SMM #33: May 28th, 2022

A fresh batch of new releases, and two playlists to accompany you this Memorial Day weekend.

New Releases

THE BLACK KEYS - Dropout Boogie… this is their 11th album since debuting in 2002 and probably their best effort since El Camino over a decade ago… the all-originals set incorporates blues, retro-pop & soul, and arena rock, styles that have always been their touchstones and while it doesn’t reach the lofty heights of their best albums, it’s still an enjoyable listen… 

ROLLING STONES - Live at The El Mocambo… great live archival release from the Stones documenting two nights they played at the El Mocambo club in Toronto in March 1977… four of these tracks - “Mannish Boy,” “Crackin’ Up,” “Little Red Rooster,” “Around and Around” - were originally released on their 1977 album Love You Live, and were generally considered the highlight of that album… the 23 tracks on this release include the entirety of the second night's show, along with three bonus tracks from the first night… 

KEVIN MORBY - This Is A Photograph…  this is the eighth album and fourth in four years from the prolific singer/songwriter… over time, Morby has established his own sound using a folk-country rock template and applying his Dylan, Lou Reed, and Leonard Cohen lyrical and vocal style to his original tunes… this is another fine album that reflects on “family, aging, mortality, and the cruel inevitabilities of time,” per All Music Guide… 

WILCO - Cruel Country… Wilco long ago abandoned their country-rock roots and moved into art rock and experimental music… Jeff Tweedy claims that on this 21 song album they are “digging in  and calling it country” but it’s really their own version of country music and, for the most part, doesn’t sound much like traditional country outside of a few songs… it’s not music you would put on at a party but it’s a serious, well-crafted album, featuring some stinging lyrical barbs from Tweedy on America’s current political divide…

MAVIS STAPLES & LEVON HELM - Carry Me Home… another great archival live release of a show recorded at Levon’s Woodstock barn in 2011 less than a year before he passed away… due to his poor health at that point, Levon only sings on his signature song, “The Weight,” but Mavis is one of the all-time great vocalists, and she does her usual superb job on the rest of the set backed by Levon and his stellar band…

Playlist: Getting Down Out in the Desert

I love the Arizona band Calexico and after listening to their latest album (highlighted in SMM #30) I was inspired to put together this  “American Southwest” theme playlist of artists from, or associated with, that region… it covers a wide range of musical genres… weirdo “desert rock” of Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band and Howe Gelb and his band, Giant Sand… rock n’ roll from Meat Puppets, Rainer Ptacek & Das Combo and Queens of the Stone Age (with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top guesting on guitar)… the rootsy rock of Los Lobos and Courtney Marie Andrews, and two artists associated with the aforementioned Calexico, Gabby Moreno and Dean Owens… Moreno is a member of Calexico’s touring band and appears on most of their albums and Calexico is the backing band for English artist Owens on his latest release, featured here… 

Bonus Holiday Weekend Playlist: Plant’s Picks

In April, I listened to a series of podcasts former Led Zeppelin vocalist, Robert Plant, did for BBC6 Music, where he played over 100 of his favorite songs… they range from songs he listened to as a teenager growing up in the Black Country of England in the 60s on up to recent favorites… I have picked 40 choice cuts from his list for this holiday weekend playlist… Plant is a real musicologist so they cover just about every musical style you can think of… 

Enjoy, thanks for listening and have a great Memorial Day weekend! — SL