THE ADAM SYKLES
Out Of The Circle Game
THE JUNE
Magic Circles
Teen Sound CDs
www.mistylane.it
Teen Sound starts the year with a pair of pop-sike releases that not only both come from Italy, but also share a “circle” in their titles and have a (different) song called ‘Daisy’! Psychedelic, eh?
I’ll start with The Adam Sykles just because their frontman and sole author is Massimo Del Pozzo, Misty Lane/Teen Sound records head honcho himself. After the garage punk and folk rocking jangle mostly dominating his previous well known efforts with The Others sand The Tyme Society (not that any of this is lacking now), he seems to have mellowed a bit throughout the years, which ain’t no bad thing at all. Most of the tracks here share that Paisley Underground kind of a vibe (most reminiscent of The Three O’Clock), be it the Revolver-ish psych, Graham Gouldman-like minor-chord beat, or some jazzy Da Capo-era Love. However, the ones I consider for stand-outs myself, are those with the distincitive Britsike touch to them like ‘The Big Green’, ‘Feel The Pain (Robby’s Song)’ or ‘She Lives In My Mind’.
Besides the already mentioned, yet another thing that makes the sense of déjà vu about the two albums even stronger, is that both of them open with an Eastern flavoured Beatle psych. The June seem quite obsessed with Revolver actually. Not only is there more than an occasional musical nod, but the cover drawing of the band is an obvious tribute as well, with the whole thing culminating with a song called ‘Revolver’, with backwards guitars an’ all. Besides all this, with such a band name, and a song title like ‘Sir Eugene Maddog’, the “Shindig!-friendly” tag is a must!
Goran Obradovic
DAN AUERBACH
Keep It Hid
Nonesuch CD
www.nonesuch.com
In case you ever wondered what The Black Keys would’ve sounded like had they been at least a four piece, I suppose it can’t get much closer than this. Or, in case you’re among those nagging about Danger Mouse taking away the band’s earlier rawness, I’m pretty sure you’ll stick to this one instead of Attack & Release. Sure, there’s enough of the primal acid blooz wail to keep the BK purists satisfied, but it’s other stuff that make this an actual solo record. The pair of ‘Mean Monsoon’ and ‘When I Left The Room’ sound kinda like Amy Winehouse with balls (not that she lacks any), ‘When The Night Comes’ (co-written with his father) is like an unreleased Van Morrison tune, ‘Trouble Weighs A Ton’ tackles Big Pink-era Band, ‘Street Walkin’’ riff-sploits early Stooges, while ‘My Last Mistake’ is a soulful beat number, almost verging on the edge of pop.
An early contender for the album of the year so far, if you ask me.
Goran Obradovic
THE AUTUMN LEAVES
Long Lost Friend
Dabbler CD
www.myspace.com/theautumnleaves
Something jangles in the heart of Minneapolis. This is the Leaves first album in several years, and they have enlisted Gary Burger as producer, although the sound here is very different to Gary’s old band The Monks. The Autumn Leaves are all about gentle melodies and early Byrds style folk-rock, with lots of 12-string acoustics, Rickenbackers and yearning vocals.
Although there is a cover of ‘You Can’t Be Serious’, an obscure B-side by UK pop psych band The Mirage, most of the tunes are originals, and the overall feel brings to mind notable ’80s melodic strummers, such as The Go-Betweens, Lloyd Cole and The Church. Normally reviewers have a finger cut off for using cliched phrases such as ‘jangling’ or ‘chiming’ guitars, but with The Autumn Leaves it just can’t be helped.
Phil Suggitt
COLIN BLUNSTONE
The Ghost Of You And Me
Ennismore CD
We all know, do we not, that Zombies vocalist Colin Blunstone possesses a miraculous set of pipes that could heal the sick, part the seas, repair the economy and reconcile the Israelis and the Palestinians. So when it comes to a new release by this national treasure, it’s a given that the singing is always going to be beyond reproach. The real question has to be whether everything else – material, production, arrangements – meets the same standards.
Well, in this instance, yes and no; or rather, no and yes, if we take it in order. The album begins with three songs, including the title track, which unfortunately sacrifice emotional engagement on the altar of bland efficiency. But then, from ‘Second Avenue’ onwards, the sound of a hot band on clock-watching tickover is replaced by the sighing, levitational string arrangements of Blunstone’s One Year compadre Chris Gunning, and the remaining seven tracks are, consequently, autumnal beauties in the ‘Say You Don’t Mind’ mould. Joy is unconfined.
Marco Rossi
THE CAMPBELL STOKES SUNSHINE RECORDER
Makes Your Ears Smile
Jack O’The Green CD
www.myspace.com/jackothegreen
Now there’s a thing. I’m not normally prone to auto-suggestion – not since that awful night with the stage hypnotist and the bath of chutney – but my ears started smiling straight from the first song on this album, namely ‘Track One’, which smartly references “the pop-psych of The Bee Gees” and which simply has to be the sprightliest song-about-writing-a-song since ‘Suffice To Say’ by The Yachts.
The Campbell Stokes Sunshine Recorder is the lovely pseudonym adopted by Shindig! supremo and Toffee Sunday Smash pilot Andy Morten, and sunshine is indeed the key ingredient in this crop of beaming, witty, high-spirited quality pop belters. Andy plays all the instruments with brio and wears his impeccable tastes on his sleeve throughout – directly so in the charming wish-fulfilment of ‘Tony Hazzard’. Highlights range from the Badfinger/Big Star pathos of ‘No Name #7’ to the Tomorrow-style canter of ‘TV Jingle Man’ with its sly quotes from the bass lines of ‘So You Want To Be A Rock ’n’ Roll Star’ and ‘A Quick One’.
