No more weather-related puns. Just great new music. DB Edmunds is a welcome sight after all this time. As a member of power pop greats The Gladhands and The Stars Explode, he’s back with a solo effort that sounds excellent. UK band It’s Karma It’s Cool has a new single out with the help of Peter Holsapple(dB’s. R.E.M. and Hootie & The Blowfish). Another notable collaboration is Natalie Sweet and Brad Marino (The Connection), the first single has Sweet singing the rocker “Second Time.” And yet another pairing with Michigan indie pop veterans Tom Curless and Chip Saam combine to form Crossword Smiles, they sing “Parallel Lines” in advance of their new album. And power pop band Vanilla decides to go full disco for its upcoming ‘77′ album, with the teaser “Ka-Bang!” sung by Ava Adams. I randomly came across Freya Josephine Hollick, and her tune ‘Me & Mine’ is for all the misfits, the ousted, those who live on the fringes of society trying to make ends meet, and finally a video from an eclectic group called Electric Lecture. The band is the brainchild of Greg Ansin, Bronson Taalbi, and Anthony J Resta, and the band is influenced by XTC, Tom Petty, and Beck. Can’t wait to hear more from them!
Tag: Brad Marino
Winter Singles, Freebies & EPs: The Nobility, Whelligan, Brad Marino, Rigbi, Bloody Norah, Ryan Allen, Jay Byham, You’re Among Friends, Rum Bar Records
I waited long enough to restart all my singles reviews, so now it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff. Nashville’s The Nobility has been leaking singles for nearly a year, so we have the newest share with “No Doubts” bringing to mind a western-themed 10cc, and London’s Whelligan and their single “In Our Name” is full of orchestral majesty and it also merits further study. Brad Marino fresh off his great 2021 LP, is back to banging out great power pop with “Girl, I Want You.” More appropriate to this bleak winter landscape is Rigbi’s emotional “I’m a Mess In Winter” as the sparse beginning opens up to a rich arrangement. Bloody Norah has a great reverb rock sound with harmonies on its single “Shooting Star,” so keep your eyes out for more, like the single “Joy.” Bloody damn good too.
As for EPs, the reliable Ryan Allen moves to a retro power-pop sound for I’m Not Mean, full of echoing vocals, and layered guitars; check out “Count With Me,” and the excellent “Cut Your Teeth.” Jay Byham is a Pennsylvania-based singer-songwriter with a bouncy acoustic “Tick Tock,” classic rocker “Just A Matter of Time,” and the gentle ballad “The Only One,” it’s a solid debut that deserves many repeats on your player. As for Freebies; Cleveland, Ohio’s You’re Among Friends take a very laid back approach on this new release, “Here in the Middle of the Pack” is like a stoner Spin Doctors tune and the melodic funk of “You Know What You Want” will appeal to NRBQ fans. Rum Bar Records has a loaded sampler as a Freebie too, get a ton of bang for your buck and you’ll discover a rocker or two.
Singles
EPs and Freebies
Brad Marino and Ramirez Exposure
Brad Marino “Looking For Trouble”
It took a few years for Brad to find his “groove” but he’s effectively taken the mantle of his old band The Connection, and made it his own. After a cautious debut, his former bandmate Geoff Palmer came out swinging with a louder, faster, punkier LP in 2019, Brad has effectively and literally “evened the score” with this album. Everything you ever loved about The Connection is on display and it’s got plenty of hooks, crushing riffs, and a variety of styles.
The bluesy guitar riffs open up “Even The Score” as Brad takes his “troubles in stride” and is “taking on the haters and trolls.” Even better is “Taillights Fade,” the catchy verse-chorus combo will stick in your head for days, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing along. Title track “Looking for Trouble” is another winner that has just the right amount of twang as it recalls The Georgia Satellites. Marino also doesn’t take himself too seriously as “Local Show” is a funny look at small venue shows (“which means nobody will go”) and I have personally heard that cheap nerd narrative in the last half of the song. The instrumental “Tripwire” is a nice tribute to guitar gods Duane Eddy and Dick Dale. Overall, there is not a false note here, every track rocks! This album is a contender for my top ten in 2021 for sure. Highly Recommended.
