featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
April 9, 2023
Scott Foley, purveyor of aloha
Is it a positive or a negative how a vacation can kick us out of our daily rhythms? We had a great thing going for the first quarter of 2023, then a largely grid-free week in Hawaii led to no weekly review and to falling behind a little in previewing new records. But I'd do it again in a moment. We'll get back on our horse soonish.
But for today, let's acknowledge that we've passed the one-quarter point for 2023 and it's high time for a list of our favorite albums, year-to-date (in order of appearance).
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WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT the FiRST QUARTER of 2023?!!
Margo Price, Strays (Loma Vista, Jan 13)
Pony Bradshaw, North Georgia Rounder (Bradsaw, Jan 27)
JD Clayton, Long Way From Home (Mulberry, Jan 27)
HC McEntire, Every Acre (Merge, Jan 27)
Sunny War, Anarchist Gospel (New West, Feb 3)
Brit Taylor, Kentucky Blue (Cut A Shine, Feb 3)
Lucero, Should've Learned by Now (Liberty & Lament, Feb 24)
Drayton Farley, Twenty on High (Hargrove, Mar 3)
War & Treaty, Lover's Game (Mercury, Mar 10)
Doug Paisley, Say What You Like (Outside, Mar 17)
Let's also continue our monthly march through novelty by identifying the ten songs that pleased us most over the past thirty-one days.
WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT MARCH?!!
1. Youth Lagoon, "Idaho Alien" Heaven is a Junkyard (Fat Possum, Jun 9) - We'll admit that sometimes we're just looking for something different. 'Neath his Youth Lagoon guise, the first glimpse into Trevor Powers' forthcoming record is a slightly trippy impression from his Idaho childhood, teetering on a fragile bed of piano and brushed drums.
2. Ags Connolly, "Headed South For a While" Siempre (At the Helm, Jun 19) - It gets my vote for the year's best first lyric: On a side street / In a tavern / Turning 40 years old. At R&B HQ we've celebrated this British country rough diamond since 2017's Nothin' Unexpected. In juxtaposition to the above Youth Lagoon song, Connolly is as pure and un-different as they come, offering nothin' more (and nothin' less) than world class country.
3. Drayton Farley, "Norfolk Blues" Twenty on High (Hargrove, Mar 3) - Farley's earlier solo acoustic work hit hard because of its stark, direct-to-the-vein approach. Backed by Sadler Vaden's cohort, songs like "Norfolk Blues" land with added urgency and dimension. "Norfolk Blues" is a testament to the dead-end futility of working class life: It's all the way it's always been.
4. Angelica Rockne, "White Cadillac" Rose Society (Fluff & Gravy, May 5) - LA's best-kept country secret won't be kept for too much longer. "White Cadillac" is a gorgeously laconic slice of melancholy. With a voice that bears the weariness of years and lyrics that belie her relatively short career, Rockne's May release promises to be a revelation.
5. Bella White, "Flowers On My Bedside" Among Other Things (Rounder, Apr 21) - After several months of teasing listeners with increasingly appealing singles, there's a sophomore album on the horizon for this Canadian writer. This understated single showcases a voice that rivals Sierra Ferrell, set to a boldly restrained arrangement of piano, bass and guitar.
6. Matthew Logan Vasquez, "Untouchable" As All Get Out (Nine Mile, Apr 7) - I've long admired Vasquez's work with Delta Spirit, even as he continues to hone his identity as a solo artist. "Untouchable" arrives like an unreleased Shovels & Rope number, with infectious trashcan percussion. You'll want to check out this recent live, acoustic take that highlights the track's inherent scrappiness.
7. Bohannons, "Sense It Out" Night Construction (Cornelius Chapel, May 12) - Great to have a record in our sights for this rocking outfit. "Sense It Out" offers all three flavors of the band: Beginning with a psychedelic boogie, morphing into a looser country groove, then concluding with a retro-fueled go-for-broke romp. The Bros. Bohannon bear the torch for the sort of edge that's been disappointingly hard to come by so far this year.
8. Esther Rose, "Safe to Run (ft Hurray for the Riff Raff)" Safe to Run (New West, Apr 21) - A welcome duet between two of the most impactful figures of our kind of music. Rose's pop quirk and Alynda Segarra's bohemian roots pair seamlessly on this number that builds and lifts, from a dusky strum to a steady breeze of hopeful strings.
9. Logan Halstead, "Kentucky Sky" Dark Black Coal (Halstead, May 5) - Is it wrong to be weary of the endless stream of Next Great Things from Kentucky? Not if they're as worthy as Logan Halstead, who delivers with a voice like Tyler Childers and the lyrical vision of Charles Wesley Godwin. While he's presently a West Virginian, the spirit of "Kentucky Sky" bears the same dark realism. Featuring some lovely fiddle from Kristin Weber.