I wanted to offer some constructive criticism here Andy, but I can’t bloody fault it at all. With those credentials, it couldn’t really be anything other than a class act.
Marco Rossi
THE CHEMISTRY SET
Alchemy #101
Skittlebrau CD
www.myspace.com/thechemistrysetuk
For a while in the late ’80s and early ’90s the very English psych-pop sound of The Chemistry Set seemed to be on every fanzine flexi and indie comp going. Thousands of recent downloads of their unreleased album Sounds Like Painting inspired Dave McLean and Paul Lake to restring the Rickenbackers and manhandle the mellotrons. The lay-off has proved a good thing, as this six track mini-album contains their best recorded work to date. The tunes are full of dreamlike harmonies, incisive guitars and mellotron washes. The likes of ‘She’s Taking Me Down’ and ‘Look To The Sky’ are always ambitious, inventive and highly melodic.
Always popular in Spain, the Spanish connection continues with production by Manel Ibanez and a French version, ‘Regarde Le Ciel’ by Catalan chanteuse Suzette de la Grace Faberge. Many modern CDs are way too long, but, at half an hour, this is short but perfectly formed.
Phil Suggitt
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX
200 Tons Of Bad Luck
Invada CD
invada-records.blogspot.com
For those of us who hadn’t quite had our fill of Meddle-era Pink Floyd, that hole can now be filled by Bristol’s open-ended neo-prog collective Crippled Black Phoenix. 200 Tons Of Bad Luck kicks off with the winningly titled ‘Burnt Reynolds’, and straight away all the hallmarks are there: glacial tempo, sad-eyed minor chords, minimal and bluesy lead licks played on a Strat with the pickup selector in out-of-phase position.
This is followed in short order by ‘Rise Up And Fight’, which borrows the dugada-dugada rhythm bed from ‘One Of These Days’… and by now you should be grinning at this inspired combination of devotional craftsmanship, barefaced cheek and – most importantly – the construction of an entirely fresh recipe from classic ingredients.
Formed as an experimental project from members of Mogwai, Pantheist and Electric Wizard among others, Crippled Black Phoenix drape a compellingly thick cloak of darkness over the brooding songs of founder Justin Greaves, yet have sufficient discipline to hang right back and let in shafts of sunlight as and when required (‘Whissendine’, ‘Littlestep’). And if it’s all too much to ingest in one hit, this double album is also available as two single albums, The Resurrectionists and Night Raider.
Marco Rossi
HAAKON ELLINGSEN
The Plum Album
Termo CD
www.termorecords.com
Haakon Ellingsen, the protagonist responsible for this sweet, sunny and delicate album, is a new name to me. I looked at the picture on the rear sleeve and surmised that this bearded Norwegian was either cradling a ukelele, or else he was 28 feet tall and was holding a normal guitar.
A spot of homework later, and I discovered that Haakon was in fact a member of neo-psych avatars The Last James during the ’90s, and has been quietly following his thoughtful, beatific muse ever since. The Plum Album is a little repository of widescreen enchantments: placid, unruffled and insistently optimistic, it matches expansive arrangements to endearingly vulnerable songs.
Particularly effective are the intertwining High Llamas-style strings, brass, banjo and sighing flutes of ‘The Teacher’, the jazzy glockenspiel and Love Boat percussion of ‘Dear Funny’ and the naked ukelele of ‘Barefoot Sunshine Girl’; but it’s all about the songs themselves in the final analysis, and Haakon’s dreamy delights, sung in a cautious and lonesome tenor, have a pleasing habit of staying with you.
Marco Rossi
ALEXANDER FAEM
Agent 238
Martyrs Of Pop LP / CD
www.martyrsofpop.com
This concept album finds Alexander Faem soundtracking the adventures of ‘Agent 238’, a player in the espionage underworld coping with both cold war paranoia and café culture. Faem uses the vocal talents of Clara Enghoff, Emmanuel Delacroy and Julie Fournier for this series of enjoyable song vignettes, delivered largely in French.
While a few of the tracks do employ that groovy ’60s soundtrack feel so beloved of hipsters, Faem is always judicious in the retro feel to the album. He mixes the nods to John Barry and Hugo Montenegro in with some real originality, exemplified by the piano-led, downbeat ‘Mogadiscio’ or the sparklingly modern ‘Everest’. These shifts of tempo are perfectly timed and really give a depth to the album.
Agent 238 has obviously been crafted with care by a literate music fan but Faem doesn’t stand in awe of his influences nor does he indulge in senseless iconoclasm. His album is intelligent, classy pop and well worth your attention.
Jeanette Leech
ADAM FRANKLIN
Spent Bullets
Second Motion Records CD
www.SecondMotionRecords.com
Adam Franklin fronted the legendary shoegazer act Swervedriver through most of the ’90s. After they split in ’98, he released a smattering of somewhat experimental recordings under the moniker Toshack Highway. This, his second full-length album under his own name, may be his most fully realized work since Swervedriver’s best moments.
