This initially may seem like a grab bag of tracks and a bit of an easy way out instead of picking just one standout song, but after you listen to this months release of the Wichita Recordings Podcast you will hopefully realise it is so much more. They pack the best of the best tracks from their signed artists like the immense cover of The Night done by Frankie & The Heartstrings, Globelamp, Fidlar and many more plus a great little interview with the talented Meg Bairdwhich inspired me to hear more of her work (incredible). It was also really satisfying to hear a bit of Los Campesinos again before their imminent album release. So if you can spare an hour, give this a listen. Enjoy!
June has been a long month, that is for sure. Tiring and at some points a drag but the music has been there time and again to re-energise me and keep me singing along. With great albums from Whitney, Womps, Weaves and many other artists beginning with W there are many reasons to keep smiling. You can check out my full month playlist HERE. Without any further ado here we go with my top 3 picks:
Decorations - Have Fun was my third favourite album of June and it came as a bit of a surprise for me. Having not heard of the band before this release I really had no clue what they were like or how much I was going to love this album. A little bit electro pop, a little bit of indie rock and just the right amount of grandeur for my ears, Have Fun definitely has more sides to it than an a4 sheet of paper and that is a compliment from the bottom of my heart. Enjoy one of the singles 'Promise' below.
Straight out of the gate with this album I knew I was on to a winner when I heard the guttural scream of "Are We Alive". That's right, it is the Augustines third release This Is Your Life. Unlike Decorations, I had known of and listened to a lot of Augustines before this release and it is pretty safe to say I was expecting fairly big things. Thankfully I was not let down in the slightest and they delivered on every aspect. The epic ballads, the more chilled numbers with hints of electronica and the same great vocals from Mr Billy McCarthy. Easily their best work to date but it is almost expected that musicians improve over time as does everybody. Enjoy!
Perhaps a slightly surprising number one pick, perhaps not. One thing is for sure, Frankie Ballards El Rio is a absolute banger. Released in the earlier end of June, ER is packed full of 'Country Foot Stompers' that kept me smiling ear to ear all month long. His personality has a charm that comes through in the music and lyrics that I feel if another artist were to sing the same songs, they would come across as cheesy and out dated. He definitely has all the songs about the usual tropes: cigarettes, alcohol and girls but he puts a personal spin on the standard that any regular old Joe could come up with and has made a truly fresh and brilliant album. Summer afternoons in the park I hear you calling. Enjoy!
With the recent release of Frankie Ballards third album El Rio, he has made the video below discussing the making of said record. What I found interesting about the story was why he chose to record in El Paso as opposed to the popular and some would say over-saturated Nashville. Taking a relaxed pace whilst recording records can 9 times out of 10 be a positive thing, it just helps refine and relieve pressure of strict deadlines and improves the quality of the record and gives it an overall chilled vibe. Frankie and the band also stopped off at some legendary studios enroute to bang out some tunes. Really interesting thing. Enjoy!
