Tiwayo – Up For Soul

To get things going on the good foot this week how about a killer tune with some seriously sharp edged playing and a rough, lived in soul voice taking it out for delivery? This one is from Tiwayo’s latest album ‘Outsider’ which is set for release next month on the Record Kicks label. It is produced by the Black Pumas Adrian Quesada and promises to push this Paris born singer firmly into the spotlight, which he has slowly moved away from in recent years since his 2023 debut on Blue Note. It really is a welcome return from an artist with an incredible voice; even some of the all time greats in soul, blues and gospel did not come as close to a sound so authentically aged and fresh as this. No wonder Tiwayo was once bestowed with the nickname “The Young Old”. Get yourself on the pre-order list for the album via this link: https://amzn.to/4dau3RK

White Rose Motor Oil – Hit In The Face

Of this song, soon to be featured on their long anticipated debut album ‘Spider,’ the band say it is “for all of us who feel the need to punch-dance out our rage right now.” This is a rollin’ and tumblin’ rockin’ rockabilly thunder crack of a tune that revs its engine delightfully with every repeat of the “you’re gonna get hit in the face” chorus line. They are a red hot duo from Denver with a fire lighting zipper of a female vocalist and a love of playing fast and loud. Together they surf the waves between cowpunk and garage rock which is a pretty exhilarating place to be if you can manage to catch it. Find out more about the band this way https://whiterosemotoroil.bandcamp.com/track/hateland-2 and hear them included as part of our first Fresh Juice mix of the year here: https://www.mixcloud.com/dannyneill714/fruit-tree-records-fresh-juice-2026-vol-1/

Hannah Lew – Sunday

You can almost feel the sun rising on the springtime with the gorgeous hazy electro textures on a new track by Hannah Lew. It can also be heard on her self titled debut album due to be released on 10th April via Night School Records. She has a deep background in the US alt-rock underground with Grass Widow and Cold Beat but a new solo project is leaning more into her pop sensibilities, albeit with the sheen of a Numanoid post-punk production aesthetic. She says of this video that it is “a re-enactment of a dream I had, that the song is also based on. It was surreal to embody the subconscious and only then did I divine the meaning of the dream. The whole experience was very ritualistic.” Get the album on pre-order here: https://amzn.to/3NbTR5m

Anna Calvi (feat. Iggy Pop) – God’s Lonely Man

Anna’s latest EP project is titled ‘Is This All There Is?’ in which she purposefully sought out vocal collaborators who would fit perfectly for the role playing task required in each song. She approached Iggy Pop, feeling he would be the ideal personality to recite the destructive inner monologue of the title character in this piece. As you would expect he rises to the occasion and then some, reviving the same energy he pumped into classics like ‘Lust For Life’ and ‘The Passenger.’ The four track EP also features Perfume Genius, Laurie Anderson and Matt Berninger and is available here: https://amzn.to/3NdqwYq

Midnight Rodeo – Desert On The Run (Jenny)

Not exactly a brand new release but this is a relatively new live performance and the band are well worth a heads up for any who have not come across them yet. The song was originally available on their Bandcamp release ‘Thank You For Your Time’ and both that release and subsequent live outings show what a hot proposition this Nottingham based collective are. Their sound sits somewhere in the neo-psych garden although you can hear shimmering influences of Americana and surf rock in there too, all front loaded with a swooning vocalist and a band environment that feels like a proper gang. The vinyl may be long sold out but you can still get hold of the tracks here: https://midnightrodeo.bandcamp.com/album/thank-you-for-your-time

https://youtu.be/h8kRuAN_N7o?si=FELsNatnl7RSlt_Q

Julian Lage – Something More

And finally for this week some superb, masterful musicianship on one of the best Jazz album releases of the year so far. As well as leader Julian on guitar it also features his new quartet of John Medeski on Hammond organ, Jorge Roeder on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums. It is taken from a new album ‘Scenes From Above,’ which happens to be his fifth record for Blue Note records, which came out in January. Produced by Joe Henry it is a record that feels like a balm amidst the turbulent world we are living in right now, it never hurts to remember that people can still create something beautiful in a time of destruction, division and conflict. You can buy the album via this link: https://amzn.to/4aY9KFN