The sound here still features the hazy, sludgy blasts of guitar that drove Swervedriver’s records, but there is an overall more gentle feel, a bit more of sunshine bliss in both the vocal melodies and the guitar. The Vaselines, Eugenius and Eugene Kelly are called to mind, as is Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices. ‘Surge’ opens things up by creating a meeting between contemporary “alternative” rock with a subtle mid-60s mod sound, ‘Bolts of Melody’ lives up to its title, and the lazy ‘Two Dollar Dress’ closes things in a way that makes you feel like you’re walking off into a pleasantly druggy sunset.
Brian Greene
MITCH FRIEDMAN
Game Show Teeth
Meechmusic CD
www.gameshowteeth.com
Mitch is a Brooklyn, NY based songwriter whom Ray Davies described as a “funny and interesting little man” after they’d met during The Kinks front man’s weeklong songwriting course in England. What’s more, Ray liked the album’s opening number ‘This Is A Song’ enough to feature it in his song-structure lessons. Now if that’s not enough, the same song is considered by Andy Partridge (playing lead guitar on one of the album tracks) for “a piece of minimalist perfection, and perhaps the invention of a new genre – obviousism”. To get the complete picture, you’ll have to hear it for yourself. Some of the obvious reference points throughout most of this funny little record, are the lysergic pop quirk of Syd Barrett or Blossom Toes, or in a more contemporary way, the one of XTC or They Might Be Giants. Also, in shape of the genuinely Kinky ‘Keep It A Secret’, we get a proof of what a careful pupil Mitch is.
Even if your CD player is out of function, just as much fun is guaranteed only by reading the lyrics!
Goran Obradovic
FAY HALLAM TRINITY
1975
Swell CD
www.fayhallamtrinity.com
The title track is a yearning for the lost days of childhood, a nostalgic appreciation of the nice things about the ’70s that ranks with The Men They Couldn’t Hang’s ‘Dennis Law And Ali MacGraw’. Fay Hallam’s musical inspirations are mostly from the ’60s, however. Her albums are Hammond heaven for lovers of ’60s soul, psych and pop and mod.
This is a varied set of great tunes, featuring Hallam’s always excellent keyboards and vocals. The diversity makes for a very listenable album; from driving belters to soulful pop to dancers, the quality is consistent. The subtle, mellow grooves of tunes like ‘Harriet’ and the instrumental ‘Astrud’ (with fine congas from drummer Russ Baxter) are particularly effective. The Trinity is a tight unit – Baxter and bassist Sean Kelly are not mere sidemen, and it shows in the playing.
Phil Suggitt
DAN HICKS AND THE HOT LICKS
Tangled Tales
Surfdog CD
www.surfdog.com
Hicks was a founding member of the Charlatans, the pioneering ’60s San Francisco band, departing in 1968 to form his aptly titled Hot Licks ensemble. Their laid-back blend of folk, blues and forties jazz with a Western swing foundation and sharp-tongued, dry witted songs has changed little over the years as this recent project avers. Featuring instrumental virtuosos David Grisman, Richard Greene, Charlie Musselwhite and slide guitarist Roy Rogers, Hicks and crew proffer eight new originals and a handful of characteristically swaggering covers — the latter highlighted by a couple of rag titles (‘Blues My Naughty Baby’ and ‘Ragtime Cowboy Joe’) and a grows-on-you take on Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’.
Picks among the others include the hopped-up, solely scat title tune; a healthy slice of optimism titled ‘Let It Simmer’ and the charmingly insightful ‘Who Are You’. Hipster-sheik lives!
Gary von Tersch
THEE JENERATORS
Inside Outside
Twist CD
www.myspace.com/twistrecords
As from their previous album two years ago, these Guersney garage beatsters added some heavy soul vibes to their punk-ish attitude with a pair of wild saxophones, and they still don’t seem to be willing to let go off-a-that-thang! Not being too keen on saxes, I still found myself pushing the repeat button quite a few times. Actually, I started right from the opening ‘I Feel Alright Now’, which is sure to make an early ’70s Who fan feel just the same, and continued with the title track and ‘Overtime’, both making room for an instant mid-60s garage punk party. ‘Time’ is sure to end up as a dancefloor favourite of blue-eyed soul themed all-nighters.
Besides these, if you prefer punked-up rockabilly, ska or even Ramones-like punk, there’s plenty of it all, along with no less than six hidden tracks... or is that just my copy?
Goran Obradovic
MAMA
Crow Coyote Buffalo
Fly Like A Sprite CD
www.mamamusic.co.uk
I shall pride myself on being the first reviewer not to divulge the hit-making past of one half of Mama. Suffice to say, the two mums (see what they did there?) responsible have both enjoyed successful solo careers and came together through a shared love of folk and a shared home of Western Cornwall.
At this point things could have descended into coffee table platitudes and cosy contemplation but, thankfully for us, they went the other way. Shades of The Incredible String Band, Pentangle and Joni Mitchell and well-worn acoustic musical settings are in evidence but the girls’ collective songwriting savvy and vocal harmonies – often un-tethered and occasionally wayward – are all their own and rather lovely to boot.
And if the title track isn’t the direct result of Mama’s love of Linda Perhacs’ 1970 acid-folk masterpiece Parallelograms I’ll eat my straw hat.
Andy Morten
ROGER JOSEPH MANNING JR.