Ramirez Exposure “Exit Times”
Víctor Ramírez better known by his stage name Ramírez Exposure, is a Valencia, Spain- based, DIY pop singer/songwriter. Victor’s influences are rooted in the sixties, but he’s not a retro artist. Exit Times has plenty of hook-laden themes displayed throughout. His sound is somewhere between David Brookings and Secret Friend.
Victor’s double-tracked vocals are distinct on the richly detailed opener “Bridges and Roads.” Next, the title track layers two guitar rhythms and drums together as Victor imagines white sand beaches just beyond the Pandemic timeline, but the best track here is “The Rituals” a love song that bounces along to an infectious call-and-response chorus. Next, things mellow a bit as the next several tracks have a dream-like thematic quality, and “Dalingeria” is another standout here. The end single “Dysfunctional Girl” feels like a bonus track, with a sweet guitar riff to send us off. It’s a grower that demands repeat listens with headphones. Highly Recommended.
Amazon Singles: Dysfunctional Girl | Exit Times | The Rituals
EP and Singles Potpourri: Sandy McKnight, Beebe Gallini, Brad Marino, Vanilla, Jon Klages, Barton Hartshorn
Sandy McKnight‘s follow-up to last year’s San Fernando Beat EP continues his string of “shoulda-been” hit songs with Fernando Perdomo. If you’re looking for DIY rock and roll, look no further than Beebe Gallini and Brad Marino. Beebe’s got a rough garage sound, but it’s chock full of hooks, and Brad’s sound is vintage gold, similar to The Rolling Stones. Going back in time further, Vanilla ’66 is an instrumental album for a 1960’s movie that never existed, retro pop fans can bask in the fluorescent glow of nostalgia. Will there be another Austin Powers movie? We got the soundtrack.
Jon Klages new single “1133 Ave. of the Americas (For Enoch Light),” is a subtle jazzy tribute to his grandfather, akin to Harry Nilsson in its brilliant simplicity and a great mood setter. UK artist Barton Hartshorn has a new single, “Listen For A Change,” and it recalls Prefab Sprout and early Style Council. Very nice.
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Freebies and EPs: The Turnback, Nick Lowe, Brad Marino, Brian Mello, You’re Among Friends, Nick Bertling, Portable Radio, The Amplifier Heads
The Turnback had these three songs recently re-mastered by Grammy® Award-Winning mastering engineer Brian “Big Bass” Gardner (Foo Fighters, RUSH, Eminem, David Bowie, Cheap Trick). They are a FREE download and the band just asks for you to give a tip to the next essential worker you come in contact with (grocery clerk, fast-food worker, etc.). Now is the time we all need to be there for each other and PLAY IT FORWARD!
The masterful Nick Lowe returns with another EP, delivering pleasing pop gems in a timeless fashion.
Brad Marino (The Connection) is back in fine form with “False Alarm” and “At Night.” Guitar pop the way it should be, plus a cover of the Hoodoo Gurus classic, “What’s My Scene?” Get it at Kool Kat Musik
Brian Mello, the guitarist with The Morning Line, has a very unique EP out. It starts out like a spacey Western with “Landscape With Ruins” and stays kind of mellow until the riff-heavy gem “Adios.” A real grower here, so check it out.
You’re Among Friends, plays out like a fun jam in someone’s basement studio. Love the funk melody on “Once the Toothpaste is Out of the Tube.” More terrific casual rock, like “Just Keep Being Nice” make this a great FREE album to chill with.
Nick Bertling heads out to the audio twilight zone and gives us a personal work that seems to channel Todd Rundgren. Love those harmonies on “Perhaps” and the retro synth on “Mall Dreams ’87.” Another grower you need to live with.
Manchester UK pop band Portable Radio has a neat retro style and great harmonies. “Great In The Sun” and “Flight Home” remind me of the Cowsills.
JUST IN! Boston’s The Amplifier Heads are led by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Sal Baglio (The Stompers). This is a real treat, as he channels mid-period XTC. Fans of similar bands (like The Sun Sawed In Half) will LOVE this.