Rich McCulley is the type of musician who doesn’t try to dress up his rock & roll with fancy tricks. He is a roots-country rocker who writes songs that deal with the traditional themes of love and loss. My new review of his album “Starting All Over Again” is posted over at Virgin.com.
Behold Genesis at the peak of it’s musical powers – the band ruled the worlds of progressive pop and rock for most of the early eighties. Those opening synth chords sent shivers through your spine in jr. high school. The band was one of the last great supergroups, and every member had success in their later solo careers; especially Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. BTW, Hulu is posting a bunch of the bands vids – so check’em out. Congrats to Genesis for making the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today!
The Slingsby Hornets “Something Old…Something New…”
Jon Paul Allen returns and he hasn’t lost any of his mojo, as the Brian May inspired guitar licks on “Stoned Houses No.1 / Elevator” rip through the speakers. “Gettin’ Better” is a 70’s styled rock glamfest that has a lot in common with the recently released Vinyl Candy. The Slingsby Hornets trot out a few really obscure covers, (“Pinball,” “Gonna Make You A Star”) and perform them so well you wouldn’t know they aren’t originals. He adds a bit of psychedelic rhythm to the guitars on “She’s The One” and “Are Friends Electric?” sure to please fans of The Pillbugs. Some interesting effects are all over “Miles Away” which feels like a Andrew Gold-Brian Wilson collaboration. Another gem is “Glass Of Champagne” with it’s steady beat, “oh yeah” harmonic chorus and divine guitar riffs — it’s one of my favorites here. He kind of goes overboard on the faux-James Bond movie theme “The Devil May Care,” but overall this is Allen’s strongest album to date, full of great melodies, awesome musicianship and careful studio production. Fans of classic rock influences shouldn’t miss this one.
Josh Ketchen & The 1,000’s “We Don’t Belong Here”
Boston based Josh Ketchen is a singer songerwriter that builds songs with a unique sound that falls somewhere between Paul Simon and Ian McCulloch. The farfisa organ opens up “We Don’t Belong Here” and it’s clear Josh is a good story teller. His crooning style took me a few listens to get used to, but the catchy melodies and beats win you over. “Earl Grey” is a detailed and compelling story of a long term relationship. The musical themes take small details from the early ’60’s Beach Boys and Belle and Sebastian, as evidenced by the echoing “Riverside” with it’s Spector-like orchestration. Occasionally it gets a bit pretentious (“Another Term For Love”) but often it’s very honest and hits the right balance of melancholy and whimsy. “Dream” is a sad/hilarious portrait of a washed up rocker, as Josh wails “What do rock stars dream when their heads aren’t filled with amphetamines?” Almost every track has a memorable arrangement and keeps things moving along, and the bouncy “Say So” is a real pop treat. Some songs lean more folk than pop, and fans of Camera Obscura, Stereolab and Robyn Hitchcock may also find this a totally enjoyable album. This is a small debut that grows on you like moss and will remain planted in your memory.
The Tangerines “In Season”
Those missing Swedish power pop need not fear, The Tangerines have returned to lighten things up. Starting with “You’d Better Stop” it shimmers with jangley 12-string guitars and high harmonies that fans of Cloud Eleven, The Beatles, and The Byrds have come to love. The vintage pop compositions all hit the right sweet spots and the arrangements are gentle and welcoming. With 16 tracks you could run into jangle overload here, but each song is carefully constructed and Per Tolgraven and Håkan Eriksson take care not to repeat themselves. There are even echoes of The Hudson Brothers on the harmonic interplay with “New Sensation.” The more aggressive songs resemble The Raspberries, beginning with the piano lead “Seeing Someone.” The chords and melody are what’s important here, highlights include “Hey Hey Michelle,” “Get Out,” and “The Beat Goes On.” Not everything is as memorable, but there are no weak songs here and the band’s clean production gives everything that extra polish. This CD shouldn’t be missed, and even though it came out last year (in Sweden) I will include it in my top ten for this year.
My Space | CD Baby | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik
The Easy Outs “s/t”
East Coast music veteran Bruce Ferguson (Captain Sensible, The Damned) have put together this debut with Bobby Kennedy (guitar), Bernie Branz (drums) and Gage Rowley (bass). The Easy Outs have mined the classic three chord rock sound that lends comparisons to Thin Lizzy, The Buzzocks and The Ramnones. Opening with the gritty “Little Miss Innocent,” it’s perfect rock and roll for a Saturday night. The old school punks throw a welcoming shout to today’s generation in “Emo Boy” along with the screaming guitar riffs. Other tracks use the same forumla with varied degrees of success, but “I Ain’t Got Nothin’” and “I Walk Alone” stand out as the best of the bunch. “Sweet Revenge” has a catchy chorus and great riffs, but the harmonies here are a bit rough. Fans of old school power pop are also sure to dig this album, along with anyone who grew up with Kiss or Joan Jett on your turntable.
Locksley features brothers Jesse and Jordan Laz (rhythm guitar and bass respectively), Kai Kennedy(lead guitar) and Sam Bair(drums). 2008’s “Don’t Make Me Wait” was a triumph of rock and pop and burst them through the national consciousness. Locksley tries their best to get the feeling of a live show across on “Be In Love.” Starting with “Love You Too” it bounces along with gritty guitar chords and shouting choruses, it all plays with an infectious exuberance that cannot be denied. The Brit-pop guitar lines “One More Minute” and “Days of Youth” are pretty catchy diversions with easy to follow melodies. The album sags a bit with the next few tracks, although the writing on “21st Century” paints a vivid picture of a “a rebel in a three-piece suit /Two inches higher in his Beatle boots.” A favorite here has to be the early single “The Whip” which is tailor made for a sports anthem along the lines of Garry Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Part 2.” The Kinks garage-style on “Down for Too Long” is another gem that will get you caught up in the air guitar spirit. The band stumbles on a few tracks, but thankfully there is enough here to keep you interested. Kinks legend, Ray Davies himself commented “I got to know the guys in Locksley last year when they served as my backing band for my U.S. tour. I just heard their forthcoming album “Be In Love” and I was reminded why I loved these guys in the first place.” Overall, the album isn’t that deep, but it’s lots of fun to listen and sing along to.
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