What You Should Be Listening To... Best New Releases

Son Volt, Sun Kil Moon, Ty Segall, Chuck Prophet, Gene Clark, The Orwells, Foxygen

New Releases Of Note:

Son Volt "Notes Of Blue"

Sun Kil Moon "Common As Light And Love Are Red Valleys Of Blood"

Ty Segall "Ty Segall"

Chuck Prophet "Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins"

Gene Clark "The Lost Studio Sessions: 1964 - 1982"

The Orwells "Terrible Human Beings"

Foxygen "Hang"

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Jay Farrar's (ex-Uncle Tupelo) Son Volt has an excellent new album. His former comrades went on to form Wilco and become superstars. Jay is criminally neglected but continues to put out interesting new tunes to a small but appreciative and ever growing circle of fans. His "Big Sur" soundtrack and collaboration with Jim James, et al (New Multitudes) were inspired and worth checking out if you missed them the first time around.

Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozelek's new album is much of the same from him, lyrics-wise, but with a very different sound. Basically you either really love or really hate Mark Kozelek. I like him, so I like this album. Your mileage may vary.

The same could be said of Foxygen - either very love or very hate - no in between. Me? I love.

Chuck Prophet seems to be getting major props and if this is this moment, I say, so be it!

Ty Segall keeps cranking out material. His 60s and 70s influences come through loud and clear (T. Rex, Bowie, Beatles, metal, punk...). Most of the songs are hard, fast, and loud, but a couple of slower numbers demonstrate Ty's not a one-trick pony.... Anyone else think "Talkin'...." sounds like The Dead? (Not an insult, just a comment. Hey, if Malkmus can do The Dead, anyone can...)

The Orwells are a young hard rock band building a solid following which will only increase with this new release.

Gene Clark co-founded The Byrds with Roger McGuinn and David Crosby but left for a solo career after singing on the #1 hits "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Turn, Turn, Turn" and writing "Eight Miles High". Sadly, his solo career never really took off, but a growing number of musicians and other music insiders cherish his singing and songwriting, more than 25 years after his premature death. This new collection (to be reviewed in a separate article next week) more than fulfills its promise to reveal previously hidden treasures from the vaults. The singer-songwriter songs from the collection,  like "Back To The Earth Again", "The Lighthouse", "The Awakening Within", and "The Sparrow" have become some of my favorite Gene Clark songs. I wish more people would fall in love with Gene Clark, but I feel that the people who need to find him, often do!