The Black Angels "Death Song (Partisan)"
Austin’s psych-rockers The Black Angels are back with their first LP in 4 years! Death Song was written and recorded in 2016, during the endless misery that was the election cycle. This record is the dudes getting rid of all that nervous dread into some hard rocking, drug taking, road tunes. Full of buzz-y bass, rolling drums, and more garage hooks than… um… a garage full of hooks, but like for tools and stuff. You know what I mean. You are also gonna know what I mean when I say check out the Sonny and Cher meets Blue Cheer sounds of “Currency.”
Sondre Lerche "Pleasure"
The handsomest man in indie rock is back and he’s still reeling from his divorce. How is he spending his post divorce time? Seemingly listening to a lot of Pet Shop Boys, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood? Oh RELAX (get it?) the tunes are still there – just check out the super synth pop of “Soft Feelings” and lets assume when the inevitable Sixteen Candles reboot (starring Selena Gomez) comes around that Mr. Lerche will be scoring it.
Sweet Spirit "St Mojo"
If you aren’t already a fan of at least one Sabrina Ellis band, you’re doing something wrong. Besides her garage rock wunderband A Giant Dog, she is also the front woman of Sweet Spirit. What started out as a solo project to give her a chance to do some solo expressions quickly turned into a 8 piece rollicking good time (and includes AGD co-founder Andrew Cashen), more interested in Nashville sounds than A Giant Dog are. After opening for Spoon, and being invited to play SXSW on the merit of live shows only (and not even applying to play) music listeners in general took notice. St. Mojo (Nine Mile Records), the follow up to their debut, is an exciting batch of tunes everywhere from gentle to bombastic. Check out the song Joan Jett should cover next “The Power”
White Reaper "World’s Best American Band"
It’s not much of a thing for a band like Grand Funk Railroad to say “we’re an American band.” Well of course you are GFR! So is, you know, like a million other bands. It’s no great feat to be an American band. However, the title of World’s Best American Band? Now THAT is some kind of proclamation, and White Reaper is the one proclaiming it! It’s not just their credo either, as their newest album is titled World’s Best American Band (Polyvinyl). Why do they say it? “Because we are the best,” says vocalist/guitarist Tony Esposito. “Just like Muhammad Ali was the greatest, you gotta say it out loud for people to believe it.” All you’re gonna have to do is check out their latest to believe it. The garage rockers have really turned up the rock this time around. Revved up Cheap Trick pop-rock candy coating, Van Halen-esque stadium sized fun, even a bit of a White Stripes vibe. So yeah, they are really placing themselves among some American legends. Check out the beyond catchy “Judy French.”