Steve Albini Memorial Playlist

                                                      Steve Albini  (July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) 

Steve Albini Memorial Playlist:

The Pixies. Surfer Rosa. (March 21, 1988). (Producer: Steve Albini)

PJ Harvey. Rid Of Me. (April 26, 1993). (Producer: Steve Albini)

Nirvana. In Utero. (September 21, 1993). (Producer: Steve Albini)

Shellac. To All Trains. (May 17, 2024). (Guitar/Vocals: Steve Albini)

NOTE: Substitute the original 1993 Steve Albini mixes from Nirvana's In Utero (30th anniversary Super Deluxe version, 2023) of "Heart Shaped Box", "Pennyroyal Tea", and "All Apologies" for the Scott Litt-produced remixes the suits insisted on for the album's radio-friendly singles.

Obviously, by no means comprehensive, just a sample and overview of his work... 

...but also a great playlist if you're in one of those Albini moods...

It's astonishing how well these songs go together, considering the first ones are from 1988 and the final ones are from 2024.

Shellac hadn't released a new album in ten years and there was a high amount of anticipation to see what Albini had been up to and if he still had the goods.

When I first heard Steve had passed, I immediately thought "this new album is probably, tragically, great..." and it is. It's a shame he's not here to enjoy its success, promoting it in interviews and touring it in a live show. We don't know if he had been ill, if the stress of the up-coming release contributed to what happened, or if was just one of those things.

I thought of David Berman of The Silver Jews. In July 2019 he released the excellent "Purple Mountains" album, which was instantly hailed as a major triumph. Berman tragically died a few weeks later, never getting to tour the album and feel the love.

Maybe David Berman and Steve Albini are together now, bouncing around on a cloud, singing songs all day. Or maybe not.

ThisSmallPlanet.com Cool New Music Playlist Spring 2024 (March/April/May)

(UPDATED MAY 18, 2024)

BEAST NEW ALBUMS

                  

                                                        Steve Albini  (July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) 

Shellac. To All Trains. Very strong album, featuring the late, great super-producer Steve Albini on guitar and vocals. We were looking forward to the band's first new release in ten years, and were shocked by Albini's sudden death May 7, 2024, only a week before the album's scheduled release. We added this album to classics produced by Albini for The Pixies, PJ Harvey, and Nirvana to create a Steve Albini Memorial Playlist.

The Avett Brothers. The Avett Brothers. Industrial strength Americana served.

Blitzen Trapper. 100's of 1000's, Millions Of Billions. Psychedelic stoned rock done right.

Arab Strap. I'm Totally Fine With It... Scottish veteran rockers back and better than ever.

Orville Peck. Stampede: Vol. 1. Willie Nelson, Elton John, Nathaniel Rateliff, and other friends join the masked queer cowboy crooner from South Africa (via Canada) on his debut album. Don't ask me, I just work here. Featuring the hit single (with Willie): "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other".

                                                                 

Mdou Moctar. Funeral For Justice. African desert blues.

Jessica Pratt. Here In The Pitch. Cool retro psychedelic sounds. Shades of Dusty Springfield. Yes.

Garbage. Lie To Me. (EP). Originally a Record Store Day release, it contains a cover of Tim Buckley's "Song To The Siren".

St. Vincent. All Born Screaming. Sometimes she is a bit much, but I am grateful for her role in saving the guitar and rock n roll. (Check out the wild title song, feat Cate Le Bon...)

Iron & Wine. Light Verse. Featuring folky Americanish goodness, like "All In Good Time", a duet with Fiona Apple.

The Libertines. All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade. One of the best British rock bands of our time is back and firing on all cylinders. A good excuse to listen, along with the new release, to their first two albums, Up The Bracket (2002) and The Libertines (2004). The likely lads also recently did cool covers of Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day" and Love's "Alone Again Or".

