sit-and-spin

Artist: El Perro Del Mar

Album: “We Are History”

Label: The Control Group/Ging Ging Recordings

Reason We’re Cranking It: A smattering of genres and techniques, “We Are History” is a delectable stew featuring ingredients of only the highest quality. If there were one complaint to be had about this sonic dish it’s that because it is an EP (six songs), it feels more like an appetizer than a meal and we were left craving more El Perro Del Mar.

What The Album Tells Us About Her: Sarah Assbring is El Perro Del Mar, and whether the two identities share the same POV or not, it makes no difference because the emotions delivered are as raw and as real as you can find on a record. Unlike the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, Assbring, even under the guise of El Perro Del Mar, isn’t afraid to let us peek behind the curtain to see who she really is.

Track Stuck On Repeat: In “Mirrors” the talented songwriter holds a mirror up to all of us, forcing us to look beyond the physical and to consider the those things larger than ourselves – the ripple effect in all of humanity’s reflection.

Coming To A City Near You: El Perro Del Mar tour dates can be found here.

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Artist: Born Ruffians

Album: “Uncle, Duke & the Chief”

Label: Yep Roc

Reason We’re Cranking It: Five albums in, Born Ruffians are born again, reintroducing the original three-piece lineup that we last heard on 2013’s “Birthmarks.” The rekindled creative bromance pays off because we have discovered no natural immunity to the infectious hand clapping, toe tapping and head bopping.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: Absence makes the rock grow fonder. In their time away from each other, the trio has honed and perfected their individual perspectives and reconvened with a collective musical consciousness. As listeners, we’re plugged into that state of creative being.

Track Stuck On Repeat: “Fade to Black” brings the feel-good vibe of a high school party spinning every-so-slightly out of control, but when you look beneath the surface of the pervasive percussion that is almost addictive, you discover a camouflaged melancholy that emphasizes suffering and loss.

Coming To A City Near You: Born Ruffians tour dates can be found here.

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Artist: Neal Morse

Album: Life & Times

Label: Radiant Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: Prog rocker Morse is a classic storyteller, so this venture into singer/songwriter territory fits his creative POV perfectly. Each song off of the album is like flipping the page of a book that you can’t quite put down, and the controlled delivery of each chapter is a reminder that sometimes less is so much more, or in this case, so much Morse.

What The Album Tells Us About Him: Sometimes people get stuck in their ways. When things are working, it’s easy to get comfortable and stay that way. What Morse has done with “Life & Times” is proven that change can be a good thing, and at the same time, that it doesn’t need to be feared. Yes, this album may not appeal to all of the progressive rock fans who have followed Morse in his other musical endeavors (Spock’s Beard, The Neal Morse Band), but he’s growing as an artist at a time in his life when most of us find ourselves going static. That’s an inspiring thing to see… and hear.

Track Stuck On Repeat: The first song you’re introduced to upon hitting play, “Livin’ Lightly” immediately sets the tone for the album as a whole. An upbeat James Taylor-meets-Christopher Cross vibe, the track reminds you of days gone by, embracing your musically-curious youth by spinning dusty vinyl records in your bedroom as the summer sun sinks deep into the horizon. It’s the kind of music you can get lost in, and in the process, find so much more.

Coming To A City Near You: Neal Morse tour dates can be found here.

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Artist: Loma

Album: Self-Titled

Label: Sub Pop

Reason We’re Cranking It: The planet has less atmosphere than this self-titled debut. Fanciful with a real sense of heart that is grounded in the very fabric of a shared reality, this collection of songs has so many layers to them that you hear something different each time through.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: We’ve learned so much, and yet, we still have so many questions. The thing that strikes us most however is that beyond its previously-mentioned fanciful face value, this album is also steeped in such incredible potential. If this is what the band was capable of achieving their first time in the studio together, what could the future hold for their creative output?

Track Stuck On Repeat: “I Don’t Want Children” begins as an exercise in relaxation. Until Emily Cross’ beautiful vocals kick in, you feel a bit like you’ve been transported to a spa, sipping cucumber water while breathing in the therapeutic aroma of lavender and sage, but once that first line breaks – “I don’t want children, even though if I did, I would want them from you,” – the calm fades and you prepare for what is an emotional storm to come.

Coming To A City Near You: Loma tour dates can be found here.

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Artist: David Duchovny

Album: “Every Third Thought”

Label: Westbound Kyd

Reason We’re Cranking It: The truth may be out there, but the groove is in here. Duchovny delivers a sophomore album packed with straight forward, old time rock ‘n’ roll, the kind that would soothe Bob Seger’s soul.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: We have to imagine that it is not an easy road to travel being an actor-turned-musician. Haters are gonna hate, and in the age of social media, everyone has a platform to spread that hate. Being in the public eye, you have a target slapped onto your back, especially when you put yourself out there in a capacity that is unfamiliar to the audience you’ve been exposed to. To his credit, Duchovny doesn’t let the noise drown out his music, and instead, focuses on crafting his songs in a way that is honest to who he is as an artist. Haters be damned.

