Tom Lark is the psychedelic folk project of New Zealand-based producer/songwriter Shannon Fowler. Moonlight Hotel is his sophomore full-length album under this moniker, following 2023’s Brave Star LP. It features ten laid-back songs in which—and I quote—the artist explores the parallels between his family’s historical displacement following the 1929 earthquake that destroyed Murchison, a pioneer town in the upper West Coast of the South Island, and his own following the 2011 earthquakes that leveled much of Ōtautahi.
At first hearing it is a dreamy and melancholic soundtrack for summery days, but at a second glance you realize that the echoes of the past also contain warnings for the future—bittersweet ballads for a world on the brink.
Moonlight Hotel is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Okie Dokie Records.
Trash Mountain is a pink house on a former landfill in Burlington, Vermont, a place where artists have been gathering for years. Singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Lily Seabird lived there for a while while writing and recording her new album, naturally entitled Trash Mountain, dedicated to this residence of friendship and inspiration. From the the 1pm version of the title track: “Where the wind blows everything // I try to remember and forget // On the edge of town // Where when I’m home I rest my head.”
The successor to last year’s impressive Alas, LP contains nine sparse indie folk songs, intimate and heartfelt. Gentle music for heavy days, and the hope that follows. A meditation on change, grief, and belonging—finding beauty in the mess. From It Was Like You Were Coming To Wake Us Back Up: “And the stranger rode by us delicately slow // And she held my glance, but how could she have known // That in her we saw our friend who had gone // That in her we saw our friend who had gone.” Breathtaking.
Trash Mountain, recorded by Kevin Copeland, is out now digitally and on vinyl LP through Lame-O Records.
The Austin No is the acoustic folk project of Jeff DeMouy (vocals, guitars), Ivan Bodley (bass) and Therese DeMouy (vocals, hand percussion) from you-know-where. Less than a year after we wrote about their debut LP Upward with The Austin No, they return to the wantlist with their sophomore album Say Yes. It contains fifteen subdued songs—the tune on the phrase that forms the band’s name comes in two versions—with jangly guitars and charming harmony vocals that stay with you, smart in their simplicity. This record is pleasant and heartwarming in every way.
Say Yes, produced by Jeff DeMouy and Tom Doloisio, is out now digitally (self-released).
Heart Full of Bones is the sophomore full-length album from Kelso, Washington-based alt-country outfit Alex Blum and the Roadside Quartet. They released an EP in between that revisited Last Night at the Movies, but now they’re back to good old love songs, albeit not “in the way you think it should be,” as they sing on opening track Gravity. These are thirteen tunes on breakups, without ever feeling bleak.
It’s tempting to quote line after line from the relatable storytelling, but let’s limit ourselves to a random example: “Thought I was the girl of your dreams // Thought I’d finally found the Sid to my Nancy // Every night we used to self-destruct // Everything feels like love when you’re messed up” (from Exit 30). Warm song structures with classy melodies, comforting lead vocals, and magical harmonies, laced with likeable pop and rock influences, make this a collection that is easy to embrace.
Heart Full of Bones, arranged, recorded, and produced by Alex Blum and the Roadside Quartet, is out now digitally and on CD through Dig Bee Records. Featuring Alex Blum (vocals), Patrick Storedahl (guitars, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals), Peter Jansen (guitars), Douglas Blum (bass, percussion, backing vocals) and Ted Clark (drums, percussion), with Izzy Padilla (drums), Kate Masterson (backing vocals) and Angie Blum (tambourine) on select tracks.
Not all new music is really new, as many artists cover songs. Sometimes these are songs by their favorite artists, eg as a tribute to such a musical hero for a special reason, or they simply feel that a song deserves to be dusted and polished to reacquaint fans with great songs from the past. Other times, bands cover songs as a parody. Regardless of intent, some of those cover versions are so good or so much fun, we’d like to put a spotlight on them. Chosen from a wide range, here are – in random order – ten of our favorite covers from last month – links to the pages where you can add them to your wantlist included.
We’ve already written about Brad Marino’s rarities collection On The Brink, of which his take on Hoodoo Gurus’ What’s My Scene has been bouncing around in my head ever since, but here’s some new ones for you.
Terry || Cover: Big Mess || Original: Kirsty MacColl
Sometimes you hear a song that you immediately take to your heart and text to your friends. The title track that kicks off the TerryEP by Danish punk rock band Big Mess is one of those. What a hit! It turns out to be a cover of Kirsty MacColl‘s 1983 pop single, but then provided with dynamite, which also applies to the tunes that follow. Out on 7″ vinyl through Specialist Subject Records.
Have Seely Jurgens Band appeared on your radar yet? If not, now’s the time to jump on board before they blow up. The duo—Kyle Seely and Justin Jurgens—previously played together in Sirs (active from 2009 to 2013, with Jurgens on vocals and guitar and Seely on drums). At Add To Wantlist, we’re massive fans of anything these two musicians touch. You might recognize Seely as the powerhouse lead guitarist of Sheer Mag, while Jurgens crafts throwback power pop with Dust Star and delivers glam-stomp’n’roll with Ingrates. So, to say we were thrilled about their new collaboration would be a major understatement.
Seely Jurgens Band only made their debut this year, but they’ve already released two two-song singles (which we covered here and here), and just this Monday, they dropped a live version of one of their early standouts We’ll Try (watch the video below). It is a ’70s-inspired glampoprock gem, featuring smooth-as-silk vocals and killer guitar work—an excellent showcase of how Seely and Jurgens carve out their own space apart from their other projects.
