sit-and-spin

Artist: Sam Evian

Album: “You, Forever”

Label: Saddle Creek

Reason We’re Cranking It: With endless grooves that mingle in your mind like the crackling of static electricity, the album is aptly titled because the tracks stay with you, seemingly, forever.

What The Album Tells Us About Him: Some songwriters just get it. They have figured out the purpose of music, which is to take the listener out of their own existence and transport them to a place where every care is swept away and the world suddenly understands everything that they do. Whether Sam Owens (the brainchild behind Sam Evian) is aware of his own musical enlightenment or not doesn’t matter, because that mindfulness, conscious or not, is present in every song that he touches, and because of that, we win.

Track Stuck On Repeat: “Where Did You Go?” is every single beautiful day spent cruising around with the windows down – no particular destination in mind – all rolled into one song. It’s pop magic.

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

And that means…

Song Title: “Jazz Oppression”

From The Album: Morose (art pictured left)

Single Sentence Singles Review: With a beginning that feels as if it started out as a jam session that went off the rails, “Jazz Oppression” stuffs as many genres into a two minute span as possible, playing out like a Rage Against the Machine/Mr. Bungle stew with plenty of original flavor packed into each bite.

Beyond The Track: The Young Mothers will drop Morose on June 22 via Self Sabotage Records. For upcoming tour dates click here.

Artist: Brother Dege

Album: “Farmer’s Almanac”

Label: Psyouthern Records

Reason We’re Cranking It: Brother Dege is, in a way, one of the music world’s best kept secrets. He remains entirely independent and thus maintains his own sense of artistic integrity and focuses on his craft instead of being forced to produce for a huge record label. This formula has worked well for Brother Dege, and it even landed him a Grammy nomination for his track “Too Old to Die Young,” which Quentin Tarantino personally chose to be part of the musical background for “Django Unchained.” The fact is, you know that when you pick up a Dege album, it’s going to be legit, and it’s going to be a serious piece of music.

What The Album Tells Us About Him: Brother Dege’s look, life and music is not just an act or a persona, and “Farmer’s Almanac” gives us a deep and leering glance at the ghosts and stories that populate his consciousness. From the musical intro to the final musical outro, the album takes you on a boot-stomping journey that will leave you with the same warm, comfort food feeling you would get from eating at your favorite local gumbo joint.

Track Stuck On Repeat: We can’t get enough of “Country Come to Town.” It’s the perfect storm of a catchy beat and the marriage between Dege’s vocals and steel guitar. The song is more of a feeling and emotion that grabs you, only to then sink in like humidity on a summer day.

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

And that means…

Song Title: “Dark Side Of The Cross”

From The Album: Blues For A Dying Planet

Single Sentence Singles Review: Combing Black Sabbath-like guitar riffs and power vocals, Spiral Skies delivers a haunting and melodic sound with “Dark Side Of The Cross,” transporting you to another time full of witches, and of course, METAL!

Beyond The Track: Blues For A Dying Planet is out now on AOP Records. Stay up to date on future tour dates here.

Song Title: “Bleach Blonde Heritage”

From The Album: Chief White Lightning

Single Sentence Singles Review: Like a cliffhanger ending from your favorite television show, this track from the upcoming Chief White Lightning debut leaves you wanting more, so much so that you’ll be binge-listening the song as a replay until the album drops later this summer.

Beyond The Track: The brainchild of Joshua Logan, the Chief White Lightning self-titled debut is out July 13 on El Camino Media. Keep track of future tour dates here.

Song Title: “Percy Faith”

From The Album: The Horizon Just Laughed (art pictured at left)

Single Sentence Singles Review: If the singer/songwriter genre came with a secret sauce, Jurado would have mastered the recipe in the kitchen with “Percy Faith,” a musical course best served frequently.

Beyond The Track: The Horizon Just Laughed is out now and will be available for streaming July 6 via Secretly Canadian. Although Damien Jurado is finishing up the last leg of his North American tour now, he’ll be out on the road throughout the summer playing festivals and will then travel overseas in the fall. For a full list of dates, visit here.

Song Title: “Uncomfortable”

From The Album: Vicious (art pictured at left)

Single Sentence Singles Review: After waking up on the wrong side of the bed, we were feeling the dump of this hump day, but then this machine gun single with its rat-a-tat-tat of Lzzy Hale’s vocals had us embracing the sonic comfortableness of “Uncomfortable.”

Beyond The Track: Vicious drops July 27th from Atlantic. The band will be out on the road in support of the album later this summer. For a complete list of dates, visit here.

Song Title: “Summer Stained”

From The Album: Paradise

Single Sentence Singles Review: “Summer Stained” is a melodic rock tune that pays homage to Broadside fans and the symbiotic relationship between artists and the people who follow their work with a passion.

Beyond The Track: Currently on tour in Europe, the band will soon return to the States for the final Vans Warped Tour. For tour dates and info, visit here.

Artist: Somme

Album: Self-Titled

Reason We’re Cranking It: The kind of EP that makes you wish the artist stretched it out to long play status, this self-titled debut from multi-instrumentalist Jordan Cantor has the flavor of Lorde, the attitude of Pink, and the open wound lyrical insight of a vulnerable Patti Smith. Come get Somme!

What The Album Tells Us About Her: San Diego native Cantor puts each of her skills to work here, cementing herself as a serious artist to watch. Although the EP proves she is a musical force to be reckoned with, she’s still very young, making it scary to think just how good she will be as those skills become even more seasoned.

Track Stuck On Repeat: There’s nothing ordinary about “Ordinary Fools,” a song that will add an exclamation point on your day and carry with you into the night, should you let your brain hold onto the beat.

Coming To A City Near You: Keep track of upcoming tour dates here.

And that means…

Song Title: “Where Do I Begin”

From The Album: Argonauta (art pictured at left)

Single Sentence Singles Review: Intimate and insightful, “Where Do I Begin” is actually the perfect place to begin exploring an artist who floods emotion into every aspect of her songwriting, making listening to her music a soul-stoking experience.

Beyond The Track: Aisha Burns’ Argonauta is due May 25th on Western Vinyl. Tour dates, including her upcoming record release show, can be found here.