Sounds From The Superhighway - Friday Happy Hour Edition
Friday, May 30, 2025 - 4pm to 7pm MT
HEY, can you believe I’ve now done two of these? I’m sitting at my desk listening to Game 5 of the Knicks and Pacers and eventually switching over to Game 5 of the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. I’ve got five new tracks ready for you to check out. Let’s dive right in.
Blind Lemon Pledge - I Feel Like Goin’ Home
Recently had an opportunity to see Selwyn Birchwood live at a tiny little club that held about 125 to 150 people. When he broke into his more traditional blues songs, it felt like we were gathered around a campfire with a roaring fire, maybe marshmallows roasting and a mug of coffee to boot. That is the same feeling I get listening to Blind Lemon Pledge’s “I Feel Like Goin’ Home.” The album, Live Lemon, is a great slab of blues. Pledge, real name James Byfield, is a disciple of acoustic blues in the style of Blind Lemon Jefferson and even Son House. The Bay Area native allows the listener to join him on the porch, sample some iced tea and stay for the music.
I always try to keep the music on my show as upbeat as possible, but this track just grabbed me from the moment it started. The entire album is worth checking out.
Gentlemen Rogues - “Half Empty, Half Fool”
In literature, Gentlemen Rogues refers to a type of character who are charming, often witty, and sometimes dishonest, but are considered to be "gentlemen" despite their mischievous or unscrupulous behavior. They are scoundrels with a certain level of sophistication and charm that elevates them beyond typical villains. While I doubt any of these “rogues” are befitting of that moniker, their music is definitely mischievous but with a level of sophistication. This single is punk at its core with pop rock dripping off the edges.
The track was originally featured on 2024’s Surface Noises and has been re-recorded for this single. BTW, the “B” side is “Children of the Revolution,” a T-Rex cover. “Half Empty, Half Fool” provides plenty of crunchy guitars and driving rhythms that can conjure dance moves somewhere between “The Carlton” and a mosh pit. Gentlemen Rogues, from Austin, Texas, have given us a thumping new single made for both the mischievous and the sophisticated.
The Chelsea Curve - “Hey Sah-Lo-Ney”
The Chelsea Curve is a retro mod-pop three-piece outfit from Boston, Massachusetts whose latest single invokes nuggets of the British Invasion. The band features Linda Pardee on bass and vocals, Tim Gillis on guitars and vocals plus Ron Belanger banging on the drums. Speaking of nuggets, “Hey Sah-Lo-Ney,” a cover of Mickey Lee Lane's 1965 northern soul single, could be mistakenly identified as a 1965 release. The band brings elements of garage rock, Beatlesque rhythms coupled with The Who’s punk aesthetic.
This single does not disappoint. I’ve added it to previously released singles that The Chelsea Curve have released as favorites. I fully expect that list to continue to expand in the coming months and years.
Now, for these next two singles I want to mention that while both bands don’t need me to wax poetic about their music, I feel it is unavoidable as these are great jams.
Car Seat Headrest - “Devereaux”
The latest from CSH, “Scholars,” is another great album added to Will Toledo’s impressive catalog. This one has been referred to a rock opera and rightfully so. It’s not my place to speculate whether Toledo intended it as such, but if he did mission accomplished. Here’s what “Under The Radar” magazine said about the track:
“…the queer-coded, titular protagonist of “Devereaux” and his mother offer heart-wrenching refrains while grappling with the immensity of familial expectations and identity. It turns out that, even when filtered through the perspectives of furry college students, Toledo’s writing still hits.”
This is power pop at its finest. Toledo has crafted a masterpiece in both musical authenticity and storytelling.
The Black Keys - “No Rain No Flowers”
I’m leaving this write-up here: The Black Keys have channeled the ghosts of disco and I just want to stand under the glitter of a disco ball and let it just pour over me. ENJOY!!
Thanks for reading my thoughts. Hope you get a chance to enjoy the music. Tune in to the special Friday Happy Hour edition of Sounds From The Superhighway on Friday, May 30th from 4pm to 7pm Mountain Time.