10. boygenius, "Not Strong Enough" the record (Interscope, Mar 31) - As solo artists, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus have largely defined a certain lane of indie folk. As the genre's foremost supergroup, they've released one of the year's most impactful records. "Not Strong" is a perfect specimen of a song that binds the pop relevance of Haim, the simplicity of Muna and ... well, the stellar contemporary songcraft of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus.
And then we'll also click on A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster for a look at the stuff that might define the next three months of our year. For this Episode, we'll share the ten LPs we're most looking forward to between now and July:
Tallest Man on Earth, Henry St (Anti, Apr 14)
Esther Rose, Safe to Run (New West, Apr 21)
Bella White, Among Other Things (Rounder, Apr 21)
Country Westerns, Forgive the City (Fat Possum, Apr 28)
Logan Halstead, Dark Black Coal (Halstead, May 5)
Charlotte Cornfield, Could Have Done Anything (Double Double Whammy, May 12)
Kassi Valazza, Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing (Fluff & Gravy, May 26)
Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, Weathervanes (Southeastern, Jun 9)
Ags Connolly, Siempre (At the Helm, Jun 16)
Lucinda Williams, Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart (Hwy 20, Jun 30)
... There. Now we've reset and we're ready to go forward. Every week we lovingly assemble thirty brand new songs from our kind of music (no more, no fewer), and we array those in a Spotify playlist for your weekly listening experience. Where there might be a capital "D" following the line, it indicates a Debut from a project we've added to our radar. While the contraption below will get you a quick preview of the list, you'll want to link to our Spotify profile to access all the ROUTES-casts from months passed.
ROUTES-cast APRiL 9, 2023
- Esther Rose, "Spider" Safe to Run (New West, Apr 21)
- Jake Paleschic, "Painting in Ashes" Wrongdoer (Niles City, 23) D
- Anna St Louis, "Phone" In the Air (Woodsist, Jun 9) D
- Angelica Rockne, "Rose Society" Rose Society (Fluff & Gravy, May 5)
- Sam Blasucci, "Sha la la" Off My Stars (Innovative Leisure, Jun 2)
- Charlotte Cornfield, "Cut and Dry" Could Have Done Anything (Double Double Whammy, May 12)
- Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, "They Wait" single (Southeastern, 23) D
- Miles Miller, "Highway Shoes" Solid Gold (Easy Lovin, Jul 7)
- Ashley McBryde, "Devil I Know" single (Warner, 23) D
- Mikaela Davis, "Far From You" And Southern Star (Kill Rock Stars, Aug 4) D
- Summer Dean, "She Ain't Me" Biggest Life (Next Waltz, Jun 16)
- Josie Toney, "Don't Regret" Extra (Like You Mean It, 23)
- Caitlin Canty, "Wild Heart" Quiet Flame (Canty, Jun 23)
- Califone, "villagers" villagers (Jealous Butcher, May 19)
- Hackles, "Steve" What a Beautiful Thing I Have Made (Jealous Butcher, 23)
- Robbie Fulks, "Lonely Ain't Hardly Alive" Bluegrass Vacation (Compass, 23)
- St Paul & the Broken Bones, "City Federal Building" Angels in Science Fiction (ATO, Apr 21)
- Lucinda Williams, "New York Comeback (ft Bruce Springsteen)" Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart (Hwy 20, Jun 30) D
- Peter Case, "Give Me Five Minutes More" Doctor Moan (Sunset Blvd, 23)
- Nathaniel Rateliff & Night Sweats, "What If I (alternate version)" What If I EP (Stax, Jun 2) D
- Nate Myers, "75-71" Yellow Peril (Easy Eye, Jun 23) D
- Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, "Preacher" Fall Line (Strolling Bones, Apr 7)
- Langkamer, "Hatchet" Noon and Midnight Manual (Breakfast, May 8)
- Ruston Kelly, "St Jupiter" The Weakness (Rounder, 23)
- Matthew Logan Vasquez, "Long Line of Lovers" As All Get Out (Nine Mile, 23)
- Cowboy Junkies, "What I Lost" Such Ferocious Beauty (Latent, Jun 2) D
- William the Conqueror, "Somebody Else" Excuse Me While I Vanish (Chrysalis, Jul 28) D
- Pink Stones, "Who's Laughing Now (ft Teddy & the Rough Riders)" You Know Who (Normaltown, Jul 30) D
- Wednesday, "Formula One" Rat Saw God (Dead Oceans, 23)
- Youth Lagoon, "Prizefighter" Heaven is a Junkyard (Fat Possum, Jun 9)
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Earlier ROUTES-casts have been removed; subscribe to our Spotify page to keep up with all our new playlists!
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