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There’s a great diversity of music that’s out this week and I’m thrilled to share it with you. From one of the hottest names in country music to a band I discovered last August in concert and a fantastic jazz saxophonist.
Single of the Week:
“Dawns” by Zach Bryan (feat. Maggie Rogers)
Bryan had one of my favorite songs last year, “Something In The Orange” and is well on his way to huge success. He’s back with a gritty, heartbreaking song about longing for “one small victory” when dealing with grief and fear in life. Bryan reminds me so much of Jason Isbell in the way he writes and sings. He’s a special artist with a great future and teaming with Rogers was brilliant.
Albums of the Week:
How to Survive and Ending by The Collection
I saw The Collection in August last year at Songbyrd here in DC and was blown away. The live energy that the band brought to the small venue almost knocked the doors down. Falling in between folk-rock and just enough pop rock is the easiest way to peg them. The songs are so personal and heartfelt. The band harmonizes and mixes in horns while messing around with different tempos. The first track “Rose Colored Glasses” is electric in its hope. My favorite on the new EP is “Won’t Stop Yet” a piano-driven track that incorporates strings and horns while lyrically focuses on surviving what feels like the end of the world. Lead singer David Wimbish has a gorgeous voice and the band blends so many sounds so well together. I love this band and I want everyone to hear them!
Come Get Your Wife by Elle King
It’s clearly been in the works for a bit - the transition to country music for singer Elle King is complete. It’s complete with songs as odes to her roots, love and her personal journey. She, along with duet partner Miranda Lambert, blew up country radio with the kick ass track “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”. The whole release is honest and open - exactly what you’d expect from country music. “Lucky” is another fantastic track about the breaks we get and how there are times we don’t - and appreciating it when we do. King falls so well into the category of rebel country singer with so many stories to tell (Lambert, Price, Morris).
Dead Meat by The Tubs
The Tubs are a Welsh guitar-pop band based in London. The quartet contains members of Joanna Gruesome, Sniffany & the Nits, and Ex-Voïd. Combining British folk, punk and power-pop, the band has created catchy two minute songs that stick with you. It’s full of hooks and melodies. Mix a bit of The Kinks with The Buzzcocks and Bob Mould and you’ve got The Tubs. Favorites include “I Don’t Know How It Works”, “That’s Fine” and “Wretched Lie”.
Capricorn by Eddie 9V
The vintage-soul genre is here to stay and the band Eddie 9V are here to make sure you know about it. Recording their latest in a Macon, Georgia studio where The Allman Brothers and Percy Sledge recorded adds a nice touch to their already infectious music. It’s a step more towards funk from their previous electric blues releases. The band kicks it into high gear right away with the first track “Beg Borrow and Steal” and doesn’t slow down. Favorites include “Bout to Make Me Leave Home”, “Down Along the Cove” and the sultry “Missouri”.
Phoenix by Lakecia Benjamin
I’ve been listening to a lot more jazz music lately and the latest from Benjamin will be added to my rotation. Produced by the amazing Terri Lyne Carrington, Benjamin expands on her already impressive releases. Her arranging and playing are a mix of old school and an ever evolving sound, drawing on inspirations from around the world. “New Mornings” is a funky number while “Moods” takes me back to my days of listening to jazz in my parent’s basement.
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