LUKA is a songwriter Toronto and he will release his new album What Kind of Animal on the 28th of November. It was recorded live-to-tape and will be released as cassette/digital. Luka’s songs always feel just charming and lovely at first, but further listenings tend to reveal far expanded range of emotions and far more depth and detail. His subtle soft voice challenge my thought process and conscience with insightful and unpredicted lines. Jonathan Richman influences are still there, but not as apparent than on the previous album. The album opener Near Collision is my early personal favourite, but that’s not yet available for sharing. No harm done, because this first available outtake Quick Reflex is also equally magnificent.

LUKA at Facebook

I’m running out of time, because I would like to get end of the year lists done before all hell breaks loose on the day job in a week or two. So soon I’ll focus on those, but during the next few days I try to go through a couple of important ones that I’ve failed to mention properly.

Last Leaves are from Australia. Former The Lucksmith members Marty Donald, Louis Richter and Mark Monnone put together a new band with Great Earthquake’s drummer Noah Symons. They took their time, but the full-length Other Towns Than Ours finally appeared this fall on Matinee Recordings (USA) and Lost and Lonesome Recording Company (Australia). The album is a thoroughly enjoyable and completely worth the wait. It’s quite moody and at times even complex and perhaps therefore not as instantly catchy as one might have hoped or expected. Absolutely no worries though, because it grows on you and even in the beginning there’s certainly more than enough of wonderful pop jangle and beautiful melodies too to keep the pop kids onboard. Great to have these heroes back in this ball game. This is The World We Had from the new Last Leaves album.

Last Leaves at Facebook

Going back to Hobart, Tasmania for a bit. I’ve been vaguely familiar with songwriter Lincoln Le Fevre for a few years, but haven’t picked up the earlier records. I’m pretty sure I would like them, but the most basic factory job with small-ish salary does put some limits to the quest of buying all the records my heart desires. However, I did pick a download of the latest Lincoln Le Fevre & The Insiders album Come Undone that came out in July on Poison City Records. It’s a damn fine alternative when I get temporarily tired with all my beloved country troubadours and feel the need to add a little bit of energy and rock’n’roll to the mix. This is folk punk, indie rock and alt-country passionately delivered. It might not be exactly similar, but if you like the work of Lucero and Frank Turner for example why not give a chance to Lincoln Le Fevre. Especially the finest songs like Undone, Summerhat and Constellations are utterly wonderful. Extra bonus point for the Lucero cap in the music video for album outtake Useless Shit. Not that he really needs one, because Come Undone is an awesome record.

Lincoln Le Fevre Website

Time for some pop wizardry from Portland, Oregon. I bought the new Mo Troper album Exposure & Response last night, put it on the headphones when I started working at the factory this following morning and kind of instantly fell in love with it. Co-workers probably thought that now I’ve finally lost it completely, because I’ve was doing manual labour with a stupid happy grin on my face all day long and probably even sang along a little bit without realizing it. A damn brilliant power pop album. GBV formula in a sense that at first it almost feels like he is wasting wonderful melodies, because the songs are often really short, but a while later I notice that he knew better and the songs are perfect just as they are. Exposure & Response is a super catchy album full of killer hooks and wonderful melodies and it’s now out and available on Good Cheer Records.

Mo Troper at Facebook