Pickled Priest 2025 New Music Mixtape # 5: "Orphans"

Just last week, a fresh box of BASF 100 cassette tapes was left in a basket on our front stoop, wrapped gently in a light blue blanket, a short note affixed with a safety pin. It said: "I've loved these tapes, but I just don't have the songs to fill them up anymore. Please put them to good use." We've got you, my friend, we've got you.

SIDE A

INTRO: "Reckoning" | Brandee Younger

If this Brandee Younger harp flex isn't the ultimate way to conjure a new music mixtape out of thin air, nothing is.

01 "CPR" | Wet Leg

A little crunch, a little droll humor, just the way I like it. "CPR" is the first song on the hotly anticipated Moisturizer, and it sets the tone for the moonstruck album, which is loaded with love songs to such a degree that I tuned out half way through (right after "Mangetout"). But at least I have this song that captures the drama of young love with all the innocence and emotional weight that entails. Rhian Teasdale is as her best when she plays with her vocal delivery, here mixing in a little blasé teenager with a little Scooby Doo creepiness before she segues into the song's all or nothing chorus. There's not enough of the Wet Leg I fell in love with on their new record, so I'm hoping for a breakup album next. It's well known that when you put too much pressure on love, like they do here, it tends to crack under the weight.

02 "50mg" | Panda Bear

If you haven't bought a ticket on the Panda Express to date, this is a good place to board. Sinister Grift is the record of the summer for me, despite being perplexingly released in late February. Who made that decision? It's also the best album Noah Lennox's Animal Collective sidecar has released, Person Pitch—gasp—included. It shimmers with the usual Brian Wilson-inspired harmonies, but effectively straddles the line between saturating the listening field and pulling back on the controls enough to allow the song to radiate in open space. It still has the feel of a beach record, but is too complex to merely settle into the background. So, what we're saying is you have to listen to it to best appreciate it. That doesn't seem like too much to ask.

03 "#1" | Laura Stevenson

Some songwriters have such an intrinsic flow to their lyrics the melody almost seems to write itself. There are other songwriters, when their lyrics are read on the page without the guidance of an unfolding song, whose words don't quite add up logically, mathematically, or melodically. These are the times when I wonder how a singer could possibly bring them to life. This is true for the lyrics of Long Islander Laura Stevenson on her superb new record, Late Great. But put them together she does, in her own way with her own fractured phrasing, and the sum total is pleasingly unconventional, while still accessible. "#1", appropriately the first song on the record, demonstrates how to say the usual love song things in a wholly original way.

04 "Cigarette and Cocktail" | Ron Sexsmith

Ron Sexsmith has managed once again to charm my socks off with one of his sweet little ditties. His voice, at 61, still retains its boyish innocence, and here he remembers the odd sensation of being an ignored child at an adult party back in the late-60s/early-70s, when his parents and their guests would dress up and let loose with "a cigarette in one hand, a cocktail in the other," all the while not worried one bit about the bad example they were setting. "When it came to lungs and livers, well they just could not be bothered," sings Sexsmith. I'll let you discover the moral of the story on your own, but please do not let one of the year's hidden gems (and videos) escape you. I fell in love at first listen and maybe you'll do the same.

05 "Mr. Wine" | Tobacco City

If there's one thing in this world I most despise it's those stupid signs they sell at Home Goods and Hobby Lobby that say things like, "It's wine o'clock," "Love the wine you're with," or even "I'm outdoorsy—I like to drink wine on the patio." If you purchased that last one, you should be locked up for life in a maximum security prison without the possibility of merlot. See, even I can fall into wine's cheesy cult of bad puns. As it turns out, so can Chicago-based insurgent country band Tobacco City, who should be a Bloodshot Records artist, but arrived about a decade late to the party. Not their fault, of course, but their blend of 60's cosmic country, 70's Gram 'n' Emmylou, and 90's Gina & Danny Black would've fit right in on the revered Chicago label. "Mr. Wine," from their excellent new record, Horses, has just the right amount of steel guitar twang to lend this booze-as-friend tale the credibility it needs. While I've never thought of wine as having a specific gender—gender fluid seems more apropos—I'm not gonna wine about it when the song is this good.

06 "Dead Air" | Smut

Chicago Suite: Band #2. Actually, from Cincinnati originally, but had the good sense to relocate. I was a little turned off initially when they released a single titled "Syd Sweeney" which reeks of contrivance, but I went deeper and was rewarded with "Dead Air," a 90s-fashioned crunchy rock single. Reminds me of a bunch of bands I used to listen to back in the day. A lot of development still needed, but the potential is here.

