#reviewoftheweek / Lettuce - Crush

This album is quite possibly the best instrumental album released in 2015 (despite having a few tracks featuring vocals). That being said, Lettuce has never been better. What is essentially a fun side project for the members of the band that have other gigs, this band knows how to blow it up. The horn driver album features a fun party vibe that doesn't stop from end to end. Killer tracks like "The Force" and "The Lobbyist" and just fun and funky and danceable. "Sounds Like A Party" and "He Made A Woman Out Of Me" are the two vocal tracks on that album, but the band doesn't take a back seat to the guest at all. Songs like "Chief" and "Get Greasy" mimic 70's funk and have a kind of cop show feel to the music. "The New Reel" sounds like it came straight from a spy thriller soundtrack. The album doesn't quit from beginning to end, and these guys show how much fun it is to play this music, and it's the next best thing to seeing them do their thing live on stage.

#reviewoftheweek / Jon And Roy - Riverside

Hailing from the great white north (Canada), this duo has just released their sixth album (Jon released 3 solo albums as well), and this one is just as good as all the rest. The secret is not messing with a tried and true formula. Sure, when you are a duo and you stamp your names across the front of all your albums, you've got to be able to back it up with some killer music. That has always been the case for these guys, and their latest is no different. Hitting the acoustic folk (that at times sounds like it should come from the coast of California or shores of some island paradise), songs that stand out from this release are "Come Again" and "Light Me Up." The title track is another beauty, and the duo show they can go the distance on the 7+ minute "Quatro." All in all, its the consistency that counts, and with Jon And Roy, you can never go wrong.

#reviewoftheweek / Trey Anastasio - Paper Wheels

This album has been a long time come, with Trey busy with his day job (Phish) and his side job (playing guitar with the Grateful Dead during their Fair Thee Well concert run). But, despite the album having been percolating for almost a year, it was well worth the wait. It is quite possibly Trey's best solo release, and highlights the best of the sound of the solo career combined with his experience from filling the Jerry Garcia void in the first have of 2015. He hit us with 3 songs early on to hold the fans over ("Bounce," "Speak To Me," and "Never") which are 3 of the best on the album. But the gems are the jammy lead track "Sometime After Sunset," the radio-friendly single "The Song," and the mellow psychedelic groove "Lever Boy." All the tracks are sure to wow during Trey's live set. And the album doesn't sound like a Phish disc, due to the fact that Trey's band has a funky horn section that really rounds out the loose feel-good vibe of the album. Trey just keeps getting better with age and experience, and it all has paid off in the form of one of the year's best recordings.

#reviewoftheweek / Silversun Pickups - Better Nature

It seems like every generation has the artists, bands, musicians, etc. that play a specific role and fit into a specific spot in the musical spectrum. Silversun Pickups are one of those bands that occupy the space once held prominently by the Smashing Pumpkins. Fuzzy and ethereal at the same time, Silversun Pickups' music defines alternative rock. The coolest part about their music, and especially this album, is that it doesn't pigeonhole the band in one era of alternative music. There are songs in this collection that could stand up during each of the last 3 decades of rock music, but also sound as fresh and new as they need to be. The lead single "Nightlight" may be the catchiest, but not since their debut album has the band put out compositions like "Latchkey Kid" and "Friendly Fires," both of which are destined to become fan favorites. On their fourth album, it's awesome that Silversun Pickups can still be inventive and relevant in a time when the one-hit-wonder is making a comeback.

BURN THIS / November 2015

1. Stephen Kellogg "Last Man Standing"
2. Chadwick Stokes "Indiana Fall"
3. Jon And Roy "Come Again"
4. Trevor Hall "You Can't Rush Your Healing"
5. Koa "So Many Times"
6. Trey Anastasio "Lever Boy"
7. ALO "Strange Days"
8. The Revivalists "Amber"
9. Gary Clark Jr. "Church"
10. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats "Howling At Nothing"
11. Jay Nash "Where To Start"
12. Matt Corby "Monday"
13. Jarryd James "Sure Love"
14. Jose Gonzalez "Let It Carry You"
15. Matt Costa "Seven Sins"
16. Joshua Hyslop "Gone"
17. The Lone Bellow "To The Woods"
18. Dawes "All Your Favorite Bands"
19. Matt Nathanson "Bill Murray"
20. Greg Holden "Boys In The Street"