Category: Top Ten of 2007 Candidate

It’s been a long time since I heard The Pearlfishers, and I hope we hear more from them and the wait isn’t so long next time. My last experience was in 1997, with “The Strange Underworld of the Tall Poppies” a light group of twee Beatlesque tunes – See here. Wow, they have matured. The latest album “Up with the Larks” is a baroque orchestral pop masterpiece. Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake lent a hand with producing four tracks, but it isn’t close to TF’s sound. This is a lush multi-layered album – David Scott has outdone himself here, with subtle dreamscapes that float through your ears like dandelion florets on a hot summer day. The title track, “Up With The Larks” opens with an ear-catching Todd Rundgrenesque melody and catchy harmonies. This is followed by “Bluebells” a song that equals Burt Bacharach in texture and complex arrangements with full strings. “Send Me A Letter” is a perfect male counterpoint to a Carole King-styled mid tempo number. “Womack and Womack” adds a bit of soul in it’s biting critique of the music industry. My favorite here is “London’s In Love” a beautiful love song with the orchestral majesty that puts Eric Matthews to shame. Another standout is “With You On My Mind,” a Randy Newman-type song with a much better vocal. Throughout the album are a lot of subtle Brian Wilson-isms and choral flourishes that push each song into greatness. These dramatic tunes have just the right mix of soul, tin-pan alley pop and folk sensibilities. Also no filler here – as every song is required listening. The finale ” I Just See The Rainbow” is a really heartfelt ballad and I’m positive some smart producer will take this album and use it’s songs for a hit Broadway show. It makes the ever expanding top ten list as well.

The Pearlfishers Site | My Space | E Music | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

Listen to “Womack and Womack”

Although this is a new band from Ashville, North Carolina, they are stocked with experienced musical journeymen. The various members have toured with the likes of Brand New and Manchester Orchestra, played at the world famous Cavern Club in Liverpool, England, and opened for bands such as No Doubt and Less Than Jake. Amazing EP debut from a group that has a great sound. From the opening track “What’s forever” to the end track “memory lane” it is near perfect. Clean production and sticky guitar hooks make them stand out from other groups. Every song will surely have you hitting the repeat button. Elements of ELO and the Beatles are mixed with newer alternative bands Spoon and Guster – it’s just incredible. I dare you to not be hooked here, from the Badfinger-like “All for Love” to the Beatlesque perfection of “Running out of Time.” I really want them to come out with a full album soon. This is the best EP debut of the year by a new band. period. Sorry Holy Fields – you come in second. Simply, get this EP if you love great music.

Treasury Website | MySpace | CD Baby

Earlier this month www.absolutepowerpop raved over this artist and I wanted to confirm this amazing find. Bill Majoros is a fixture of Hamilton Ontario’s music scene having been in many local bands, including The Cloudsmen in 2003. After he hooked up with Carl Jennings, they started this new project. This newest creation is The Foreign Films and if you’re into Robert Harrison’s Future Clouds and Radar or any Cotton Mather this is manna for your soul. The Foreign Films stylistically sound like John Lennon meets Guided By Voices with a bit of 10cc thrown in. The opening track “Remember to Forget” draws you in and the rest of the album won’t let you go. Rather than a group of disconnect songs, you get a sense of the epic themes of lost love, and alienation throughout the two disc set. “Invisible Heart” is the cool psych-pop tune that the Lonely H did well with a bit of Todd Rundgren thrown in. Like classic albums of the past – the Who’s “Quadrophenia” or The Beatles “White Album” – this is a classic double album. During the three years he worked on it Bill put his heart and soul into this and make no mistake, it sounds like it. The entire arc of 22 songs hits it’s stride with Badfinger-like “Lonely #1” and picks up tempo and steam with the poppy Beatles influenced “Smoke and Mirrors.” Not a bad track here either, amazingly the album continues to get brighter in tone and better the longer it plays. My one of my favorites here is the amazing “Polar Opposites” complete with Beach Boys inspired “ba-ba” vocal flourishes. “Cinema Light” is another winner with lush harmonies and great hooks. Blistering guitars take over on “Arcade By The Beach” and it ends with the baroque and complex suite “The Snowglobe.” This makes my top ten list (which is now turning into a top twenty). If ever an artist deserves to be “discovered” outside his native Canada, Bill Majoros and The Foreign Films is it. Order this from CD Baby and you will not be dissapointed.

Foreign Films Main Site | My Space | CD Baby

This was a very hyped release – and for good reason. It isn’t the second coming of The Jellyfish, but it’s pretty damn close. The opening number “SOOMA (All this Vision)” is pure genius. My imagination runs wild with this humorous take on corporate hubris. To me, it’s the opening number in “Steve Jobs, The Musical” and will run through your head for weeks. “Frobisher’s Last Stand” has the perfect hooks and minor chords that take the Jellyfish/XTC sound to a new level. This track also reminds me of the latest Honeydogs album. The McCarnety light flavor of “Jesus Wants My Soul Back” then leads to “Bipolar Diversions” which is such a massive mash-up of melodies that it would make 10cc blush. “My little Gangster” continues with equal parts Todd Rundgren, Styx and Queen. The production on the entire album is flawless as well. Like Bryan Scary’s album last year, you may give up trying to spot the influence and enjoy this carnival of sounds. Speaking of carnival, the goofy “Heimlich’s Manoeuvres” takes the concept a bit over the edge, like listening to Pink Floyd’s “The Trial” with another song slowly fading in. “Illuminati” is the note perfect missing track from Jellyfish’s “Split Milk.” My favorite track (it’s hard to pick) is “The End of The Party” a perfect mix of melodic hook and hard rock riff. Even the last track “Sleep” is a lullaby that Roger Manning could not have done better himself. Every track is relevatory, without any weakness and will have you crying for more. Thank you Willie Dowling, chief singer, songwriter and producer of “Bipolar Diversions,” one of the best of the year – easily.

Jackdaw4 website | My Space | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik | Itunes

Beagle was a major music force in 1992, and brought the power pop sound from Sweden to the US. In 1997, Magnus Borjeson, brainchild of the legendary group formed his new band Favorita. After the album was complete, the record label had problems surviving and never released it to the public. Years later, he started another pop band, Metro Jets – but rumors of a Beagle/Favorita reunion continued to circulate throughout the web. Now, the entire Favorita album, plus a bevy of bonus tracks have been released. Magnus made Favorita, a lot harder in sound than Beagle was, with the buzz-punk guitar of “Unamerican Activities” and the excellent single “I Can Change the World.” Lots of Favorita is wild, manic and full of noise, like “Seven Comforts” but Magnus never gave up a good hook in his music. Like Pulp, Supergrass or Manic Street Peachers, Favorita can hold it’s own to the punk-pop made during the mid ninties. In the middle of the album the melodies start to poke through the noise on “Slowfox and Waltz” and the relaxed ballad “Innocence.” Other songs, like “Now” just demand to be played loud and it’s hard to resist the hook of the great chorus on “Left of right.” Enjoy this recently unearthed treasure while it’s here! Excellent music for fans of hard guitar Brit-pop.

Popsicle Records | My Space | CD Baby | Kool Kat

Listen to “I can change the world (yeah)”