Triptides: Shapeshifter (Album of the Week)

Ah, psychedelic rock. It's such a beautiful thing. This kind of music takes you deep into the mind and out into the cosmos at the same time. A fine example of this is LA's own Triptides. Their latest is called Shapeshifter and it's one of the best albums of the year. 

The opening track reels you in...and out!

The next track, "More Than A Friend" is an instant nostalgia generator...

And the title track is a transformative journey...

Hail the gods of psych pop!

Yonder: Memento Mori

Hometown hereos Yonder have their first EP out and it's just what all of us indie/alternative fans need for the rest of the summer. Memento Mori has six tracks of sheer wonder!

Buckcherry: Roar Like Thunder

Who wants some good ol' classic hard rock? Anaheim's own Buckcherry is just the ticket!! Their latest is called Roar Like Thunder and boy does it ever!

Opening (and title) track...

Kesha: .

Kesha cool. Very cool. Her latest has one of the most boss songs in the history of pop music. It's a set of directions on how to pwn men.

Go listen to it!

YUNGBLUD: Idols

Holy crap, is YUNGBLUD amazing. His latest is called Idols and it proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who is the current king of pop. Every track is pure gold and laced with power. He is a colossus!

Opening track...

Born Ruffians: Beauty's Pride

Holy crap! The new Born Ruffians record is easily their best yet. The Toronto outfit continues to blow me away with their sly and smooth style. Beauty's Pride is their ninth release and clearly their zenith. The album radiates that urban mood laced with amour.

Opening (and my favorite) track...

Saint Motel: Saint Motel & the Symphony in the Sky

LA's own Saint Motel keeps turning out magnificent music. A key element of their music is the cinematic quality of it. And that's never been more true than on their latest offering, Saint Motel & the Symphony in the Sky. The record is a sheer wonder of vision. Check it out!

Opening track...

Durand Jones and the Indications: Flowers (Album of the Week)

Soul music is alive and well. Thank god! Leading the charge of soul artists is Bloomington, Indiana's own Durand Jones and the Indications. Their latest masterpiece is called Flowers and is replete with instant soul chestnuts. 

Out of the gate...

And then this gem...

So many good things about this record...

As soul lovers, we truly live in a blessed time 

WITCH: SOGOLO

WITCH is just fucking crazy. This insanely intense band from Zambia just brings the shit, man! Their latest is called SOGOLO and it just cooks...with gas!

Check it out!

The Psycodelics: Please Keep Off The Grass

It warms my heart immensely to see that bands are keeping the spirt of soul alive. The Psychodelics are such a band and their latest record, Please Keep Off The Grass, is a testament to their deep commitment to the genre. Eight tracks of sheer soul chestnuts!

Opening track...

The Ravonettes: PE'AH II

Is there any band cooler than The Raveonettes? I don't think so. Their latest is called PE'AH II, a sequel to their 2014 record, Pe'ahi. It's a massive wall of cosmic energy infused with echo-y emo!

My fave...

The Young Knives: Landfill

The lads from Leicestershire put out a record earlier in the year and it has been slowly consuming me for the last six months. Landfill by The Young Knives is a 2025 treasure. What a wallop in the face for British culture, the good, the bad and the ugly.

One of my faves...

Lightheaded: Thinking, Dreaming. Scheming!

The title of the latest effort from Lightheaded is something we all do. And we do it with the same exclamation mark! Thinking, Dreaming, Scheming is baroque pop at its finest. Grab a romantic partner and listen!!

Opening track...

S.G. Goodman: Planting by the Signs

Hickman, Kentucky's own S.G. Goodman is back with her third record and it's a corker! Planting by the Signs sees new roads taken and amazing adventures to be had by all. Her voice gives me shivers and all sorts of feelings.

Witness!

Bruce Springsteen: Tracks II: The Lost Albums (Album of the Week)

I was 13 years old and my dad was picking me up for boy scouts in the dead of winter. My parents had just gotten divorced but my dad was really trying to stay involved in my life. He had this old car, it wasn't a Pinto, but it was something shitty like that. His car's heater didn't really work very well but he at least had an AM radio so we could listen to WLS from Chicago. At the time, that station was the only real gateway I had to music and, over the last year or so, the world of tunes had opened up quite massively for me because of it.  

That day, as I was shivering over to the other side of town for the troop meeting, the song "Hungry Heart" by Bruce Springsteen came on. It had been a massive hit for the last few months and everyone just loved it. I turned to my dad and smiled at how amazing the song was...the story...the sound...the heartache. He smiled back because he just knew too. He loved the Boss as well and now Springsteen was a superstar. 

As he has done many times in the thirty five years since this day, The Boss has, once again, shovel to the head stunned me. He has delved deeply into the vault and produced seven massively awesome records that are guaranteed to knock your socks right on your ass.

Tracks II begins with material from 1983-1984, between Nebraska and Born In The USA. The first track sets the tone...

Later on Disc 3 (Faithless, a "spiritual Western" film never made), we are transported to a different time and place...

Disc 7 is a collection of songs recorded from 1994-2011. Each one is an instant Boss classic. Example...

Folks, all seven discs are pure Americana gold. The Boss is fine example of how our elders are truly sacred.

The Doobie Brothers: Walk This Road

I'm very happy to see that The Doobie Brothers are still going strong with another fine effort called Walk This Road. Let's please walk with them...

One of my faves...

Lukas Nelson: American Romance

Lukas Nelson is back with American Romance, a most excellent collection of deeply spiritual tunes about our nation. Check out how the personal intersects with the public.

Title track...

Brian Eno: Luminal and Lateral

Brian Eno does treatments very well. Treatments are those spacey sounds that comes of his mind and goes into your deep subconscious. His music also transports the mind to the cosmos. 

His latest (two) records are called Luminal and Lateral. They are quite beautiful. Please listen to them.

Comet Gain: Letters to Ordinary Outside

Hey Comet Gain, you guys are cool! Your new record, Letters To Ordinary Outside, is BOSS. I like it because it makes me feel good inside my tummy.

Opening track...

Pat Methany: The Lore

Pat Methany has a new record out called The Lore and it is quite wonderful in its laid back jazz. It's a compilation album of deep cuts and some fine old tunes. Many chestnuts to choose from. Check it out!