Today is exactly one year since the passing of music icon Alex Chilton. In the works is a full feature-length documentary about the massive critical acclaim, dismal commercial failure, and enduring legacy of pop music’s greatest cult phenomeon, Big Star. Produced and directed by Drew Denicola and Danielle McCarthy. More info on the movie here.
Last year when I interviewed Ken Stringfellow, we both had no idea it would be Big Star’s final show.
Jim Bianco “Loudmouth”
With St. Patrick’s Day almost here, I’ve got a brilliant drinking song for you. If “Sinners” doesn’t get the bar singing along, nothing will. Bianco has that great Tom Waits meets Peter Gabriel whiskey soaked croon. On “Talented” it’s almost a gospel number with it’s slow majestic chords and honest biting lyric. The stripped down Stones like blues of “But I Still Want You” charms quickly. The anthemic “OK, I Suppose” shows a deep understanding of human pathos on a gut level. It’s not all slow tempo stuff either, as “Take You Home” is a bouncy pop gem. Bianco’s wry approach will appeal to fans of both Bob Seger and Randy Newman. Amazingly, this release was funded by his rabid fans. Some advance copies are under $3 on Amazon, this is the best value a music fan can ask for. Otherwise wait til official release on April 5th.
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Beady Eye “Different Gear, Still Speeding”
And life after Oasis moves on, in the form of Liam Gallager’s new band Beady Eye. Liam’s signature vocal and sliky smooth riffs permeate every track, notably the Lennon-like “The Roller” and obvious tribute “Beatles and Stones” which is a rant about how he’ll play the way he wants, damn the trend. Well if classic rock and blues is what he serves up, then I’m all in here. Excellent tunes include the Creedence-like guitar riffs on “Wind Up Dream” and mod rhythm of “Millionaire.”
This nothing less than a rebirth and clearly Liam has found his mojo as most songs here hit the mark perfectly. Even psychedelic ballads like “The Morning Son” shows a new maturity and the amount of gems here land it in my top ten list. And if this is what it takes to bring Brit pop to a new generation of listeners, so be it.
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John Brodeur “Tiger Pop Ten”
Everything old is new again with NYC musician John Brodeur. The critically praised debut ‘Tiger Pop’ from 2001 gets a 10th anniversary re-issue with a newly recorded version as a second disc. This new recording proves that Brodeur’s seminal work retains it’s stopping power. The songs like “Dying For Me” have a fleshed out rhythm and mature quality that those original four-track recordings lack. And the melodic power of tracks like “Remains of The Heart” and “Sucker” sound even better here as John is joined by a host of veteran musicians. An exclusive track “Masterpiece” is added to this 2 disc set. With the original CD long out of print, this is a welcome gift for power pop fans.
George Michael “Faith”
Everyone thinks they know George Michael. The iconic album ‘Faith’ is being re-mastered with an entire disc full of bonus tracks. This Grammy winner includes all the amazing hits (“Faith,” “Father Figure” and “Monkey”) that represents Michael’s peak as a commercial force. My long time favorite, the pristine croon of “Kissing A Fool” is joined here by covers of Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)” and “Love’s In Need of Love Today (Live).” Michael was one of the artists that defined the 80’s, and despite the tabloid history his talent is unquestionable.
Mimi Betinis “All That Glitters”
As the driving force behind Chicago’s pioneering power-pop group, Pezband in the 70’s – Mimi Betinis offers up his first solo album. “All That Glitters” features classic guitar heavy gems like the opener “Love Is Just A Thin Veneer.” Betinis sounds great and his rhythms and structures are more eclectic and fine tuned than ever.
“Come On Down To My House” is a funky rock treat that almost flirts with hip hop.The production is very dense and layered with multiple guitar lines and beats. Stylistically it goes everywhere as “Blue Sky” has a catchy melody complemented by Chuck Soumar and Dave Stalhberg’s horn bursts. Another winner is the Beatlesque “Romance Me” with Rickenbacker licks and poetic lyrics. It gets a bit difficult to keep the pace past the album’s second half, although the Lennon-like “What’s Your Name” is welcoming diversion. Fans of classic rock and Pezband will want this one for sure.
The Test Dream “Shades Of Love”
I reviewed the debut of this Long Island band not so long ago. Lead vocalist Ryan Colt Levy is a bit more understated here on “My Reflection.” The song has the same compelling mix of hooks and slick production that made the debut impressive. “Comeundone” has some nice harmonies here, but the melody is fleeting. The band shifts gears on the overly commercial “Open Wide” and it almost turns into easy listening, but lucky for us things improve with “Oil & Wine” and “Father Time” where the layered melodies work better with the instrumental parts. You’ll hear influences from Maroon 5 to Jellyfish in spots, and most power pop fans will appreciate the nice guitar break on “Game Over.” The album is consistently good but nothing blew me away. Overall its a mature effort by a talented band that continues to grow.
All you need to know about the Geniune Fakes is this quote: “The Genuine Fakes are proof of Sweden’s seemingly inexhaustible font of pop genius. Hitting all the right marks, they walk you thru the major required classes in the school of pop – Ken Stringfellow (The Posies)“ Johan Bergqvist formed the band in Södermalm (part of Stockholm) with like-minded musicians. They start the album with their own theme song! It reminded me of the much loved band, The Merrymakers with it’s optimistic “Have you heard, there’s a brand new band in town!”
The bright shiny tone continues on “The Promise” and fans of Swedish pop will be thrilled by the loud melodic chords and big harmonies. “Something New” and “When Reality Hits You” have classic power pop structures and incredibly catchy choruses. The production is very Jellyfish-like, polished and worth many repeat listens. Although the compositions suffer from a lack of variety in the albums middle, they still manage to belt it out with plenty of thematic energy. Johan even managed to redo the Beyoncé ballad, “Irreplaceable” and make it a power pop song as well. However, the album could have used a ballad as the bombast here might wear down the average listener. That mentioned this is a superior power pop album, that easily gets a Top Ten nomination for 2011. Kool Kat is offering an additional 5-track bonus disc when you order here.