Tag: The Toms

Short Takes: The Toms, The Gnomes, Tony Molina, Ronnie D’Addario

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“The

The Toms “Sound Bytes”

Tom Marolda makes it all looks so easy; another year another album for this prolific artist. The Tom’s newest comes out of the gate with a real classic gem “Summer Without You,” loaded with hooks and an easy to love melody.  Other highlights include “Multiple Personality,” “One Day, “She Can’t Let It Go.” If you’ve always liked The Toms, this sticks to what he does best for the most part. It loses a bit of momentum the later half, but the fun, loose “Houseflies Hum in the Key of F” is another gem. Highly Recommended.

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The Gnomes

The Gnomes “Introducing… The Gnomes”

Aussie bands have made a huge splash this year in power pop, and Melbourne’s The Gnomes are no exception. Lead by musician Jay Millar, this debut album is loaded with tight rhythms and catchy melodies with a forceful, garage-styled edge. From the opening of “Better With You” it just floors you with its energy. This and other songs like it are designed for live performance, and it brings to mind the early albums of The Connection. The album rides on riff crunching guitars and an obvious love for classic power pop sounds, as “I’ll Be There” channels early Beatles energy. The further we go, the fuzzier we get too. “Open Your Eyes” and “Flippin’ Stomp” have its DNA in the late sixties beat movement. “Stung” slow things down into a churning psych-pop swirl, and Kinks-like “I Like It” round out the sound. No filler. Anywhere. It’s a top ten contender!

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“Tony

Tony Molina “On This Day”

San Francisco-based band Tony Molina has been know for making short, quick catchy songs – usually a single chorus. Here the songs are shorter and sweeter than usual. The “FC ’23” is a gentle jangling theme, followed by a piano based “Faded Holiday.” And so it goes, classical guitar interrupted by occasionally a fuzzy “Have It Your Way.” The frustration here is that I wish some of these songs hit the 2 min. mark. Highlights for me “Broken Down,” “Living Wrong,”  and “Don’t Belong” which highlight Tony’s Byrdsian influence. Like detailed demo sketches, it’s very pleasant but leaves you wanting more.

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Ronnie D'Addario

Ronnie D’Addario “Written By”

Ronnie D’Addario (Papa Twig) shows us a tribute album of sorts. The Lemon Twigs (Brian and Michael D’Addario) looked to record some of their dad’s favorite songs and a few unreleased demos. What started as a Lemon Twigs project grew, with lots of guest stars contributing. Some real magic here as the boys doing justice to “A Very Short Dream,” “Not Today” and “5th of July.” The guest spots are a mixed bag, but it’s wonderful to hear Darian Sanahaja (Wondermints) with the inspirational groove of “Be Like Him.” Plus the lovely harmonies of Matt Jardine on “Don’t Wait For Yesterday.” Another highlight is Ronnie having fun doing his best Elvis on “If I Were You.” Overall, Highly Recommended.

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Caddy and The Toms

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“Caddy"

Caddy “Caddy”

Tomas Dahl, (The Stanleys, Yum Yums) who performs as Caddy, is back for his sixth studio album, and this self-titled LP is his hardest rocking one to date. It’s back to the late 90’s era Posies, Stone Temple Pilots, or Velvet Revolver with intense heavy riffs. In 2023, Tomas lost both parents and two close friends all within the span of five months. So those raw emotions are in each note here, but even with the emotion, he managed to keep the melodies up front.

“In A Heartbeat” has a solid catchy chorus and its soaring harmonies make it a great start. “The Darkest Corners” and “25 Ways” give detailed descriptions of the pain of loss, all with those handclaps and dense buzzing riffs. The hooks aren’t always present, and the lack of a stylistic variety tend to weigh down the album as whole. And as much as I love a great riff, sometimes less is more. For example “Smalltown Operator” has a good song buried in there, but the heavy loud rhythms drown it out. There are some worthy songs here; check out “Everblue,” “Why Worry,” and “Someone Like You.” In fact, there are enough good ones to make this highly recommended, but don’t expect any ballads.

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“The

The Toms “Rock Paper Scissors”

Tom Marolda has continued to make great music since his breakout debut from 1979 (a must-own for any respectable fan of power pop). His style has varied over the years, always experimenting, and trying new approaches. What hasn’t changed is the amazing creative approach Tom takes toward song composition and arranging.

“The Zebra” is the theme of cool slinky temptress, enticing men like predators to deceptive “prey.” The sound here is closer to his classic sound, and the wild bass line and key changes are all over the catchy “Stationary Bike.” From there it gets a little more experimental with the next few songs. I always find elements of a song I enjoy, but it might veer off into demo mode like the title track “Rock Paper Scissors” with its start-and-stop verses. Some songs require a lot of listens to stick.

