One of my favorite artists, Joe Giddings is preparing us for his new forthcoming LP “Better From Here” coming this Summer. It pretty much sums up the state of mind for most power pop artists nowadays… but hopefully fans of Joe will purchase this single and make him feel relevant this weekend, “cause 50 likes on Facebook can’t be wrong!”
In case you missed it – “All The People Some of The Time” is also available.
Paul Bertolino and Boice
Paul Bertolino “Where The Buildings Hit The Sky”
Paul is a behind-the-scenes musician’s musician from Berkeley, CA and a skilled singer songwriter that will appeal to fans of Eric Matthews, Elliot Smith and Ben Wilkins. The 70’s styled opener and title track is certainly impressive with rich horns and bass riffs supporting the melody.
Lovers of gentle baroque pop along the lines of Burt Bacharach and Van Dyke Parks will flip for “Union Square.” Paul mixes some psyche-pop guitar and harmonies on the wonderful chorus of “The Green Bridge.” More gems include the snappy “See Me Now” with its lyrical love of New York City, and the sunny “Clinton Hill.” Retro pop fans rejoice! The release is through Bandcamp only.
Boice “How To Be An Adult”
Boice is certainly not your average power pop act, as African Americans rarely enter this genre. Brooklyn based Boice-Terrel Allen balances his influences (McCartney, Costello, Morrisey) with considerable skill on his opener “Itchy Boyz.” His lack of vocal range on “(That’s) The Sound” is made up by solid melody, skillful harmonies and song composition.
“Everybody Loves A Comeback” almost reminds me of Stew & The Negro Problem with dark narratives, and a twisted melody line. At 15 tracks in total, it’s hit and miss – with most of the good stuff early on. And despite the racy BDSM cover image, this album is quite tame. The songs become progressively more “easy listening” on the deeper tracks, with some variety in the 50’s style mid-tempo “Wake Up! (Here’s The Part)” and the inspirational pep talk “Anchor Song (For Mary).”
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The Bowers, The Stanleys, and Smash Fashion
The Bowers “Odds or Evens”
This Melbourne Australian band from gives us a real hidden gem. The tight riffs and vocals of Phil Gionfriddo make “Time Is Mine” a winner, and his cadence reminds me of Ed Rolland (Collective Soul). Taking a cue from 60’s Mod, the thumping beat and Byrdsian psyche-pop gives us “Going To Love Me Now.” This is near perfect garage pop with the harmonies, farfisa organ, driving riffs and wailing lead retro enthusiasts will cherish. It loses a little steam towards the end with the droning title track, but it’s worth uncovering for sure.
Bandcamp only
The Stanleys “Always” EP
Another Aussie export, The Stanleys are a quartet that draws from classic 70’s bands like The Raspberries and Sweet with modern rock techniques similar to Weezer. Then you throw in studio wizards like Ken Stringfellow (REM, The Posies) and Michael Carpenter, and it’s a pretty impressive debut here. The hooks are strong on “Always” and “Kid’s Gonna Rock” and the sound is comparable to Vinyl Candy. Enjoy!
CD Baby | Amazon
Smash Fashion “Blame it on Brandy/Marionette” EP
LA based dandies led by Roger Deering and supported by veteran musicians, have a glam meets power pop sound. The thundering drums and crisp guitar riffs on “Brandy” demand attention. It’s a lot of fun, and the b-side “Marionette” is just as infectious with some great Brian May styled guitar solo work between the main verses. The band has a back catalog worth investigating, and I’ll be looking forward to the new full length LP.
SmashFashionMusic.com | CD Baby
Nelson Bragg “We Get What We Want”
Nelson Bragg has spent the last several years recording and touring extensively as percussionist and vocalist for Brian Wilson’s touring band, and now the current Beach Boys reunion. On this new album, he works with a stellar cast of musicians including Probyn Gregory and Anny Celsi of The Brian Wilson Band. Unlike 2007’s Day Into Night, Bragg’s compositions are bigger and supported by lusher, richer orchestration. The sound is like a soothing blend of The Byrds, Posies and Dan Fogelberg (with a touch of Beach Boys too). The acapella harmonies usher in “You Could Believe” and we’re treated to a superb jangle filled melody. “What She’s Done To Him” is solid West Coast styled pop with horns accenting each verse. Nelson also covers “Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long” from Brain Wilson’s first solo LP, with a relaxed island feel, dense harmonies in the bridge and horns in the break. The tone of “Steel Derrick 1979” is more along the lines of Gordon Lightfoot and the epic “Let The Cruel World Go” is a piano ballad of the highest order, with a full string accompaniment.
“She Used To Love Me” is my favorite song on the album, with multiple guitar tracks and a sitar lead it recalls latter era Hollies or Beau Brummels. The pastoral twang of “Tyme and Tyde Agree” is another gem of a duet with co-writer Anny Celsi. The Celtic feel of the “Everything I Want To Be” is beautiful, but the instrumentation overshadows the melody here. Overall highly recommended and the production and mastering is done with the audiophile in mind. It’s streaming on his site, so don’t miss this one!
nelsonbragg.com | Amazon
Robin Gibb is gone. His spirit has flown.
Bee Gees member Robin Gibb lost his battle with cancer Sunday at the age of 62. Yeah I was never a disco dude as a boy, but I later appreciated The Bee Gees and what they did accomplish. Like another recently deceased member of the disco era, Donna Summer, the Bee Gees are often remembered as the leaders of a musical “fad” and not great musicians. Its so not true. They were prolific songwriters with harmonies that rivaled The Beach Boys. Even in my “disco hater” days I considered them the masters of the romantic ballad. Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees. Listen to the 1969 album Odessa and you’ll hear what I mean. For the whole enchilada listen to The Ultimate Bee Gees.