This week, WTSR music staff member Nelson Kelly, highlights some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band: All Them Witches
Album: “Dying Surfer Meets His Maker”
Hailing From: Nashville, Tenn.
Genre: Heavy Psych
Label: New West Records
The boys in All Them Witches are back and are truly living up to all their witchy potential. “Dying Surfer Meets His Maker” is a cohesive, focused and dynamic collection of songs that show off their doom and stoner metal influences (they’re currently touring with The Sword and Kadaver), though they also pay tribute to the greats, most obviously Led Zeppelin. The drums are humongous and booming a la John Bonham, while the acoustic guitar pieces on this album harken back to tunes like “The Rain Song” or “The Battle of Evermore.” A mixture of acoustic and thunderous electric grooves, soft vocals and ominous spoken word passages, the shifts from soft to heavy in many of these songs are what make Dying Surfer a great listen. Most songs are longer than five minutes but there are a few around the three minute mark. Overall, All Them Witches have shown what they’re capable of, and I cannot wait to hear more from them in the future.
Must Hear: “Call Me Star,” “Dirt Preachers,” “Open Passageways,” “Talisman,” “This Is Where It All Falls Apart” and “Blood and Sand / Milk and Endless Water”
Band: The Jungle Giants
Album: “Speakerzoid”
Hailing From: Brisbane, Australia
Genre: Indie Pop-Rock
Label: Amplifire
The Jungle Giants’ follow up to 2013’s “Learn to Exist” delivers in a big way. This time around, they’ve brought back their trademark indie-pop sound but with an artsy twist that adds a new and exciting feel to their music. A funky rhythm section ties in nicely with jangly and occasionally noisy guitars, although the highlight of these songs is definitely Sam Hales’ excellent vocal delivery, switching seamlessly between Alex Turner-like crooning and a falsetto that makes you want to go dig up your Gorillaz albums from your mom’s basement (you know you have ‘em). Throw on tracks like “Kooky Eyes” or “What Do You Think” for some solid indie pop-rock, but if you’re craving something more on the Gorillaz-end of the spectrum, “Not Bad” and “Every Kind of Way” are definitely the way to go. Overall this album is a killer mix of artsy and indie-pop rock goodness, so play it!
Must Hear: “Every Kind Of Way,” “Kooky Eyes,” “What Do You Think,” “Creepy Cool” and “Not Bad”