Catnip Dynamite
Oglio CD
www.rogerjosephmanningjr.com
Many sharp-eyed Shindiggers will realize that this is Roger Manning of what was for many the most beloved pop band of the ’90s, Jellyfish. As fans of Jellyfish know very well, that band’s love of all things ’70s was palpable in everything they did, from the way they dressed to their concert accoutrements to their songwriting. So, it’s no surprise that ’70s themes abound on Catnip Dymanite, Manning, Jr.’s second album.
The fun starts right off with ‘The Quickening’, and the second track, ‘Love’s Never Half As Good’ could be a Partridge Family song from one of their mid-period albums. ‘Down In Front’ morphs from a ‘You’re Mama Don’t Dance’ opening to a ‘Son Of My Father’ groove to a ‘Waterloo’ chorus. Whew! Other ultra-groovy tracks like ‘Imaginary Friend’ and ‘The Turnstile At Heaven’s Gate’ could be soundtracks to a Hanna Barbera cartoon and an After School Special respectively. The most awesome track (literally) is ‘Survival Machine’, an art-rock extravaganza that might remind one of early Ambrosia (when they were good) or Kansas (when they were good).
Don’t let this review mislead you: although most of the songs are proudly reminiscent of the ’70s, Manning Jr.’s signature is all over them, giving each song his Midas touch and an indelible stamp of originality.
It’s an absolutely wonderful listen from start to finish.
David Bash
MARK & THE SPIES
Give Me A Look
Screaming Apple CD & LP
www.screaming-apple-records.de
This is the real deal, folks; twelve authentic sounding beat could-be classics by this Dutch combo who already have one equally excellent album under their belts! The opening track, ‘Gimme Your Love’ takes a ‘For Your Love’ melody line and runs with it, ‘Hers To Keep’ and ‘It’s True (I Need You)’ are minor key delights, ‘Please Think It Over’ is as sweet a confection as a beat band came conjure up, the title track adds a bit of ‘freak’ to the beat, and ‘Won’t Work On Me’ adds soul in equal measure. The best track is probably ‘It Don’t Matter To You,’ which is like manna from the gods: think The Golden Earrings meet The Hollies.
Perhaps as further evidence of where their heads are at, the boys add a nifty cover of The Motions’ ‘We Fell In Love’. Great stuff!
David Bash
RED PLASTIC BUDDHA
Sunflower Sessions
Spade Kitty Records CD
www.spadekitty.com
Ranging from The Pretty Things, Syd Barrett and The Action through Hawkwind, Van Der Graaf Generator and Tangerine Dream to The Jam and Brian Jonestown Massacre, Chicago’s Red Plastic Buddha’s full list of influences is eclectic to say the least. Opener ‘Forget Me Not’ is a rousing psychedelic anthem – all swirling guitars and chant along chorus – but they really nail their garage-psych credentials to the mast with a creditable and haunting version of The 13th Floor Elevators’ ‘Rollercoaster’.
Elsewhere though, they possess a distinctly more modern psych-pop sensibility, albeit at times, to these ears at least, sounding like Nirvana (the Seattle model). If none of their own other tunes quite make the same initial impression as ‘Forget Me Not’ or closing track ‘Gingerbread Pornography’, which was, perhaps tellingly, recorded live, they do grow on you, particularly ‘Clouds’.
All of which bodes well for All Out Revolution, the working title of their follow up CD, due out at the end of this year.
Rich Deakin
THE SETTING SON
Spring of Hate
Bad Afro CD
www.badafro.dk
Song titles like ‘Girl Of Sorrow’, ‘Depression’ and ‘Demons In My Head’ suggest a very dark and downbeat album, but the tunes and chiming guitars are more upbeat than the lyrics. This is Sebastian Kristiansen’s second album as The Setting Son, and it retains the many qualities of the first. Producer Lorenzo Woodrose has marshalled a strong band of Copenhagen’s finest. There’s some splendid guitar and organ, and layers of well arranged backing vocals. At times the lead vocals are reminiscent of Michael Querrcio from The Three O’Clock, giving the songs a pleasant but ultimately lightweight quality.
Phil Suggitt
THE SHADOW KABINET
Smiling Words Apart
Sounds Good CD
www.myspace.com/shadowkabinet
Steve Somerset, AKA The Shadow Kabinet, deserves to take his place among the distinguished company of several English ’60s-inspired psych-pop troubadours. If you are so inclined you can detect in his music traces of Bowie, Syd, Donovan, Ray Davies, Robyn Hitchcock, XTC, Martin Newell and a score of lesser lights, but such influence-spotting is to miss the point. Mr Somerset excels at inventive and romantic tunes on which he plays and sings everything. The songs are simply too good to be derivative; fans of the artists mentioned above will really enjoy this CD. There are some wry observations on ‘Office Life’ and ‘Trouble And Strife’ and a gentle humour is at work on ‘Bad Hair Day’ and the nifty instrumental ‘Tabla Motown’. Another instro, ‘Surfing On The Shadows’ is a twanging, rumbling guitar-fest. One of the strongest tunes, ‘The Strings Of Her Sitar’ contains no sitars at all.
With 19 songs and a running time of over 79 minutes, the finer points of this excellent album are best appreciated in smaller doses.
Phil Suggitt
THE SOUNDCARRIERS
Harmonium
Melodic CD
www.melodic.co.uk
Citing “Tropicalia, Bollywood, European folk, ’50s surf and exotica” as their influences and talking freely of “psychedelia”, Nottingham’s Soundcarriers present an album of dense, trippy, hypnotic and downright groovy (in a 1969 exploitation movie love scene kinda way) tunes that update the ’60s experimental easy/electronica mash-ups of The United States Of America, Fifty Foot Hose and Free Design with captivating results.
