JANGLE ON!
FEBRUARY
by Eric Sorsensen
Where has the time gone? It’s hard to believe that I haven’t written this column in over three months. Thankfully, highly reliable power pop sources (the Powerpopaholic website; Kool Kat Musik; and Ray Verno – who is the Houdini of unearthing jangly music on the INTERNET) have kept my listening stack from collecting dust. Here are some recent discs and songs that I highly recommend to fellow jangleholics:
Ice Cream Skyscraper – Mercury In Lemonade. Power pop icons Michael Mazarella and Huw Gower, aided by a talented and notable supporting cast, collaborated on a disc that deserves Top Ten consideration for 2015. While the emphasis of Ice Cream Skyscraper is power pop with some rock flourishes, Mazarella and Gower still cannot escape the siren call of chiming guitar riffs on tracks like “Groove Back,” “Silverbird” and “Mayday.” Let’s hope that Mazarella and Gower continue this collaboration, and that other power pop stalwarts get this message and also consider similar talent mergers.
Brand New Day – Bryan Adams. Speaking of collaborations … what do you get when you combine Jeff Lynne’s production and musicianship with Bryan Adam’s gritty voice? One heck of an album! Brand New Day is one of those albums that will wear out your stereo’s “repeat” button. The title track features the most chiming guitar riffs … and it is a kissing cousin to Adams’ great 80s hit “Summer of ’69.”
Kicked Out Of Eden – Javier Escovedo. This is a top-notch power pop/rock album with one of the catchiest jangly, Byrds-inspired tracks of the past year “Just Like All The Rest.” In my book, that single song is worth the price of admission.
Phantoms Ringing 67-73 – the Rocket Bureau. This disc, the brainchild of multi-track artist Kyle Urban, is an excellent power pop disc with more than its share of jangly tracks. Standout songs include “Go Away Girl,” “Night Time,” “Clarabelle,” “Along Comes Sam” and “Nightmare.” The title implies that these were “nuggets” from a bygone era – but they are all contemporary recordings by Urban. Long may you run, Sir Kyle!
In Technicolor – the Zombies of the Stratosphere. Wow! There are lots of chiming 12-string guitar riffs on this terrific latest disc by the Zombies of the Stratosphere. Check out the title track, “She’s Counting The Days,” “Summer Dresses,” “I’ll Never Do It Again,” “Come Out To Play” and “Century Schoolbook.” After acquiring In Technicolor, you may want to also sample the group’s excellent back-catalog.
Gene Clark alert!! The Impersonators, a Finnish pop band, has just released a superb Gene Clark tribute song entitled “Dear Gene.” I get a very strong Kennedys vibe (guitars, melody and lyrics) from this track – which is a very good thing. Pop Geek Heaven guru Bruce Brodeen turned me on to this song. Sixteen years ago, Bruce and I worked together on a labor of love – the thirty-six song Full Circle: A Tribute to Gene Clark. Several other Gene Clark tribute discs and tribute songs have been released since then, and it is great to know that a younger generation of musicians continue to acknowledge the influence that one of the finest singer/songwriters of the 60s still has today.
Byrdsian Volume 116, courtesy of Ray Verno (the Houdini I spoke of earlier) features some excellent Rickenbacker 12-string tracks. Standout tracks include: “I Found You Out,” “When You Go” and “Hazy” by Beginner’s Mynd; “Bordertown” by the Piedmont Brothers Band; “Penelope Tuesday” and “What’s Been Missin’” by the Optic Nerve; and “Look At What You’ve Done” by the Outryders.
A recent search of CD Baby unearthed the great Byrds/Tom Petty-influenced single – “Can’t Believe It” – by veteran DIY pop musician Dan Israel. In the “blast from the past” category, I have been enjoying Roger McGuinn’s “King Of The Hill, the Gin Blossoms’ “Til I Hear It From You” and the Rembrandts’ “This House Is Not A Home.”
Until next time, jangle on!
ERIC
