Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

A Fragile Tomorrow and The Honest Mistakes

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A Fragile Tomorrow “Be Nice Be Careful”
What started as an alt. rock band with a few good songs on Tripping Over Nothing has moved decidedly to the more popper side of genre. That’s a good thing, as well as enlisting Mitch Easter (REM, Let’s Active, Sneakers) as co-producer. Leader Sean Kelly does a wonderful job on the opening track “Don’t Need Saving,” full of minor chords and chiming guitar strums.

The earnest melody of “Cooked Smiles and Greedy Hands” is a fine composition that echoes The Lemonheads or Toad The Wet Sprocket, with hooks and harmonies in all the right places and a guest vocal with Don Dixon. It loses a little momentum with the bland “Loyalty Lies,” but the steady jangle in “Blank Paper” helps make it an excellent tune about the songwriting process. Clearly the country influence is still here with “Intentions” and “My Home.” Another standout tune is “Kernersville” and doing the background harmonies are The Bangles (Vicki and Debbi Peterson), Susan Cowsill with Mitch Easter on guitar. “Three More Hours” is another fantastic song. With 14 tracks, there is a lot to like here, but it still sounds like a band in transition in spots. The band has been touring with many top-name headliners (Drivin’ and Cryin’, The Bangles and Matthew Sweet) so I expect great things from future AFT releases.

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The Honest Mistakes “Sundowning” EP
After a good debut album, this Baltimore band fine tunes it’s sound. Near perfect opening on “Cry” with hand claps and solid riffs, the band has a much better command of melody than ever before. Vocalist Joylene Dalia effortlessly harmonizes on “The Leaves” and guitarist Chris Ehrichs ever present strum make it a casual breezy single, and then on “Put Those Things Away” the pounding percussion and angular rhythm take center stage. This is a highly recommended EP, fans of 10,000 Maniacs and Blake Babies will thoroughly enjoy this one too.

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John Hopkins and Sam Page

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John Hopkins “Sunlight Madness”
Arkansas based pop composer John Hopkins developed this love letter to The Beach Boys SMiLE era and its a wonderful eclectic pop album with bits of DIY folk, and orchestral dream pop. “Morning” starts us with Wilsonesque harmonies in a chant with an awesome a Capella rhythm. It leads in the title track, with effective vocal and guitar flourishes and a rich chorus, ending with rich orchestral interludes between each song. Each track fades seamlessly into each other, often reminding me of Paul Steel’s April & I.

Sometimes the unusual atmospherics (“Downriver”) can get in the way, but that’s a minor point. Each theme is impressive, big standouts include “As You Walk Alone,”  “Ceridwen” and “Sunny Sunday Afternoon.” Harmonies and melodies also recall The Association especially on “Clover,” the best track here. For fans of Sunshine or Baroque Pop this is a real treat. After a few listens the magnificence of this album will sink in, despite a few rough edges. This is a brilliant mood piece that would’ve made my top ten last year.

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Sam Page “Breach”
After his spirited EP debut, Sam Page has a full length album. He lists his influences as Matthew Sweet and Jack White but on his opener “I Don’t Want To Think About Her Anymore” I also hear some Southern Culture on The Skids and The Presidents of The USA.  The guitar melody of “Hold On” has a pretty strong Weezer influence and “Now I Know” has a steady hook that keeps it memorable. Page has a way with bluesy rhythms and lyric on “Pheromones” that make it infectious fun. The guitar skill and warbling vocal on “Thinking About Thinking” is another charmer that brings his background as Philosophy professor in play. This is one performer with potential you cannot ignore, so check it out.

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John Amadon and The Records

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John Amadon “The Bursting Sheaf”
Portland based guitarist extraordinaire, Amadon gives us a quick reminder on the opening instrumental “Saltwater Crocodile,” so fans of guitar gods (Vai, Satriani, etc.) take note. But this is a minor diversion. “Walking The Shoulder” goes in the opposite direction, with a folk rock strum and an earnest vocal similar to Steve Forbert or Al Stewart.

