Conor Oberst - Ruminations OA

October has been a hectic month to say the least, with a lot of stuff going on and a lot of good music being released. One thing is for sure, I could happily keep going on with my October playlist for a few more weeks at the very least. There just seems like there was a lot of brilliant releases that all deserve a lot more time. Any who, as i'm writing this I am already well into the new months stuff so lets begin before we get a little too ahead of ourselves. Check out the whole October playlist HERE.

Slothrust // Everyone Else

This album came pretty late to the party but boy did it make an impact. Mixing the heavier grunge sound with soulful vocals and the occasional noodle on the guitar for good measure. For me, it plays the pop/rock line of balance well without being watered down or coming across overly produced. It manages to keep a gritty edge whilst still accessible to the newcomer or average rockin' fan.   

Dan Layus // Dangerous Things

Only one of a small handful of good Americana releases this month but DT shot it's way into my number 2 slot with almost effortless ease. Dangerous Things is Dan Layus's first LP under his own name but has produced 4 strong albums with his time in Augustana. DT is also helped along beautifully by The Secret Sisters who share their magic on just under half of the tracks. That kind of harmony works only too well as I hope you find out for yourselves. 

Conor Oberst // Ruminations

And finally, the slugger that takes first place is Conor Oberst at his folksy finest. Kicking off with Tachycardia which wouldn't sound out of place as the rousing track in a secondary school theatre production. The thing that the track (video below) and the rest of the album as a whole does is showcase how talented he is as a multi-instrumentalist. Playing a mixture of piano, guitar, harmonica and whatever else he has sneaked in there, he seems to be a talent at whatever he chooses to put his hand too. Overall, the LP flows with such effortlessness with each track being a chapter in a story that you can just as easily dip in and out of. Be sure to check it out! 

Swim Deep - Mothers OA

October Album

October has been a long month, with plenty of good music coming from Wavves, Born Ruffians, The Enemy, Cheatahs and more. But my favourite has to be the latest from Swim Deep called Mothers. A bit of a change up from their previous album which I can do nothing but praise. Nothing against their debut, I mean I love it but some bands stay too comfortable releasing the same kind of music. The thing that puts Mothers above the rest is how the band have used synths and electronic sounds to create songs that have clear retro influences but still sound impressive against anything else released currently. Below is the single Namaste with one of the best videos I have seen in a long while featuring Paul Daniels. Enjoy!

Drake White - I Need Real YTV

29/10/15 YouTube Video

This month seems to be never ending, with the final October album release day being tomorrow I am going to wait till next week Thurs to do my favourite release of the month. To keep everyone going I wanted to double up on YouTube videos. And what better choice than this belter by Drake White. An acoustic session of I Need Real in the middle of a field (no better location needed) He has that emotion that I have heard with other artists such as The Tallest Man On Earth. A grit in his vocals that when mixed with heartfelt lyrics, really makes something beautiful. Enjoy!

Ex Hex - Rips OA

October Album

My album from October is Ex Hex with their debut Rips. October has been a slow and steady month for me in terms of good albums that have been released. They have been put out here and there all through the month with a slight surge of great ones right at the end. Other great albums from this month include: Johnny Marr, The Bots, Bass Drum Of Death and Ultimate Painting and more.

I have been a fan of Mary Timony from her time with Wild Flag and that band is the reason I found out about and got into Ex Hex. Rips is a more old school rock sounding record and seems to speed through in terms of length. I think I prefer it to the Wild Flag stuff because it all seems a bit more dirty, scuzzy and straight forward with no pretending which is all things I admire. I hope you like this track and more.