While it seems awfully premature to say this out loud, I think we may have made it to the early days of warmer weather and BBQ’d steaks. Longer days and the sight of sidewalks emerging from the snow has been a real mood booster for me. The changing of the seasons also has me thinking of brighter music. Get outside and feel that fresh air in your lungs people!
WAXAHATCHEE – SAINT CLOUD
My current “sunny days ahead” soundtrack. Waxahatchee, named after a creek in Alabama, lays down some light and catchy tunes perfect for this time of year. I like that it is upbeat and bright but still a little restrained. Like a volcano waiting to erupt, you can feel it building but not to the point of explosion. It mimics my cautious optimism towards spring weather. I can hear Katie Crutchfield pushing her voice to the edge of her range in songs like “Fire”, but she always keeps it just within her limit. This constant testing of her boundary is entertaining for me. I have cycled through the songs “Oxbow”, “Can’t Do Much”, “Fire” and “Lilacs” a lot this last week. Does anything scream spring like the smell of lilacs? This is also another beautiful album cover for leaning up against your record player.
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA – THE MILLION MASKS OF GOD
When I first started learning guitar I loved the song “Colly Strings” by Manchester Orchestra. I used to play the intro over and over again because it was simple, which let me sing over top without focusing on the guitar. From there I was always interested in their albums. Simple Math in 2011, Cope in 2013, and A Black Mile To The Surface in 2017 were all top plays for me. I never really know what basket to throw them in genre-wise. Each album sounds so different to me. Some have heavier rock, some have haunting vocal tunes, and the first song released on this upcoming album has an electronic rock feel to it. I’m excited for more of these songs to be released.
MIDDLE KIDS – TODAY WE’RE THE GREATEST
It’s 9am, I’m having my first coffee of the day and am looking out towards the river watching the ice slowly melt. I throw on Middle Kids’ “Cellophane (Brain)” to give me a little spark and get me moving for the rest of the day. It’s feel good music that goes down easy. I also really love the little horn parts in the song “Questions” (Note to self: learn a horn instrument and join a horn section). It’s gonna be a good day folks!
WALLOWS – REMOTE EP
Is anyone still listening to the band Matt and Kim? When I first heard this band it instantly reminded me of them. Pretty eclectic and lots of pop. It reminds me of my early high school days. It’s music that I don’t spend too much time thinking about, I just put it on for something happy, energetic and different. You know the Netflix show, “13 Reasons Why” that sparked some suicide awareness talk? Dylan Minnette, the male lead, is one of the founding members of this band.
MARCUS KING – EL DORADO
When I heard the first song on this album,”Young Man’s Dream”, I couldn’t stop thinking about how similar his voice was to James Vincent McMorrow’s (Go listen to “We Don’t Eat” and let me know if you agree!). Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys produced this album and you can certainly hear that influence in songs like “The Well”. If I had one word to describe this collection of songs, it would be: soul. I just love the sound he has found here. “Wildflowers & Wine” makes me want to join a gospel choir, throw my hands up in the air, and do that back and forth choir shuffle that you see in the movies. Also, this cat can really play the guitar! If nothing else, just focus in on his guitar for a while and get mesmerized. Eat your heart out, this guy can do it all.
Rhett
MARCH 2021
- WAXAHATCHEE – SAINT CLOUD
- MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA – THE MILLION MASKS OF GOD
- MIDDLE KIDS – TODAY WE’RE THE GREATEST
- WALLOWS – REMOTE EP
- MARCUS KING – EL DORADO
Peanutbutter and Jams 