featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music
July 13, 2025
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
Back in The Day, MTV would present artists in their Unplugged series. Acts from Nirvana and Alice in Chains to 10,000 Maniacs and Clapton would perform their songs before a live audience, trading in their electric instruments for acoustic. Results were varied. More often than not, familiar arrangements wouldn't be tweaked much, simply allowing viewers to enjoy quieter versions of these songs.
IF YOU ONLY LiSTEN to ONE RECORD THiS WEEK
As a longtime member of Philadelphia's Purling Hiss, Mike Polizze unplugged very seldom, encouraging his guitar to fuzz and growl in a maelstrom of psychedelic noise. In 2020, he celebrated the pandemic and parenthood with his debut solo record. Paradise of Bachelors has released a follow-up, Around Sound, a primarily acoustic set that finds Polizze repurposing his band's psychedelia without simply swapping electricity for wood. Guitar remains his focus, though Polizze plays every instrument on the collection, layering keys, drums, bass, and additional guitars in addition to his own Westerberg-esque voice, typically laden with echo. Reportedly inspired by Robbie Basho, Around Sound is loose and charmingly raggedy, from the pastoral trickle of "After the Deluge" to the shambling "Fast Blues". On the title track, Mike Polizze proclaims, I'm just fine when it's simple. It's not Purling Hiss Unplugged, but the artist's sophomore solo project is a lovely swirl of sound for a momentary surrender.
ROUTES-cast July 14, 2025
^ Mike Polizze, "After the Deluge" Around Sound (Paradise of Bachelors, 25)
- Foot Ox, "Horseshoe" A Lighthouse With Silver Dog Eyes (Ernest Jenning, Aug 29)
- Neko Case, "Wreck" Neon Grey Midnight Green (Anti, Sep 26) D
- Geese, "Taxes" Getting Killed (Partisan, Sep 26) D
- Jessica Pounds, "Believe Me (ft Nathan Kalish)" single (Yellow Canary, 25) D
- Natalie Bergman, "Lonely Road" My Home Is Not In This World (Third Man, Jul 18)
- Scott Ballew, "Hey Baby" single (Leisure Rodeo, 25) D
- David Newbould, "Broken Hearts Are Paint" Average Fidelity Vol 1 (Blackbird, 25)
- T Hardy Morris, "Don't Kill Your Time (to Shine)" Artificial Tears (Normaltown, Aug 8)
- Laney Jones, "Another Rolling Stone" single (AHPO, 25) D
- Marcus King Band, "Here Today (ft Jamey Johnson, Kaitlin Butts)" Darling Blue (Republic, Sep 26) D
- Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, "Song to Sing" single (Republic, 25) D
- Sunny Sweeney, "Traveling On" Rhinestone Requiem (Aunt Daddy, Aug 1)
- Joelton Mayfield, "Speechwriter" Crowd Pleaser (Bloodshot, Oct 24) D
- Travis Roberts, "Hereford Blues" Rebel Rose (New West, Aug 1) D
- Brent Cobb, "In Our Hands" Ain't Rocked in a While (Ol Buddy, 25)
- Ben Nichols, "In the Heart of the Mountain" In the Heart of the Mountain (Liberty & Lament, Jul 25)
- Hayes Carll, "We're Only Human" We're Only Human (Hwy 87, Aug 8)
- Otis Gibbs, "Raze" single (Gibbs, 25) D
- Dougie Poole, "Vaping On the Job (live)" At Tubby's (Wharf Cat, Jul 18)
- Clover County, "Virginia Slim" Finer Things (Undercover Lover, Sep 26) D
- Wildmans, "Any Day Woman" Longtime Friend (New West, 25)
- Molly Tuttle, "Highway Knows" So Long Little Miss Sunshine (Nonesuch, Aug 15)
- Ruston Kelly, "Pickleball" Pale Through the Window (Rounder, Sep 12)
- Rachel Baiman w/Viv & Riley, "Kissing Other People" Kissing Other ppl (Peacedale, Aug 8)
- Waxahatchee & Kevin Morby, "You Found Me" single (Anti/Dead Oceans, 25) D
- Rosali, "Slow Pain" Slow Pain: Live and Solo From Drop of Sun (Merge, Aug 1) D
- Racing Mount Pleasant, "Your New Place" Racing Mount Pleasant (R&R, Aug 15)
- Big Thief, "All Night All Day" Double Infinity (4AD, Sep 5)
- MJ Lenderman, "Just Be Simple" I Will Swim to You: Tribute to Jason Molina (Run For Cover, Sep 5) D
--------------------------
To enjoy any Spotify ROUTES-cast, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:
No comments:
Post a Comment