Category: Top Ten of 2009 Candidate

Thanks to our good friend, Bruce at The Not Lame label, we have the awesome return of The Shazam with Meteor. The Shazam went through some significant changes since Tomorrow The World in 2003; new bassist/backing vocalist Mike Vargo replaced Mick Wilson in 2004. Lead vocalist Hans Rotenberry and Jeremy Asbrock are back with plenty of guitar crunch and killer hooks that brings to mind the bastard son of Cheap Trick, T.Rex and The Sweet. The sound is classic power pop helped in part by the legendary producer Mack (Queen, ELO). The vintage guitar chords get things started on a high note with “So Awesome.” This is music you play loud and jump around doing air guitar to. The mid-tempo “Don’t Look Down” is a big fat rock anthem that is one of many album highlights. Next comes “NFU” (Not F_’ed Up ) which is another fast paced gem with loud harmonies along the lines of Queen. “Disco At The Fairgrounds” sounds like it fell straight off of the “Sheer Heart Attack” LP. And “Dreamcrusher Machine” reminds me a little of The Strokes mixed with Urge Overkill as well. The album falls a bit short of the classic Godspeed the Shazam, but there is plenty here to celebrate. Lots of fun is to be had with “I Got The Bomb,” it’s faux Ramones chorus, and the guitar frenzied “Time for Pie” to close out this collection. We hope to hear more from this talented bunch (and hopefully we won’t have to wait another five years).

My Space | Itunes | Shazam Store | Not Lame

Listen to a clip from “So Awesome”

Listen to a clip from “Time For Pie”

Southern California’s Vinyl Candy has followed up the stellar “Pacific Ocean Park”with another rock and roll gem. The quartet here is Jim Leber, Matt Corey, Michael “WessC” Wessner, and Justin “JD” Brinsfield. The band has a distinct mid 70’s-era rock sound that mines influences like Queen, Bay City Rollers and Todd Rundgren pretty effectively. This album is also best compared to Imperial Drag with rock guitars paving the way for sticky pop sweetness. Opening with summery melody of “I’ll Be Fine (Part 1)” it has the reverb heavy guitars and Moog synths supporting the chiming harmonies in the chorus. The song moves seamlessly to “Fan Club History” with a Kiss-like ferocity in dense rock guitars and a heavy synth solo. “Chasing Time” is an fine mid-tempo pop example with a heavenly chorus and thick bass lines. “Gasoline & Tangerines” is another gem that tells more of the narrative of a life and possible death on the road. It can get close to the edge when all the varied loud sounds drown out the hooks (“Learn How To Fly”), but this is few and far between. “StarStruck” really comes closest to that Imperial Drag stabbing synth sound. The group has awesome vocal chemistry here, especially on the highlight “Want It So Bad.” The album ends with a slow “pub” version of the opener in “I’ll Be Fine (Part 2).” The theme of the album is the story of a rock star named “Land” and his rise to fame and ruin. It took a few listens to get the full linear story, but it flows nicely. Certainly this album should put Vinyl Candy on the rise to fame for sure.

Listen to “Chasing Time”

Listen to “Gasoline & Tangerines”

Utah native Lamar Holley emerges like a bolt out of the blue, and it’s clear he has a love of Broadway, Brill Building era songwriting style and dramatic power pop (Beach Boys, Beatles, Jellyfish, Queen, XTC). Confessions.. is like the soundtrack to an uber-nerd musical, on par with Paul Steel’s “April & I,” only at a higher grade level. The listener follows Lamar’s ups and downs during infatuation, rejection, and retrospect. Musically it concentrates on keyboards and perfect harmonies that plays a bit like Ben Folds without the bitterness. After a slick overture, the hooks start with “Biology” and the main monologue continues on the Jellyfish-styled “Forgotten Friends.” The compositions here are full of cascading melodies and layer upon layer of harmonies, dense instrumental details and genuine passion. Every song here is meticulously constructed for maximum emotional impact, and both powerhouse mid-tempo songs “Madame Shamrock” and “Pretend That’s She’s Ugly” are so catchy, you’ll be guaranteed to hear them over in your head all day long. It then takes us to the quirky “This is True” with it’s banjo lead, that reminds me of the band Fluid Ounces. The album’s second half then slows to a reverent romanticism that is the strongest musical statement I’ve heard since Pet Sounds. The next three songs that close out the album are like hymns to those “fleeting moments” of a love never requited. True to his vision, Holley will take this pop-musical on tour this fall, and I for one would not want to miss it. This album is also an easy contender for best album of 2009.

My Space | CD Baby | Lamar Holley’s site | itunes

Only recently did I get to enjoy Cheap Star’s debut album “Speaking Like An Elephant” released earlier this year. It’s an obvious mix of Cheap Trick and Big Star in the name, but the sound is The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Byrds, and Velvet Crush. In fact, this is almost a Posies album with Ken Stringfrellow and Jon Auer deeply involved here (producing, mixing, playing, etc.) . The other members from France are Remi, Thomas and Vincent and they are very good musicians that carry over the style perfectly. With the second album, Jon Auer formally collaborates with the trio and includes vocals. “Northern Sky” builds into a first class single with Auer’s vocal a smooth as ever. The other tracks are a bit more low key, as “Pop Music” and “You Got It All” sound like outtakes from the first album. “Changing Heart” is a robust, country tune that would make Gene Clark proud. It ends with the strong guitar work on “Josephine” and Auer projects the intensity of a doomed relationship and dueling harmonies of “I guess I’ll never know why.” For fans of the first album, this is a no-brainer – I would have most pop fans start with Speaking… first, as it’s another strong contender for my top ten of 2009 list, so don’t let it slip by you.

My Space | CD Baby

Sometimes you get lucky and a great band just pops up, like Spygenius. This electric four piece from London, starts with a Beach Boys a capella opening (“Dumb Angels”) then gets all hippy funky, similar to the 1910 Fruitgum Company with “The Ballad Of Dr T.F. Bundy & His Hirsute Sweetheart.” The next track “I Want That Girl” sounds like Jack Bruce (Cream) fronting for a Doors/Jellyfish hybrid. The band mashes together some diverse 60’s and modern influences, in a very original way. Songwriter Peter Watts does a great job here mixing the psychedelic stew of chords and harmonies on “Gilgamesh” as well. The album highlight here is the quirky masterpiece “Pineapple Drive” where it’s jammed together in a party atmosphere. The humor here is akin to Bonzo Dog Band, without being too over the top silly. Then the album’s serious side appears on “13 Years (May Song)” where they channel Crosby/Stills/Nash. As the album progresses the sixties influences fade. The softness of the “A Bottle Of Reds & Two Good Friends” will remind many of Rick Gallego and Cloud 11. The latter tracks have a more modern feel (“Wintergarden Summertime”) sounding a little like Green and Yellow TV. Overall an outstanding album that is sure to hook you in and keep you humming. I will go out on a limb here and say this eclectic mix deserves a spot on our year end “best-of” list.

My Space | CD Baby | Lala | Spygenius site

Spygenius performs at The Bedford Bandstand with three tracks from a previous album and an interview with Tony Moore.