Category: Top Ten of 2020 Candidate

EP Reviews: The Lickerish Quartet and a new interview with Roger Joseph Manning Jr.

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The Lickerish Quartet

The Lickerish Quartet “Threesome Vol. 1” EP

It’s been almost 30 years since former Jellyfish bandmates Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Eric Dover, and Tim Smith worked together on Split Milk (1993) but they’ve been teasing a semi-reunion for several months now. Well, the wait is over, and the three are now under the name The Lickerish Quartet. While it isn’t Jellyfish, it will be close enough for most fans of the revered cult power-pop band. Manning told me that there are no big egos in this project and the trio equally contributes to all the songs here.

The spritely “Fadoodle” starts the EP and it’s the most Jellyfish like tune here, a Dover-written gem that bounces along with lustful glee. Manning’s “Bluebird’s Blues” is next, a mid-tempo ballad that has all the layered sonic details building as it slowly veers into Jellyfish land toward’s the song’s end. “There Is a Magic Number” is distinctly different, a slower tune with twangy guitar and swirling synths. The EP ends on a 6 minute plus epic “Lighthouse Spaceship.” With a commanding glam guitar riff and a memorable melody in the chorus, it almost heads into Imperial Drag territory, before the piano coda fades in and the psychedelic details build-up towards a satisfying end, including a little “I am The Walrus” styled chorus at the fade. Overall a smartly detailed EP that will have fans salivating for more. Makes my top EP list for 2020, and Highly Recommended!

Amazon

Interview With Roger Joseph Manning Jr.

Despite some technical difficulties, I was able to speak with Roger about the new band, and the challenges of making this EP. Plus a preview of what’s coming next after Threesome, Vol. 1 including his next solo EP. Hopefully, the audio player will load below…

Lickerish Quartet

The Bye Bye Blackbirds and Tommy Ray!

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The Bye Bye Blackbirds

The Bye Bye Blackbirds “Boxer At Rest”

It’s been a tense time for the band The Bye Bye Blackbirds, reflecting on the passing of friends, and loved ones — the band’s founding member Lenny Gill required a heart transplant and months of hospitalization and rehabilitation. The band patiently worked on the album and waited for Lenny to recover and contribute. The result is a more personal take on loss and an extremely strong album. Add to this producer Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices, Nada Surf) and engineered by power-pop legend Chris von Sneidern, and you have a potential classic. The production here is flawless.

“You were All Light” is an excellent start, with a driving beat and heavier riffs, and notable horns overlaid onto the lead melody towards the end of the song. Lead singer Bradley Skaught and Kelly Atkins add some rich harmonies on “So True” to go with the simple rhythm and the jangle-tinged rock of “Baby It’s Still You” is another winner. The acoustic ballad “Words and Signs” bring to mind Big Star, and “Watch Them Chime” is a rare burst of optimism with its climbing major riff. That feeling continues on the 7-minute groove-fest “If It Gets Light.” It’s got an infectious beat that gives way to wild guitar theatrics. “All Our Friends” is a fitting and uplifting end. This LP makes my top ten for 2020 list, so it’s super Highly Recommended!

Pre-Order from Bandcamp


Tommy Ray

Tommy Ray! “First Hits Free”

The Cry! had a pair of great glam-styled power-pop albums over 5 years ago. Lead singer Tommy Ray’s solo LP is the long-awaited follow up and will not disappoint fans, as it keeps the gritty punk energy and layered guitar riffs with an even harder edge. “Aint No Use” sets the fast pace, a song that recalls The Damned, The Real Kids and The Only Ones.

The songs all have a fun anthemic punk quality, “Life Goes On” is a sing-along that rumbles to its catchy chorus. The storytelling aspect of the lyrics is emphasized more than the previous work. Highlights include themes of obsession and hard luck rejection on “Suzanne,” “Tuesday’s Girl” and “Take A Chance.” Tommy Ray finally turns things up a notch on “No Better Than This,” with an impressive composition and multi-instrumentation that I wish he did more often. Like Geoff Palmer (The Connection) recent solo work, Tommy Ray’s music is meant to be played loud, so crank it up. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

 

The Overtures and Travel Lanes

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The Overtures

The Overtures “Onceinaworld”

Move over Weeklings, you’ve got some competition.  The Overtures are the UK’s finest Sixties tribute act, performing for the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and Elton John at their private parties. With this debut, they put themselves on that map as more than a cover band in a big way. British invasion and Beatles influences are front and center here, but the songwriting and musicianship are what carry the day.

Starting with “Till Your Luck Runs Out” it’s got a chorus that sticks to your brain fast, full of Rickenbacker jangle and precision similar to The Spongetones. The title track is just as good, and they don’t stand still stylistically either. The “Don’t Wait Too Long” is a top-notch ballad and “Watching The Grass Grow” reminded me of the Idle Race a bit. Then “Find Out What You Mean to Me” has a wicked skiffle beat and a deadly hook. Every track hits the mark and this easily makes my top ten for 2020 list. Super Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


Travel Lanes

Travel Lanes “On”

Philly band Travel Lanes is back, and it’s a lot of fun. Lead singer/songwriter Frank Brown has a wonderful sense of melody and style in all his music.  You’ll hear Rockpile (a la Dave Edmunds,) Tom Petty, and Elvis Costello as major influences here. Vocally he sounds a lot like Dan Isreal and at the starting point “True and Tried” is pretty inventive with unexpected key changes and layered guitar riffs.

