The great Eric Woolfson has passed away on Dec.2 from cancer. Eric was the creator and writer (and often lead singer) of the ten Alan Parsons Project albums. Since then, he has written five stage musicals (Dancing Shadows, POE, Gambler, Gaudi and Freudiana) which have been performed world-wide. A quick bio is here. His talent continued way beyond the heyday of APP. Hear the genius that was released this past April.
The Tripwires and Clare & The Reasons
The Tripwires “House To House”
Ex-Model Rockets leader and Minus 5 guitarist, John Ramberg leads an all-star trio of Seattle veterans including Mark Pickerel (Screaming Trees) and Jim Sangster (Young Fresh Fellows). The Tripwires latest is a clinic in classic guitar rhythms and first class hooks. It’s deceptively easy to listen to and enjoy from the opening riffs of “Drawing A Blank” and not get caught up in the chorus. “Something In A Friday Night” has a bit more of those fast paced beats and pub rock guitar solos that made Seattle a music mecca. There is more than a bit of Rockpile in the mid-tempo ballad “Another Planet Now” and my favorite here, “Ned Beatty’s In Love” full of great bass lines, hand claps and solid harmonies. Fans of early 80’s new wave (Elvis Costello, Squeeze) will appreciate the song composition of “Look At It This Way” and the incredible lyrical honesty in the slower paced “Soundalike.” They even go Ramones meets Dave Edmunds on the last track “Dismantled.” It’s one of those albums that makes time fly – and then you’ll just want to hit repeat on your player. Honestly, every single track is a winner here and essential listening for the power pop fan.
Clare & The Reasons “Arrow”
Brooklyn’s own Clare & The Reasons had a strong melodic streak on 2007’s The Movie. The combination of Clare Muldaur’s sweet vocal and the light breezy chamber pop make for a charming twee pop confection. Opening to the plucking strings of “All The Wine” is a good lead in to the album’s highlight “Ooh You Hurt Me So.” The Beatlesque touches and ethereal chorus here are just gorgeous. It winds down with a casual whistle and Clare’s vocal coos. More highlights here are “Mellifera” in which a guitar is needed to really bring the song to life. “This is the Story” starts deliberately slow, and then builds with a lush full orchestral texture. But some songs are so numbingly without hooks (“Our Team Is Grand,”) they fade into the wallpaper. The orchestral touches mixed with electronic loops resemble Stereolab on “Murder They Want Murder” are so light and repetitive it could easily lull you to sleep. A horn version of Genesis’ “That’s All” fails to excite and even the last track “Wake Up (You Sleepy Head)” does the opposite of what it’s supposed to do. The albums highlights are definitely worth investigating, the rest of the tunes however make a good auditory sedative. But maybe I’m too critical here, after all the arrangements are exquisite and Clare has one of the sweetest female vocals I’ve ever heard.
MySpace | Amazon
OK GO’s Tim Nordwind. The Powerpopaholic Interview
Behind the paisley outfits and innovative YouTube videos (with literally over 10 million hits for “Here It Goes Again”) this is a band that has made some of the catchiest pop music around. Ok Go have a strong connection with their fans, and after a long tour last year, settled into the studio to produce a new album. “Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky” is on track to release January 12th on Capitol Records. I spoke with bass player and vocalist Tim Nordwind and we get into details on how this album is different – you can see the video for WTF? here. And we’ve also a few extra things – you can see Tim’s most embarrassing moment during the Silversun Pickups concert or you can play a drinking game with this interview – anytime Tim says “like” you drink. Guaranteed drunkenness. You can listen here to the entire interview streaming
(18 minutes).
Minster Hill "Capturing Clouds in A Bottle"
Another long awaited return comes from musician Howard Herrick, who’s New Jersey band Minster Hill just released their sophomore album. The album really moves away from the pastoral XTC and Supertramp-like touch points into a more commercial pop sound. The opening track “Everything” is a glossy, yet melodic tune about a significant other who holds a grudge. For those missing the wry lyric and cool chord progressions, “Harder than Hard” will please fans of the debut, it actually reminds me a little of Bourgeois Tagg. Many songs are inspired by Howard’s experience on the west coast doing the My One and Only film soundtrack. “It’s Beyond Me” is a guitar filled rant about some one who fails to keep commitments and blows thing off. Similarly “Beg You Back” is full of strong guitar riffs with a strong vocal by Herrick. “Outerbody” and “Feeling Lonely” are fast moving rock and roll songs, however the lyrics seem to lend themselves more to ballads. And there are none here. “Help Me” is has a decent hook and goes through the story how he motivates himself to keep going on. So as I mentioned, fans of ringing guitar will find a lot to like, although many songs sounded too similar and tend to blend together. Thankfully, “Waiting For The Perfect Day” has some nice free form guitar breaks in a more psychedelic composition. For fans of adult oriented rock it’s definitely worth a listen.
CD Baby | MySpace | Not Lame | Kool Kast Musik
Review Disclosure
The Orange Peels "2020"
It’s been about four years since Allen Clapp and his band The Orange Peels made a new record, but it’s a welcome return after label hopping lately. The album really is a look into the future by looking back over the past, through sharp guitars, lush melodies and strong rhythms that drive each track. The opening track “We’re Gonna Make It” is full of driving drums and indie pop guitar strums that offers hope for these trying times. Next, “Seaside Holiday” is a shimmering piano track that is almost straining to be positive. Good thing we get less glossy on “Shining Like Stars” with a great distorted guitar lead that approaches greatness here, it’s my favorite track. Piano pop is always a treat, and with “Birds of A Feather” it comes with hand-claps and harmonies. The Sgt. Pepper-like “Emily Has Told Me Why” is another highlight here that floats on air with layers of guitars and dense orchestral backdrop. If you are looking for power pop that visibly shines with west coast sunshine, look no further. Clapp has a stable of veterans assisting here: Oed Ronne (The Ocean Blue) on lead guitars, electric sitar and vibes, Jill Pries on bass guitars, Bob Vickers (The Incredible Vickers Bros.) on drums and John Moremen (the Roy Loney Band) on guitars. Add to this the meticulous studio work and it’s all worth the effort here.
My Space | Orange Peels site | Aimee St | Amazon
Review Disclosure