On the November Popdose New Music Report on the Planet LP Podcast, Keith Creighton and Ted Asregadoo tackle a ton of new albums that we highly recommend buying if you like what you hear when you stream.
But here are some other titles worth streaming that we had to cut for time on the podcast.
New Order • Substance (Super Deluxe Edition)
It’s Hard to believe it’s been 35 years since the 80’s ultimate greatest hits album was released. New Order’s “Substance” was a unique take on a hits package. Eschewing the shortened 7” or radio mixes typically packed onto a single disc, the Manchester quartet opted to spread all of their coveted 12-inch single extended remixes across two full-length CDs in packaging reminiscent of the generic label groceries that were popular at the time. In many ways, it was the ubiquitous “Frampton Comes Alive” of our generation, seemingly everyone I knew had a copy.
Now expanded to four discs, the original lineup and sequence remain on Discs 1 and 2; Disc 3 packs in many sought-after dub versions plus the original remixes of two tracks that received “1987 versions” the first time Substance rolled around. Disc 4 is a serviceable live album from the 1987 tour. In 2024, Peter Hook and the Light will tour this album in the States; meanwhile, New Order just headlined the all-star Darker Waves festival. In my humble opinion, the band was criminally denied in this year’s Rock Hall selection, par for the course for the stodgy old hall that focuses mainly on domestic product.
– Keith Creighton
Final Verdict: Stream It (if you own the original), Buy It (if not)
Juliana Hatfield • Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO
Juliana Hatfield continues her look back at music from her youth. First, it was Olivia Newton-John, then The Police, and now ELO is covered by Hatfield in a way that’s quite satisfying. I’m not a big fan of covers these days since there are a good number of artists who can’t resist trying their hand at a tried and true hit. Plus, let’s face it, we’ve had decades of sampling and now interpolation that whatever novelty cover songs held have long since evaporated. However, Hatfield is bucking her Gen X tradition of covering songs with a healthy dose of irony in favor of being completely earnest about the material – and may the music gods bless her for it. She sticks to being faithful to the songs, but they are shorn of the studio effects that Jeff Lynne was known for. The song that really shines in this collection is her version of “Telephone Line” – which captures the aching and painful emotions of the narrator. Stream “Telephone Line” with earbuds or headphones to feel the blue days, black nights.
Doo-wop, doo-be-doo-doo-wop, doo-wah, doo-lang.
– Ted Asregadoo
The Struts • Pretty Vicious
The British Band that claims and aims to be the biggest rock band in the world, tries, tries again on Album #4 (completing their first decade in existence). The Struts are on Big Machine Group, home to Cheap Trick, formerly home to Taylor Swift – so ambition remains high. In many ways, they sound and look like a modern Rolling Stones, and their first three albums totally kick – so if you have a penchant for The Darkness, Aerosmith, Queen, and Sam Ryder (who released one of the year’s best albums in January), stream this one proud and loud.
– Keith Creighton
One Square Mile • Source of Suffering
If you travel south from Los Angeles International Airport down Highway 1 you’ll roll through Hermosa Beach – a city that’s about one square mile. That’s where you’ll find the punk band One Square Mile whose EP “Source of Suffering” is an action-packed and compact 14 minutes of rollicking melodic punk. The track that’s most melodic is “Revisions of Truth.” Lead singer Vannessa Philips Kaylor has a great voice for this genre. It’s not screamo or spitfire. Rather, she can alternate between conveying real anger while keeping a chorus catchy enough to sing along. The production on the EP is quite heavy, but not so much that the instruments get lost in a stew of sonic silt. “Source of Suffering” is a go-to when you need a good 14 minutes to rock out in the car.