Various Artists. The Power Of The Heart: A Tribute To Lou Reed. [Light In The Attic] April 19, 2024. Some if us will always be endlessly fascinated by anything that has anything to do with Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground. This tribute to Lou's solo career features outstanding artists such as Angel Olsen, Keith Richards, Rufus Wainwright, The Afghan Whigs, and Joan Jett. 

Pearl Jam. Dark Matter. Not bad. I've heard it called "the last Pearl Jam album". If so, going out on a high note. Eddie Vedder says it's the best Pearl Jam record ever. Maybe he's right.

The Black Keys. Ohio Players. Good album with some good songs.

Fat White Family. Forgiveness Is Yours. Interesting. Worth a listen. Diverse.

Cloud Nothings. Final Summer. Very good (indie rock) stuff.

T-Bone Burnett. The Other Side. Ace producer and sideman steps out front. Interesting. Heartfelt. Some very sweet songs here. Steven Soles, an old friend of T-Bone's from their time with Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue (1975-1976), worked on the album and guests on the excellent "Hawaiian Blue Song". 

Cedric Burnside. Hill Country Love. The late Bluesman extraordinaire R.L. Burnside played with rockers such as The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. His grandson Cedric carries the proud family legacy into the 21st century. Minimalist sound quite effective. It reminded a friend of some of Hendrix's playing. Soothing yet chilling.

Waxahatchee. Tigers Blood. Sure to be one of the album's of the year. Following up the Americana flavor of 2020's breakthrough album St. Cloud (we especially liked the  St. Cloud bonus tracks, which included a stellar cover of Dolly Parton's "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning").

Tigers Blood was produced by Brad Cook and features Katie Crutchfield (lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, high bass guitar), Wednesday's MJ Lenderman (electric guitar, drone guitar, baritone acoustic guitar, harmony and group vocals), Phil Cook (Dobro, organ, piano, banjo, harmonica, marimba, accordion, electric slide, group vocals), Brad Cook (bass guitar, Prophet 6 synth, low bass guitar, baritone acoustic guitar, group vocals), Spencer Tweedy (drums, percussion, Mellotron, cedar plank, cymbal, harmony and group vocals), Nick Bockrath (pedal steel) and Natalia Chernitsky (group vocals).

Adrianne Lenker. I Won't Let Go Of Your Hand (EP) & Bright Future (LP).

Big Thief's lead singer Adrianne Lenker currently has two new releases. Her new acoustic EP, I Won't Let Go Out Your Hand, is an intimate 6-song collection of demos rush-released to benefit the Palestine Children's Relief Fund www.pcrf.net. It's available now on Bandcamp.  

Lenker had already been scheduled to release her fifth solo album, Bright Future, and it's great!

Here's Adrianne on The Tonight Show performing Bright Future's "Free Treasure"....

 

Adrianne & Big Thief caught first many people's attention with performances such as the powerful 2019 number "Not"...

 

Gary Clark, Jr. JPEG RAW. Great blues guitarist, equally at home with funk, soul, R&B, hiphop, pop, and rock. The retro sounds sound quite current, somehow. Stellar guest stars include Valerie June and Stevie Wonder.

Beyonce. Cowboy Carter. Worth checking out.

Vampire Weekend. Only God Was Above Us. They hadn't caught my attention much before, but this album is pretty good actually.

Charles Moothart. Black Holes Don't Choke. Ty Segall collaborator rocks out hard solo. Dark and Powerful. And then there's that Celtic/Medievalist/Renaissance title song...

Peter Garrett. The True North. You may remember him from his explosive 1987 hit with Midnight Oil, "Beds Are Burning". In Australia he's known as an environmental activist, an advocate for indigenous rights, and for serving in Parliament and as a government minister. He's back at age 70 with a great new solo album.

Midnight Oil (feat Peter Garrett): "Beds Are Burning" (1987)

The Dandy Warhols. Rockmaker. Hard rocking album from the beloved Portland indie rock vets.

