Freebie Friday: The Persian Leaps, El Silver Cabs and Crossing Guards

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With summer finally here we have a full slate of music ready to be reviewed for next week, but this Friday I’ve got some nice freebies for you:

The Persian Leaps is a band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Its a bit of melodic noise pop on its new EP Praise Elephants. Notable here is the power pop single “Silent Treatment” full of fuzzy guitar riffs and solid harmonies. “Exponentially Devoted” is another good song with a layer of jangle above the dense fuzz pop.  The band plays short, catchy songs coated along the same lines as Guided By Voices, Teenage Fanclub and My Bloody Valentine.
Bandcamp or pay the band proper at Amazon or CD Baby

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New York band El Silver Cabs have a snappy new single with “Oh No” that reminds me a little of those ’90s-era DIY rockers (like The Idle Wilds). This is a typical unsigned band toiling away, their older EPs go all the way back to 2012. But you can definitely hear a progression of improvement on the new EP Bish Bosh. Another notable tune is the fast paced “Red Wine & Ritalin.”
Another freebie from Bandcamp

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Okay this isn’t a freebie, but its a “lost” album that I’ve come across. The Crossing Guards are a Minnesota band that had this album, out in 2009. And its biggest influences are The Posies, Guided By Voices and The Replacements. GBV fans will go bonkers for the heavy rhythm guitar on “Smoke and Mirrors.” Lead singer/guitarist Martin Devaney and bassist Sean Hoffman go all out here and it deserves to be heard. Don’t miss standouts “Pretty Little Problem” and “Untouchable.” Overall a solidly recommended LP.
Bandcamp | Amazon | CD Baby

Edward Rogers and The Roaring Juniors

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Edward Rogers “Kaye”
English-born, New York-bred Edward Rogers new album “Kaye” was inspired by the music of Kevin Ayers(The Soft Machine) and some of his musical influences. Rogers is helped along by other veteran musicians like Don Piper, Dennis Diken, and Gary Olsen, which makes it easy to enjoy this labor of love.

Rogers approach vocally on the opener “My Street” is a sullen blues riff similar to Mark Knopfler, but the tone changes on the Ayers penned gem “After The Show” with its punchy melody and catchy riffs. “Street Fashion” is another great track with its textured beat and “What Happened to the News Today” is a Dylanesque potential hit with its 12-string Rickenbacker melody. The mood gets more somber and wistful toward the albums end, but Rogers skill as a songwriter is formidable. A must for fans of both Rogers and Ayers.

Amazon

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The Roaring Juniors “Separation Anxiety”
Although they’re unsigned, This Michigan band starts off with the strong power pop of “Remember Love” and the garage styled “Love, Love Love.” The mid tempo “Riverside Shuffle” is another good diversion.

They take a harder turn on the instrumental “Watch Cap Blues,” so Led Zeppelin fans will pay attention. Blues-rock classic “Tobacco Road” is handled in a fuzzy way, but soon enough we’re back to the fast beats of “Waiting On Me.” Taking influences from early R&B British bands like The Creation – the Roaring Juniors are a force to be recognized. Give this fun album a try for only $5 – it’s worth it.

Bandcamp only

The Dowling Poole and The Both

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The Dowling Poole “Bleak Strategies”
We told you about the duo of Willie Dowling and Jon Poole teaming up for the debut of the Dowling Poole. Honestly the track record of albums from PledgeMusic or Kickstarter has been spotty at best, and I’ve been burned a few times by artists promising the best thing ever, only to get “something else.” Thankfully Dowling Poole happily exceeds expectations here. The pastoral shimmering opening “The Sun Is Mine” could’ve fallen off XTC’s Skylarking – it’s that good.

Next the rhythmic “Kiss On The Ocean” is a quintessential English-styled love song, part Maddness and part Martin Newell with a sing along chorus supported by “ooh la la” vocal backdrop. “Hey Stranger” is a little darker but no less compelling and it wanders into Klaatu-land with an amazing harpsichord and trumpet ending. Nearly every track is a polished gem and even the mellow “Paper, Scissors, Stone” is has a delightful jazzy pastiche that echoes Colin Moulding. The rich instrumentation and details invites many repeat listens, especially on the albums second half where it morphs into progressive rock with multiple melody lines, a perfect example being the psychedelic “Getting A License.” The finale “Clean” is slow building juggernaut along the lines of “Hey Jude.” This is an essential “do-not-miss” album, that makes my top ten list for 2014. I’m sure it’ll move to major distribution soon, but get it at PledgeMusic now.

