Music

OCTOBER MUSIC REVIEWS

CHECK OUT CHECK OUT THESE HONEST THESE HONEST REVIEWS OF SOME REVIEWS OF SOME OF THE HOTTEST OF THE HOTTEST NEW ALBUMS INNEW ALBUMS IN MUSIC!MUSIC

YUNGBLUD

Yungblud

Locomotion/Geffen Records

British singer-songwriter Yungblud is bringing the moody emotions and passions with his self-titled third studio album. If his sting on Chicken Shop Date gives any indication, his North American tour next year will be incredibly entertaining. He’s got the brooding, intelligent demeanor to awaken the most dormant Edward Cullen of any Jacob fans. The 25-year-old also delivers all the raw passions and emotions with the 80s sounding “The Funeral.” The twisted, dark music video gives us a glimpse of his talent while his lyrics bleed the macabre: “I've been dancing at my funeral/ Waiting for you to arrive/ I was hoping you'd look beautiful/ Dancing with tears in your eyes/ But nobody came, what a shame, shame, shame (hey).” “Memories” and “Willow” are also standouts. All three of his albums have cracked the top 10 in the United Kingdom and it is easy to hear why.- Marisa Patwa

NOAH CYRUS

The Hardest Part

Columbia Records

Ever since Labrinth and Noah Cyrus’ haunting duet “Make Me (Cry)" - which has racked up over 157 million views on YouTube - I was instantly hooked. Sure, her sister is one of the biggest pop stars in the world and her dad has had a few good hits (and an “Old Town Road” comeback), but Noah stands out on her own. Her voice is insanely pure, raw and good. Her lyrics are poetry and reflective. She’s both the one hurt and the healer. The indie folk-inspired “I Burned LA Down” and pop balled “Mr. Percocet” will both haunt and soothe your soul. “I Just Want a Lover” is tender, but full of despair with lyrics, “I picked my conscience over clarity and deal with the disparity/ It's anarchy/ And the narcissists all run at me with guns ablaze/ No empathy, insanity/ I can't believe I didn't see/ A mistake is just a state of my identity/ I got a feeling I will never, ever get it right.” On the contrary, her music hits the mark. - Marisa Patwa

KANE BROWN

Different Man

1021 Entertainment/Sony Nashville

Kane Brown has got that country swagger mix. The bi-racial country singer is also talented and an inspiration, bending music genre barriers. I got to witness the up-and-coming performer in Evansville a few years ago and he’ll be slipping back into those cowboy boots at the Ford Center on March 17th for the “Drunk and Dreaming” Tour. The family man professes he is a “Different Man” now with this album and he definitely has grown. Katelyn Brown, his wife, harmonizes like honey in their dewy duet “Thank God.” The trap-pop “Grand,” funky “See You Like I Do,” and guitar-heavy “One Mississippi” show off his great range. Brown steps up as a producer on the album, giving himself more control over the flow of his music. All I can say is let’s keep it flowing. - Marisa Patwa

KING'S X

Three Sides of One

InsideOutMusic

In the late 1980s, KING'S X made an indelible mark on the rock and metal genre. What is remarkable is that they did it with little commercial success, but a devoted core following that carries their standard to this day. Ask any KING'S X fan and they’ll tell you that the trio’s lack of fame is one of the great crimes in music history. Often called the hard rock Beatles and the “musician’s musicians,” bassist/vocalist Doug Pinnick, guitarist/vocalist Ty Tabor, and percussionist/vocalist Jerry Gaskill are talented beyond measure. KING'S X are often cited as progenitors of American prog-rock as well as grunge before grunge was cool! Three Sides of One is their first new studio album in 13 years, and it does not disappoint. Drawing from a range of styles, it abounds with heavy riffs, pop sensibilities, grooves, harmonies and hooks galore. Standouts are "Let it Rain,” “Give it Up,” “All God’s Children” and “The Watcher.” Matt Alschbach

