Wesley Fuller and Cool Ghouls

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Cool Ghouls

Wesley Fuller “Melvista” EP

Wesley Fuller is the newest kid on the retro power pop block from Melbourne, Australia with a debut EP.  Full of jangle and 60s influences, the opener “The Dancer” has a glam guitar similar to Sweet and the mid-tempo pop of “Shock Me” is upbeat, but kind of generic.

One of the highlights is the jangling, heavy beat of “Runaway Renee” with its irresistible sing along chorus. The title track is also pretty sweet ear candy with its hand clapped beat and multi-tracked harmonies, and “Change Your Mind” has a that glam beat (think Gary Glitter) and a simple melodic phrase. Check it out.

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Cool Ghouls

Cool Ghouls “Animal Races”

San Francisco’s Cool Ghouls absorb those classic 60’s influences on their third album, Animal Races, produced by pop maestro Kelley Stoltz. The band has a roots-garage psyche rock style and the opening title track is the keeper here with its catchy chorus. “Sundial” has a Byrdsian jangle that combines with the ghostly vocals, also makes it an effective song with a gorgeous “ba-ba-ba” coda.

From there we get even more psychedelic on “Time Capsule” which is a bit like re-filtered Jefferson Airplane. The mood is mellower on “When You Were Gone” and the piano led “Days,” which has a warmth that belies the lyric “Morning through your window gives you no reason to get up.” It gets kind of western with that slide guitar on “Brown Bag,” but for the most part its echoing reverb drenched pop. And despite the dark, paranoid lyrics there is a playfulness to each song. Highly Recommended.

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Museyroom and Papernut Cambridge

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Museyroom

Museyroom “Pearly Whites”

If you like an immersive mix of pop, folk, psychedelia and ambient noise then you’ll need to hear this trio of musicians from Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Jack Donovan (guitar/vocals) and Ben Cohen (bass/keyboards) are joined by drummer Matt Coppola to form Museyroom. Full of lush atmospherics and dream-like harmonies, the opening title track mixes Gregorian-like harmonies with deep-reverb organs. “Three Stones” showcases a gentle falsetto that rises with the chorus, and “Ballad” is the only structured pop gem that uses all these elements.

Museyroom’s music doesn’t linger too long in one style, and like Field Music it weaves a tight cloth of sounds and half-themes. Once in a while a melody pops out in “Ranges” and “Sleeper.” The prog rock-like “Siren” is also very impressive and its hard to find anything here predictable. But its the amazing instrumentation that’ll win you over.

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Papernut Cambridge

Papernut Cambridge “Love the Things Your Lover Loves”

A collective of artists led by Ian Button on Gare Du Nord Records, it has a mix of catchy folk & glam — try to imagine a folk version T-Rex. A slow march beat lays down the album’s title track, with nice electric guitar accents. The laid back theme “The Lady Who Told A Lie” gets you on board, but its the Big Star like “Radio” that won me over with the cowbell and fuzzed out riffs. Then we get the deceptively catchy “Chartreuse” which sounds like Ringo’s “Octopus’ Garden” growing in Syd Barrett’s yard.

More gems are to be found along the album’s theme of communication, like the layered psychedelic “Mirology” and the country fiddle gives “I’m Stranded” a beautiful resonance. “Spell It Out” uses the bass guitar to great effect, and although not every track will stick — enough do to make this LP worth checking out.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Velvet Crush and Suit of Lights

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Velvet Crush

Velvet Crush “Pre-Teen Symphonies”

Looking back on 1994’s Teenage Symphonies to God, it established The Velvet Crush as a power pop powerhouse comparable with Teenage Fanclub and Matthew Sweet. Omnivore has a look back with this collection of demos and live tracks on Pre-Teen Symphonies. Engineered by Mitch Easter (who also added some guitar) the demos have the energy and spirit of the times, with the signature tune “Hold Me Up” still holding up years later. Another gem “Time Wraps Around You” displays the respect for “the summer of love” with harmonies that feel warm and inviting.

These early demos were pretty rare at the time, and includes a cover of Three Hour Tour’s “Turn Down.” The live tracks (recorded at Chicago’s Cabaret Metro) have Tommy Keene added as lead guitarist delivering a solid performance. This is an essential addition the original Teenage Symphonies and a treasure for Velvet Crush fans.

Amazon | Omnivore Direct

Suit of Lights

Suit of Lights “Break Open the Head”

Suit of Lights is an alt. rock band founded by Joe Darone (The Rosenbergs, Fiendz) and on his newest album, he looks to build an ambitious concept album that deals with issues of the mind. It’s experimental in some respects and will challenge the listener, as the title track is a perfect example. “Break Open the Head” starts out fairly dull until we get to the a pitch change in the catchy chorus. “New Frontier” has a theatrical style with a circus-like theme buried mid-way, it reminded me of The Blood Rush Hour with more of a prog rock approach.

“Higher Self” lays out the album’s psychological concept followed by “Monsters,” a highlight track about paranoia and insecurity. “Revolution of You” is an uplifting prog theme with some edgy guitar and orchestral backing. This will not be everyone’s cup of tea, as it is a pretty dystopian vision overall especially “Reality 2.0” and “Circling the Drain of History” with its march tempo about “our brains full of mush.” However if you’re looking for music that tries to make you think — this is worth repeat listens. Give it a try.

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Mark Bacino and Erik Voeks are back!

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Mark Bacino

Mark Bacino “Not That Guy”

Its been over six years since Mark Bacino had an album out, he’s been busy producing and mixing for various artists, composing for television-film-advertising and writing for publications such as Songwriter’s Market and Guitar World.

Now, Mark finally returns to his post as power pop, singer-songwriter with the release of a new single, “Not That Guy.” Its a bouncy tune about the guy who will always be stuck in the “friend zone.” I hope this single is the beginning of a new album, because its great to hear some fresh new Bacino.

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Erik Voeks “Grey Rain Town”

Another artist I’ve been a fan of for a long time is singer-songwriter Erik Voeks. He’s continued to produce music albiet on a smaller scale this year with a series of A-B singles through bandcamp. “Grey Rain Town” has a great orchestral sweep, anchored by a Beatlesque guitar rhythm. And “Delivering Rocks” has a nice chorus with sleigh bells. I would encourage you to see the other singles on his Bandcamp page.