Overlake "Fall"
Well this might be a BRM first! A Jersey City band and a classic Hoboken label (Bar/None)! This is a rave spiel waiting to happen, and thankfully Overlake is not just nepotism rock. If you like your bands from Jersey (like I do), while you gaze upon your shoes (Hey look! Saucony Jazz!) this is the album for you. Produced loud and clear by Tom Beajour at Nuthouse Studios in (yes Hoboken), check out the power of the fuzz as you close your eyes and drift away to “Winter Is Why.”
Sunshine & the Rain "In The Darkness Of My Night (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)"
Oh yeah, Jersey City in the house for the full-length debut of Sunshine and the Rain. This new duo features the lovely and talented Justin Angelo Morey from the Black Hollies on guitar and his wife Ashley Anderson Morey on bass. The band locked themselves in a studio with Jon Spencer and have come out alive with In The Darkness Of My Night (Ernest Jenning Record Co.). If you ever wanted to hear what The Jesus and Mary Chain mixed with Suicide being sung by Susanna Hoffs sounded like (how could you not?), have I got the record for you. So turn that drum machine up and bring on the hits! Dig into “I’m Not Your Girl.”
ALA.NI "You & I"
Somewhere between the jazzy pop music of the 30s and 40s, and the music of early Disney animated films, we have the deceptively simple sounds of ALA.NI. Having done some work as a backup singer for Mary J. Blige and Damon Albran, You And I is the record that cements her as a fresh voice in a musical world that is sparsely populated. Her sultry vocals-often accompanied by an Andrews Sister-esque choir of herself-is often paired with only one or two instruments. But that’s all she needs. This record is all about her vocals and her songwriting skills. Plenty of revivalistic coos and throwback-y touches, but with a modern sheen makes this record timeless and timely simultaneously. I know, that sounds like some magic. Well, that’s because it is. Check out the “Dream A Little Dream Of Me”-esque “Cherry Blossom.”
Big Walnuts Yonder "Big Walnuts Yonder"
Hey, check out this new supergroup” my co-worker said when we got the debut from Big Walnuts Yonder. “Great, another supergroup…” I thought to myself. Then I looked to see who was involved. Oh! Greg Saunier from Deerhoof! I sure like him. And Nick Reinhart from Tera Melos? Yeah, I like him too. Wait… AND Nels Cline!?! Both in and out of Wilco, he’s one of my fav guitarists. And… wait a second… you’ve gotta be kidding me. Mike Watt… Mike Watt!?! Bassist from the Minutemen Mike Watt? How have I ever called any other supergroup “super” before? Seriously. My mind was blown before I even pressed play. And after I heard it? Let’s just say that I was not prepared for how awesome this was gonna be. How awesome? You know what. It’s almost impossible to describe the free-jazz meets rockabilly meets Knitting Factory sounds. Check out the sharp turns of the John Zorn meets T Rex sounds of “Raise the Drawbridges?”.