New Music From Alabaster DePlume, Old Pup, And Steely Dan’s ‘Katy Lied’ At 50
On an all-new episode of Discologist, Eduardo and Kevin dive into Alabaster DePlume’s latest release A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole, an alt-country instant classic from Milwaukee’s Old Pup, and fifty years of Steely Dan’s arguably finest hour, Katy Lied.
Featured Albums
A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole
Alabaster DePlume
On Gus Fairbairn’s (Alabaster DePlume) fourth album for International Anthem, the notable vibe facilitator pushes forward in his mission to heal himself and others through art. While the album's title acknowledges that pain and suffering are an inescapable part of our human experience, Blade asserts that while we must heal ourselves to truly help others, it’s still okay to try. The playful charm of “Invincibility” and the triumphant spirit of “Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem” highlight the joy found in the journey toward peace. With this new batch of songs, we also see the emergence of a supremely confident composer. Fairbairn’s work now feels less like improvisation and more like carefully and crafted pieces designed to evoke the togetherness and serenity central to his musical mission. — Kevin
Spider Towns
Old Pup
On his third album in two years, trumpeter and composer The ghostly guitars that open Old Pup's Spider Towns invite you into a likely haunted house and quietly shut the door behind you. Along with an all-star cast of up-and-coming Milwaukee alt-country stars and folk freaks (and album art from Ryan Davis) bandleader and chief songwriter Will Hansen builds on the Lynchian notion of the Midwest, delivering a perfectly realized weird-Americana universe.
Hansen's characters get high and ponder a universe where everything that has and will happen is happening at once, skip lesson plans in favor of showing the class a film because they're hungover, and find themselves in other mildly degenerate situations. These vignettes feel relatable and human even as the music scaffolding these tales drifts in and out of the corners of the ether from different times, places, and dimensions.
When David Lynch passed recently, the line "Now it’s dark" from his film Blue Velvet made its way into most eulogies and remembrances. Spider Towns serves as a reminder that while it may be dark, perhaps the light hasn’t gone out just yet. — Kevin
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