Welcome to the September Edition of What’s the Guru Listening To? I get asked this question a lot. What
am I currently enjoying and what would I recommend? And since time is severely
limited these days, it gets harder and harder to post a full review of the
outstanding music that I am discovering (or re-discovering). Therefore, every
month I will fill you in on the latest song, album, and/or band that I am
obsessed with.
Here's what The Guru is listening to this month:
KISS
For reasons that will soon become clear, I have been
revisiting my KISS collection in a big way this last month. Starting with the
early albums (the original three, Alive!,
Destroyer) and working my way to the
non-makeup era (Lick It Up, Asylum,
Revenge) my joy for Kiss has been reignited over the last month. I have
forgotten how many great records this band has put out over the years.
Especially albums like Lick It Up
that I haven’t listened to in years. I am reminded of how wonderful and
exciting their music can be and glad that I am rediscovering that now and
really delving into my massive collection of KISS music. They have been my
favorite band most of my life for several reasons and those reasons are all
coming back to me now.
Prophets Of
Rage
My review of their full length self-titled album was recently posted, but ever since listening to Prophets Of
Rage for review purposes, I can’t stop listening to Prophets Of Rage. As stated in my review, it’s great to have music
that makes you feel alive and Prophets Of
Rage does just that. Yes, I was a fan of the bands that these members were part
of back in the day (specifically Public Enemy and Rage Against The Machine) so
I knew that this record was going to be enjoyable. I just didn’t realize how
much enjoyment this record was going to produce. I have a feeling that Prophets Of Rage is going to be played a
lot throughout the fall.
OLD 97’s –
Graveyard Whistling
On a recent road trip to New Hampshire, I rediscovered
the joy of the latest OLD 97’s album, Graveyard
Whistling. Old 97’s is a band that I have loved for many years and anytime
they release a new record I am quick to add it to my collection. Graveyard Whistling was no exception.
Upon initial release, I listened to the album a lot and then moved on to other
artists and songs (as is my routine). I left Graveyard Whistling in my car and I’m glad that I did. On the
aforementioned road trip, I found the disc in my stack of car CDs and gave it a
few spins. Driving north with the windows down and the sun shining provided a
plethora of joyful feelings. With exceptional songs such as “Bad Luck Charm”
and “Irish Whiskey Pretty Girls” the Old 97’s recorded another magnificent
record filled with their signature style of alternative country. And although
the road trip is over, I think the many listens of Graveyard Whistling is just beginning.
JD McPherson –
Signs And Signifiers
First discovered as a closing song during an episode of Amazon’s
fabulous show Sneaky Pete, “Signs and
Signifiers” has received significant play on my radio this month. As summer
drew to a close and September crept in, I found myself playing this song more
and more. Mainly because it reminded me of the summer and took me back there
every time I would listen to this song. And it’s a terrific song as well, so
that’s reason alone to listen to it. JD McPherson is a talented artist and if
you haven’t taken the time to check out his music, I highly encourage that you
do so. I would start with “Signs and Signifiers” and then evolve from there. McPherson
plays a nice blend of rockabilly meeting the blues mixed with a touch of soul that
is a real treat for the ears.
Comments are open. Feel free to post some.
