Bill DeMain and Ben Kweller

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Bill DeMain “Extended Stay” EP
Nashville songwriter Bill DeMain has written for an impressive array of musicians (Marshall Crenshaw, David Mead, Bleu, Kim Richey, and Farrah) but now he goes solo. However he lost his home during the May 2010 flood, and months later a second home was burned to the ground by a stray cigarette butt. That led to a transient existence, and he wrote a lot of music in that time.

The autobiographical “Looking For A Place To Live” starts out with its acoustic strum and sad tale. Next is the Paul Simon meets Beach Boys romp of “St. Joe’s ’75” as it looks back at his Catholic School years. “In Your Letter” is a Gershwin styled piano ballad, and the McCartneyeque “Honeylove” is another tender musical treat. Rounded out by the Billy Joel influenced “Common Love Song” and soft shoe shuffle of the bittersweet “Raggedy Man” there is no flaw here, other than it’s simply too short. My favorite EP this year! Please Bill can I have some more?

Ben Kweller “Go Fly A Kite”
Ben Kweller been a dependable artist on the power pop front—and after getting his Ryan Adams styled country mojo out on his last album Changing Horses, it’s nice to find Ben going back to his pop rock roots (for a few tracks).

Kweller’s songwriting has always been quality whether he’s doing garage rock, folk, or country. And just to prove it to those who doubt his power pop cred, he opens with “Mean To Me” where he states “Don’t regret anything I ever did, because I always knew where I was coming from…”  to a kick-ass guitar riff and defiant chord progression. The remaining parts of the album aren’t as rockin’ but they’re still darn good. “Out The Door” is an impressive Wilco-styled bit of country pop that is easily the catchiest thing on the album. Leaning on influences as varied as Dylan, Tom Petty and The Eagles. “Free” is a good tune that recalls Joe Walsh, and “Full Circle” has a easy bounce and playful piano melody.

Kweller gives us one more rocker,“Time Will Save The Day” that compares well with Weezer or The Lemonheads – and its like a breath of fresh air after all that steel pedal twang throughout the rest of the album. It ends with wonderful strumming anthem, “You Can Count On Me.” No clunkers here, but the remaining tracks don’t stand out as much. A lively and cheerful return to form.

benkweller.com | Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

So long Davy, we’ll miss you.

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Monkees singer Davy Jones has died after suffering a heart attack. He was 66. Martin County Florida’s District 19 Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the news, first reported by TMZ. Jones joined the Monkees in 1965 along with Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork. Their hits include “I’m a Believer,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “Daydream Believer,” and “Last Train to Clarksville.”

Jones has always been the boyish “McCartney” type of the group and lead singer for one of the best bands ever. It’s tough to put words together for this post. I think I’ll just listen to some Monkees for the rest of the day and marvel at what he has accomplished.

Minky Starshine and Ken Simpson

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Minky Starshine “Womanity”
Boston based Minky Starshine returns with bounce and swagger sure to please power pop fans. Opening with the Posies-like “Hard Times” it’s got both handicapping goodness and sweet harmonies with a Queen-like guitar solo. Next, “Heaven Sent” is an uplifting and romantic ballad, and it sets us up for the perfect riffage from the bass driven “Cinematic Mojo,” a sure-fire hit single.

“Straight Hip” is another good example of what makes Minky stand out, a solid vocal performance with great musicianship and a bouncy beat. More standard catchy songs like “What I Want” are followed by deep emotional appeals like “Bottle With The Blues.” The latter track, mixes those steady backing harmonies with a sliding bass and slow country beat. It quickly bounces the mood back on “Make You Mine” with some nice horns added to the chorus. No filler on this album, everything here is sure to win over new listeners ready to jump on the Minky Starshine bandwagon.

CD Baby  | Amazon

Ken Simpson “You’re No Fun Anymore”
With the help of David Mead (who also produced the album), Ethan Eubanks and “Rutling” Ken Thornton, vocalist Ken Simpson gives us a Beatlesque treat. Firstly we hear “The Poisoner’s Song” it resembles Lennon or maybe Neil Innes with “Strawberry Fields” styled orchestration. The distinctive Harrison-like slide guitar opens “He’s Not Looking” as it bounces along on a catchy melody line, it’s one of the best songs here. “Feeling So Much Better” also gets the point across as Simpson intones “It’s not easy to be growing old this way…” and the chorus puts a hopeful spin on things. Unfortunately even though next few tunes are very pleasant, the hooks aren’t really there to compel repeat listens. The lyrics continue to be ruminations of mundane middle age feelings (“I Guess I Never Told You” and “Perfect Day”). While the title may conjure up that old Monty Python sketch — this short album is quite fun most of the time.

CD Baby | Amazon

Saturday Night at the Movies: Power-Pop-A-Licious (2011)

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For all you newbies out there, ever wonder what its really like at a Power Pop concert? Well the King of Power Pop, Paul Collins (The Beat) helped put together the two day “Power-Pop-A-Licious” Festival in Asbury Park, NJ. Filmed by Derek Davidson, it chronicles a celebration of wild rock and punk pop with a pile of bands, including favorites Kurt Baker, The Above and many more. Enjoy the show!