Jim Duffy “Mood Lit”
It’s rare that I’ll review an instrumental album. But this one hit my sweet spot – and with Dennis Diken (Smithereens) on the drums, I figured it was worth looking into. Jim Duffy gathered a small jazz combo in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to put this lounge pop confection together. Included are Paul Page (bass) and Lance Doss (guitars) from Ian Hunter’s band. If you enjoy Burt Bacharach or The Vince Guaraldi Trio you will really love this album. The keyboards are where Jim shines on every track here. You’ll hear a bit of a Stevie Wonder styled melody on the tribute “Stevie Says.” Occasionally it takes a detour – “Memento Mori” is one of those songs where the horns take you on a journey, and you don’t miss vocals one bit here. Every song tends to flow in a different direction, so unlike other jazz pop albums I’ve heard it doesn’t get stylistically repetitive. Superior production and mixing work here balances out the players, so no one overshadows the other and the combo plays like a well oiled (organic) machine. Overall a very enjoyable album, and a big cut above your average instrumentals heard in Starbucks. So put down the coffee and enjoy a cocktail with Jim Duffy.

Haxty “Haxty EP”
This is a bittersweet story from Philadelphia. A local band named Panel took a break from touring — but during that vacation the bass player, Greg Haxty was tragically killed in an auto accident. As a result, the band broke up. A few years later the band reconnects and reforms in the studio under the name Haxty. And after this debut, you’ll want to hear more from this band. Opening with the smooth guitar rhythm and a clean vocal of “Bones & Stars” it proves to be a muscular pop single. However, the next track “Signs” is a pure hook filled delight that comes across like a cross between The Rembrandts and REM and is the real keeper here. Another winner is “Revolution Song” with it’s bouncy lead and ascending chorus of “if it feels alright, I don’t mind anymore.” It’s a short 5 track EP, but it gets the point across. And it’s most definitely ipod worthy.

The Luxury are a Boston based band that is lead by the songs of frontman/guitarist Jason Dunn. The Luxury’s sound ranges from epic guitar Britpop (“Getaway Car”) to brass driven pop (“Straitjacket”). The sound is big and slick, like Oasis with a hint of The Police in Dunn’s vocal style. The soaring guitars on “Take It Back” is a whirl of lush pop with some progressive synth stylings. The synths that lead on tracks like “‘Til Your Last Year” are pretty overpowering in spots. The band does have everything here to go to mainstream success, as tracks like “The Mirror Fogs” and “Next In Line” are full of harmonies and driving rhythms not unlike REM. The most Oasis-laden track here is the brilliant “Nothing Comes To Mind” with multi layered guitars and lush chord changes with Dunn’s rich vocals. It’s hard to pin down a weak point on the album, as the band goes all out on the Kinks meets Flaming Lips track “012009.” The mid-tempo track “Sing For The Last Train” does go into familiar Radiohead territory, and although most of this music isn’t strictly power pop it will appeal to fans of high quality alternative rock. The superior production work here is so good, you won’t find yourself skipping many tracks, and like the last Luxury album I reviewed, it could easily become a fan favorite. This is a band just gets better with each release and I would not be surprised if it becomes a sleeper success this year.

Barnett Gurley “Evidence”
Barnett-Gurley are Mike Barnett and Dennis Gurley. These are your basic mid-western Beatles fetishists, with a ton of great songwriting smarts and gentle harmonies. They reminded me a lot of an updated Buffalo Springfield for the new century. Opening up with “Elusive Smile” and “Need A Little Sunshine” the duo is at it’s most Beatlesque. The vocals are eerily reminiscent of Rick Nelson, if he played on The Byrds “Sweetheart Of The Radio.” They actually repeat “She’s a Mystery” with each player doing his own version. “Jingle Jangle” is exactly what you think it is, full of big “ole hooks and harmonica to a Wilbury-like melody. There are hints of Dylan here on “The One Thing” and “A Little At A Time,” sometimes the vocals don’t quite match the quality of the guitar work, but with songs this good it’s easy to forgive. Fans of The Jayhawks, Wilburys and Graham Parsons will love this album and especially if you miss the sound of George Harrison’s slide guitar.

Eureka Machines “Do Or Die”
Based in Leeds, England the band Eureka Machines are a force to be reckoned with. This is power pop with an accent on the power – a sonic assault that is as hard as barbed wire and sticky as glue. Opening with “Scream Eureka” it bathes us in a Queen-like harmony-filled intro and then knock your socks off faster than Supergrass. If someone decided that Queens of The Stone Age needed to sound more like the Beatles, well you got your wish on “Being Good Is Okay, But Being Bad Is Better.” The combo of buzz saw guitars and melodies are the best I’ve heard since Extreme. The piano intro and cascading chorus on “Red Wine Smile” effortlessly splices rock and pop into a memorable epic track. The bombast of “Everyone Loves You” gets a little cliche, but “Going Down” is the most Supergrass-like, hook filled and sweet here. Lead singer Chris Catalyst used to run Sisters of Mercy, so the operatic metal atmosphere and his somber vocals are best remembered on “She Sings To Me.” By the albums end we are treated to a stunning theatrical finale in “The Light At The End of The Tunnel.” This is a head bangers pop album that you can play with the windows down. Get a FREE mp3 track of this videos song here.