Tag: It’s Karma It’s Cool

Halloween Treats: Dolph Chaney, Vista Blue, Chris Church, Nolan Potter, Brilliant Mistakes, It’s Karma It’s Cool, The Sunchymes, Roller Disco Combo, Robbie Rist, Nick Piunti

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Scary to think October is almost over, but we’ve got you covered with great power pop. Dolph Chaney has a fun party vibe on his new single “This Halloween,” as he ends a toxic relationship. Vista Blue reliably combines Beach Boys and The Ramones on its annual Halloween EP, and Chris Church rocks with his Triple Play Single, featuring a track from each of his three LPs. Texas musician Nolan Potter gives us a frighteningly good EP, that channels Todd Rundgren, King Crimson, and more – check out “Holy Scroller.” Overall great prog-rock throughout. The Brilliant Mistakes brings us back home with “The Stories We Tell” and Its Karma It’s Cool is back with an advanced single “She Slept With The Radio On” – and I do that each weekend. The Sunchymes tap the late 60s retro vibe at “Station X” and Roller Disco Combo from Spain is nothing like their name, but they are great power pop, check out the rich “Indonesian Breakfast” and jangling “Dear Mean.” Finally, Ballzy Tomorrow (aka Robbie Rist) covers a great Todd Rundgren tune (it’s a freebie too!) and the always reliable Nick Piunti made a sweet single this past August, and it still sounds great. Happy Halloween!










September Singles: Ward White, Kurt Baker, It’s Karma It’s Cool, Death Party Playground, Bryan Estepa, Mom, The Well Wishers

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With the fall comes a brand-new premiere single “Dirty Clouds” from LA crooner Ward White, from his upcoming album The Tender Age. The gentle chords give way to space-themed resignation assisted by a terrific guitar break. Kurt Baker is also back with a tight pop track that reminds me a bit of Rick Springfield, meanwhile, It’s Karma It’s Cool gives us a frantic vocal and crunchy punk guitar on “Coffee Cup Circles.” If you love that old-school ’70s rock then check out Death Party Playground, but if you crave a more singer-songwriter vibe, you can’t get much better than Bryan Estepa. Swedish band Mom gives us a nice freebie; a collection of covers and a highlight is Marshall Crenshaw’s “There She Goes Again.” Finally, Jeff Shelton (The Well Wishers) donates his guitar crunchiness to California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund for this sweet track, a worthy song for a worthy cause.







Gary Olson and Ex-Norwegian

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Ward White

Gary Olson “Gary Olson”

Gary Olson is the frontman with the band Ladybug Transistor. His first solo album is full of lush arrangements and as it opens, “Navy Boats” recalls early ’70s AOR pop with its delicate horns and strings. “Giovanna Please” has a similar wistful presentation, and the flowing folk-pop of “Some Advice” keeps things moving along. The breezy “All Points North” makes the best use of the brass here, and its a standout track.

The songs do tend to blend together as the tone and tempo barely change much. A few moments like the guitar instrumental “Initials DC” break the pattern, and the chiming jangle of “A Dream For A Memory” and “The Old Twin” quicken the tempo a little, but the lack of hooks can be an issue with these songs. There is only so much that fine musicianship can accomplish here. Still, fans of The Pearlfishers and Belle & Sebastian will definitely enjoy this album. It’s music that deserves to be heard.

Amazon

Ex-Norwegian   Ex-Norwegian

Ex-Norwegian “Hue Spotting/Spotting Hues”

Ex Norwegian chugs along with their 10th studio album “Hue Spotting.” Like the cover design suggests, its a modern psyche-pop collection that utilizes synth beats, echoing guitars and Mellotron keys. Starting with “Fear Backwards” it’s driven by a solid rhythm and lead singer Roger Houdaille’s layered vocals. “Comfort Sands” incorporates these older influences (Farfisa organ, sitar) with modern guitar and bass structures to create something unique. “Bloody Parrots!” is another standout with its warbling vocal about an occult crime scene over an organ solo. It can stray into some quite trippy moments that bring to mind Pink Floyd, Spaceman 3, and The Resonars. But there are still great hooks here, as evidenced on both “Something” and the amusing gem “Post Post Malone.”

As a bonus, Roger also released “Spotting Hues,” an album that covers rare nuggets from the psychedelic era. Songs from The Nice, The End, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Billy Nicholls, and more. Many of these songs are so obscure, for most it will be like “brand new” material, making it a perfect companion album to the originals. Both are highly recommended.

