Smash Palace and The Wheel Workers

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Smash Palace “Live at The Auction House”
Live concert albums are not so easy to pull off, but this one by Southern New Jersey band Smash Palace proves you can capture the “live” sound with great clarity. Recorded for a PBS broadcast, the 12 songs featured here represent a good mix of the band’s long and prolific career. This line up includes Stephen Butler (lead vocals/guitar), Phil Rizzo(guitar), Wally Smith (keyboards), Fran Smith Jr (bass) and David Uosikkinen (drums). Special guests include Brian Butler who lends vocals to “Count The Days” and DyAnne DiSalvo, who sings on the acoustic version of “Give You My Word.”

If you don’t have the last Smash Palace Greatest Hits, this makes for an even better hits album as it takes from the band’s more recent (and stronger) material. The Butler brothers are master musicians and this highly recommended live performance is a treat for the ears.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik
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The Wheel Workers “Past To Present”
There are plenty of good “protest message” albums out there (i.e. The Sharp Things) but its rare when the music is as impressive as the message. The Wheel Workers are an indie rock band from Houston, TX with a sound that invites comparisons to “OK Computer”era Radiohead and Midnight Oil. The title track is intense orchestral pop-rock with a wild synth lead that’s both brooding and catchy. Masterminded by singer/guitarist Steven Higginbotham, his environmental messages are overt, but its the melodies that win you over. The best one here is the snappy “Chemicals” which reminds me of Peelgreems a ltttle bit.

Then we shift to the grim, fast paced “Starve The Beast” that ultimately become a defiant theme, as Steven chimes “Let’s get together and occupy the world over.” Nearly all the other tracks work well, fans of Guided By Voices will like the driving melodies of “Drone” and “Compromise.” The musical textures and swirling rhythms throughout also make this album a great listen, although the slower tunes “Animals” and “Want” overstay their welcome. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

The Connection “Let It Rock”

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If there ever was a power pop band that oozed coolness out of its pores it would be The Connection. This new full length LP hits the ground running with the mint single “Wrong Side of 25,” chock full of classic guitar riffage. The band’s sound has continued to define the edge half way between The Beatles and The Stones. Its un-apologetically retro, and they relish every note.

Another “radio-ready” hit is “She’s A Keeper” with an unbeatable hook that rivals The Wonders “That Thing You Do.” It then shifts the key to a surf styled “The Way Love Should Be,” and then blasts those guitars on “Crawling From The Wreckage (Of A Saturday Night).” A country-styled shuffle leads “Susan” and the tempo slows down for the garage psyche “Haze” and “Not How It’s Gonna Be.”  Even the umpteenth version of “Johnny B. Good” sounds fresh as the title track. No filler here, and lead singer Brad Marino and guitarist Geoff Palmer hit it out of the park. It deserves a spot on your top ten for 2013, its definitely on mine.

CD Baby | Bandcamp

The Orion Experience… at XL Nightclub.

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I reviewed this band long ago and even introduced them at IPO in 2007, so its refreshing to see a musical act try and push the boundaries of what a band can accomplish or how the audience sees them. This new approach turns the average concert into something of a spaced-themed private party for concert goers with lots of band interaction. I wish them the best of success. Get tickets at www.theorionexperience.com

Scott Brookman and Todd Herfindal

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Scott Brookman “Smellicopter”
Brookman has expanded his sound from the charming debut and funded his efforts with Kickstarter. A more sophisticated arranger and songwriter emerges, as we start with “Tim E. Redmond” with equal doses of Brian Wilson and Paul Simon influencing the structure.

Fans of the bedroom DIY pop symphonies will appreciate “Summer’s Two Weeks Notice” with its layered Beach Boys harmonies, and then “To Find Your Happiness” has a healthy dose of Burt Bacharach worship. Some of these tunes are very lite sketches, like “Inspected by Curly,” but others cross into greatness like “Iceberglar” and the McCartneyesque “I Could Use Some New Friends.” Brookman’s production has also improved, so even a fun character study “Weirdos” makes for enjoyable summer listening. Highly Recommended.

Only on Bandcamp
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Todd Herfindal “Right Here Now”
On his 2nd album Todd Herfindal plays solid roots oriented power pop, and like his bandmate, Rich McCulley (who co-wrote many songs here) makes it sound great.  Starting with “Keeping Me Up Nights” it’s a sweet jangling melody along the lines of Tom Petty. “She Can Run” and “More Than I” lean more alt. country, but are also up-beat and memorable. Some singles in this collection have been previously released, but they fit like a glove with the newer material.

The environmental anthem “Shine Shine” is another big standout, along with “Closer To Home.” After the mid-point, a bit more slide guitar becomes prominent on “Everything Is Ours” and “You Might Just Make It.” Many talented sidemen (McCulley, Adam Marsland, Will Kimbrough, Ryan Bradley, etc.) keep the sound rich and pitch perfect. Overall, no filler here as fans of Americana styled roots rock will absolutely love this.

Amazon | Itunes
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Adam Marsland “The Owl and The Full Moon”

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It’s been a long road for Adam Marsland from the days of punk pop favorite Cockeyed Ghost to his development as a solid session performer and music producer. After a the blue-eyed soul of “Contamination,” he makes the most of his experiences with The Beach Boys, with gentle harmonies throughout the album. The title track mixes that soulful approach with a classic rock melody. One of the best songs here ironically is “No One’s Ever Gonna Hear This Song.” It’s a ballad of anguish and frustration, and it builds layer after layer, and the harmonies are classic.

On his past with Cockeyed Ghost, he reelects “Do you remember the power pop days?” with the song “Power Pop Days.” It’s a cheery and bouncy melody of being “…choked By A skinny tie.” In fact this is the first mature Marsland album without any punk invective, and it suits him well. The baroque “I Wanna Be In Love” is composed like a Left Banke song, and “Happy Face” is another bouncy gem. The self reflection on “To Be Human” and “Song 11” is taken to grand heights with full orchestration similar to Brian Wilson. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik