Pickled Priest 2025 New Music Mixtape #7: "Sounds Affect"

If we all make each other a mixtape of our favorite new songs, I mean really put some effort into them and curate them, I bet we'd all find a few more songs to listen to that we might not have otherwise. If you love music, your network cannot be large enough.

SIDE A

Intro: "Z - Love Song for Dolly" | Carla Kihlstedt / Present Music

I’ve always loved the illustrated books of Edward Gorey, particularly The Gashlycrumb Tinies, his morbid approach to learning one's ABC’s. The book recounts the fates of 26 doomed children in various unexpected or dastardly ways (K is for Kate who was struck with an axe, N is for Neville who died of ennui, etc.). It’s what I classify as demented fun, the very best kind. I even have a framed copy of each panel on my wall at home. So naturally I was excited to stumble upon Carla Kihlstedt’s new album which features a mini-soundtrack for each entry from the book. Now we have a piece of specifically-tailored music to accompany each page of the book. She has a way of capturing the eeriness of each defining moment without losing touch with the childlike wonder that preceded it. One segment for each dead child, no sharing. Even one for Zillah, who died from drinking too much gin. If I have to go early, please make mine a double.

01 "Back 2 Rhymes" | Phill Most Chill & Djar One

I didn't know how in the mood I was for a classic old school rap until I heard Phill Most Chill and Djar One's new record, Deal With It, which is loaded with quick-witted, refreshingly-retro raps that wouldn't have sounded out of place in the mid-80s. I wouldn't have discovered them if the cover of the album wasn't a stylistic homage to Otis Redding and Carla Thomas's Stax classic, King and Queen, from 1967. It immediately drew my eye and I rewarded it with a test drive. I haven't stopped riding with it ever since. It's an endlessly amusing, uproarious record with great beats, killer vocals, and, as the title of this song suggests, dope rhymes. Is that still the vernacular?

02 "Ice Sold Here" | Aesop Rock

My hat raccoon, my coat goose

I ain't never defrost my frozen food

Aesop Rock lyrics are always cold as ice. His bars are tight as a well-packed snowball and on his new album, Black Hole Superette, the chill is everywhere. No subject is off limits and I particularly love his sense of humor, which is all over "Ice Sold Here," a song that espouses his innate coolness in numerous ways, including a well-placed Yukon Cornelius reference late in the track (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer shout out). Phill may be the Most Chill, but Aesop Rock is giving him a serious run for his money. Both are equally great, getting this mixtape off to a shiveringly good start.

Yukon Cornelius at your service

03 "No Juego" | Adrian Quesada ft. Angelica Garcia

The sequel we knew we needed but didn’t know would come, Adrian Quesada has given us installment dos of his Psicodelicos Boleros series (yes “Psychedelic Boleros” in translation). After the first volume, this is a refreshing boost to a collection in need of a little more international flavor this year. As an added bonus, Adrian ups the ante by adding two time Pickled Priest Top 50 Albums list maker Angelica Garcia to the invite list. Her vocal on “No Juego” is as intoxicating as a bottle of cachaça and just as potent.

04 "Back of My Hand" | The Belair Lip Bombs

We highlight a shit-ton of Australian punk bands on Pickled Priest, but this isn't one of them. This is just a straight ahead Australian rock band that seems poised to break later this month when their new record comes out. It's titled Again and it's the Victoria band's second record. Thankfully, Third Man is releasing it this time so it won't get lost in the shuffle like the debut did. Expect it to get some much deserved attention as a result. If the single "Back of My Hand" is any indication, the record should appeal to more than just the indie crowd.

