I can't believe August is already here! Check out these hot new releases scheduled for this month. August 21 looks to be one of those massive release days, so here’s a few that should be of interest.
Bright Eyes - Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was
The first new album from Conor Oberst & Bright Eyes in 9 years, Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was fnds the band on a new label, Dead Oceans, and facing a world filled with uncertainty. Oberst, Mogis, and Walcott reunite under the Bright Eyes moniker as both an escape from, and a confrontation of, trying times. Getting the band back together felt right, and necessary, and the friendship at the core of the band has been a longtime pillar of Bright Eyes’ output. For Bright Eyes, this long-awaited re-emergence feels like coming home.
Old 97’s - Twelfth
Old 97’s return with Twelfth, their aptly titled 12th studio album, recorded this spring in Nashville, Tennessee between a tornado and a pandemic. I was blown away by their last LP, Graveyard Whistling, and felt that it was a powerful return to form for Rhett Miller and crew. Twelfth's lead single "Turn Off The TV" might be the unintentional anthem of 2020, celebrating the occasional and necessary need to turn off the TV set and tune out the outside world. You also can’t go wrong with having Roger Staubach on the cover!
Orville Peck - Show Pony
Orville Peck’s 2019 debut, Pony, was one of my favorite album of the last few years. It’s Country Music for a David Lynch movie. His voice has echoes of Chris Isaak, the music feels like it comes from the mind of frequent Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti, and it’s at once weird and wonderful at the same time. His new LP finds Peck leaving the confines of Sub Pop for a new home on Columbia Records. We can hope that Columbia understands what a singular talent he is and lets him continue to do what he does best, which is blow our minds.
Colter Wall - Western Swing & Waltzes & Other Punchy Songs
Saskatchewan country artist Colter Wall will be releasing his self-produced third album "Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs" on 8/28 via La Honda Records/Thirty Tigers. Colter approaches Country Music from a strong singer songwriter/Troubadour style that harkens back to the sounds of Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt. Steve Earle has said that Colter Wall is "the best young-singer songwriter I've seen in twenty years". He has toured with the likes of John Prine, Cody Jinks, Margo Price and he co-headlined a US tour with The Wood Brothers in 2019.
I visited curious collections for the first time today, what a great place to shop. They have a very impressive selection, and the staff is super friendly. I highly recommend it.