If there ever was a power pop band that oozed coolness out of its pores it would be The Connection. This new full length LP hits the ground running with the mint single “Wrong Side of 25,” chock full of classic guitar riffage. The band’s sound has continued to define the edge half way between The Beatles and The Stones. Its un-apologetically retro, and they relish every note.
Another “radio-ready” hit is “She’s A Keeper” with an unbeatable hook that rivals The Wonders “That Thing You Do.” It then shifts the key to a surf styled “The Way Love Should Be,” and then blasts those guitars on “Crawling From The Wreckage (Of A Saturday Night).” A country-styled shuffle leads “Susan” and the tempo slows down for the garage psyche “Haze” and “Not How It’s Gonna Be.” Even the umpteenth version of “Johnny B. Good” sounds fresh as the title track. No filler here, and lead singer Brad Marino and guitarist Geoff Palmer hit it out of the park. It deserves a spot on your top ten for 2013, its definitely on mine.
Scott Brookman “Smellicopter” Brookman has expanded his sound from the charming debut and funded his efforts with Kickstarter. A more sophisticated arranger and songwriter emerges, as we start with “Tim E. Redmond” with equal doses of Brian Wilson and Paul Simon influencing the structure.
Fans of the bedroom DIY pop symphonies will appreciate “Summer’s Two Weeks Notice” with its layered Beach Boys harmonies, and then “To Find Your Happiness” has a healthy dose of Burt Bacharach worship. Some of these tunes are very lite sketches, like “Inspected by Curly,” but others cross into greatness like “Iceberglar” and the McCartneyesque “I Could Use Some New Friends.” Brookman’s production has also improved, so even a fun character study “Weirdos” makes for enjoyable summer listening. Highly Recommended.
Todd Herfindal “Right Here Now”
On his 2nd album Todd Herfindal plays solid roots oriented power pop, and like his bandmate, Rich McCulley (who co-wrote many songs here) makes it sound great. Starting with “Keeping Me Up Nights” it’s a sweet jangling melody along the lines of Tom Petty. “She Can Run” and “More Than I” lean more alt. country, but are also up-beat and memorable. Some singles in this collection have been previously released, but they fit like a glove with the newer material.
The environmental anthem “Shine Shine” is another big standout, along with “Closer To Home.” After the mid-point, a bit more slide guitar becomes prominent on “Everything Is Ours” and “You Might Just Make It.” Many talented sidemen (McCulley, Adam Marsland, Will Kimbrough, Ryan Bradley, etc.) keep the sound rich and pitch perfect. Overall, no filler here as fans of Americana styled roots rock will absolutely love this.
It’s been a long road for Adam Marsland from the days of punk pop favorite Cockeyed Ghost to his development as a solid session performer and music producer. After a the blue-eyed soul of “Contamination,” he makes the most of his experiences with The Beach Boys, with gentle harmonies throughout the album. The title track mixes that soulful approach with a classic rock melody. One of the best songs here ironically is “No One’s Ever Gonna Hear This Song.” It’s a ballad of anguish and frustration, and it builds layer after layer, and the harmonies are classic.
On his past with Cockeyed Ghost, he reelects “Do you remember the power pop days?” with the song “Power Pop Days.” It’s a cheery and bouncy melody of being “…choked By A skinny tie.” In fact this is the first mature Marsland album without any punk invective, and it suits him well. The baroque “I Wanna Be In Love” is composed like a Left Banke song, and “Happy Face” is another bouncy gem. The self reflection on “To Be Human” and “Song 11” is taken to grand heights with full orchestration similar to Brian Wilson. Highly Recommended.
Joel Sarakula “The Golden Age” Born in Sydney, Australia, and now based in London, Joel’s debut album was a great start, and in this new LP Sarakula expands his influences, starting with “I Deliver” its composition is straight from 80’s era David Bowie. But it goes back to classic 70’s and 60’s styled arrangements for the remaining songs. “Old Yellow Photographs” is a more traditional pop piano with a nostalgic melody and a touch of bitterness. “Lows” and “Bohemian” are also good songs with catchy hooks, but some songs just stand out more, like the compelling “Present Tense” which reminds me of Jason Falkner. There is no filler here — so give this a listen. Highly Recommended.
Donovan’s Brain “Turned Up Later”
A collective of musicians, Donovan’s Brain is made up of Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) and Bobby Sutliff (The Windbreakers), Tony Miller (Ideal Free Distribution), bassist Bob Brown (Deniz Tek Group), drummer Ric Parnell (Spinal Tap, Atomic Rooster), and Scott Sutherland (Model Rockets). The band creates modern mid-tempo psychedelic jams with folk-rock tendencies. “Take Me With You When You Go” is pretty typical, a steady rolling bass line and plenty of room for a guitar solo after the main chorus. Some orchestral elements help along “My Own Skin” and “Small Circles” resemble The Doors. Some nice pop tracks are also buried here, “Restless Night, Many Dreams” and “Fulcrum” are standouts.
Wood Shampoo “Crack, Crack Heart Attack” This is a band that wants to have some fun, with a combination of punk, bar room metal and pop. Made up of Murph Daniels and veteran sidemen, Wood Shampoo members have worked with Joan Jett, Stray Cats, Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, and many more. The songwriting isn’t consistent, but with 17 tracks you are bound to have some gems. The funny “Wanna Be A Dead Rock Star” is a signature tune where these guys can poke fun at those headliners they’ve played with for years. The wicked “Around” has a great heavy riff, it will have you digging out your old Ratt or Twisted Sister LPs. Murph does a good job vocally, but I can’t help picturing other singers (like David Lee Roth) with great material like “She’s So Fine.” Overall, a fine diversion.
Andrea Perry “Four” Austin Texas songstress Andrea Perry successfully funded her fourth LP and it highlights her skillful arranging and sugary pop melodies. Playing like a lush twee daydream, “My Lover Said” features Andrea’s willowy vocal as it sails across a bed of acoustic guitars and strings.
It seamlessly transitions into the sweet “Spring,” with its twisting verse, then picks up speed with “Another Bad Idea.” With her delicate harmonies and pastoral imagery, its very familiar territory for fans of Pugwash and XTC.
The mid-tempo ballads here are what you’ll cherish here, “Where Have You Been” is a perfect example with minor chord shifts in each verse. There is an old fashioned sense of love and loss with relationships as a theme throughout the album, and “Flame in My Heart” and “Not A Pretty Pair” were the most articulate for me. Another big standout is the redemptive “Throw Me A Line.” It all leads to the finale “Welcome Home” and the coda “Alight With Me.” Highly recommended.
Sam’s Instant Band “Namaste”
There isn’t much on the internet about Will and the Bushmen, an indie college rock band from Mobile, Alabama. The band was founded by Will Kimbrough and Sam Baylor. Influenced by Big Star and Neil Young in the mid 1980’s they made a few albums, got picked up by a major label (EMI), played on MTV and then vanished without a trace. Fast forward about 20 years…
Sam Baylor now returns with The Instant Band. Never mind the crude LP artwork, this is not some kids record, but a thoughtful and personal statement on life. Starting with “Train At The Station” its rich jangling guitar and easy going vocal will please fans of Tom Petty, Neil Young and Warren Zevon. The romantic “Day That We Die” is equally catchy, and profoundly simple in its lyric. The alt. country spin on “Kiss Me I’m Crazy” is charming in a Leonard Cohen meets Wilco sort of way. Equally fascinating is “I Walk Alone,” a depressing ballad with dreamy REM quality. Worth checking out.
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