05 "Descartes" | Sprints

Vanity is the curse of culture

I won’t, and can’t, get too deep into modern philosophy—to my defense, Sprints force the issue here—but I do like how fifteenth century philosopher Rene Descartes approached perplexing issues as if no one had written about them before. Question everything, in other words. Philosophy, like art, is often not a choice for those involved—it’s a compulsion, a calling. He’d surely tell you that if he hadn’t died 375 years ago. It’s not something you can just turn off and on like a light switch. Which is where Dublin’s Sprints enter the equation. They’re a relatively new concern, with two excellent EPs (the second, A Modern Job, Pickled Priest’s #1 EP of 2022) and an acclaimed debut, 2024’s Letter to Self, released so far. “Descartes,” plucked from their latest record, All That is Over, is as broad and challenging as its title suggests, asking heavy questions and proposing irrefutable truths (see captioned quote above) on common subjects with a compelling new perspective.

06 "The Perfect Crime" | Joy Crookes

We really liked Joy's debut, Skin, from 2021, but she's given us nothing since. Well, here she is again finally! On "The Perfect Crime" she's back in her element riding a killer groove about being a killer and balancing on an impossibly thick bassline that you could build a small house on. She's another Brit with some serious soul and a host of diverse influences to keep it fresh and interesting. This song should be a major radio hit, but probably won't be.

07 "Cut and Rewind" | Say She She

Say She She is bringing back the Saturday night fever one album at a time and their third record, Cut & Rewind, unabashedly mixes the disco with some new wave, R&B, and funk vibes just for kicks. Add some sweet three-part harmonies and stir. They are from Brooklyn after all, home of the 2001 Odyssey, so it just feels on point. The title-track leans new wave, but it's eminently danceable nonetheless.

08 "Bake McBride" | The High & Mighty

If you name a song "Bake McBride" I'm gonna listen to it. And it had better live up to its name, too. Bake was a fixture on the baseball cards of my youth and I always felt bad for his big, beautiful afro, which always got matted underneath his baseball cap (see below). Surely an exemption could've be made, Mr. Commissioner! "Shake 'n Bake" was a Phillies legend, cemented when he was a starter for the 1980 World Series champs. He was one of the best outfielders in the game at the time and had a distinct style as well. The boys in The High & Mighty know this well, being from Philly and all, so they put their all into this track which lives up to the man's name and also the name of the band itself. It's high and it's mighty, full of grit, toughness, and groove, just like you would hope. It's at least fully-baked, borderline double-baked.

09 "How to Impress God" | Saba & No I.D.

This deep (thought) cut is from two Chicago rap scene luminaries, taken from their From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID LP from earlier this year. I'm just getting to it now, but there is some grade-A rap to be found on the record and I'm not the first to say it. "How to Impress God" shows an understanding that all that glitters isn't gold in the eyes of their higher power. Earthly pleasures like money and cars and fans and streams? She (yes, she) is not impressed. You guys are here for more than all that, an even higher purpose that your were born with. It's that realization that makes this a powerful statement.

10 "Family" | Arrested Development

It's been over thirty years since Arrested Development made a huge splash with their debut record, 3 Years, 5 Months, & 2 Days in the Life of... Yep, 1992, to be exact. Remember "Tennessee"? "People Everyday"? Or my personal favorite, "Mr. Wendal"? If that's all you know of their music, it might be time to check back in with them again. Speech, the group's leader and main songwriter, has always been a strong lyricist, and while not as playful as he used to be, he's definitely profound. The group has been releasing records at a good clip lately, three in the last five years, and they're damn good. The latest, Adult Contemporary Hip Hop (that's what it is, I guess), is no different. The laid-back "Family" is a great example of what makes the band special. It's a family affair and as long as they're making music, they're happy.

11 "Socialising" | Mark William Lewis

A bit creepy looking, much like a horror movie slasher, so it's no surprise MWL is a master of creating a late-night vibe. His deep, soothing voice is the centerpiece, but his version of pop music carries with it a heaviness that sounds best in near darkness. Save this one for the wee small hours and let it surround you.

