This week marked the return to my happy place.
The warmer temperatures made it reasonable to return to the outdoors. My music enjoyment is always enhanced by a steady supply of coffee, cannabis, and fresh air. If I ever take corporate sponsorship for this blog, it’ll be for fresh air™️. What makes this place so special is that the houses in the neighborhood are so close together, they get to hear my picks too!
A mere handful of titles to recommend this week. I was hoping to include the new album from Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau. The pre-release single (“maybe as his skies are wide”) is an interesting piece that incorporates a line of lyric from “Tom Sawyer”, by Rush. Pretty cool, but the rest of it is exhausting, as Prog Jazz usually is. And so, I have four releases to bring to mind.
My old buddy Thom Yorke dropped a new single on Sunday. While I’m anticipating the release of an album by his new band The Smile, he is teasing me with the release of two new solo songs. They’re for the BBC-TV series Peaky Blinders. One was released this week, with the other (“That’s How Horses Are”) due April 3. “5.17” is gloomy Thom plunking on the piano, with an ambient electronic background, save a spare violin. Certainly not groundbreaking, but endorphins are definitely released when I hear this man’s voice.
This next artist got my attention with its name, which is a Thelonious Monk song. Ruby My Dear is also the name under which Frenchman Julien Chastagnol is producing some audacious Electronic Music. His latest album, “À Dada” is frenetic and many-textured. Clever samples folded into high energy Drum & Bass, a little roughed-up.
Anyone who says, “Rock is dead”, has clearly never listened to new music from Australia. Tame Impala, Amyl & The Sniffers, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and The Chats are just a few of the bands carrying the torch. Melbourne’s Pinch Points is a four-piece Garage Punk band with a one-two punch of lead vocals from bassist Acacia Coates and guitarist Adam Smith. Their new album, “Process” is high energy, straightforward and smart. A passing knowledge of Australian current affairs is helpful for the listener, but with or without it, it won’t keep you from banging your head. Safety first!
My final choice for this week comes from a Polish-American Electronic producer, named Bogdan Raczynski. Although he’s better known for his work in the more aggressive fields of Jungle and Hardcore Rave Music, his new album, “Addle” is warm and welcoming. Whereas many artists will build a track to its ultimate “hook”, and ride it out for 3-5 minutes, the tracks here are always shifting and growing. You can dance (if you want to).
Welcome to Spring, friends! May it never end!
New Music Jason’s Picks 
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