It’s 41 degrees outside this morning, with a high of 50 today here in the Windy City. I think it’s safe to say, that Winter is knocking on Fall’s door.

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Strange, and almost exciting, to see Sinead O’Connor in my Release Radar, with “Trouble of the World.” This title couldn’t ring more true for anyone else, as she’s seen her ups and downs in life. No matter what’s happened to Sinead, she seems to always find a way back to her true calling, music. Her voice still sounds strong and I could only hope she returns to form for a few more amazing records.

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The Grateful Dead release a demo for “Friend Of The Devil” and it’s full of nostalgia. Such an effortless sounding song, that showcases what they do best. Yes, they became a jam band, but I’ll be damned if they can’t write a great pop song.

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Another standout this week is a cut from the Born Ruffians, with guest vocals from Hannah Georgas. It’s called “Waylaid” and there are some special parts where the harmonies merge together beautifully.

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Perry Ferrell drops the second track in the same amount of weeks, “Hard Life Easy.” I really like the vibe on this one and find myself wondering why he decided to add strings? It detracts from everything else that’s going on.

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At this point, I can’t tell whether I love this Gorillaz song or I hate it. At first, I hated it. The second time around, hearing Elton singing with a deep baritone, I found something about it redeeming?

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Chicago’s Lake Street Dive returns with “Making Do.” Kind of an old school vibe here, that I’m not entirely on board with, but it’s good to hear them making new music.

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Here’s that slice of jazz you were waiting for. This week I selected “Mystery Song,” from Marc Copland, Joey Baron, and Drew Gress. Love the horns on this one from their Quint5T album.

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