ReCOWmendations -- July 2023: 6 Musical Artists For the Whole "Family"

Not kids' music, but sisters and brothers, fathers, grandchildren and grandaddies

While writing part 3 of the allergy trilogy last week, for a section about my uncle Robert (who was ordained as a monk the day I was born), I did a Google search to find the best translation for his Buddhist name, Samanera Bodhesako.

What appeared at the top of the results page, stunned me.

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There he was, in full Wikipedia glory. This mysterious uncle that I knew so little about for more than 50 years, had a detailed entry with tons of links to his books, to Path Press, which he founded in the mid-’80s, and, most amazingly — details around his death.

Some of the feedback I received on the last essay was from readers wanting to know more about my uncle: how he died, whether I ever had a chance to get to know him, and what I learned about our similarities (both attracted to Buddhism, writing, mindfulness practices, travel).

All week I’ve been exploring these links — albeit slowly, it’s kind of overwhelming, to be honest — and it’s made me think about family and what we inherit, whether directly or indirectly.

So, for this month’s ReCOWmendations, I thought I’d pick a few musical artists that have “family” in their band names.

There are certainly some popular choices, but I wanted to avoid the obvious and pick songs and artists that deserve a wider audience. I have a deep connection with each of these six selections. You could say I think of them all as extended family.

Kinda like how I think of you all!

I have created a playlist of 20 of my favorite songs by “family” artists. This list will initially be for my super-primo first-cousin subscribers. The rest of you — 2nd cousins, drunk nephews — will have to wait a couple of weeks for your chance at the sonic scraps.

Want to not have to wait? Come join the cool kids, the first-to-knows, the first-to-hears, by becoming a generous contributor subscriber! I know I just called you all extended family, people I’d jump in front of a truck to protect, and it’s all true, but why not be the cool uncle instead of the flatulent brother/sister-in-law?

As a child-free adult, the closest I’ll get to having grandchildren, is via the wonderful Philadelphia pop-rock band Grandchildren. I can’t recall how I discovered them, but I do remember being stopped in my tracks. The melodies are clean and layered with guitar, keyboards, ukelele, and multiple vocal lines. Frontman Alexs Martray’s voice blends seamlessly with Shari Amanda, and every song has a raw, emotional beauty that is captivating.

They’ve only released two albums, Zuni (2015) and Grandchildren (2019), and both are excellent. Alexs and Shari (they are a couple) had a child in 2021, so it might be a while before we get new Grandchildren music. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait until they become grandparents.

There’s so much music I love; I like to think I can’t be pigeonholed. I love heavy metal, electronic dance, polka, funk — if there’s a genre, it’s likely I am a fan of some portion of the artists that perform it.

That said, if I were to be forced to choose a sound at gunpoint, I would likely point the pistol at Grandaddy. Keyboardist and lead vocalist Jason Lytle writes the sort of off-kilter, pretty pop that checks nearly all my musical buttons. Allmusic.com describes them as “wry, country-tinged art rock,” and that sounds close enough but I would say Grandaddy is what you get if ELO and Pavement had a baby.

The Sophtware Slump, the band’s “Sophtmore” album, was deservedly praised to the high heavens in the music press and is on my list of best 2nd albums of all time.

Pernice Brothers, led by Joe Pernice (of Scud Mountain Boys) put out seven excellent albums between 1998 and 2010. Their first three are the ones I return to most, as they’re the ones that best reveal the contrast between Joe’s smooth vocals and pitch-dark lyrics. This combination of gorgeous melody and gut-wrenching lyric is a Pernice Brothers’ staple, but in “Baby in Two” it’s extra powerful.

“Baby in Two” is from 2003’s excellent Yours, Mine & Ours. An expanded rerelease to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band’s debut, Overcome By Happiness, is now available. I’m a proud owner of the LP box set.

I’m super excited that I’ll be getting to see Joe Pernice perform solo at a house concert at the end of September. He hasn’t toured in many years, even longer since he’s been on the west coast.

“Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” was the first song I ever heard from Father John Misty (John Tillman, of Fleet Foxes). It was enough to immediately send me out and buy his debut album Fear Fun (2012).

There was something about the sparse arrangement and intimate singer-songwriter vibe that reminded me of the excitement I felt when I first heard Michael Penn. Tillman/Misty has continued to push himself with each subsequent album, and is one of the most interesting artists recording today.

Seeing Aubrey Plaza in the video for “HFCS” is an added bonus.

I’m going back to the mid 1980s for this pick — goth icons Sisters of Mercy. I remember hearing “This Corrosion” all the time on alternative radio. Sisters of Mercy, though certainly capable of slow, dark, brooding songs, seemed more in their wheelhouse with their upbeat dance-oriented songs, like “This Corrosion” and “More.” I would say they were the perfect blend of the best parts of The Cure and Billy Idol. In a good way.

I hadn’t seen this music video before, which is kind of odd, as it’s truly epic, in the way ‘80s music videos were back then, with elaborate sets and lots of rain.

I thought I’d end the list with Family, who I discovered not too long ago. Kind of how I just discovered part of my own family not too long ago.

Described in allmusic.com: 'Influential British psychedelic band who evolved into prog-rockers in the 1970s,’ I would add to that list: elements of folk, soul and good old fashioned hard rock. Family existed from 1968-1973, so it’s been more than 50 years since we’ve heard anything new from Family.

I went with one of the folkier songs for this mix, “My Friend the Sun,” from their most acclaimed album, 1972’s Bandstand.

Do you have a favorite “family” band or artist that you particularly love?

Are any or all of the above artists new to you? What do you think?

I, of course, have a long list of other artists, but am gonna leave that for the playlist that will be shared with paid members this week; free subscribers will have to wait!:)

And kind of nuts how I discovered the Wiki of my uncle, no?

Leave your picks in the comments! Let’s dialogue!

To quote one band that will be on my playlist: “We Are Family!”

-Steve