What I'm Listening To (and You Should Too)
A round-up of music my ears have obsessed over these past few months.
Hello Friends — allow me to unleash a plethora of sonic wonderment upon your soul and gush about the new albums that have given me the most joy over the recent moon-phases, with a gateway track for each.
I’m gonna play the docent DJ and suggest you listen to these tracks in order like a radio show playlist.
Let’s start off slow with the mellow stuff. Are you in a peaceful mood and want something soothing and ethereal like a warm cup of tea?
LOMA — How Will I Live Without a Body?
Loma is a phenomenal band that grew out of Texas musicians Emily Cross and Dan Duszynski (as Cross Record) touring with New York-based musical genius and ornithologist Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater. How Will I Live Without a Body? is their third album of wispy beauty.
LIZZY McALPINE — Older
Another American singer/songwriter I truly enjoy for her beautiful voice, lyrics and moody crooning is the amazing Lizzy McAlpine. Older is her third album also.
Okay, let’s turn up the volume a bit. Do you want something with peaks and valleys that’s simultaneously mellow and soul-stirring but goes into realms with a hard rock edge to it?
ZANE VICKERY - Interloper
Zane is a dear friend of mine who I met at Hutchmoot last year. We connected instantly over matching Goonies t-shirts and a shared love for horror movies, and then I heard him sing live. O my goodness.
Last year Zane was struck by a suicidal driver on the freeway which left him seriously injured and needing months of recovery and healing, both physically and emotionally. With his second full-length album Interloper, which was years in the making, Zane sings about the trauma of the car accident and other deeply personal family stories that will tear your heart out, stir your spirit, and awaken your soul. I’ve never heard such a deeply powerful singing voice quite like Zane’s, and the wordsmithing of his lyrics are gob-smackingly brilliant.
I implore you to buy this incredible album, listen to it in full, tell people about it and support his artistry. He’s a national treasure.
KALANDRA - A Frame of Mind
One of my Top Favorite bands these days and in most recent years has turned out to be dark & spooky Norwegian folk rockers Kalandra, and their eagerly-anticipated album A Frame of Mind finally dropped yesterday. It’s transcendent — and to top it off, as if I couldn’t love them any more, they released a beautiful & chilling stop-motion music video! They are just speaking my love language all over the place.
Okay, you awake and ready for something heavy and vicious now?
LEPROUS — Melodies of Atonement
Also Norwegian! Is there a trend here? Yes! I keep finding out Norway has the best music. I gushed last year about lead singer Einar Solberg’s solo album which I found deeply moving, and his band has followed it up with Melodies of Atonement, one of their best efforts to date, full of sound and fury.
UNLEASH THE ARCHERS - Phantoma
Now that we’re rocking out and head banging, it’s time to celebrate the fact that Vancouver prog-rockers Unleash the Archers dropped a new album called Phantoma this spring, so all hail Canadian power metal! This is my favorite track, inspiring and anthemic with an ‘80s melody flavor.
…and now that you’re pumped full of energy, I’ll top off this musical journey with a coda of joy.
PHISH - Evolve
Since the life-changing moment when I heard the first note of their 1990 album Lawn Boy while in college, Phish has been one of my Top 10 favorite bands still making music today. Their lyrics have inspired my own creative writing efforts, and the rich storytelling concepts behind their music simply makes me grateful to be alive in a time when they are practicing their craft.
Here’s a favorite track off their 16th studio album Evolve.
While on this note (see what I did there?), I’ll recommend a movie to you as well. Between Me and My Mind is a wondrous documentary about Phish’s lead singer/songwriter Trey Anastasio and his work, life and family. Amidst a sea of glitz, glamor, and meaningless fame & excess in the music industry, bands like Phish are the real deal. They’re still like a bunch of college guys, just jamming and making music for the sheer joy of it. Trey’s creative appetite and love for what he does is infectious. Truly a delight just to watch him work, love his family, and love his friends.
You don’t need to be a Phish-head to enjoy this film, but I guarantee and hope you will be by the end of it.
All right folks, hope you enjoyed the show. Go seek out these gems wherever and however you consume your music, and happy listening!