Recent releases that reside below the radar but ought to come up for air soon!

Steve Bardwil Band
Stardust In Disguise
(independent)
Steve Bardwil once navigated the upper strata of the entertainment world as Chief Counsel for Walt Disney Studios, but a dozen years ago, he made the decision to trade “legal briefs for guitar riffs,” as his bio puts it so eloquently. Just last year, the band released their debut album Nothing But Time, and now, after starring stages with any number of major marquee names, they’ve returned with an impressive sophomore set that further reflects the band’s absolute pop potential. Scarlet Rivera, formerly of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, makes a cameo appearance here, but truth be told, the music provides all the affirmation needed. Songs such as “Falling For Forever,” “Something With You,” “Scarecrow Dreams,” “If I Had My Way,” and indeed, practically every song on the album establish the band’s absolute authority right from the get-go. Given their knack for rousing and robust rock and roll and penchant for fully-fueled power pop, it’s clear that even early on, Bardwil and company have long since proven their potential.

Rachel Sage & The Sequins
Under My Canopy
(MPress Records)
Rachel Sage is one of the most effervescent and exuberant artists making music to day, and her expressive approach touches each of her listeners in its own special way. A host of special guests contribute to her new album, co-billed with The Sequins, but it’s Sage herself that once again provides the calming caress that ensures such a positive feel. It’s absolutely impossible to ignore the uplifting energy that flows from the music and songs such as “Live It Up,” “Just Enough,” “The Best Version,” and the delicately rendered “God Blue America” and Buddy Holly’s “Everyday” convey a certain sense of optimism, simply but succinctly. Likewise, the acoustic arrangements effortlessly express innocence and contentment in equal measure. “I will be strong for you,” Sage sings on “Belong To You” with a soft symphonic sheen, and the affect on the listener feels  both personal and profound. Given today’s trouble and turbulence, Under My Canopy provides a gathering place for relief and resilience.

Feef Mooney
The Really Real
(Self-released)

Formerly from Scotland and now based in L.A., Feef Mooney may appear to be somewhat quirky on first encounter, but then again, that’s part of her charm. And her intuitive insight. With prolific multi-instrumentalist, producer and erstwhile auteur Fernando Perdomo working with her behind the boards, attitude is everything. The Really Real is, as its title suggests, an authentic collection of giddy, gregarious songs flush with sheer ebullience and enthusiasm. “Evolution,” “Blue State Of Mind,” “Good Changes,” “Underground,”“In Love With Free,” and the title track are effusive examples of pure pop precision, a crisp, vibrant, sunny sound that’s all but irresistible. As a result, Feef’s feelings are effortlessly expressed. And it really doesn’t get more real than that.

A Different  Thread
Over Again
(Self-released)
A Different Thread, a duo made up of Alicia Best and her husband, British expatriate Robert Jackson, create a satisfying sound that manages to come across as effortlessly engaging and supremely soothing. With an obvious passion for folk music finery, they’re an ideal example of what a soft, serene sound offers a time when divisions and discord seem to dominate all aspects of today’s common culture. They prove their prowess with the utterly affecting opening track “Over Again,” and from that point on they maintain that light lilting sound and casual caress courtesy of songs such as “The Prophet,” “Always Leaving,” “Come On Home, Molly,” “Columbus,” Goodbye Muddy Waters,” and “Amaranth.” In short, Over Again is an outstanding example of pure passion and prowess. Both quiet and contemplative, it demands repeated listens.

Matt White

Matt White’s Dolly
(Adhyaropa Records)

The timing couldn’t be more auspicious. Indeed, with the recent passing of the iconic Dolly Parton, one might expect various tributes to pour forth for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, Matt White’s Dolly doesn’t attempt to cash via a familiarity factor.. In fact, it was conceived well before her passing and its treatment of Dolly’s standards is nothing less than unexpected. It’s rendered entirely in a jazz motif, with brass figuring prominently in the arrangements. “Jolene” and two versions of “9 To 5” notwithstanding, White’s treatments transform the material to such an extent that each entry bears practically no sound similarity to the original offerings. Credit White, a South Carolina Arts Music Fellow, with creating both a daring and distinctive work.

Various Artists
Jem Records Celebrates Bob Dylan
(Jem Records)

Tributes to the Bard are nothing new of course. Aside from the innumerable covers of Dylan’s material over the past 65 years, there’s been numerous albums comprised of bands — both known and less-known — that have offered their own interpretations of Dylan’s fabled repertoire. “Does the world really need another Bob Dylan tribute album?,” the curators ask on the back cover of this particular compilation. That may be up for debate, but inevitably the answer relies on the participants. And in this case, the cream of Jem Records’ power pop roster make the difference. Some are better known than others — Paul Collins, The Weeklings, Nick Piunti, The Gripweeds, and the Cynic comprise the marquee names, such as there are — but the reinterpretations that lend true credence to the proceedings. Naturally the familiarity factor weighs in heavily, but given the edgy interpretations, its literally like hearing even these seminal standards for the first time. Those distinctive takes reaffirm the worth of reinvention.

