The Georgia Thunderbolts.
Well kids, it’s been about a couple weeks and I have found five new albums that have entered into heavy rotation on my playlist. I had a friend ask me, “Jim, what makes a song a hit?”
Simple – it is all about the vibe.
I don’t ask much from music, but I do ask it to be unpretentious and sincere. When a song is overproduced or under-energetic, it just turns me off. I can usually smell out a poser within the first fifteen seconds of a song. But when a song catches my ear and serves up emotional realness or uniqueness it deserves to be celebrated.
So without further ado…let’s kick out some jams.
Tim Dawn, “Full Circle”
As far as I can tell, Tim Dawn was studying law when he decided to follow his musical dreams. I also read he is from the Netherlands. While I am still fact-checking these statements, one thing is for sure: throughout his entire album, Everyday Magic, he keeps it real. His vocals are honest and his music is heartfelt. I would love to see this talented singer open for Parachute. I think they would complement each other nicely.
Other notable tracks: “Wake Up & Dream On,” “Walking on a Wire,” “Prove You Wrong,” and “Fine Line”
The Georgia Thunderbolts, “Lend a Hand”
The Georgia Thunderbolts expertly mix blues and rock on this soulful rocker. I have seen so many sites want to label them as Southern Rock, but I think that is doing this band an injustice—they are so much more than what I know as Southern Rock. The lead singer’s vocals (trust me honey, I tried to find a band roster on every site I could look at to no avail) is an interesting mix of Southern twang and hard rock. But the key element for me is the rhythm section which kicked me in the chest on every song. Normally, cover songs make me run for the hills, but TGT’s version of The Allman’s Brothers iconic hit “Midnight Rider” is a very thoughtful masterpiece.
Other notable tracks: “Looking for an Old Friend,” “Spirit of a Workin’ Man,” “Midnight Rider,” and “Can I Get a Witness”
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, “Go Get a Tattoo (feat. Lynks)”
From the Deep South we are going to travel across the pond to check out what’s happening in punk music with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. This scorcher is a must play to get my adrenaline going in the morning. While Frank’s vocals are aggressive and sexy, conceptual artist Lynks joins in the fun and cranks this track up a delicious notch. Johnny Rotten should be proud – English punk is alive and well.
Other notable track: “Cupid’s Arrow”
The Copyrights, “Before Midnight”
Keeping the pop-punk vibe going, say hello to the boys from Carbondale, Illinois known as The Copyrights. Their latest album, Alone in a Dome, is crammed to the gills with high-energy melodic hardcore hits. The struggle was real for me to pick just one song as my favorite—each one was more earworm-worthy than the last. What put “Before Midnight” over the rest was the inclusion of Archie Bunker’s soundbite at the beginning—I am a fool for nostalgia. This album took me all the way back to my mosh pit days at Kennedy’s.
Other notable tracks: “Pretender,” “Tell Molly,” “Brush Off,” and “On Division”
Dave Hause, “Gary”
I am a bit confused by the internet. I keep reading that Dave Hause is punk or folk rock, but what I got from his album, Blood Harmony, is straight up Singer/Songwriter Americana. Each of the tracks on this album is 100% emotionally real and completely earnest—listen to “Little Wings” and tell me I am wrong. That said, the reason “Gary” gets the most love from me is one lyric—”Hurt people hurt people.” I have said this my whole life and this song illustrates this adage perfectly. I have a bit of a musical crush on Mr. Hause. That is the power of honest songwriting—it creates a deep, soulful bond.
Other notable tracks: “Plagiarist,” “Snowglobe,” “Carry The Lantern,” and “Little Wings”
Well kids, that does it for this installment. As always, I have added these to my playlist on Spotify called “K-JIM 2021” which you can get to by clicking here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3osRG0zNJvBtivB8X2fdVz?si=85d09d6dd67b47ad
Feel free to reach out to me on my only social media on Twitter at @TheFoundFive. Let me know what you think or if there is an album you think I should check out. | Jim Ryan
