“In a room, by myself,
Looks like I’m here with a guy that I judge worse than anyone else,
So I pace, and I pray,
And I repeat the mantras that might keep me clean for the day…,
“The Songs That She Sang In The Shower” – Jason Isbell (2013)
This week, the JR Radar picked up on the fracas surrounding Tom Odell, a young Englishman just beginning his career. His debut album has been greeted with both praise and outright denigration in the UK, polarizing the critics in doling out their zero to five star reviews. They can’t all be right. Can they? Over to you, the ever-discerning listener.
Some people keep their private thoughts in a journal. Some people work them out in therapy. Others write songs. In this edition, we take pleasure in introducing you to some singer/songwriters you might not yet have heard.
One is Jason Isbell. To fans of Americana he’s considered a giant. Formerly of the band Drive By Truckers, Isbell is now 4 albums deep into his solo career. His songs are masterfully crafted confessionals of deep loss and comforting redemption. Another is Willie Nile. If being a Cult artist means recording infrequently but having the loyal support of folk like Bruce Springsteen, Bono and Bonnie Raitt, then, Willie Nile is a Cult artist. His just released, ‘American Ride’ is Willie’s love letter to the music, the landscape and even the psyche of his nation.
A third singer/songwriter we wanted to share with you is Alela Diane. Her music squares comfortably between the sweetness of Nashville and the Pop/Folk of a ‘70s-era Laurel Canyon. As its title suggests, her 4th album, ‘About Farewell’, is concerned with relationships ending (and the promise of beginning anew). Using personal experience as her source material, the songs are honest and revealing insights told with sympathetic nuance.
Rootsy, but a world away from the confessional wordsmiths, is Melbourne-based Blue King Brown. Their new single, “Rize Up” is the battle cry for the band’s ‘Rize Up Summer Tour’, currently working its way through Europe and North America.
Running the JR Radar through its diagnostics this week, we switched from 'strange' to 'very strange' and were alerted to the new collaboration between John Mellencamp, Horror writer, Stephen King and legendary producer, T-Bone Burnett. It's not a movie but a stage musical, with the reassuringly spooky title of, ‘Ghost Brothers Of Darkland County’. Contributing to an all-star ‘soundtrack’ album of the songs (and partial dialogue) are Rosanne Cash, Taj Mahal, Sheryl Crow and Neko Case but creepiest of all is Elvis Costello’s devil-on-the-shoulder sermon, “That’s Me”.
And as if that weren't strange enough, we also have the first song from the new album by American film-maker, David Lynch, featuring the ethereal voice of Swedish singer, Lykke Li.
Blue King Brown: “Rize Up” (new single)
Alela Diane: “About Farewell”/”I Thought I Knew” (from the album ‘About Farewell’)
Willie Nile: “American Ride”/”Holy War” (from the album, ‘American Ride’)
Tom Odell: ”Grow Old With Me”/”Another Love” (from the album, ‘Long Way Down’)
Jason Isbell: “Songs That She Sang In The Shower”/”Stockholm” (from the album, ‘Southeastern’)
Elvis Costello: “That’s Me”/ Sheryl Crow: “Jukin’” (from the soundtrack album, ‘Ghost Brothers Of Darkland County’)
David Lynch featuring Lykke Li: “I’m Waiting Here” (preview from the album, ‘The Big Dream’)
Just Released is heard Saturdays at 12pm and Sundays at 4pm (AEDT or AEST) on ABC Digital Radio in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and via the streams of our metropolitan stations on the Gold Coast, in Newcastle, Hobart and Darwin.
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♫ {](-_-)[} ♫ Thanks for listening.
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