Flutes, tablas, analogue keyboards and Leslied male/female vocals snake across floral drum/bass grooves that recall Ennio Morricone and Gabor Szabo far more than they do Stereolab, Broadcast and their ilk. The whole thing was done on analogue equipment so the sound should appeal to retro pop and psychedelia snobs too. Hell, they even manage to sound like The Strawberry Alarmclock covering The Byrds’ ‘I See You’ on ‘Caught By The Sun’!
Riveting.
Andy Morten
THE STEEPWATER BAND
Grace And Melody
Diamond Day CD
www.steepwater.com
Hailing from Chicago, The Steepwater Band started out covering blues standards 10 years ago and have progressed to the power trio romp they peddle these days. This, their fourth studio album, is produced by ex-Black Crowes guitarist Jeff Massey, but don’t let that put you off! If your favourite BC album is a compilation you made yourself, without ever wanting to go back to the fillers, this one’s just perfect for you. There’s riff-laden Faces-like swagger a-plenty, with stand-outs being ‘Fire Away’, ‘Lord Knows’ and ‘Healer’. If you dig these, I’m sure you’ll shamelessly keep strumming your air guitar along with the Led Zep by way of Black Keys’ acid blues of ‘VaRoomp!’ and the title tune. The pairing of ‘All The Way To Nowhere’ and ‘At The Fall Of The Day’ is just as bluesy, but in a kind of a Lennon-ish psychedelic way, and ‘One Way Ride’ is a country-tinged pop number, halfway between late ’60s Stones and Creedence.
I’d say this is the one ROCK album you should invest in this year!
Goran Obradovic
THE TUNAS
We Cut Our Fingers In July
Tre Accordi CD
www.treaccordi.com
The words of the opening tune are unintentionally hilarious. Just imagine an audience singing along to “Got so ugly that I shat my pants tonight!”. Actually, ‘Shat My Pants’ is a good anthemic singalong guitar tune – perhaps it sounds better in Italian and something was lost in translation! It would be unfair to dismiss The Tunas because of one funny chorus. In fact this is a good album of driving ’60s influenced guitar pop. The Tunas have a strong melodic streak and their tunes are upbeat and catchy. The soulful vocals on songs like ‘Uptight’ have a mod flavour, although in the liner photos The Tunas sport checked lumberjack shirts for some reason.
Phil Suggitt
WAU Y LOS ARRRGHS!!!
Viven!!!
Munster CD
www.munster-records.com
As far as the Spanish scene is concerned, I don’t really see why anyone would argue with Wau Y Los Arrrghs!!! being hailed as “the undisputed Kings of garage punk”. Of course, from the band name itself it’s easy to guess that they take the caveman approach and indeed it’s fans of The Gruesomes, The Miracle Workers or Pebbles in general that will get especially excited about this. Spanish sung fuzz-fest noise, Farfisa organ-isation and an occasional punked-up surfer is all you get, with the content being equally divided between obscure ’60s covers and originals, of which ‘Bli, Blu, Bla (Bla Bla Bla)’ and ‘Dicen’ seem to stand out at least an inch above the rest. The fact that they cover Los Mockers’ ‘Can’t Be A Lie’ (here ‘No Mientas Mas’) earns them a special place on my own shelf.
Goran Obradovic
JENNY WOLFE
After School
Steady Boy CD
www.steadyboyrecords.com
There’s no other way I can get you interested in this, so I’ll just start listing covers that make most of this album: ‘I Love You’ (The Zombies), ‘Game Of Love’ (Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders), ‘Thirteen’ (Big Star), ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ (Herman’s Hermits), ‘Just A Little’ (The Beau Brummels)… Get the picture? (Not another cover! … I’m really asking!) And Jenny has just turned 16! I mean, if we at Shindig! don’t give this girl the thumbs up, who the heck will? Masterminded by fellow Texan, Freddie Krc, the album also features three covers of Explosives tunes, along with two originals co-written by him and Jenny herself. Of these, ‘Twisted Smile’ is an absolute corker of a 12-string jangle, while the title tune is an equally great Monkees-tribute. And if you’re thinking what a great way this is to start a career, let me just tell you that this happens to be her sophomore effort, after a 2007 debut, featuring another mix of originals and covers, none the less cool than these (‘Do You Believe In Magic’, ‘Different Drum’, ‘Shakin’ All Over’, ‘Starry Eyes’, ‘For Your Love’, ‘You Baby’ etc.
Goran Obradovic
AUDACITY
Power Drowning
Burger CD/LP
www.myspace.com/audacityca
Some say that the essence of rock’n’roll is a bunch of enthusiastic kids who haven’t really learnt to play bashing out a couple of chords in a basement. Some great music has been produced in this way, but it had rhythm and sex and melody and hooks and lyrics that made you care. Young Californians Audacity don’t yet have any of these qualities. Maybe they are young and growing, and I’m old and going, but they are just learning their instruments, can’t sing to save their lives and I only just hear the barest hint of a tune.
BLACKIE AND THE RODEO KINGS
Swinging From The Chains Of Love
True North CD
www.truenorthrecords.com
Blackie And the Rodeo Kings are Colin Linden, Tom Wilson and Stephen Fearing, three Canadians from different musical backgrounds who came together in 1996 to record a tribute album to the Canadian songwriter Willie P. Bennett. The sessions led to several other collaborations and success on the Canadian roots scene. This album compiles highlights from their various albums and should prove a good introduction to audiences outside Canada and the US.
