The dB's- Rick Monroe and the Hitmen- Atlas Maior- Stoned Jesus
Our spotlight on new vinyl releases is very diverse this time out as we spin hot wax from Rick Monroe and the Hitmen, Atlas Maior, Stoned Jesus and we begin with a fabulous reissue from the dB's.
The dB's - Repercussion - (Blue with Yellow Sunrise Colored vinyl)
It's been more than 40-years since this album from the dB's was released; having been remastered in 2024 it is now available in a limited edition pressing which is the first time it has ever seen an American release on vinyl. Widely thought of as a "jangle pop" band, here the foursome of Will Rigby, Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey and Gene Holder show that their genius for catchy tunes goes way beyond that descriptor. "Living a Lie," for example is an irresistibly bouncy cut that melds Memphis soul, complete with horns, with hints of a fondness for the Fab Four while "Happenstance" presages the sound that R.E.M. would soon break big with. "Amplifier" is jangly to the point of almost being bubblegum; ironically the upbeat song is about a guy who does himself in after being taken for a ride by a woman. The power pop cut "Ask for Jill" completes the album's A Side; the song is catchy all the way through but it is almost unfair how the band crafts an amazing earworm out of just the three words of the song title. The song fades out with a repeated "ask for Jill..." and listeners will find the words similarly repeating in their minds. Side B begins with the hippie era-recalling "I Feel Good (Today)" and includes standout tracks "Nothing is Wrong" where the guys deal out lush harmony vocals that sound inspired by the Beach Boys, and "Neverland," again in a vein that R.E.M. would mine for their entire career.
Repercussion was the dB's second album and here's a great chance for longtime fans to rediscover the four decade old music which still sounds fresh today, and for new fans to come aboard. Includes insert with band interview snippets; the eye-popping colored vinyl here makes for a cherry on top.
Atlas Maior - Hadal - (Colored vinyl)
This music of this Austin-based band has been called "unclassifiable" but "progressive jazz meets world music" is how the band themselves define their sound. Regardless of what genre you try to fit the music of Atlas Maior in, it is very intriguing; opening track "Basalt" begins with frenetic bursts of alto sax played by Joshua Thomson; ultimately Thomson's playing leads the song into a jazzy melodic groove with percussion that recalls songs by Santana and a vibe that you might find emanating from street players in a souk or other exotic setting. Also one of the lead players on "Ignis Fatuus," Thomson channels the jazz masters with his honking before the sublime sound of oud from Josh Peters takes over and calms things down; the two instruments tangle in a delicious dance as the song progresses. Title cut "Hadal," at nearly seven minutes the longest cut on the album, is a seductive groove to chill out too while Side A closes out with "Fata Morgana," emphasizing percussion from Aaron Parks and Stefan Del Bosque while Thomson's horn teases over and around the beats. All of the cuts on Side A are instrumentals but Side B finds the band joined by Pakistani singer Ali Pervez Mehdi who adds alluring vocals to "Ya Ali," the worshipful-sounding "Nazuk" and two remixes: the global jazz pop of "Jah Ali - Doctor Phono Remix" and a slow burning Felix 3AM remix of side opener "Ya Ali." Hadal is the first Atlas Maior album available on vinyl.
Rick Monroe and the Hitmen - Six Gun Soul - (Colored vinyl)
This is really a good time for fans who like their rock with a touch of blues and country and a Southern rock accent, what with bands like Robert Jon & the Wreck, Hippies and Cowboys and the Georgia Thunderbolts all having released stellar albums in this vein lately. Rick Monroe and the Hitmen are another band in this category that you don't want to sleep on and their new album Six Gun Soul which is packed with vibrant rockers as well as a couple of mellower cuts. The album begins with the powerful Southern rocker "Devil on Both Sides," a burner where Monroe sings about how tough it is to make the best decisions when confronted with life's challenges. Filled with searing guitar riffs and solos from Bobby Perkins and augmented with harmony vocals from Perkins and bass man Alan Beeler, Monroe sets a tone that indicates he's not quite sure if he's going to beat the devil but he sure is going to try like hell. Other standout tracks include the backwoods blues of "Moonshine Man" where harmonica flutters between lyrics like "Love me some of that mountain dew/White lightning home brew" and "World's Gone Crazy," a cut that tunes into a sound that'll be familiar to fans of 1970s-style blues rock like that from early Foghat. Title cut "Six Gun Soul" kicks off Side B; Beeler plays banjo on the ominous-sounding tune which is similar in tenor to "Devil on Both Sides" except that here the man Monroe portrays is an acknowledged bad guy seeking to outrun "The devil and the Holy Ghost." "Let's Get Drunk" switches up the vibe to party time with a groove that lies somewhere between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Tom Petty, and album closer "Which Way is Home" is an introspective look once again at life's uncertainties. Includes an insert with lyrics.
Stoned Jesus - Seven Thunders Roar - (2-LPs on black vinyl)
Stoned Jesus is a doom/prog band from Ukraine and their line-up here is Igor Sydorenko on vocals and electric and acoustic guitar, Sergii Sliusar on bass and Vadim Matiyko on drums. This is a reissue that was originally released in 2012 and it is filled with long and sometimes dreamy cuts, like album opener "Bright Like the Morning" which begins with a psychedelic groove reminiscent of something the Grateful Dead might have done but ultimately growing in intensity as Sydorenko sings about a woman who is fading on the inside and who needs patience and time to once again be "bright like the morning." "Electric Mistress" on the other hand is driving stoner rock from the get-go and Sydorenko really rips on the guitar here; Matiyko pounds away fervently on his drum kit and at one point falls into lockstep with the guitar. The lengthy song also has a sludgy interval that brings the doom until the more melodic part of the song kicks back in. Side A ends with "Indian," a cut about how indigenous people have consistently been shortchanged by colonizers with guitar that sometimes sounds like Robin Trower's work. At five minutes long the cut is the shortest on the album. "I'm the Mountain," the Side B opener, on the other hand clocks in at nearly 13-minutes and it twists and turns like you can imagine a ride up the titular (and literal) mountain might be. Like everything else here the song is a great listen on headphones as it soundtracks a journey in your mind. "Stormy Monday" closes out Side B with an ominous warning of what can happen on a stormy Monday, portraying it as being worse than being dead. These five songs are the only ones on the album, sort of; Sides C and D contain extended versions of three of the already presented songs. Packaged in a sturdy gatefold jacket with lyrics printed on the inside.
