The Homeless Gospel Choir
Luxury Problems
(Self-released)
Derek Zanetti sounds sometimes like a folk-punker and at other times like Craig Finn on this, his most recent record under the name The Homeless Gospel Choir. (It actually came out a few months back.) Zanetti — who's also released work on My Idea of Fun in the past, and who fits well with that crew — is a writer's musician, clearly concerned about message and language as much as music. Nice.
Ray Dawn
Last Sleep of Arthur
(Self-released)
Don't let the title and artwork fool you: While there are Arthurian undertones, Ray Dawn's new offering isn't a nerd-fest. The EP features seven tracks crafted by two different producers, and features a couple of guest spots, including one by Beedie. Besides drawing parallels between Arthurian legend and contemporary hip-hop life, Ray Dawn manages to name-drop Bell's Oberon and New Balance shoes. An intriguing entry.
Don Strange & The Doosh Bears
The Melon Chair
(Self-released)
Not a comedy act, but not an overly serious band either, as you might have guessed from the name. Don Strange presents well-written tunes with a little bit of humor thrown in: Think of it as The Silver Jews with Slim Cessna's vocals and a touch of Weird Paul. Well-written stuff, and something that's not being done much around here — worth checking out.
