Better late than never! November was a month for beautiful, contemplative music.
- Sharell Bryant wrote one of the best songs this year with “Turn Me Into a Diamond” and I will say this until you all agree with me. You can learn more about Sharell in her interview with Adobe & Teardrops.
- T. Buckley’s album Frame By Frame is a beautiful, gentle reflection of self — Buckley’s past, his future, and even grappling with learned racism. Reflection doesn’t always have to be lacerating, and Buckley points the way towards a firmer sense of self without punishment.
- The Roseline put out a beautiful college rock album bidding farewell to college towns — as discussed in our interview — and, more importantly how to push forward in uncertain times.
- Beau Jennings & The Tigers put out a damn good power pop album and “Star Skate” is one of the best on here.
- With “Kisbee Ring,” Abby Posner gives us an enchanting love song — and it certainly sets the tone for the album of the same name. This is a jaunty, wistful, at times piercing album that features Posner’s masterful guitar work.
- Sally Anne Morgan delivers inventive fiddle playing and labyrinthine compositions on Cups, pushing the limits of what traditional music can be.
- We learned a whole lot about Bruisey Peets’ masterful Poached Eggs in his track-by-track, but suffice to say this is an album about betrayal, grief, capitalism, and food service with a heaping side of swamp pop and cabaret.
- The Way Down is perfect fall album. The Way Down starts off with the straightforward rocker “Bird on a Wire.” But as we descend further into our journey, Van Plating pulls off crisp, experimental pop aplomb. This album intelligently pushes the musical envelop while retaining a supreme sense of control.
- Trad artist Jackson Lynch rips off all the stops on his album All By My Lonesome. This isn’t necessarily a party album, but Lynch performs these vintage tunes with an intensity and sincerity that make them feel electric.
- On Calumet Queen, Kiely Connell takes a different look at swamp pop. This album is full of grooves you can sink your teeth into, plus storytelling that will encourage you to look at the world a little more carefully.
- Meanwhile, The Rizzos know that punk’s not dead and on “Joey For President,” they resurrect the grit and energy of The Ramones. But the rest of How It Was also turns to somber introspection as well.
- You will not be able to listen to Black Snake without getting lost in it. Sara Jean Kelley is a master of melody, but her lyrics and ability to evoke the natural world set her apart.
- Golden and Rust is the collaboration of Joey Kneiser (whose previous band Glossary was featured in my Southern Psych Rock playlist) and Lew Card. In classic Kneiser fashion, this is an album of gentle, meditative riffs and an examination of the bigger questions in life.
- As a sort of response, let’s get into Sixteen Jackies’ EP Hostile Architecture. The queer horror-inspired punk band takes life’s mysteries kicking and screaming, per our interview.
I think that following me on Spotify is a thing you can do to make sure you get a new playlist from me every Friday! You can also follow Tuesday Teardrops, a playlist of new and exciting songs that refreshes every — you guessed it — Tuesday! As always, buy music and/or merch directly from the artists because Spotify is a horrible and exploitative platform!
You can support Adobe & Teardrops by buying merch or hitting the ol’ Patreon or Ko-fi links!Want more Adobe & Teardrops? Subscribe to the podcast (twice a month!) or listen on The Lost Church Radio for having us on their internet waves. You can catch Adobe & Teardrops on the 1st Sunday of every month at 1 PM Eastern/10 AM PST, and the third Thursday of the month at 9 EST/6 PM PST.