The incomparable Jonathan Richman will be back on the road with drummer Tommy Larkins in 2026. He might play some tracks from his latest release Only Frozen Sky Anyway, an album which had Jerry Harrison, his bandmate in the Modern Loverss, in the producer's seat.
For Thursday, the fourth album of their week day album series, multi-instrumentalists Mike Keneally and Marcelo Radulovich went back a couple of decades, using cassettes that were recorded decades ago and use them as stepping stones for twisted party songs. It is all firmly rooted in the avant-garde and post-rock brackets, but some it is accessible for the uninitiated.
Kicking off a radically reconstructed version of the French chanson Seul Sur Son Étoile - Kenneally was only 11 when he made the original tape - the pair bonded over using loops, distorted guitar and eclectic percussion. The Wedding Song is a freaky jazz Zappa-esque showstopper that will confuse the revellers, should it ever be played at such an occasion. Titi Bar at Noon is an excursion that Steely Dan never had the nerve to try. Pushing themselves of a cliff and somehow manage to land safely is no mean feat, but for these musicians it comes off as another day at the office. It is OK to be jealous.
I have been steadily exchanging a rock audience who were nervous about what they had just bought for a jazz audience who not only were happy with their purchase, but are increasingly coming again.
Bill Bruford
German musician Markus Guentner moves at glacial pace on The Silver Path, a drone track created by atmospheric electronic textures. It opens up after a bit, offering a glimpse to the road he is trying to find. He describes it as "the space between adversity and hope", part of a soundtrack that points to a safe haven in a world that is in tatters. It is the lead single for his new album On Brutal Soil, We Grow.
English twee trio The Happy Somethings are not fans of Christmas songs, but for years they couldn't get away from writing and recording them. They have had enough and by way of musical exorcism they vowed to create just one more - the aptly titled No More Christmas Songs - and close the book with their signature blend of irony and sarcasm.
All that was left to do was rounding up all the seasonal stuff for an album, Don't Mention It, and get it out in the world and out of their system. Some it borderline adjacent to the theme, but they felt belonged to be included. It is a collection for anyone who hates the fluff that is piped ad nauseam through the crap sound systems in stores that makes shopping such a maddening experience in this time of the year.
