L CON - "The Art of Staying Tough"

I am currently mainlining the late suggestions by fellow jurors for the 2018 Polaris Prize to give them consideration before finalizing my Longlist ballot and among the contenders is this brand-new album by L CON. Insecurities in Being was released last Friday and slips in to the eligibility period under the wire.

After two full listens I can't say it will crack my Top 5, but it's certainly a strong record that has found a place on my own longlist and if I could give the award to a song and not an album, there's a case to be made for "The Art of Staying Tough." Guest vocalist Casey MQ was unknown to me before this but with this Anohni-esque turn I will definitely be keeping tabs on them. The fragility of their voice on top of the already emotionally fraught lyrics ("this heavy heart / won't go far"... "even when your insides are crumbling / and your outside's all alone") makes this a quietly devastating song.



And here's a version where L CON herself handles the vocals.

Michael Feuerstack - "Love Is All Around"

FEUERSTACK IS BACK!

Michael Feuerstack's fourth post-Snailhouse release, Natural Weather, was released this past Friday via Forward Music Group.

There are only three tracks streaming on Bandcamp, including "Love Is All Around," the album opener. It's emblematic of what Feuerstack has been doing for decades - writing delicately heart-rending songs with as much attendance to sound as feel. Consider the ghostly accompaniment of Camille Delean on the chorus and the way their harmonies wring an extra ounce of emotion out of the words "love is all around" and how their voice ripples just like the lyrics make mention of.

"They Won't Believe You" from Snailhouse's Lies on the Prize continues to gut me a decade after it first came out and after listening to "Love Is All Around" a half-dozen times (which as of this posting is half the total spins on Soundcloud), I'm pretty certain this will be affecting me just as deeply in 2028.

The Devonns - "Come Back"

For something that was dashed off, this track has some staying power. Chicago throwback soul group The Devonns apparently wrote "Come Back" in ten minutes. That's less time than I have spent listening to it as I've gone back-to-back-to-back with this tune.

As someone with a son named Isley, I may just be a pushover when it comes to a group that creates a warmth to their recording that bathes the listnere in sound and uses horns and strings to augment a bouncy tune. R.E.M's Ken Stringfellow guests on guitar and percussion and I have to wonder if that glockenspiel is him.

The Come Back b/w Think I'm Falling In Love 7in drops June 8th via Record Kicks but can be heard below or found on the label's Record Kicks 15th compilation. 

And FYI, it's pronounced "De-vaughns," for when you're recommending this group to a friend.

Witch Prophet - "Time Traveler ft. Lido Pimienta"

Pretty sure it was Nik from The Precious Lo's who first tipped me off to Witch Prophet. Basically anything tangentially related to long-time RR faves TPL is worth a listen and this is the case with this fantastic Toronto spiritual soul act (Ayo Leilani on vocals and DJ Sun Sun on production)

When I first meant to post this entry, the Bandcamp stream was limited to just a couple singles including the fire collab with Lido Pimienta below, but the record came out last Friday and it can be streamed / purchased in its entirety now.

The Magnificent Tape Band - "Black Tiger"

The Magnificent Tape Band are the alter egos of ATA Records founders Neil Innes & Pete Williams, who were the creative driving force behind last years debut album by The Sorcerers

Certainly Innes & Williams are the masterminds behind TMTB but the beating heart of "Black Tiger" is vocalist Rachel Modest on whose reedy pipes this stellar throwback soul-track dips and swoops.

Quantic y Los Miticos del Ritmo - "Hotline Bling"

I'm in need of a very specific kind of Bat-signal. It's the one I want to light the sky with after hearing this song that will alert the owner of Helmut the Pug that they need to re-cut their video of the dog dancing to "Hotline Bling" to this cumbia version from RR faves Quantic y Los Miticos del Ritmo.

ABIAH - "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"

ABIAH.

Not entirely sure how that's pronounced, but it might be "audacious" 'cause that's what an album's worth of Nina Simone covers amounts to. NYC singer / vocal coach Jeremiah Abiah previously tackled Tina Turner on his album Bottles, but going from covering a lioness to a goddess is a big leap. ABIAH has the voice to make that jump. It's an incredible instrument, with a delicate strength - like the silk of a parachute.

Take a listen to the entirety of ABIAH sings NINA but start with "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" below, which features tremendous work on the piano by Andre Chez Lewis and a great insistent beat from Keith Witty (bass) and Chris Eddleton (drums) that help keep ABIAH's vocals aloft.

Jordan Rakei - "Wildfire"

Apparently it debuted on BBC (yesterday? I can never tell with time-zones), but Rakei's latest neo-soul nugget is out today, May 10th.
 

Us, Today - "Spellcaster (Dr. Spirit)"

Spellcaster indeed. I AM TRANSFIXED with this cut and the dense blend of post-rock / funk / math rock / electronics this Cincinnati trio are making on "Spellcaster (Dr. Spirit)." There's only one other track streaming from the forthcoming Computant but both point to this being a record in heavy rotation for me when it drops on June 15th.

I don't think I'd have ever thought of vibraphones played in this type of ensemble, but does it ever work. To go back to the "this + this = that" roots of this blog, if Milt Jackson fronted Battles, the result might sound like Us, Today.

The Dead Tongues - "Pale November Dew"

As I write this, it's a cool, overcast day in Winnipeg. The perfect time to listen to "Pale November Dew" from  The Dead Tongues' forthcoming album Unsung Passage. TDT is Ryan Gustafson, who has been playing guitar for Hiss Golden Messenger but who creates his own Cosmic Americana on this beautiful song. While the guitar work will remind you of The Tallest Man on Earth, Gustafson's warm croon is nowhere near as polarizing a voice.

Looking forward to hearing the rest of this album when it lands May 18th on Psychic Hotline.