Salt Lick - s/t

Salt Lick hails from Los Angeles. Specifically, I understand they are from Echo Park. Salt Lick is in that hard, acid rock space that is receiving increasing attention these days. The promotional sticker on the LP mentions the MC5, Blue Cheer, and brown acid. All these references make sense when you listen to this album. Great riffs and a very loud and distorted sound. I recently saw these guys live and they play and sound like the real thing. This album is not for the weak of heart. Play loud! Here is a sample of them playing live.

Brown Sugar- I'm In Love With A Dreadlocks (Brown Sugar And The Birth Of Lovers Rock 1977-80)

Very cool release and very good reggae music on this Soul Jazz compilation of the female trio, Brown Sugar. Pauline Catlin, Caron Wheeler, and Carol Simms made up the British trio and this 2LP collects records released between 1977-80.

Soul Jazz releases are top-notch. This release is no exception. The notes  included in this gatefold sleeve tell the story and historical importance of the band but also provides background on Lovers Rock (a sub category of reggae music) that emerged in the UK. While many associate Lovers Rock with a more polished reggae sound it seems that Lovers Rock could also include black conscious music. Check out this gem out for a taste. Our Reggae Music

Jon Auer - Songs from the Year of Our Demise

Jon Auer is a guitarist/songwriter/singer in The Posies. He shares those duties with Ken Stringfellow. The Posies as a group are one of my favorite guitar-driven bands. They have been around since at least the late 80s. Known for their gorgeous melodies, both Jon and Ken share the vocals and the songwriting duties in The Posies. While Ken has produced a few stellar solo LPs, Jon has been a bit less prolific. This album came out in 2006 and I just found it recently in a used bin in Southern California.

When playing this CD, the first thing that came to mind is that many of these songs (if not all) could have easily been found on a Posies record. That is a good thing and makes it worth getting. Jon's ability to write memorable melodies is on full display.

The sticker on the CD states the following, "The stunningly heartfelt and deeply personal debut solo full-length from the singer/songwriter/guitarist of The Posies..." I think this is right on. This is a CD that one should listen to on headphones with the lyrics in front of you. If you can't find this CD, find some Posies records. You will enjoy them and Jon's songs. For a taste, enjoy You Use To Drive Me Around or Angelita

Katie Toupin - Magnetic Waves

I have been on a huge Katie Toupin fan-boy kick. Within the last month I have "discovered" who she was via a Facebook or Instagram advertisement that crept on my feed, learned about her previous band, watched some videos and plugs for her upcoming album, saw her perform live at Soda Bar in San Diego, bought the CD and had her sign it, and finally listened with pleasure to her music at home.

The first thing you notice about Katie is that she has a great voice. It sounds familiar to me and yet it is unique. How to describe it? There is a little bit of Gwen Stefani / Amy Winehouse in her voice. Please don't think she is in anyway imitating those artists, however. She is not. However, to some people there will be some resemblance. When it comes to the music, Katie writes great melodic pop like the opening song, Magnetic Waves, to tender ballads like As Good As It Gets.  Another favorite of mine is I Need You which contains a great vocal hook.

Here is a link to and acoustic performance of I Need You. Enjoy.

Various Artists - That'll Flat...Get It ! Vol. 14 (Rockabilly from the Vaults of Sun Records)

I love roots music. That is, I like music that is real and that is original. Naturally, this leads me to rockabilly. I have been collecting this rockabilly series for a little bit and I have about 19 volumes of That'll Flat...Get It but the problem is that there are 32 volumes out! Ha! This series also issues rockabilly from other labels but Vol. 14 is dedicated to the Sun vaults. For those not in the know, Elvis Presley got his start at Sun. I hope that this is not the first time you heard that.

Vol. 14 specifically focuses mostly on recordings that were never actually issued on Sun but either recorded at Sun or sent to Sun as a demo. It appears that someone at the label heard these recordings and for some reason or another decided that they were just not up to par. It is a shame because some of these recordings are pretty good. Actually, having listened to the songs released here, I am pretty sure that these recordings could have easily been released on other labels at the time.

This is pure rockabilly and they all seem pretty good to me. Unless you are a serious rockabilly collector, which I am not, I can't imagine that you will find too much at fault with Volume 14. To get a sense of what you get, listen to Johnny Powers play Me and My Rhythm Guitar. Enjoy.

Book: In The Distance by Hernan Diaz

I try to read books that others consider great in large part because I am not as up to date on current novelists.  In the Distance was a book I chose to read because it was a finalist for a major award and, after reading it, I can see why it was a finalist. The basic story is that of a young Swedish man trying to get to NYC to meet his brother but ends up on the wrong ship out of England and sails all the way to San Francisco instead. The book then provides detail on this man's journey as he tries to make his way to NYC from San Francisco at a time when the most of the U.S. west was still a territory. The book has a Cormac McCarthy feel to it which I mean as a compliment. The description of the western U.S. and desert life is rich and one not only feels the heat and the thirst but also the isolation. Highly recommended.

Jon Brion - meaningless

Finally got my hands on this CD after a long search. Released in 2000, this is an excellent showcase of a very talented songwriter and musician. Brion is mostly known for his work on soundtracks to films like Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, I Heart Huckabees, and Lady Bird. However, I first became aware of Jon's brilliance was when he was a member of The Grays (along with the equally phenomenal Jason Falkner). The Grays were a blast of fresh air when there (only) LP came out back in 1994. The Grays album, Ro Sham Bo, was filled with hooks, guitars, and mature songs that hit all the right spots. Many of the songs on this album sound like they could have been part of that classic LP. I even get the same vibe when listening to this album as I did when I listened to The Grays LP (at least for the Jon Brion songs!). That is a good vibe! If you find this album, get it. Here is a taste of the song Meaningless.