New music: Arcade Fire, The Muffs, Rush, Bobby Cole

A new studio album from Arcade Fire and several special edition reissues are definitely worth celebrating this week.

Artist: Arcade Fire

Title: WE (Columbia Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Arcade Fire, Radiohead, U2

Tell me more: On the heels of the band's mesmerizing last-minute appearance at Weekend #1 of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last month, Arcade Fire has released their sixth full-length studio album WE. Divided into two disparate sides ("I" and "WE"), the seven-track album conjures up the exhilarating spirit of the band's most ambitious albums (2007's Neon Bible and 2010's The Suburbs) while moving the Canadian heroes into the future via a terrific 40-minute ride. The impacts of the extended COVID-19 lockdown affected most of the world including Arcade Fire whose Win Butler and Régine Chassagne (the husband and wife duo at the center of the band) wrote much of the music sans their bandmates. Lyrically, WE touches on alienation, technology overload, survival, romance and parenthood. Such lofty ambition wouldn't matter if the songs didn't have the melodic sweep and overarching power heard across the disc; fortunately WE delivers in spades. The anthemic "Age of Anxiety I," burgeoning "Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)," "The Lightning I, II," majestic "Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)," Neo-electronica "Unconditional II (Race and Religion)" featuring Peter Gabriel on backing vocals and acoustic-flavored album closer "WE" are among the powerful originals on Arcade Fire's marvelous return. Information: ArcadeFire.com. 

Artist: The Muffs

Title: Really Really Happy (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: The Muffs, The Pandoras, Pixies

Tell me more: Nearly 18 years after its original release, an expanded and essential edition of The Muffs' 2004 album Really Really Happy will be released May 13 through Omnivore Recordings. The original album's highlights include the catchy opener "Freak Out," yearning "A Little Luxury," tuneful "Something Inside," hard-hitting "And I Go Pow," heartfelt "How I Pass The Time," the introspective closer "The Story of Me" and a parade of other great songs. The lineup of 22 bonus tracks includes 16 of Kim Shattuck's original demos for the album along with the previously unissued "My Imagination," "Just The Beginning" and "I Hate Gym." The fusion of tight melodic punk rock, melody-anchored songcraft and strong production make for a fantastic listen across the double-CD title. In addition to Shattuck (vocals, guitar, harmonica), the Muffs' lineup includes Ronnie Barnett (bass, toy piano) and Roy McDonald (drums, percussion). Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.  

Artist: Rush

Title: Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Deluxe (Mercury Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Rush, Triumph, progressive rock

Tell me more: Rush's best-known album, 1981's Moving Pictures, has been reissued in several first-rate configurations. Moving Pictures 40th Anniversary Deluxe edition reviewed here is a 3-disc version featuring the 2015 remaster of the original album (available on audio CD for the first time) and the complete, unreleased Toronto concert from March 25, 1981. Also included is a booklet with new illustrations by Hugh Syme, plus liner notes by Kim Thayil, Les Claypool, Taylor Hawkins, Bill Kelliher and Neil Sanderson. It's clear that disc 1 features stellar versions of many of the rock trio's most beloved originals ("Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta," "YYZ," "Limelight"), and the aforementioned concert features a terrific track listing sure to please fans of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart. The audio quality of the historic concert in the band's hometown of Toronto includes outstanding sounding versions of classics such as "Freewill," "Limelight," "The Trees," "YYZ," "Xanadu" and "Closer To The Heart." Information: Rush.com.  

Artist: Bobby Cole

Title: A Point Of View (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett

Tell me more: One of 1967's most legendary albums is finally available via a remastered and expanded version sure to please fans of jazz and '60s recordings. Bobby Cole's A Point Of View exceeds its legendary status thanks to the late artist's incredible talents as singer, songwriter and pianist as well as contributions from Grammy-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski and remastering from Michael Graves. Currently available on audio CD and digital, a double-LP version is slated for Fall 2022. The lovely "But It's Spring" is soaked in melancholy, Cole's vocal strengths showcased in each distinctive note of his delivery. The inspired jazzy gems that are revisited on the collection include the fleet "Heat," affecting ballad "You Could Hear a Pin Drop," soaring "A Perfect Day," evocative "Elegy For Eve" and reflective "I'm Growing Old." There a number of previously-unissued bonus tracks to discover too; the rollicking "Checkerboard Life," mournful "How The Lonely Spend Their Time," haunting "I Never Saw The Shadows," stirring "When She Was In Love With Me" and romantic "The Midnight Flower" shed abundant light on Cole's virtuosity. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.  

