Alexander Tucker "Don’t Look Away (Thrill Jockey)"
Being psychedelic without falling back onto the accepted tropes of the form is something of a trick. Well, just call Alexander Tucker the David Copperfield of the genre (the magician, not the Dickensian character-that would be a whack metaphor… maybe I should have just gone with The Amazing Johnathan?) Anyway… Don’t Look Away (Thrill Jockey) is just that. All psychedelic swirls, warped, otherworldly music, but doesn’t sound just like all the stuff you think of when I use those words. Check out the Folk Implosion covering Pink Floyd sounds of “Visiting Again.”
Glenn Jones "The Giant Who Ate Himself and Other New Works For 6 & 12 String Guitar (Thrill Jockey)"
Few things warm the chilly depths of my soul like news of a new Glenn Jones record. His prowess on the fretboard, coupled with his ability to craft timeless solo acoustic pieces, is as familiar as a favorite shirt. Able to craft sing-a-longable melodies (not to mention emotional tales) with one acoustic guitar and a pair of hands like some sort of sonic wizard. Seriously. He’s the best. Check out the wistful beauty of “The Sunken Amusement Park.”
Glorietta "Glorietta (Nine Mile Records)"
Glorietta is a self-titled “friend record” debut from, well, Glorietta. Matthew Logan Vasquez of Delta Spirit and Middle Brother got a little drunk with Adrian Quesada one night at a David Ramirez show. Afterwords, the three tipsily agreed to make a “stream of consciousness record.” But unlike you and your friends who decide to go into business making a new dating app for cats 8 beers into the night, they actually did it. They collected a few more pals, and thus the band was born. Guitar driven, ramshackle rock and roll that would make sense coming out of just about any jukebox in the country. A little Springsteen-y, a little War On Drugs if they listened to more Traveling Wilburies and less Don Henley. Check out “Golden Lonesome.”
Rubblebucket "Sun Machine"
For being as feel-good an album as Sun Machine is, Rubblebucket’s origin story for it isn’t exactly all good times and sunny feelings. But I guess it kind of is too? This is Kalmia and Alex’s breakup album. Their 11 year relationship and marriage came to a “conciencious uncoupling” after their last release. But the funny thing is, they still care a great deal for each other, and kept writing songs together. The result is Sun Machine. Full of triumphant grooves, hooks, waves of synths, danceable beats, and otherworldly vocals… like a neon version of Shit Robot. Check out the lead track from the LP, “What Life Is.”