Category: Vinyl Record Reviews

Radio Days and Pezband

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Radio Days “Back in The Day”

Italy’s Radio Days have paired themselves down to a trio and are going back to their roots on “Back In The Day.” In doing so the band moves away from the strict formulaic approach and decided to rock out, capturing an energy that is more like The Beatles on steroids with the opener “Why Don’t You Love Me Anymore?” The next several tracks are catchy and highly addictive, especially the double-time “You Won’t Fool Me Twice.” The title track follows a template closer to The Raspberries and makes its point, looking to the past for those tasty hooks.

The oddity here “Your Words” is a light pop tune with a reggae beat, but the band is quick to return to those chiming guitar chords and each track after is a solid gem. From the ballad ” You Bring Me Down” to the powerful backbeat of “Subway Station Girl,” Radio Days delivers the goods and never falls into a predicable rut, adding garage elements on “Smash This Party” and ending with another Beatlesque love song “Betta” which echoes a little of the Fab’s “Do You Want To Know A Secret?” My only pet peeve here is the compressed sound quality in the studio mix. Overall a great album that makes my top ten list for 2016. Ciao!

Bandcamp | CD Baby | Amazon


Pezband

Pezband “Women & Politics” EP

Chicago’s Pezband was one of the better known power pop bands in the late ’70s, following the path of their bretheren Cheap Trick and The Raspberries. But by 1980 after three albums and two live EPs, interest from their label vaporized and the group disbanded. The next year guitarist Mimi Betinis and drummer Mick Rain were energized and ready to to give Pezband another shot. Joined by original band member John Pazdan, the trio headed to Los Angeles to record “Women & Politics.” Unfortunately in the era of post-Knack backlash, the EP was shelved. Until now.

“Office Girl” has the angular guitars and beat that’s typical of the pre-new wave era. “Waiting In Line” is closer to a classic Pezband single, with its distinctive vocal interplay and jangling rhythm. “Fab Girlfriends” is another gem, with some excellent guitar shedding between the chorus and ending. “Russian Tanks” is a cold war era tune that compares well with The Clash and Public Image Limited. This is a vinyl release and a highly recommended one.

Frodis Records | Amazon

Balduin and Flake

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Balduin “All in A Dream”

Balduin is a bit of a mystery man from Switzerland,  but for lovers of retro pop this is one of the best recreations of psychedelic music I’ve heard. Heavily influenced by British pop of the late 60’s, Balduin performs these songs on a plethora of period instruments (sitar, mellotron, harpsichord, harmonium, etc.) and if you didn’t know better you’d think this was a lost gem from the record bins of 1968.

“Love Is You” is a sunny baroque pop confection similar to late era Beatles, and most consumer friendly with its sly hook. Next is the sitar raga “Which Dreamed It” recalling George Harrison, and the folky “Autumn” is a reverb heavy folk number like the Byrds or Donovan. Fans of retro acts like The Sunchymes or Any Version of Me will marvel at the delicate arrangements that Balduin creates, bringing the era to life. You can also play spot-the-influences of Syd Barrett, The Moody Blues, and The Kinks. There is some instrumental filler scattered about the 16 tracks, but most of these are gorgeous (“Prisma Colora”). “Father” is another standout, like a lost John Lennon solo (the missing piece between “Mother” and “Beautiful Boy”). Fans of period baroque can do no better. Highly recommended.
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Exclusively from Sunstone Records

Flake

Flake “Songs Without Words”

Okay, this weirdness isn’t power pop, but a Swiss duo Thierry Luethy, and Isabelle Ritter do make quality art-pop that deserves to be discovered. No label, no distribution, no publicity — just download the tracks from their website for free.

And while some stuff here is totally skip-able (“Everytime I Get The Shakes,”) there is enough here to make me appreciate the hard work Thierry and Isabelle put in. Check out the catchy “Hipster Girl” and the compelling chorus of “We Are The Night.” Ritter’s vocals are gorgeous and rescues the more ambient compositions, and more modern pop goodies are here too: “Shooting Star” and “As Time Goes By.” The method of discovery and price of admission are just right for finding new music.
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FREE Download on Flake-Music.com

Vinyl Records Edition: The Turtles

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There is a movement about and quietly the vinyl record is making a comeback. Some artists slough through this process knowing it appeals to a select (but growing) group of audiophiles. There is a false sense that with the ubiquity of digital music, vinyl is the new “artisanal” method for distribution. As the article in Slate states “the vinyl boom can be seen as yet another manifestation of the societal fetishization of all things “vintage” and analog, which is pretty clearly a response to digitization.” The statistic is that 75% of these sales are for rock music – my guess is if you look further, its for classic 60’s artists too. That brings us to this special vinyl record review:

The Turtles “45 RPM Vinyl Singles Collection”

Few bands navigated the tumultuous shift in popular rock style from clean cut pop harmonies of the British Invasion to the Psychedelic era than The Turtles. Lots of great bands just couldn’t make that shift, and just didn’t have the versatility. The list of casualties is long; The Beau Brummels, The Hollies, The Association, The Cryan Shames, etc. And even among contemporaries like The Grass Roots or The Monkees (who also thrived during that time) The Turtles did more than survive. They blazed a trail forward, with an unmatched satirical edge to their music.

Add to this the talents of Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman and Jim Pons (all who would move on to Frank Zappa’s Mothers), arranger/producer/bassist Chip Douglas and John Barbata. Kaylan’s vocals have stood the test of time, as one of the most distinctive in rock and roll, and the bands sense of humor was unlike anyone else at the time. You can hear this on the many singles of this newly-remastered vinyl disc box set. What stood out for me was the quality of the B-sides of these records. Songs like “Outside Chance,” written by a young Warren Zevon or the under-rated “Sound Asleep” which deserves a second listen. These 16 singles were personally compiled and packaged by the band in very limited quantities.   The Turtles 45 RPM Vinyl Singles Collection will be released via FloEdCo/Manifesto Records.

Get it from The Turtles | Amazon