Robert Kinsler

'The Beatles and India' coming to DVD, Blu-ray on June 21, 2022

I can't recommend this Beatles documentary strongly enough. It is must-see viewing for fans of The Beatles. Back in February I reviewed the film in my weekly column (read that review HERE); TJR and I also discussed the film at length via an episode available to view on YouTube HERE...Robert Kinsler

New from Silva Screen Music Group/Renoir Pictures:

The Beatles And India

[Blu-ray]

[DVD]

(6/21)

Via MVD Entertainment Group

“When I first heard Indian music, I just couldn’t really believe that it was so great, and the more I heard of it, the more I liked it. It just got bigger and bigger, like a snowball."

~ George Harrison

A Never-Before-Seen Look at The Beatles' Visit to India!

In 1968, the world’s most popular rock & roll band, The Beatles, had achieved mass fame and fortune yet were searching for deeper meaning in their lives. Under the spiritual guidance of Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, The Beatles took a trip to Rishikesh, India to study Transcendental Meditation® and set out on a path of deep enlightenment that would change the world.

 

The award-winning feature documentary, The Beatles And India (Silva Screen Productions, Renoir Pictures), examines how Indian music and culture shaped the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo and in turn, explores how The Beatles served as ambassadors of this pioneering World music sound and cultural movement.

 

Drawing together an expansive archive of footage including contemporaneous locale shooting in India, recordings, photographs, and compelling first-hand interviews, The Beatles And India exhaustively documents this East-meets-West touchstone in pop culture history. Inspired by Ajoy Bose’s book Across The Universe - The Beatles In India, the documentary was produced by British Indian music entrepreneur Reynold D’Silva and directed by Bose (his directorial debut) and cultural researcher Pete Compton. The Beatles And India has been awarded Best Film Audience Choice and Best Music at the 2021 UK Asian Film Festival “Tongues On Fire.” The Beatles And India has also been nominated for Best Documentary at the 2022 New York Indian Film Festival, and will be the closing film for the festival.

 

The Beatles were first introduced to Indian music while filming their 1965 film, Help!, which featured Indian musicians in a restaurant scene. George Harrison would become a lifelong impassioned devotee of Indian music. He would soon buy his first sitar, befriend and study under sitar master Ravi Shankar and employ the instrument to revolutionary effect linking the worlds of pop music with Indian music on The Beatles song, “Norwegian Wood,” which appears on their Rubber Soul album. That song marked the group's, and particularly Harrison’s, full-on immersion into Indian music, resulting in a raga rock sound heard on The Beatles songs, “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “Love You To” (Revolver), “Within You Without You” (Sgt. Pepper), and “The Inner Light" (B-side to the “Lady Madonna” single).

 

In early July 1966, while returning from shows in the Philippines, The Beatles made a quick stopover in New Delhi, India, marking their first trip to the country. Less than two years later, in February 1968, the group would return for an extended sojourn at Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh, India where they would take a training course in Transcendental Meditation®. Their search for spiritual enlightenment would both shape their thinking and values and indelibly color the sounds of their expanding musical palette.

 

The Beatles And India is an unforgettable audio-visual experience that spotlights the legacy of that historic visit, chronicling The Beatles’ crucial role as avatars of a musical movement inspiring newfound societal and cultural awareness, weaving the fabric of pop and Indian music into a unified force of positivity and spiritual exploration.

Arcade Fire bringing World Tour to Kia Forum on Nov. 16, 2022

Arcade Fire has just announced a number of forthcoming tour dates, including a slew here in the U.S. with Beck opening (check out my most recent concert review of Arcade Fire, the band's memorable concert event at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in September 2018. Read the review HERE)...Robert Kinsler

ARCADE FIRE ANNOUNCES WORLD TOUR 

COMING TO KIA FORUM

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

NORTH AMERICAN DATES TO FEATURE A SPECIAL ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE BY BECK, EUROPEAN DATES TO FEATURE SPECIAL GUEST FEIST

 

WE

NEW ALBUM OUT TODAY

 

