Spring is in the air all across the country, but that doesn’t mean we’re in a mood right for St. Vincent or Bruce at the moment. Between the Staves, Junior Kimbrough, Mogwai, and Celeste — we’re feeling a tad more off the beaten path this week. We’re still reeling from the end of Daft Punk — so excuse us if we go back to RSD 2016 and pull one of their stranger mixes and give it a spin.
The Staves – Good Woman
The Staves are a trio of sisters; Emily, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor who make beautiful folk music. I first discovered them a few years ago in a book called Your Song Changed My Life by NPR’s Bob Boilen. In the book, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver cites The Staves’ song “No Me, No You, No More” as the one that changed his life. After reading that level of high praise, I ran out to grab their most recent album and have been a fan ever since. Now The Staves are back with their first release since 2017, and it marks a triumphant return after a series of heartbreaks for their family. Good Woman is an emotional record full of songs about love and loss that while somber at times is incredibly uplifting. If you like folk or sweet harmonies, you’ll love The Staves. – Lauren Halliday
Aaron Lee Tasjan – Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!
Aaron Lee Tasjan is a name I’ve known for awhile but hadn’t yet heard his music. I decided to dig in with his new album Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!, which was released by New West Records. What I found was a quirky pop record drawing from clear ‘70s and ‘80s pop rock influences with a touch of ‘00s indie flair. This record is just effortlessly cool. My favorite track is “Computer of Love,” a nod to the difficulties of navigating relationships in the digital age that sounds like The Shins collided with Big Star. The lyrics and themes throughout are thought-provoking and create a great juxtaposition with the vintage inspired sound. Aaron Lee Tasjan has certainly gained a new fan in me with his great work on Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! – Lauren Halliday
Mogwai – As the Love Continues
The Scottish masters of serious guitar music and atmosphere have not taken their collective feet off the gas for over 15 years. Their soundtrack work on Zidane, Les Revenants, and Atomic was the perfect vehicle for them; complex and layered with atmosphere and the kind of drama that music scores often require. They can start and stop on a dime if necessary; the orchestration on this latest release shifts from very complex on tracks like “To The Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth” which would fit into a number of recent science fiction or dystopian films, to the much more basic “Pat Stains,” and “It’s What I Want To Do, Mum” which take their time building to their explosive finales. Mogwai have their sound figured out after 26 years and it makes for a very intense listen, although some tracks can be a tad long on this one. There is a clever trick at the beginning of “Fuck Off Money,” as a deep hum pans across your loudspeakers and lingers before an enormous wall of sound crushes your soul into oblivion. Absolutely perfect for 2021. – Ian White
Junior Kimbrough – I Gotta Try You Girl (Daft Punk Edit)
Kimbrough has been part of the Fat Possum label for almost 30 years, and during that time managed to become part of a mini revolution with fellow Delta bluesman, R.L. Burnside. The elder Burnside passed away a few years ago leaving behind a legacy of rich and gritty blues that only made him a star in the last years of his life. Burnside’s legacy has continued through the outstanding music of Cedric Burnside, another Delta blues guitarist and family member who plays on the Single Lock Records label. Kimbrough in his prime was electricity in a bottle; a combination of tone and an intense beat that made your feet move. “I Gotta Try You Girl” feels somewhat like John Mayall and the Black Keys more than anything but Daft Punk mixed this edit in 2013 almost 15 years after Kimbrough passed away. 3,000 copies of this 16-minute single were pressed and sold on Record Store Day in 2016. – Ian White
Various Artists – J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan, Volume 3
A few days ago I got into a discussion online with a jazz fan who complained that Japanese jazz was too polite. By this I got the impression he meant that, while technically brilliant and precise, the music was derivative and lacked originality. I don’t agree and offer up this compilation series as proof that J-jazz was and is highly creative and soulful. This is the third in an ongoing series of vinyl compilations (also available on CD) from BBE Records, that started in February 2018 and takes a deep dive into the incredible Japanese jazz artists, records and labels that emerged in a 15-year burst of innovation and creativity from the late 1960s to mid 1980s.
Each of the three releases have been compiled from their personal collections by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden; long-time collectors of Japanese jazz, with few if any of the tracks ever released officially outside Japan.
Recording quality is exceptional, with styles ranging from samba to funk fusion, modal, spiritual, post-bop, and bossa, and everything in between. For anyone looking to explore Japanese jazz, this and the other two volumes are a great place to start without having to plunk down the hundreds of dollars that the source albums would command. – Eric Pye
Celeste – Not Your Muse
A much anticipated, oft-delayed release (thank you COVID), but also confusing and frustrating. Celeste came to prominence with her first single, “Strange”, released in September 2019. Performances on numerous TV and award shows helped her win the BBC “Sound of 2020” Music Critics Award, which she followed up with two more singles, “Stop The Flame” and “A Little Love,” both of which charted well in the UK. Not Your Muse – her studio debut (if you don’t count a Canada-only promo EP released in 2019) was announced soon after. So what’s the frustration? The CD release includes 12 tracks; including all three single releases, but the vinyl version has only 8 tracks with none of the singles (though it does come with a download card which delivers lossless versions of all 12 digital tracks). And the confusion?
Simply, why leave out 4 tracks and deliver an album less than 32 minutes long? It doesn’t make sense. The soundquality is excellent and the music sultry, soulful and sophisticated. Celeste has a wonderful, expressive voice, that at various points channels Adele, Roberta Flack, and Amy Winehouse. Here’s hoping there’s a deluxe vinyl release to come with the missing CD tracks (and perhaps the promo-EP songs to boot). – Eric Pye
Hazel English – Wake Up
This is one of my favorite new finds. It was released mid-2020 amidst the global pandemic without the usual fanfare and touring support. Social media led me to this album and I’m so grateful that it did. Wake Up has a retro feel to it with “Off My Mind” initially drawing me in. Hazel English is an excellent singer-songwriter that will pull you in and have you singing along in no time. This is her second album so be sure to circle back and check out her EP Just Give In/Never Going Home which is equally as satisfying. – Jeremy Sikora
Elvis Perkins – “While You Were Sleeping”
My second pick is not a new song, but rather a new way of experiencing a song. Instagram’s @Blogotheque runs a “Stay at Home” series of live tracks recorded which showcase how the artist interpreted them during our ongoing national emergency. The January 28th, 2021 post is utterly fascinating and well worth watching. The 7-minute track is something very different and hard to resist. – Jeremy Sikora
