You know, if someone had told me 30 years ago that the Rolling Stones would still be touring today, I would’ve laughed at them. As the Rolling Stones launch their “50 and Counting” Tour, it’s worth noting that 2013 seems to have brought with it a clear shift in the cultural zeitgeist in which vintage musicians such as the Stones, Bowie, Rod Stewart, Dylan, Lou Reed, and Ozzy Osbourne are being embraced instead of being subject to ridicule and scorn “for being too old.” For those of us who believe that music – not smooth-skinned celebrity and youth – is what really matters, one can only say “welcome back my friends to the show that never ends!”
Late Cambrian and Street Corner Symphony
Late Cambrian “Peach”
A trio of Brooklyn alternative rockers has a winner here with the opener “Lover’s Point.” Its got fast paced verses and a shiny Strokes-like chorus. Heavy guitars open “The Label Needed A Single” like Sugar Ray meeting up with The Plain White Tees. Lots of energy, real-life narrative and layered instrumentation make this a fun listen.
I also liked the riff work on “The Wolf,” with its rhythm similar to The Bangles’ “Walk Like An Egyptian.” The popular single “Ryan Gosling” is included here, easily the most danceable tune on the LP. No real filler amongst the 13 tracks, even though the melodies on the first half are better. The band even manages to indulge with the instrumental “Hypgnotica/Afternoon Special.” Ends with a strong melody in “The Luddite” and the interplay of the male vocalist/guitarist John and female voclaist/keyboardist O is magical. Highly Recommended.
Street Corner Symphony “Southern Autumn Nostalgia”
Here is a talented a cappella pop group based out of Nashville, Tennessee that won acclaim in NBC’s all-vocal competition, The Sing-Off. The group starts out smoothly with the jazzy gospel inspired “Voodoo.” It gets even better with “Little Old Me,” its Wilsonesque-syled harmonies and its “ba-ba-ba” choral break. Fans of The Sonic Executive Sessions will love this.
“Loves A Loser” is similar to a Bleu ballad with its prayer-like sighs and another highlight is “Frozen In Time” with its slick hook and polished production. “Picturing You” and “Myriad Of Stars” are fine vocal ballads, each band members voice is so similar to each other you’d be hard pressed to tell who is doing the lead. The only big misfire is the ending combo of “Sicut Tempus Fugit” and “Dragon Rider” which together sounds like a pretentious remake of Spinal Tap’s “Stonehenge.” But for fans of great harmonies it’ll be enough.
Amazon LP due out in July.
Lyn Saga and The Real Numbers
Lyn Saga “Venice”
Recently I got a huge pile of new music from female power pop artists, Lyn Saga being the first. The melodic pop and percussive “The Day We Met” starts us off and charms with its multi-tracked vocal chorus. She is an accomplished guitarist too, as her solid guitar riffs lead the way on “I Believe” and “I Didn’t Mean To.”
Her clear vocals play both the pop princess and bad-girl rocker. “Life Is But A Dream” is a Weezer-styled tune and it impressed me the most with its loud riffs and hook filled chorus. “The Only One” brings back memories of Liz Phair with its slow, sparse opening turning into a hand clapping rocker. A touch of Shangri-Las nostalgia guides “Stay,” its also super catchy and invites repeat listens. Its hard to find anything here that’s even mediocre, but its short a real ballad to break up things. The title track is another feel good tale about leaving the 9 to 5 and heading for the California Beach. Exceptional power pop that deserves a spot on my top ten for 2013 list.
CD Baby | Amazon
The Real Numbers “1-2-3-4-5” EP
San Francisco musicians, Dave Ambrose and Lawrence Grodeska share a love of melody and guitar hooks, so it didn’t take too long to follow up their debut, and this one is lots of fun. The title track sets the mood, and its catchy sing-by-the-numbers chorus will appeal to the inner kid in you. “Godzilla Girl” is another standout track with a driving bass line thanks to Chuck Lindo, a harmony laden chorus, and the added sound effects are bonus. “Daphne” is a jazzy pop departure, a sad song that’s sung with earnest optimism. “The Wiggle” is an ode to a favorite bike route to Golden Gate Park, but it’s cheery approach is like “The Wiggles,” so your kids will enjoy it too. No real filler here, overall a well-crafted slice of power pop – so pick it up!
The Power Popaholic Interview: Pussy Riot
I try never to inject any politics on this site, but a friend of mine got a rare opportunity to interview two members of the infamous punk band Pussy Riot. I don’t really follow the band or its music, however this is all about artistic freedom. A new HBO documentary highlights this fact (see above), so if the KGB shuts down my site, you’ll know why. Read the exclusive interview with Pussy Riot.
The Pinecones and The Saltshakers
The Pinecones “Ooh!”
After I heard the opening track on this 70’s styled rock band, I exclaimed the title and made an effort to listen to more of “Gloomy Monday.” Then the the light harmonies of “Its Always On Her Mind” recall late-era Hollies, with a rousing chorus and hand claps. The jangle magic comes back on “Kimberly Keeps” with singers Paul Linklater and Brent Randall doing an effective contrasting lead vocal. Sometimes the lyrics are a bit simplistic, like on “She’s So Confident” but it sounds so damn cool, like The Grass Roots playing Herman’s Hermits.
The band starts to move backwards in time, and “Come On Back” is a psychedelic 60’s gem, and then Linklater channels Gilbert O’Sullivan perfectly on “That’s The Way I Wanna Do It.” If you are a fan of this early lite rock style, The Pinecones will fit your music collection like a glove. Each track is expertly performed, the only fault being it doesn’t distinguish itself enough from the era it emulates. But I suspect the retro-lovin’ audiophile will be very forgiving.
The Saltshakers “Change The Channel” EP
Milwaukee indie rockers have lost that rough edge and are a now finely tuned band with excellent singles. The melodies are driven by crunchy guitars and a hook-filled chorus on the opener “Change The Channel” and the shredding on “Triple Word Whore” is another gem. Then we get an even richer sound on the mid-tempo “Astrology” and that’s it. Short and sweet, but I admire a band that goes for quality over quantity as they did the same thing last year with the Halley EP. Both EPs are highly recommended.
CD Baby | Amazon