Category: Top Ten of 2008 Candidate

At the beginning of the year I reviewed The Krayola comeback album “Best Riffs Only”. A excellent album in it’s own right, Hector Saldana and the group break away from the Beatles mold a bit in this new album. The opening track “Alex” reminds us that The Krayolas are still Tex-Mex version of The Spongetones, with the catchy chorus and clean guitar riffs. The title track has elements of Dire Straits and The Kinks running through it. “We’ve got a Secret” is another great song that resembles a classic Dave Clark Five track with the ever present harmonica accents. There is more experimenting here too, like “Yakety Song” takes on a bar room blues tone and “Nolan Street Bridge” sounds like a Joe Jackson mid-tempo number. The ballads here do a great job too, like on “Deceiver” with it’s creeping rhythm and smooth vocal harmonies. The classic Krayolas’ song “Little Fox” is here sung in Spanish with the reliable Augie Meyers on Farfisa organ and accordion.  Even the secondary tracks here like “Statue Of Love” and “What You Gonna Do For Love” shine with a sparkling pop effort and quality. The album exceeds expectations by branching out it’s sound and style, without forgetting those guitar hooks and melodies that fans have come to enjoy. The album has also gotten rave reviews from rock critic, Dave Marsh on his Sirius radio show. Expect more raves from Texas Monthly and Harper’s magazine. But overall this is a most worthy addition to your music collection and I give it high marks and a nod to the top ten of 2008. Viva los Krayolas!

My Space | Emusic | Itunes | Kool Kat Musik

Listen to “La Conquistadora“

A lot of bands try to emulate the classic Beach Boys sound. Most have successfully copied the chord structures and instrumentation. Very, very few have been able to come close to the vocal dynamics of the original boys. The Explorers Club have done this, through lush arrangements and genuine four part harmonies. This type of sweet wistful sunshine pop is what “Freedom Wind” does better than most contemporaries. I heard bits and pieces in the previous year, that indicated a great Beach Boys-styled group. Jason Brewer’s vocals here are impeccable and if you are a Brian Wilson devotee, you can’t get any better. It’s songs about girls on the beach, circa 1966 before the ambitions of Pet Sounds would bring the boys dynamic to the brink and over the edge, with Smile. The title track “Freedom Wind” has the soulful vocal to an organ lead chorus with swirling harmonies you can almost imagine a less gin-soaked Dennis Wilson here. “Last Kiss” and “Do You Love Me?” are note perfect BB songs. “Don’t Forget The Sun” also makes use of the rich wall of harmonic sound that could fit on BB’s “Today” album. It’s not all sun and surf, as “Honey I Don’t Know Why” sounds like an outtake from a “Love You” 1976 session. And the sleepy “In the Country” is like a Carl Wilson solo track from 1972. The soaring vocals on “Forever” is so good it will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Every song here shines — not a bad one to be found. It stands alongside the work of Jeffrey Foskett or Jeff Larson easily. This top ten for 2008 nominee, picks up for millions of Beach Boys fans who want new music and the endless summer to continue into the 21st century.

My Space | Dead Oceans Label direct | itunes | emusic

Listen to “Do You Love Me?”

Listen to more of the album through muxtape

This is a great example of 4 part harmonic skill during the rehearsal.
And this is a really good example of why a band should leave the PR and advertising to professionals. Guys, don’t quit your day job.