Track Stuck On Repeat: “Stranger in the Sacred Heart” is at its heart, an upbeat slice of Americana that offers a finger-tapping-on-the-surface-of-your-desk beat, the kind of song you’d hear playing over a montage featuring a fish out of water protagonist discovering a new city – a stranger in a strange land vibe that suggests we all need to just “let it slide.”

Coming To A City Near You: David Duchovny tour dates can be found here.

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Artist: Marlon Williams

Album: “Make Way For Love”

Label: Dead Oceans

Reason We’re Cranking It: Although there are familiar elements to Williams’ music, bits and pieces that harken back to artists who have come before, he is at the same time altogether and perfectly original. While the New Zealand songwriter may have tapped into his influences to create “Make Way For Love,” it is future generations of musicians who will tap into it for inspiration. It is the best complete album, a start to finish assemblage, we have heard in some time.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: Williams can make you feel. Each of the 11 songs off of “Make Way For Love” enters through your ears but roots themselves in your heart. This is not an album meant merely for listening. It is an album for assigning memories to, and that is the best kind there is.

Track Stuck On Repeat: Holy hell! “Love Is A Terrible Thing” is such a haunting, deeply-relatable song for anyone who has questioned the legitimacy of their own emotions, which as we can imagine, is nearly everyone on the planet. We’ve been listening to this one since we woke up this morning and will be revisiting it numerous times throughout the day.

Coming To A City Near You: Marlon Williams tour dates can be found here.

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Artist: Fu Manchu

Album: “Clone of the Universe”

Label: At the Dojo

Reason We’re Cranking It: We never really understood what “stoner rock” was because we assume that someone somewhere has gotten stoned to every influential album that has ever been released, but we understand the part that counts… this album rocks, stoner or not, and it deserves to be cranked.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: Fu Manchu has been writing, recording and performing for what seems like a lifetime, and the part that is most apparent in listening to their work, even to this day, is that they love what they do. That love is felt in each track off of “Clone of the Universe.”

Track Stuck On Repeat: There’s nothing slow moving about “Slower Than Light,” a song that snares you with a snare roll and then snakes its way into an infectious groove before exploding into a head-banging chorus. The song, and Scott Hill’s vocal delivery, is reminiscent of Henry Rollins, circa 1994.

Coming To A City Near You: Fu Manchu tour dates can be found here.

In Their Own Words: The recent TrunkSpace interview with Hill can be found here.

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Artist: Legend of The Seagullmen

Album: “Legend of The Seagullmen”

Label: Dine Alone Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: Any supergroup that includes members of Tool and Mastodon with a kick ass visual element to boot deserves to be cranked to capacity. The fact that these particular men of Seagull crafted a series of psychedelic singalongs for salty sailors of storytelling makes it all the more sweeter. We’re invested. Take our money!

What The Album Tells Us About Them: While the instruments are there to remind us that we’re listening to an album, this is really a multimedia creation. Sure, they’ve given us a taste, but we want to learn more about the legend of these particular Seagullmen, so sign us up for the movie, series, or comic book. And if it’s not already in the works, we suggest they all get greenlit soon.

Track Stuck On Repeat: “The Fogger” grabs us and sinks its riffs into our fleshy little minds, captivating our folds twofold, both musically and in the gripping yarn it spins. There are layers here. Peel them back and enjoy!

Coming To A City Near You: Stay tuned for Legend of The Seagullmen tour dates here.

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Artist: Son Lux

Album: “Brighter Wounds”

Label: City Slang

Reason We’re Cranking It: Like a soundtrack to a trippy dream playing in its entirety throughout every nook and cranny of our subconscious mind, the album takes us on a steady tram ride high above the haunting songwriting of Ryan Lott. Your job is to sit back, enjoy the ride, and take in the scenery.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: Lott and his fellow Son Lux’ers aren’t just writing songs, they’re establishing an environment, building an ambiance that becomes part and parcel of the experience. If the band were a piece of bread, “Brighter Wounds” would be the butter.

Track Stuck On Repeat: “Dream State” doesn’t only offer a callback to our reason for playing the album at obscenely loud levels, it also pumps us up, inspiring us to get back in touch with our New Year’s resolutions and improve our physical and/or emotional selves. And therein lies the beauty of music… its ability to impact you beyond the surface.

Coming To A City Near You: Son Lux tour dates can be found here.

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Artist: Handsome Ghost

Album: “Welcome Back”

Label: Photo Finish Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: The album does more than present a series of songs, it exhibits a journey of emotions, a sense of audible feel that connects you to the music in a way that makes you a part of the collection as opposed to standing on the outside looking (and listening) in.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: Tim Noyes is not only a songwriter, he’s a tour guide, bringing you on an expedition into his mind. Aboard his musical caravan, he’s painting a picture full of rich colors and meticulous detail.

Track Stuck On Repeat: Stripped down and exposed, “Fool” is the perfect vehicle for an instant artist/listener connection. Noyes opens the door and allows you to step through to stand inside the foyer of his creative point of view.

Coming To A City Near You: Handsome Ghost tour dates can be found here.

In Their Own Words: Check out our 2017 chat with Noyes here.

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