a paid side-hustle, more often the labour of love. And with the hope, I suppose that it would lead somewhere. It’s always taken me to the music. That’s been the focus.
I’ve just made the decision to no longer appear on RNZ. Something I chose. Usually you outstay your welcome and the producer or editor or manager of a media organisation gives you a shove, or the publication or show ends, shuts down. Or you’re replaced by someone that was nipping at your heels.
On RNZ – or Radio New Zealand as it was best known and still is by some – I have been a regular across the last seven years or so. And I have been on air in some capacity for even longer. The main thing was reviewing albums once a month or so and providing a bigger ‘feature’ also. Looking in-depth at a catalogue, era, or trend. I absolutely loved putting together those features.
But it’s time to give that a rest. Time to free up some bandwidth. Time to seek value in return for work offered. And to feel valued – not just the financial reward.
Another way of saying this, I guess, is that I have de-platformed myself. I am no longer a music journalist. Some would say I never was – but they would only say that because I one time said their favourite band was a bit shit. The truth is, I’ve been wanting to shake the tag ‘music journalist’ for years. From titling a book of poems The Death of Music Journalism (and, well, writing a book of poetry…) to blogging about parenting, writing about books and films, writing about feelings and my life, sharing so much – the music has always been in there. A soundtrack pretty much. But I became a music journalist by mistake. By default. I don’t regret it. But I’m definitely keen to move on from it. The title in itself is just outmoded. The role redundant. The pay non-existent.
The good news is this is all very liberating. And I can consider myself just A Writer – which is all I’ve ever hoped to be. A writer. Some days I’m sure I am. Other days I worry I’ve bitten off far too much. And that’s exactly how it should be.
But writers write with music. And about music. They share tips. And favourites. They are free to write about, well, whatever.
So today I didn’t want to bombard you with reviews. But I wanted to share some new music. That’s what reviewing has actually been about for me – sharing new music. Sharing thoughts on the music. Making suggestions and recommendations and writing out my frustrations and disappointments too.
By the time you read this I will possibly have written even more about some of these selections – but here are 10 albums that are either brand new or nearly brand new to me. Ten albums I’ve only heard a little bit – or in some cases only read about. But I instantly want to hear more.
The way the world works now, and has done for some time, you can hear this music too. And straight away. In some cases I’ll just be catching up to you. (And in all cases I am providing a link that takes you to the music). I’ve liked that about music and writing over the last decade. All notion of gatekeeping removed. I say this as someone that remembers the thrill of getting a brand-new album by Weezer or Tori Amos or Ani DiFranco up to a month before it was out in the world. Someone that remembers when Weezer made good albums. Someone that heard the debuts by Kanye West and Amy Winehouse and got to write about them before they were fully out in the world. Seems like that was more than 20 years ago. Feels like 30 or 40 when you put it like that.
Anyway, here are ten albums I’m about to buzz on and about big time. You might too. And if not please add your new favourites in the comments below – share a link, to the music or to a review or any information. That way we’re all getting as much as we can out of this.
In no particular order I can’t wait to hear more from these records, or files, or streams…
Deap Vally, Marriage
From Wikipedia: “Deap Vally has been described as ‘a scuzzy White Stripes-meets-Led Zeppelin rock and rull duo who play hard-riffing blues-rock’” – um, yes please! I don’t know heaps about them, but I did like Deap Lips – their collab with the Flaming Lips. And I like that this is their third album, a nice entry point. I’ll go back to the previous records as well. But this is a winner on first listen. And just what I feel like for a long weekend starter.
Nell Smith, Where The Viaduct Looms
Speaking of Flaming Lips-collabs, here is a set of Nick Cave covers by a 14-year-old singer/songwriter with the Lips backing. Sold. Instantly. I come and go with Cave ,but I can feel a re-entry with this particular project leading the way. I’m also a fan of album-length covers projects. And Smith sounds fantastic. Instantly. Also a big fan of the Lips’ forever waywardness. They tasted pop triumph and seemed instantly bored with the rewards. Respect!
Jarvis Cocker, CHANSONS d’ENNUI TIP-TOP
Jarvis Cocker sings covers of French standards. Done.
My son was just asking me yesterday if I’m a fan of Nas. And I said that I was – but couldn’t quite call myself a fan since I wasn’t across every album and didn’t know what he was up to. Next thing I see a new album out. I’ve recently watched his Masterclass. I’m forever a fan of his classic Illmatic and I’ve managed to see him live twice. Oscar swiftly pointed out, “sounds like you are a fan dad”. True. And Magic sounds, well, magic straight away.
Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy, Blind Date Party
I’m almost embarrassed that I haven’t yet heard this. Callahan in particular has been one of my favourite writers of recent years. Will Oldham (aka Bonnie) was more of a big deal for me in the early/mid 00s – but I’ve never not liked him. The idea that the two of them are together for a whole album, writing and performing. Well, maybe it’s almost a little too much to process, which is why I’m easing on in, a few weeks after it arrived…
Sometimes I feel like I can’t tell if I want Pink Floyd or Kraftwerk. With CAN I get both. And so much more of course. And I think any list of ‘new’ albums should remind you that there’s so much ‘old’ stuff out there still waiting to be discovered. This is a previously unheard/unreleased live set from the archives. From one of the most extraordinary live bands.
Jeff Parker plays guitar in Tortoise. That’s how I best know him. And that would almost be enough. Except, he’s a restless musical spirit and his increasingly regular solo albums offer a whole other side of his vast musical personality. Jazz guitar is the starting point here. But Parker always takes that somewhere else, somewhere fresh, somewhere new.
Hedvig Mollestad, Winds Approaching
I feel like I have reviewed every Hedvig Mollestad album over the last decade or so. And loved them all. So why have I only just found out about this one? Well, because music is infinite. And the world is mostly a better place because of that. Whatever other difficulties there might be, music is the salve. And I love Mollestad’s take on heavy guitar-based rock. This will be on high rotate across the weekend.
Hard to pick a favourite component of Sonic Youth – such a band, I miss them still! – but Ranaldo was always a crucial factor for me. And his solo offerings (poetry books, photos, albums) are the ones I return to most often. Here’s a wee lockdown EP he’s made. Guitar ruminations. Beautiful.
John Mellencamp, Strictly A One-Eyed Jack
I didn’t think I’d be this pumped about a Mellencamp record in 2022. But I am. His voice is magnificent. His writing seems sharp (I’ve not heard the whole album just yet). And because I always made jokes about how if Bruce Springsteen was The Boss, then Johnny Cougar was surely The 2IC, it’s so good to know that Bruce is on here for three songs they co-wrote. Also, that bruised-but-chin-up Americana. John Mellencamp was one of the architects of that sound. I haven’t thought lots about him for a while. But his 80s albums meant a whole heap to me at the time. And I’m ready to dive in deep again.
I see he’s also today’s guest on Marc Maron’s podcast. That’ll be pretty good, I’m sure.
So, there you go. Ten recent recommendations from a writer de-platforming himself from the mainstream media. But not out of self-sabotage. Aiming only for self-respect.
I hope you find something here of interest. And please let me know if any of these tickle your musical fancy. And leave your own suggestions or recent-finds below.
Hey, as always, if you prefer a sampler of tunes neither old nor new, I got your back. We are up to Volume 48 of A Little Something For The Weekend. And though I probably say this a lot, I really enjoyed putting together this playlist. And I’ll be making space for it today even with all of this other new music to get straight back into.
Happy weekend to you all and thanks for reading.