Discovered In June 2023 Mixed Tape

Released in 2023 And Discovered This Month

Winter is here and the cold has eased into my bones and slowed me down a tad. Last year I missed this season. There is something about following the sun that suits this cowboy.

Been a quiet month writing here. Just finished the celebrations of my gal, Sparkles, and it’s one of those played-out, smiling Monday evenings.

St Kilda is always an interesting place to spend a weekend. Running into assholes and very sweet people as we celebrated, nothing new for Sparkles and Shine.

Here comes the playlist and the albums that struck a chord with me in June.

Short, sharp, and sweet.

Tay Oskee-Keepers Of The Morning-This debut album is sweet and a bit more pop and laid back than what normally floats my boat. But the production is simple and his voice and songs make me smile.

“The theme of the songwriting on the album is one of inclusiveness of all people and regaining your spirit and mind. The world is a hectic place, and I have definitely had periods where my mental health has suffered, so hopefully, these songs can take people on an uplifting journey. Connect back to nature and with your fellow humans.”-Tay Oskee

Ben Harper-Wide Open Light-Harper’s 17th record is sparse and meditative and one that will grow on you.

“The new album is acoustic. It's stripped down. It's songwriting for songwriters. And it's a record I've wanted to make for a long time. There are a couple of songs I've written for other people over the years that I always wanted to do my own version of. A song called "Masterpiece," that I wrote for Rickie Lee Jones. Then a song I wrote for Mavis [Staples] called "One More Change," which I'd wanted to do my own version of as well. Songs that I've been sitting on waiting to put on record for years.”-Ben Harper

Bob Dylan-Shadow Kingdom-Music from the concert film which was a delight to watch so try and track it down. Yeah, it’s Bob doing some of his old tracks. It’s Bob. You know, you love him or hate him. He revisits and recreates his music for us. Bob is a treasure.

The Malpass Brothers-Lonely Street-Retro country, but it is the real deal. This is their 4th album and I do believe people may start paying attention to these 30-something boys from North Carolina. Christopher and Taylor… put them on your radar.

“This album truly expresses our thoughts and emotions. I’m so excited to let the fans hear what we have to say by song. As far as production, it is still a country record, meaning there’s a lot of steel guitar,” said Taylor. 

Laura Cantrell-Just Like A Rose-Produced by Rosie Flores and with guest appearances by Kenny Vaughan, Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, and more this is a welcome return by Cantrell after 9 years.

Her voice is syrupy sweet and she is an excellent songwriter. If you don’t know here, dive in.

Jenny Lewis-Joy’All-From her Rilo Kiley days to the fabulous solo records she has released, Lewis writes some sweet and sour love songs and others where her tongue is firmly implanted into a cheeky cheek.

“Well, I've always been a survivor, so I think in order to do that, you have to be an optimist. You have to believe that you're going to get through it. And I've had so many eras of my life where I've started over - when I retired from acting at 19 years old or started a band or started a solo project, a relationship. So I think in that perseverance moving forward, there's just this element of hope.”-Jenny Lewis

Son Volt released Day Of The Doug a tribute to the Texas Tornado, Doug Sahm. Rodney Crowell has put out The Chicago Sessions produced by some guy called Jeff Tweedy and it sounds fabulous.

And if you want to dip your toe further into some good Americana, in the Lucinda Williams wheelhouse, check out Annie Keating’s latest, Hard Frost.

This list and playlist should keep you busy! Enjoy!