The Wellingtons and The Bolts

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The Wellingtons “Hey Hey” EP
Once again Aussie Zac Anthony is back with a new The Wellingtons EP. “Devil In A Cardigan” starts us off with a warning about his clingy ex-girlfriend. It’s a pitch perfect song with a dense middle eight, designed to induce goosebumps. It’s easy to keep gushing over a band that made it to #2 in the top ten list last year. But the quality power pop just keeps coming, from the light bouncy “Hey, Hey” and IKE-like heavy guitar riffs of “Under The Power Of A Girl” both full of hooks and ending with “Another Drummer Down,” a casual ballad about losing a drummer to pick on, where he asks “Am I the problem?”  No Zac… not at all, now get a drummer and make another LP.

 

The Bolts “Fall” EP
Irvine, CA band dazzles with its debut EP, a combination of rock and pop that proves you can crank out guitar gems like “Walk Away” along the lines of Extreme and Collective Soul, but still have sunny harmonies on “The Truth” akin to Phantom Planet. Since 2007 the band has been winning local “battle of the bands” competitions, eventually leading them to earn the title of Orange County’s ‘Best Pop Artist’ from the OC Music Awards.

The bands three Farmer brothers (Addam, Heath and Austin) help make those harmonies shine on “This Can’t Be Real” and “We May Fall.” The Bolts have plenty of energy and compare well to The Stokes, Jet and The Killers. By all accounts they are a huge success as evidenced by a ton of commercials using their music. A full length is expected by 2013.

CD Baby | Amazon

Ben Folds Five “The Sound of the Life of The Mind”

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Just when you thought Ben Folds quietly faded away, he roars back with an adult pop album unlike anything he’s done before. The piano melodies and harmonies are still in top form, but those three minute rants like “Brick” are long gone. Closer to The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner, this is the work of a fully mature band. Sure it starts with the rant “Erase Me” but the feeling is more resignation than defiance with its fuzz bass. Some gorgeous musical passages are on “Michael Praytor, Five Years Later” but as a whole it feels too familiar and ultimately doesn’t hook you. Folds still is a master of dramatic choruses, as the title track demonstrates and “On Being Frank” a biographic piano epic of Sinatra’s tour manager, with sweet flourishes after each line.

Like most mature artists, Folds goes for the deep emotion punch and often hits his target, like on “Draw A Crowd” he tells of a has-been musician who knows ““If you can’t draw a crowd, draw dicks on the wall.” The closing tune “Thank You For Breaking My Heart” stands as one of the best BF5 ballads, full of the sentiment that closes a Broadway show. Both drummer Darren Jessee and bassist Robert Sledge help flesh out Folds compositions in each tune, but unlike past efforts there isn’t a melody that lingers in your memory after the last note plays. Still an essential LP for fans and lovers of mature pop.

Amazon | Itunes

Sunchymes and Howl Griff

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The Sunchymes “Let Your Free Flag Fly”
After a good debut LP, Aaron Hemmington has fulfilled his promise of making The Sunchymes album that marries the Wondermints/Curt Boettcher like arrangements to hook filled melodies. The intricate techniques of 60’s sunshine pop are on full display with “Revelations In Her Mind” and the solid hook in “Aquarius Summer” make it sweet ear candy. Most of the album fits stylistically within the genre of British psyche pop and 60’s California sound.

The west coast sounds on “Enchanted Girl” are kissed with harmonies along the lines of Cowsills or the Zombies. Then “Astronomical Clock” mixes Brian Wilson Pet Sounds with a swirling psychedelic mellotron.  This playful ambience is also a big part of “Uncle Alfred’s Slide Show.” Fans of Magical Mystery Tour era Beatles will love “Your Disguise” and Beach Boys fans will enjoy “On A Summer Ride.” Most every track here impresses, and my next suggestion would be to expand his harmonious range, but this is pretty incredible and one of the year’s best retro flavored albums.

CD Baby | Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

 

Howl Griff  “Fragile Diamond”
It’s tough to neatly fit Howl Griff in one genre. The music is a combination of new wave guitar, psychedelic mellotron and classic rock rhythms – with multi-part harmony in English or Welsh. Similar to Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci they have a sound that catches up to you after a few listens. The casual strums and vocals of “Fragile Diamond” is a wonderful sing along and the wicked bassline of “Sharkfins in The Sky” make it another winner.

On occasion a song will overstay its welcome (“You Don’t Have To Leave On Your Own”) but you also have flashes of absolute brilliance, like the epic pop story of “Puppet Operation Time” and the spacey “‘FÜßßBÜKKËR.” You’ll hear the echos of The Kinks on “Runaround” and “She Walks On By The Flame,” and this band is more than the sum of its influences. It’s got what few bands have, a genuine competence in a variety of styles. Bravo.

Band Website | Amazon

Music Film Reviews: Beatles Stories, Live Vibes

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Beatles Stories
Power pop icon Seth Swirsky (The Red Button) got access to a ton of celebrities and musicians about their Beatle memories. As a documentary its very fast paced and full of rare photos and interviews you will not find anywhere else.

From Sir Ben Kingsley to Sir George Martin, Brian Wilson to Brian Skiff, all these people recollecting stories about meeting a Beatle, having lunch with a Beatle, and playing Monopoly with a Beatle (Jackie DeShannon) plus a touching meeting with long time Beatles sound man Norman “Hurricane” Smith (likely his last on camera interview before passing away in 2008). Seths like the investigative reporter here, always giving the spotlight to his subject, and the commentary is really insightful and honest. If you are even a casual Beatle fan this is a “must-buy.”

The Grip Weeds Live Libes
A great companion to the last album Speed of Life, it starts out as a peek behind the scenes with The Grip Weeds. At The House Of Vibes studio in Highland Park, New Jersey, there are interviews with members of the band (Rick Reil, Kurt Reil, Michael Kelly and Kristin Pinell), about the recording process and band history.

But most of the DVD is about the concert performances, live and in the studio. These sound great and are simply shot with a minimum of effects. If you’re not a big fan of the band I’d start with the albums first. However if you’d like the experience of The Grip Weeds playing live in your living room, this film gives you a good idea of the experience.

Buy it at Amazon