APPEARING ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE MAY 7

Following the universally rapturous reception to singles “The Lightning I, II” and “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid),” Arcade Fire's “excellent sixth album” (The New Yorker) WE is released to the world in its entirety today, May 6, 2022, via Columbia Records at http://af.lnk.to/_we. Arcade Fire performing at Coachella in April 2022.  Photo credit: Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella WE’s release coincides with the announcement of Arcade Fire’s fall world tour. In the wake of surprise underplays including New Orleans’ Toulouse Theatre, New York’s Bowery Ballroom, Coachella’s Mojave Tent and KOKO in London, the WE world tour will bring the full production of Arcade Fire’s “must-see live act” (Variety) experience to global stages, launching in Dublin on Tuesday, August 30 and running through December 1 in Toronto. The North American leg of the WE tour — featuring very special guest Beckplaying a nightly acoustic set — will kick off October 28 in Washington D.C., while Europe will include special guest Feist for all shows. The tour will make a Los Angeles stop at Kia Forum on Nov. 16, 2022.    Tickets for all dates will be on sale to the public beginning Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. local time. Arcade Fire has partnered with PLUS1 (http://www.plus1.org) so that $1/£1/€1 per ticket goes to KANPE (http://www.kanpe.org), and their work bringing support to the most vulnerable communities in Haiti. For further information on this initiative, visit www.arcadefire.com.   Presale: Verizon will offer an exclusive presale for the Arcade Fire 2022 tour in the U.S. through the customer loyalty program Verizon Up. Members will have first access to purchase presale tickets for select shows beginning Monday, May 9 at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday, May 12 at 10 p.m. local time. For more details and to sign up, visit Verizon Up.   Citi is the official card of the Arcade Fire WE tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets for all U.S. dates beginning Tuesday, May 10 at 10 a.m. local time until Thursday, May 12 at 10 p.m. local time through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.   VIP: Arcade Fire will offer VIP packages for each show that include premium tickets, pre-show VIP lounge, specially designed and exclusive merchandise & more! Package contents vary based on the offer selected. Fans can visit www.VIPNation.com for more information!   Make sure to tune into SNL tomorrow as Arcade Fire join the Saturday Night Live 5-timers club.   ARCADE FIRE WE European Tour 2022   08/30/22 - Dublin, IE - 3Arena * 09/02/22 - Birmingham, UK - Utilita Arena Birmingham * 09/03/22 - Manchester, UK - AO Arena * 09/05/22 - Glasgow, UK - OVO Hydro * 09/08/22 - London, UK – The O2 * 09/11/22 - Lille, FR - Zenith * 09/12/22 - Antwerp, BE - Sportpaleis * 09/14/22 - Cologne, DE - Lanxess Arena * 09/15/22 - Paris, FR - Accor Arena * 09/17/22 - Milan, IT - Mediolanum Forum * 09/18/22 - Munich, DE - Olympiahalle * 09/21/22 - Madrid, ES - WiZink Center * 09/22/22 - Lisbon, PT - Campo Pequeno * 09/23/22 - Lisbon, PT - Campo Pequeno * 09/25/22 - Bordeaux, FR - Arkea Arena * 09/26/22 - Nantes, FR - Zenith de Nantes * 09/28/22 - Amsterdam, NL - Ziggo Dome * 09/29/22 - Berlin, DE - Mercedes Benz Arena * 10/01/22 - Warsaw, PL – COS Torwar *   North American Tour 2022 10/28/22 - Washington, DC - The Anthem ^ 11/01/22 - Camden, NJ - Waterfront Music Pavilion ^ 11/04/22 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center ^ 11/08/22 - Boston, MA - MGM Fenway Music Hall ^ 11/10/22 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena ^ 11/12/22 - Chicago, IL - United Center ^ 11/13/22 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory ^ 11/16/22 - Los Angeles, CA - The Kia Forum ^ 11/19/22 - San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium ^ 11/22/22 - Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena ^ 11/25/22 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena ^ 11/27/22 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place ^ 12/01/22 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena ^   * with special guest Feist ^ with special guest Beck (acoustic)

Phil Lynott 'Songs For While I'm Away' + Thin Lizzy's 'The Boys Are Back In Town Live at the Sydney Opera House October 1978' coming June 24

Fans of classic and Irish rock will want to read this important update on a multi-format release featuring Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy! Robert Kinsler

MERCURY STUDIOS IS PROUD TO PRESENT PHIL LYNOTT SONGS FOR WHILE I’M AWAY + THIN LIZZY THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN LIVE AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE OCTOBER 1978