Next, the honky-tonk “Answer My Prayers” has catchy pedal steel, and it sticks to your head fast. “Mr. Lux” is another fast-paced crowd-pleaser, then it settles into a comfortable “Routine,” with some odd synth breaks in that song. I found that the country slanted rockers like “Lover’s Lane” resonated with me a little more. With only eight songs it’s a short album however, the songs are high quality. Even the finale “Can’t Lose” is pretty compelling. No filler and highly recommended.

Amazon

Disq and An XTC Celebration

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Disq

Disq “Collector”

Disq is a fresh Wisconsin band started by middle school classmates Raina Bock and Isaac DeBroux-Slone. Now at 19 they recently expanded the band to a five-piece band and from the album’s beginning, it makes a great impression. “Daily Routine” is a very relatable look at modern drudgery as Issac sings “This is my daily routine. Spend my hours on a computer screen…” I love the video too, which borrows the appearance of old The Monkees TV show. The duo has a great knack for hooks and layered melodies reminiscent of Pavement, Weezer and Teenage Fanclub.

The earnest “D19” is a love song about a microphone (and not a metaphor for anything else). “Loneliness” is a great tune that builds to its defiant strummed chorus mourning a lost relationship,  and “Gentle” is very much in the Weezer style, with a crunchy layer of fuzz guitar between verses. The tone shifts from the acoustic “Trash,” then it goes into the riff-heavy garage tongue-in-cheek nihilism of “I Wanna Die.” Each song is carefully constructed to fuse all of the band’s influences to a single distinct sound, so no filler here. Yeah, power pop is not dead to this new generation of kids. Highly recommended.

Amazon


The Overtures

Assorted Artists “Garden of Earthly Delights – An XTC Celebration”

This is not the first artist tribute to XTC, that honor goes to 1995’s Testimonial Dinner.  But Futureman Records new tribute is much larger (49 tracks!) and a more comprehensive selection from the entire career of this well-loved band.  I really like it when an artist puts their own spin on Partridge and Moulding’s songs;  a few good examples include The Shellye Valauskas Experience “Wonderland,” Chris Price’s acoustic “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead,” and Michael Simmons “Wrapped in Grey.”

With so many tracks here it can be hit or miss at times, but these talented artists with strong pop sensibilities can’t do much better than to cover some of XTC’s songs. Overall an impressive collection and downloads benefit The Wild Honey Foundation.

Bandcamp only

Anton Barbeau and Gary Ritchie

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Anton Barbeau

Anton Barbeau “Kenny Vs. Thrust”

Prolific cult musician Anton Barbeau is the melodic dadaist for the 21st century and proves it with his strongest release in a long time. His poetic, freestyle lyrics and unique vocals are supported by solid psyche pop rhythms. It’s tough to categorize Barbeau, but his distinct style falls somewhere between Robyn Hitchcock and Julian Cope. “Wire from the Wall” is a good start with its memorable chorus and tin can percussion, then we get the XTC-meets-The Velvet Underground gem “Beautiful Bacon Dream” brimming with texture and melodic distortion.

“Jingle Jangle” has an obvious 12 string melody that feels majestic and the nonsensical “Clean Clothes in a Dirty Bag” is a slightly goofy rocker that will get you moving.  Other standouts include  the lush “Back to Balmain,” the quirky and catchy “Popsong 99” and “Mahjong Dijon.” The album title refers to Anton’s backing bands; “Kenny” in the US and “Thrust” in the UK. But I couldn’t tell much difference, as Anton (and the listener) is the winner in this bout. Certainly a highly recommended album.

Amazon | Big Stir Records | CD Baby

Gary Ritchie

Gary Ritchie “Head On A Swivel”

Gary Ritchie is a classic power-pop artist, similar in style to Jamie Hoover or Gary Frenay whose music can light up the room, and lift your mood instantly. The Beatle wig on the cover offers a clue, that Ritchie has a fab sense of songwriting. “Maybe It’ll Be Tonight” does this with a Raspberries-like guitar riff and a chorus that sticks fast to your brain. Next, the title track has echoes of McCartney as it bounces along, and “Emergency Time” is another classic melody with handclaps and punchy percussion.

The album continues to deliver excellent music quickly and cleanly with “Here We Go Again” and “False Alarm.” The tone slows down on the semi-tropical “Lean On You,” but it’s a momentary pause as “Arms Around A Memory,” “Matter of Time,” and “You” are brilliant songs that round out this album. “Record Store” is a great little vignette about trying to pick up a girl at the local shop, and it reminds me a bit of Lannie Flowers. Almost every song hits the mark and after a few spins, it will quickly become your new favorite LP. It’s hard to argue that this shouldn’t be in the top ten for 2020 — and of course, Highly Recommended.

Amazon | CD Baby