Category: Top Ten of 2018

Sloan and Jeff Litman

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Sloan

Sloan “12”

“There’s only so much time we can kill here” states Chris Murphy on the opening track “Spin Our Wheels,” from the band’s 12th album. Sloan is without question the most consistent and longest lasting power pop band with its original line-up (27 years!) It’s easy to take for granted just how good Sloan is, as the melodies, harmonies and hooks always deliver. Like 2014’s Commonwealth, each member contributes a few songs to what is a “normal” sized Sloan album.

Murphy’s “All of The Voices” has a simple melody line and sounds a little like a power pop version of Nirvana. “Right to Roam” is a jangle-pop gem, that’s more traditionally Sloan-like. Guitarist Patrick Pentland’s “The Day Will Be Mine” boasts those thick riffs and rising chords, as the chugging “Essential Services” breaks things up with a 10cc styled piano and harmonies about the relationship between themselves and the fans. More greatness is found on the rocking “Don’t Stop (If It Feels Good Do It)” and it keeps getting better with “Have Faith.” No real dull songs and the album has a positive vibe mostly, and an epic slow moving finish; “44 Teenagers.” Like most Sloan albums I’ve reviewed, this hits my top ten list for 2018. Highly Recommended (well, DUH).

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Jeff Litman

Jeff Litman “Crowded Hour” EP

NYC indie musician Jeff Litman is back and he’s going in a different direction. The opener “One Foot Forward” is an aching ballad with simple electro-beat that grows with the addition of Andi Rae Healy’s vocals to become a strong affirmation. “Only You” is closer to the Jeff we are familiar with but after that, it’s all atmospheric soul searching. It works best on the title track, where a strong melody, lyrics and echoing production deliver greatness. Fans of early-’80s Peter Gabriel and Joe Jackson will enjoy this one.

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Amoeba Teen and Magpie

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Amoeba Teen

Amoeba Teen “Selection Box Vol.1”

From Stourbridge, UK the duo of Mark Britton and Mike Turner put together a collection of power pop songs and reformed Amoeba Teen with Simon Muttit (Bass) and Carl Baylis (drums). They even played last years International Pop Overthrow festival, at the iconic Cavern in Liverpool.

“This Spark” has plenty of punch, the thick riffs contrast with Britton’s clean vocal harmonies. The guitars don’t get heavier but “Pop!” feels like a sequel, with the refrain “I try to keep up, but I can’t stop” that will burrow into your brain. Next, “The Damn British” is a fine mid-tempo ballad where the chorus combines with a strong bass line, harmonies, and an emotional message. Some of these tunes came from Britton’s last LP and still sound just as sweet. “Dear Rosa” is a McCartney-like song similar to his “Afternoon Tea,” and the Jellyfish-like “Family Guy” is another delight.

The iconic riffs of “Hearts and Minds” lead to a rich melody that stands out among the new songs and it’s my favorite here. The Beatlesque “Long Live Memory Lane” starts with strings and ends with horn flourishes, sure to impress. While there is no clear consistency, the music is very good and you can get the album from the band’s site FREE for a limited time.  Highly Recommended.

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Magpie

Magpie “Picasso on a Log” EP

Magpie is made up of members of two excellent bands. Andy Morton and Mike Poulson are in Bronco Bullfrog, Paul Tozer and Chris Woodland are from The Bad Detectives. Combined you get a great selection of shimmering summery music, and from the opening notes of “She Knows Where I Live,” you just know this is awesome. It’s got a 60’s style vibe and a Rubinoos styled chorus and jangling guitar break.

“Don’t Turn Your Back On The Sun” slows down to an indie roots style with its jangling Rickenbacker rhythm and bouncing bass line perfect for the beach. “Wrote Me A Letter” has that Big Star vibe and “Daisy Paints Her Fingers” is another gem that makes me scream for more. Only four songs, but damn are they good! A top ten rated EP for sure.

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Linus of Hollywood and Watts

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Linus Of Hollywood

Linus Of Hollywood “Cabin Life”

Like a fine wine, Linus Dotson seems to just get better with age. The California singing/songwriter/producer is back with more irresistible songs guaranteed to live on your playlist for the rest of the year. The title track starts out with a light melody that grows with a sing-along chorus, a whistle about “goin’ to the woods” and off the grid. Next “At All” is a Squeeze-like melodic rant against an ex who cheated and lied, and then got back in touch online.

“Wasted and in Love” is another gem with “yeah, yeah, yeah” in the chorus and a bassline that leads everything else along. The simple acoustic guitar continues the narrative after “the liquor is done,” on mid-tempo “I Can’t Sleep.” The slow bossa nova beat of “Summer On Your Shoulders” stands with one of Linus’ best sun-soaked melodies. Each song is carefully constructed to lift the spirit, even the slow ballad “Snow Day” rises with its choral backing and majestic chords. It’s also notable that there isn’t an obvious single either. Without a false note or any filler, what else can I say about this album? It plays so well, the minutes fly by and then you need to put it on repeat. It clearly ends up on my top ten for 2018 list, and super duper highly recommended.

