Lee Hazlewood sings ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin”
Okay, the above track sounds like some studio tomfoolery. Below is the real hit song with the smoothest bass line ever written. Nancy Sinatra sings ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin”
Category: Power Pop Review
Pelle Carlberg "In A Nutshell"
Swedish songster Pelle Carlberg has a good sense of humor. In his self-titled opener “In A Nutshell” starts with two minutes of bleak boring piano, then two minutes of silence before the “pop” song begins “They say I need a hit song…” And the hilarious lyrics continue “I’d rather wear a leather thong.” Not bad. Pelle has a kind of soft pop approach similar to Belle and Sebastian or early Sondre Lerche. “Showercream and Onions” has a bouncy chorus that contradicts the distrubing lyrics “I like you, despise you.” Most of the album is low key and mellow, and fans of Nick Drake styled pop will enjoy it. “Middleclass Kid” has a bit of Billy Bragg styled storytelling with a great beat and a catchy hook. Pelle’s clever lyrics are easy to overlook, but they are brilliant and filled with sardonic wit. Other gems here are “Crying all the Way to the Pawnshop” and “I Love You Imbecile” – each with memorable chorus and rhythms. He kind of overreaches with the choir on the overly dramatic anthem “Pamplona” and the ballad “Why Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow?” didn’t really impress me. But overall a solid effort that pop fans will enjoy. Stream the entire album here or get a free download at the Labrador site (Swedish).
Pelle’s Website | MySpace | itunes | Amazon
Listen to “Clever Girls like Clever Boys much more than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls”
Listen to “I Love You Imbecile”
Lee Hazlewood R.I.P.
Lee Hazlewood, the pop svengali who wrote the Nancy Sinatra hit ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin”, died of cancer in Las Vegas on Saturday (August 4). He was 78. He was a recording eccentric who refused to acknowledge mainstream tastes; a songwriter capable of crippling fatalism (“My Autumn’s Done Come”) and playful country corn (“Dolly Parton’s Guitar”), and songs that use elements of both (“Dark in My Heart”); it’s all part of the highly contradictory legend of Hazlewood. His influence is felt all over today’s Alt. Country movement.
Listen to him sing “Summer Wine”
Jeremy Messersmith "The Alcatraz Kid"
Jeremy Messersmith is an Elliot Smith-styled singer, with a gentle wistful voice that make his new album “The Alcatraz Kid” easy to follow and enjoy. Wonderful lyrics and thoughful melodies that have just enough hooks to keep you involved. “Old Skin” is a heartfelt love theme and very memorable here. Bits of Sufjan Stevens, The Eels and even Bowie peek through as influences other than the late Mr. Smith. The instrumental tune on “Day Job” would fit fine on an Apple iphone commercial, but the story in the lyrics is compelling here as well. “Snow Day” is an upbeat tune here and conjures up images of warm cozy nights in front of a fire place, looking for that first snowfall. “Novocain” is also another keeper, with a great chorus about deadening heartache by “Passing another needle…” My only issue here is that album is pretty downbeat, all the way through without anything that exciting to get your blood pumping. But thank goodness the lyrics are not all bleak.This is a great start for Jeremy and hopefully we’ll hear more from him in the future. Purchase the album straight from MySpace or itunes.
Jeremy’s Website | My Space | Itunes | Princess Records
Jeremy "New Day Rising"
Jeremy Morris is at again. To me the amazing guitar work is what makes Jeremy stand out from a sea of other instrumentalists. This new 2007 release is a collection of melodic acoustic guitar pieces similiar in style and approach to “Still Waters”. Fans of progressive guitar will love this cd. It contains 10 Jeremy originals, a Pink Floyd cover and a Genesis cover. Time to relax and let the sounds just drift over you. Sometimes I can almost “hear” lyrics in the strumming on tunes like “Child’s Play” and “Sand in the Sun.” If traditional classical acoustic is your cup of tea, then listen to “Timeless.” Much of the wonderful sound reminded me of my favorite Phil Keaggy album “The Master & the Musician.” If you don’t have that one — it is worth seeking out as well.