Oberon Rose and The Backpeddlers

Oberon Rose “Wunjo”
Connecticut’s Tom Oberon leans heavily on classic sixties influences like The Kinks, Beatles, T.Rex and more on his debut, Wunjo. The sweet melody “Young Goodman Brown” flows nicely and the guitar rhythm reminds me of the Zombies a little. The brilliant jangle on “One Man Show Of Sorrow” showcases this gem which compares well to The Posies. With the title track and “Ballad Of The Taller” it goes in a more roots-driven pop direction with simple acoustic strums leading the way, both recall the simplicity of Big Star.

“Buried Alive” is another compelling song with double-tracked harmonies and minor chords. Other songs evoke the golden age of psyche pop without getting cliche, like “Of Life Divine” and the brilliant Beatlesque ender “So is The Flow.” Each track is compelling and overall this album is a real treat for lovers of classic melodic rock.


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The Backpeddlers “Songs of Guilt & Revenge”
Originally known as Mark Norris and The Backpeddlers, this Buffalo band plays foot stompin’ rock and blues done with plenty of gusto. “Turn The Tables” is kinda like Bob Dylan jamming with The Offspring, then the bar room blues “It’s All True” plays out like classic Stones. The band goes into full Kinks meets Who mode on “We Know (Who We Are)” with drummer Jeff Pietrzak doing his best Keith Moon. It also get downright punk pop on “(DoThe) Crying Shame” with Mark almost losing his vocals. “Doctor Friend” is another Kinks-styled tune along the lines of “Dandy.” There is plenty of musical variety here and if you like gritty raw emotion with your tunes… you will feel guilty if you miss this and revenge isn’t even a factor here.