Vanilla “Mystik Knights of Tacoma”
Vanilla is an indie-pop band from the US Pacific Northwest. Featuring Jayson Jarmon (Liar’s Club), Sean Gaffney, Dana Sims (Witchburn, The Jet City Fix), and Kord Taylor. You’ll hear a more varied list of influences than previous albums. We open with the surf guitar instrumental “March of The Mystik Knights” and then we get the superb “On A Night Like This” full of pop melodicism, organ and a chorus stickier than freshly chewed gum. Carl Funk supplies the vibrato-heavy vocals on “Save Me,” and then we get to the psyche-pop goodness of “Sweetshop” full of harmonies and wicked guitar riffs.
Another notable fact is the lead vocals change with each song, from Kirk Adams to Regan Lane (and a long list in between). It’s nice to hear an updated hard rock cover the Small Faces’ “Itchycoo Park” and the retro-composition “Man of The Moment” sung by Jordani Sarreal, sounds like a lost James Bond movie theme. While the multiple styles and instrumentation make for fun listening, it can be jarring track-to-track. It does fit the theme of musicians being part of a delusional fraternity whose days are numbered as “Be Not Coy” lyrics tell us “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Your time is almost past.” Highly Recommended.
The Bangles, The Three O’Clock, The Dream Syndicate and Rain Parade “3×4”
In the mid-80s, several bands from the Los Angeles-area formed the core of a power pop offshoot movement, commonly known as the Paisley Underground. These bands incorporated psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and strong guitar riffs, part homage to 1960s groups such as The Byrds, The Doors and Bee Gees. Coined by Michael Quercio of the band The Three O’Clock, the movement stood to defy that era’s punk/new wave pop. The top bands of this sub-genre were; The Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, The Three O’ Clock and The Bangles.
Well 35 years later, The Three O’Clock reformed in 2013 and in December of that year we saw a reunion of all four bands for two nights in L.A. and San Francisco. These artists were part of a special clique and grew up together, so they honored each other by covering each other’s songs. Four bands covering three songs each (as it is titled). The album’s covers are played in a laid back fashion, and while they don’t surpass the originals, they pleasantly remind you how good these songs are. If you are a fan of any of these bands, it will definitely rekindle your interest in the era (and the originals). For the uninitiated, this is a solid album giving you a crash course in the Paisley sound. Check it out!