Aside from a liking for Mexican wrestling masks and cool graphics, The Rodeo Kings are great fans of The Band, whose musical influences are never a bad thing. The original tunes are often pop with roots influences, rather than vice versa. In other words the songs have a wider appeal beyond the country/roots scene. A controlled but persistent rhythmic feel is ever present, and there are some excellent songs like the languorous, infectiously catchy ‘Stoned’, or the rhythmic ‘Sometimes It Comes So Easy.’ A collaboration with Andy White, the great ballad ‘If I Catch You Cryin’ is a standout.
RICK BROUSSARD
Let It Go
Steady Boy CD
www.steadyboyrecords.com
Think 50s Buddy Holly and a bit of rockabilly, 60s pre and post Beatles British rock’n’roll and Bobby Fuller, (miss the 70s), 80s roots rock like The LeRoi Brothers and Evan Johns, 90s Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros and you are just about there. Rick Broussard has an authentic rootsy Texas twang sound, right down to the yearning vocals, backbeat and big guitar.
Broussard’s music is not an original or unique style but he does it really well. The 12 tunes here are extremely likeable and danceable. Try keeping still to ‘This Side Down’. The promo material describes songs like ‘Kerri’ and ‘Crucifix Jewelry’ as “rockabilly punk”, but what I hear is a big joyful dose of Texas rock’n’pop!
C.A.P.S
Strip Down And Rebuild
Heptown CD
www.heptownrecords.com
Denmark’s C.A.P.S play sprightly self-penned tunes in a 1980s garage style which will appeal to farfisa’n’ fuzz fans. Apparently C.A.P.S has played together for several years as a live act, but have only recently decided to enter a studio. They get into top gear as quickly as possible, and take it from there. Unsurprisingly for a long standing live draw, the playing is tight and the songs are all loud, fast, furious and exciting. The confident male/female vocals and sing along choruses (‘Gimme Love’, ‘Every Time You Turn Around’) of singer/guitarists JT and DeviLene add a contemporary pop feel that ensures this is not an exercise in nostalgia.
JOHNNY CASINO & THE SECRETS
Take Me Down To Your River
Off The Hip CD MLP
www.offthehip.com.au
Australian singer Johnny Casino offers a taster for his next album; a couple of the tunes will be on it, but three won’t. Casino, aka Spittles, isn’t afraid to try his hand at a variety of styles, from the largely acoustic ‘Sunken Treasure’ to big brassy pop/rock numbers like the title track. Carrie Phillis adds very effective backing vocals to some interesting covers, such as a driving version of The Animals’ ‘Outcast’ and Barry Gibbs’ ‘Spicks And Specks’. Casino and Phillis duet to great effect on the sprightly pop version of ‘Try A Little Kindness’.
THE GILLIGANS
My Name Is Willy
Ear Theory CD
www.myspace.com/thegilligans.pop
THE RINGLES
Rickenbacker Ballet
Jam/Ear Theory
www.jamrecordings.com
www.myspace.com/theringlespop
Todd Borsch is the link between these two releases. He contributes all the guitars for US power pop maestros The Gilligans and is also one half of The Ringles, a collaboration with fellow singer/songwriter/guitarist Tom Rose. Both albums were recorded in the same studio, with the same producer and mixer. Todd co-writes most of Rickenbacker Ballet and contributes half of My Name Is Willy, but The Gilligans’ record is initially more accessible, because Tom and Todd both have solid voices that are fine for backing vocals, but don’t quite have the personality of Dan McKenzie’s lead vocals for The Gilligans, (who also can draw on three backing vocalists).
Rickenbacker Ballet features day-glo disc photo art of a marvellous array of guitars standing next to their amps. Initially I was led to expect a Byrds-like jangle-fest in the style of Sweden’s The Rhinos, but the first few tracks, like ‘Tiffany’s Dimension’ have much more in common with the urgent power chords of the early Who. Whilst The Gilligans’ tasteful tunes are more immediate, The Ringles mixture of psych, pop and freakbeat elements really grew on me, especially some of the ballads like ‘Come Tumbling Down’. If you want to hear banks of beautifully played Rickenbackers, you need both these albums.
BRETT HARRIS
Side Two
Digital-only EP release via digital retail stores
www.brettharrismusic.com
Whilst I have no problem with downloads, I doubt if all who might be attracted to Brett Harris’ style of singer/songwriter power pop are the i-tunes generation. Opener ‘Not Coming Back’ is a big beaty pop number with a great chorus that reminds me of Marshall Crenshaw – high praise indeed around these parts. The four tunes showcase different aspects of Brett’s style. There is a piano ballad and the rhythmic ‘Red Dress’ has echoes of the fine but forgotten Silencers. After two ep’s, a full album is awaited.
STRATOCRUISER
Egg Shells
New Atlas Digital CD
www.stratocruisermusic.com
In common with earlier Shindig! faves The Shazam, North Carolina’s Stratocruiser are fans of a big 70s pop-rock sound brimming with classic power pop influences. Tunes like ‘Try’ have the power of Cheap Trick but some of the melodic invention of Badfinger. The presence of Mitch Easter as engineer and dB Peter Holsapple on keyboards and mandolin shows that Stratocruiser have a lot more strings to their bow. Guitarist Mike Nicholson adds some inventive and inspiring flourishes to songs like ‘Eggshells’ and ‘Light Sleeper’. ‘I Think So’ is a 12-string Rickenbacker delight. Vocalist Clay Howard has a strong but tuneful voice that reminds me of the Cynics quieter moments. Clay handles all the lead and backing vocals, which might present problems when the band play live, but on record this Stratocruiser is flying high.
