Mike Donovan "How To Get Your Record Played In Shops (Drag City)"
As is evidenced by the title of his latest solo record, Mike Donovan is living in a dream world. How To Get Your Record Played In Shops (Drag City) is the follow-up to the former member of Sic Alps 2013 solo debut, Wot. The title of this record supposed many fantasies. That there are still record shops, let alone that they play “records” in said shops. What’s that you say? Vinyl is back? So does that mean this near endless stack of Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits I have that… fell off of a truck… is finally worth something? They’re all mint! The cellophane is sealed I tell ya! Well, while I check eBay for the latest prices on these, you should check out the sounds Mike has laid down here. Lament-y, indie folk freak rock that spans the gambit from The Beatles at their most rocking to The Monkees on the OST for Head to current sounds like Ty Segall and White Fence. Check out what is either the worst name for a James Bond villain, or the best name for a Badfinger cover band “Sadfinger.”
Juliana Hatfield "Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (American Laundromat)"
Occasionally a record is nigh impossible to describe in one of these here blurbs. Other times, a record essentially sells itself via it’s title. Thankfully for my writing skills, this one is one of the latter. Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John is exactly what it sounds like it would be via it’s title. Also, it sounds exactly like you would want such a record to sound. JH covering ONJ. Boom! Record sells itself! Julianna covers every song you’d want her to on here. It’s glorious as is evidenced by the cover of “Physical.”
Josh T. Pearson "The Straight Hits! (Mute)"
Though distinguished southern gentleman Josh T. Pearson has been making music and writing songs for over 30 years now, The Straight Hits (Mute) is only his second solo album. Like a lot of us, 2016 affected Josh immensely, and it was then that he decided to “burn his idols.” As Josh tells it “In the last years I learned to dance, take drugs, make love… choose life.” He decided on that fateful election day that people were going to need joy and that he was going to be just the man to spread it. The Straight Hits is a rollicking, colorful honky tonk-ing good time. Like the Stones at their most country-obsessed mixed with the more straight-rock sounds of Pavement on their last two albums and occasional hints of new wave masters The Cars, Josh is having the time of his life on this album. You’ll have a pretty great time listening to it too, so check out the Ocasek-y banger “Straight At Me.”
Wrekmeister Harmonies "The Alone Rush (Thrill Jockey)"
If ever you find yourself listening to Nick Cave and think to yourself “nah, not dark enough for me” then do I have an album for YOU. The new album from Wrekmeister Harmonies, The Alone Rush (Thrill Jockey), is one gloomy, scary album. Filled with passages of beauty, but also filled with people screaming their heads off, the whole thing feels like a performance piece, gorgeous long songs that also sometimes sound like if you’re playing the greatest hits of Morphine at a slower speed. For an even better sense of the album, check out the aptly named “Covered In Blood From Invisible Wounds.”