Puppy and the Hand Jobs "I Hate Everything EP (Slovenly)"
From Slovenly Records:
The three obnoxious jack-offs known as PUPPY AND THE HAND JOBS are back with another crude EP of filth ridden, barely listenable / tolerable punk called “I Hate Everything,” and with 7 songs this time around, that’s only a buck a track in as many inches. WHAT A FUCKIN BARGAIN. Never before in the history of recorded music has it been so cheap and effortless to be insulted and assaulted with a swift kick in the genitals by “songs” with titles like “Cocksucker” and “Rocker Hag.” But even a band of total degenerate creeps like this can still muster a touch of class here and there: enter one-time SUN CITY GIRLS collaborator Eddy Detroit who penned the shitty little ditty “Plan 9” – a catchy track that will have you singing along like a dope before Puppy threatens your puny, worthless existence with “Predator.”
Check out “Plan 9.”
Harry Nilsson "Losst And Founnd (Omnivore)"
What’s this? Oh nothing. No big deal… just the NEW HARRY NILSSON RECORD!!! Ok, I’ll calm down now. When the music world (and the world in general) unexpectedly lost Harry Nilsson in 1994 it had been nearly 15 years since he had gifted the world with a new album. Well, it turns out that at the time of his death he was deep into the work on a new album, and now 25 years later that album has been completed by his friends and family. Produced by Mark Hudson and featuring contributions from Van Dyke Parks, Jim Keltner, Jimmy Webb, and Harry’s son Kiefo as well as the songcraft and melodies Nilsson is known for, this is a wonderful post script to the man’s already amazing legacy. If you were worried that Harry was going to get with the times in the 90s, well fear not. This is his classic sound. Check out the title track “Lost And Found.”
Je Suis France "Back To The Basics Of Love (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)"
Je Suis France doesn’t have an off switch. Back to the Basics of Love, which comes out this November from the Ernest Jenning Record Co., will be their seventh official full-length album, but they’ve also released dozens of digital releases and CD-Rs stretching back to the early ‘00s. The band, which first came together in Athens, Georgia, in the ‘90s, has prepared a new release for almost every show they’ve played since 2004. Despite that long history of experimentation, Back to the Basics of Love has all the energy and urgency of a debut from a band that’s 20 years younger. It’s a record that sounds like it could’ve come out in the 1990s, the 2000s, or the 2010s, but that couldn’t have existed at any point other than now.
Check out the ramshackle wonder of “Shapeshifter.”
Ryley Walker & Charles Rumback "Little Common Twist (Thrill Jockey)"
From Thrill Jockey:
Charles Rumback and Ryley Walker are both known for their creativity and curious spirits. Rumback is a drummer in high demand in Chicago’s free-jazz circles, and a pillar of the second wave of improvisers in a scene first shaped by the legendary players like Sun Ra and the AACM. Walker draws deeply on other distinctly American styles, bringing a strong sense of folk tradition to his playing that is as arresting as his freewheeling performance style. Walker’s musical explorations are not limited to his own songwriting: the guitarist regularly collaborates in Chicago and now New York with innovators of every genre. Together, Rumback and Walker find common ground in their kinetic, intuitive playing and yearning creative outlook. Little Common Twist, their sophomore release as a duo, finds both players at their most adventurous. It compiles instrumental pieces that convey a striking range of emotions, at once introspective and expansive, with a delicate interplay that delights as they move with ease across a spectrum of styles. The recording has a pastoral quality that recalls Van Morrison’s classic album Veedon Fleece, and captures a remarkably dexterous performance by both Charles and Ryley that make this album so expansive and fresh.
Check out the jazzy, acoustic wonder of instrumental gem “Half Joking.”