Amazon (Hue Spotting) | Amazon (Spotting Hues)
Kool Kat Musik (Hue Spotting) | Kool Kat Musik (Spotting Hues)

Dan Israel and Ward White

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Dan Israel

Dan Israel “Social Distance Anxiety Disorder”

A follow up to last year’s Social Media Anxiety Disorder Minnesota musician Dan Israel continues to develop insightful rock that sticks in your head. It’s slow going on the weary “Wit’s End,” but it picks up quickly with the spirited “Bewildered,” which is like a Tom Petty – Bruce Springsteen hybrid. Even better is the power pop of “Bustin’ Out,” with its distinct organ lead it’s my favorite song on this short LP.

The style of Bob Dylan is clearly part of Dan’s vocal approach, and it’s best shown on “Don’t Think They’ll Say.” The self-conscious lyrics and solid hooks on “Little Bit Of Your Love” make it another winner. Next, “Something For Pain” is a rocker that recalls something Joe Walsh or NRBQ used to write. There are only nine tracks and not everything here sticks, but it shows that Dan has plenty of gas in the tank. A good companion album to last year’s LP, It’s definitely music that deserves to be heard.

Bandcamp


Ward White

Ward White “Leonard at the Audit”

Los Angeles based art-rocker Ward White is an acquired taste, but it’s a gourmet meal best enjoyed in deliberate sound bites. I’ve often compared his croon to a lighter version of David Bowie, but that’s just a starting point. Leonard at the Audit is easily his most ambitious work. The concept is something about Leonard Cohen’s 1960’s-era dalliance with Scientology. 

Starting with the industrial “Bubble & Squeak,” it describes a soul-crushing day at work, “another shift another accident” and the oppressive story is punctuated by those deep synth-bass notes, and it’s pure brilliance. “Ice Capades” is another winner with it’s jangling texture in the chorus, intricate baroque arrangement, and sweet guitar solo. “Edmund Fitzgerald Is a Wreck” is a near-perfect tune of the suffering protagonist who “didn’t need to be alone.” On”Try Me” it shows Ward at his most cynical and vocally dynamic. The lyrics are acidic poetry that paints the stories just right, reminding me of Warren Zevon. Take your time with this one, it’s definitely highly recommended.

Bandcamp

It’s Karma It’s Cool and 2nd Grade

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It's Karma It's Cool

It’s Karma It’s Cool “Woke Up In Hollywood”

Last year Lincoln UK band It’s Karma It’s Cool delivered a quirky fun EP full of energy led by vocalist Jim Styring (The Popdogs). Now we’ve got a full-length follow-up that demands attention. Joining Styring is Danny Krash (drums), Martyn Bewick (guitars + more), and Mikey Barraclough (bass) with guest spots from Rex Broome (The Armoires), Lannie Flowers and Brian Barry (Flaming Cortinas.)

Opening with “Our Love Is An Amplifier” it brings to mind Anton Barbeau with its quick synth patterns, strong percussion, and catchy chorus. It then goes to a false ending, before it picks up even more stream. Both “Back In `78” and the title track wistfully look at a rocker’s career with its ups and downs as Jim sings “It’s not how far you’ve traveled, it’s the distance left to go.” Those guitar riffs are an integral part of the power-pop gem “The Girl Who Gave You Everything” thanks to Lannie Flowers and “Healer’s Leap” has those great jangling chords, and harmonica, as “the hipsters turn themselves around!” Next, “Sunflowers” is another keeper with great guitar textures, vocal harmonies, and Danny’s key drumming. Not everything works (“New Age Eve”) but enough does, and this is a very solid debut. Check it out.

Kool Kat Musik


2nd Grade

2nd Grade “Hit to Hit”

Are 24 tracks of music too much to handle at once? Not at all. 2nd Grade’s songs are so short, it’s like they were made for a second grader with ADD; most songs no longer than a minute. Lead singer-songwriter Peter Gill is like a mix of Adam Schlesinger and Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) in that he throws his emotions and feelings to the wall to see what sticks, and when it does stick it’s ultimately great DIY bedroom pop.

Opening with a fuzzy surf-rocker “W-2” about how annoying it is to do your taxes – it has a single chorus and then it’s gone. “Trigger Finger” is a handclapping gem about a “punk rock world” and “Velodrome” is like a mini Fountains of Wayne tune. The songs are funny and/or heartbreaking – and best of all, the good ones have killer hooks. But the short length of the songs are both a blessing and a curse, luckily we get a few tunes that really stand out like, “When You Were My Sharona” a nostalgic gem that looks back and the Big Star-like vulnerability of  “My Bike” and “You’re So Cool.” If you remove the wheat from the chaff, you’ll really enjoy this album. It’s music that deserves to be heard.

Amazon (vinyl)