Lambchop's "FLOTUS"

The Artist: Lambchop

The Record: FLOTUS (Merge, 2016)

The Sound: Back-Groove Americana

The Story: I've always wanted to get into Lambchop. Both of my brothers have found their joy in 2002's Is a Woman and 2004's Aw C'mon/No, You C'mon and I've kept those records in my collection for years waiting for the right moment to dive into their 12+ record catalog. But it was last April as I cruised the streets of LA and I heard the first single off of FLOTUS when I knew my time had come.

They debuted "NIV" on All Songs Considered which i heard while cruising the streets of LA and I was grabbed immediately by the pumping chill of the electronic soundscape that rolled between my headphones. Although Kurt Wagner's deep and poetic growl is usually at the forefront of Lambchop's orchestrations, it was clear that they were embracing modern voice-processing filters and production techniques and it was working. I was totally captivated by the deep breath of fresh air that filled the lungs of this music over 20 years into this band's career.

Using contemporary tools to update your sound has gone badly for artists in the past, falling into the trap of trying to be "cool dad" and unkowingly falling flat. Fortunately, FLOTUS holds strong as one of the most palatable and groovy records I listened to in 2016. Each time I would feel overwhelmed by the triumphantly chaotic events happening around the world at the end of the year, I would put on FLOTUS and sink into the relaxing subtly of "In Care of 8675309" and I was transported into a space of liminal calm where I could simply float. And there and then I was safe.

Float Us, FLOTUS.

For Love Often Turns Us Still.

Artist: Lambchop

Song: "NIV"

Album: FLOTUS (2016, Merge)

Marisa Anderson's "Into the Light"

The Artist: Marisa Anderson

The Record: Into the Light (Chaos Kitchen, 2016)

The Sound: Low-Key Acid Western Guitar

The Story: Marisa Anderson spent years living the life of a nomad: hitchhiking, traveling with a circus, living in cars, buses, tents, and sometimes just walking. Throughout that time, she brought her guitar along, her constant companion. It's through that guitar that she tells her stories.

After 2 records of solo improvisational guitar and the aptly-titled Traditional & Public Domain Songs, Into the Light finds Anderson composing songs and functioning as a one woman band, overlaying guitar, lap steel, and pedal steel to fully flesh out the sound of this album. The effect is both calming and mesmerizing.

Described as a "soundtrack to an imaginary science-fiction western film," the story follows a lone traveller lost in the Sonoran Desert. And it's true, the record is deeply Western, lost somewhere in the blurred distance of a desert horizon. But as Anderson takes you deep into that desert, the music keeps you afloat, and you seem to glide along on the cool breezes of each dreamlike phrase.

My sweetheart and I were driving back to Sancti Petri after a hot day in Vejer and beautiful afternoon in a hippie beach town and she requested something calm and gentle. Needless to say, this record guided us smoothly along the coast as we chased the Spanish sunset home. It evoked in me a strong sense of wonder and wander. Reminded me of a certain kind of travel I love, the kind of travel through landscapes that speak with a wordless wisdom.

"This is nice." I probably said.

"Mmhmm."

Krano's "Requiescat in Plavem"

The Artist: Krano

The Record: Requiescat in Plavem (Maple Death Records, 2016)

The Sound: Dusty Afternoon Americana

The Story: Aquarium Drunkard can always be trusted to find the diamonds in the dusty, rusty rough, and this morning I was pleasantly surprised to find Krano's Requiescat in Plavem. This is the stuff of my dreams: obscure record made in the woods with a Tascam 8-track with mysterious backstory finds its way to record label who shares it with the world so that thousands of people have access to this otherwise forgotten gem.

In this case, the artist is Krano, a one-man band from the region of Veneto in Italy. The music, however, walks leisurely down the well-trod dirt paths of Americana, employing rootsy swamp grooves, ragtime piano and twangy guitars played with an earnestness that easily connects the two worlds, reminding us these distant lands share the same late spring sun. And thanks to the warm fuzz of the lo-fidelity of the recording, the whole thing sounds cohesive, almost as if captured in a single day.

This records wants to be enjoyed in one sitting, resting by a riverside in the late afternoon with nothing on the mind and nothin' but time as you let your imagination drift to the Italian wilderness from whence this record was birthed. The album trailer does a good job of capturing the vibe.

I love this record. I love it a lot. It goes right up there with Love and Harlem River as one of my go-to lazy afternoon feels, one that I will return to again and again.