JANGLE ON – May 2021

Posted on 07 May 2021

JANGLE ON! – May 2021

by Eric Sorensen

Jangle On

 

The pandemic hasn’t kept artists from recording and releasing that steady stream of pop/rock tunes with jangly and chiming guitar riffs – that I mentioned last month.  The azaleas are in full bloom here in the Washington, D.C. area – and jangly songs seem to be in full bloom around the globe.  To make this spring even more appealing, new releases by Teenage Fanclub and Dropkick (two excellent Scottish bands!) are imminent.  I encourage fellow jangly music fans to seek out the following albums and singles:

At The Crossroads – Starbyrd.  Wow!  Six months after Starbyrd released its last full-length CD, Whirlwind of Time, this latest release (available from Bandcamp) features 13 original tracks and four cover songs.  Starbyrd front man and lead guitarist Horst-Peter Schmidt deserves praise for his Rickenbacker 12-string play on every track – but he excels on the band’s cover versions of “She Don’t Care About Time” and “Diamonds And Rust.”  The latter track features violin and a haunting pedal steel guitar in addition to Schmidt’s Rickenbacker 12-string.  I marvel at how prolific Schmidt and his band mates have been of late.  At The Crossroads showcases songs that address the pandemic, love, pride in home and self-discovery.  Starbyrd fans will also note that Schmidt has been fine-tuning his production/mixing skills.  This CD is a must for Byrds and Roger McGuinn enthusiasts.  Long may you run, Sir Horst-Peter!

Astroemeria – A Journey on Earth and Beyond – Bhopal’s Flowers.  Kudos to Kool Kat Musik guru Ray Gianchetti for releasing this latest jangly masterpiece on his label.  From start to finish, this album features chiming guitar riffs, hooks galore, lots of psych-pop and wonderful harmonies.  My favorite tracks are “When The Sinner Becomes The Saint,” “The Wedding Bells,” “Cosmic Reflector” and “What About You?” – but this is one of those rare CDs that you play from start to finish, and then hit the repeat button.  Astroemeria is an early candidate for “Top Ten” honors in 2021.

 

Fellow jangle enthusiast Ray Verno has been busy finding more Byrds-inspired “nuggets” from a variety of sources.  Byrdsian Volume 146 and 147 feature: some cool tracks by the Ruby Tears (“Change Your Mind” and “Better Than Paradise”); “Bombs Bomb Away” by the Elephant Stone; “His Vision of Her” by Smiling Eye; some excellent jangly tracks by the Triptides (“It Won’t Hurt You” and “Let It Go”);  and the tribute song “Singing Like A Byrd” by the Waymores.   I think that Ray and I have been sharing compilation CDRs for over fifteen years.   Long may you run, Sir Ray!

 

Notable singles from the past month include: “Try” and “From Here On” by Smile; “Wired Eyes” and “Hard to Fall” by Love, Burns; “Sincere” by Dynamo Stairs; “Set Your Sights Toward The Sun” by the Lost Doves (reminds me so much of Kennedys-styled folk-rock); “The Biggest Fan” and other tracks by the Reds, Pinks and Purples; “Today Is Always Today” by the Smug Brothers; “The Chicken Pear” by the Chickenbackers; “In My Head” and “Peter Shilton” by the Sails; and well worth revisiting is the Spring Collection’s excellent chiming power pop version of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight.”

 

Until next time, jangle on!

ERIC

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