Brett Harris and Kerosene Stars

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Brett Harris

Brett Harris “Up In The Air”

North Carolina pop auteur Brett Harris was part of the touring band for both Big Star and the dB’s and now he’s released his newest solo effort. “End of the Rope” is an inspirational theme with great supporting guitar riff that does recall The Beatles and Big Star at times. “Don’t Look Back” is an easy going mid-tempo song with a hint of sadness within its rich strums. “Lies” is a good example of how a slow dirge takes a whimsical jazz turn in the break before it continues, it’s a delicate balance of old and new influences.

“Out of The Blue” is another signature song with strong blues flourishes and orchestral sweep – its both a catchy and satisfying melody. Both “High Times” and “Rumor” have folk blues and soul elements that are perfectly arranged into the rock format. The title track is another standout, it has a 70’s California country guitar melody that’s part Nilsson and part Mike Nesmith. The song has the feel of the open road with the lyric “Why should I care whatever which way the wind is blowing ‘cause we make our home wherever our feet hit the ground.” Overall no duds here as each song shines, and its highly recommended.

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Kerosene Stars

Kerosene Stars “Don’t Believe in Miracles” EP

Chicago band Kerosene Stars are Scott Schaafsma (bass, vocals), Andy Seagram (guitar, backing vocals), Yoo Soo Kim (viola, keyboards), Jim Adair (drums), and Tom Sorich (percussion). The band excels creating simple, catchy melodies on top of a solid backbeat, Burn The Evidence is the first of 3 EPs for 2016.

“Don’t Believe in Miracles” starts with a solid jangle and classic chord shifts is bolstered by Scott’s strong vocal. “Burn The Evidence” has a European styled vibe with some new wave accents, shifting around never settling in predictability. After the bossa nova lounge style of ”Alice,” it settles into late 70’s styled pop with “Talk Talk” and its sweet guitar solo. This is a band that makes you take notice with both its musicianship and songwriting, so keep an eye on them!

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Sam Means and Latvian Radio

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Sam Means

Sam Means “10 Songs”

While not a household name, Sam Means was one half of the celebrated Arizona indie-pop act The Format alongside Nate Ruess (who later went on to form the Grammy Award-winning act, fun.) It took a while, but Means’ debut full-length 10 Songs was worth the wait and is bursting with an creative energy plus Jellyfish’s Roger Joseph Manning Jr. helped with arrangements!

Each song is part of a emotional narrative about the transition to adulthood. “How To Sing” is both whimsical and subtle with its bass lead and horn flourishes that builds to near white noise. Next “We’re Alone” is like a slow, gentle prayer that leads to “The Other Side Of You,” a catchy ear-worm with an accending scale (reminded me of Field Music here).  “Taking it Back To Yesterday” is the main theme of the album; a simple piano melody that grows into a sweet sing along. RJ Manning’s fingerprints are subtle, but on “Calina” it’s easy to spot on this brilliantly catchy song. The relaxed “All I Ever Wanted” is another feel good gem, but as we close out the album it slows as the mood turns inward on “Bigger Heart” that could be compared to Mark Oliver Everett (Eels) or Salim Norallah. Overall a brilliant album that gets on my top ten of 2016 list.

Itunes | Bandcamp


Latvian Radio “Until Tomorrow Gets In The Way”

Latvian Radio is back with their fifth album as the band continues to blend Patric Westoo’s tight vocals with steady guitar riffs mixing both power-pop, UK post punk and new wave influences. Starting with “Eyes Behind The Lens” its a dense chiming melody with layered horns, vocals and a jangling rhythm. The organ textures cover the strong composition “Power Lines and Bedroom Blinds” with some nice percussive work from Mark Poole.

The music seems to get looser as we go forward, “Weight of The World” has a catchy synth hook and a casual narrative that make it my favorite track on the album. While the backing harmonies and light melody of “Tease and Please” is a bit tedious, the albums tone shifts to a more rock orientation on “Letter To The National Enquirer.” Latvian Radio continues to be criminally overlooked and deserves to be heard. Highly Recommended.

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Upcoming projects: Tom Wilson Documentary and Cheap Trick

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Screen Shot 2016-02-29 at 5.27.00 PMMarshall Crenshaw has created a Kickstarter project to remember legendary record producer Tom Wilson. It was Tom Wilson who signed The Velvet Underground to Verve/MGM Records and produced their first two albums, signed Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention to Verve/MGM Records and produced their first three albums, became Bob Dylan’s record producer in 1962 (halfway through “The Freewheeling Bob Dylan” album), continuing through 1965 and “Like a Rolling Stone” (the period during which Dylan gradually “went electric”), produced the first album by then-acoustic Folk duo Simon and Garfunkel (“Wednesday Morning, 3 AM”), then seriously launched their career by unilaterally deciding to add electric instruments to “The Sound of Silence” (Legendary record producer John Simon told me that he thought that Wilson did it as an “intellectual exercise”).