12 "Thank You My Pain" | Alabaster DePlume

I’ve been waiting for another great album from poet/saxophonist Alabaster Deplume ever since he landed Gold in the #2 spot on our Album of the Year list in 2022. Well, he’s delivered a different, but equally affecting and inspiring album in 2025. He doesn't get the element of surprise this time, and I am not as taken aback by his musical approach as I was three years ago, but A Blade Because a Blade is Whole is similarly singular in its purpose, this time examining pain and forgiveness. I'm simplifying to save space, but trust me, this album may get into your head in a good way if you allow it some time to settle itself. "Thank You My Pain" understands that to live this life you have to take the good with the bad; the pain is as necessary as the joy. It reminds me of a conversation about grief that Stephen Colbert had with Anderson Cooper, where Colbert presented this idea to a clearly moved Cooper. I encourage you to listen to what he had to say (vid below). This song reminds me of that powerful moment and puts the sentiment to music.

13 "Wheel of Change" | Hand Habits

Meg Duffy, aka Hand Habits (with accompaniment), has released another lovely record with Blue Reminder, an album that retains the atmosphere that made albums like 2019's Placeholder so intimate, but also fleshes out some songs like "Way it Goes" and "Wheel of Change" without losing any of the original magic that made her uniquely personal songs stand out in the first place. The record was inspired by poet Maggie Nelson's book of poetry, Bluets, which begins with this intriguing verse: Suppose I were to begin by saying that I have fallen in love with a color. If anyone could put music to such an idea, and Joni Mitchell wasn't available, Meg Duffy would've been on my shortlist. Here, she does so brilliantly.

SIDE B

14 "Bonfire of the Billionaires" | Gwenifer Raymond

We segue into a Side B with a change of pace, but that doesn't mean you're not going to be engaged with the songs coming up. First up, guitarist Gwenifer (The answer to the question: "Do you want to name her Gwen or Jennifer?") Raymond, a guitar virtuoso that'll drop your jaw with her quick fingered dexterity. Her new album is an instrumental marvel that you'll have to hear to believe. It feels a little like a Ren Fair deal on the surface but it goes beyond that. If you told me this was a lost Jimmy Page acoustic album from the 70s, I might believe you. The marvelously-titled "Bonfire of the Billionaires" (put a little more Zuckerberg on the fire, my toes are getting cold) is the song that sold the record for me. Always attracted to a good title, I soon realized this was no novelty record. This was the real deal.

15 "It's a Beautiful Day Today" | Robert Plant

I am totally digging the new Robert Plant covers record. Like other recent records, it's an earthy affair, restrained and atmospheric like his two similar acclaimed releases with Alison Krauss. This time he's paired up with relatively unknown folk singer Suzi Dian and the results are captivating once again. He has a way of settling into a mood like almost no other person, just like he did back in his heyday. I really like the consistency of Saving Grace, too, despite the variety of source material. It just floats by like a blast of summer wind on a hot, muggy day. "It's a Beautiful Day Today," a Moby Grape cover, is one of those songs that's welcome anytime you hear it, better than the original, but in these times it also acts as a reminder that there's promise in every day if you go out and find it.

16 "Couldn't Tell the Time" | Eve Adams

Sometimes all it takes for a song to standout is a solitary set of lyrics that strike a chord with me and Eve Adams' "Couldn't Tell the Time" starts with a perfect example of what I'm talking about...

Well, somethin' 'bout that daylight

I couldn't tell the time

Is it half past school bells?

Or a quarter to wedding chimes?

The lyrics capture a phenomenon in the American Southwest, where the horizon meets the sky in a way that makes you wonder if the day is beginning or ending.

17 "Maybe I" | Amanda Shires

Jason Isbell's ex, Amanda Shires, is a major songwriting talent in her own right, but nothing makes a songwriter dig deep more than a catastrophic breakup, and her new album chronicles her life since their divorce like it's a still open wound. Who can blame her. Her agony is our gain in this case, because this ranks up there with the great breakup records I've heard. It's honest and open and angry and devastated and just plain crushing in equal doses. The songs flow out like blood from a finger that's been run over a sharp blade (perhaps intentionally). "Maybe I" deals with it all. The questioning, the wondering, the second-guessing. It's hard to hear, but still stunningly beautiful at times. If you've ever been there, you'll know.