Various Artists

Just Look Inside-Songs Of Pete Ham

(Y&T Music)

In recent years, the revived  Y&T Music label has become the official caretaker of the Badfinger legacy courtesy of collections of unreleased demos by two of the band’s prime movers, Pete Ham and Tom Evans, as well as covers spanning their individual outputs. Just Look Inside is the latest entry in this seemingly inexhaustible series, songs that eschew the familiarity factor but largely maintain interest due to the bright and buoyant efforts of those that are involved. Indeed, theres no hint of redundancy given such marquee named Tobin Sprout, Mic Harrison and the High Score, Arlen Feiles, Richard Barone, Bill Lloyd, Fernando Perdomo, and two men with immediate connections to the band — Ron Griffiths and Bob Jackson. At this point, the producers may have exhausted all the viable material that Ham left behind, but clearly the dedication and devotion linger on.

Bill Mallonee
Glimmer
(Independent release)

Singer/songwriter Bill Mallonee’s prolific proficiency is evidenced by the fact that he’s released some 70 albums over the course of an over 35 year career. He helmed the sadly-overlooked Athens Georgia band Vigilantes of Love early on, prior to going solo at the turn of the century. Remarkably, quantity has never impeded the quality of his material, and if any evidence is needed at all, then the new double disc Glimmer provides the proof. Originally released digitally in 2024, it’s well deserving of this expanded revisit, given that Mallonee’s authority and insights continually come to the fore. A true Americana auteur, he could be considered one of the leading voices in that particular genre, given that each of these 28 songs ring with the sturdy drive, resolve and deep determination that resonates within America’s heartland, and for that matter, through Mallonee’s music as well. Consider this yet another Mallonee masterpiece.

Kyle Frederick
The Force Majeure
(Melody Chef)
Kyle Frederick is a forceful and determined singer/songwriter whose every release rings and resonates with pure deliberation and desire. The Force Majeure is no exception, a tour-de-force that finds him flush with confidence and clarity. Coproduced with noted bassist Byron House, it boasts several anthems courtesy of the powerful title track and “Safe With You,” a song that gives Frederick’s personal perspective on the need for commitment even when that commitment isn’t necessarily shared. The songs make an immediate impact, sharing strength, wisdom and vulnerability in equal proportions, driven by riveting melodies and absolute resolve. “The Clergy Sticker” is a mantra to both perseverance and the need to aspire to a higher standard of empathy and understanding. “St. Patrick’s Bar and Grill” is decidedly Dylan-esque in its designs. So too, “Luckier” places his Frederick’s own philosophical aspirations and intents front and center. Ultimately then, The Force Majeure finds him climbing to a higher artistic plateau.

Fruition
Something More
(Bloodshot)
Two decades on into a remarkably prolific career, Fruition continues to cull the lessons learn on while busking group on street corners in the Pacific Northwest. With three singer/songwriters in the fold, the band’s created a signature sound built around seamless vocal harmonies and a smooth, seductive sound combining elements of folk, bluegrass, soul, and rock 'n' roll. The inventive, atmospheric arrangements combine traditional acoustic instrumentation as well as the exploratory sounds of electric guitar, cello, Mellotron, and old-school drum machines, making this, their eight album, produced by Grammy winner Tucker Martine their most exploratory effort yet. Following on the heels of 2024’s How To Make Mistakes, an overdub free, live in studio set, it’s as bold and beguiling as before, with songs such as “Compass,” “Oh Well,” “Reason To Live” that occasionally brings to mind an effortlessly engaging combination of pure pop finesse and mid ‘70s Fleetwood Mac. It’s supremely satisfying indeed.

Surrender Hill
Wild Country
(Blue Betty Records)

Robin Dean Salmon and Afton Seekins Salmon, the husband-wife duo that comprises the Georgia-based singer-songwriter duo Surrender Hill find their connection through music that combines soulful shades of country, indie rock, and abject Americana. Their tales of romance and revival are shared through semi-autobiographical songs imbued with feeling and insight. “Straight into the Light” tells of a weary wanderer finally finding hope and light. The optimistic embrace of “The Otherside,” the pervasive promise and possibilities shared with “Not Alone,” the assertive strains of “Witness,” and the quiet reverence of the mournful “River of Angels,” dedicated to the victims of the disastrous flood in Kerrville Texas, are instantly affecting. “They All Stood Up for Love” confronts the hypocrisy and division that have overtaken today’s America, while the tender, touching love songs “Not Alone, “The Feeling of You,” and “Dancing With the Woman I Love” all attest to this duo’s mastery of melody and emotion. It’s hard to imagine a more tender or touching set of songs.

Michael McDermott

Flowers From the Graveyard
(Pauper Sky Records)

Michael McDermott leaves no doubt as to his affinity for fully-ignited, purely passionate rock ‘n’ roll. It’s hardly surprising then that this new auspiciously-titled eleven song set maintains his clear, compelling sound, with a songs such as “The Best We Get” sounding like a long-lost Rolling Stones recording. On the other hand, the rugged narrative “Johnny Sparrow and The Sunset Girl” and an anthemic offering like “Old Feelings” brings to mind Bruce Springsteen in the grip of his personal passion. “Everybody’s got problems and I’ve got plenty of mine,” he insists on “Always A Ways Away,” and indeed, his everyman attitude allows for a clear connection. Likewise, his response to todays’ political divide, as expressed in “The Future,” rings with defiance and determination. (“Here we don't bow to any King/So let the motherfucking freedom ring…”) How McDermott has managed to evade any populist appeal is hard to figure, but with any luck, Flowers From the Graveyard will find that respect and recognition blooming anew.