Paranoid Lovesick “Tuxedo Avenue Breakdown”
A local Detroit band with an interesting story, lead by guitarist Rick McBrien and Bill Stone who burst on the scene and this album is a culmination of tracks from a debut EP with additional unreleased material. The band was typical of mid 90’s power pop, and fans of Teenage Fanclub or Cockeyed Ghost will be brought back to that period. The first proper album Suburban Pop Allegro has all these hallmarks: tight harmonies, hard guitar riffs and youthful energy. This is continued in Tuxedo Avenue Breakdown, excellent tracks include the tribute based “Big Star,” gorgeous harmony with Lisa Mychols on “Orbit” and solid arrangement of “Marginalia.” The Beatlesque “Don’t Go Away” shows the band’s softer Abby Road side, and fans of Moe Berg (TPOH) will enjoy the solid rythyms of “Starcrossed.” All of these 19 tracks sparkle with ambitious enthusiasm. McBrien died suddenly in 2003 and these 2 albums stand as great examples of the genre and a fitting tribute. The best power pop re-issue of the year. period.

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The June Gloom “Wonderland”
The June Gloom are an indie-pop group formed by Cameron Purvis and PD Bennett (co-founders of the Calgary rock collective Wax Poets and prog-pop band The Spartans).  Wonderland is a rock album with a touches of blues and country, similar to Old 97’s (it’s no wonder they toured together at one point). “Believe” is a pop-rock mid tempo number lead by a sharp guitar riff. “Cabrini-Green” is a blues influenced rocker with a Pink Floyd “Money” baseline that has a snarling power between verses. My favorites here are the catchy “Omaha” with it’s sing along rhythm (supply your own hand-claps) and the poignant piano lead “Everything Is Grey” draws you into Purvis’ narrative. The bouncy alt-country “County Song” and “Famous” has Purvis at his most Wilco-like, with full twang and a strong beat. Showcasing both styles perfectly I haven’t found a bad track here, and it will encourage me to investigate The June Gloom’s previous releases.

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Richard Barone is one of pop’s unsung heroes, leader of the cult band The Bongos in the 80’s and a master of song-craft in his later solo work. If you want a good overview of his past work, you can download “Collection: An Embarassment Of Richard.” Now he has collaborated with famed producer Tony Visconti (T. Rex, David Bowie) on his first album in over 16 years. “Glow” is a many layered contemporary adult pop album. It starts with the captivating “Gravity’s Pull,” with Richard’s trademark lighter-than-air vocal and a compelling hook. This is followed with the smart orchestral pop of “Glow” a magical melody driven by a chiming guitar and uplifting lyrics, similar to George Harrison’s latter work.

The album includes a unique cover of T.Rex’s “Girl” and the true story of a lesbian’s life in “Odd Girl Out” co-written with Jill Sobule. A collaboration with veteran songwriter Paul Williams (“Silence Is Our Song”) seems a rare misfire here, as Richard’s vocal don’t fit that well. Other tracks are sprawling rockers (“Sanctified”) or hypnotic synth melodies (“Yet Another Midnight”). The production gloss is thick on most tracks, but underneath all the fancy vintage synths, digital Les Paul guitar riffs, and elaborate string arrangements is Richard’s solid songwriting. Welcome back, Mr. Barone!

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