Jams and Tea

One of the biggest popstars of the decade so far, Olivia Rodrigo, has returned with her dynamic, fun, and emotional sophomore record GUTS, one of the year's most expressive major releases, and we're excited to finally dig into it properly, exploring everything that makes Olivia one of the most celebrated artists of the moment, and why this is such a satisfying step-up from the promise of her debut. Jake and Ryley also talk about a very different and altogether more avant-garde release from Los Angeles hardcore band Sprain, whose epic 98-minute opus THE LAMB AS EFFIGY has taken music nerds by storm - but what's it really all about?

Today Jake and Ryley are repeating a trick they tried back in June and powering through a list of interesting records that we haven't had the chance to review properly over the last couple of months. Join us as we dig into exceptional new albums from Genesis Owusu, Ratboys, and The Clientele, as well as more divisive but equally worth your time efforts from Hozier, Geese, and The Armed. Let us know what you think of any of these albums, and whether you think we got it right, in the comments on YouTube!

0:00 The Clientele - I Am Not There Anymore

11:09 Geese - 3D Country

20:39 The Armed - Perfect Saviors

34:31 Genesis Owusu - Struggler

52:31 Hozier - Unreal Unearth

1:06:41 Ratboys - The Window

In this week's episode of Jams & Tea NOW, we break down a new album from legacy punk veteran Jeff Rosenstock, HELLMODE, as well as the challenge of the aging punk rocker in the 2020s, and the fallout of his decision to reveal just how much of a cut major venues take out of his merch earnings. We also talk the pretty but understated new record from Slowdive, EVERYTHING IS ALIVE, as well as the new Rolling Stones single ANGRY and a number of albums we love celebrating momentous anniversaries this month. To cap it all off, we veer away from the music world to talk about the heavily hyped new games Starfield and Baldur's Gate 3, and resident gaming expert Morgan delivers the verdict on whether they live up to expectation.

For this week's Record Club we are, somehow for the first time ever, talking about progressive rock legends and channel favourites Rush, as we zero in on the underrated and fraught but surprisingly beautiful 2002 album VAPOR TRAILS (specifically its 2013 remixed version), which saw the band emerging like a phoenix from the ashes of a great tragedy and their toughest hardship yet. Join us as we discuss this remarkable album and pay tribute to the late great Neil Peart.

We're back this week with another catchup on the latest in new music and music news with reviews of exciting and heavily-anticipated albums from country music rising star Zach Bryan and heartfelt pop-punk luminaries Spanish Love Songs, both of which prove a little more divisive than expected... plus, Jake talks the new record from trap pop star Ashniiko, the gang discuss the trend of AI-assisted cartoon character covers of popular metal songs, and Eminem's beef with Republican presidential wannabe Vivek Ramaswamy.

For this week's Record Club, Jake, Morgan, and Ryley are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the release of tech death wizards Gorguts' masterpiece COLORED SANDS. Though widely celebrated for the alienating brutality of 1998's OBSCURA, Canadian metal legends Gorguts have released many brilliant albums, though perhaps none more conceptually and musically accomplished than their fifth and most recent LP, which delves into the band's fascination with Tibetan Buddhist faith and the Chinese invasion of 1950. Join us for an appreciation of the record's immensely impressive sound and style, and let us know what it means to you, what you think of Gorguts, and which technical death metal records you consider the best!

What makes an album 'overrated'? Join us as we discuss some of the biggest albums of 2013, celebrating 10 years of life and *discourse* this year, that we think don't quite live up to the hype. We dive deep - and sometimes disagree! - on big albums from Arcade Fire, Justin Timberlake, Drake, Kanye, and more in this deep dive dissection of one of the biggest years for music in recent memory.

After a week off, we're back to talk about exciting new music from podcast favorites The National, the controversy surrounding Noname's long-awaited new album Sundial, our excitement for the potential of Olivia Rodrigo's upcoming album Guts, the future of K-Pop with NewJeans, and other great new albums you might not have heard from Lauren Auder, Hail the Sun, Johnny Booth, and more!

For this week's Record Club, Jake and Ryley are telling a tale of two piano men: Elton John and Billy Joel, once brothers in arms as symbols of songwriting excellence with enduring appeal and distinct backgrounds from both sides of the Atlantic. Both are beloved artists with rich legacies, but today we look at one record from each of them as a capsule of their greatness and their carefully crafted personas: for Elton, we look at 1972's Honky Chateau, and for Billy, we look at 1977's The Stranger.

This week Jake and Ryley are taking on two big hitter new releases that music fans online have been raving about: George Clanton's expansive and rich psych-pop opus OOH RAP I YA, and Travis Scott's booming and declarative UTOPIA - but how do these heavily anticipated records hold up to the hype? Let us know what you think in the comments on YouTube!