Flat Worms "Into The Iris EP (Drag City)"
I know not everyone is a fan of the kind of blurb that says things like “this band sounds like if Conway Twitty paired up with Kool & The Gang and they released an album of Harry Chapin covers”. I know, it can be kind of reductive. But, it’s helpful shorthand and the point of these blurbs (besides the attempts at “jokes”) is to get you to listen to these amazing songs. So if they work in that regard, then more power to them, right? Case in point? This stellar EP from LA band Flat Worms. It wasn’t far into Into The Iris EP (Drag City) before I exclaimed to myself “oh wow, this sounds like if Ian Curtis was in Sonic Youth.” If that tickles your fancy as much as I imagine it does, then get excited and check out “Surreal New Year.”
Telekinesis "Effluxion (Merge)"
You can say so many nice things about Michael Lerner aka Telekinesis – but after the initial flood of compliments (lover of dogs, camper, met Paul McCartney), you get to the root of the man in the striped shirt as a great pop song writer. Over 4 albums Telekinesis have written some of the best pop jams of the millennium (have you listened to the self-titled debut Telekinesis lately? All killer no filler), which brings us to Effluxion. After last album Ad Infinitum deep dove into synthesizers, Telekinesis are back to mainly the acoustic instruments: Drums, guitars and oh so much piano. Imagine if Michael’s BFF’s second solo album “Paul McCartney 2” was played by Teenage Fanclub you can start to ride the Effluxion of time (I think I used that work right?). Dig into “Cut The Quick.”
Jose Gonzalez & The String Theory "Live In Europe (Mute)"
What is better than a new Jose Gonzalez album? A live one! Even better than that? A live album with strings!! Yup Jose comes alive with “Live In Europe” and shows you the way to making beautiful songs even more beautifuller (?). You haven’t heard “Every Age” or “Crosses” until you’ve heard them live with strings – man oh man you are really going to like this. Check out “Heartbeats.”
Julia Jacklin "Crushing (Polyvinyl)"
Julia Jacklin’s second LP Crushing (Polyvinyl) is the sound of Julia refinding herself. After a few years on tour, she was feeling a little shattered, her mind disconnected with her body. This is the way she rejoined the two, and thank goodness she did. With an easy, vibe-y delivery and laid back instrumentation, this is like the best of the ‘70s mixed with the best of today. Check out the Tom Petty meets Sharon Van Etten sounds of “Body.”