LOST TREASURES

SHWA LOSBEN 

“Good Times, Good Times”

By Peter Marston

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Shwa Losben (or, more formally, Joshua Losben) is a singer-songwriter whose own promotional materials describe his music as “catchy rock songs,” which I take to be roughly akin to “power pop.” I first heard his music playing in a record store while I was browsing through the 99-cent bin. I went to the counter to check out the little “now playing” display and examined the sleeve of the CD―Good Times, Good Times―while another song or two played. I took a shine to the music and asked how much they were asking for this little unknown used CD (a good initial bargaining position is to downplay the product) and hit my price point exactly―99 cents! It now stands as one of my favorite recent (well, pretty recent) power pop releases.

Losben was first heard as the frontman for the DC band named—you guessed it—Shwa, playing indie rock that leans a bit more to the folk side than Good Times, Good Times. (Shwa’s Wikipedia page states in a bold disclaimer, “Not to be confused with schwa”—you know, the shapeless vowel sound represented by ǝ. Band names can be confused with all sorts of things, I suppose, but that’s a first.) After a couple indie albums and an EP, Losben recorded a solo album, Chop Chop. The title track on that album was awarded the ASCAP Robert Allen Award for excellence in songwriting in 2008. Opening slots for OK GO and Ben Folds followed, but Shwa still found himself needing to raise the funds to record a follow-up. A clever fan auction got the ball rolling and in 2010, Good Times, Good Times was released.

Losben hews a classic rock sound on Good Times, Good Times, reminding me of Sloan, but with simpler, more direct songs and more soulful vocals with a slight, but detectable Neil Young influence. The opening track, “Trainwreck” describes a friend who travelled to Mexico with someone she met on Craigslist and is, frankly, spiraling down. It’s one of the best songs on the album, with great changes and well-placed answering harmony vocals. “Total Nightmare” is a folky shuffle that recalls Son Volt, but with better hooks. “The Worst is Over” is a slower, also folky number with more great changes, a soaring chorus and tight harmonies throughout. “Independence Day” is another highlight and reminds me a little of Harper Simon’s debut, but with higher energy and a rocking breakdown. Again, the chorus soars. “Treat the Disease” is a minor key slow burner that builds to pseudo-Dixieland climax and then a solo piano denouement. “Brooklyn Girls” is the obvious party anthem, a simple song-song melody and tart lyrics making fun of hipsters. It reminds me a little of “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35” in both feel and tone, though it is decidedly more frivolous in its humor. “Annie in Luck” is a straightforward four-on-the-floor pop song, again featuring great harmonies throughout and some appealingly primitive rhythm electric guitar. Losben describes “Penultimate Dance” as a sell-out dance-pop tune, but that’s really just bluster or perhaps wishful thinking. It’s another minor key slow burner that fits right in with the rest of the album and, unlike most dance-pop, appears to have been performed primarily by human beings. The closer, “Everything Fell into Place” is a ballad with a beautiful melody, wistful romantic lyrics and a tender violin arrangement.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Losben plays out as Shwa and the Good Times, a loose confederacy of friends and colleagues—or as Losben describes it, “pretty much whomever I can rope into playing.”

Good Times, Good Times is currently in print and easily available. Signed copies are available on bandcamp for $10 (about $7 less than amazon is asking). Digital copies are only $5. Have at it!

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Pop Pioneer and “Lost Treasures” writer, Peter Marston is the leader of long-running power pop band, Shplang, whose most recent album, “My Big Three Wheeler” has been described as “the Beatles meet Zappa in pop-psych Sumo match.”  Peter has a new project in 2015 under the name MARSTON.   They will have a track on the upcoming “Power Pop Planet – Volume 5” compilation due in February, 2015.

You check it out at this link:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shplang

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LINKS:

Main Site:   http://www.shwamusic.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/shwalosben

SoundCloud:  https://soundcloud.com/ShwaLosben

BandCamp:  http://shwa.bandcamp.com

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