Royal Oakie Shares Greatest Hits of 2023
We covered a lot of ground in 2023, or so I like to think. And, while we were able to look back with our end of year coverage, Oakland label Royal Oakie opted to go their own way by dropping a Greatest Hits of 2023 collection, which features this really solid tune from Michael James Tapscott (among others like Half Stack and Jeff Moller). Listening, you’ll hear the rolling hills of Texas, with the twisting and turning of the guitars riding through backroads; Tapscott’s vocals have a friendly warmth too, carrying that fireside chat aura that makes everyone feel welcome. It’s a great way to hear what the label did last year, and keep an eye out for what they’ve got coming in 2024!
Kind of a hectic week on my end over here, with RayRay being out of town, B.Gray getting ready to fest, and well, the usual life goes on. Managed to squeeze in a couple of phenomenal shows, so that’s a bonus, catching both Lewsberg and the Walkmen. Tons of fun songs hit last week, though admittedly, it seemed a bit thin in comparison to weeks gone by. Still, Onyon dropped fresh tunes, and Lower Plenty finally dropped their marvelous new No Poets LP. Loved that English Teacher bop, so chose it to start off the playlist. Unfortunately, one of my favorite tunes was that new Lightheaded, but it wasn’t streaming yet, so be sure to check in with Slumberland Records on that note. Monday is here. So is the music.
It’s Friday, and while Austin is focused on ACL Weekend One, I’m here to turn your ears towards some great albums that you’ll benefit from if you’re into the whole streaming process. Several of these we’ve talked about quite a bit, so it’s good that now you can get your hands on them in their entirety. Going to start with what’s quickly becoming one of my favorite LPs of the year, then let you pick and choose what’s your flavor.
Admittedly, we might have outdone ourselves last week; I’m fairly certain I’m the one to blame. Somehow, we tossed up 40 songs, though a few are unavailable in the streaming sites, so you’ve only got 38 tracks on this week’s playlist. There’s a ton of Austin stuff, with new music from Daiistar, Semihelix, Half Dream and more…obligatory A Giant Dog is in there and such. Plus, still continuously impressed by the magic that is Prewn. Oh, and Australia’s buzzing at the moment, and their music isn’t half-bad either, with new tracks from the Small Intestines and Soft Covers being considered as must listens. So, if you’ve got an hour or two to kill…go on and stream!
While there’s a fogginess that’s swept over the Oakland scene, in a certain musical sense,