The Spins

Hello, and welcome back to The Spins. Some weeks, I only hit gems. This was not one of those weeks. However, I found enough to give you stuff to check out. Let’s begin.

Monde UFO, Flaming Tower

An album that incorporates free jazz, tape manipulation, psychedelica, motorik, French pop, space sounds, exotica, and other random sounds into a series of songs that not only make sense, but are also excellent. It sounds like a mess. I swear it's not.

RIYL: Silver Apples, Can, tape decay, Esquivel

Lust for Youth & Croatian Amor, All Worlds

The duo of Lust for Youth (Hannes Norrvide and Malthe Fischer) reunite with their old bandmate Croatian Amor (Loke Rahbek) after several years apart. Revolving around dance, ambient, and hip-hop sounds interspersed with recordings and introspective lyrics, the album is an excellent display of their combined skill. It also serves as a nice refresh for the Lust for Youth project, as Norrvide and Fischer had started to spin their wheels a bit.

RIYL: Scandinavia, Da Club, hip-hop, Lust for Youth or Croatian Amor, ambient music

The Men, Buyer Beware

The Men were a fearsome band during their peak in the early 2010s, turning out ferocious rock and roll. However, they kinda went country, and it seemed like they had lost direction. This album is a return to form for The Men. It has bits of Goner-style garage rock, punk rock, guitar noise, and a little bit of metal running throughout it. Although they almost flub the landing, the remainder of the album is an excellent listen.

RIYL: Guitar Wolf, Oblivians, The Men’s Sacred Bones records, brief albums

Ichiko Aoba, Luminescent Creatures

This is a phenomenal folk album. The textures are lovely, and Aoba is a soothing presence. It's like living in a dream. I would be doing a professional disservice if I didn’t tell you to stop whatever you are doing right now and go listen to this album if you are a folk fan.

RIYL: Sea creatures, Japan, chamber folk, acoustic guitar

The Tubs, Cotton Crown

An album that finds the bridge between 80s and 90s college rock, post-punk, and UK folk-rock. A steady stream of jangly guitars buoys this set of well written songs. I was very high on their previous album, Dead Meat, and they’ve only continued to build on that promise with this record.

RIYL: Fairport Convention, The Smiths, Orange Juice, The Wedding Present

Jacqueline du Pré & Daniel Barenboim, Beethoven: Cello Sonatas & Variations

This is a live recording of the married couple playing Beethoven’s Cello Sonatas and a series of variations in front of a live audience at the 1970 Edinburgh Festival. Du Pré is one of the greatest cellists ever, always able to bring out the full range of the music that she is playing. Barenboim is an accomplished pianist, playing with sensitivity and elegance. Their combined skill brings out the beauty of Beethoven’s compositions, which is not always easy. Without knowing the pieces, you will gain something from this listening experience.

RIYL: Classic music, chamber music

Didn’t expect that swerve did you? Never forget that this column is music that is both new and new to me.

Stay positive, and as a friendly reminder, you still have three days to get into your feelings.