Butch Walker and Mild High Club

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Butch Walker

Butch Walker “Stay Gold”

Butch Walker has come a very long way from his days as part of the Marvelous 3. He’s produced many of the biggest artists in modern pop (Avirl Lavigne, Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy) while managing a impressive solo career. “Stay Gold” moves him towards anthemic rockers with country overtones alongside guys like Ryan Adams or Rhett Miller.

“Stay Gold” directly references the novel (and film) The Outsiders, by S.E.Hinton. It reflects both Ponyboy’s innocence and looking back at happier times, as Walker winks at his own “wild” experiences. Its a catchy guitar gem with a chorus that begs a sing along. “East Coast Girl” is a very Springsteen-like story about a broken life trying at re-invention, wonderfully fleshed out with harmonies and spoken passages. Other songs get more atmospheric, but remain stylistically close to “The Boss” musically (“Ludlow Expectations” is a good example.) The rousing “Irish Exit” is a great bar room rocker with nice fiddle and rhythm guitar flourishes, about staying at a party too long. The most moving story here is a gorgeous duet with Ashley Monroe on “Record Store,” about a shattered relationship trying to reminisce on better days. A stellar studio cast assists Butch here, even fan favorite Roger Manning Jr. (Jellyfish) does keyboards. A solid effort with excellent musicianship and worthy of many repeat listens. Check it out.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Mild High Club

Mild High Club “Skiptracing”

With its mix of soft ’70s pop sounds and swirling synths, its takes a bit to unwind the storyline in multi-instrumentalist Alex Brettin’s second album as Mile High Club. The title track is a slow tempo’ed gem with gentle background vocals and descending tropical notes, like a musical sunset. “Homage” and “Cary Me Back” are a stoned out masterworks, with its detuned lead and string synths. Another standout is “Tessellation,” sounding like Steely Dan slowed to half speed with a catchy psyche pop chorus.

There are jazz stylings and rhythms dripping from each distorted melody as we learn about the gumshoe protagonist tripping out to “Whodunit?” Even though midway through the songs begin to blend into each other and lose its distinctiveness, it’s still compelling. Tune in and trip out to this on headphones.

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EP Reviews: Colorworks, Todd Wicks, Bracket

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Colorworks “Dream of Mangoes”

Seattle quartet featuring the vocal duo Bret Dylan (guitar) and Nick Myette (bass) alongside percussionist Andrew Ginn and guitarist/keyboardist David Easton. The sound is very sunny pop with a great melodic sense, after the psychedelic “Daydreams” it veers into the bouncy pop of “Pears & Mangoes” with its sweet harmonies and minor chords. “She Said No” is my fave here; part Zombies, part Rundgren – all catchy goodness. These guys recently finished playing IPO Seattle. Highly Recommended.

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Todd Wicks Dream Cruise “Todd Wicks Dream Cruise”

More traditional rock release from Todd Wicks (Prime Ministers) and the songs focus on universal emotions (obsession, grief, love, resignation) found living in suburban Detroit. Nicely produced, with steady guitar on my favorite track here “Rock Yourself.” Best of all, it’s a FREE download on Bandcamp.

Bracket “The Last Page”

Forestville, California band that gave us the wonderful Hold Your Applause a few years ago, tries an experimental album that is one single track at over an hour and 10 minutes long. It zips through melodies at a quick pace, buzzsaw riffs one minute, Zappa-like instrumentals and multi-tracked harmonies the next. The lyrics say “its a work in progress” at 4 minutes in and it feels like a collection of demos strung together. However some brilliant stuff is buried in here, so be patient. Worth the trip.

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Cupid’s Carnival and Gleasons Drift

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Cupid’s Carnival “Everything Is Love”

We don’t know where Cupid’s Carnival has been hiding (yes we do), but thanks to Kool Kat Musik we can now discover the music of Roland Skilton and Thomas Gray. The band is an overtly Beatlesque treat at every level starting with the Harrison-like slide guitar riffs on “Girl.” After a psyche-pop “The Right Time,” it runs into the McCartney-like melody of “Working Girl” and then the layered arrangements on “The Magical Mystery Tour” styled “I Was The Boy.”

Literally no bad tracks here and “Summertime” is another sunny gem before a faithful cover of Procol Harum’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” featuring original Procol Harum organist Matthew Fisher reprising the song’s signature organ parts. The piano echoing on “Our Life” and the title track are a dead ringers for John Lennon solo style. Even the ending track “Sunny Days” liberally takes from ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” Luckily, the all the tunes are a combination of original composition and recognizable stylings that make it into my year end top ten list. Don’t miss this one!

