Music
The Ladies Of…: Coming Out of Our Tenderness (Independent)
Admittedly I’m not all that familiar with James Hall’s career—which includes numerous solo and band projects over the past 30 years, along with a few years’ residence in New Orleans (and an OffBeat cover, August 1993)—and I’m not a huge fan of rap/rock crossover. So, I clearly wouldn’t be in the target audience for Hall spearheading a new rock/rap crossover project.
Max Bien Kahn: When I Cross it Off (Mashed Potato)
Never underestimate the ability of a good pop song to put a little sunshine into the day. Tuba Skinny member Max Bien Kahn works in that realm when outside of his regular band; on two previous albums (with the ad-hoc band Max & the Martians) he wrote about covid shutdown and romantic breakups, using buoyant pop tunes for reassurance. This official solo album is notably more upbeat and more fully produced; not every lyric is happy but there’s a prevailing sense of good vibes.
Brock Wimberley: Here & Now (MaxiLou)
You might call this an “unplugged” set from an artist who wasn’t very plugged-in in the first place. On his previous three single releases, local songwriter Brock Wimberley did an appealing mix of low-fi pop, backing himself up with skeletal keyboards and percussion. On this EP he strips all the way down, using almost nothing but multiple overdubs of his own voice.
Frenchie Moe: Soul Full Tonight (Independent)
You know you’ve really become a New Orleanian when you write a song called “Gator Bags a Beaver,” especially when that’s a love song. This is the second local release by European blues woman Frenchie Moe, who moved here after working with some of the R&B old guard from the U.K. And it shows she’s really internalized her hometown, with a distinctly funky approach to the blues.
Condition Red: The Red Rockers reunion at Tipitina’s
There’s a bootleg of U2’s show in Chicago 1985, during the U.S. leg of the Unforgettable Fire tour. “I wanna tell you about some special people,” Bono says before the encore. That’s the night’s opening band, New Orleans’ Red Rockers, who he calls out to join them onstage. “These fellas have just reminded us of the good things about being in a group.”
Honey Island Swamp Band: Custom Deluxe (Color Red)
The live and studio versions of Honey Island Swamp Band have always been very different: Onstage it’s all about stretching out, and I’ve seen them play a full Jazz Fest set with only four songs. Studio albums are for keeping the songs concise and varying the groove from track to track. Their sixth full-length is no exception but may be the strongest one yet, coming after a six-year recording break that brought changes in both label and personnel.
Troy Sawyer: Rock Your Soul (Independent)
The cover photo of trumpeter Troy Sawyer’s debut album—the artist at his doorstep, barefoot, grinning broadly and holding a sno-ball—perfectly sums up the feel of the album. It’s a disc that exudes equal parts local color and good spirits.
Absolutely Magic: Season of the Witch features Kimberly Kaye, Debbie Davis and more
New Orleans may be the only city where you can buy voodoo dolls and witchcraft supplies at Walgreens. It’s also a city where women musicians often find themselves feeling marginalized. You might say there’s a bit of a discrepancy there.
Joe Krown: Tribute (Sledgehammer Blues)
Joe Krown Tribute
Billy Iuso: 52 Hz (Independent)
Billy Iuso was one of the first local musicians to really get busy during the pandemic; he started doing livestreams in spring 2020 and returned to live gigs as soon as there were any. He used a lot of the downtime to stockpile songs—and while his new album isn’t specifically about lockdown, it does stir up a lot of the emotions that surfaced during that time.
