Tune in for Rarity Rock Radio’s Top 10 Favorites of the Month for August 2023 playing daily at 9am, Noon, and 6pm PT, including the following new music gems:
1.) Bethany Cosentino – “Natural Disaster” (from brand new album ‘Natural Disaster’)
According to the artist, “The title track of my debut solo album, “Natural Disaster” is out now. Suzy Shinn sent me an instrumental track that she wrote with Charlie Brand, and the moment I heard it, I ran to my desk to write over it. The idea came to me very quickly – the type of song that felt like it was sitting at the surface of my mind waiting to be written. I had been thinking a lot about the summer of 2020 – political unrest, protests against police brutality, wildfires all over my state of California, not to mention a pandemic running rampant. It was such a palpable energy of chaos and confusion, and I wanted to write a song that touched on the state of the world and how we as humans just go about our business. I didn’t realize that the summer it actually would be released into the world would be literally one of the hottest summers on record. I write music to make sense of the world around me – and I, like many others, spend a lot of time thinking about the effects of climate change and the future of our planet. I wanted this song to bring awareness, but also be something you could sing along to. A catchy commentary on our culture, but also a catchy cry for change. The music video – directed by Aaron Pre-such – features both beautiful and devastating clips of our planet, to remind us of what we are living through and what we are fighting to preserve. Please visit Evergreen Action, a non-profit working towards combating the climate crisis, for more info on what you can do to help.”
2.) THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM featuring Bruce Springsteen – “History Books” (from upcoming new album ‘History Books’)
According to Rolling Stone, “THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM are emerging from a nearly decade-long recording hiatus on October 27 with the release of their sixth album, History Books. Bruce Springsteen joins them on the title track, which you can hear right now. “When Bruce Springsteen said I should write a duet for us, I think my head exploded,” Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon says in a statement. “It will never get old to me that one of the greatest songwriters in the world, and one of my hero’s voices, will forever be captured in a song I wrote at a small wooden desk, in October, in New Jersey.”
3.) Nils Lofgren – “Ain’t The Truth Enough” (from brand new album ‘Mountains’)
According to Stereogum, “E Street Band and Crazy Horse mainstay Nils Lofgren has announced a new album. Mountains will be out July 21 and features a lead single, “Ain’t The Truth Enough,” with Ringo Starr on drums. According to a press release, “Ain’t The Truth Enough” was written in the wake of the January 6th insurrection and “reckons with the ways that misinformation and demagoguery can tear families apart and silo us in our own realities.” About “Ain’t The Truth Enough,” Lofgren adds: One early desert morning, strong coffee in hand, I tuned my Martin D-35 acoustic gifted to me by the great James Caan (bless you Jimmy) to an open G and said ‘write’! Soon the title and main riff were coming through me… “ain’t the truth enough!” Lucky me! I felt I had to go deep and with the global war on women, and man’s deadly epidemic of lies and spin for money and power, I imagined a fierce, loving mother and wife dealing with a husband recently home from the insurrection. (Cindy Mizelle added the woman’s voice with great soul and power here) I felt inspired and a day later this special song was done. Not mean spirited, all truth, harsh reality.”
4.) Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – “Rear View Mirror” (from new EP ‘Mindsets’)
According to Stereo Stickman, “From the globally renowned legends who brought us the likes of Bad Reputation and I Love Rock N’ Roll, introducing their first original project since 2013’s Unvarnished – hall of famers Joan Jett & The Blackhearts launch the brilliantly anthemic EP MINDSETS…and infectious Rear View Mirror – a touch of imagery and story that grips in a fresh way.”
5.) Diane Gentile featuring Alejandro Escovedo – “Walk with Me”
According to antiMusic, “Diane Gentile teamed up with Alejandro Escovedo for the new single and video “Walk With Me.” We asked Diane to tell us about the track to celebrate. Here is the story: “Walk With Me” is about acceptance of people’s issues: their secrets, and their worries and scars. It’s about understanding pain. I don’t necessarily believe that we will ever achieve living in a utopian society and I don’t want that. Spice is life. However, I sincerely hope our human race will achieve greater empathy, collectively. With empathy comes compassion and understanding and understanding creates peaceful progress. The expression “Walk With Me” is really a metaphor. The offer to “walk with me” is like extending an olive branch, something I learned is a great expression of kindness.”
6.) The Introverts – “Architectus”
About the band: Hoge Day and Mark Taylor met while both were members of an artist’s collective gallery in Tucson, Arizona. Their years-long friendship and collaboration would eventually give birth to the band, the introverts. Daniel Behrend joined them on drums, and, for the album, Speak, they were joined by bassist Blair Forward to help create their driving, signature sound.
7.) The Heavy – “Got To Believe”
According to the artist, ”Got To Believe is a note to self. A constant reminder that I have to keep going. I have to keep the ship afloat. There has to be a reason. I have to believe in something, even if it’s of my own creation…”
8.) Jon Batiste – “Calling Your Name” (from upcoming new album ‘World Music Radio’)
According to NME, “The album is an ambitious feat in sound and scope but brisk featureless tracks like the synth-laden and soulful ‘Calling Your Name’ or the rare stripped-back piano ballad ‘Butterfly’ make the jaunt fly by.”
9.) First Aid Kit – “Child of Summer” (from ‘Palomino Deluxe (Child of Summer Edition)’)
According to Under the Radar Magazine, “Swedish folk duo and sisters, First Aid Kit, have released a deluxe version of their fifth studio album Palomino, coined Palomino Deluxe (Child of Summer Edition), featuring five additional tracks.”
10.) Metric – “Just The Once” (from upcoming new album ‘Formentera II’)
According to NME, “Canadian indie icons Metric have announced ‘Formentera II’, the follow-up to their 2022 album ‘Formentera’. Along with announcing ‘Formentera II’, Metric have also released ‘Just The Once’ as the album’s first single. Vocalist Emily Haines said of ‘Just The Once’ via a press statement: “The only way I can describe “Just The Once” is to call it “regret disco.”” Haines continues: “It’s a song for when you need to dance yourself clean. Beneath the sparkling surface, there’s a lyrical exploration of a simple word with many meanings. Once is a word that plays a game of opposites. Once can mean once-upon-a-time and refer to a moment in the past, or it can mean someday, once something happens. And as for doing something only once versus doing something once in a while, well, I think we all know how vast the difference is between the two.””
Plus Blast From The Past song: “Lift Me Up” by Jeff Lynne (from ‘Armchair Theatre’ album)
Followed by Featured Artist of the Month: On Paper and the song “Living Proof” (from debut album ‘Living Proof’)
Scattered across Universities throughout the midwest, you will find the members of On Paper. Based in their home town of Cleveland, OH, KJ, Jonas, Julia, Oliver and Sophia combine forces to make waves in the local indie rock scene. Combining their interests in folk, shoegaze, classic rock, psych rock, singer/songwriter music and more, On Paper brings a fresh sound to familiar-feeling alt-rock. They currently perform nearly all originals off their debut album, Living Proof, and are working on writing more. “Living Proof” is the title track off of their debut album. This song does not have lyrics, yet it’s musical content does an adept job at communicating the emotions captured in the songwriting process.The shoegaze guitars and thumping bass are powerful, yet still no match for their live performance of the song, which you can witness by catching one of their shows, often in the Cleveland area.
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