PledgeMusic

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The Both “The Both”
Like the musical equivalent of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Aimee Mann and Ted Leo join forces to create The Both. It’s fairly rare for indie power pop auteurs to get mainstream attention (Reviewed in Spin, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork), but I’ll take it. Both artists leave their comfort zone a slightly and form an effective collaboration. Leo’s punk tendencies and Mann’s introspective melancholy are relatively restrained here, and that’s a good thing. It allows the duo to come up with some excellent songs “Milwaukee” being the highlight. Leo’s guitar is reminiscent of Thin Lizzy and Mann’s catchy chorus makes for good listening. This energy is missing from other songs like “The Gambler” and “No Sir” where the melody merely plods along.

Some nice touches are on the fuzz-bass led “Volunteers of America” with the comfortable harmonies of the duo and solid guitar riffs. In fact this is best vocals I’ve heard from Leo in a while. Both artists get to express ideas, Mann’s sparse “Hummingbird” and Leo’s guitar heavy “The Prisoner” both make personal statements. The Thin Lizzy cover of “Honesty Is No Excuse” is another highlight, along with the Beatlesque piano melody of “The Inevitable Shove” about “…blaming the ones you love.” A solid release that should please fans of both artists.

Amazon

The Hazey Janes “Language of Faint Theory”

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Scottish power pop band The Hazey Janes have been slowly evolving to more diverse indie pop sound, this is starkly shown on the latest LP, Language of Faint Theory. Recorded in El Puerto De Santa Maria, the crisp production and sweeping melodies present  a sophistication previously unheard from them. “Iwan” opens the album with a slow drum beat and piano chords, and mature background harmonies. The last half of the song has a truly great guitar solo that floats in, guaranteed to produce goosebumps.

That takes you into the next track “The Fantom Line,” a more accessible and even grander melody line along the lines of classic Genesis. After the opening notes of “All Is Forgotten” I almost expected Phil Collins to sing “Entangled” next, but the song transitions to a showcase for lead singer Andrew Mitchell’s vibrato-soaked croon along a soothing pop melody. “In Shadows Under Trees”  is a Roy Orbison flavored country ballad that proves the band can branch out intro other genres.

But after a few diversions we get back to some great power pop starting with “The Genesis,” full of cascading keys, drum rolls and strong lead guitar. Gone are most of the Beatles/Byrds influences on this album, although they show up on my favorite tune of the summer so far, “(I’m) Telescoping” with its gorgeous vintage sound. The title track surprises with sweet vocals by guitarist Alice Marra, evoking the sunny Spanish coast with its richly layered chorus. While clearly transitional in style, the band hasn’t forgotten its fans, nor its need for artistic growth and that’s a creative triumph.

Amazon

The Jeremy Band “All Over The World”

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Jeremy Morris has been a prolific creative force for many years now, and his latest album All Over The World is credited to his newly minted Jeremy Band which include his sons Peter and Mark (doing guitar, bass and vocals) along with several other musicians including Todd Borsch (The Ringles, The Gillegans, The Lemon Clocks) on guitar, bass, vocals and Bart Mendoza (The Shambles, True Stories) on guitar and vocals. Its still a Jeremy album, with the ever present shimmering jangle of Rickenbacker guitars and Byrdsian solos. The new band covers several classics from Jeremy’s past albums, originals and unique compositions recorded literally all over the world. And with a massive 20 tracks, its over 75 minutes of music.

Where to begin? The first 11 songs are taken from a live performance in San Diego. “Let Me In Your Heart” is a long jam that has a solid melody line and great bass hook, then the original “Cool Your Jets” has a bit of Raspberries in its DNA. The psychedelic “Rainbow Bridge” is from Jeremy’s other band The Lemon Clocks, but here the band stretches the song out. If you like jangle-prog jamming you’ll be enjoying this.

One big highlight is an extended version of “Pop Rules” with 12 guitar melodies interwoven into the break, from Dick Dale to Led Zeppelin. Many tracks were also recorded at IPO shows all over the world including the Cavern Club. While this may be overkill for some, its an effective representation of a power pop concert and “greatest hits” album. Enjoy!

Jam Records


Listen to a sample of “Cool Your Jets”