DoublePlusPop “Too Loud, Too Fast, Too Much”
Never say never. That should be the motto for bands that recorded music but never thought it would ever be heard, much less released. Paul Averitt formed Doublepluspop in the late 90’s/early 00’s with Jon Lenzer on guitar, Mike Bowman on bass, and Neil Saunders on drums. After recording a pile of songs the band split up and Averitt assumed it was over before it even began. But last March, an audio engineer found the ADAT tapes and “rescued” them from obscurity, and here we have that “lost” debut.
The opener “Stumblin Back” has a dominant riff that engulfs the song above all else. But “The Dark Inside” and the anthemic “Here’s To The Losers” have a bit more personality, similar to The Velvet Crush (without the harmonies). An early standout “My Verona” has a catchy ascending chorus, and “Everyone” adds harmonies to this potent mix. The guitar parts in some of these later tracks recall Matthew Sweet, especially on the excellent “Coincide.” It’s clear this band would’ve been signed by Not Lame Records, had it come out when it was recorded. Other winning tracks include; “If I Wasn’t In Love,” an epic rocker, and a cover of Todd Rundgren’s “Couldn’t I Just Tell You.” It makes this one a highly recommended album that belongs in your music collection.
The Red Locusts “The Red Locusts”
So how does a Beatle-obsessed rocker let off a little creative steam? Rick Springfield got together with some old friends, brothers Matt and Gregg Bissonette (who’ve both played with David Lee Roth, Ringo Starr, Jeff Lynne, and Elton John) and they wanted to let their Beatlesque flag fly free. They concocted a “secret” band called The Red Locusts, and built a bunch of pseudonyms for themselves, and released this gem in May to much buzzing excitement. Influenced by The Beatles, Jellyfish, Electric Light Orchestra, Big Star, The Raspberries… fans of Machine Gun Kelly need not apply.
The results are dynamic and satisfying for power pop fans. “Under The Rainbow” is a melodic celebration that rewards with each listen, it’s a bright melody with excellent musicianship and production akin to ELO’s best. “Another Bad Day For Cupid” continues the fun, with a sweet jangle, and then it slows down for the blues shuffle of “Deep Blue Sea.” It grabs the sitars for “Glow Worm,” a neo-psychedelic five minutes that compares well with Andrew Gold’s The Fraternal Order of The All. The songs have familiar musical reference points, but these are still original and unique melodies, and that’s what makes it so good. The vocals strain a little on the corny “Love is Going To Save The Day,” but it’s played so sincerely, it works. “Miss Daisy Hawkins” is a cribbed sequel to “Eleanor Rigby,” and Rick adds as many Beatle-isms as possible in the lyrics. Each song is so finely crafted you’ll need to hear it several times, as you peel away each initial influence. For musicians and listeners alike, this is a mutual guilty pleasure (but there is no reason to feel guilty). This is also high on my top ten list for 2021. Super Highly Recommended.
