Another installment of Fresh Picks, and our second Picks of '76, coming out to you now!
For albums we've got Charley Crockett concluding his Sagebrush trilogy in our Album of the Week, Charlotte Cornfield's tender Hurts Like Hell, and Jazz Is Dead's Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad teaming up with legendary Brazilian duo Antônio Carlos e Jocáfi.
For songs, Jobi Riccio gets honest about the live music and alcohol relationship, Brother Wallace tears it up (once again), Beth Orton grows again and Bon Iver digs into the vault for a Bizhiki-assisted live banger.
Then we continue to look back at important releases from 1976 as we celebrate KAXE's 50th birthday. In Malachy's opinion, Joan Armatrading is criminally underrated: he'll introduce you to her breakout third album, a perfect pairing with famed producer Glyn Johns.
Check out this week's suggestions from Asst. Music Director Malachy Koons and Volunteer Coordinator Dan Gannon.
Albums
Album of the Week: Charley Crockett - Age of the Ram
On the final album of his Sagebrush Trilogy, Charley Crockett is simultaneously perfectly country and wonderfully weird. It is his third album in 12 months and his 16th overall, and Crockett continues to wow us with his version of country soul. Produced yet again by Shooter Jennings, it features familiar themes and sounds of the genre, as well as some curveballs that — by now — we expect from Mr. Crockett.
The single "Kentucky Too Long" perfectly encompasses this with a Charlie Pride meets Bill Withers offering of small town soul. Throw in familiar outlaw tropes, like the Sagebrush-panning saga of cattle rustler Billy McLane, and we are also greeted with unexpected tempo changes that are most decidedly uncommon. I will keep riding whatever pony Charley Crockett saddles up! -Dan Gannon
Charlotte Cornfield - Hurts Like Hell
On her sixth album and first with Merge Records, Canadian alt-folk singer-songwriter Charlotte Cornfield makes beautiful moments out of nostalgic memories. Each song is a tender vignette of the countless first meetings and final goodbyes that we all experience as we move through life. “Hurts Like Hell” and its sing-along chorus could be Song of the Year; the fact or fiction blurring meta of “Squiddd” is a unique narrative (the ear-worm chorus comes from a band she goes to see in the first verse); and the youthful reminiscing of “Long Game” has more standout moments than many albums do in their entirety. -MK
Antônio Carlos e Jocáfi, Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Antônio Carlos e Jocáfi JID026
The latest installment of Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s Jazz Is Dead series is a window into the music of Brazil’s Bahia region through two of its legendary figures. Antônio Carlos e Jocáfi released their debut album in 1971, pairing local folk traditions with samba, funk and MPB (Música popular brasileira). At 80 and 81, the pair have not lost a beat, and their passionate voices and songwriting strength are what pushes this music forward, not the top-notch collective of musicians behind them. -MK
Singles
Jobi Riccio - "Love of the Song"
Another fantastic single from Riccio’s upcoming Face the Feeling album (May 13), the title shows up in the line “I’m not drinking for the taste or singing for the love of the song.” After moving to Nashville, the opportunity to see and play live music every night, and subsequently drink every night, was difficult. Riccio’s talent for honest songwriting is on full display as she deftly navigates her own relationship to alcohol, and its often toxic relationship to live music. -MK
Brother Wallace - "Who Do You Love?"
There is a very good chance you will see Brother Wallace back here come May 3, just a little higher up in the new albums section of Fresh Picks. We’ve loved his first three singles and the high voltage “Who Do You Love?” is no different. The R&B rave-up has a relentless groove, fuzzed out guitar and a stellar performance from the Georgia singer. One of the breakout artists of 2026 so far, Brother Wallace had his career kickstarted by a chance meeting with Dan Taylor of The Heavy. He’ll be touring with St. Paul & the Broken Bones this summer. -MK
Beth Orton - "The Ground Above"
Going back to 1996 and Trailer Park (or 1993 if you count Superpinkymandy), Orton has consistently released great to exceptional albums roughly every three to four years. Although “The Ground Above” is a stand-alone single, it arrives just under four years from 2022’s Weather Alive, and I hope we’ll see an album on the way soon. Especially because this return is a swirling epic that builds for over eight minutes from a sparse ballad to a shuffling jazz-rock groove, with Orton’s voice taking on a lovely Marianne Faithfull tone more and more as the song grows. More of this please. -MK
Bon Iver - "WE (ft. Bizhiki)"
I was thrilled to see this collaboration show up on the new Bon Iver archival series VOLUMES: ONE “SELECTIONS FROM MUSIC CONCERTS 2019-2023 BON IVER 6 PIECE BAND." Taken from a 2019 show at the then-Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, this performance of i,i's “WE” features guest vocals from Bizhiki over four years before the Joe Rainey, Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings and S. Carey trio officially announced themselves with Bon Iver featuring in “Gigawaabamin (Come Through).” Bizhiki deserve more attention, and this inclusion should bring more ears to their music. -MK
Picks of '76
Joan Armatrading - Joan Armatrading
The third album from the St. Kitts born English singer-songwriter is when it all came together for Joan Armatrading. After her 1972 debut Whatever's for Us brought some critical appreciation but little sales, Armatrading left Cube Records for the larger A&M. In 1975, with the label's larger budget and support, came Back to the Night.
On tracks like "Cool Blue Stole My Heart" and "Stepping Out," there are hints of the hybrid sound that was to come, bringing in elements of rock, jazz, calypso and funk to her folk background. The chorus of "Cool Blue" especially reminds me of the following album. Still, sales were low, despite increasing critical appreciation.
Someone at A&M recognized the talent they had, and for Armatrading's next release, they paired her with famed producer/engineer Glyn Johns (The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who).
The resulting self-titled album is remarkable blend of folk and jazz vocals, deeply personal lyrics, and instrumentation that moves freely from rock to jazz, funk, country and blues. Opener "Down To Zero" begins with mix of folk-rock and piano chords before hard-hitting guitars take the song into country territory.
Armatrading struts her stuff on the funk and disco inspired "Join the Boys," and "Water With The Wine" is just grooving. The latter is a good example of Armatrading as a songwriter. Known for not hiding behind metaphors or characters, she wrote about her personal life in way that was uncommon for the time. The song tells of a one night stand that leaves her thinking she should mix some water in with the booze the next time she goes out.
Glyn Johns' connections meant the session musicians could handle the wide range of music Armatrading drew from. He brought in players from groups like Fairport Convention, Faces, Gallagher and Lyle, and more to help build her vision.
The country-funk of "Like Fire" is the perfect pairing to Armatrading's fiery description of a lover who is just like the title. The album's best-known song is the slowly blossoming "Love and Affection," her bestselling song of all time. It falls into the category of songs that many recognize — at least when the deep voice of Clarke Peters announces the chorus — but might not know.
Finally, the album brought Armatrading critical and commercial success. Every song is unique, from the deep cuts to the best known moments. Genre fusing at a time when artists stuck to one lane, Joan Armatrading is Joan Armatrading at her best, and one of the most unique albums of 1976. - Malachy Koons
