Life is a journey, not a destination. And sometimes the side roads are the most scenic. If the same holds true for music, this week should be a real trip — the top releases include cover tunes, side projects, supergroups, collaborations and some other extracurricular excursions. Buckle up, drive safely and enjoy the ride.
Built To Spill
Built To Spill Plays The Songs Of Daniel Johnston
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In 2017 Built To Spill was invited to play a few shows as Daniel Johnston’s backup band. This is what those rehearsals sounded like. 11 tracks of Johnston’s fractured pop presented through the eyes of Built To Spill. The band recorded these songs in August 2018 as a trio with Dough Martsch, Jason Albertini and Steve Gere. Daniel Johnston sadly passed away in September of 2019 while this album was in the final stages of production. Daniel does NOT play on this record.”
Jehnny Beth
To Love Is to Live
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Jehnny Beth first emerged in public consciousness as the charismatic lead singer and co-writer of UK post-punk band Savages, who received Mercury Prize nominations for their classic two albums, Silence Yourself (2013) and Adore Life (2016). The band has been on a break since 2017, and Jehnny Beth has used the time well, making a handful of live guest appearances with artists including PJ Harvey. But it’s in her solo debut To Love Is To Live that Jehnny Beth truly steps into — and claims — the spotlight. The album is a sonic tour de force, a dark cinematic meditation on the strange business of being alive. Throughout the record, she explores the deepest reaches of her creative consciousness, wrapped in a whirlwind of sounds, the result of collaborating with producers such as Atticus Ross, Flood, and Johnny Hostile, and songwriters like close friend Romy Madley Croft of The xx. But it was David Bowie that ultimately pushed Jehnny Beth towards starting a debut album in the first place. “I guess the idea first emerged the night that Bowie died. It was 4am in LA and I played his music in bed until the morning. Now when I look back I realise Black Star had a huge impact on me. It was suddenly clear that we are perishable beings, so I made a silent promise to myself.”
https://youtu.be/QYcVIPQiOpU
Coriky
Coriky
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Coriky is a band from Washington, D.C. Amy Farina plays drums. Joe Lally plays bass. Ian MacKaye plays guitar. All sing. Formed in 2015, Coriky did not play their first show until 2018. They have recorded one album. They hope to tour.”
Larkin Poe
Self Made Man
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Rebecca & Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe are singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist sisters creating their own brand of Roots Rock ‘n’ Roll: gritty, soulful, and flavored by their southern heritage. Originally from Atlanta and currently living in Nashville, they are descendants of tortured artist and creative genius Edgar Allan Poe.”
Norah Jones
Pick Me Up Off The Floor
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Norah Jones didn’t mean to make another album. After she finished touring 2016’s Day Breaks — her beloved return to piano-based jazz — she walked away from the well-worn album cycle grind and into an unfamiliar territory without boundaries: A series of short sessions with an ever-changing array of collaborators resulting in a diverse stream of singles (with Mavis Staples, Rodrigo Amarante, Thomas Bartlett, Tarriona Tank Ball, and more). But then slowly but surely, the session songs Jones hadn’t released congealed into that very thing she’d meant to avoid — an album. But Pick Me Up Off The Floor is not some disjointed collage. It holds together beautifully, connected by the sly groove of her piano trios, lyrics that confront loss and portend hope, and a heavy mood that leans into darkness before ultimately finding the light. “Every session I’ve done, there’ve been extra songs I didn’t release and they’ve sort of been collecting for the last two years,” says Jones. “I became really enamored with them, having the rough mixes on my phone, listening while I walk the dog. The songs stayed stuck in my head and I realized that they had this surreal thread running through them. It feels like a fever dream taking place somewhere between God, the Devil, the heart, the Country, the planet, and me.”
