Discovered In July 2023 Mixed Tape
Released in 2023 And Found By My Ears In July
Another July and another year older.
Just so you know I celebrated in fine fashion and it took a couple of days to return to the regularly scheduled programme.
More music has crossed my path this month and here are some of the top picks that I have discovered this month. As per usual, released in 2023, but hand-picked by me this month.
They are very ripe and ready for your ears.
Album Of The Month
*** Saltwater Hank-G̱al'üünx Wil Lu Holtga Liimi***-The songs are performed in the Ts’msyen tradition — an Indigenous language in the British Columbia area. Saltwater Hank (aka Jeremy Pahl) is a member of the Ts’msyen nation.
If you want to slot it into a genre, go ahead. Hank Williams meets Indigenous British Columbia. Give it a go and let me know what you think.
“The old people say that the ancestors can hear you when you're speaking. And they're going to be happy with whatever amount of effort you're putting in because a lot of us, we're stuck in the hamster wheel of capitalism, and we don't have as much time as we want to be spending on the language, and with that comes a lot of guilt. The thing is, no matter what, who we are, and where we come from, we're always enough.” -Saltwater Hank
The Minus 5-Calling Cortez-Calling Cortez by The Minus 5 is a third Scott McCaughey collection of Neil Young songs, and a batch of Scott McCaughey originals inspired lyrically and musically by Neil's life and career.
Get in the ditch and give it a whirl.
M.Ward-Supernatural Thing-Ward is joined by First Aid Kit, Jim James, Neko Case, and others on an album that offers few surprises but will give you an enchanted 35 minutes of popular music.
“My first exposure to music was through the radio. This feeling that it was coming from outer space or another part of the world. I get a lot of inspiration from that still. If somebody listens to the record and gets the feeling of a radio show, then I think that’s good. It’s something that I’ve been playing with since I first started making records. A record I made many years ago called Transistor Radio had some of those echoes as well.”-M.Ward
“New Kerrang” reminds me of so many pop songs. How about you?
The Pink Stones-You Know Who-Cosmic country that warms my heart. This is their sophomore release and it could have been released in Laurel Canyon in 1972. George Jones to Gram Parsons and all thrown into a blender to come up with some new sounds from Athens, Georgia. My friends would call this “Paul Busch” Music. So, have a listen and figure it out.
Colter Wall-Little Songs-Fabulous music from the Canadian rancher who gives no major interviews, hardly tours, and has a voice that you will never forget. The best thing to come out of Canada recently, along with Saltwater Hank!
“These songs were written over the last three years. I penned most of them from home and I think the songs reflect that,” Colter Wall says. As Colter says in the title track, “You might not see a soul for days on them high and lonesome plains. You got to fill the big empty with little songs.”-Colter Wall
The Arcs-Electrophonic Chronic-Another Dan Auerbach and friends side project. This is the sophomore album by this band. With the passing of band member Richard Swift, we may not get much more of this mix of soulful rock and groove. Enjoy it.
“The Arcs, as a band, has always just been an excuse for a bunch of music nerds to hang out with each other. We’re constantly listening to records and showing each other stuff. Finding a hook, drum fill, chord change, or just a vibe, and going from there to write the song.”-Leon Michels From The Arcs
Clip from the most recent record and if you want to go deeper an entire gig from 7 years ago.
See ya soon out here in Substack Land!