There is always a power pop classic found on a Toms album, for me it was “It’s Personal” an earnest look back to a harmful relationship set to great hook. Other goodies include the excellent pop of “Desperate Measures,” with an ethereal break of Sheyla Sherif’s ghostly verses, and “Black & White” with its angular melody line and psyche-pop touches. For Toms fans this is definitely recommended, but others will definitely want to start with his debut. Definitely music that deserves to be heard.

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The Weeklings and The Toms

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The Weeklings

The Weeklings “In Their Own Write”

The Weeklings are one of the best Beatlesque power pop bands out there and after three great LPs, they decided to put together a “greatest hits” album. The spin on this is that The Weeklings started life as a live Beatles cover band, so why not record these songs live? Taken from 2 different shows, the band plays a robust setlist and their banter and audience interaction make you feel like you are there.

From the opener “Little Tease,” it’s got all the Beatle “easter eggs” that people enjoy and done with a verve and energy few can match. The new “April’s Fool” is a welcome addition to favorites like “Morning, Noon, Night,” “Little Elvis,” and “Don’t Know, Don’t Care.” Like most Weeklings albums, there are a few choice covers like “Baby You’re A Rich Man,” the Adam Schlesinger penned “That Thing You Do,” and a re-arranged rocking version of “The Word.” Highly Recommended (what else?)

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The Toms

The Toms “Tomplicated”

The Toms (Tom Marolda) has remained an active DIY power-pop force of nature since his debut in 1979. Last year brought us some “lost” songs from those 1979 sessions, but now he’s back with some new material. In a return to the techniques of his early Beatle-influenced recordings, Tom’s masterful use of contrasting sounds (like a deep bass chord over a light acoustic strum) on “Too Many Yesterdays” make a simple melody stand out. In addition,“Three” has a terrific bass groove, with a psych-pop wall-of-sound, and it’s an early highlight in the massive 16 track effort.

However, many tunes feel more like sound sketches and experiments that fell off the Magical Mystery Tour bus, like the title track “Tomplicated” and “You Shot Me Out Of Your Cannon.” Interesting yes, but when the song has a great hook it works even better. Added highlights include the excellent “Hang On” and the jaunty “Sunday Clothes” with cello flourishes that recall The Move. “Somewhere Over This Rainbow” is another gem, referencing The Wizard of Oz in its narrative and the optimistic jangle of “It Doesn’t Matter to Me” is a fitting finale. There are more than enough tracks to rate this one highly recommended.

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Warren Scott Band and The Toms

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Warren Scott Band

Warren Scott Band “The New Deal”

Brandon Warren, Scott Tofte, and Will Prapestis have been playing together for many years, but this is their first recorded album. They have a loose, melodic sound comparable to Skeleton Staff, with a host of influences from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Warren Zevon, and The Barenaked Ladies. The title track is a modern reaction to politics, and Warren’s vocals stand out dripping with sarcasm (Is he talking about Trump or FDR?). While it isn’t quite what I expected, it gets better from here.

“One Hit Wonder” is a fast-paced gem, with horns and quick bass arpeggios. The band opines on musical tastes with “Something 2 Listen 2” and it’s also very catchy. “She’s A Little Bit Off” has a 50’s styled melodic chorus, about the unconventional nerd girl we all admire from afar. Pop culture is often subject matter; ”St. Christopher” is a tribute to the work of the late Christopher Crosby (“patron saint of pratfalls”) aka Chris Farley. “Miss Moneypenny” is a jaunty James Bond-inspired tune and “Saturday Survivor” is a banjo led melody layered with amazing harmonies. While not everything sticks, there is enough bouncing melodies, catchy hooks, and driving rhythms to make it highly recommended. Check it out!

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Lannie Flowers

The Toms “The 1979 Sessions”

Tommy Marolda is a respected songwriter, musician, record producer, engineer, and music publisher. His 1979 debut of “The Toms” is rightly called “One of the finest slabs of D.I.Y. pop bliss ever” by music critic John Borack and it deserves all that acclaim. Tom has continued to record his own material over the years, notably working with The Smithereens and Richie Sambora. But that 1979 debut was special. Now we finally get to hear more music from the session.

The first three tunes are very similar to the style of “The Toms” debut and could’ve made the cut. In particular “She Said Goodbye To You” and “That Could Change Tomorrow” are stuffed with catchy melodies in a jangling package. Things slowly evolve stylistically after that. The quality of “Til The End Of The Day” and “She’s So Lovely” are poor, but the songs are well written. “Love At First Sight” adds some modern funky riffs and disco beats; you hear Tom trying out a new sound. “Angela Christmas” is a lost gem that deserves to see the light of day. Again the sound evolves as “Talk Is Cheap” and “Uptown” sound more like the ’80s power pop. For fans of the first album, this is an essential companion. If you’re not familiar with The Toms, start with the debut. It’s music that deserves to be heard thanks to Futureman Records.

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