STACK #243 January 2025

FEATURE MUSIC

L.S. DUNES Violet UNIVERSAL THIS MONTH? PAUL KANTNER, GRACE SLICK & DAVID FREIBERG Baron von Tollbooth & the Chrome Nun ROCKET TEDDY SWIMS I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) INERTIA America’s Jaten Dimsdale – better known as Teddy Swims – hit the Top 5 with his debut album, 2023’s I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) . The sequel is similarly impressive, with the BILLY’S PICK L.S. Dunes is an American punk rock supergroup, featuring singer Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin, singer-songwriters, Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart, is an exquisite collection of folk pop, with haunting harmonies. MOGWAI The Bad Fire INERTIA The great Scots Mogwai celebrate their 30th anniversary with their of new material. “After the high of putting out [2021’s] As the Love Continues , the following years were personally hard for us,” the band says. “We often hear from people that our music has helped them through hard times… and for once I think it applies to us as well.” 11th studio album The Bad Fire , a powerful collection artist continuing to sound classic and brand new. Smooth, soulful, and superb. TREMONTI The End Will Show Us How ROCKET The Sound of Animals Fighting), My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero, Coheed and Cambria guitarist Travis Stever, and Thursday’s Tim Payne (bass), and Tucker Rule (drums). Violet is their power-packed second album. MANIC STREET PREACHERS Critical Thinking SONY

A merican West Coast music of the ’60s and ’70s saw the emer gence of musically creative bands such as Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Company and Quicksilver Messenger Service, to name just a few who would put San Francisco on the map as the headquarters for the progressive rock scene that flour ished during that period. All four of these bands musically bonded, often appearing on each others’ albums. This 1973 release was recorded prior to Jefferson Airplane morphing into Jefferson Starship, and features guest appearances from musicians from most of the aforementioned bands. Paul Kantner was a singer, song writer, guitarist in Jefferson Airplane; Grace Slick was one of the band’s two lead singers; multi-instrumen talist and singer David Freiberg was a founding member of QMS; most of the other members of JA, Jerry Gar cia and Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead), the Pointer Sisters and David Crosby made significant contributions (and Crosby’s nicknames for Kantner and Slick became the album’s title). Kantner’s fascination with sci-fi is apparent on a number of the tracks that vary musically from rock to jazz, with hints of country and folk and psychedelica. A relic from a fertile era in rock music that still has much to offer.

Critical Thinking is the 15th studio album for Welsh band Manic Street Preachers, and it coincides with a sad

Tremonti is the band fronted by Creed and Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti, and The End Will Show Us How

RINGO STARR Look Up UNIVERSAL

Fifty-five years after his first solo album, Ringo Starr releases his 21st solo set, a country album produced by T Bone

anniversary – it’s 30 years since the disappearance of guitarist Richey Edwards. The band says the title track is about “empathy and the well-being industry whilst we revel in other people’s destruction”. MARIBOU STATE Hallucinating Love INERTIA Chris Davids and Liam Ivory are English electronic duo Maribou State. Hallucinating Love – their third album – marks the group’s return after Davids was diagnosed with a rare brain condition called Chiari malformation. So this record – filled with cool grooves – is a triumph in more ways than one. MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER, JULIE FOWLIS & KARINE POLWART Looking for the Thread ROCKET

is their sixth album. Tremonti is an understated guitar hero, taking old-school riffs and placing them in a cool, modern context. Classic and timeless. THE WEATHER STATION Humanhood ROCKET This is the seventh studio album for Canadian folk band The Lindeman. Joyously simple, the band explains: “This record was performed by six musicians improvising live off the floor in two sessions in late 2023.” Weather Station, fronted by Tamara

Burnett. At the age of 84, the Beatle’s sense of humour and style remain intact – on the album’s first single he sings: “I’ve got time on my hands.” A gentle gem. ROBBIE WILLIAMS Better Man SONY This is the soundtrack to the excellent Robbie Williams biopic made by Aussie director Michael Gracey. The great showman is played by a CGI-generated chimpanzee in the movie, but the soundtrack features the artist’s classic songs, including Angels, Let Me Entertain You , and Rock DJ – all re-recorded for the film. Plus a new song, Forbidden Road .

Coming in FEBRUARY SHARON VAN ETTEN & THE ATTACHMENT THEORY Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory (Feb 7) DOVES Constellations for the Lonely (Feb 14) THE WOMBATS Oh! The Ocean (Feb 21)

America’s Mary Chapin Carpenter has won five Grammy Awards in a stellar career. Looking for the Thread , a

collaboration with two Scottish

Radio legend Billy Pinnell presents Billy Pinnell’s Musical Moments on YouTube.

39