The Condors and Electrolic

The Condors “Three Item Combo”
It’s been a while since I heard The Condors, this latest gem shows a band that has improved with time. Gone is the rough garage ethos, songwriter and frontman Pat “Pooch” DiPuccio gives us slicker rock melodies with tighter instrumentation. Influences range from The Kinks, Plimsouls, Raspberries and the Smithereens. Starting with “Here I Go,” it crackles with energy and magical riffs, a song that is definitely a great addition to the music playlist that you should listen to.

“My Slice Of Life” takes us on a great autobiographical study with handclaps and flamenco touches. “Queer Fascination” has great bounce and memorable riff that compares well with The Romantics. No duds here, overall a satisfying “take-out” that appeals to classic rock and roll tastes.

Electrolic “Live On Land”
Scott Gagner‘s new project, a collaboration with long-time friend Steve Enstad is a mix of electronic-synth pop. The catchy “Hello Hello” is a neat introduction, but “Benefit Of The Doubt” is a meandering combination of Depeche Mode and John Mayer.  “Refreshing” is a little psyche-pop treat bathed in synths, and the Cars’ “Drive” is a compelling cover version that displays Scott’s soft vocal. “After The Fall” was another gem buried here with the best combination of synth, guitar and melody. But some of this didn’t work for me, “Flash” tries too hard to be like Radiohead, although it was an interesting listen. If your tastes run more eclectic, you may like this one.