18 "Dream Destroyer" | Sloan

Nova Scotia's Sloan are cult favorites in the US, but in Canada they're legends. For me, all I need is the one or two ringers they include on each album. The rest, while just fine, tend to blend in with the wallpaper. To their credit, they've hung around a long fucking time mainly because Canadians grow and support their own. Once beloved, always beloved, like an old left winger on the Maple Leafs. "Dream Destroyer" is a glam-rock gem from their fourteenth LP (see what I mean), Based on the Best Seller, the title a coy little nod to their wonder years when they were at their peak of popularity perhaps. I've gotta say they sound the same to me as they always did.

19 "Checkmate" | Ron Gallo

Ron Gallo may never make another album quite like his debut record from 2017—the raw, rocking, and demented masterpiece that was Heavy Meta—but it sounds like he's not interested in rehashing old sounds on his latest record anyway. The title-track, "Checkmate," is a gorgeous love song, something I wasn't quite prepared to hear from the same songwriter that gave us songs like "Why Do You Have Kids?" and "Young Lady, You're Scaring Me," but that doesn't mean he hasn't made an amazing record. It's just different. And in this case, different is good. One of the sleepers records of 2025.

20 "Sx Sx Sx Men" | Black Lips

In the tradition of the fellow Georgians, the Allman Brothers, and their album Eat a Peach, comes Dunwoody, Georgia's own freak punks, Black Lips, and their eleventh record, Season of the Peach. That's where the similarities between the two bands end, however. Black Lips, formed in chaos in 1999 and never quite left it behind, are legendary for their demented stage antics (live chickens, urination, hookers, excessive alcohol consumption), but they also wrote songs that were better than the circus sideshow merited, gaining them a cult audience of like-minded nutjobs in the process. How long can such an approach last, you wonder? Miraculously, they're still a going concern a quarter-century after forming and they may be tamed somewhat by time (out of necessity), but that doesn't mean they aren't capable of delivering some of that same black magic. Cue "Sx Sx Sx Man" which channels an Ian Svenonius-esque vocal (circa Sound Verite) to great effect. I've no clue what's going on, but the raspy vox sound fucking cool. That's all that matters.

21 "I Don't Enunciate" | The Supersuckers

Just as Motörhead was Lemmy and whomever he played with, The Supersuckers are Eddie Spaghetti (Edward Carlyle Daly III) and a cast of rotating backing musicians. The band has been around for thirty-five years plus now and the ageless Spaghetti, a cancer survivor, has still got that X-factor that made his band such a high-octane, wildly fun blast from day one. Not changing the formula one bit has something to do with it of course, but just as you didn't want a prog record from the Ramones, you don't want anything from the 'Suckers other than a tailpipe jammed down your throat and a some wicked humor to boot. I was mainly lured into their new record, Liquor, Women, Drugs & Killing (oh, Eddie) by the song "Doin' Work You Don't Enjoy (With People That You Don't Like)," which I so wanted to include on this mixtape because my day job is in a corporate office, but then I discovered the hilarious "I Don't Enunciate" on side two (if listening on vinyl), which is a tribute to all those gravel-eating rock vocalists nobody can understand and probably don't need to. Leave it to Eddie to serve up such a self-deprecating hoot four decades into his long, esteemed residency on this planet. The new album is all you can eat Spaghetti and that's a good thing.

22 "Discount Diamonds" | Ganser

Get your scorecards out, we have some personnel changes to address. In my write-up for Ganser's last record, Just Look at That Sky, I wrote about singer Nadia Garafolo's "ultra-cool vocals" and guitarist Charlie Landsman's machine-like riffs. Well, both are now gone from the band (although some Landsman licks remain on some tracks). Nadia went on the form Kaput, whose debut was featured on a PP mixtape earlier this year. That left drummer Brian Cundiff and bassist/vocalist Alicia Gaines behind. You can see why one might be skeptical as to their future viability. Such concerns have been completely dispensed with by the arrival of new vocalist Sophie Sputnik, however, a major find for the band who fits perfectly into the band's existing post-punk foundation. I loved the band's last album, but this one, Animal Hospital, sounds just as good, even better perhaps. Check out "Discount Diamonds" and decide for yourself.

