Beach Slang "Everything Matters But No One Is Listening [Quiet Slang] (Polyvinyl)"
You remember MTV Unplugged don’t you? Actually if you are the age I think you are then let me step that back: Do you remember when MTV used to play videos? Well, on top of that they’d have bands play acoustic versions/more intimate versions of their jams in front of a bunch of candles and drapes. Obviously Nirvana’s “Unplugged” was legendary (Hey, I was there for the taping!), and its influence is still felt today in such releases by Beach Slang. Yup, break out the acoustic guitars, ask your friend who plays piano to bring his friend who plays the violin to show up and well, in this case, tell the drummer to go buy beers since he isn’t needed (What, no Hot Rods™ were available?). Regardless, these versions of your favorite Beach Slang jams will have you holding hands, burning patchouli oil and singing along (quietly). Check out “Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas.”
Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert "Here Lies The Body (Rock Action)"
There is very little info on the website for the debut album from Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert. But what few words that are there speak volumes more than some 100,000 word Wikipedia entries. Wanna know what it says there? Good, because I’m about to copy and paste the hell out of it. “Sex and death. Love and life. Family, fortune, faith, and fear. Guitar, voices, cello, sax, Roland, wolves. Leggings and jeggings, the multiverse and marshmallows. The debut album by Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert.” Right? Honestly, what more do you need to know about Here Lies The Body (Rock Action). Oh fine, I’ll let you know a little more. Aidan, you might know from his many days with Arab Strap. RM is better known in Scotland as Hubby, the guitarist and singer in his post-rock band El Hombre Trajeado. The result of their pairing is a little like if Phil Spector produced El Vy. Check out the rollicking brogue of “Party On.”
Brandy Zdan "Secretear (Tallest Man Records)"
Well, of course, we know gender is dead, but Brandy Zdan ushers in the new future where musical genres are dead as well! As this is a forum to basically entice you to listen to an album I will just saw Brandy is a mixture of Joan Jett, Courtney Barnett, and Tony Joe White but really, none of that serves Secretear the musical justice it deserves. You want swagger? Boy oh boy, do you have it with the stomp-along “I Want Your Trouble.” You saw it here first (again): Brandy Zdan – the nbt.
Patrick Sweany "Ancient Noise (Nine Mile Records)"
Besides having a title for their music blog that made me laugh, folking.com also described “Country Loving,” a highlight tune from the new Patrick Sweany LP Ancient Noise (Nine Mile Records) as wonderfully as I’ve ever heard a song described before, calling it “a smoochy, country, piano song.” They used “smoochy”!?! That’s awesome. You know what else is awesome? This Patrick Sweany LP. It sure is “smoochy.” It’s a little bit country, a little bit soul, a little bit gospel., a little bit roots rock (and even a little bit funky!). It’s like a relic out of the past, yet it doesn’t sound like its from any specific time. Like if early ZZ Top mixed with Dusty Springfield and Syl Johnson and Nick Cave and late-era Tom Waits. How blissfully all over the place! Check out the aforementioned “Country Living.”