THE WITCHDOKTORS
$3 Hooker
Tribal Vibes CD
www.tribalvibes.com
Like all the previous Witchdoktors releases, this album has stylish retro art and packaging. I'd stop for the girls on the cover and for about half the songs on the record. There are some solid garage tunes like 'Movie Star', a neat instro, 'Knucklebones' and an interesting garagey rockabilly sound on the likes of 'Big Black Sack'. It's a shame that The Witchdoktors have decided not to play one of their strongest cards, the slower garage pop ballads with lots of backing vocals that graced some of their earlier releases. The problem here is that several of the songs like 'Diablo' and 'Swamp Baby' are just ordinary modern garage rock and roll, with lots of sound and fury but not much imagination. The organ that added variety to the sound only appears on a couple of tracks. Fun stuff, but the Witchdoktors have so much more potential.
ZOMBINA AND THE SKELETONES
Out Of The Crypt And Into Your Heart
Fiend Force CD
www.zombina.com
Zombina and the Skeletones get a slick studio production on this, their third album. For my money the glossy hard-rock sheen may be more mainstream and ‘commercial’ than a garage -pop sound, but it is far less appealing. A fuzz guitar is layered over almost everything, making a lot of the songs sound similar and predictable.
Although the ‘horror-rock’ angle makes for an exciting live show, the schlock horror lyrics are too much over the course of an album – it’s all been done before. The third song starts as a neat little girl group pop number, until you get to the ‘Puke It Up!’ chorus. Puh-lease! Only 14 year olds will think this is cool! ‘Dr. No’ has fine, well arranged vocals and ‘Flaming Skull’ is a neat tune, but elsewhere there is too much of a muchness.
BOB LOG III
My S—t Is Perfect
Voodoo Rhythm CD
www.voodoorhythm.com
In common with other really individual, off-the-wall acts such as The Legendary Stardust Cowboy and Wild Man Fischer, you either ‘get’ Bob Log III, or, like me, you struggle to understand what is going on. Some of the acoustic numbers do manage to conjure up the primitive power of a ‘30’s bluesman with a two dollar guitar and a chair leg for percussion. The songs featuring electric guitar are another matter. Bob’s playing isn’t ‘so bad it could be good’, it’s just plain bad; crude and metronomic and monotonous. The awful lyrics don’t help. If the idea of a really basic one man blues band who sings from a microphone in his pilot’s helmet is your thing, investigate further – but don’t say you weren’t warned.
CAPTAIN WILBERFORCE
Everybody Loves A Villain
Blue Tuxedo CD
www.captainwilberforce.com
Captain Wilberforce (Simon Bristoll) has much in common with The Shadow Kabinet (Steve Somerset). Both write all the songs and play most of the instruments on their albums. In my virtual reality they would be selling shed loads of albums. They have both assimilated the music of many classic musicians but are such good songwriters that they are a lot more than the sum of their influences In Somerset’s case, the influences are English pop pysch; for Bristoll, they are most of the classic pop writers from the ‘60s to the ‘90s.
Everybody Loves A Villain is brimming with first rate pop, highly literate tunes and lush, layered vocals. In short, fans of The Beatles, Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Crowded House, Nick Lowe, Crowded House, Jason Falkner et al will not be disappointed by songs like ‘Confetti, Champagne And Roses’ or the lovely sad ballad ‘The Girl Who Broke Her Own Heart’.
THE FRENCH SEMESTER
Open Letter To The Disappeared
Beyond Your Mind CD
www.thefrenchsemester.org
Although recorded in San Diego, this album has the tuneful charm of the ‘80s Flying Nun and early Creation bands; ‘60s influences through an ‘80s filter. The French Semester are all about subtle, barely amplified indie pop with medium to slow paced, mellow melodies that roll gently on. The songs are often understated but well crafted and appealing, with good singing from guitarist Riaz Tejani and keyboardist Ryan Sullivan. ‘Winter Song’ and ‘Me And the Mockingbird’ are the kind of thing the band do best, wistful tunes full of strummed acoustics and gentle electrics. On ‘The Red, the Black and The Blue’ they almost rock out, but in a polite and restrained way.
The band name and album title are probably literary references that I have failed to detect, but it isn’t hard to detect a bunch of quietly charming tunes. The Semester subscribe to the Jonathan Richman approach; ‘Don’t turn the amps above two so you can hear the songs’.
THE GREEN RAY
Back From The Edge
Classic Rock Club Cheshunt 5th Jan. 2008
Green Ray CDs
www.myspace.com/thegreenraybanduk
The Green Ray are veteran musicians who specialise in laid back psychedelic guitar rock. Guitarist Richard Treece and bassist Ken Whaley both played with those fine ‘70s outfits Help Yourself and Man, and it still shows in their music. The deft guitar interplay of Treece and Simon Haspeck is firmly in the tradition of the ‘60s West Coast ‘jamming’ psych bands, such as Quicksilver Messenger Service.