We’ve gotten to know New York City artist/musician Jeffrey Lewis well over the past 25 years or so, but never before has he laid himself bare as much as he does on his latest album—both literally (naked in the cover photo, along with Chrissy Howland) and figuratively (the lyrics are not only quick-witted but also quite personal). The title and design of The Even More Freewheelin’ Jeffrey Lewis ostentatiously nod to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, although in terms of content it is more related to the work of Lou Reed.
The ten self-penned songs—garage punk in an indie folk disguise—excel in inimitable and idiosyncratic storytelling (“But if you act like an artist, then it makes you an artist // If you act like a sleazeball, then it makes you a sleaze”—from the fascinating opening track Do What Comes Natural), and keep you glued to your speakers for over 41 minutes. Also worth mentioning are DCB & ARS (a fairy tale about songwriter David Cloud Berman and writer Amy Rose Spiegel), Movie Date (some find it hard to stay awake), and Sometimes Life Hits You (“Ow, fuck, that hurt”), but actually unfiltered honesty and unexpected beauty lurk around every corner.
The Even More Freewheelin’ Jeffrey Lewis—produced by Roger Moutenot—is out now digitally, on CD and vinyl LP, through Blang Records (EU/UK) and Don Giovanni Records (Canada/US). Featuring Jeffrey Lewis (guitars, vocals), Mem Pahl (bass, vocals), Mallory Feuer (violin, keyboard, vocals), and Brent Cole (drums, vocals).
‘New York Choogle’ trio Heat Manager is the latest project of Jake Rabinbach (guitar), Jake Vest (bass) and Greg Faison (drums), known from bands such as High Time, the Echo Friendly and Tiger High. Their debut full-length Relaxed American is on heavy rotation at Add To Wantlist HQ these days, charming and clever as it is. Moving freely on the playing field between the corner flags of pop, rock, folk and country, they created nine original songs—all hitting the mark—full of laid-back melodies and pop cultural references.
Opening track Palm Springs—almost 7 minutes long; the record closes with a shorter single version—stands out: “Sick and alone backstage at Coachella // Tried to hangout with Best Coast and Cults // Oh well I’ll just look at my phone while I wait for Kanye to play.” It is an appealing reflection by Jake Rabinbach on playing Coachella with Francis and the Lights in 2011, broke and broken. “I saw Neko Case looking for an exit carrying her heels // I was looking for a way out too // I remember thinking ‘I know just how Neko feels’ // And wishing to god that I was back in New York with you.”
It sets the tone for the relatable memories that follow, captured in an effectively orchestrated loose sound with enthralling vocals, stories that I can vividly imagine as the spring sun disappears behind the horizon.
Relaxed American, recorded by Jake Vest, is out now digitally through American Grapefruit. Also featuring Shannon Esper (vocals), Toby Vest (organ) and Miles Robinson (keyboard, acoustic guitar, vocals).
Greygarden is a new indie rock band from Lawrence, Kansas, featuring Chris Elliott (vocals, rhythm guitar), Ty Q. Harris (lead guitar), Cael Harris (keys), and Henry Parks (drums). They make their debut with the 7-track I Don’t See It Coming EP, that sounds more mature—solid and thoughtful—than you might expect from such young guys. They deliver rootsy duels between piano and guitars (alternately swinging, jangly or subdued), with raw and powerful vocals, guaranteed to bring a smile. The title song that opens the EP is the undisputed highlight here, but the versatile tunes that follow show that the quartet has more up its sleeve.
I Don’t See It Coming is out now digitally via You Serious? Productions.
That Tom Brown fella sure knows how to keep things interesting, huh? Between Rural France and Teenage Tom Petties, he’s already got his hands full with two underground darlings. And now, here comes another project—Lone Striker—straight from his bedroom. They say that’s where the magic happens, though in Tom Brown’s case, I suspect it involves more cables and coffee than candles and cuddles.
But let’s stay on topic. Lone Striker is more than just another home-recorded project; it’s a major departure from Brown’s usual sound, even when several of the songs are easily reimagined as TTP songs. Brown spent five years shaping this record, driven by his love for warped Americana acts like Silver Jews and Sparklehorse. Not only did he take his time, but he also threw in all sorts of oddball instruments, loops, and samples, resulting in an album that’s both intimate and unpredictable.
Lone Striker is the kind of record that sneaks up on you, the perfect soundtrack for a productive workday or a long drive to nowhere in particular. It drifts in and out of focus, sometimes hazy and dreamlike, other times hitting with laser precision. The laid-back drum loops pulse like a heartbeat, guiding your breathing without you even noticing. And then there are the surprises—because this album is full of them.
The late-summer melancholy of Dunno will have your BBQ guests asking for the artist and song. Funny Way of Showing It sounds like a lost ’60s pop hit, stripped-down and lo-fi but irresistibly catchy. Cursed Like Roy cranks up the Phil Spector vibes, while Never Blown a Kiss starts so unexpectedly I had to check whether I was still listening to the same album. And that chorus hook? Absolutely massive.
As a fan of Rural France and Teenage Tom Petties, I figured I’d enjoy this. But even so, Lone Striker caught me off guard in the best way possible. Out now on Safe Suburban Home, Repeating Cloud, and Hidden Bay Records.
