Lightning 100 is excited to present Blind Tiger Record Club On Air every other Monday following the615. Starting at 8 pm, you will hear B.T.R.C. founder, David W. Williams, and Product Manager, Rudy Newman, discuss albums released on vinyl each month. B.T.R.C. champions music from all genres and believes vinyl is king. It’s a great way to be in-the-know about newly released music. Check out their records of the month, spotlight albums, new store additions, and more at BlindTigerRecordClub.com.
Along with our spotlight album, Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, there are four other releases we want to touch on in today’s episode, Matt Berninger’s Serpentine Prison, Blitzen Trapper’s Holy Smokes Future Jokes, Will Butler’s Generations, and the brand new Cordovas release, Destiny Hotel.
Spotlight album of the month: Tom Petty- Wildflowers & All The Rest
Warner Records reissued Wildflowers, the classic Tom Petty album on October 16th, 2020.
On November 1, 1994, Tom Petty released his second solo album sans heartbreakers, Wildflowers. This instant classic is his 11th studio album and despite it not being with the heartbreakers, this record has all the heartbreakers featured with the exception of drummer, Stan Lynch. Petty’s solo albums aren’t about distancing himself from his band, they are more about the creative spirit behind the album. He explores different styles and blends genres like folk and rock when he can work without a band and solo with a producer. Wildflowers peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 200, certified three times platinum, and #12 on Rolling Stone’s best albums of the 90s’.
Rick Ruben wanted to keep everything open and looser in production to show off Petty’s talents as a songwriter. This album is truly his take on folk and what he can do as a musician when he steps outside the boundaries of traditional rock music. Wildflowers opens up a new chapter in Petty’s career, and is a testament to his range as a performer.
Petty wrote and recorded tons of music for this album, in the end, he had too much to put into a single record. Rolling Stone critiqued the length of the album already, and that was with Petty cutting many songs. In total, Wildflowers runs 63 minutes, the longest of his career. This 2020 reissue has the original 15 tracks plus 10 wildflower sessions, 5 of those being released for the first time. One of these unreleased tracks hit the radio last week and has already dominated the charts. This single titled “Leave Virginia Alone,” is a bittersweet reminder of Petty’s legacy and makes you feel like America’s greatest troubadour is still with us.
Matt Berninger- Serpentine Prison
On October 16, Matt Berninger of The National, released his debut solo album, Serpentine Prison.
After twenty years as frontman for The National, Berninger has finally released his debut. When Berninger set out to make this album, he didn’t envision it as a solo album, he wanted it to be a cover album modeled after one of his favorites, Willie Nelson’s 1978 album, Stardust. Stardust was produced by music legend, Booker T. Jones, and Berninger had such a love for this album that Jones hopped on to produce his first solo project.
Jones encouraged Berninger to explore new things and create original songs, not just covers. The duo began working and created some beautiful new tracks that make this album shine. The latest single he released to promote this record is titled “One More Second”. This somber single is a perfect glimpse of this solo project. “One More Second” is a haunting tune that mixes Berninger’s soft vocals and somber instrumentation to create a beautiful single.
Serpentine Prison is available through BlindTigerRecordClub.com and comes in an exclusive blue vinyl.
Blitzen Trapper- Holy Smokes Future Jokes
On September 25th Blitzen Trapper released their 10th studio record, Holy Smokes Future Jokes.
This band has been in the music scene for over twenty years. Blitzen Trapper has explored every genre under the sun from indie-pop, to rock, to even psychedelic country. This album is definitely trippy and falls more within their psychedelic umbrella, even though it is still so hard to nail down who Blitzen Trapper is stylistically. The songs on this record don’t run over three to four minutes which almost adds a pop element to this album, more of psych-pop.
A notable single from this new album is, “Masonic Temple Microdose #1”. One standout thing from this record is frontman Eric Earley’s vocals. As the principal lyricist, Early keeps you on your toes. Holy Smokes Future Jokes sticks to the theme of the album, everything from lyrics to instrumentation pays hommage to psych-pop of the ’60s and ’70s, but with a modern folky twist.
Holy Smokes Future Jokes is available through BlindTigerRecordClub.com and comes in an exclusive trippy splattered yellow, red, and blue vinyl.
Will Butler- Generations
On September 25th Will Butler released his second solo album, Generations.
Will Butler is a multi-instrumental key member of the indie-rock band Arcade Fire. Although this album is not an Arcade Fire album, it sounds remarkably close. Will’s signature keys are a staple in their music and his voice sounds very similar to his brothers and frontman of AF, Win Butler. Will self-produced this project and recorded this album in his apartment in Brooklyn.
The first single from this album is, “Surrender”. This song features his David Byrne-like vocals accompanied by a happy chorus and clapping hands. This gospel-inspired song is an upbeat tune that makes you want to dance. Butler said this album is dedicated to, “What’s my place in American history, and what’s my place in American present?” This album explores generations of music while still keeping his famous modern style at the forefront.
Generations is available through BlindTigerRecordClub.com and comes in an exclusive red and white vinyl.
Cordovas- Destiny Hotel.
On October 16th Cordovas released their third studio album, Destiny Hotel.
The Cordovas were formed here in Nashville by frontman Joe Firstman. Joe has been playing music since he was a kid, he taught himself how to play piano by age 12. Since he has been taking the industry by storm at only the age of 25. The Cordovas are deeply inspired by The Grateful Dead, and this can really be seen in Destiny Hotel. This alternative album explores southern rock from a fan-perspective.
Cordovas are really a band that feels familiar even if it’s the first time hearing them. The songwriting and lyricism stand out on this album, each song uses creative lyrics that try to shy away from album cliches like “baby” or “I want”. Destiny Hotel is an intentional album that is the perfect addition to a fall night.
Check out all these albums and listen to the full episode here!
Written by: Madison Sharp
