With Charlotte Pop Fest getting bigger and better, James Deem has started doing the podcasts again between now and September 24, 2009. Each episode will feature music and interviews with artists performing at Charlotte Pop Fest. Episode 26 features James Deem and Ed James highlight the music of The Knack, The Posies, Jellyfish, and The Spongetones.
It’s FREE – so listen in and you can also download the popcast as a MP3 file on the Charlotte Pop Fest website.
The Wild Bores are neither wild, nor are they boring. Singer/songwriter John Whildin put together a band rooted in traditional Chicago pop with some Nashville influences. It features studio performances and collaborations with Brian Chard (always dependable bassist and guitarist), Glenn Kotche (Wilco) and Dan Leali (Poi Dog Pondering). The laid back opening “Whatever makes you happy” is like a comfortable shoe that just feels right and shuffles along. Whildin combines the lyrical slices of blue collar life similar to Bruce Springsteen with the melodic touch of Fountains of Wayne. Vocally, he reminds me of Chris Stamey a little bit. “My Home Town” has a very Ray Davies feel, where he describes “Sometimes I was a baseball player …sometimes I was a soothsayer.” The simple acoustic arrangements fit perfectly with the electric guitar touches in the chorus. It’s deceptively simple and makes the rebellious rant “Hands on it” amazingly compelling to listen to. Other songs wander along (“Time Wasted,” “Lovely Place”) but always deliver the goods by the time the chorus kicks in. “Chasing A Revelation” is another highlight here with clean riffs and sweet harmonies. This is introspective thinking man’s pop for your ipod’s playlist.
The Seldon Plan are a Baltimore group that specialize in lush indie pop with full arrangements, fans of Death Cab for Cutie, Belle and Sebastian, and Saint Etienne will enjoy this. Lyrically Lost and Found and Lost plays with images of childhood nostalgia to embrace the economic and political pendulum. From the opening chords of “Caldecott” the music relies on sonic textures as much as melody. vocalist Dawn Dineen resembles Liz Phair slightly in approach on “Fire in Day’s Field” with an echoing ghostly chorus lead by strong drumming. A highlight here is the title track with chiming guitars and with the soothing chorus “the heart rides again” followed by handclaps. The danger on some tracks, like “Lullabies For Old Hearts” devolve into a repeating mantra to a beat and it gets tiring quickly. Other highlights include the fast moving “Run, Go!” and the Dineen’s lovely harmonics in the chorus of “See A Word.”The slower tempo of the lovely “There Are Definite Undertones Here” remind me of those wistful Teenage Fanclub ballads. Overall not a bad mix of jangle guitar and soft vocal harmonies. This is pretty good summer music and deserves your attention.
The Seeds were a band that exemplified “Garage Rock” of the nuggets era. Lead singer and bass guitarist Sky Saxon was heavily influenced by Mick Jagger, and the group promoted the fact that blues great Muddy Waters once called them “America’s own Rolling Stones.” The big hit from 1966 was “Pushin’ Too Hard.” Saxon passed away Thursday, June 25 – he was 63 years old. This news tends to be overlooked with all the Michael Jackson hype going on now.
Over the years Bleu McAuley has become a touchstone for several high profile collaborations with pop’s brightest stars. He’s also been a songwriter and producer for tons of pop artists (Rooney, Ryan Adams and John Mayer). As a driving force behind L.E.O. and The Major Labels, it’s about time we heard a solo – after all Redhead was released in 2003 and due to label problems, only now we get to A Watched Pot. All this pent up creativity can frustrate many artists, just look at what happened to The Smashing Pumpkins or Axl Rose. Fortunately this is worth the wait as this watched pot boils over with passionate melodies and dramatic energy. Opening with the expansive epic “Save Me,” Bleu chronicles his journey through disappointments, it’s a signature tune with a great big sticky hook in the chorus. The production is flawless and is full of uplifting crescendos like in “Come N’ Go” and for you L.E.O. fans a very lovely Lynne-ish “No Such Thing As Love” is as strong as anything The Secret Powers did earlier this year. Bleu’s approaches are very commercial and “Kiss Me” takes a note from vintage George Michael. The demons of a bad relationship, and blues pop take over “I Won’t F**k You Over” and make it another catchy must-listen, as well as the reason it’s got an advisory sticker. Another highlight is the inspirational “One Day” with a soaring melody. It’s not perfect, as the weariness of “What Now?” and “What Kind of Man Am I?”gets a bit overwrought. It doesn’t stay that way as “The Penguin Song” gets so sweet it would make Paul McCartney pucker. For the most part, this album is a strong contender for top ten of 2009 consideration. It comes out July 14th everywhere. Listen below for a sample!
