shoegaze

273. ILLUMINATOR by GIFT

Shoegazers of the world unite (H/T to The Smiths) as 2024 has brought us a great new record from Brooklyn-based band GIFT. It seems we just can't get enough of the synthy-reverby-fuzzy sound and I'm here for it all. With influences ranging from Madonna'

indie pop

272. FOREVER by Charly Bliss

Previously covered back in 2020 American indie pop / power pop band Charly Bliss are back with an all new record for 2024. Between their previous and current albums, lead singer Eva Hendricks moved to Australia, her bandmate brother had kids and the band embraced an almost full throated pop direction

cosmic country

271. GHOST MOVES by Ghost Party

I was excited to learn about this band because they hail from Houston, Texas - my hometown and where I still currently live. They just came out with their debut record in June 2024. Variably described as psychedelic, cosmic country and even countrygaze (think shoegaze, but country) the album is

indie

270. CHARM by Clairo

This 2024 record by previously covered American singer-songwriter Clairo continues her style of mostly subdued and hushed vocals, but this time over a 70's infused backing band giving the songs a soft rock quality that is a change from her previous albums. You wouldn't be faulted

rock

269. NO NAME by Jack White

Jack White, ever the Raconteur, is full of surprises - the latest of which is the surprise 2024 release of a vinyl only record, given away for free at his Third Man Record locations, lacking a formal album title (No Name is printed on the vinyl label) and lacking track

indie rock

268. BIG SWIMMER by King Hannah

This recently released 2024 record by Liverpool duo King Hannah has been my latest obsession. What do you get when you mash up Portishead, Mazzy Star (previously covered here and here), 90's grunge guitar and even some Doors (previously covered here)? Since you're reading this you

rock

267. JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND by John Lennon

It's hard to believe that I was only around a couple months old when John Lennon's 1970 solo debut record came out. Considered by most as his best record, it represented quite a departure from his Beatles output, even his late Beatles material which tended to

rock

266. COME DANCING WITH THE KINKS: THE BEST OF 1977-1986 by The Kinks

I've made it a rule not to cover compilations, best of's, greatest hits, etc. as I'd rather introduce you to records released as discrete snapshots of a band or musician at a particular point in time. However, I'm making an exception to

disco

265. OFF THE WALL by Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson's fifth solo record, 1979's Off The Wall, has always been my favorite Jackson album. Off The Wall signaled a turning point for Jackson, essentially leaving behind his Motown roots and fully embracing the late 70's and early 80's disco craze.

psychedelic rock

264. ELECTRIC LADYLAND by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

It's taken me until now to feature a record by Jimi Hendrix, one of my favorite guitarists, probably because he only released three true studio albums and they're all great - how does one choose? Well, I finally bit the bullet and decided on 1968'

indie folk

263. TIGERS BLOOD by Waxahatchee

I've been following Waxahatchee (aka Katie Crutchfield) ever since her 2015 record Ivy Tripp and covered her recent output here and here. With each subsequent album she impresses me more and more. Her previous record, Saint Cloud, was released during the pandemic and caught everyone, including Crutchfield herself,

pop rock

262. SONGS ABOUT JANE by Maroon 5

I don't listen to Los Angeles-origin band Maroon 5 anymore. Well, I don't really listen to anything of theirs beyond this record, their 2002 debut. They started heading in a different direction after this album that didn't really inspire me to continue to follow

roots

261. CRACKED REAR VIEW by Hootie and the Blowfish

A funny thing happened on the way to Austin this past weekend. My younger son and I were driving to the University of Texas for a campus visit. We have a rule when driving - whoever is behind the wheel gets to pick the music. So, since my son was

indie pop

260. UNDERACHIEVERS PLEASE TRY HARDER by Camera Obscura

I've been meaning to write about this Scottish indie pop band's 2003 record but just hadn't gotten around to it. However, I recently learned that they will be releasing a new album this coming May, so I thought now is as good a time

shoegaze

259. MADRA by NewDad

"Next great guitar band" - that line from a recent review of this Irish band's 2024 full length debut is what caught my eye, as did the mention of shoegaze. Those of you who have kept up with my posts know that those two things -

blues

258. THE BLUES SESSIONS by Mick Jagger and the Red Devils

I only learned about this 1992 blues 'record' last week when listening to episode #271 of the Next Track podcast. You're probably wondering why the quotation marks - turns out that the tracks recorded at this marathon 13 hour session were never officially released on any

257. MY FAVORITE RECORDS OF 2023

Just like I did in 2021 and then again in 2022, I present you with my favorite records from 2023. However, in a change from the past, I'm presenting these in ranked order starting with my absolute favorite and also limiting myself to just six albums - which

synth pop

256. AHORA by Melenas

Does one need to dust off their Spanish to English dictionary to enjoy this 2023 record from Pamplona, Spain's Melenas? While it couldn't hurt, I don't think it's really necessary. Heck, I took 6 years of Spanish through junior high and high

pop rock

255. ABACAB by Genesis

This 1981 record was really my first introduction to Genesis which, by this time, was three albums in with the core trio of Phil Collins (previously covered here), Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford - Peter Gabriel was long gone at this point. So, I never really got into the more

indie pop

254. SUCKER by IAN SWEET

So I'm covering this just released 2023 record after just one day of listening because there's something about it that has captivated me. IAN SWEET (yes, what's up with these stylized band names?) is what Jillian Medford (essentially the only member of this '

folk rock

253. SOLITUDE STANDING by Suzanne Vega

1987 brought us American singer songwriter Suzanne Vega's second (and most popular) record, owing to the inclusion of the upbeat sounding but downright depressing track, 'Luka,' which deals with the topic of child abuse. However, the song that made more of an impression on me when

rock

252. BRAVE AND CRAZY by Melissa Etheridge

I recently listened to a podcast interview with Melissa Etheridge and was reminded how much I used to listen to her first two records in college, especially Brave and Crazy, her second album, released in 1989. Having the perfect combination of rootsy, American(a) rock and ballads, to say that

dream pop

251. SO TONIGHT THAT I MIGHT SEE by Mazzy Star

I previously covered Mazzy Star's third album here and now it's time to circle back and highlight this 1993 record, their sophomore effort. It's this album that people will most likely be familiar with as it contains their most famous song, 'Fade Into

synth pop

250. STRANGE DISCIPLE by Nation of Language

Everything I said about this American band's debut record back in 2020 still holds true for their recently released third outing. If you long for the days of 80's synth pop you need to be following this band. This trio has a knack for combining the

indie rock

249. SOMETIMES I SIT AND THINK, AND SOMETIMES I JUST SIT by Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer and guitarist known for her witty, deadpan lyrics, playing left-handed and singing with her native accent. When I first heard of her and heard her, I was immediately captured by her quirky (yet tuneful) guitar playing and, again, her smart lyrics and how she