Saving the best for last (end of the month)? Many other power pop sites have raved about Dave Dill this month, so now it’s my turn. Dave’s musical development has improved by leaps and bounds with “Follow The Summer” Starting with “Today,” it’s a perfect sunny summer pop song that evokes “Runt-era” Todd Rundgren with Brian May guitars. The harmonies and dreamy guitar swirls are accented by tamborine smacks, like early 10cc singles for AM radio. Next, “Miss America” is the ultimate McCartney meets Eric Carmen ballad with lush melodies that’ll make classic pop fans swoon. “Happily Ever After” is another amazing mid-tempo number with a blistering guitar solo on par with classic Badfinger. “Never So Beautiful” has a playful bit of XTC styled chord changes and uses all those classic rock influences to fashion out a true masterpiece along the lines of Andrew Gold’s “Fraternal Order OF The All.” Other songs “Don’t Remember” and “You Don’t Believe it” also resemble Gold’s best work. After the album mid point it ventures into Beach Boys land with “Pink Skies.” I will stop here, as you could keep reading raves all day about Mr. Dill. Every song is strong here and easily gets a nod for Top Ten for 2008. Sunshine pop fans shouldn’t even hestitate here. After you buy this album, put it in the player, listen to it, rinse and repeat.

Dave Dill’s web site | My Space | CD Baby

Dave Dill’s “Follow The Summer” Video

California pop artist Adrian Bourgeois starts with a great pedigree (his dad being part of the power pop band Bourgeois Tagg in the 80’s) and he’s been playing since he was three years old (no kidding). He’s been weaned on a steady diet of Beatles, Beach Boys and Neil Young growing up in Sacramento, CA. Opening with “Mr. Imaginary Friend,” it’s fresh harmonies and Beatlesque melodies are best compared with Jason Falkner and Michael Penn. This debut continues to be engaging and immediate with the gentle ballad “Clown Review” and continues with “Juniper” an Elton John meets McCartney piano ballad. Other highlights are the violin and guitar ballad “To Be (The First Man on Earth)” which brings comparisons to Elliott Smith or Nick Drake. The very Todd Rundgren-like “Silk from Ashes” picks up the tone with great melodic chorus and those fabulous “do-do-do” backing vocals. The song “My House” has a sweet catchy guitar lead with a superb vocal melody. “Melt in My Mind” continues the chord twisting theatrics with a full horn section and organ solos, that recall the best of Ben Folds. The dreamy “Summertime” continues in that style and doesn’t pull any punches either, as Adrian puts his soul out onto the table here. The Christian faith come out in “Jesus,” and is the sole overtly “Contemporary Christian Music” track. This album is pure power pop and this guy is only twenty years old (Drake Bell has some competition here) and did all of the instrumentation and arrangements. This is a very impressive debut, a top ten contender and I can’t wait to see what’s next. Don’t miss this one.

My Space | CD Baby | Adrian’s site

Although many iconic power pop bands are influential, very few bands can be called a standard barer for a genre. After the demise of XTC in 2002, other bands would keep alive the style and vision of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, but none with the perfection of Pugwash (although The Sugarplastic come close). Pugwash’s newest release ‘Eleven Modern Antiquities’ is a perfect power pop album, with a dazzling array of guest musicians, including Andy Partridge & Dave Gregory of XTC (Andy co-writes two tracks with leader Thomas Walsh), Neil Hannon of The Divine comedy, Michael Penn, Jason Falkner, The Section Quartet and Nelson Bragg of The Brian Wilson Band. The result is an amazingly awesome pop sound and best described by reviewer Alan Haber, “Walsh is a pop pundit who fuels his ideas with his deep-seated love of the pop form, whose admiration of the classic pop sound brought forth by bands like the Move and the Electric Light Orchestra and XTC knows no bounds, who lives and breathes what lies at the heart of great pop music and knows how to mix all of that up and create songs steeped in ideas that sing with melodies and harmony and the odd musical quote, and has the good sense, thank God, to share it all with the world.” The songs along the album have the right amount of balance, from soft ballads to multi-harmonic mid-tempo rock. Every track works, but the highlights here are that modern single “Take Me Away” with a killer bassline that drives the melody. Other ear melting tracks are the ELO-styled ballad “Here” and the sunny perfection of “Your Friend,” my favorite on the album. XTC fans: Don’t even think of buying anything else until you get this album, a top ten of 2008 potential winner for sure. I prefer to call the album “Eleven Modern Miracles” it will cure whatever ails you.

My Space | The Pugwash website | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame