Bird and Blur, GBV and Greta Van Fleet, Nils and Nina, Voivod and more: These are your plays of the week:
Andrew Bird
Outside Problems
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Arriving a year after his acclaimed and questing Inside Problems LP, Andrew Bird’s Outside Problems is a collection of nine fleeting, expansive moments of instrumental improvisation and melodic exploration that capture the sound of music in everyday life. Similar to the creation process behind his environment-based, Echolocations series, Bird recorded Outside Problems primarily outdoors, amidst the mountains and orange groves of Ojai, CA. As both a precursor and extension of the world he’s built and pondered throughout this latest chapter of his perennially prolific career, Outside Problems planted the seeds to many of the songs, thoughts and complex questions that fill 2022’s Inside Problems. Outside Problems’ arrangements and motifs on tracks like Epilogue, Mormon House Party, Tik Tok and more, evolved into themes that Bird would continue to refine across Inside Problems.”
Blur
The Ballad Of Darren
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One of the most successful British bands of the last three decades, blur are back with their first new album in over eight years: The Ballad of Darren. Produced by James Ford and recorded at Studio 13, London and Devon, The Ballad of Darren is the band’s ninth studio album, their first since the chart-topping The Magic Whip in 2015, with artwork featuring an image by British photographer Martin Parr. Damon Albarn said “This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now.” Graham Coxon said, “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job.” Alex James said, “For any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that.” Dave Rowntree said, “It always feels very natural to make music together. With every record we do, the process reveals something new and we develop as a band. We don’t take that for granted.”
Greta Van Fleet
Starcatcher
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Starcatcher was written and recorded by Greta Van Fleet — lead singer Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake Kiszka, bassist/keyboardist Sam Kiszka and drummer Danny Wagner — alongside Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile). Recorded at the legendary RCA Studios in Nashville, the band utilized the large recording room to capture the pure energy of their world-renowned live performances. “We didn’t really have to force or be intense about writing, because everything that happened was very instinctual,” Jake says. “If anything, the record is our perspective, and sums up where we are as a group and individually as musicians.” Throughout the ten-song collection the band explores the duality of fantasy versus reality and the contrast between light and darkness. “We had this idea that we wanted to tell these stories to build a universe,” says Wagner. “We wanted to introduce characters and motifs and these ideas that would come about here and there throughout our careers through this world.”
Guided by Voices
Welshpool Frillies
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The ever-prolific and always active Guided By Voices are back at it again with their second release of 2023, a brand new full-length record entitled Welshpool Frillies. The band kicked off 2023 with the release of the LP La La Land, described by bandleader Robert Pollard as “a companion piece to Tremblers and Goggles By Rank [that] continues to explore a path of diversity in styles and in longer, more adventurous song structures.” Welshpool Frillies finds the gang back together in a Brooklyn basement with producer Travis Harrison. Much of it was recorded live to tape. The catchy ear worms in these new songs are undeniable, as the kinetic energy of the band is captured in its most raw and pure form. The album is brash, no-frills, and punky, inspired by the wiliness of 90s-era GBV, specifically the Scalping the Guru compilation that Pollard put together in 2022.”
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
City Of Gold
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Molly Tuttle and her band Golden Highway’s new album, City of Gold follows their acclaimed 2022 record Crooked Tree, which won Best Bluegrass Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Produced by Tuttle and Jerry Douglas and recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studios, City of Gold was inspired by Tuttle’s constant touring these past few years, during which they have grown together as musicians and performers, cohering as a band. These 13 tracks — mostly written by Tuttle and Ketch Secor (Old Crow Medicine Show) — capture the electric energy of band’s live shows by highlighting each member’s musical strengths. In addition to Tuttle (vocals, acoustic guitar), Douglas (dobro) and Golden Highway — Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle, harmony vocals), Dominick Leslie (mandolin), Shelby Means (bass, harmony vocals) and Kyle Tuttle (banjo, harmony vocals) — City of Gold also features special guest Dave Matthews.”
Nils Lofgren
Mountains
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “It’s been a busy couple of years for rocker Nils Lofgren, and it just got busier. After recording both the Barn album (and the Grammy-nominated film) and the World Record album as a member of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse, followed by the recently released All Roads Lead Home by Molina, Talbot, Lofgren and Young, and completing the recording for his new solo album Mountains, Nils got a call that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were going out on an extended worldwide tour. Thankfully, while solo touring has been put on hold, fans won’t have to wait for his new studio album Mountains. On Mountains, Nils moves seamlessly between bluesy and straightahead rockers and tender ballads as only he can, all treated with Nils’ sonic attention to detail and unmistakable vocals and guitar. Mountains contains Nils’ adept story telling at its best, with nine brand new originals and a cover of Springsteen’s Back In Your Arms. Notable guests on the new album include Young, Ringo Starr, David Crosby, Cindy Mizelle, The Howard Gospel Choir and Ron Carter. Blue With Lou bandmates Andy Newmark and Kevin McCormick make a repeat appearance.”
Nina Simone
You’ve Got To Learn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As part of a year-long celebration of Nina Simone’s 90th birthday, Verve Records will release You’ve Got To Learn, a newly discovered recording of Nina’s performance at the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival. On July 2, 1966, the festival witnessed a legendary six-song set that has remained etched in the memory of music aficionados for over half a century. Now, a previously unknown recording of the unforgettable concert is available for the world to hear. Listening to this recording, it’s easy to understand why hearing Simone in concert was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Starting with a mesmerizing rendition of You’ve Got To Learn, Simone showcased the full range of her artistry, with an electrifying and uniquely swinging performance of Mississippi Goddam. The audience, unwilling to let her leave the stage, gave her a passionate standing ovation and were rewarded with an unforgettable show-stopping encore of Music For Lovers.”
Voivod
Morgöth Tales
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian sci-fi metal innovators, Voivod — two-time Juno winners for Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year — are celebrating 40 eventful years of existence in 2023 with the special studio album Morgöth Tales. Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by Voivod, Morgöth Tales includes fresh studio (re-)recordings by the band’s current line-up of nine especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band’s hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song in the album’s title track. The cover artwork for Morgöth Tales was once again created by drummer Michel “Away” Langevin. On the album, Langevin comments: “Morgöth Tales covers 40 years of space exploration. It was really exciting for us to revisit a more obscure part of the Voïvod catalogue, from thrash-punk to prog-metal to…? The title track is a new song, which we started writing in the tour bus and hotels during the Opeth European tour in November/December 2022. It has the vibe of the experimental music we are doing nowadays, with a new twist I think. We also had the great thrill of getting E-Force and Jasonic involved on this album.”