~2xDVD+CD AND BLU-RAY+DVD+CD~ ~JUNE 24, 2022~ PRE-ORDER HERE VIEW TRAILER HERE New York, NY (May 5, 2022)–With their driving hooks, twin lead guitars, lyrics saturated in working class lore, and the charismatic presence of singer/songwriter/bassist Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy are undeniably one of the most influential bands in Rock ‘N’ Roll. Mercury Studios salutes their legacy with the release of Phil Lynott Songs For While I’m Away + Thin Lizzy The Boys Are Back In Town Live At The Sydney Opera House October 1978 on June 24. Pairing the acclaimed Phil Lynott documentary with a renowned live concert film, the set will be available as a 2xDVD+CD and Blu-ray+DVD+CD (with the Phil Lynott documentary on the Blu-ray). Songs For While I’m Away chronicles the life and music of Phil Lynott, utilizing archival footage, interview snippets from the man himself, and music from both the Thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott solo catalog. Notable conversations with Midge Ure (Ultravox / Thin Lizzy), Darren Wharton (Thin Lizzy), Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy), Adam Clayton (U2), Huey Lewis (Huey Lewis & The News), James Hetfield (Metallica) and others, as well as Phil’s wife Caroline Taraskevics and daughters Sarah Lynott and Cathleen Lynott reveal an all-encompassing look at Phil, from his 1950s’ upbringing as a Black boy in blue collar Dublin to his rise to fame. Fully exploring his history and rippling impact on music, the film examines Lynott as a singer, songwriter, poet, father, and cultural icon. Complementing this film is The Boys Are Back In Town Live At The Sydney Opera House October 1978. Previously released on VHS, Laserdisc, and DVD, this version presents the show in the highest quality that has been made available, with not only cleaned up video and remixed audio from multi tracks, but five additional songs from this set that have never been officially released. This performance showcases the electricity of these original Rock ‘N’ Roll masters – Lynott, Scott Gorham (guitar / background vocals), Gary Moore (guitar / background vocals), and Mark Nauseef – delivering searing versions of their celebrated anthems, such as “Jailbreak”, “The Boys Are Back In Town”, “Bad Reputation” and “Me And The Boys”. Unveiling the story of Phil Lynott, then backing up the band’s power and prowess with a dynamic performance, Phil Lynott Songs For While I’m Away + Thin Lizzy The Boys Are Back In Town Live At The Sydney Opera House October 1978 echoes the importance of Thin Lizzy in the pantheon of rock music. About Mercury Studios: Mercury Studios is a multi-faceted content studio established to develop, produce, globally distribute and invest in innovative, music-rooted storytelling across a range of media including film, television, podcasting, publishing and live-streamed performance. Taking its name from the iconic Mercury Records label, Mercury Studios is powered by Universal Music Group and creates an open space for experimentation to unleash and amplify both emerging and established artists. With offices in London and Los Angeles, Mercury Studios harnesses its established relationships with best-in-class talent from music and film, seamlessly bridging the two worlds to create a completely distinctive community of trailblazers driven by original IP, innovation and collaboration. Track Listing:

Bruce Cockburn to bring 50th Anniversary Tour to The Coach House on Monday, May 9

Very exciting news that Canadian singer-songwriter/guitar great Bruce Cockburn will be headlining at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA on Monday, May 9. Here are all the details on this concert event as well as a slew of other upcoming tour dates...Robert Kinsler

Bruce Cockburn / Photo credit: Daniel Keebler

An Evening with Bruce Cockburn
Monday May 9, 2022 8 p.m.

Coach House Concert Hall

33157 Camino Capristrano

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

https://thecoachhouse.com/

Tickets: $35

BRUCE COCKBURN

RELEASED CAREER-SPANNING

GREATEST HITS (1970-2020) ON DECEMBER 3, 2021

 

Inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame on December 4

 

Order: https://truenorthrecords.com/brucecockburn/

 

WATERDOWN, ON - With 34 previous releases, 13 Canadian JUNO wins, two Hall of Fame inductions, countless honorary Doctorates, Officer of The Order of Canada — and new inductee into Canada’s Walk of Fame this year — all spanning a 50+ year career — it’s no small task to encapsulate Bruce Cockburn’s inimitable imprint when it comes to Canadian music and culture. But his newly announced double-album release, Bruce Cockburn Greatest Hits (1970 - 2020), is a good place to start.

