Dion Read is almost the textbook example of the quirky piano pop meister, with his opening track “If I was there for you.” It has echos of Ben Folds and that song from Apple’s iphone commercial by Orba Squara. It’s got a nice melody and the follow up “Unloving You” is even better, with some sweet multitracked harmony. This four track EP is an impressive debut worth a spin on the ipod. Hey, Apple can you use Dion’s song for the next tv spot?
Dion Read Homepage | My Space | CD Baby
The Nice Outfit was formed from the ashes of teen idols Menlo and The New Blind Nationals and as an off-shoot of power pop heroes Trolley and Quinn Scharber. Think an updated version of The Buzzcocks for the next generation of powerpopaholics. This combo rocks with an energy that compares well with The Plimsouls or even fellow Milwaukee band The Saltshakers. Starting with the chiming guitarplay of “Kissing Jocelyn” will appeal to lovers of that 60’s classic sound. Lead vocal Terry Hackbarth threatens to get buried by all those riffs, which flirt with the classic punk of The Replacements. The other three tracks follow the same formula with just enough melody under the surface to keep it rockin’. It’s a short EP, and would love to see the a full length soon.
CDBaby | My Space
The Jellyfish has long been considered an iconic power pop group for the ninties, and each of the groups members have met with varied degrees of success. Fans have slavishly followed the careers of Jason Falkner, Andy Strumer and Roger Manning Jr. over the years. One other member of that group was Eric Dover, guitarist during the “Split Milk” era. After joining Manning in the celebrated group Imperial Drag, Eric has performed with guitar gods: Alice Cooper, Gibly Clarke, Slim Jim Phantom, Brian May, Eddie Van Halen and many others over the years.
Well now Eric’s new persona is simply called “Sextus” and his new album “Stranger than Fiction” is poised to drop in February. The albums complex arrangements took nearly 10 years to complete, with most songs being demo’ed extensively. He has also contributed to the Jellyfish Tribute “Sensory Lullabies” with the tune “That is Why.”
So is it worth the wait? Well mostly yes. The guitar work is outstanding and is reminicent of Imperial Drag for sure. I felt the album builds up a bit too slowly, albeit dramatically. The opening intro, brings to mind heavier guitar rock of Steve Hackett or even Yngwie Malmsteen. The point being, you play this music loud. “Wild To Make You Mine” is the most Imperial Drag-like, full of intricate guitar flourishes and layered solos and vocals. This can backfire a bit on “Mystery of O” which sounds like a mashup of both Queen and The Propellerheads. It’s not bad, but so dense with sonic detail, we lose the vocals and melody at times. Mid way through the album it hits it’s stride with the awesome “On The Freak Side” and becomes a real R-rated adventure with “Tricki Tina.” The gems are sprinkled throughout with “Break of Morning” and the raunchy “Ballmi” (Yes, it’s exactly what you think it is). The lyrical wordplay here would make even Prince blush. So overall, Sextus lives up to his name (don’t play this around the kiddies) and fans of Jellyfish, or Imperial Drag will lick it up. Right now it’s only available as a vinyl, but expect wide distribution next month.
Reviewed by Mike Z.
The fact that the opening track of Buddy Love’s Now…and Then is titled “ Where Do We Go From Here?” is apt in that the song answers its own question: it’s more of the same in that this band has not broken character for a split second over the last twenty or so years. That is not necessarily a bad thing, however.
Buddy Love doesn’t exactly defy description, but they certainly have an interesting combination of sounds going on. Mostly they sound like an American band imitating a British band imitating an American band, if that makes any sense. They have a sound that flirts with progressive pop, sockhop rock, and commercial new wave. One can’t help but listen to this disc and imagine these geezers having the time of their lives while ably working the crowd at your favorite pub this coming Saturday night.
Essentially, the band delivers a smattering of good, fun tunes. You’re guaranteed not to have to think too hard about any of the lyrics, but more importantly, you’ll very likely catch yourself tapping your feet instantly and within a day or two you might even be humming some of the tunes. The standout from “Now” is the almost atmospheric “I Can’t Get Up,” which flirts with headier matter, but at the end of the day is just another rocking pop tune. While the “…and Then” side is curiously a little more on the lovelorn side, so do not miss “Party Girl,” the track most emblematic of what Buddy Love is all about.
Buddy Love Homepage | My Space
According to the Daily Mail, classic rock gods The Kinks will have a reunion tour. Lead singer and guitarist Ray Davies said the band’s original members, which included Davies’ brother Dave on guitar, Mick Avory on drums and Pete Quaife on bass plan to play together for the first time in nearly four decades in 2008.
I guess the money being pulled from recent geezer reunion concerts (Led Zeppelin, Cream, Rolling Stones) is too great to pass up. Like most fine wine, the Ray Davies back catalog of hits has gotten better with age and gained even more fans since they split up the band in the mid 90’s. And a new Kinks anthology will be released with the tour.
As for other reunions, the Zombies are planned for March 8, 2008 – Details Here. Sorry Paul, no Wings reunion for you, but you can always “Get high with a little help from your friends.”