– Ted Asregadoo
Welcome to Artistic Self Indulgence
13 years on from his last record, Andre 3000 is still counting his “Hey Ya!” cash. Sensing a hole in the marketplace for an all-woodwind instrumental album, he returned with New Blue Sun. The opening track says it all, and this is the title, not the complete lyrics, as there are none “I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a ‘Rap’ Album But This is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time”. I’d love to tell you how this one ends, but much like the Calm app, it puts me to sleep every time.
Not to be outside, Vince Clark or Erasure hands Andre his beer and drops Songs of Silence, an instrumental album where each track is built off a single note. Not sure why the hell this exists, but it makes me long for the indulgences of years past, such as Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music and Prince’s Kamasutra. Fun fact, I wrote this entire Popdose piece with Vince’s album on headsets and completely forgot I was listening to anything.
–Keith Creighton
Dirty Honey • Can’t Find The Brakes
For their second full-length LP, SoCal rockers Dirty Honey go back to their well of influences by mining tasty riffs that sound like Aerosmith, the Black Crowes, Guns-n-Roses, and even Led Zep at times. This is very much a throwback album where that familiar four-on-the-floor arena rock comes shining through. “Don’t Put Out The Fire,” “Won’t Take Me Alive” (nods to Joe Perry and all), and “Dirty Mind” (Not a cover of the song by Prince) kicks off the record with a strong opening salvo. Some of the album gets weighed down by too many sound-alike songs, but the power ballad “Coming Home” works to great effect. Give this album a stream (or two…or 50) and it’s likely that you’ll be coming back to this record over and over.
– Ted Asregadoo
Semisonic • Little Bit of Sun
Speaking of counting royalties, Semisonic’s Dan Wilson is likely still counting Adele 21 coin, in addition to the countless A+ list credits he’s packed into a production career he’s sandwiched between his performance one. His band has completed its lap around the pop cultural sun, going from celebrated, to reviled, to beloved where endlessly delicious hits “Chemistry” and “Closing Time: will forever live. Nothing quite jumps out of the speakers on this new one, but I invested in the CD, so I’ll give it plenty of spins before filing it away. I suggest you Stream It.
– Keith Creighton
Porcupine Tree • Closure/Continuation. Live
Depending on when you read this, “Closure/Continuation.Live” is either out now or you can only stream the song “Harridan.” If you’re reading this before December 8, 2023, then you’re only able to stream “Harridan” – and that’s okay, because, boy, what a fantastic live version. Steven Wilson, never really a strong vocalist, is really belting it out here. And while that’s wonderful to hear, what’s even more wonderful is the band. They are incredibly tight and drummer Gavin Harrison attacks the kit with a precision that has the complexity of Neil Peart at times. Harrison is also so in the pocket on this song that even his monster fills have a groove that keeps “Harridan” moving forward with a ferocity that’s somewhat missing in the studio version.
– Ted Asregadoo
Madness • Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est la Vie
Some 20 tracks clock in just under an hour, so this one will be a slow burn – but hey, closing in on 50 years into their career, this is only album #13, so you likely have time before the next one to enjoy.
– Keith Creighton
Black Pumas • Chronicles of a Diamond
I bought this one on CD (I’ll admit, to nudge a Target order into free shipping territory), but it got lost in the deluge of new releases we dedicated the past three Planet LP podcasts to covering. We’ll see if it takes root during the holidays. If you loved their self-titled debut, you kinda already have this album, so I suggest streaming first.
– Keith Creighton
Dolly Parton • Rock Star
Dolly Parton celebrates her Rock Hall induction with a 30-track opus called Rock Star, packed with so many guest stars, that it feels like the Star Wars Holiday Special. The 2CD set mixes some original content with the “original recording artists” revisiting their hits as duets with Dolly. Miley Cyrus – of course. Paul and Ringo – why not? Kid Rock? Why Dolly why??? The glittering diamond in this stiletto is “Purple Rain”. OK, I had no idea all these years Prince was covering a Dolly Parton song because she truly owns this one. Not sure if this set will hold up to repeat listens, so stream it first.
–Keith Creighton
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