Kevin Martin and Alan Bernhoft

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Kevin Martin “Throwback Pop”
A real hidden gem everybody missed, thanks to Steve F. for bringing it to my attention. Veteran San Diego musician Kevin Martin weaves the catchy magic right away on “TV News” and its comparable to Josh Fix, Secret Powers and The Nines.

Just the right mix of Beatles and Elton John with hooks that sink in fast. “I Know Why” is a dead ringer for The Honeydogs pop style and on “I Need Your Love” its another perfectly crafted piano pop gem. The 70’s style is obvious, but still irresistible on tracks like “I Wanted To Tell You” and “Let Me Go.” The album veers toward the Elton-styled ballad with “Slow Down” and you’ll hear a little Gilbert O’Sullivan on “Looking For Love.” This is a textbook example on how to emulate the past without ripping it off. Super duper highly recommended, It belongs in my top ten without a doubt.

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Alan Bernhoft “Beatlesque Four”
The latest in Bernhoft’s series is more focused on latter Beatles era, with the opener “Love Everyone” which could’ve been a Yellow Submarine outtake for a pre-school class. Many of the songs sound like exercises in composition, with a very simple structure. Several standouts include, “Following Rainbows” with its obvious Lennon approach, and “My Rolls Royce” is Ringo doing a Beach Boys song! “Mr. McIntyre” is another chuging standout, and “They Came” has that Sgt. Pepper’s circus atmosphere. “Captain Anaujiram” ends things on a very silly note, emulating the least memorable Beatle’s song “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number).” Fans will embrace this for sure.

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Marty Graveyard and Kevin Bents

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Marty Graveyard “Marty Graveyard’s Summer Holiday”
Marty was the drummer of the now broken up Dutch-Power-Pop Band The Madd!, and this is his first solo album. Starting with the bouncy “Do You Really Wanna Dance?” it’s a relentlessly catchy opener, with a Rubinoos meets Beach Boys vibe. Marty’s vocal is really reminiscent of Roger Hodgson (Supertramp).

Then Julia Reinhold guest vocals on “Why,” a nostalgic pop tune in the style of Lesley Gore. The fast paced guitar riffs and high vocals will surely make “My Heart Is Set On You” a summer classic. The relentless sunshine may be too cute for some, but this is a guilty pleasure I’ll gladly give in to. Fans of The Monkees and The Three O’Clock will also love this, recommended tracks include: “Just Friends”, “Kick Me When I’m Down” and the jangle filled title track.

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Kevin Bents “The Honors”
Kevin impressed me with his melodic 2008 album The Means, here he takes a decidedly Steely Dan vibe with his keyboard on “Not The Kind.”  Kevin gives us a touch of soul on “I’ll Wait” and “On The Spot” is a catchy suite of themes with great unexpected tempo changes. The slow ballads “Somebody Got A Hold” and “Sail Down The River” remind me a bit of Peter Gabriel. And the free form rhythm and composition of “Downtown” and metallic “Constant Contact” are also highlights. This mature LP always lets the melody lead. An adventurous album that’s hard to ignore.

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Sunday Sun EP FREE download

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Sunday Sun is the brainchild of four young Amsterdam musicians Wouter Rentema, Jan Teertstra, Yoshi Breen, Koen-Willem Toering and they have already earned my utmost respect. They found each love those melodic hooks in rock and decided to make an EP chock full of them. Very much like The Sonic Executive Sessions, these guys have superior harmonies and if you watch the video for “Highly Respected Rebel” the good vibes are just infectious. It’s only FREE to download for 2 weeks and it’s one of my favorite EP’s this year! Perfect weekend music… Enjoy!

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Moldy Oldies: Goodbye Don Grady and the Yellow Balloon

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Don Grady, who was one of television’s most beloved big brothers as Robbie Douglas on the long-running 1960s hit My Three Sons, died Wednesday. He was 68. A musical prodigy from a young age, Grady also played drums for  sunshine pop pioneers The Yellow Balloon, who had a minor hit with a self-titled song in 1967.

Fun Fact: The band at one time also included Daryl Dragon, who wasn’t as famous at the time as he would be a few years down the road as the male half of the popular duo Captain & Tennille.

Whitejacket “Hollows and Rounds”

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Chicago-based Musician Chris McDuffie has been part of Apples In Stereo since Tone Soul Evolution, but now he’s moved to Chicago and created his own band, Whitejacket (a reference to a literary influence of his, Herman Melville) that wears its Beatlesesque influences on its sleeve.

Opening with the low key “Versus Angel” its got all those vintage sounds and ghostly choruses that the Apples are famous for. White Album fans are sure to hear the cues in “The Modern” and “Easy Now.” Chris also claims more obscure influences like Margo Guryan and Billy Nicholls. “The genesis of the record came from my long-standing admiration of the baroque pop of the late sixties and seventies,” McDuffie explains. “I guess I’ve always been fascinated with the arrangement and production from that period, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to appreciate it even more.” We appreciate it too. The overall tone of the album is slow and measured, be sure to soak it all in.

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