I was lucky enough to get a chance to interview Kevin Martin, lead singer/songwriter of Candlebox whose album I reviewed last week. Unfortunately I had audio problems with this one, so I transcribed it on the interview page. Check it out, as Kevin really opens up about his experiences on tour and in the studio.
Gary B & The Notions and Elijah Cross
Gary B & The Notions “How Do We Explode”
A new release from the boisterous Gary B and The Notions is out and its got everything a power pop fan would like; classic pop melodies, angular guitar riffs and defiant vocals. Fans of Superdrag and Weezer will really graviate to this album, especially the raw sweetness of “The Surfin’ Song.”
However my favorite here is the Elvis Costello meets Big Star hooks in “How to Eat A Brick Sandwich.” The blaring fast riffs on “Lyndsy Fonseca” make it an indulgence similar to Lenny Kravitz, but not as memorable. Lots of near-misses (“Back Pain Lozenge”) for every inventive narrative here, like “Too Busy For An Ambulance Ride.” And of course no slower or mid tempo tunes doesn’t help it either, but for only $5 its definitely worth a listen.
Band website | Bandcamp only
Elijah Cross “Flawed Designs” EP
Elijah Cross was born in California, and attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, he caught the attention of Fernando Perdomo (Dreaming In Stereo) who took the lad under his wing. The result is this EP, and it’s a great debut — just listen to the sweet pysche-pop melody of “Let’s” and the Bacharachian beauty of “Disclaimer.” But what is unique here is that you can earn half of Elijah’s album profits!
The EP is only $4, and for every $200 of this music sold – Elijah will give $100 to a random fan (just send in your Bandcamp receipt to enter the drawing). And you can win multiple times! So it’s like buying an EP and a lottery ticket in the same shot! But honestly, the music is worth it all on its own. I would encourage you to support this budding talent!
Josh Flagg “Devastate Me”
My first impression of Josh is a distinct one. If someone did this to John Mayer or Darius Rucker, and told him to grow a pair, I expect he’d sound more like Josh Flagg. The charging chords and bar room shout “Seeing Red” sets the stage for this energetic guitar pop album. Flagg adds the right amount of snarl to “Bring Me Back To Life” and the dueling guitar leads make it an effective single about a love-lorn zombie.
The album pulls no punches and sounds more like Dave Grohl on the title track, with its fast tempo and layered guitars. The clever hooks in the arena ready “256” draw the listener in and can make even a non-power-pop fan take notice, with its rock riffs building to an echoing chorus. Lots to like here without filler and even the slower tunes like “Don’t Wake Me” recall Paul Westerberg’s lonely guitar ballads. And if you’d like some extra power in your pop – it’s there in “Whatever Turns You On.” Josh lists The Posies and Superdrag as main influences here and I can say fans of those bands would be pretty pleased with this album. Multiple listens are also recommended to really appreciate the subtleties on each track. It’s a great debut for your weekend.
Facebook | Amazon
Archie Powell & The Exports and The Gilligans
Archie Powell & The Exports “Great Ideas In Action”
Without missing a beat Archie Powell moves to the next level in the story arc from Skip Work, in the bouncy opener “Metronome” where he opines “Life is A bitch, for me all the folks you know…” Powell has a bit more acid in his lyric and distortion in his riffs this time. “Crazy Pills” and “Shooting Spree” take aim at the lost generation of 20 somethings with rotten job prospects. Fans of early Elvis Costello and Green Day with its roaring, kicking, defiant indie rock will love this.
The album keeps hammering along with loud precision on “I Need Supervision” but by the albums mid-point it starts to get a bit tiresome, although “Job Fair” is a spot on rocker about the frustration of careerism, with fuzz organ and guitars across a driving beat. Without a slower tune to be heard, its best to take this album in small doses, as the punk-pop approach wears thin, otherwise it’s the perfect soundtrack for todays slacker-in-training.
The Gilligans “As Seen On TV”
Once again the fuzz guitar power pop of the Gilligans greet us on As Seen On TV. The collective of guitarists Todd Borsch and Dan Mckenzieis give us alternating tracks of straight guitar pop (“She’s My Thing”) and 60’s influenced psyche-pop (“On TV”).
Plenty of great tracks here, generally harder sounding than the last album, for example “The Girl Has Got You Now” riffs just dominate the melody. Plenty of catchy tunes here, like the Merseybeat “Hold You Tight” and the brilliant mid-tempo “You’re Everything” reminds me of The Hudson Brothers. Many more gems like “Too Many Pills” and the swirling epic “Shadow of Myself” showcase a band at its peak and make this a Gilligans album you can’t miss.
CD Baby | Amazon | Jam Records
Candlebox and Lightships
Candlebox “Love Stories & Other Musings”
Candlebox is a perfect example of popular rock band that doesn’t want to be hemmed into a single rock category. With a platinum-selling debut in 1993, they rode the Seattle grunge bandwagon but the wheels fell off in 2000 with numerous personnel changes. They reformed in 2008 and the band now sounds totally ready for a comeback. Opening with “Youth In Revolt” it’s got a loose feel, and like the Foo Fighters, blasts us with guitars and a heavy hook. My favorite here is next, “Sweet Summertime,” its a great power pop track about the difficulty of touring and being away from your family while on the road.
There are many great songs here from the hard melodic “Lifelike Song” to the sweet power ballad “Baby Love.” Lead singer Kevin Martin still has those trademark howls that work best with Peter Klett’s gritty riffs. They are no longer beholden to grunge, although a faithful re-recording of five past hits are included (in case you forgot them). After listening to the entire album those “hits” are the weakest songs here. If we evaluated the new tracks alone it would stand as the best Candlebox album ever. A great re-introduction to a band that plays genuine melodic rock n’ roll.
Itunes | Amazon
Lightships “Electric Cables”
Gerard Love’s (Teenage Fanclub) new solo outing is a shimmering poppy confection, opening with the lighter-than-air “Two Lines” and the summery warmth of “Muddy Rivers,” it has more in common with Belle & Sebastian than his former band. Backed by Bob Kildea from Belle & Sebastian (surprise!), Tom Crossley from The Pastels, Dave McGowan and Brendan O’Hare from Teenage Fanclub, Love gets to indulge in sweet melodies and lush arrangements that echo and envelope the listener. There is no better example than “Sweetness In Her Spark” with its quivering rhythms and ethereal vocal. The precious centerpiece is “Silver And Gold” – and it’s got some groovy guitar fuzz to go with harmonies worthy of The Association.
While lovely, the thick atmosphere and flute of “The Warmth of The Sun” could also put you to sleep. But there are enough wonderful harmonies like on “Stretching Out” that prevent things from being a total snoozefest and fans of gentle chamber pop and psychedelic daydreaming will find this a perfect album. Others may consider it the musical equivalent of Prozac.
Itunes | Amazon