Friday Night Vids: Amiee Mann, Peter Holsapple and The Campbell Apartment

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Aimee Mann’s Mental Illness shows off her rich, incisive and wry melancholia in an almost all-acoustic format, with a “finger-picky” style inspired by some of her favorite ‘60s and ‘70s folk-rock records, augmented by haunting strings arranged by her longtime producer, Paul Bryan. Aimee remains a student of human behavior, drawing not just on her own experiences to form the characters in the songs but tales told by friends.

Beloved power-pop songwriter Peter Holsapple (The dB’s and Continental Drifters) is self-releasing a new vinyl 45 record, “Don’t Mention the War” b/w “Cinderella Style” on his own Hawthorne Curve Records. “Don’t Mention the War” is a poignant look at one man’s post-traumatic stress syndrome and how it affects his adoring nephew. With low, somber brass (Mark Daumann on tuba) and echoes of battles past, this is another engaging Holsapple story-song, steeped in dark emotions and vivid character assessment.

A new video from The Campbell Apartment is cause for celebration. “Something In The Way” is a refreshing and upbeat tune starring Dana Mandolesi and filmed by fantastic filmmaker Shahrzade Ehya. It was part of the band’s EP “Sundogs” which you can get on Amazon. Great stuff!

V-Sparks and Goodman

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V-Sparks

V-Sparks “New Sensation” EP

It has been a long time since this Chicago band has had some new music. The group is lead by Alan Lewis (Vocals, Keys) and Prescott Kagan (Vocals, Guitar) are joined by Zach Duran (Guitar), Sam Libretti(Bass),and Adam Long (Drums). What follows is a dizzying amount of rock n’ roll energy and pop smarts similar to The Strokes and Vampire Weekend. “Hey Love” is a hyper-catchy anthem similar to Locksley’s “The Whip.” But it’s no one-hit wonder, as each tune mines the best earworms of the past, as “New Sensation” slowly builds from synth beats and keys into a riff heavy gem similar to The Cars.

More impressive is the glam punk “Death of Star” with wild dramatic guitars, strings, and piano, bringing to mind Queen meeting Green Day. You’ll hear the T-Rex/Bowie strut in “Sebastian,” with Brian May guitars ringing along. It effortlessly blends the old and new without sounding like a cheap homage. Each song is a winner and my only beef is that it’s merely a 6-song EP. Get’s my first nod to the top ten EP list of 2017. Get this one!

Amazon

Goodman

Goodman “Vicissitudes”

NYC’s Michael Goodman is back after a year-long break with a new LP. The title is defined as “a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.” Despite the amateurish cover art,  “She Sez” is a deceptively brilliant opener that moves from dissonance to melodic rock quickly, with its fuzz guitars picking up the catchy chorus. But it’s also clear these are break-up songs, “Modern Girl” talks of “misdirected rage and sexual anxiety.”

Each song is well-structured, as Goodman has found his sound here on “Weathervane” a mix of anthemic melody and post-rock distortion. Lots of highlights here; “Hourglass,” the catchy bass backbeat and handclaps of “Hiccup” and the Velvet Underground meets Brit-pop gem “Love Alone.” Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Pop Co-Op and Paul McCann

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Pop Co-Op

Pop Co-Op “Four State Solution”

A group of like-minded musicians from different geographic locations decided to make a power pop album. Not a new idea, as 8×8 and The Britannicas have done this very effectively. The results are dependent on the musicians involved. Steve Stoeckel (The Spongtones) is joined by Bruce Gordon, Stacy Carson, Joel Tinnel, and others so the spirit and influences are good (Beatles, XTC, Squeeze, etc.)

What you get is a mixed bag of great and not-so-great tunes. “If Everything Was Easy” and “Feint of Heart” have fast-paced pop melodies. But it does venture into different directions, from long psychedelic “Lila,” to the very messy “When Wave Was New.” Ultimately there are some singles that shine, like “Malaprop” and the Who-like “It Aint Easy Being A Boy.” Definitely worth exploring.

CD Baby | Amazon

Paul McCann

Paul McCann “The Magician” EP

Paul McCann is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from County Cavan, Ireland. Paul has been singing and playing various instruments in bands since 1996 (including power pop band ‘The Plan’ and highly acclaimed Johnny Cash tribute ‘Get Rhythm’) and has performed with Pugwash, The Strypes, Duncan Maitland, and Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson Band/Beach Boys), among others.

While not new, I was pleasantly surprised by the catchy opener “Keep The Devil Within” and richly melodic ballad “All The Words You Say.” The title track is more a blues rocker with an atmospheric alt. pop stadium approach and “Widow Maker Blues” is a banjo lead blues song featuring Majella O’Reilly on vocals. His style has everything power pop fans could want and more, so while Paul works on his follow up we have this short EP to make sure he stays on your radar.

Amazon

The Simple Carnival and Timothy Monger

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The Simple Carnival

The Simple Carnival “Smitten”

Pittsburgh musician and animator Jeff Boller has returned and like his last album Girls Aliens Food, it is heavy on melody and simple romantic charm.  Smitten is a meticulously crafted group of love songs similar to early Todd Rundgren. The title track is a romantic soft pop gem perfect for a slow dance, then “Lunch For Dinner” ups the tempo and sophistication with layered harmonies in the chorus.

It’s easy to dismiss the soft and simple “Everything That Grownups Know,” until you listen to the lyrics about anxiety and shyness. In fact the upbeat pop of “Go Away I Like You Too Much” is rare amongst the self-depreciating tracks “Geek Like Me” and disco-lite “Kiss Her You Dummy.”  While not as immediate as Boller’s last effort, it still has enough honest emotion and craftsmanship to make this LP a highly recommended one.

CD Baby | Amazon


Timothy Monger

Timothy Monger “Amber Lantern”

Timothy Monger is a Michigan musician with a great sense of mood and melody on Amber Lantern, a concept LP about a weekend gig. The brilliant “Power Trio” is a great song about playing in a dive “tired of feeling shitty all the time,” with a terrific jangling melody and guitar break. I wish there were more of these tunes! The production is crisp and rich, it comes across well on “Everything” and the slow building “Heyward” with its fuzz guitar solo and horn flourishes.

Most of the album is folk-pop (“Sleepless”) with acoustic and strings, the melodies occasionally rising to triumphant moments as in “Outside The Venue” and “Requiem for a Ramp.” Give this one a try as you may find it resonates emotionally and definitely deserves to be heard.

Amazon

Saturday Freebies: The Kickstand Band, Space Engineer, Action Jets, Neil Nathan

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The Kickstand Band makes news again with this cover of The Chiffons tune for Valentine’s Day. Wonderfully produced it would’ve fit nicely on Dana Countryman’s Girlville.

Space Engineer is the work of Sydney based songwriter Terry Lyndon. He’s got a nice mellow jangle pop sound and uses it over these mostly melancholy songs. Check it out, as its a FREE download.

Okay, it’s not a freebie, but this Phoenix, AZ trio called Action Jets has the right attitude and some decent musical chops. With a more polished production, these guys would really shine.


Neil Nathan‘s latest “Diamond in the Sky & Song of the Firefly” is a FREE preview of his newest LP. Its mellow introspective music that signals Nathan’s next creative direction.