For the uninitiated, Olivia Jean is a Detroit born multi-instrumentalist now residing in Nashville that came on to our collective radars in 2009 when she was involved as the guitarist / vocalist for The Black Belles; an outfit known as much for their gothic appearances as their stylistic musical output. The general perception of that band is that it was “put together by Jack White” before being released on Third Man Records. In hindsight, that broad oversimplification works in disservice to the music. Mr. White may have been instrumental in executing on the project but the Wikipedia research says Olivia Jean had demos before others involvement.

This piece isn’t about The Black Belles but it’s important to keep in mind that the malformed origin story doesn’t give credit where credit is due. Olivia Jean recently released her second full-length album under her own name and there’s no reason for trepidation or hesitation that it’s not worth your time. In fact, the fourteen songs contained within Night Owl are bound to surprise you.

Watch the official video for the title track and you’ll be immediately immersed in brightness – both from the bold primary colors and the lead guitar line. It’s not without it’s gothic tendencies (the sparse set decorations look inspired by a macabre Wes Anderson and there is a Grim Reaper) but it’s a signal that Jean is open to a more diverse set of sounds.

That brightness is not the only surprise-in-waiting on the full-length. The cover of “Jaan Pehechaan Ho” is an absolutely blazing take on the Bollywood surf rock classic, “Tsunami Sue” ends the record with a surprisingly floaty guitar excursion and “Perfume” fuses together moments of big riff rock with gorgeously layered indie-pop. If that weren’t enough, “The Hunt” and “Siren Call” serve as phenomenal examples of Jean subverting expectations within the framework of the genre.

This is not to say that the album is all over the place or lacking cohesion, most of the record stems from 50’s Garage Rock inspiration with solid, enjoyable execution. Jean’s guitar work is stellar on every track, full stop. It’s the moments when Jean veers off the beaten path that shine the brightest and, fortunately, the album is full of them.

Full disclosure, Stone Jack Jones is releasing Black Snake via yk Records, also operated by the same folks that run WOTT.

For those not familiar, Stone Jack Jones is a bit of a mysterious troubadour traveling through the alt-folk scene. His voice has a distinct gravel that carries a melancholic weight and his songs are often sparse and dark. Jones is preparing to release his fifth album, Black Snake, and has released a handful of singles that reveal a somewhat different musical take.

“I’m Gone” is the third single from the forthcoming record and exemplary in this new approach. A more fully fleshed set of instrumentation slowly reveals itself through the course of the introduction; rumbling drums, haunting guitar and a remorseful piano line make way before the trumpets come in. Lyrically, Jones sings of the departed and his own departure; a subject matter his voice seems best fit for.

The accompanying video boosts the haunting nature of the whole thing to another level. Filled with rippling lakes, reflections (literal and metaphorical) and an empty forest filled with either masked marauders or interloping spirits. The story itself is vague but the intent is clear; there are mysterious forces around us. I’m biased (see disclaimer above) but it’s a rather gorgeous piece of work that leans hard into the deep black-and-white motif and succeeds in every single shot.

Black Snake is a hypnotic record and we hope to go into more depth on that later but, for now, spend some contemplative time with “I’m Gone.”

Vaporwave and Nashville aren’t exactly two concepts you generally think of together. However, local artist VH1 Classic has managed to figure out how to bring the two together in a perfectly sublime manner without even making a messy Frankenstein’s monster of the genre.

Generally speaking, the Internet born “vaporwave” genre is steeped in a retro-nostalgia for the early 90’s sample sound, has a somewhat underwater production to it and is dance-y without being too in your face. It also manages to avoid a strictly concrete definition most of the time. It’s not quite as loose “indie” in terms of classification but many things are considered a part of the genre without sounding too much like one another. It’s almost like pornography, you know it when you see it.

With WVOL 1470 AM, The Mighty 147! (the album), VH1 Classic has created an album that is decidedly vaporwave and pays homage to Nashville’s own WVOL 1470 AM, The Mighty 147!, the radio station transmitting 80’s R&B songs out of Berry Hill, TN. The local musician, who’s name I’m not sure they want shared, tells us that they source a lot of samples of 80’s R&B tracks for their creations and they happen to hear plenty of 1470 on their drives around town. It’s a surprising match made in heaven.

The only complaint about the album (and vaporwave in general) is that the songs are too damn short. Of the ten tracks available here, not one exceeds two minutes in length. It’s a 13-minute journey that begs for repeat plays.