sit-and-spin

Artist: The Woolly Bushmen

Album: In Shambles

Label: Pig Baby Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: Channeling the vibe of Providence, Rhode Island’s The Amazing Crowns, who themselves were tapping into the rockabilly roots of commercial music, The Woolly Bushmen bring shorefront swagger to their third album, never relenting even when they’re slowing it down for an Everly Brothers-like transition on “Fine,” which is actually better than fine, it’s great.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: You can genuinely feel the appreciation that the Florida-born band exhibits for what came before them. Their blend of rockabilly, pop and soul is like a love letter to the maturation and evolution of music. Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Kinks all lit the torch and The Woolly Bushmen are just carrying it forward.

Track Stuck On Repeat: Wax up your surfboard and get ready to hit the waves because when “Paid” starts playing, your mind is going to be struck with a beach blanket bonanza of coconut oil memories. Lather it up!

And that means…

Artist: Frankie Lee

Album: Stillwater

Label: River Valley Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: We can’t keep stressing what an incredible year 2019 has been for music. Week after week, album after album, we’re amazed and moved by the art being created across all genres, but without question Lee’s sophomore effort has been the most memorable. If digital recordings could be worn down by continuous play, our copy of “Stillwater” would be nothing more than a sonic blob by now.

What The Album Tells Us About Him: “I write music for adults, or at least for people who’ve gotten over most of their childhood and angst,” Lee said in a recent interview with TrunkSpace. That quote sums up our gut reaction when we first listened to “Stillwater.” As we continuously fall further and further outside of the desired demographic that those in power aim for when greenlighting commercial art – film, television, music, etc – this is an album that we relate to on multiple levels. As an artist Lee may make music for a general assortment of people, but it feels like it was created specifically for us. That’s not something that is easy to replicate.

Track Stuck On Repeat: Naming one song as our favorite is impossible to do because we’ve only ever listened to “Stillwater” as a complete collection. Sure, some tracks are better than others, but even those we’d deem ‘weaker’ are still stronger than those songs found on the albums of other artists. Therefore, “Play All” is our chosen method of repeat.

And that means…

Artist: Olden Yolk

Album: Living Theatre

Label: Trouble In Mind

Reason We’re Cranking It: We were already big fans of the duo since first hearing their self-titled 2018 debut, so naturally we had some expectations heading into this follow-up. Thankfully the combination of Shane Butler and Caity Shaffer didn’t let us down. The album is a poetic bundle of beauty that tickles of tranquility. If peace of mind had a soundtrack, “Living Theatre” would be it.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: Given that there was only a little more than a year between their previous release and this current album, the folksy pair is proving to be prolific. While some artists churn out content only to end up with more quantity than quality, Olden Yolk seems perfectly competent at doing both simultaneously, and that’s a good thing for the listener.

Track Stuck On Repeat: “Cotton & Cane” plays like something you’d hear on your parents’ favorite oldies channel, an upbeat throwback that forces a toe-tapping response from your body and a smile to stretch across your face. It’s a sunny Saturday morning on a three-day weekend.

And that means…

Artist: Big Nothing

Album: Chris

Label: Salinas Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: Big Nothing’s latest album is actually a big something, filled with raucous riffs and a trifecta of vocals from Pat Graham (lead singer of Spraynard), Liz Parsons (formerly of Casual) and Chris Jordan (formerly of Young Livers). The microphone mingling is an alt-rock buffet filled with a tasty selection of offerings that while unique to their particular front-person, fully compliment the overall sound and vibe of the band as a whole.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: It’s easy to get lost in the melodic, fist-pumping propulsion of “Chris,” but beneath the surface layer strengths there is a lyrical framework that the entire album is constructed upon, making this a band who knows how to approach songwriting from all sides of the build.

Track Stuck On Repeat: The band’s first single off of the album, “Real Name” is also the most memorable, featuring a catchy chorus which is an all-day mind tickle. Crank it away because your brain will bank it away, replaying it over and over.

And that means…

Artist: Caroline Spence

Album: Mint Condition

Label: Rounder Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: Comic books. Baseball cards. We assume, coins. Everything that is collectible is at its best when in mint condition. That includes Nashville-based singer/songwriter Caroline Spence’s aptly titled new album, which features a collection of songs that are not only some of the best of her career, but some of the best by any artist released this year.

What The Album Tells Us About Her: Unafraid to not only sing about emotion but to sing with emotion as well, Spence forms a connection with the listener in a way that few artists are capable of. So often we’re told about the “IT” factor (no, not the Stephen King variety!) that musicians can possess – the intangible thing that makes it impossible to look away – but with Spence it isn’t indefinable. It’s right there in her writing, which is everything that you want to hear come out of a brain and be integrated lyrically into song form. So good!

Track Stuck On Repeat: Poppy twang with a chorus that lingers for days, “Song About a City” is our favorite track off an album filled with memorable music.

