JANGLE ON!

 MAY

by Eric Sorensen

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Spring has finally arrived in the mid-Atlantic, and with the azaleas in full bloom, this is as colorful as northern Virginia gets.  There hasn’t been much in the way of new jangly music, so I have had to rely on several recent compilations to shore up my “play” stack of CDs.  Here is what I have been listening to of late:

Souvenirs: Little Gems of Pop Volume II – a 21-song power pop compilation released on the Wall of Noise Records label.   Half of the tracks on this compilation feature jangly and chiming guitars, so fellow jangleholics need to add this disc to their music library. Standout tracks include “Best Behavior” by Ennimies In The Grass, “Hearts In Clubs” by Blue Movie, “It Never Changes” by Jr. Gone Wild, “The Whole Thing’s A Bust” by Post Office (a great band that warrants a re-visit), “”Hideaway Girl” by the Decadents, “Another Boy” by AZ IZ and “One In A Million” by Nick Rudd’s Blown.  This compilation is available through pop music purveyor Kool Kat Records.  I am now going to track down Volume I!

My good friend Ray Verno sent me Byrdsian Volume 100 in his series of compilation CDRs that include Byrds/Roger McGuinn-styled songs and excellent Rickenbacker 12-string riffs.  This landmark disc showcases several Lloyd Cole and the Commotion tracks, a great cover of Tom Petty’s “Listen To Her Heart” by the Wild Feathers and an excellent cover of the Records’ “Hearts In Her Eyes” by Lucky.  Ray does a terrific job of searching the INTERNET for jangly tracks, and he has introduced me to many fine artists who fall into the “Byrds” genre of pop/rock.  Long may you run, Sir Ray!

In the “old friends” category, I filled out my most recent Jangle Pop compilation with tracks by Ray Pearen (who I discovered on CD Baby).  Pearen’s “Drive” reminds me a little of Ryan Adams (when he rocks) and a little of Matt Mays + El Torpedo (when Mays doesn’t have his pedal to the metal); the track is held together by a very cool chiming melody.  Other favorites by Pearen include “Everything Is Spinning,” “Run Away With Me” and “Waiting.”  I also re-visited some earlier tracks by the Pearlfishers: “Banana Sandwich,” “Even On A Sunday Afternoon” and “Waiting On The Flood.”

Until next time, jangle on!    ERIC