Newer Music:
Buck Meek : Two Saviors
I’m really enjoying this new solo record from Buck Meek, the lead guitarist of critically-acclaimed
indie rock band Big Thief. I happened to see Buck and his band preview these songs at a show in
Brooklyn way back in November 2019. It was a packed show with a noticeable buzz from the crowd
who wanted to hear from Buck in the wake of Big Thief’s monster year when they released two
strong records just months apart.
Meek and his band recorded Two Saviors live to tape in New Orleans last year. The recorded
versions enjoy a warmth and ragged nature that feel comforting and accepting. Buck’s vulnerable
vocals and pleasant, fragile melodies are a welcome sound to this listener’s ears during these
January blues.
Standout Tracks: Halo Light; Cannonball! Pt. 2; Pareidolia; Second Sight
Kurt Vile : Speed, Sound, and Lonely KV EP
Kurt Vile has built up a fairly solid indie rock discography over the past decade, so I was curious to
hear this alt-country EP that popped up on streaming services last fall (and finally released on vinyl
this week). This EP features two Vile originals along with three covers. The highlights of the ep are
the two John Prine covers, Speed of the Sound of Loneliness and How Lucky, which Prine himself
featured on before his passing last year. It all sounds fantastic and it will be interesting to see Vile
explores this sound further in the future, or if he returns to his more conventional indie rock sound.
Standout Tracks: How Lucky, Speed of the Sound of Loneliness, Gone Girl; Pearls
Jeff Tweedy : Love Is The King
How did Jeff Tweedy and his family spend some of their quarantine last year? By recording the
lovely, understated album Love Is The King, released on streaming services in October and on vinyl
this past week.
Joined by his sons Spencer and Sammy, on drums and vocal, respectively, Tweedy’s latest is a fun
family affair and another collection of mellow acoustic love ballads that fits very comfortably with the
rest of his recent solo and Wilco discography.
Standout Tracks: Love Is The King; Guess Again; Opaline; Gwendolyn
Throwback Selection of The Week:
Jacob Xerxes Fussell : Out of Sight
Fussell is a North Carolina-based folk musician who has made a career out of adapting old traditional
folk songs and turning them into pure heaven. Released in 2019 and recorded with a full band for the
first time, his third album Out Of Sight is my favorite, but you can’t go wrong with any of his music.
Fussell occupies a place on my personal Mount Rushmore of underappreciated musical genius.
Standout Tracks: Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues; The Rainbow Willow; The River St. Johns; Michael Was
Hearty
More Related Music You Should Also Check Out: Sturgill Simpson : Cuttin’ Grass Volume 1 and 2; Bonny
Light Horseman : Self-Titled; Bill Callahan : Gold Record; Stephen Malkmus : Traditional Techniques