07 "Runner" | Kaput

Chicago Suite: Band 3. Kaput is the new band from the former Ganser singer, Nadia Garofalo. It's a shame Nadia left because the band had a great sound, but they didn't split up when she left. In fact, they have a new record due in late-August and so far initial singles are very promising. The focus this time is on Kaput, however, and their new record, I, is also excellent. Nadia is still Nadia, a breakout star vocalist no matter where she sings. The style isn't that much different either. Kind of a spoken vocal uber cool thing happening within a post-punk structure or lack thereof. So we get two bands for the price of one. We'll have to see how it plays out.

08 "Don't Speak" | Loaded Honey

Not a No Doubt cover. Loaded Honey is the side project of Jungle's J Lloyd and Lydia Kitto. Here, the two make a sexy pair with a bit of a retro night club vibe, but near the end of the night, when people are trying to hook up. Driven by island percussion and some tasteful strings (think Motown) this goes down smooth and crisp and Lydia's embodies the material. A sleeper of a record.

09 "Silk and Velvet" | Annahstasia

You want intimate? How about a voice whispering it your ear? Is that close enough for you? In the way too short "Silk and Velvet" (it should be ten minutes long, not 150 seconds). L.A.'s Annahstasia turns from struggling optimist to self-loathing pessimist mid-song with the flick of a light switch, and when she does it's one of the moments of the year so far. Her new record, Tether, is perhaps the debut of the year, but it is still early. The record doesn't come easy, though, but it will inhabit your soul if you give it time.

10 "Causing Trouble Again" | Gina Birch

When we grow up they say because you're a girl

You can't do nothing

It's a man's man's world

Here comes trouble

We're causing trouble again

The Birch is back. I love that this 70-year-old sounds like she can still cause trouble with the best of them even though her claim to fame as a founding member of the Raincoats is almost 50 years in the rear view. "Causing Trouble Again" celebrates her fellow women trailblazers. If you're wondering who else is included in that definition, there's good news: she lists her fellow troublemakers, instigators, and disruptors during the song. It's an impressive list, but it's not limited to musicians only, rather strong powerful women from every walk of life, inspired by a recent exhibition at the Tate in Britain titled Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970-1990. She fits right in that center of that examination and if you need proof check out her second great album in a row, Trouble. Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker, it seems.

11 "Gunslinger" | Natalie Bergman

One more Chicago artist for you. Actually, not quite Chicago, instead the tony suburb of Barrington, a place more known for corporate executives than musicians. She's not a new artist, having started her career with a decade-long stint in the band Wild Belle (formed with her brother). She's been a solo artist for several years now and it appears her time to really break out may be upon us. My Home Is Not In This World is one of those records that should appeal to everyone. It's accessible, beautifully arranged and sung blue-eyed soul with some Motown rhythms and 60s girl-pop accents that add just the right amount of sugar to the recipe. "Gunslinger" jumped out at me because it has a simmering Stax-lite intro and a low-key groove throughout. Natalie finds the pocket and stays there, which she does throughout the record, making this a modern classic with a vintage patina. A tricky balance to be sure, but she pulls it off brilliantly.

12 "Before (Choir Version)" | Blonde Redhead ft. Brooklyn Youth Chorus

When it doubt, try it with a choir. I loved Blonde Redhead's Sit Down for Dinner from 2023 (#33 on our Top 50 list) and The Shadow of the Guest is a companion record of sorts, adding some tracks and reworking others. Half of it isn't really necessary, although it's never uninteresting. What was intriguing to me was word that the band tapped the Brooklyn Youth Chorus to augment three tracks from Sit Down, including the delicate, ethereal "Before," a late record highlight. The transformation somehow keeps all the qualities of the original intact while also bringing an almost spiritual grandeur to the song's chorus. Instead of a full-throated throwdown, the choir joins in tastefully, honoring the original while also adding a whole new level of beauty to the track. Now there's two essential versions and I'm having trouble deciding which one I like better. I'm leaning toward this one at the moment.

13 "Umbrella Man" | Tyreek McDole

You'll bring your parasol

It may be small, it may be big

Hе repairs them all

With what you call a thingamajig

I love old school jazz vocalists because they can get away with just about anything if they scat a bit here and spout some gibberish there. Haitian-American/Floridian Tyreek McDole can sing the shit out of a song that's for sure, and his interpretation of this song from way back in 1924 (originally done by the British comedy duo Flanagan & Allen in the musical These Foolish Things if you can't place it, but surely I didn't need to remind you) is a fun little lark and the perfect way to segue to Side B, which traditionally is where we conceal the hard stuff. So it's the rare Broadway number on a Pickled Priest mixtape. We're not above it. In fact, we're below it. Just like we are when our umbrella is working properly.

