Pulin Kothari

synth

153. POLYDANS by Roosevelt

Roosevelt is the performance name of German musician Marius Lauber. I happened to stumble upon this 2021 record and have been listening to it for the last few days. Though dance/electronica is not exactly in my wheelhouse, the heavy synth and pop elements caught my ear, mainly due to

power pop

152. 11 by The Smithereens

Released at the tail end of 1989, this record epitomized early 90's power pop, though with a heavier, crunchier guitar sound than what the band had previously incorporated in their music. You can hear Beatles and Beach Boys influences throughout the tracks, especially in the choruses and harmonies.

new wave

151. THE CARS (self-titled)

Continuing with the theme of debut albums that could be considered greatest hits [https://www.auditorymusings.net/play-deep-by-the-outfield/] in and of themselves, I'd like to take a look/listen at this 1978 record by that new wave/power pop band from Boston - The Cars. Growing up listening

150. My Favorite Records of 2021

This special, year end edition of the blog is geared towards those of you who don't follow me [https://twitter.com/auditorymusings], myself [https://twitter.com/pinkoos] or I on Twitter and, so, haven't seen this collection of my favorite records from the past year These

indie pop

149. WET LEG (self-titled)

And now for something completely different…this record actually doesn’t come out until 2022, but I’ve been so enamored with a couple of the lead off singles I felt compelled to share it with you now. The band is from the Isle of Wight, formed by two college

noise pop

148. TENDER by Allison Lorenzen

This just released 2021 record by Denver, Colorado-based Allison Lorenzen has been playing on repeat ever since I came across it a few days ago. It’s her voice that first grabbed my attention and piqued my interest - it has been variably described as choir-like, ethereal and ephemeral. Well,

britpop

147. THE MASTERPLAN by Oasis

When one thinks of the Manchester-bred Britpop band Oasis, images of the constantly squabbling brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher or images of those first two classic record sleeves usually come to mind. However, many casual listeners of the band may not realize that this 1998 record, a collection of B-sides,

alternative

146. BLUNDERBUSS by Jack White

With the recent news that upholsterer extraordinaire [https://jackwhiteartanddesign.com/work/furniture-and-upholstery/third-man-upholstery-shop/] Jack White plans on releasing two solo records in 2022, I thought I’d take this opportunity to revisit his debut from 2012. This genre-bending record is alternative to its core, though it’s layered with folk,

alternative

145. NOTHING’S SHOCKING by Jane’s Addiction

Landing at the time of hair metal, this 1988 record came out of left field and announced that Jane’s Addiction was not going to follow, but lead. And lead they did - with lead singer Perry Farrell’s wailing vocals and guitar prodigy Dave Navarro’s distortion heavy sound,

indie

144. PROJECTOR by Geese

This just released 2021 debut record by Brooklyn-based quintet Geese is currently getting all the buzz, not because all the members are technically still teenagers but because, well, okay, they’re all technically still teenagers! One listen to this album and you’ll hear why. The influences contained within seem

rock

143. ABBEY ROAD by The Beatles

With The Beatles’ “Let It Be” record currently getting a lot of attention, I would instead like to focus on what is arguably a much better album (perhaps their best?), 1969’s “Abbey Road.” Though “Abbey Road” was their penultimate release, the “Let It Be” sessions were actually recorded before

blues

142. BUFFALO NICHOLS (self-titled)

Houston-born, Milwaukee-raised and, now, Austin-living Buffalo Nichols offers a contemporary take on the blues with this just released 2021 record. Pairing his smokey voice with nimble guitar playing, he covers themes ranging from the overtly political/social commentary on ‘Another Man’ and ‘Living Hell’ to dealing with isolation on album

rock

141. LAST OF THE INDEPENDENTS by The Pretenders

When I discussed The Pretenders’ latest album here [https://auditorymusings.ghost.io/hate-for-sale-by-the-pretenders/], I mentioned how the record I’m discussing today, 1994’s The Last of the Independents, had been my prior favorite of theirs. So I thought now would be as good as a time as any to

indie

140. FEELS SO GOOD // FEELS SO BAD by The Shivas

This American indie psychedelic garage rock band is out with a brand new record for 2021. Though their previous effort came out in 2019, they were unable to tour in support of it because of the pandemic. So, they spent the last couple of years collecting their thoughts and putting

alternative

139. DEAD MAN’S POP by The Replacements

This gets a bit complicated so bear with me. This 2019 box set includes a fully remixed version of the band’s 1989 record, “Don’t Tell A Soul” which, in this set, is referred to as “Don’t Tell A Soul Redux.” So, the record I’m really covering

rock

138. LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM (self-titled)

(Former) Fleetwood Mac frontman (that still just doesn’t sound right) Lindsey Buckingham has a just released 2021 record out which, interestingly enough, is self-titled (not typically the norm for one’s seventh solo album). Perhaps it’s his way of embracing the new found independence forced upon him. That

soundtrack

137. GREASE (The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

Very few songs give me the goosebumps like the opening notes of ‘Grease’ (the other one that immediately comes to mind is the opening fanfare in Star Wars [https://youtu.be/UOqtn4DZerA]). Maybe it’s because it brings back memories of seeing those movies in the theater as a child

americana

136. TEN THOUSAND ROSES by Dori Freeman

Dori Freeman’s debut album (previously covered here [https://auditorymusings.ghost.io/dori-freeman-self-titled/]) was one of my favorite records of 2016. Now it’s 2021 and she’s back with her fourth. Self-described as “electric, lo-fi, grunge-country,” it’s quite the departure from her previous material. Just comparing the look

lo-fi

135. COOL by Colleen Green

By the time you read this, this 2021 record will have been released in full. At my time of writing this, however, only four tracks are out. But, those four tracks have definitely piqued my interest. Fans of guitar-oriented pop or lo-fi will surely find something to like amongst these

rock

134. SAY YOU WILL by Fleetwood Mac

When thinking about a Fleetwood Mac record, this 2003 release doesn’t necessarily come to mind. But, it’s got some gems in there worth checking out. This was the album they put out after Christine McVie left the band (though she does play on a few songs). So, principal

singer songwriter

133. FUMBLING TOWARDS ECSTASY by Sarah McLachlan

This 1993 record, McLachlan’s third, proved to be her commercial breakthrough despite the pervasive dark themes and generally melancholy arrangements (‘Ice Cream’ is the only upbeat track on the album). I was introduced to this record in medical school and it has stayed with me ever since, frequently revisited

indie

132. THE WORLD WE BUILT by The Wild Reeds

Los Angeles based indie folk band The Wild Reeds released this record in 2017. Although the songs are lead by 3 part harmonies, the music is not necessarily subdued - it’s full of crunchy guitars and interesting key changes throughout many of the tracks. This is not your ma

rock

131. FLOWERS by The Rolling Stones

Though technically a compilation album, this 1967 release can stand on its own as one of the Stones’ best. In light of the recent death of drummer Charlie Watts, it’s worth taking a look back at this record. Only three of the twelve tracks had not been released previously,

power pop

130. WHAT WERE YOU HOPING TO FIND? by Vistas

I’ve always been a sucker for power pop bands (just enter that phrase in the search box on the website and you’ll see what I mean) and today’s post continues that trend. This just-released 2021 record by Scottish trio Vistas is full of 3 minute nuggets of

blues

129. TRES HOMBRES by ZZ Top

I wasn’t yet 3 years old when Texas blues rock outfit ZZ Top released their third record in 1973. This band has always held a special place in my heart, not just because they hailed from the Houston and surrounding area, but also because I was lucky enough to