Category: Top Ten of 2008 Candidate

It’s been a long time since we heard Tam Johnstone, aka The General Store. In 2002, the album “Local Honey” was a nice Brydsian slice of west coast pop. It took over four years to get to “Mountain Rescue” – but it sure as hell is worth the wait. The growth and maturity is evident in this new album and with help from a host of guest musicians it’s the most intricately crafted pop album I’ve heard all year. Starting out the gate with “Early Morning Fuzz,” it evokes “Harvest Era” Neil Young, The Byrds, Curt Boechetter and Elton John. The next track,”Come Around” really gets The Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y vibe perfect, as it could have fallen off of “Deja Vu.” The remaining tracks here start to allow Beach Boys influence to creep in. “Mountain Side” is the best Carl Wilson track he never made, with a slow slide guitar driving the melody and it’s simply gorgeous. A more overt Brian Wilson, Wondermints-type slow ballad, “Girls From The Mall” is similar in tone and approach to “The Warmth of The Sun.” The lyric here is the kicker, as the “bleak panorama of suicide” hovers over the scene. “Desert Weathered Highway” is another country flavored tune with catchy beat and it’s classic Eagles-styled pop. For you Beach Boys fans, “Nothing Can Come Between Us” is an opus that would fit perfectly on “Smile” and it will give you goosebumps on first listen.Every song here is a winner, as I could ramble about on and on about each one, but I’ll stop here. Easy pick for the Top Ten Album of 2008. Don’t miss it.

My Space | CD Baby | Itunes | Not Lame

This is an incredible find and an amazing debut. Brent is an Athens, GA songwriter and performer with a sound that perfectly captures the glory days of Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, and The Carpenters. For lovers of sunshine pop, this album is the holy grail – opening with the lovely “Everything That’s Grey” the piano and flute set the mood for the lush orchestral chorus that compares well to Rick Gallego (Cloud Eleven). Then the main single kicks into gear “Digging the Fault Line” overflowing with melody lines and the multi-layered vocal harmonies that will have you swoon. This album is like a cool breeze on a summers day, sipping tropical drinks from your patio. Brent’s vocals are similar to Jeff Larson, and with a female choral on “I Think I’m Falling in Love” brings to mind The Free Design or The Cowsills. This is the style of music that the Wondermints used to do so well and I haven’t heard much of lately. “Only Time” is another winner that evokes The Association and The 5th Dimension. Every song is lovingly crafted, from the duet with Amanda Kapousouz in “Love Is Burning Down Tonight” to the extravagant arrangements and sophisticated chord changes of “Good Morning Sunshine.” Then “This Sea, These Waves” moves into a dreamy Bossa Nova that is aural relaxation until the opus “More Than Everything” wraps up everything in a bow that sparkles like a Carpenters gem. Start your summer vacation early and listen to it on Brent’s site…

Brent’s Web Site | My Space | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

Listen to a snippet from “Digging the Fault Line”

After slowly downloading single tracks, the time has come to reveal the new Bryan Scary album. After roaring out of the gate last year with the debut album, Bryan Scary and The Shredding Tears are ready to really spread their wings. The group has a flair for drama and here it produces a concept album worthy of comparison with mid 70’s Genesis “Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” By throwing in everything and the kitchen sink in The “Flight of the Knife” it mixes the cinematic elements of Queen and XTC with the lyrical wordplay full of third-person narrative. This is evidenced on the opener “Flight of The Knife” with a variety of prog keyboards that recalls Tony Banks of Genesis. The story is something about a famous airship that visits planets and stuff, just read the lengthy libretto on the site. “Venus Ambassador” is a glowing mid-tempo song that adds classical piano catchiness with cool chord changes. The obvious single here is “Imitation of The Sky” with an amazing combination of piano, guitar riffs and rolling drums that will hook your ear faster than the “Ceiling on the Wall,” complete with a variety of harmonies and overlapping vocals. The supporting songs follow this theme and tell the story. “The Curious Disappearance of The Sky Ship Thunder Man” is the most operatic and is almost a musical show tune – it compares to 10cc’s “I’m Mandy Fly Me” with dazzling musicianship, and sparkling melodies. Then we get “The Purple Rocket” – a Sufaris meets Pink Floyd psyche-pop confection that has echos of Zappa all over it. “Mama Waits” almost sounds like a carryover from the debut album with a rousing circus organ solo. After a prog-rock intro, “Son of Stab” turns into a mashup of The Archies and Syd Barrett. The graceful piano work is awesome on the ballad “Heaven on A Bird” which includes a pysche-pop chorus Jellyfish fans will flip over. Like the last album, Scary uses so many influences, it can’t be pinned down on one type of style. Fans of early Genesis, ELO, Yes, Beatles and Frank Zappa will play this over and over. A truly excellent album that is an easy nominee for best of 2008 so far. Purchase direct from the label here.