SIDE B

01 "Old Romantic" | His Lordship

The best garage rock album of 2025? The British duo His Lordship (great band name) have delivered the most thrilling 27-minutes of the year with Bored Animal, a frantic, full-throttle, occasionally eccentric rock & roll record like they used to make back in the day. The product of current Pretenders lead guitar phenom, James Walbourne, and drummer Kris Sonne, there's an accelerant added to almost every song that sets a breathless pace that's nearly impossible to keep up with (until the final song, that is, which is also great). If you attended the latest Pretenders tour, you witnessed Walbourne routinely stealing the spotlight with his playing and performance style. Here, he kicks it up several notches and Sonne propels the whole thing forward from behind his kit like he's got a flight to catch. Pick a song, any song, but today "Old Romantic" is my favorite, but perhaps "I Fly Planes into Hurricanes" sums up their manic approach best. I love, love, love, love this record. It makes me happy to exist.

02 "Oh No!" | Eddy Current Suppression Ring

I've cited all kinds of bands from Australia on my new music mixtapes over the last five years, but none of them pre-date the Eddy Current Suppression Ring. I still consider 2006's Primary Colours one of the best Australian rock albums of this century. Classic, Saints-esque, raw and snarling rock & roll. It holds up. It's been a while since their last LP in 2019, but this year we've been partially sated with a three-song EP called Shapes and Forms. Will an album follow? No fucking idea, but they're in good form once again on all three new tracks. I picked "Oh No!" because it's so simple and stripped down, just the way I like it. Here it comes again, that funny feeling. An apt description for their sound. Good to have you back, boys.

03 "Iraqi Drum Set" | Use Knife

Belgium's ominously-named Use Knife have an Iraqi lead singer, post their lyrics on Bandcamp in Arabic, and titled their new album is État Coupable, which is French for "Guilty State," so it would be fair to wonder what the fuck their music might sound like. You'd be right to assume a political concern or two, but on "Iraqi Drum Set" all you get it what the title promises—seven-minutes of mind-altering percussion that'll put you into a trance for the duration. The blood-red video will usher you through the types of drums involved, but I almost don't want to know. The mystery is part of the appeal. If you've been saving your volume for just the right song, you've found it my friend.

04 "Judge" | Prostitute

This came out super-late in 2024, but I'm calling it a 2025 album mainly because I want to put it on my year-end Top 50 at all costs and it's not fair to let it slip through the cracks. From Dearborn, Michigan—for all intents and purposes, Detroit—Prostitute is a snivelling beast in heat, frothing at the mouth, infected with rabies (and god knows what else), and ranting on a street corner like a cast-out religious heretic. Need a taste to get the idea? I decide who lives and who dies | I don't die, I slaughter your flock | From the weak to the heathens. Lighthearted stuff, but the best rock & roll can sometimes get real nasty and there's no better place to practice what you preach than Detroit, Michigan, where this kind of stuff ferments in the sewer pipes.

*Interestingly, this is the second consecutive band that has Arabic lyrics posted to their Bandcamp page, this time for the title-track of the album. At this pace, I'll probably be deported by Homeland Security sundown.

05 "Those Around You" | Same Eyes

No video, but Bandcamp link provided below.

https://sameeyes.bandcamp.com/track/those-around-you-2

OK, Michigan, I'll include this band, also from Detroit (via Ann Arbor) to partially offset the civic damage inflicted by the Prostitute entry. And if we're going to offset, let's go full throttle back-to-the-80s retro with Same Eyes, a band of talented synth-pop lightweights that have a sound in the same wheelhouse as the Psychedelic Furs circa 1985. Normally, not something we gravitate to, but these guys clearly have loads of talent, cool songs, and a great singer, too. They got a boost last year when their song, "Desperate Others" went mini-viral (1.5M streams), but their record, Love Comes Crashing (which sounds like the title of an 80's album) has a lot more to offer, including "John Wayne Modern Man," "Idol," "It's Casual," and the excellent "Those Around You"—chosen here mainly because it includes a reference to Chicago's elevated train system. If you're in the mood for a little time-traveling, Same Eyes are the band for you.

06 "Teeth Marché" | Tropical Fuck Storm

Australia's delightfully unpredictable Tropical Fuck Storm are back after releasing possibly the best live album of 2024, Inflatable Graveyard, with another studio record, their fourth. You really never know what kind of record you're going to get from TFS, but Fairyland Codex might be my favorite from the band yet. OK, possibly second to 2018's, A Laughing Death in Meatspace, but who's really keeping track? Whenever they resurface it's worth checking out where their heads are at and this time we get some borderline accessible tracks, like "Bloodsport" and "Teeth Marché," thanks to the twin appeal of vocalists Fiona Kitschin and Lauren Hammel, who manage to bring home impenetrable, but madcap lyrics like it was nothing. Exhibit A below.

