Best New Music from the Blue Ridge and Beyond
Every month our editors curate a playlist of new music, mainly focusing on independent artists from the South. In May, we’re highlighting new tunes from Fust and Superchunk, as well as a collaboration between Low’s Alan Sparhawk and Trampled by Turtles.
Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles
“Stranger”
In 2022, Alan Sparhawk lost his partner—in life and music—when Mimi Parker, his wife and bandmate in indie heroes Low, died of cancer. Since then, he’s channeled his grief into new songs, first on last year’s solo album “White Roses, My God,” and more recently on a new record with Minnesota string band Trampled by Turtles (simply titled “With Trampled by Turtles”), which comes out May 30. The new album’s lead single is a haunting chamber-folk meditation on navigating the haze of life in a state of personal tumult. – J.F.
Soul Coughing
“Super Bon Bon”
Soul Coughing’s run through the 1990s met with an acrimonious end in 2000, and for two decades it seemed that personal issues would prevent the group from ever playing together again. Hatchets were buried last year, and Soul Coughing regrouped for a run of shows, often having to upgrade to larger venues due to its fervent fanbase clamoring for tickets. “Super Bon Bon,” which closes the live record that resulted from those shows, is vintage Soul Coughing, with Mike Doughty’s poetic lyrics delivered over a fat and funky jazz beat that still hits hard after a 24-year hiatus. – D.S.
LaMP
“One of Us”
LaMP is an emerging side project from a trio of stalwart jam band players—keyboardist Ray Paczkowski and drummer Russ Lawton of Trey Anastasio Band, along with guitarist Scott Metzger of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. “One of Us,” from the group’s new studio album, is a tight, instrumental jam that blends the Meters-style groove with John Scofield’s jazzy grit. It’ll get crowds moving at festivals like FloydFest, where LaMP will perform this summer.
– J.F.
Love Spells
“Reach Out and Kiss Me”
For just over two minutes, Love Spells builds a sonic daydream on “Reach Out and Kiss Me,” combining guitar with subtle percussion and falsetto vocals to produce a lush acoustic gem. But when the distortion drops, those acoustic musings morph into a full-fledged electrified anthem. The transition is masterful, proving that the songwriting handiwork of Sir Taegen C’aion Harris, the force behind Love Spells, belies his young age (20) and signals that a new voice has arrived in the indie pop world. – D.S.
Fust
“Mountain Language”
Fans of Drive-By Truckers and Son Volt should get acquainted with Aaron Dowdy and his band Fust. Dowdy, based in Durham, N.C., while he pursues a PhD in literature at Duke, has a knack for rural storytelling—delivered through amplified country rock. Inspired by his upbringing in southwest Viginia, Dowdy paints a vivid picture of blue-collar hardship in “Mountain Language,” a down-to-earth bar tune with a big hook from Fust’s new album “Big Ugly.” – J.F.
Yarn
“New York City Found”
Yarn has honed their live sound over nearly two decades on the road; founded in 2006, it’s not uncommon for the band to play 200 shows a year. That commitment to the road keeps Yarn dialed in during their live performances, as evidenced on “New York City Found,” featured on the band’s first ever live recording that drops this month. Recorded during the band’s set at last year’s Rooster Walk Music Festival, Yarn boasts a funky honky tonk swagger that would make most Music City bands jealous. – D.S.
Joan Osborne
“Rainy Day Women #12 and #35”
Since releasing a record of Dylan covers back in 2017, Joan Osborne has taken to regularly rotating a selection of Dylan songs throughout her live set. Her passion for Dylan’s songbook has led Osborne to release “Dylanology Live,” a collection of eight Dylan tracks that feature guest work from Jackie Green, Amy Helm, and Robert Randolph. On “Rainy Day Women #12 and #35,” Osborne’s sultry vocals dance with Green’s organ as her band drops a rambunctious New Orleans spin on this Dylan classic. – D.S.
Superchunk featuring Rosali
“Bruised Lung”
The Chapel Hill indie legends are back with another punchy rocker, this one featuring their Merge Records labelmate Rosali (check out her excellent album “Bite Down”). The new standalone single “Bruised Lung” is a riff-heavy banger about masking interior pain, both mental and physical, as Superchunk frontman Mac McCaughan exorcises strife through raspy wails before Rosali leads the tune’s big finish with a ripping guitar solo. – J.F.
Cover photo: Aaron Dowdy (second from right), the leader of Fust, released his folk-rock band’s latest album, “Big Ugly,” in March. Photo by Charlie Boss
