Amoeba Music

Eddie Chacon's Sundown is the aural equivalent of that languid, magical final moment of the day when the world is bathed in golden light. Chacon and John Carroll Kirby teamed up in Ibiza to record the first half of the album, listening to Pharaoh Sander's "Greeting to Saud" as a daily ritual, and luxuriating in the natural beauty of the beach. The album feels fittingly woozy, sensual, and joyous, the songs harkening back to the golden age of funk and soul. Sundown is a dream for music fans, a showcase for the talents of these two artists, and an album that feels like a future classic.

When punk rock needed a new hero, Fake Names answered the call. Expendables is the latest album from the supergroup, comprised of Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Bad Religion, Dag Nasty), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, INVSN, The [International] Noise Conspiracy), Michael Hampton (S.O.A., Embrace), Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys, Soulside) and new member Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Rites of Spring). With a crew like that, you'd expect this to be good, but even so, you wouldn't be prepared for how instantly likable this album is, how instantly the songs get under your skin. Expendables has the energy and ethos of classic punk with the genre heritage of hardcore, post-hardcore, and post-punk to keep things fresh, urgent, and impactful.

Multi-instrumentalist, olde time music expert, and erstwhile member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Dom Flemons returns with another rousing and riveting solo album, Traveling Wildfire. On this collection of original songs, Flemons' ability to conjure the mood of a different time and place is spotlighted, as he melds bluegrass, folk, country, and Americana into timeless tracks that could be from today or 100 years ago. Opener "Slow Dance with You" is a heartfelt, one-moment-in-time ballad. "It's Cold Outside" is a haunting, melancholy charmer. And "Guess I'm Doing Fine" feat. Sam Bush feels like a true stomper, with fast fiddle and lyrical banjo. An excellent album from an artist who deeply understands his chosen genre.