Five Albums You Should Be Listening to Right Now

From Providence to Washington Square in this week's Five Albums.

by Randy Abramson

Each week, titans of the mediasphere give Hooksexup their music recommendations. This week: time-traveling picks by Randy Abramson of the music blog RockTorch.com, a site “dedicated to bringing you music recommendations from the people who know music best – the artists themselves."

1. Amy Cook, Let the Light In (2010)

Cook’s husky voice sounds like she knows she’s on the brink of making it big on this stellar collection of songs, produced by Austin alt-country guru Alejandro Escovedo. Ben Kweller and Patty Griffin are in the credits, but Let the Light In isn’t just about famous friends: “Get It Right” and “Hotel Lights” stand out as two of the most gorgeous songs I’ve heard in years.

Listen: “Hotel Lights”

 

2. Willie Nile, The Innocent Ones (2011)

Uncut once called Nile a “one man Clash.” Never has the label fit more correctly than on his most recent Kickstarter-backed album. Nile masterfully handles both all-out rockers like “Singing Bell” and the heartfelt ballad “Sideways Beautiful.” Willie’s live show is also not to be missed. It's well-documented on the 2008’s Live From the Streets of New York, which features the excellent New York City narrative, "The Day I Saw Bo Diddley in Washington Square."

Listen: “Rich and Broken”

 

3. The Thermals, The Body the Blood Machine (2006) 

We’re lucky to still be able to see The Pixies live, but it doesn’t look like Black Francis and company are going to be putting out any new material. So, thank goodness for The Thermals, the West Coast band whose quality cuts that follow the Pixies/Breeders blueprint but add the unique vocal delivery of Hutch Harris.You can’t go wrong with any of their albums, but The Body The Blood Machine features the songs “Saint Rosa and the Swallows” and “Returning to the Fold,”both of which are personal favorites and in constant rotation at Rocktorch.com HQ.

Listen: “Saint Rosa and the Swallows”

 

4. Deer Tick, Divine Providence (2011)

As Stefon from SNL might say, this album has everything: Stones-y guitar riffs, gravely vocals, bar-chant sing-alongs, belching, downtempo alt-country numbers, and a hidden Paul Westerberg cover. This one should be played every Friday night as you prepare for drunken troublemaking.

Listen: “Let’s All Go to the Bar”

 

5. Visqueen, Message to Garcia (2009)

On my first listen to Message to Garcia, I kept waiting for the weak track, but it never came. Frontwoman Rachel Flotard has written eleven of the catchiest songs you could possibly find on one album, and the band is solid to boot. Flotard’s got one of the best voices around, and it’s on full display here: she wails on the rockers, wrenches your heart on the lone ballad, and perfectly piles lush harmonies throughout the whole album. The band recently broke up (babies on the way, etc.), so this album serves as a perfect swan song.

Listen: “Hand Me Down”