Discovered In March 2023 Mixed Tape
Released in 2023, Discovered This Month
March has left the building and down here in Australia we slip away from Daylight Savings and head into the cooler months. Missed the winter last year, but I will be here for all the beauty of the season. Where is my scarf?
Loads of sweet music in this playlist, a bunch of Americana, rock n roll, soul, wigged-out stuff, ya know the usual.
Before we get to the Albums, check out the SINGLE of the Month. This little reggae, rockin’ band from Sydney has just released this and they will launch it from the great stage at Lazybones in Marrickville on April 1st. Get along all you fools and come dance with me!
KING TIDE-WALKIE
Album of The Month
Lonnie Holley-Oh Me Oh My-This is a moving record of poetry, music, and spoken word. It’s like going to a familiar church and Holley’s voice tells it like it is.
Also known as The Sand Man, Holley is 73 years old and began his professional music career 17 years ago. His backstory is amazing. Raised in Alabama and one of 27 children. Raised in poverty, passed onto a tragic adoptive family, and then institutionalized, it is amazing he is here to tell his harrowing stories in music and in his art.
The record is produced by Jacknife Lee (U2, Modest Mouth, Taylor Swift) and Michael Stipe and Justin Vernon added some vocals.
What a man, what a life. He defines survivor.
And some more releases that may hit a chord with you!
Michael Cleveland-Lovin’ Of The Game-If you like bluegrass, this is one for you. Cleveland is an award-winning fiddle player many times over and this is a tour de force. This is his 6th album and within these tracks, he is joined by Billy Strings, Bela Fleck, Dan Tyminski, Vince Gill and assorted other pickers.
Cleveland had this to say in a recent interview:
“Any time I’ve been in a situation like that where bluegrass is presented to an audience that isn’t familiar with it, it’s great. That’s what I like to do more than anything these days. It’s hard to look at it objectively, given that it’s me, but it gives me hope that there’s a future for bluegrass. And that it’s not just the stereotype that people think of – that it’s Deliverance. I think mainly, it’s encouraging to see new people getting into it, whether it’s me or Billy Strings or anybody else. I think that’s a good thing.”
Matt Anderson-Big Bottle Of Joy- From bluegrass to Blues from New Brunswick, Canada. Anderson has been bending his six-string all over since 2004, but this is the first time he has come into my sights. Some rocking blues and soulful rhythm from him and his band, Big Bottle Of Joy. I for one will be checking out his other releases. It’s a tasty treat of Americana Blues.
"Being good to each other, you know, in taking care of each other — those are the biggest things I want to put out there," Andersen says of what flows from The Big Bottle of Joy. "If we're in it together, it'll be a lot easier than trying to do it on our own."-Matt Anderson
Van Morrison-Moving On Skiffle-Well let’s go back in time and visit a musical style from the fifties. Van really digs deep here and gives us 90 minutes of a musical tradition that goes back to Lonnie Donegan.
Morrison is in excellent voice on these songs that he discovered via skiffle. I would not say that his versions are true to the genre of skiffle, but it’s the best record he has put out recently. There is no mention of the pandemic and glad he has put that behind him and his fans.
You get some Leadbelly, Hank Williams and more. Give it a whirl.
Trey Anastasio/Page McConnell-January-An dreamy record from these 2 gentlemen from Phish.
Sonically lush and not a Phish record.
Anastasio said of the recording process: "We just walked into the studio with literally an acoustic guitar and a couple of synthesizers. Songs are mysterious. They sound different. It was limiting, in a great way."
The Giver Of Illness-Ak’chamel-Weirdness from Texas.. Don’t play while taking too many medicinal plants is my advice. Or maybe delve into your medicinal bag. The choice is yours. Refer to my last post for a write-up about this duo who perform in homemade masks and costumes.
