New Music Friday: 13th Floor New Album Picks: June 21, 2024
New Music Friday is back and there’s plenty of stuff to choose from! To make that choice a little easier here are The 13th Floor’s Top 5 new album released for June 21st.
The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda picks these five new releases for your consideration:
Jesse Malin – Chasing The Light (Wicked Cool) We’ve been fans of Mr. Malin ever since we caught his show at The Kings Arms back in 2003. Chasing The Light is not only a live album, its also a film! The concert was filmed over two shows in January 2022 at the Sheen Center in New York City, a year before Malin suffered a spinal stroke that affected his ability to walk. “This is a story of how we survived during those years,” Malin says of the pandemic era, “and how we were able to put back into the community that we came out of.”
2.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore – TexiCali (Yep Roc) Dave and Jimmie reunited! Six years after their first collaboration, 2018’s Downey To Lubbock, they’re serving notice that the old highway hasn’t ended yet. “We’re still standing, no matter what you might hear,” they sing on “We’re Still Here,” the final track to their new album TexiCali, an album that continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore). Click here to read the 13th Floor Album Review.
3. Luna Shadows – Bathwater (Luna Shadows) The US/NZ indie-pop artist releases her second album today. “There’s ‘witches’ brew’ when I’m low, ‘heroine’ when I’m high, ‘little rituals’ when I’m longing, ‘nudes’ when I’m losing, ‘apocalypse love song’ when I’m accepting,” explains Shadows. “The album takes a journey through a cycle of emotions, offering permission to feel it all.” Look for a 13th Floor interview with Luna Shadows soon…
4. 
Fastball – Sonic Ranch (Sunset Blvd) Celebrating 30 years together, the Austin trio headed further out West to Sonic Ranch Studio in West Texas and here is the result of the trip. “It made the music better,” says Fastball’s Joey Shuffield. “It made us closer as people. It made us a better band and continues to this day. Now we all talk about everything all the time, and it's a wonderful place to be. I love the level of communication we have. I love the closeness that we have on a personal level and a professional level, and that translates into the way we create music.” Watch for the 13th Floor interview with Fastball very soon!
5. George Ducas – Long Way From Home (Loud Ranch) 30 years into his career honky-tonking Country star George Ducas has made the album he’s always wanted thanks to the help of producer Pete Anderson. Says George, “My opportunity to work with Pete Anderson on this album is definitely a major highlight. Beyond the work, we also have a bond that goes beyond the making of a record together. I’ve looked up to Pete’s abilities as both a producer and a guitar player since I was probably 19 or 20 years old. and not just the country music. The blues infusion he imparts on country records with and on his own guitar playing is tangible, palpable. It’s what separates him from the rest.” Watch for an interview with George Ducas on the 13th Floor very soon.
And if that’s not enough…may we recommend this “reissue”? Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention recorded live at the Whisky a Go Go, July 23, 1968. Its The Mothers at full strength. Nearly three hours of very live music from Frank and co, with help from The G.T.O.’s, Kim Fowley and a cast of thousands. Click here to read the 13th Floor review.