Bryan Scary web site | My Space | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

Listen to “Son of Stab”

Power pop maestro Tim Boykin has done it again. The Lolas are a band that just keeps getting better with age. “Like The Sun” takes some tracks from 2006’s “Doctor Apache” and added a few newer songs to give the listener a whopping 20 tracks. So it’s almost like a double album. It opens with “Eye Eye” a touch of ELO, Byrds and Beatles that will ring through your head, and stay there. This is followed by the title track, which adds the right about of jangle and harmonies that lead you up the next song “The Laurie Song” – an awesome “Rain”-inspired psyche-pop masterpiece. And the relentless hooks keep on comin’ with the roaring guitars of “Me and Barbara Stanwyck” Fans of their previous incarnation,The Shame Idols will enjoy the great guitar work and indie power on “Going all the Way” – the solo is just awesome. The song “Blue Shadows” has a Beatlesque charm and “Watch The Movie” has Weezers innocent pop sweetness with Brian May styled guitar. Some songs get a bit more rough and garage-y, like “Action Woman” and “Ramon Ghetto Chef.” Toward the ends of album it even has a Sweet cover (“Wig Wham Bam”) and a very Mod-sounding Rolling Stones meet Early Who tune with “I Can Only Give Everything.” The songs go through every incarnation of great power pop from ballad to high powered riff machine and everything in between. With so much here and barely a miscue, it’s an easy choice to nominate this album for my Top Ten of 2008 so far. This album is essential listening – so don’t miss this one. Thanks for the music, Tim.

The Lolas site | My Space | Jam Recordings | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

Listen to “Eye Eye”

Listen to “Me and Barbara Stanwyck”

Listen to “Sticker”

Andy Goldberg is at it again and would you believe he can top the shining “Hooks, Lines & Sinkers”? I think with “Under the Radar,” Andy joins the pantheon of great power pop singer-songwriters, artists like Michael Carpenter, Willey Wisely and Mike Viola. The Beatles-inspired opener “Please Won’t You Please” will hook you for good, complete with the multi-tracked harmonic sweetness and Rickenbacker guitars. I am convinced Rich Pagano is really Ringo reincarnated (well, he was part of the Fab Faux). And this is no one-hit-wonder, as the next tune “Ain’t Gonna Stop” is a lovely mid-tempo Badfinger meets The Red Button type song. The hooks pile on as well in “Feel The Sun” – and I dare you not to do handclaps to this one! Then “Water Blue” shuffles into a mellow place, like if Air Supply was fronted by The Hudson Brothers. All the tunes here are fantastic and that Hudson Brothers meets George Harrison vibe follows through the rest of the album. The next song, “Missing You” has a bit of Jeff Lynne, with those amazing chord changes that stick in your head all day. Andy could’ve easily over-produced any of these songs, but he doesn’t and that’s what separates the men from the boys here. Nothing weak here and the balance between vocal and instrumental professionalism is perfect. This is easily on my best of 2008 list. Don’t miss it. It’s a Kool Kat Musik release – so get it now.

My Space | Kool Kat Musik