Something little different this time around. Brent Cash is a pop wizard and songwriter from Athens, Georgia. It has been a while since the last album, but Brent is now back with his third album The New High. It came out on the 27th of January and it was released by Marina Records just like the earlier ones. They don’t put out that many releases these days, but sure have put their mark on the pop world with their excellent catalogue of releases. The Pearlfishers and Brent Cash discographies being the brightest diamonds.

I’ve only just begun with the new Brent Cash album. So this blog entry is also a note to self that I need to pay this one a lot of attention. I bought the earlier ones and really enjoy them, but have only spinned The New High a few times on Spotify so far. It definitely feels like Brent still has the magic and still wonderfully masters this sophisticated chamber pop that echoes the sunshine pop, baroque pop and soft pop of the 60s and 70s, but also has a few modern pop twists. This is Every Infliction from this beautiful pop album.

Brent Cash at Facebook

I’ve never had the chance to meet Otis Gibbs, but I’m loving him anyhow. Both his records and his podcasts have meant a great deal to me and have kept me company for hours and hours.

Otis Gibbs recorded a new album on his 50th birthday in his living room. The album is called Mount Renraw and it came out on the 13th of January. It’s obviously rather stripped-down and bare, but this is actually a perfect fit to these songs. Otis Gibbs is a folksinger and a teller of real American stories. Mount Renraw is an excellent album and might even turn out to be my favourite Otis Gibbs release. You can a grap copy from his website or bandcamp.

There’s a lot of great songs and stories to choose from, but I think my early favourite is this one below. This is a story about Sputnik Monroe. A professional wrestler from the fifties who refused to wrestle unless his black friends were allowed to sit anywhere they wanted. This eventually led to first desegregated sporting events in the southern states. Thanks for the great song and history lesson Otis and thanks Sputnik for standing up for what is right.

And here’s also an official video for the song.

Otis Gibbs Website

Hip Hatchet put out a wonderful new EP Hellhound in the House on 20th of January. These are all protest songs and we would all be better off, if the world was in a state where there wasn’t a need for these songs to be born. Unfortunately that’s not the case and therefore we must live, love and resist. The poems, songs and arts in general are an important part of this and Hip Hatchet is fighting the good fight by presenting a really powerful EP Hellhound in the House. My biggest favourite is Burden of an Empath that leaves me teary-eyed each and every time. Despite all the overwhelming sadness, I still feel like the beauty, warmness and love is able to overshadow the darkness in that song. That is where the hope lies and that is what we are also seeing taking place. People coming together and standing up against the lack of compassion and empathy. To love is not a weakness. Love is the way.

Hip Hatchet Website