The Immediate Family: Cruel Twist
A supergroup of sidemen, The Immediate Family consists of musicians whose names are famous in the LA music scene - and to anyone who read the liner notes on albums from the likes of James Taylor, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Warren Zevon... the list goes on. After nearly a half-century of playing together in various combinations, Danny Kortchmar (guitar and vocals), Waddy Wachtel (guitar and vocals), Leland Sklar (bass), Russ Kunkel (drums) and Steve Postell (guitar and vocals) have released their very first single as a group, and have an EP coming out in the fall. Kortchmar provides the vocal on this track, which he calls "a blues song about what can happen if one gets too confident and too full of oneself." Something Else Reviews writes that Sklar’s bass and Kunkel’s drums "give the song a feel that’s no longer common on the radio. The expert shuffle propels the melody, while Watchel, Kortchmar and Postell’s guitars dance a delicate yet forceful dance. Touches of organ by Jim Cox add to the punch."
The Killers: My Own Soul's Warning
This new single is quintessential Killers - a solid, energetic rocker that fits squarely in the band's repertoire. It will be the opening track on the upcoming LP Imploding the Mirage, and Rolling Stone calls it "a fittingly grand first statement. A big drum beat drives the song and it boasts a lead synth hook that sounds like it could’ve been plucked straight out of an Eighties arena show. As always, frontman Brandon Flowers delivers a vocal performance to match the occasion."
Rorie Kelly: Lying Streak
This singer-songwriter considers it her mission "to create music that inspires others to love themselves fiercely and become their own heroes." She tours mostly in the New York metro area, and we caught one of her shows a few years ago and added some of her "ladybeast music" to our mix. This new single features a refined and polished sound, with strings, backing vocals and finger-snaps putting a smooth sheen on powerful lyrics. "I wrote this song about what my coming-out process was like ... which is an ongoing process as many people can tell you!" Kelly says. This verse sums it up: "It was never my idea to go in any closets / People just stuff you in there in tight storage boxes / I fight my way out again and again / and still you think it was me who was confused."
Jane's Party: Change Her Mind
This Toronto alt-rock quartet follows up its 2019 LP Casual Party with a new single describing the confusion and uncertainty of young love. "We wanted to capture this feeling of naive youth, not just in the lyrics, but in the musical and instrumental delivery as well," the band says. "So the guitars were recorded on a cheap, slightly-out-of-tune Squier guitar, while the crowd of backup vocals sound like all your best buds at your university house party."
Sheerbuzz: Crazy In Name
The members of this group from Donegal, Ireland, are still in their teens, but have been playing together for several years and have developed a very distinctive sound. This track is from the band's crowd-funded debut EP - which was released last year, but just reached our ears, so we're putting it in the New Music bin. It's a fun, high-energy concoction of classic rock riffs (a repeated chord echoes The Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin") and ragged garage-punk with cheeky lyrics: "I can be anything you want me to be / unless it's taller or stronger." Expect to hear more from this band in our mix.
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