On both the studio set Back From The Edge and the Cheshunt live album the tunes are mostly mellow, reflective and understated, with long improvised instrumental passages. Songs tend to be long, lasting at least six minutes. Treece and Haspeck have a really good understanding; their playing is mostly delicate and tasteful. They prefer subtle, dreamy, shimmering soundscapes to wild freak outs. The songs are not mere pegs on which to hang lengthy guitar jams. The likes of ‘Breaking Down’ and ‘Before The Fall’ have gentle melodies that creep up on the listener unawares.
Nick ‘Bevis’ Saloman guests on the live CD, and all three guitarists blend well together. On both CDs the blues -based jams are the least effective, like the cover of Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Help Me’. The blues stuff sounds predictable, but there are some marvellous passages in the more ambitious pysch tunes that evoke a mood of stoned tranquillity.
THEE JENERATORS
Inside Outside
Twist CD
www.myspace.com/twistrecords
Thee Jenerators third CD is a more polished studio effort than its two more rough and ready predecessors, and much the better for it. The upbeat, good-time vibe has been maintained, but the production and playing are much sharper. Thee Jenerators are all about simple, good time, almost bubblegum (in a good way) garage pop. They sound most at home on direct, fun power pop tunes like ‘I Feel Alright Now’.
In his autobiography John Peel revealed that he used to pass over demos by bands with a sax player. Thee Jenerators show the error of his ways, as they have two sax players, and they are used very effectively and economically. The occasional forays into ska are unconvincing, and one or two songs, like ‘I Know What I Bloody Well Want’ are simplistic rather than simple, but the other tunes would go down a storm in a small club. Although eleven tracks are listed, there are four extras which are just as good.
GANDALF MURPHY & THE SLAMBOVIAN CIRCUS OF DREAMS
The Great Unravel
High Noon CD
www.slambovia.com
Promoters must have fun trying to fit the full name of this band onto flyers and posters! It’s a mystery why The Circus Of Dreams present themselves as a ‘psychedelic folk/roots band’, because I can’t detect many psychedelic influences on this record. For the most part the mood ranges from pleasant rootsy American folk to restrained indie rock. Songwriter Joziah Longo’s vocals are firmly in the folk/roots tradition. The strongest tunes are reflective, largely acoustic ballads like ‘Julia’ and ‘Tink (I Know It’s You)’. The quality level isn’t sustained over the whole album, as some of the mid-paced indie rock tunes are rather anonymous.
THE STROLLING SCONES
Introretrospective
Neuf-Angled CD
www.strollingstones.com
The cover art, tongue-in-cheek name and cheesy ‘60s British aliases, (such as ‘Chelsea Morning’ and ‘Mimi Manchester’) suggest that The Strolling Scones aren’t too serious, but their music deserves a hearing. Songwriter Rick Stockton clearly loves ‘60s sunshine pop. Behind his lead vocals are as many as four female vocalists singing the kind of sweet and sunny harmonies and backing vocals that characterise the genre.
Everything is pleasant and well arranged, and there are some nice touches, like the electric sitar on ‘Medicine Man’. Although there are some forgettable forays into MOR territory, the songs with less horns or woodwinds are much better, such as ‘Fall In The Water’ and the ballad ‘Any Time She Passes By’. Bassist and vocalist ‘Helen Highwater’ is also billed as ‘Yardley London’ – perhaps her real name is something like Gertie Kowsnovski?
VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Astounding Freak Party: Dance With The Werewolf
Rigolboch’ CD
www.myspace.com/rigolbachricordz
This CD is packaged in a stylish round metal case, as if it was a reel from an old 8mm movie. New French label Rigolboch’ have also taken a lot of trouble with the artwork and booklet, which even includes lyrics. Their first release is a contemporary garage compilation with a truly international flavour; among the 16 cuts are songs from Norway, Italy, France, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Russia as well as the UK, USA and Spain.
Although the artists have varied styles, the thing that really divides the songs is the quality of the singing. A good half of the vocals are just shouts, barks, grunts or growls that give me little inclination to play them again. Sorry, Haunted George, Lumberjack, The Sulfites, King Diablo, The Lariots, Guilty Hearts and The Hipshakes. Someone should tell these guys that even the raunchiest ‘60s and early ‘70s bands tried really hard to sing well! Three old lags, The Wildebeests, The Satelliters and The Branded contribute decent songs in their usual styles, although they don’t number among their best tunes. The pick of the new bands are Russia’s White Trainers Community, whose sprightly ‘Friday Night’ perfectly evokes a ’79 Mod revival sound, Italy’s The Last Killers and France’s Chewbacca All Stars, who all know their way round a decent tune.
VINYL
THE LONDON DIRTHOLE COMPANY & FRIENDS
The Stanley Hall Session
Radiowave LP
www.myspace.com/radiowaverecordings
It’s an original idea to have four stand-up drummers, but it can’t compensate for a lack of quality songs and really flat, shouty vocals. There are twenty songs here, recorded live in Tufnell Park, but tunes, personality and thrills are in short supply. These days it isn’t enough to just have a rough’n’ready garage punk sound, you need some exciting and memorable songs.
THE Q
Issues
Time For Action 10” EP
www.timeforaction.de
If not for the multi-mirrored scooter on the cover, you wouldn’t necessarily guess that The Q are a ‘mod’ band. The four songs here are good English power pop with intelligent, literate lyrics. The anthemic ‘Through Your Eyes’ has a great guitar sound. ‘Big Issue’ is a sympathetic portrayal of a street seller.
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