 

Curated by Bruce Cockburn and released December 3, 2021 via True North Records, this definitive collection meticulously corrals the acclaimed singer/songwriter’s most-favored tracks — from songs that shot to the top of the charts upon release, to long-lauded fan-favorites requested on tour, time and time again.

 

Expect to settle in for a chronological journey from the legendary artist’s earliest offerings, to today; assembled by Cockburn himself, the hand-picked selection of 30 songs revisit works from 1970 to 2020, and are accompanied by exclusive notes from the artist.

 

“In 1969, when I was feeling the need to record an album of the songs I’d been writing, I had no concept of what that might lead to,” Cockburn shares. “Not unusual for a young person, I guess…

 

“In some organic way, it felt like it was ‘time.’ The future wasn’t really an issue. It still isn’t. For each of us, there’s a future or there isn’t.

 

“But looking back over the arc of fifty years of recording, performing, and travel — not to mention, relationships and personal challenges — I can only shake my head and mutter a word of thanks for all of it. Even if I’d been a planner by nature, I doubt I could have predicted how things have gone.

 

“And they’re still going!”

 

The release landed ahead of Cockburn’s “2nd Attempt” North American tour for his 50th Anniversary Concert, previously stymied by Covid restrictions.

 

Bruce Cockburn’s Greatest Hits (1970 - 2020) is available via True North Records.

 

Bruce Cockburn 2022 Tour Dates:

April 19, 2022              Showplace Theatre, Peterborough, ON,                    Canada

April 21, 2022              Centre In The Square - Kitchener, ON                      Canada

April 22, 2022              Massey Hall - Toronto, ON                                         Canada

April 23, 2022              National Arts Centre - Ottawa ON                              Canada

April 26, 2022             Empire Theatre - Belleville, ON                                  Canada          

April 27, 2022             Grand Theatre - Kingston, ON                                   Canada          

April 28, 2022             Performing Arts Centre - St. Catherines, ON             Canada                      

May 8, 2022                Fremont Theatre - San Luis Obispo, CA                   USA

May 9, 2022                Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA                USA   

May 11, 2022              Music Box - San Diego, CA                                       USA   

May 12, 2022              MM Theatre - Phoenix, AZ                                         USA   

May 13, 2022              MM Theatre - Phoenix, AZ                                         USA    

May 14, 2022              Orpheum Theatre - Flagstaff, AZ                               USA    

May 16, 2022               NM Museum of Art - Sante Fe, NM                          USA   

May 18, 2022               Stargazers Theatre - Colorado Springs, CO             USA              

May 19, 2022               Boulder Theatre - Boulder, CO                                 USA   

May 20, 2022               The Armory - Ft Collins, CO                                     USA
May 22, 2022                The Elm - Bozeman, MT                                          USA

May 24, 2022               Visual Collective Arts - Boise, ID                              USA               

June 25, 2022               Kate Wolf Music Festival - Laytonville, CA              USA   

June 26, 2022         Kate Wolf Music Festival - Laytonville, CA                    USA

New Music: Seth Swirsky, April March, Lee Rocker, Amoeba Teen, Son House

In this column, I feature a handful of outstanding releases released in the first four months of 2022, including a mix of new studio titles and reissues.

Artist: Seth Swirsky

Title: Songs From The Green Couch (Lolipop Records)

You might like if you enjoy: The Beatles, the Monkees, Badfinger, Julian Lennon

Tell me more: Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Seth Swirsky is back with another batch of indispensable ear candy courtesy of his self-produced Songs From The Green Couch, a 15-track disc that is as ambitious as it is listenable. Take the opener; "Sunny Day" opens with a chamber pop section before burgeoning into a Beatlesque celebration. The instantly-inviting "I Don't Wanna Lose You" is pure power pop and executed with absolute perfection. Standouts abound on this terrific release; the beautiful Baroque-mining "Cashmere Sweaters," the frightful "Dead," irresistible "Making It Up As We Go Along," shimmering "Rose Avenue" (the latter bolstered by some sharp guitar work from Kirk Hellie) and luxurious closer "American Bar" are among this writer's other favorites on the masterwork. "The record was a two year process," Swirsky says in the press notes for the album. "I started writing and recording the record at the beginning of a serious new relationship I was having — it continued during a very painful breakup. Thus, the album oscillates between many hi’s and lo’s for me personally, which are reflected in the lyrics." If you love melodic and smart songcraft, get a copy of "Songs from the Green Couch." Information: RealSeth.com.  