23 "Tree Six Foive" | CMAT

If Adele actually sang songs that fit her offstage personality—witty, blunt, brassy, but still fragile (all enhanced by a pint or tree)—she might sound a bit like Dublin's Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson (CMAT for short). Diluting the genuine drama of her songs with a little humor and playfulness, the underlying heartbreak of "Tree Six Foive" is converted into a rollicking ode to leaving an insincere man in your rearview and salvaging every moment of what's left. He's only taking one day out of 365. The rest is hers for the taking.

24 "Fabulist" | The Cords

While on the subject of shitty boyfriends (see CMAT entry above), here's "Fabulist" from the Cords, a new Scottish duo consisting of Eve and Grace Tedeschi (no relation to American blueswoman Susan), an indie-styled jangle-pop band that seems destined for big things when the songs from their charming new record start to spread like wildfire, which they should and will if things go according to plan. "Fabulist" is one of those doomed relationship songs that sounds so upbeat you don't even care what it's about. Look deeper at your discretion if so inclined. The rest of the record is similarly undeniable. Watch this space closely for updates.

25 "People Are Lifted" | Rhett Miller

The Old 97's are beloved because the songs hold up. The songs hold up because they were mostly written by Rhett Miller, a top-tier songwriter with a knack for delivering one perfect turn of phrase after another. It makes sense then, that when taken out of the band setting, that the songs would still be great and on A Lifetime of Riding By Night, he's in top form once again, if not better than ever. He's 55 now and his latest songs benefit from that added experience. He seems wiser, quieter, content, comfortable, and settled. He's a family man now and obviously it agrees with him. Opening song "All For You" sets the tone: Took a while to find my way / Years and years and years and years / Thinkin' only of myself / But then I disappeared. It's a very adult moment when you realize your own happiness is secondary to others. Which leads me to "People Are Lifted," a song that nailed me to the wall when I first heard it. I immediately dropped everything and played it again. I don't want to know exactly what it's about, but it tells of Rhett witnessing people being taken from this earth suddenly. The easy interpretation is that death takes us all eventually, some unexpectedly. But it can also be interpreted religiously, as in a divine light from heaven or some other spiritual being. Or, if you're a conspiracy theorist, UFOs could be plucking specific people off the Earth to serve some unknown agenda. I doubt that's the case, but maybe now and then, I'll take it that way just for fun.

26 "Ready Beat" | Ches Smith

My first belated exposure to drummer/percussionist Ches Smith was his 2023 record, Laugh Ash, which really challenged my definition of jazz and since that's how my motherboard is programmed it made for a perfect fit. His experimental nature might be a little non-traditional for the Jazzwise set, but if you love music where the drums lead the way, do I have something for you. "Ready Beat" sounds like a jazz combo got stuck in a university robotics lab and fucked around until the custodian opened up the building the next morning.

Outro: "Music Venue Employee Kicking Everyone Out While Throwing Away Bottles" | Fred Armisen

Fred Armisen seems to constantly live in a state of quiet bemusement, which somewhat explains why he's released a new album featuring 100 sound effects of all types, including this attempt by an employee to clear post-show stragglers from a concert venue while also trying to clean up all the discarded bottles, cups, and cans on the floor. Over the years, I've been yelled at by a lot of these irritated guys and finally I have it on a record so I can not listen to it whenever I want. But do I want to is the question? I don't know, but it seems like the perfect way to end a mixtape. So get the fuck out. The tape is over. If you're still with me, other sound effects included: "Guitar Tuned but Still Somehow Out of Tune," "Sparsely Attended Show With Someone Shouting 'Where's Jim?', "Music Store Exit With Security Checking Receipt," and, of course, "Thrift Store Perfunctory Search for Halloween Costume." Not a comedy album, per se, but low-level amusement nonetheless.

__________________

That's the last mixtape for 2025 (or is it?) so get the fuck out. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.

Cheers,

The Priest