Wilson “discovered” Sun Ra and The Arkestra, producing and releasing their first two albums on Transition Records, a label that Wilson established right after graduating Cum Laude from Harvard in 1955. Wilson “discovered” Cecil Taylor and produced his first album, “Jazz Advance”, for the Transition label. These are just the bullet points of Wilson’s artistic legacy; to put it in a nutshell, he was a visionary, someone that moved the Culture, saw the future and set about helping to create it, was one of the architects of Popular Music as we’ve known it since the 1960s and still know it today… And up until just recently he was pretty much a forgotten figure. Visit his website: www.producertomwilson.com to learn more, but even more important check out the Kickstarter page and help fund this project!

A10SP7LXMXL._SL1500_-1-744x744Cheap Trick is looking forward to the release of the new album Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello on April 1st. Check out the extras on PledgeMusic. If you don’t already have it, you can get the new song “No Direction Home” for FREE just visit the Cheap Trick landing page.

Scott Warren and Stay

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Scott Warren

Scott Warren “Good Love”

Scott Warren (Signal Hill Transmission) brought together the same cast as his 2012 effort Dyed In The Wool, but this time with a big studio sound complete with horns and string arrangements.  Starting with the solid “Good Love” it’s one of the best openers this year, with melodic muscle in the chorus. “Cold Feet” is worthy follow up, with a wicked guitar solo at the break about a hot-and-cold love affair.

“Idle Hands” recalls Matthew Sweet’s dense bed of drums and riffs, but then he slows down for “Why Won’t You Come Around?” before it builds up to a bluesy crecendo that knocks it out of the park. A few country styled songs are wedged in here, but don’t resonate as strongly as the rock. The ballad “Fall in Line” is a good palette cleanser for the Fleetwood Mac-ish “When I Get Away From You.” A slow tempo cover of Lindsey Buckingham’s “Trouble” closes things out. This is terrific album that deserves to be heard. Highly Reccomended!

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Stay

Stay “The Mean Solar Times”

Barcelona based Stay are a psych-rock collective that bears more than a passing resemblance to Oasis, as the new album The Mean Solar Times was produced by Owen Morris (The Verve, Oasis) and features a guest guitar slot for Andy Bell (Ride, Oasis, Beady Eye). There is a solid Britpop vibe mixed with some psychedelic rock and so fans of both genres will enjoy the interplay of synths, organ, harmonies and great lead guitar riffs perfectly executed on “Pinkman.”

Fans of The Byrds will dig “You Know It’s Alright” with its easy going chorus and jangling bed of guitar rhythm. And while “Dirty and Alone” and “Always Here” have that Manchester vibe similar to The Stone Roses, the sitar is thrown in to give it a retro gloss. No real duds and a highly recommended trip through your headphones.

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The Cherry Drops and Propeller

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Cherry Drops

The Cherry Drops “Life is A Bowl of Cherry Drops”

Is it possible to love the sixties sound too much? Nah. Vern Shank and his band the Cherry Drops have concocted an album that absorbs those retro influences like a sponge. Opening with a vocal Beach Boys prayer “Bliss,” it’s followed by the bubble gum gem “We’re So High” with its mellow psych-pop groove, reverbs and farisa organ. Then the band turns on a bit of the guitar muscle with the “Far Out,” and mentions almost every dance craze of the era. And its not just paying homage, as Steve Boone of The Lovin’ Spoonful is included on the sunny chorus of “Sweet Lovin.”

A few more guests include Mighty Manfred (Woggles) and Tony Valentino (The Standells.) There are a few covers (including a rare Badfinger tune), but its the originals that have plenty of hooks as “Light ‘Em Up” proves. Plus “It’s A Surfing’ Thing” is chock full of Dick Dale guitar licks. The danger here is a few songs can appear saccharine (“Everything’s Alright”) but most of the time The Cherry Drops deliver their pop with a sincerity that can’t be faked. Highly Recommended.

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Propeller

Propeller “Fall Off The World”

Propeller is back and with another quality power pop release. “Can You Here Us Now” is part Bryan Adams, part Bram Tchaikovsky with a great leading riff in the chorus. The bands compositions have gotten tighter as “Mismatched Shoes” and “Wish I Had A Picture” densely packs the harmonies on top of a bed of guitars. Lead singer Greg Randall’s vocal style reminds me of Nick Piunti too.

“She’s So Alive” is similar to Tom Petty with its jangling rhythm, and its one of my favorite songs here. The lyrics are mostly about the common teenage crush; “a girl with a beautiful name” is the source of inspiration for “It’s Kinda Why I Like You.” Not a single note of filler as the band goes through all ten high energy tracks. If you want to nitpick, the band doesn’t take its foot off the gas, and it would be nice to have a slower tempo break things up a little. Otherwise this is a real winner, and you can download these tracks on Bandcamp at a “name-your-price” or buy the traditional way. Highly Recommended and no excuses for letting this one pass you by.

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