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Watts

Watts “We’re All Done With Rock and Roll” EP

Yeah, right. Like when Pete Townshend declared “Rock is dead,” we didn’t believe him then either. Watts continues to churn out riff-tastic rock and roll, and this opener is a FREE download from the band. Next, “Hi Definition” features the chorus “You wanna get me high” that climbs after each repeat.

But the best song here is the catchy “Sunlight Alleys” with a Raspberries like guitar melody, John Blout’s raspy vocals, and some hand claps. The closer “Tear It Up” lives up to its name, with an AC/DC like rhythm guitar attack. It’s always great to hear Watts, and this is another “must get” addition to our collection. Oh, you bet it’s recommended.

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Chris Price and The Rallies

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The Carousels

Chris Price “Dalmatian”

After last year’s brilliant Stop Talking, Price collects a few songs written during these sessions and added some new ones. Price continues to deal with contrasts and character studies of damaged people early on in Dalmatian. Starting with the chugging beat of “Sick Boy,” its a catchy ode to a remorseless killer who “likes his gun, it turns him on.”  The piano ballad “Fever Dream” is a flowing emotional melody with delicate harmonies about “going down the rabbit hole” of love.

The tone shifts on “Roller Coaster,” a rocker that boasts a tasty baseline and beat sure to be a favorite, its the definition of a power pop classic. “The Dream is Over (But We’re Just Waking up)” is a self-reflective piano tune with some great layered harmony lines, and “Discount Love” has rocking dance beat and a Beach Boys-styled “umm-bop-ditty” backing that would’ve been a huge hit if it was released in 1976. I found no filler anywhere, and even though this album isn’t as thematically unified as  Stop Talking, it strikes a more balanced tone. And despite the “odds & ends” approach, it sounds like Price is having a lot of fun here as well. Makes my top ten and appears at the top of that list for 2018 so far. Don’t miss this one. Super highly recommended!

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The Rallies

The Rallies “Serve”

There will always be great music that slips through the cracks, and The Rallies Serve is one of those albums last year I wish I heard earlier. The Rallies are a tight four-piece band from Tacoma, Washington fronted by Steve Davis (vocals/guitar), Lee Brown (drums), Jeff Weidman (guitar), and Rick Jones (bass). Fans of The Rembrandts, Matthew Sweet, and Crowded House will really enjoy the Rallies sound.

The opener “Don’t Give Up” is a solidly strummed melody in the tradition of Tom Petty that speaks of hope. The jangling gems “Whatever You Thought,” “No One Knows,” and“Every Now and Then” all feature solid songwriting and easy on the ear melodies. The catchy “So Right” boasts a great rhythm and harmonies that drives the song forward. The style and tone of the songs are all very consistent, and if you wanted to nitpick – it would’ve been nice to see a little more variety. That mentioned, The Rallies are a force to pay attention to, and I hope to hear more from them in the near future. Highly Recommended.

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The Incredible Vickers Brothers and The Creachies

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The Incredible Vickers Brothers

The Incredible Vickers Brothers “Torch Songs for Swingers”

The Incredible Vickers Brothers are no circus act, but a pair of multi-instrumentalist brothers that draw influences from British ’60s pop, and Americana with tightly written songwriting. Produced by Allan Clapp (Orange Peels) it is a more mature offering than their debut Gallimaufry from ten years ago. The focus of the music is on music dealing with loss, longing, memory and mid-life crisis. It all slightly reminded me of an Americanized version of Martin Newell’s most recent work.

Opening with “Mirrors” it’s a catchy jangling melody that begs many repeat listens, about the horrors of aging; “Mirror, mirror on the wall/ why you make me look so small?” The almost Kinks-like rant “Money Gonna Buy Me” about the loss of influence sticks with you, as the big chorus of “Faded Away” delivers an anthemic punch. “Bleaker and Bluer” is a brilliant highlight, like a late XTC styled composition it also deserves attention. Slower moments of “In Memory” and “Over and Out” have a feeling of calm resignation, but they are balanced by the solid guitar rant “Blue Collar Cruel” the best Lou Reed song he never wrote. The music has those familiar touch points, but the compositions are pure Vickers originals, and I could not find a single wasted note.

It is said a lot of power pop has a focus on blind nostalgia, days of teen longing with an optimistic point of view. This is not that kind of album, but a clear-eyed, sober look at where you are and where you’ll be going. At the end of the album, Bob Vickers sings “Sometimes we bury the living while taking care of the dead.” This plainly makes my top ten for 2018 best of list. Don’t miss it.

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The Creachies

The Creachies “The Creachies”

A hyper quirky pop band from Baltimore — the Creachies create a melodic dream pop meets Devo sound on the opener “The Creachies Are Here” and “Welcome.” Then the guitars come out on “Not Never And,” it sounds like a mix of Shonen Knife and the B-52s.

The music on hits the sugar highs a few more times with “Pants Off” and “Do You Think I’m Interesting?” There is a lot of creativity on songs like “We Were Babies” and “Error 500,” but there seems to be some filler too. Definitely worth the affordable $5 download. Enjoy!

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