various artists - Uncut: Main Sounds (15 Tracks Of The Month's Best Music)

I don't typically fuck with Uncut Magazine. And the price I paid for this reflects what I gather is most folks' interest in the content here. One measly cent American, plus a nominal shipping fee, was all it cost. With all apologies to most of the performers herein, there are only a few cuts here worth that copper.

So, who did I like? Those kids in Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are pretty great, although that wasn't in question before I copped this. Same goes for Sharon Van Etten, whose music I realized I've been casually encountering for a decade and a half. I wasn't familiar with cellist Layla McCalla's background initially, but it's been nice seeking out the catalog of this former member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Finally, the Quebecois trio Cola were a nice surprise coming towards the end of the 15 tracks contained herein. They had a real "Tuesday night touring band" vibe coming off their track; with a new record that came out in June, they made my list of Bandcamp Friday pickups for December.

Discogs

Click here to download.

various artists - Uncut Presents: White Riot Vol. One (A Tribute To The Clash)

They can't all be winners, people, but as far as tribute records to the Clash go, I respect this one, because it leans into "Sandinista"-era Clash moreso than other Clash tributes, and there are some rather-unknown artists here (for me, at least), plus an unreleased Mescaleros track and a contemporary Stiff Little Fingers songs about Mssr. Strummer, and, anyway, this run on sentence has run on. Shit, it came free with a copy of Uncut...what more do you want out of life?

There's a Volume Two, as well, with some more familiar artists on it, and maybe I'll buy a copy one day and write a hundred words about that one also.

Discogs

Click here to download.