Aaron Lee Tasjan “Karma For Cheap”
Nashville singer-songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan, aka ALT is a bit of a musical chameleon. The personas and musical styles he plays aren’t static, although his primary focus is in the roots rock and country rock arena. Very much influenced by Tom Petty, George Harrison and Arlo Guthrie, and many others. So you could make a case that this is a lost Wilbury looking for an audience.
The opener “If Not Now When,” uses the riff from George’s “Wreck Of The Hesperus” and takes it in a better direction. A big highlight is “The Truth Is So Hard to Believe” with its Posies-like percussion, and swirling bass guitar riff. “The Rest Is Yet To Come,” is another winner with its easy rhythm and descending bass line. From there it settles into some longer Pettyesque mid-tempo tunes, and Aaron has a slight drawl and even a little vibrato when playing the Orbison-like “Strange Shadows.” The production is solid, with no filler even though only a few songs stick with you afterward. Fans of the artists above will like this one, and it will grow on you. Highly Recommended.
The Late Show “Sha La La”
This is The Late Show’s follow up to their critically acclaimed album Portable Pop, which was listed as #46 of the 200 most essential power pop albums in John Borack’s book “Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide.”
From the get-go, you will hear a band influenced by The Replacements on the opener “To Let It Go,” with its sharp guitar riffs. After 30+ years, these dudes still rock pretty well, with the slightly-psyche rock title track and the harmony-filled chorus of “Tears.” The bouncy “Hello Linda” and “A Better Chance To Take” both have that timeless power pop quality. While the majority of the songs are good, they don’t have the freshness of Portable Pop, which is a product of its time. Still, this is absolutely better than a lot of music out there, so check it out.
John M. Borack’s Latest Book, Shake Some Action 2.0. is out!
Author John M. Borack’s upcoming book, Shake Some Action 2.0: An Updated Guide to the 200 Greatest Power Pop Albums, due in September from Not Lame Media, is an update of sorts to Borack’s now-out-of-print 2007 book, Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide.
The book is 414 pages of pure pop-inspired passion that even the most casual power pop fan will appreciate but a serious one will get totally geeked about. Newly written and/or expanded reviews of the outstanding power pop releases plus nearly 60 new entries included in the Top 200.
In addition, the book comes bundled with a 24-track CD collection from Borack’s power pop band Popdudes! The CD contains several rare and/or previously unreleased tracks.