Artist: April March

Title: In Cinerama (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: She & Him, Belle and Sebastian, Susanna Hoffs' 2012 album "Someday," French pop music

Tell me more: April March's In Cinerama was originally release as a limited edition vinyl-only release for Record Store Day in 2021. Thankfully, Omnivore Recordings has given this marvelous album a wider release in 2022. Singer April March (whose career in the entertainment industry has included music making with greats such as Brian Wilson and Jack White as well as being an animator on "Pee Wee's Playhouse") mines the retro stylings of classic French pop, the 5th Dimension, Belle and Sebastian and Burt Bacharach to come up with something that is magically her own. The uptempo and bouncy "Life Off," lush "Rolla Rolla," romantic genre-bending "Open Your Window Romeo," bewitching "Ride Or Divide," bouncy Runaway" and sweeping "Baby" are among the delights on the 13-track album. The audio CD version of In Cinerama reviewed here includes updated artwork, new liner notes (both in English and en Francais), printed lyrics as well as two previously-unissued bonus tracks (the wonderful "Goodbye" and "Friends Peculiar"). Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com.

Artist: Lee Rocker

Title: Gather Round (Upright Records)

You might like if you enjoy: The Stray Cats, Carl Perkins

Tell me more: Both as a member of the Stray Cats and his subsequent celebrated solo work, Lee Rocker has done as much as anyone to keep rockabilly music alive. Armed with his signature baritone vocals and amazing talents on a slew of instruments (double upright bass, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, accordion), Rocker conjures up the magic of rock and roll's rousing beginnings across his latest album Gather Round. The fiery disc opener "Gather Round" recalls the magic he created as a member of the Stray Cats, the track bolstered throughout by Buzz Campbell's virtuoso lead guitar flash and Matt Jordan's piano work. The romantic "The Last Offline Lovers" is beautiful and showcases Rocker's emotive vocals. The album's strength spans its 10-track run, with the sly "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat," propulsive "Pickin and Grinning" rockabilly romp, tuneful "Every Time I See You," roaring "When Nothing's Going Right" and reworked take on Robbie Robertson's "Ophelia" adding to the collective magic. Information: LeeRocker.com. 

Artist: Amoeba Teen

Title: Amoeba Teen (Big Stir Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Jellyfish, The Lickerish Quartet, Blur, Teenage Fanclub

Tell me more: Stourbridge, England-based Amoeba Teen's self-titled debut blasts out of the speakers with the raw approach of a concert recording (no surprise since the media release notes the foursome recorded the album live at Claptrap Studios in Stourbridge). Indeed, singer-guitarists Mark Britton and Mike Turner, drummer Carl Bayliss and bassist Simon Muttitt deliver 10 potent songs enhanced by an effective mix of garage rock, '70s glam, power pop, folk and Britpop. The quartet's winning approach shines on the melodic "Just Not That Into You," lush "New Material World," tender "A Good Reason Why," the countrified gem "January" and sumptuous "Melody Told You." Other standouts include the driving "Monica Wake Up," literate "Putting the Kids Through College" and full-blooded indie rocker "King of the Cut." Information: BigStirRecords.com. 

Artist: Son House

Title: Forever On My Mind (Easy Eye Sound)

You might like if you enjoy: Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Robert Johnson, Delta blues 

Tell me more: The story of blues great Son House is truly the stuff of legend. Born in Lyon, Mississippi in 1902, Son House was featured on several commercial 78s in 1930 and two field recordings captured by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress at the dawn of the 1940s before returning to relative obscurity for more than two decades. That changed in 1964 when he was rediscovered at the age of 62 working at a train station in Rochester, New York; he subsequently returned to music and toured throughout the U.S. and Europe and was even chronicled in a story in Newsweek magazine. Fast forward to 2022 and producer Dan Auerbach (the Black Keys) has issued a stunning new edition celebrating the legendary "Father Of The Delta Blues." The remastered eight tracks on Forever On My Mind were tracked in the 1960s after Son House's reintroduction to the world (Son House passed away at the age of 86 in 1988). They offer a true glimpse into the early sounds of the Delta blues. The artist's freewheeling vocals and guitar playing are spirited and there is an otherworldly quality to the selections. Information: EasyEyeSound.com.  

Robert Kinsler