Dan Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) has passed away. To me he was always the king of the sentimental ballad. Every single Christian pop folkie followed his template for years, and never came close. They don’t write ballads like this anymore. He will be sorely missed.
Category: Power Pop Review
The Slingsby Hornets "Introducing…"
A cheeky Brit named Jon Paul Allen has done some serious study into why lots of electric guitar and beats should rock your world. He goes under the moniker of the Slingsby Horents and fans of Glam, T-Rex and Queen will find his brand of rock most appealing. As evidenced by the wild “I love that sound” Jon Paul oozes cool and talent. Using lots of neat pop-psyche effects it sounds like an updated version of Sweet. The opener “The Man from Yesterday” has a bit of Jellyfish meets Dream Syndicate, but lay off the cymbals man! My ears are ringing, really. My favorite here “Stop the Rain” is a great mid-tempo number that almost sounds like The Pillbugs and I only wish Jon’s vocals weren’t always masked by studio enhancements so much. The guitar work here very similar to Queen’s Brian May is a joy to listen to throughout.The beauty here is the originals on the album, but there are four covers here ranging from The Knack (“My Sharona”) to The Osmonds (“Crazy Horses”). They all get the very over-glammed treatment here, including a superior version of Klaatu’s “Calling Occupants.” Any shortcomings, are tempered by Jon’s love of this music and his energetic performance. You’ll have lots of fun with this release. Now where is a good Freddie Mercury clone when you really want him!
Slingsby Hornets Page | My Space | Kool Kat Musik | CD Baby | Itunes
Brandon Walker makes a great Holiday Video!
This is a really cool viral video that looks to be even more popular than Adam Sandler’s “Channukah Song” – it’s called “Chinese Food on Christmas” created by Brandon Walker. It’s a really funny satire and it’s catchy too! Enjoy the Holidays.
Brandon’s Site | My Space
The Motion Sick "The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait…"
Brainy indie pop is the name of the game with The Motion Sick. Lead singer, Mike Epstein weaves social commentary with big musical themes. Similar to Milton and The Devil’s Party, the combination of sweetness and bitterness is all over opening “Jean-Paul.” Then a do-wop styled indie musical number shows up in “30 lives” referring to love and video game companionship. This is really fun and catchy (see the video below) and the upbeat tempo continues with the next track “Walk on Water.” The song has an alt-country drum and bass driven, toe-tapping melody. Similar in approach to The Decemberists, The Motion Sick have lyrical stories of a life on the edge of reason. It carries this theme through several brilliant tracks like “Losing Altitude” and “The Owls Are Not What They.” My favorite track though is the thick nihilism of “Tiny Dog (Nobody Cries).” With lyrics like “nobody listens/ nobody cares/ nobody stalks you/ or blogs your affairs,” its the perfect theme song for a burnt-out celebrity (Lindsay Lohan are you listening?) After this, the group coasts on the last two tracks, including a cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” There is also a Dance Mix of the song “30 Lives” that some people will enjoy more than the original, see the video of that version here. Overall a really good album worth your ears.
The Motion Sick Site | My Space | Itunes | CD Baby
Listen to “30 Lives”
The State of Samuel "Here Come The Floods"
Stockholm, Sweden is the home of indie lo-fi artist, State of Samuel. The new album “Here come the Floods” are on first listen, an attempt to recreate the subtle beauty of the Elephant Six Collective bands. With some quirky pop fragments (some lasting under 2 minutes) you really get a sense of early Apples in Stereo or Neural Milk Hotel with a very nasal delivery. Many of the songs have snappy hook filled goodness like “Always Under the Gun” complete with 12-string strum and a nice harmony with Betty-Marie Barnes of Saturday Looks Good To Me. The vocals by Samuel Petersson, will either grow on you (“Square Roots” and “Residence of Gloom”) or annoy you (“Slow Day for UFOs”). Some gems are here, like “The Unholy Ghost” or “Suburbs on The Run” and most other tunes are too short to take hold, in fact the entire album is a only 28 minutes long. I’m conflicted here, because although many tunes are tightly arranged and catchy pop sing-a-longs, the vocals would strain that acceptability beyond a few minutes each. Pick and choose here for best results.
The State of Samuel Page | My Space | eMusic | Itunes | CD Baby
Listen to “Residence of Gloom”