Charlie Parr. Little Sun. Americana at its best.

Mark Knopfler. One Deep River. Very good album from a great guitarist. Also check out The Boy (EP).

Phosphorescent. Revelator. Check it out.

Finnoguns Wake. Stay Young. Fresh band with fresh sounds.

Kacey Musgraves. Deeper Well. Is this country star trying to channel Phoebe Bridgers and boygenius? Maybe... And that's not a bad thing...

Ride. Interplay. Shoegaze is apparently making a comeback this year, and Ride is finally getting the recognition they always deserved.

Sleater-Kinney. Frayed Rope Sessions (EP). Cool versions of songs from the Little Rope album.

BEAT NEW SINGLES

Fontaines D.C. "Starburster"

 

Fontaine D.C. "Starburster" on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon"

The Libertines. "Oh Shit"

Waxahatchee. "Right Back To It" (feat MJ Lenderman from Wednesday)

Adrianne Lenker. "Sadness As A Gift"

Adrianne Lenker. "Vampire Empire". Closer to the original arrangement than the previously released Big Thief version and the one they performed live on Colbert. Here's a lively live version from London in April 2023.

 

Gary Clark, Jr. "What About The Children" (feat Stevie Wonder)

The Dandy Warhols. "I Will Never Stop Loving You" (feat Debbie Harry)

Mdou Moctar. "Imouhar"

John Cale. "How We See The Light".

Maxim Ludwig & Angel Olsen. "I Can't Stand It" (Lou Reed cover)

St. Vincent. "Flea".

Iron & Wine. "Anyone's Game".

Orville Peck & WIllie Nelson. "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other"

Jake Xerxes Fussell. "Going To Georgia"

Lana Del Rey & Billie Eilish "Ocean Eyes/Video Games" (Live at Coachella 2024)

Redd Kross "Candy Colored Catastrophe"

John Cale "Shark-Shark"

Garbage. "Song To The Siren" (Tim Buckley cover)

SAD MUSIC NEWS: Iranian Rapper Toomaj Salehi Sentenced to Death for Anti-Government Lyrics

BEST ARCHIVAL

Pavement. Cautionary Tales: Jukebox Classiques. The singles and B-sides. Very cool. I thought I had heard everything Pavement did, but there are some songs here I'd never heard before. Great to hear Malkmus & Crew in top form.

Stevie Wonder. Live in Berkeley 1973. Yes!

Bruce Springsteen. Best Of Bruce Springsteen. Do we really need any excuse to listen to classic Bruce? Forgive us if we focus on the early hits and skip over the newer stuff. Sorry. But it is awesome to hear those classics any old time.

Various Artists. The New Demesne. Field Recordings By Alan Lomax, Ireland 1951. In 1951, American folklorist Alan Lomax recorded several important folk musicians in Ireland. Those excellent recordings, collected on The New Demesne, are now available on Bandcamp:

Vampire Weekend "Peggy-O"

Random 

Peter Frampton. Frampton Comes Alive 

Supertramp. Crime Of The Century.

Faces.  First Step (1970) & Long Player (1971) & A Wink's As Good As A Nod... (1971) & Ooh La La (1973). The first four studio albums of Faces feat Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Ronnie Laine, Ian McLagan & Kenney Jones.

Carl reading the Bible to Justin Bieber in LA, April 2024

MUSICAL NOTES

Been checking out "Sacred Steel", the steel slide guitar (lap and pedal) played in Black churches. Amazing!

One of the best new acts out there is Kneecap from Belfast, Occupied Northern Ireland. They rap in English and Irish, often sparking controversy with their drug-fueled political and social commentary (powerful, in the context of the region's volatile and violent sectarianism) all covered with a generous dollop of their trademark twisted humor. They've been touring and releasing singles. Another U.S. tour is planned for September 2024. Their bio-film and debut album is coming out this summer. Seems these boys are about to blow the f up.