PREOCCUPATIONS

Arrangements

Self-Released

In the last half of the 2010s, Calgary-based Preoccupations released three great post-punk albums that helped set the tone for an emerging trend of post-punk resurgence. By 2021, the indie rock landscape was at a peak of a new post-punk revival with bands like Dry Cleaning, Shame, and Fontaines D.C. leading the wave. Since then many lesser bands have joined the trend and watered down the creativity the genre is known for. However, Preoccupations continue to exist in a realm in which they sound only like themselves. On Arrangements, it’s undeniable - this is a Preoccupations album, and it rocks. No one is making music quite like them and their latest effort is a welcome addition to their already-fantastic catalogue. - Russ Finn

DIAMANDA GALÁS

Broken Gargoyles

Intravenal Sound Operations

New York-based avant-garde composer and performer Diamanda Galás has released an incredible body of work in her near-50 years as an artist. In addition to her prolific musical output that showcases her other-worldly voice, Galás is known for her performance art, paintings, voice work for film, and her unflinching activism for the AIDS epidemic. Classic rock fans may best know Galás from 1994’s The Sporting Life, a collaborative album she made with Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones. On her new album Broken Gargoyles, Galás presents two lengthy avant-garde compositions inspired by German poetry dealing with plague and war, repurposing these old hymns to relate them to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The result is a haunting, visceral experience that should be sought out by fans of classical music, avant-garde compositions, and even metalheads and horror enthusiasts- Russ Finn

FEMBOTS

Transfigurations

Junkshop Productions

FemBots are a vastly underappreciated altcountry/folk rock band from Toronto, Canada, who released four albums between 2000 and 2008. They are perhaps best known for their 2003 sophomore album Small Town Murder Scene - a mellow indie rock record that should rank with the best of contemporaries like Wilco, Drive-By Truckers, or Okkervil River, but is often forgotten and overlooked. FemBots became inactive following their 2008 album Calling Out, but now they return with Transfigurations - their first album in 14 years. Impressively, it's on par with their other work. If you are a fan of laid-back acoustic rock music, don’t overlook Transfigurations, as it will surely be one of the best releases for the genre this year, even if no one is talking about it.- Russ Finn

BUILT TO SPILL

When The Wind Forgets Your Name

Sub Pop

When The Wind Forgets Your Name is the new quintessential album from long-time 90’s rock band Built to Spill. Channeling the power pop structures of their older albums such as There’s Nothing Wrong with Love and Ultimate Alternative Wavers while dripping with the denser overdrive saturated tones of There is No Enemy, Doug Martsch’s vocals settle perfectly atop the sonic walls the band manages to compose. Being the first time this iteration of the band has produced a studio album together might make some fans trepidatious, but it actually lends to the freshness of the album, oscillating between the slow psychedelia of Brian Jonestown Massacre and the more texture rich sounds of Dinosaur Jr.’s albums from the mid-to-late aughts. Any Built to Spill fan is sure to love it! - Hamilton Golike

BLUES WITH BRAGIN

MICK KOLASSA

They Call Me Uncle Mick

Endless Blues Records

Prolific singer-songwriter Mick Kolassa returns with the acoustic-based They Call Me Uncle Mick. The album opens with Kolassa’s version of the 1930s classic “My Pencil Won’t Write No More.” Kolassa plays the guitar masterfully and a guest appearance from Eric Hughes on harmonica adds to the vintage feel. “Wasted Youth” showcases Kolassa’s talents on an acoustic version of a song he previously recorded in a different style. “Daddy’s Little Pumpkin,” a cover of a John Prine song, showcases Tom Leonardo’s drumming. Kolassa laments the state of the world on “Used to Be” as Doug MacLeod joins in on guitar.

“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” offers Kolassa’s bluesy interpretation of a Hank Williams song as Alice Hasan adds a melancholy violin. Hughes returns on harmonica on “My Woman She’s So Mean” as Kolassa sings about a woman who tries to destroy his relationships. “Woodstock” features Watermelon Slim on harmonica and vocals performing with Kolassa on a cover of the Joni Mitchell classic. The Kolassa original “Why?” asks why the woman in his life treats him poorly. “Sunny Side of the Street” gives a laid-back feel with excellent vibraphone playing from John Whittemore. The Kolassa original “Bless His Heart” sounds like something from a 1950s sock hop with superb piano from Rick Steff. The album closes with “The Cheese Song,” a phenomenal tune about a beloved food staple. For more info, visit mimsmick.com. - Paul Bragin