Tag: The Midnight Callers

The Midnight Callers and Mason Lowe

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The Midnight Callers

The Midnight Callers “Rattled Humming Heart”

The Midnight Callers are back, and after a fantastic debut, their sound overall honors the classic ’70s influences (The Raspberries, and early Cheap Trick) with a touch of Glam (Sweet, T-Rex) here, so there is no “sophomore slump.” Lots of short crunchy guitar gems, the production and musicianship here are near perfect. Opening with “New York Tramp” it buzzes through the verses and the lead even sounds a little like Robin Zander in the chorus. “Step!” and “Closer” picks up the tempo, and are great catchy tunes that really stick. The Callers have an innate sense of rock, and “Girl On The Run” from its jangling melody to the harmonies is very much like a lost Tom Petty hit. In the dramatic “Without Ya” those harmonies come to the foreground at the start and then the song morphs into a brilliant rocker, it’s my favorite tune here. Other highlights include “Little Runaround” and the love ballad “Maggie.” No filler here, but a few tunes are missing the hooks they need. However the batting average is very high for this album, so don’t miss it. Highly Recommended for sure.

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Mason Lowe

Mason Lowe “Morning People”

Seattle-based drummer Mason Lowe (Bread & Butter) opted to record an album in his basement to burn off the stress of work during a global pandemic. It boasts a nice fuzzy bedroom pop opener “Plastered” with a catchy chorus/verse combo, and it gets better from there. “Whiplash” is a bright swaggering grunge-pop tune that follows the same template.

The songs take influences from the past (The Creation, The Jam, The Sorrows) and re-configure them into original rockers, the one critique is the tempo and approach for each song don’t vary much, and it causes most songs to blend into each other. But some of the melodies stick nicely like “Stoned and Cold” and “You Took A Chance On Me”

Other tunes like “What Took You So Long” and “You’ve Got The Touch” develops nice vibes, but it could’ve used a tempo change at some point. Despite all this Lowe has lots of potential here, so check this album out.

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The Empty Hearts and The Midnight Callers

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The Empty Hearts

The Empty Hearts “The Second Album”

The Empty Hearts is a supergroup full of veteran musicians; Wally Palmar (The Romantics) on lead vocals, Elliot Easton (The Cars) on lead guitar, Clem Burke (Blondie) on drums, and Andy Babiuk (The Chesterfield Kings) on bass. The band’s sound is rooted in 60s classic rock and blues, and it’s delivered with high energy.

“Coat Tailer” is a sweet anthemic opener with the beautiful riff leading the main hook. It also helps that all four band members know Ringo Starr, who plays on “Remember Days Like These,” which has a bit of Wilburys vibe. The band’s cool cannot be denied with the horror-themed “Jonathan Harker’s Journal” and the hooks are all over “If I Could Change Your Mind” and “Come On And Try It.” The mood shifts with the smooth harmonies on “The World As We Know It Moves On,” and again on “Death By Insomnia” which feels like a sequel to The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.” The finale “Indigo Dusk Of The Night” goes in a Fab-like psychedelic direction too. The production is pristine, without a wasted note. It also makes my Top Ten nominee list. Highly recommended, don’t miss it!

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The Midnight Callers

The Midnight Callers “Red Letter Glow”

The New York-based  Midnight Callers boasts a pile of diverse influences and occupies a space within power pop that puts more emphasis on the “power” and it will knock you over if you’re not ready for it. Fans of Meatloaf, Sweet, Cheap Trick, Kinks, and Buffalo Springfield will really grow to love this excellent debut.  The band is comprised of Chris Paine (rhythm guitar), Martin Stubbs (lead guitar), Julien Budrino (drums), and Marley Myrianthopoulos (bass). 

The fast tempo on “41 Miles To Roscoe” delivers those fantastic riffs right away, and “Down On Luck” bring those classic rock harmonies to the forefront. “I Need You” has a great driving riff that would’ve made the song a massive hit if it was released in 1978. The styles are diverse enough to keep you engaged throughout the entire album. “River Rise” is another gem with a bed of guitars supporting a soaring lead vocal, and “State of Mind” has a jangle and energy similar to The Grip Weeds (no coincidence, since Kurt Reil is listed as a producer.) The band doesn’t slow down until the plaintive “Do We Need It.” The production is great and most of the songs hit their mark. Highly Recommended!

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Happy Birthday to John Lennon!

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John Lennon’s 80th Birthday would have been on October 9th, 2020. To celebrate, a number of artists have released tributes in his honor.

John Lennon Tribute

Various Artists “Jem Records Celebrates John Lennon”

Each band is given a pair of tunes, and this first-class tribute starts with the premiere Beatlesque band The Weeklings. They add a Bo Diddley styled rhythm to this unique arrangement of The Beatles “The Word” and flesh out the bare-bones Lennon demo “What’s The New Mary Jane?” NYC-based The Midnight Callers deliver some sweet harmonies on the acoustic “Child of Nature” and bluesy lead guitar on “Jealous Guy.”

The Grip Weeds are faithful to the spirit of “You Can’t Do That” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” and the depth of sound and crisp production are impressive.  The Anderson Council’s Peter Horvath channels Lennon well on “I Found Out” with its swirling psychedelic reverb. Johnathan Pushkar and The Gold Needles also deliver the goods. Richard Barone’s speeds up the tempo in the lone mashup of  “Revolution” and “Power To The People.” It all works and is Highly Recommended.

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Timmy Sean puts a modern spin on several classics with his new EP – It’s a FREE download. Enjoy!

Reno Bo has done Beatles tributes before, but this one is new! It’s a FREE download. Enjoy!

John Lennon

John Lennon “Gimme Some Truth”

This latest ‘greatest hits’ collection is likely the best sounding mix you’ve ever heard and really does do justice to John’s compositions. Remixed by Paul Hicks (who did Imagine – The Ultimate Collection), all 36 tracks were selected by Yoko and son Sean to tell John’s post-Beatles story and illustrate his many moods. All gift-wrapped in numerous deluxe packages (the big one has a commemorative book, stickers, postcards, and extensive liner notes.)

Lennon’s searing indictment of self-serving politicians and “narrow-minded hypocritics” is even more relevant today than it was over forty years ago. The selection of songs includes his most popular work giving them new life for generations to come. Highly Recommended.

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