Check Out Our October/November 2021 CD Sampler

The Black Keys

“Coal Black Mattie”

From the album Delta Kream

Nonesuch Records

Ranie Burnette played dances and juke joints in the 1940s and ‘50s but did not record until the 1970s. Burnette cut this song for a 1980 single on High Water, produced by David Evans, a musicologist at the University of Memphis. “Ranie mentored R.L. , says Dan Auerbach. “There were a couple of other guys like that, who were famous in the area but never got recorded. It’s amazing—these great musicians just playing for the community, playing for themselves.”

theblackkeys.com

Alex James Brierley

“Go With the Flow”

Single

Intense Pulse Records (U.K.)

Alex James Brierley is a 23-year-old U.K. alternative pop-rock artist and a regular on the BBC, introducing for over six years. Alex has appeared on national news with track “Place of Nowhere” and has already supported bands such as Space, Scouting for Girls and Toploader, and appeared at the World Famous Cavern Club in Liverpool.

alexjamesbrierley.com

K-Nein

“Stranded in the Night”

From the album Magic Myth and Rhyme

Self-released

K-Nein is an Americana producer and multi-instrumentalist in the Chicagoland area. His songwriting draws from his experiences in life, having traveled throughout the world with deep roots in improvisational music as well as composition.

k-nein.com

Abby Bryant & The Echoes

“I’m Telling You”

From the album Not Your Little Girl

Self-released

Abby Bryant & The Echoes debut LP is a confident and rebellious collection, showcasing Bryant’s vocal abilities and claiming the band’s hard-fought place in the world of vintage-inspired Southern soul-rock.

abbybryantandtheechoes.com

Al Basile

“I’m Bad That Way”

From the album B’s Testimony

Sweetspot Records

Poet, singer-songwriter, cornetist and audio playwright Al Basile is an eight-time BMA nominee who began his musical career with Roomful of Blues in the seventies. He has 19 solo albums out since 1998, and guests on his projects include Duke Robillard, the Blind Boys of Alabama and jazz great Scott Hamilton.

albasile.com

Mo Douglas

“A Moderately Hot Broiler”

From the album Fry The Onion Gently

Ten Dollar Recording Co.

Mo Douglas — the master chef multi-instrumentalist of Portland’s Ten Dollar Recording Co. — does it again, cooking up groovy instrumental jams and bestowing upon our ears psych, funk, soul, dub, jazz, garage rock, but most important of all, a perpetual groove swirling throughout a new record out October 25.

tdrco.org/mo_douglas

High & Rising

“The Days”

From the album Howl

Self-released

Out of the northern Midwest and the banks of the mighty Mississippi River grew this “Groovy Grass” band of music makers. High & Rising most often plays as a trio, with a unique combination of instruments that bring a fresh, groovy sound to the bluegrass and folk American scene.

highandrising.com

Hypnopompia

“The Long Way Home”

From the album Parallel

Self-released

Hypnopompia is an Ohio-based indie rocker that blends psychedelia, jazz, trip hop and post-rock to create music that pairs dreamy soundscapes with introspective lyrics that explore themes of mental health and interpersonal relationships. Parallel, their debut album, was released in July 2021.

instagram.com/hypnopompicsound

The Mommyheads

“TV Dinner”

From the album Age of Isolation

Self-released

Riding high on a recent prolific streak, Age of Isolation marks an ambitious new direction for the Mommyheads. “TV Dinner” unfolds with the band’s familiar cascading arpeggios and lilting melodic beauty. Four decades later, and The Mommyheads are still the undisputed godfathers of baroque prog pop.

mommyheads.com

Moonwater

“Ghosts”

Single

Self-released

“Hey, you up? I know we just met so this might seem crazy, but we really want to be your new favorite band.” Moonwater are an indie band from N.J., blending rock, their favorite synthesizers and years of nostalgia into energetic songs that moms everywhere love. New music is out in December 2021.

moonwatermusic.com

McCauliffe Brothers Band

“The Last Time”

Single

Self-released

The McCauliffe Brothers Band (Chapel Hill, N.C.) released three new songs in September. These songs mark the brothers’ final days in their North Carolina studio before parting ways to Franklin, Tenn., and Athens, Ga. The songs feature Nick Buda on the drums and are mixed by Justin Cortelyou.

mcbrosband.com

Kendra & the Bunnies

“Passion Roulette”

From the EP Of Summer

New Age Wasteland Productions

Kendra Muecke of Kendra & the Bunnies is a freestyle folk and pop-rock artist, singer and multi-instrumentalist. Her style heavily utilizes the element of storytelling through song, painting a creative experience for the listener. Atop her numerous releases, she is even a Grammy voting member.

kendraandthebunnies.com

Shanghai Metro Temple

“In the Dark”

Single

Self-released

A baby of the pandemic, we make music that touches your soul. Shanghai Metro Temple strives to create a familiar but entirely unique brand of rock-and-roll. From face-melting guitar solos to the gentle twang of acoustic verses and large driving choruses, no ear will leave dissatisfied.

shanghaimetrotemple.com

Editor’s Pick: Neal Francis

“Can’t Stop the Rain”

From the album In Plain Sight

ATO Records

Neal Francis album In Plain Sight offers a body of work both enchanting and painfully self-aware, recorded entirely on tape with his bandmates. Mixed by Grammy Award-winner Dave Fridmann (Spoon, Tame Impala, Flaming Lips), the album spotlights Francis’s refined yet free-spirited performance on piano.

nealfrancis.com