Kool Kat Musik | CD Baby

Gleasons Drift

Gleasons Drift “Gleasons Drift”

Pottsville, PA band with a lot of spunk is actually on their fourth LP, and its got those riff-heavy pub rock melodies similar to The Replacements or The Stones. The opener “Mixx/REM” is almost like Southern Culture On The Skids with its rural garage vibe, and standouts “Ghost In The Corner” and “Pumpkinhead Jones” makes a great showcase for the band’s energy. However things drift into dullsville with “Stop Draggin Me Down” and “Say Goodbye.” Still, enough here to keep most listeners around like “Stag Martyr” and the catchy guitar lead on “Acquiring Satellites.”

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Reissues: The Turtles, The Connells

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A large pile of releases await review for September, so I’ll take a few days to relax before tackling anything new, but here is a few re-issues to check out:

The Turtles

The Turtles “All The Singles”

Not long ago, I reviewed a vinyl re-issue of The Turtles and tried to bring some attention to a band that seemed to epitomize the changes in the late ’60s. But because Flo and Eddie didn’t take things that seriously, few critics understood just how talented the band was until long after they left pop music. Well if you didn’t want vinyl, you were left getting old hits CDs — but not anymore. All The Singles gathers everything a Turtle fan could want remastered on both CD or digital download. Now you have no excuses!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvu3xiFmfDU

The Connells

The Connells “Stone Cold Yesterday: Best of The Connells”

While REM gets the credit for starting the ’80s indie-college-rock scene, this Raleigh band has built a loyal fan base following their 1984 debut. Like REM, The Connells are also known for their jangle-pop guitars, wistful lyrics, and gorgeous melodies — a world where the childhood dreams of Boylan Heights are only a heartbeat away.

The band has worked with an amazing array of producers from Mitch Easter (R.E.M./Let’s Active) to Jim Scott (Wilco) and scored moderate hits with “Slackjawed” and “74-75.” This is their first-ever greatest hits package, collecting 16 college radio and modern-rock singles from 1987 to 1998, including their first breakthrough radio hit, “Stone Cold Yesterday.” If The Connells passed you by in that era, this is a chance to rediscover their distinctive sound. Release out 9/9/16.

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The Twilight Hours and Happiless

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The Twilight Hours

The Twilight Hours “Black Beauty”

Minneapolis, MN musicians Matt Wilson and John Munson have a 20 year partnership. They started in the late ’80s with the psychedelic band Trip Shakespeare, which also featured Matt’s brother Dan (who went on to form Semisonic with John, charting a hit with the song “Closing Time”) and Elaine Harris. These veterans are back in The Twilight Hours, and Black Beauty really packs a melodic punch. 

The sound of the band is lushly produced classic pop that combines folk-roots guitars with early Beach Boys. Dan Wilson vocals are amazing as he opens with brilliant harmonies in the catchy “Help Me Find A Way,” and you’ll swear he’s part of that other Wilson family. It continues with the cascading “Maybe” a mellower tempo and the brilliant “Troublemaker” is an epic melody that adds heavy guitars for a perfect single. “Sound Waves” and “Flow” have a different structure, similar to Field Music with its sophisticated rhythm. The albums middle sags a bit, but remains compelling with folk ballads like “Rain,” and the big single “Sioux City Swinger” is a perfect summer song with layered arrangements and soaring harmonies. Highly Recommended.

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Happiless

Happiless “Happiless”

Mike Benign (Mike Benign Compulsion) teams up with Allen Keller to form Happiless, and the first song “Some People” explains the term. It’s for those who wait “for tragedy to strike. They want sympathy, they love to burst into flames and die.” The melody grows similar to “All You Need Is Love” but with a modern cynicism and misanthropy.

Several songs celebrate deep sadness with gorgeous melodies and Beatlesque arrangments. “Sleepyhead” is a fantastic ballad worthy of Badfinger and “Hopscotch Town” is a bouncy slice of pop confection. “Pill Called The Disaster” and “Stranger To Yourself” are more influenced by late ’80s Elvis Costello and Bob Mould, with its aggressive melodies. No real filler, as each track coaxes out the darkness like on “Anonymous Band” and “We Let Our Story Tell Itself.” A excellent debut from a talent pair and highly recommended.

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