You want snakeskin, minktails, empires of honeycomb

Multi-coloured magic code in a bubble of seafoam

Impression of perfection in the curve of a swan throat

Don't try apologize for anything you stole

07 "Shoplifter" | Ty Segall

Ty Segall is too prolific and not necessarily a discerning curator, but he's put out a consistently good album this year in Possession. That said, no matter what he releases, there are always a few gems in the bunch (ala Robert Pollard) and "Shoplifter" is one such fave this time. It comes complete with saxophones, violins, and a melodic 180 near the end of the track. It's the tale of a dirt poor kleptomaniac and by the end you might even be tempted to look the other way for a minute to help her out.

08 "Bullet Train to Vegas" | Rye Coalition

Rye Coalition were alt-rockers wrapped around the turn of the century, long forgotten by most, but back in amazing form almost 20 years after their last album in order to pay tribute to two lost friends via a split single titled Paid in Full. Side A features Shellac's "Wingwalker" in tribute to the late Steve Albini, who once worked with the band (not a short list). Side B is "Bullet Train to Vegas" from Drive Like Jehu's cult classic, Yank Crime, and it's another tribute, this time to the late Rick Froberg, who also passed away recently. Both singles are well worth hearing, but "Bullet Train" gets the nod because the guitars really nail that Jehu sound, all fast and frantic and dangerous, just like we're back in the glorious 90s again.

09 "Northern Waters" | Allo Darlin'

Entire album included above. "Northern Waters" comes in at 10:20 mark.

London's Allo Darlin', dormant for a decade, are back with a record that is a joy to listen to, mainly because it can be played at any time for anyone and nobody is going to complain. Their sweet brand of indie-pop hits the spot for me, with most of their new LP, Bright Nights, settling into a pleasing gait that will relax your soul after a long, hard day. Credit Elizabeth Morris's beautifully weathered voice for much of the record's success. She can make anything sound good.

10 "Holy Shuffle" | Big Freedia ft. Billy Porter

If you don't love Big Freedia, we might have a problem. A New Orleans institution, her last record, Central City, made our Top 50 Albums list two years ago. This time, she gives us a gospel record, Pressing Onward, and that excited me when I first heard the news. Mainly because she doesn't do anything straightforward. "Holy Shuffle," featuring style icon Billy Porter, is all I'll need to prove that point. The track positively swings. The best gospel leaves you overjoyed and moved simultaneously and by the end of this feel-good song, I was almost converted.

11 "Remembering Now" | Van Morrison

Later-period Van Morrison records have a very professional sheen to them, which is not necessarily a compliment. Very listenable yes, but not next-level in most cases. Remembering Now is still professional, but the material is uniformly excellent throughout, which makes this record sound special. I still wish he'd rough up his recordings a bit more, perhaps strip things down, add more texture, be more spontaneous. It can be done and that's proven by the title track, buried near the end of the record. Here we find Van reflecting back on his origin story in Belfast and it's a powerful moment of self-realization. If you've ever gone back to your roots after being gone a long time, you may identify with Van's jolt of understanding as he walks the streets where he was a young man. "This is who I am, this is who I am..." he repeats, almost overcome by the feeling of being back. It's positively moving.

12 "Affirmations" | Theon Cross

Theon Cross, one of the world's most brilliant tuba players, has released perhaps the best jazz record of the year so far with Affirmations, which captures him live and inspired at the Blue Note in New York City. The things he can do with his tuba are otherworldly and his crack band is in lock-step with him all the way. Although other instruments take the lead throughout, I recommend focusing on Theon in the mix. You'll soon understand his impact on each song's progression. That's the extent of my jazz criticism, which is novice-level on my best days. But when I hear something amazing like this, I feel compelled to spread the word anyway. Plus, I've found that the best critics are often not critics at all.

13 "Good Ghosts" | Jerry David DeCicca

Plain spoken, plain voiced Jerry David DeCicca uses what he has at his disposal to make simple, affecting songs. He consistently gets under my skin so I keep buying his records, looking for the little magic moments he dabbles in. "Good Ghosts," from his new record, Cardiac Country, is one of those moments. It hits me not where I live, but how I live, with a crate full of records at the ready, some time on my hands, and a drink in my hand. I can play records all night and never get bored or tired. In this case, Jerry celebrates some long departed musicians through their music, to quote Jerry, "soaking in their wisdom and heartache, side after side, until bedtime." I can relate. I will be doing the same exact thing for as long as my heart is still beating.

OUTRO: "Palmyra" | Liam Grant

As this mix ends, let's exit out the side doors slowly and safely while Liam Grant blows our minds with "Palmyra" from his stellar new record, Prodigal Son. He's in the new class of "American primitive" guitarists, as his genre has been dubbed, and his raw, road-tested instrumentals sound as authentic as a Delta roadhouse at 2:00am. Here, he's playing a distorted lap-steel guitar (weissenborn-style, they say) and to me it sounds like my version of heaven.

___________________________________

Time to pull out a crate of records and start on the next installment. I've already got a stack in the queue. Pour the gin, Lydia, I'm on my way home.

Cheers,

The Priest