24 Albums of December - THE DEAD SOUTH - Sugar & Joy
How on earth are we supposed to select 24 albums representative of Fascinating Rhythm’s 2019? Trust us that it’s an unenviable task, but we’ve given it a good ol’ go. In my opinion this year has been a vintage one for music, so in truth we’d could have picked 100 or even 200 great records all worthy of inclusion. For example, we didn’t include releases by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Lizzo, Deerhunter, Steve Gunn, The National, black midi or Sacred Paws – whose 2019 album I’m still obsessed with. So, there’s a LOT of great stuff we didn’t include, but we’ve done our best to present a span of selections from every area of the store, including some great local and wider Canadian releases. Between now and Christmas Eve, we hope you enjoy the tracks we’ve put together for you.
For all your music needs, go to Fascinating Rhythm, located in downtown Nanaimo.
17/ THE DEAD SOUTH – Sugar & Joy
Described by AllMusic’s Timothy Monger as “fusing gritty punk ethos with traditional bluegrass and old-time string band music,” Regina’s The Dead South dropped their 3rd fine full-length album, Sugar & Joy, in October. Interestingly, the drummer-less quartet first made waves in Europe, when their first album, Good Company – from 2014 – was picked up by the German independent label, Devil Duck Records. Limited import copies of the debut and 2016’s follow-up, Illusion & Doubt, were available in Canada, but after generally being hard to find both titles were finally reissued this year by their new label, Six Shooter, shortly before the release of Sugar & Joy. As a raucous live outfit The Dead South is perhaps best appreciated in a concert scenario, but as this track, Heaven in a Wheelbarrow, shows, they still kick up a storm in the studio.
Dave Morrison
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