Every two weeks, KVNF's Music Department will talk about albums that have earned a permanent spot in their personal rotation. Here are four albums we recommend you listen to.
The Durutti Column
Renascent
(London Recordings)
It's been 16 years since their last studio album, and The Durutti Column returns with Renascent, but little seems to have changed. I won't call it a comeback so much as a continuation. It doesn't reinvent anything, nor does it need to, with Vini Reilly picking back up a hazy, dream-like thread that drifts and shimmers through 11 beautiful tracks like smoke caught in morning light.
— auralogic
DJ: Midday Mashup, Anything Goes
Jungle
Sunshine
(Caiola Records)
Jungle returns with another album of summer bangers and the title encompasses exactly what the album feels like: Sunshine. If you ever get stuck in the trenches of reality, let this album be a reminder that joy exists and persists. Every song will pull you to the dance floor while still leaving you room to still feel something. And what better way to radically practice joy than through music and movement? No skipped tracks. Put this record on at your next gathering.
— Dre
KVNF MD & DJ: Off the Wall, The Sweet Sound
Ranky Tanky
This Village
(Resilience Music Alliance)
Ranky Tanky means "work it" or "get funky" in the Gullah language of South Carolina's Low Country. This 2-time Grammy-winning group certainly does both on their 3rd album, This Village. The group draws on traditional Gullah music, filtering it through jazz, gospel, funk and blues, creating an infectious gumbo that is extremely satisfying. The title track, written by trumpeter/vocalist Charleton Singleton, is a heartfelt meditation on family, community, and the strength that comes from neighbors lifting one another up. It’s a fitting mission statement for a band that has long celebrated the shared traditions and enduring spirit of Gullah culture.
— Jeff Reynolds
DJ: Wednesday Morning Music Mix
Chris O'Leary
Blue Collar
(Alligator Records)
His first release on the legendary Alligator Records label. Chris fronted Levon Helm's band "The Barn Burners" for six years. Solid harmonica playing, vocals and songwriting from Chris. Eleven original blues tracks on this record. If you like the blues, you'll like this. All around good band, joined by "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin on "Nothing But a Memory" My favorite tracks are "After 2am" and "Daddy Was a Wolfman". True Blues!
— Rick Stayner
DJ: Free Range, Turn It Up!, Pickin'
