Just some quick music recs before we go:

Laurence - Family Business - I’ve known these kids were very good for a while now, but had a good time lately sitting down with this record and letting it go. They’re doing so much, all the time, in a way that is sometimes overwhelming but always fun. “Hip Replacement” is a standout - I see what y’all did there.

HAIM - Women In Music, Pt. III - I shouted this one out on the show, but I’ve been loving this record after a Strong Songs listener picked it in the Discord listening club. Big Sheryl Crow energy, in the best way.

US Army Blues Jazz Ensemble - Things Ain’t What They Used To Be - A few weeks back I played a bit of the new narrative game Expelled! for Triple Click, and was shocked to hear “Festival Time” off of this record as the first piece of background music. For reasons I can scarcely remember, I owned this CD and listened to that tune in paticular a bunch of times back in the aughts. What a strange and specific blast from the past.

Improvement Movement - Slump - A recommendation from my longtime music guide Russ. This Georgia-based band sounds familiar but constantly interesting. This is a hell of a cool rock record.

The Weather Station - Ignorance - The title of this album is accurate, because I was ignorant of this killer Canadian band until someone picked it for the Discord listening club this week. I really dig Tamara Lindeman’s voice, and her songs are great, too. Plus there’s sax solos.

Andrew Gurruwiwi Band - Sing Your Own Song - Another Discord listening club pick, this one from down under. Gurruwiwi is a Yolŋu elder from Australia, and his band mixes a huge variety of styles into something super fun and groovy. Ghanian Highlife guitars, Afro-Carribean rhythms, straight ahead pop rock progressions.. it’s all in there.