Troy Kingi - Leatherman & The Mojave Green

Album eight in the 10-10-10 series sees Troy Kingi assemble an all-star band (Ezra Simons on guitar, Treye Liu on drums, Marika Hodgson on bass), pack up to the Mojave desert, drop some shrooms, make a TV show, and record an album of scuzzy desert rock inspired by Queens of the Stone Age. Kingi’s trademarked melodies still shine through but he’s having plenty of fun here with the guitar riffs too. Always one to stay true to a vibe, Leatherman has allusions to cacti, sand, mezcal, lizards, aliens... all that good desert oracle stuff. And the tunes shine through like a beacon from the cloudless sky so no dramas there. This is a bit of a departure from his last few albums therefore it might take a couple listens to get on the bus. You’ll get there though. Don’t worry. Through The Night, Ocelli, Cactus Handshake, Tipping Point, Half Way To Mexico. This one’s stacked with toasty bangers.

Osees – SORCS 80

They simply do not miss. John Dwyer and his buddies are a couple decades into this musical journey and album after album they just keep reinventing and reinvigorating things. This latest album doesn’t have any guitar on it. A garage rock group, an indie folk group, a punk group, a black metal group... whatever they’ve tried there’s always been those fuzzy guitars to lead the way but here they replace them with synthesisers and saxophones. Then they distort the hell out of them to make them sound like guitars. You could claim that technically it’s an electronic album though you wouldn’t know if you didn’t read the press. SORCS 80 is chock-full of relentless psycho-boogies, hyped up and hectic as the band wrangles familiar sounds out of unfamiliar instruments.

Illuminati Hotties – Power

Sarah Tudzin has carved out a nice little space for herself in the LA music scene, not only with the excellent and at times combative (she made a whole album taking shots at her record label a few years ago) indie rock of illuminati hotties but also as a renowned recording engineer. There’s something about this set of songs that feels different though. More mature, maybe, with a worldview that’s a little more at ease than on previous projects. Or maybe it’s just growing clarity as a songwriter. Dunno, but Power feels very honest and genuine (yet still goofy in the best IH tradition). It also finds time to slap with its finely crafted power-pop stylings, borrowing a few 90s references, and generally just continuing the great streak of albums under the illuminati hotties banner.

Mystery Waitress - Bright Black Night

Haunting and atmospheric and Wellingtonian. That’s the deal with Mystery Waitress’s second album, released on the iconic Flying Nun label which continues to serve up fascinating kiwi music in theyearofourlord2024. There’s an early-2000s alternative feel to the gentle vocals atop more ominous guitars with the bass and percussion high in the mix - the bass player is a new addition, as their guitarist recorded those parts for their first album and they used to play live without one. The fuller quartet sound fits the natural progression of the band, traversing gothic textures but also incorporating some lovely sparse moments as well. Mystery Waitress isn’t a band that’s had a whole lot of exposure to date but divine justice decrees that this’ll be the breakthrough record.

Medhane & Kahlil Blu - Double or Nothing

Medhane is of the most impressive hip-hoppers in New York and he teams up with Kahlil Blu for 10 tracks on Double or Nothing. Kahlil provides delightful production for Medhane with an enticing balance of heavy-duty bass and all sorts of lighter, uplifting sounds which help Medhane's poetry cut through. The bass is most evident on '10 Bands' and all the drums through DON are crisp, with the following track 'lost n' found' providing the best example of the balance on offer. 10 tracks means there is no wasted space and Medhane excels in his wise words, especially on the closing track 'Tulsa' which continues to simmer as our favourite jam from an impeccable project.

Jim White & Marisa Anderson – Swallowtail

This one’s for you folk-instrumental enthusiasts, with pastoral American guitarist Anderson joined by like-minded Australian drummer White for a second collaborative exploration (White was a founding member of The Dirty Three). This record was recorded in coastal Victoria. Full of ebbs and flows and improvisations. Entirely undemanding music yet very rewarding for the curious mind willing to lean inwards. Or you can just leave it on in the background and allow it’s magic to seep through. Anderson’s fingerstyle pickings have been gathering attention for a number of years for their textured nuance and in Jim White she seems to have found another worthy ally (also check out her collab with William Tyler from 2021 while you’re at it).

Fontaines DC - Romance

Swinging for the fences over here, Fontaines DC clearly have big ambitions. From the taut, urgent post-punk that the Dublin band began with on their debut five years ago, very much embedded in the city they grew up with (it’s even in their name), they’ve now reached a place all of their own. Romance is their most colourful album by far – in every way. But it’s not bright and bubbles, there’s darkness even in the string-laden ballads. As always, it’s the ferocious percussion that keeps Fontaines tunes on the straight and narrow path but beyond that they’re all over the place and that can be an overwhelming thing but it’s also what explains the vast scope of the record. These are songs written for stadiums, not for bars. On the very first song of their very first album, lead singer Grian Chatten sang: “My childhood was small, but I’m gonna be big”. Romance is the beginning of what bigness sounds like. Here’s The Thing, Horseness is the Whatness, and Death Kink are the standout tunes.

MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks

Nobody’s doing the ragged rocking and/or rolling the way that MJL is doing it right now. That drawling voice, that chonky guitar, those casual lyrics. The Crazy Horse comparisons are obvious but there’s plenty more going on here. Warren Zevon. Pavement. The Replacements. Jason Molina. Got some of that Americana feel to it, with MJL having played a significant role on the brilliant Waxahatchee album from earlier this year (and also playing guitar for the band Wednesday). Manning Fireworks is an extension of his previous few albums only a little bit sharper. The production is sturdier. The songs are more consistently great and the band is holding it down beautifully. She’s Leaving You is potentially the best tune he’s ever written and tracks like Joker Lips, Wristwatch, You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In, and Rudolph aren’t so far behind. With his recognisable style and the immediacy of his songs, Manning Fireworks is the kind of album you just want to hang out with over and over again.

Jack White – No Name

The release had some gimmicks with unmarked vinyls being secretly added to Third Man Records purchases without explanation or details. Eventually it became clear that this was a new Jack White album and before long a proper release followed. Jacky Boy’s never been shy of a gimmick... but forget about the rollout and focus on the fact that this is the chunkiest blues record he’s made since The White Stripes days. He’s kept things interesting with his experimentations over the past decade but this is JW returning to the formula and it is triumphant. Got a bit of that punk spirit about it. Meaty guitar riffs. A few mechanical flourishes as usual. A vibrant return to form from the master.

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