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In this the latest edition of the MOR New Tunes series, we are featuring some great new tunes from all across the spectrum of Rock and Roll.  We’ve got Legends (David Bowie), Mainstays (Jim James, Hayden, BRMC, Yo La Tengo) and some newcomers (Palma Violets, The Staves, Haim).  Rounding out the playlists are songs from Ivan & Alyosha, The Spinto Band, Matt Pond, The Little Ones, Foxygen, Motel Beds and Phosphorescent.   As always, they are streaming free in the Spotify player below.

Don’t have Spotify? Do yourself a favor and download it, it’s free and quite wonderful. If you like the music, please go out and by it and support the artists, I hear those Spotify royalties aren’t putting much food on the table.

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If you are even a casual fan of My Morning Jacket or the band’s enigmatic frontman Jim James then you have probably already read the many articles describing James’ inspiration for his new the album, the parallels his life made to the 1929 graphic novel God’s Man and his deep love for the ever charismatic Bruce Springsteen.  A simple google search will bring up plenty of that information so we’ll skip the background and go straight to the main event, Regions of Light and Sound of God.  James’ first official solo album is a testament to his creativity and ability to write beautiful songs that somehow push the boundaries of popular music but remain likable at first listen.  Combining highly danceable back beats with soulful instrumentation and James’ trademark vocals Regions is everything you would expect from the frontman of My Morning Jacket without actually sounding like a Jacket album.  Notoriously eccentric yet accessible James seems to be coming into his own these days and Regions is a perfect example of this new shift in positive energy and complete confidence; an artist who is firing on all cylinders and making timeless music at every turn.

James’ love for experimenting with production shines through with tracks like “Know Til Now and “State of the Art,” yet he takes a more straight forward approach with songs like “Of The Mother Again” that is all stripped down sweetness.  Clocking in under 35 minutes and just 9 songs in length the album is far too short for my tastes, but when one of those songs is as beautiful as “A New Life” I am willing to forgive and forget.  The only slightly weak moment on the album comes at the very end with the final two songs.  “All Is Forgiven” and “God’s Love to Deliver,” may have lyrics that dig deep and resonate days after, but their melodies never really live up to the bar set by the rest of the album.  That being said, repeat listens (like the 50+ I have now given the album) soften this opinion and you become accustomed to their sad tones and off-kilter instrumentals.

Regions of Light and Sound of God was recorded over a 2 and a half year period whenever James had time off from MMJ, but has ended up as something much more than a simple distraction from boredom.  The album as a whole tells a complete story and the music feels incredibly fresh and original yet familiar.  James is solidifying himself as one of today’s most prolific and talented songwriters who is constantly reinventing the mold but managing to stay relatable.  James is the type of unexpected songwriter that always leaves you wanting more and with my Morning Jacket returning to the studio this summer I’m anxious to see what’s next.

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Kauffman is all about making honest true music that speaks volumes, something that makes you stop in your tracks and take notice. In fact, his song “Seized” off the new album speaks directly that that phenomenon, of feeling, witnessing or hearing something that takes hold of you, literally seizes you. Like the title of the album infers Kauffman is not interested in creating fleeting music that can be easily digested and then quickly disposed of. Fake Blood refers to the frustration behind bands creating something that is easily promoted and digestible by the masses, but is in the end nothing more than a soulless imitation of the real thing. Kauffman is interested in real blood, the stuff that creeps up on you slow and seeps into your sub conscience but stays for the long haul.

A seemingly equal mix of Buddha’s gentle wisdom and Kurt Vonnegut’s satire Kauffman writes about everything from touring the country to child abuse, but is mainly interested in just creating something honest and fearless. Fake Blood is one of the more original and interesting albums to emerge this year – there is real passion behind Kauffman’s strange music and it shows.

Shaking Through: Floating Action from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.

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It’s a beautiful little tune of a detached, and admittedly heartbroken narrator doing his best to keep things moving on . Written and recorded in the months following Ritter’s divorce, surely the album’s press will garner it’s fare share of Blood on the Tracks references. To me, this sounds like a return to the simple, stark production I always loved in Ritter’s early albums.

It’s always great to see one of your favorite songwriters come out of the box with such strong material following a long absence, here’s to 10 or 11 more great tracks this spring.

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