Mark Fosson "Solo Guitar (Drag City)"
Ian Felice "In The Kingdom Of Dreams"
Ian Felice, lead singer and songwriter of The Felice Brothers, has released a solo debut! In The Kingdom Of Dreams finds Ian escaping the weight of 2016 (when he wrote the tunes) with crafting songs. Tired of the oppressive election cycle of the year (as were we all), worn down from touring plus the impending worry of being a new father, Ian turned to these songs as a way to clean his psyche. Full of the folk-y, americana ideals Ian has been dealing with, this is as haunting and beautiful as anything he ever did with his brothers, or in his co-songwriting duties with The Lumineers of Bat For Lashes. Check out the ramshackle, dusty title track “In The Kingdom Of Dreams.”
The War On Drugs "A Deeper Understanding"
A Deeper Understanding, the latest from The War On Drugs, is everything you want it to be. Back are the wistful, AOR, Hornsby-esque vibes, coupled with tremendous playing, and a love for songs as long as the line for tickets to the (not yet actually a thing) Ramones Broadway Musical Hey! Ho! Let’s Go. We couldn’t love the fact more that there are still bands with guitars playing rock and roll that sounds great live after a few beers. There was once a discussion in the office about WOD that went thusly: “what if we just closed up shop, and followed The War On Drugs around for a few years. Would that be ok?” We decided that although it wounds amazing, it’s probably not the best idea financially for us. But this is the kind of band that garners that sort of devotion. Check out “Strangest Thing” and see if you don’t feel like following them around too.
Rare Energy "Rare Energy (Team Love)"
If you like your drums to have an indie shuffle, your songwriter’s emotions to be worn on their sleeves, and your aesthetic to be of the ‘90s college/indie persuasion, then boy oh boy do I have a new favorite band for you. Rare Energy, the new EP from Guilt Mountain is everything someone could want from a genre that can be decidedly overproduced at times. Sounding a little bit like early Helium tracks with Kate Larson’s vocal delivery reminding me of the Deal sisters at their most conversational, this is the kind of collection that makes you want to start a band immediately. Like, right this second. But you don’t have time for that now, because you need to check out “Fever.”