“Set Stone” follows a similar path, with a delicate piano and guitar melody dripping with defiance, it starts “If I’m going to hell at least its a short march…” The West Coast feel and brilliant bass riffs on “Sisters of the Blue Horizon” bring to mind Thunderclap Newman and makes it one of the best songs here too. So no filler either; each song is well written and contributes to a cohesive whole LP. If this doesn’t make you an Amadon fan I don’t know what will.

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The Records featuring John Wicks “Works In Progress”
John Wicks opens up the archives for this this 12-song collection of demos, rare and unreleased recordings from 1982-2012.  This exclusive CD-R from Kool Kat Musik is a must for any  Records fan, and while there aren’t any big hits here, you get some very interesting songs. I loved “Union Jack,” a rocker in the style of The Who, that totally busts on the UK.

Kool Kat Musik exclusive

FREE EP Downloads: Sons of Great Dane and The Susan Constant

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Sons of Great Dane “You Can’t Lose It All At Once” EP
Sons of Great Dane have been busy since the last time we reviewed them. Consisting of Brent Windler ( Guitar, Vocals), EvanJohn Nash McIntosh (Guitar), Nolle Bond (Bass) and Brendan Culp (Drums) they are producing some excellent music, showcasing both alt. country and power pop.

The opening track “To A City I Have Known” is a solid example of how they build a riff-filled, harmonic gem. Then the laid back “Love, Desire, Failure”shuffles along to the Big Star like chorus and guitar fill between each verse. “Approximately 18th St.” is a stream of consciousness rant that runs out of breath… and starts again. Look for a new full length soon, as this is an excellent appetizer to make you hungry for more.

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The Susan Constant “Shapes” EP
Boston’s The Susan Constant continue to write impressive indie pop, and the new EP Shapes goes the extra mile, drawing from the live shows they are known for – it building excitement with epics like “Draw Us All” or short rocking blasts like “Locked Up.” The sounds are textbook alt. guitar led goodness similar to REM. It ends with “Midwestern You,” a U2 styled arena ballad that builds to a vocal crescendo. And you can’t beat the price.

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The Sun Sawed in Half and Magatha Trysty

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The Sun Sawed In Half “Elephants Into Swans”
It’s great to have one of my favorite bands from the 90’s return to form – The St. Louis based group led by guitar-loving brothers Ken (bass) and Tim Rose (lead). Back in the Not Lame heyday, they were a similar to Crowed House (another brotherly duo) but with a Jellyfish-like sense of melody and pitch perfect harmonies.

Well with Elephants into Swans, the band picks up where it left off, “You’re Into Something” gives us a minor chord melody with glorious horn flourishes. The title track is another jaunty melody with the kitchen sink thrown in – harmonies abound, almost to prove they haven’t missed a step. I did notice many more key changes in these songs, the lively chorus of “Brittle Star” being one example. The songs are great ear candy, but won’t exactly stick in your head immediately. Of course the exceptions are everywhere – the dreamy “Countess I Fear Something’s Wrong” with its chorus “they stole your song” oozing subtext. And the joyous “She Offers Her Heart” and amazing “You’re Getting Warm” are high points for me. Its not all perfect, the ambitious “Hobby Horse” doesn’t quite work. However, the Rose brothers stuff this LP with just enough gems that it merits inclusion into my 2013 best of list. Spend at least a week with this one.

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Magatha Trysty “Your Clothes Will Wear Themselves”
This Chicago band is the husband-wife team of Catherine Louise and Chris Bevard. This debut is a sure footed indie pop with a shared male-female vocal, that opens with the bouncy “Want To Stay,” with its catchy hummable chorus.

It also reminded me of 90’s bands like Velocity Girl, Til Tuesday or The Crash Test Dummies (without the Brad Roberts bass-baritone). On “Clairvoyant” Catherine really channels early Aimee Mann, and both “Brighter” and “Be Safe” are excellent songs. The group lets loose on “Sunday Dress” with new wave beats and shimmering guitar riffs. Uncommonly strong debut that deserves your attention.

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