Rest in Peace Gary Floyd of The Dicks and Sister Double Happiness...

The Dicks "I Hope You Get Drafted"

Highly Anticipated Forthcoming Releases

Diiv. Frog in Boiling Water. [Fantasy]. May 24, 2024.

Andrew Bird, Alan Hampton & Ted Poor. Sunday Morning Put-On [Loma Vista] May 24, 2024.

Richard Thompson. Ship To Shore. [New West] May 31, 2024.

Maya Hawke. Chaos Angel [Mom+Pop]. May 31, 2024. She sings, she acts, she is.

Willie Nelson. The Border [Legacy] May 31, 2024.

Fontaines DC, Massive Attack, Young Fathers. Ceasefire EP (Vinyl Only). [Battle Box] Benefit for Doctors Without Borders. Get it at  Bandcamp. Release delayed until late May/early June. (The original release date of March 1, 2024 was previously delayed until April 1, 2024.)

Pedro the Lion. Santa Cruz [Polyvinyl] June 7, 2024.

John Cale. - POPtical Illusion. [Double Six / Domino] June 14, 2024. Velvet Underground's cellist/bassist returns.

Kneecap. Fine Art [Heavenly] June 14, 2024. Bilingual Irish/English rappers long awaited debut album. Their singles and forthcoming biopic have had a big impact already. This album should put them on everyone's map as well as their radar.

Paul McCartney & Wings. One Hand Clapping. June 14, 2024. Recorded live in the studio in 1974 while the band was filming a documentary. Often bootlegged, never previously released, it consists of songs by The Beatles, Wings, "Blue Moon Of Kentucky", and others.

Georgia Sea Island Singers feat Bessie Jones, Ed Davis, Mississippi Fred McDowell & Ed Young. The Complete Friend Of Old Time Music Concert hosted by Alan Lomax in 1965 featuring the unique Gullah Geechee singers as well as the guitar (and singing) of the incomparable Fred McDowell. [Smithsonian Folkways]. June 14, 2024.

The Decemberists. As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again [Yabb] June 14, 2024.

Johnny Cash. Songwriter. June 28, 2024. Recorded in 1993, previously unreleased. The first single is "Well Alright". 

Redd Kross. Redd Kross. June 28, 2024. Double album from the McDonald Brothers. First single "Candy Coloured Catastrophe" is killer. 

Jake Xerxes Fussell. When I'm Called. [Fat Possum] July 12, 2024. Folk songs based on traditional tunes. Brilliant.

Cassandra Jenkins. My Light, My Destroyer [Dead Oceans] July 12, 2024.

Fontaines D.C. Romance. [XL] August 23, 2024. Ireland's best band's fourth album promises to be very different and take them to another level.

David Gilmour. Luck And Strange. September 6, 2024. Pink Floyd guitarist/singer has a new album coming out.

                                                Wednesday "Tiny Desk Concert"

                                           The Small Faces "What'Cha Gonna Do About It", Beat club, 1966

                                         Heavy Rotation: Hurray For The Riff Raff: "Hawkmoon"

                                            Heavy Rotation: Kneecap "It's Been Ages"

Kim Gordon: "Bye Bye" live on Jimmy Kimmel

You may also be interested in these articles:

ThisSmallPlanet.com BEST MUSIC OF 2024 (So Far)(Jan Feb Mar)

ThisSmallPlanet.com: Best Music of 2023

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tribute to Sinead and Shane Rehearsal, Carnegie Hall, NYC, March 19, 2024

People's Park & Jack Kerouac's Grave

In recent days, I have visited two iconic sites associated with the Sixties: People's Park in Berkeley and Jack Kerouac's grave in Lowell, Massachusetts. 

People's Park has been a symbol of resistance for over 50 years. In December 2023, the University of California brought in shipping containers to block public access to the Park.

TO BE CONTINUED

People's Park Shipping Container Wall: Video