And that means…

Artist: Kevin Morby

Album: Oh My God

Label: Dead Oceans

Reason We’re Cranking It: Spiritual in its focus, “Oh My God” tackles not only the here, but what lies out there – the endings that lead to new beginnings for those who believe. But this is not an album meant for the devoted, but instead, for those of us who do not shy away from asking questions… even when there are no good answers available.

What The Album Tells Us About Him: With his fifth solo album, Morby gets a bit morbid at times, but it’s not without understanding. He tackles subjects we all think about but are often too apprehensive to discuss in our day to day lives, including life, death and what the two add up to in the end. He’s opened up his head, giving us both an autobiographical and fictional look at the mysteries of our complex existence, and we’re reminded that beneath all of the flesh, muscle and bone, we all march to the beat of the same death drum.

Track Stuck On Repeat: The Skyliners feel present on “Congratulations,” particularly in the guitar solo, which combined with Morby’s bending croon, plays like a haunting doo-wop ditty from the great beyond.

And that means…

Artist: Claude Fontaine

Album: Self-Titled Debut

Label: Innovative Leisure

Reason We’re Cranking It: With an incredible list of session players backing her up, Fontaine has delivered an album unlike any other released in recent years. Reggae that regales, the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter brings a stylish charm to the genre that is both a throwback and a contemporary breakthrough.

What The Album Tells Us About Her: Establishing an atmosphere from the very first drum-induced groove, Fontaine sends the listener off on a sun-soaked vacation of the mind. The songs that make up the album aren’t just surface layer entertainment, but instead, world builders that play like a soundtrack to your favorite summer memories. The really great artists know how to transport an audience through their work, and with Fontaine, she does so with focused precision.

Track Stuck On Repeat: Snuggled comfortably between classic reggae and late ‘90s ska, “Hot Tears” is a bewitching offbeat lullaby highlighting Fontaine’s creamy, candy-coated vocals. Every bite is pure deliciousness.

And that means…

Artist: BAILEN

Album: Thrilled To Be Here

Label: Fantasy Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: As memorable of a debut as when they both came into the world at the same time, fraternal twins Daniel and David Bailen, along with their younger sister Julia, have made an enduring entrance into the music industry with “Thrilled To Be Here,” a harmony-filled assortment of beautifully-crafted songs that sit somewhere between Fleetwood Mac and Little Big Town.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: Any sibling rivalry that the family experiences is not carried over into their music, at least not in a way that negatively impacts the outcome. If anything, the competitiveness fuels their creative fires to burn even brighter and the end result falls somewhere within striking distance of perfection.

Track Stuck On Repeat: Soulful with a bayou bass that claps at your chest, “I Was Wrong” is all right, especially when Julia’s vocals separate from her brothers, isolating her in a way that brings a rousing mystical quality to the song.

And that means…

Artist: Craig Finn

Album: I Need A New War

Label: Partisan Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: The third album in Finn’s solo trilogy (which also includes 2015’s “Faith in the Future” and 2017’s “We All Want the Same Things”), “I Need a New War” is the singer/songwriter at his best – spinning tune-based tales filled with fleshed out characters that rival even the most compelling novellas.

What The Album Tells Us About Him: The Hold Steady frontman is a master of using unique and imaginative lyrics to build a big screen adaptation of his songs in the minds of his listeners. He may place familiar themes on the canvas, but he does so using paints that no other artist uses.

Track Stuck On Repeat: Like an undeniable urge to root for our home-based sports teams, we can’t help but feel drawn to “Holyoke” due to its highlighting of our base of operations, Massachusetts. Pointing out that he feels comforted in the state that his parents were born in, Finn wrote the song about a weekend away from New York City and filled it with haunting imagery like, “Massachusetts, man, you’ve got a lot more graveyards than we’re used to, I swear to God they’re every other mile.” Truth be told, we never noticed all of the cemeteries before, but now we can’t seem to look away.

And that means…

Artist: Sofa City Sweetheart

Album: Super(b) Exitos

Label: Casa de Lopez

Reason We’re Cranking It: Tapping into the sonic sorcery of ‘60s pop, Sofa City Sweetheart’s Juan Antonio Lopez has crafted a dozen memorable tracks – a full front-to-back album worthy of your attention – further feeding our belief that 2019 will eventually be recognized as one of the best years for recorded music.

What The Album Tells Us About Them: Part Sean Lennon and part Elliott Smith, Lopez and his sweetheart of an alter ego have carried the storyteller’s torch forward, highlighting both the pleasures and the pain of humanity while disguising the emotions behind throwback melodies that circle around continuously in your mind as if caught in a retro rotary.

Track Stuck On Repeat: If The Foundations’ “Build Me Up Buttercup” was rewritten for a silent spaghetti western, “Floating” may very well be the end result. Short, sweet and undeniably neat, this lyric-less tune relies heavily on humming harmonies that float in and out, carrying you away.

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