Album of the Day

A Blank & the Blanks Production

[aotdblanks]

It’s a Big Week

Wow! There’s a lot of new records this week. 

GoGo Penguin - Everything is Going to be Ok

The Wood Brothers - Heart is the Hero

Metallica - 72 Seasons

Adrien Moignard & Diego Imbert - Django’s Songs

Usually that’s enough for a month, but here it is all in one week. Go find something new to listen to. It’s out there!

[aotdblanks]

The Bad Ends - The Power and the Glory

I have been listening to this album for my entire adult life. It’s every Americana tinged power pop record you’ve ever heard. There’s no new ground being broken, and that’s ok, because the energy is incredible. It may be the first perfect album of 2023, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself either. On top of all that, it’s the return of Bill Berry. It’s his first album since leaving REM in 1997! And yes, thank you again, Tiny Desk. 

[aotdblanks]

Hermanos Gutierrez - El Bueno Y El Malo

While this record was released late in 2022, I just heard about it today. Hermanos Gutierrez played on NPR Tiny Desk and that set was released today. Loved it, so I checked out the record. It’s my favorite album I’ve heard this month. Now that’s no disrespect to anyone else. It’s that “El Bueno Y El Malo” is on a wavelength I’ve been trying to tap into over the past 6 months or so. That whole epic spaghetti western soundtrack thing. 

What I like about this album is how intimate it sounds. It’s not a “wall of sound” production. You’re right there. In front of the brothers, in front of their amps. They’re playing to you, not at you. You can feel the bond and the vibe in the room. That kinda production value is special to me and it makes the interplay between the brothers even more intense. 

[aotdblanks]

Social Dance - Rumeurs

I watch a lot of KEXP videos and I’m usually pretty quick to click away. You’ve basically got 30 seconds and if I hate your vocals, it’s over. Of the ones I like, their records are usually not my thing. Too many guitarists out there who use way too much chorus. (Looking at you Alvvays and Los Bitchos...) Social Dance really isn’t my thing. They’re a little too happy and there’s a little too much synth for me. But they’re like a modern, French Talking Heads, without the coked out 80s production style. And the EP is as good as their KEXP set. Highly recommended. 

[aotdblanks]

JD Allen - Americana, Vol. 2

This record is a treat for Charlie Hunter fans who always wanted to know what he’d sound like when someone else takes up the bass duties, and he can just fly. It’s JD Allen’s show, but the interplay between Charlie Hunter and bassist Greg August are what do it for me here. 

[aotdblanks]

The Flashbulb - Kirlian Tapes

I started watching Benn Jordan, who releases music as The Flashbulb, on YouTube a couple of years ago when I thought I was getting into synths. Turns out he’s not just a crazy synth guy. He’s an amazing guitarist, pianist, producer, and even ran non-profits back in the day. Because of his video daring Uli Behringer to follow through on a promise, a local non-profit here received Behringer gear.  Like Ben Harper (whose review I just posted), Benn released a solo piano album prior to this return to form. He masterfully runs the gamut of electric and acoustic instruments here and his sound design is impeccable. I love how the music never stops and flows from one mood to the next. Go check out his Bandcamp and YouTube channel. 

[aotdblanks]

Ben Harper - Bloodline Maintenance

Ben Harper isn’t fucking around anymore. His previous album “Winter is for Lovers” was a solo record with a lot of beautiful Weissenborn playing. On “Bloodline Maintenance” he’s back in an electric group setting, and there are no punches being pulled. “You're either a Christian or a racist, you can't be both.” Go listen to this record now. It was an essential album in 2022, and if you missed it, you’re missing out. 

[aotdblanks]

Stereolab - Dots & Loops

I’m not really certain why I listen to Stereolab almost exclusively when it rains, but I do, and here we are. I didn’t really get this record when it came out. 25 years on, and I think I’m starting to. Last time I listened to Stereolab, I checked out their newest compilation, “Pulse of the Early Brain [Switched On Volume 5]”. That record is super weird, and the first half hour is almost maniacal. 

This time, I figured I’d go back to the band in their heyday. I remember this record getting a ton of press though the reviews I can find are middling. It sounds like a band who hit their stride and put out a record fully embracing who they became. If that’s “more of the same” then so be it. Great album. 

[aotdblanks]

The Mattson 2 - Bosheekwo

I’ve been listening to The Mattson 2 for at least 10 years and saw them open for Kikagaku Moyo, which was a huge thrill. This record seems like the ultimate outgrowth of their collaborations with Chaz Bundick/Toro y Moi. The twins’ technical skills on their instruments is otherworldly. I feel like they should team up with Khruangbin for the ultimate retro tour. If you can, go see them. They’re fantastic. 

[aotdblanks]

Jeff Beck & Johnny Depp - 18

RIP Jeff Beck. The greatest of his generation. He’s, as usual, impeccable on this record. Johnny Depp is...fine. For me, this album fails in its song selection. The last thing I want to hear is schmaltzy versions of  “Ooh Baby Baby” and “Let It Be Me”. That’s a me problem and I’m sure someone else loves it. The highlight is Beck’s instrumental “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulders)”, the Beach Boys’ classic. Definitely check that out. Otherwise, maybe skip this one and go listen to “Live at Ronnie Scott’s”. 

[aotdblanks]

Welcome To Album of the Day - A Blank & the Blanks Production

Day in day out, I read about how there’s no good new music. This blog will be dedicated to what I’m listening to in the moment, which is typically a lot of new music. It might be a diatribe, it might just be a thought. Thanks for coming along for the ride!