The Helltones’ bright, lively sound combines jazz, R&B, doo-wop, surf music and other diverse elements with the deeply felt lyrics of main songwriter, singer and band leader Darwin Siegaldoud. The band’s uplifting music contradicts their foreboding name.
Gwen Levey punches through the morass of her life on Not the Girl Next Door. This is a hard-driving country-rock EP that finds Levy taking control and reveling in it. The five songs chronicle her realizing that partying hard with people who don’t care about your feelings is not the way (“Toxic City”), and guides us straight through to loving forgiveness (“The Next Lifetime”) and embracing yourself (“Not the Girl Next Door”). The EP closes with “Barefoot and Pregnant,” a retro-country banger that mocks the repeal of Roe v. Wade. This arena-ready collection cements Levey as an artist to keep an eye on.
While rock n’ roll is always changing and evolving, sometimes it’s just as refreshing to hear a band throwback to the sounds that built the foundation of the genre. Oakland’s The Helltones do this with a flair and panache that makes the songs on their latest album, Medusa, exquisitely timeless. Stirring up a pot of garage rock, doo-wop, lounge, R&B and soul, the group mines gold from the past while never losing track of modern hooks.
It’s not uncommon for fatherhood to change the trajectory of a nerdcore artist. The arrival of a new baby compelled MC Lars (along with his wife, Ash Tell Em) to pen a parody song about the rigors of messy diapers, mc chris, released not one but two children’s albums inspired by his kid, and Illbotz’s Stevie D went so far as to start a whole new band with his son.
However, Chip-hop pioneer Mega Ran took a slightly different approach; his latest full-length album, Buddy’s Magic Toy Box, collects a dozen tracks of tuneful advice, encouragement, affirmations, and education tailor-made for his young son. Still, you and yours will find it wonderfully inspiring as well. Priced at $11 for the digital album, $11.99 cassette, $12.99 CD, and $26.99 LP, it’s available on MegaRan’s Bandcamp page. –Z.
Listen to this week’s Captain Americana Spotify playlist featuring:
Old Heavy Hands – Shelter Me
Rufus Wainwright, Susanna Hoffs, Chris Stills, Sheryl Crow – Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls are Coming to the Canyon)
Andrea & Mud, Chelsea Lovitt – Residual Heartache (feat. Chelsea Lovitt)
The Handsome Family – The King of Everything
Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings – Listen to the Radio
Leeann Skoda, Sie Sie Benhoff, Dylan Rodrigue – Little Star
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Cask Iron Skillet
Gwen Levey and The Breakdown – Man For the Job
Blind Boys of Alabama – Work Until My Days are Done
David G Smith – Weight You Carry
Bonnie “Prince” Billy: “Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You”
Jax Hollow – Wallflower Girl in Bloom
Rodney Crowell, Alison Prestwood – Beautiful Man
Bonnie & The Mere Mortals – Curses – Live & Unplugged
The Milk Carton Kids – When You’re Gone
Rick Hornyak – Continental Queen
Old Crow Medicine Show – Keel Over and Die
Megan & Shane – Coast of California
Dom Flemons – Slow Dance with You
Shannon Clark & the Sugar – Burn Down
Parker Graye – Somethin’ About You
Corey Harper – My Innocence
Vincent Mason – Good Thing Going
Claire – Henry
Underground Springhouse – Island Grass
Eli Winders – Carolina Blue
Maggie Antone – If Only You Played Football As Well As You Play Girls
Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. – Fannie Mae
Michael Cleveland – The Blues Are Close At Hand
Mighty Poplar, Andrew Marlin, Noam Pikelny – A Distant Land to Roam
The Resonant Rogues – 93,500 Miles
Listen to this week’s State of the Art Spotify playlist featuring:
Coma Girls – Back to the Source (Baby Robot Records)
Björk, Rosalía – Oral
Super Cassette – Continent
Helltones – When We’re Moving
Mega Ran, Jer, Stacked Like Pancakes – Recess
Josh Rennie-Hynes – Is It in the Water
Beekeeper Spaceman – In the Custody of Stars
Leeann Skoda, Sie Sie Benhoff, Dylan Rodrigue – Little Star
Shane Rennison – Another Chance
Jax Hollow – Wallflower Girl in Bloom
VOLK – Pop Song
Devan – Still Think You Do
Julia Bhatt – Charmander
Vanishing Twin – Afternoon X
thanks for coming – Loop
The Rural Alberta Advantage – 10ft. Tall
Mad Honey – Fold
Mirror Tree – Echoes Competing
Lip Critic – It’s the Magic
Sheherazaad – Mashoor
Enny Owl – Alina
Valley Boy – I Met God
body / negative ft. Midwife – sleepy
Dowsing – Simple Projections
Full Body 2 – wonder limit
Ghostly Kisses – Golden Eyes
Miso Extra – 2nd Floor
Slope – It’s Tickin’
Wings of Desire – Better Late Than Never
Uni Boys – Let’s Watch a Movie
Billy Tibbals – Hollywood Baby