Josh Rouse and a Kool Kat Xmas Vol.3

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Josh Rouse

Josh Rouse “The Holiday Sounds of Josh Rouse”

So what defines a Christmas album exactly? Does it require sleigh bells and covering the same old songs? Nope. Josh Rouse decided to make a Christmas album that gets to the emotional essence of the holiday. Like his recent touring partner Nick Lowe, who had the excellent Quality Street holiday album, Rouse penned nine originals that feel as warm and cozy as chestnuts roasting over an open fire.

The jazzy overtones of “Mediterranean Xmas” are all about vacationing in a tropical locale “making snow angels in the sand” and the jaunty “Red Suit” describes the jolly one getting dressed for work, echoing Paul Simon in approach. “Sleigh Brother Bill” increases the tempo and percussion, as he rememberers childhood sleigh rides. “Heartache Holiday” boasts a big catchy sing-along chorus between the dour verses. Rouse’s style is so cool and relaxed, you could picture him sipping a martini between each song. “New York Holiday” recalls Vince Guaraldi’s piano stylings and the stories of wistful holiday memories continue with the lovely “Christmas Songs,” (he even mentions Guaraldi here) a perfect coda to this delightful album. Highly Recommended.

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Kool Kat Musik

Various Artists “A Kool Kat Kristmas Vol. 3”

Kool Kat Musik teams up with Futureman Records to deliver this sweet treat. This is the first year all the artists included are from both labels exclusively. We open with the super catchy “Have a Very Very Very Merry Christmas” by Everet Almond, and continues with a great set of music from The Decibels, The Junior League, The Season’s Greeters (featuring Kurt Baker), Nick Frater, Athanor, Richard Turgeon, The Stan Laurels, Stephen’s Ruin, Emperor Penguin, Tommy and The Rockets, Ed Ryan, and Steve Somerset’s Shadow Kabinet.

It‘s important to note that $5 from the sale of every copy will be donated to The American Cancer Society. In 2019, there was be approximately 140,690 cancer cases diagnosed and about 103,250 cancer deaths in the U.S. This is a great cause that deserves your support, and you get a great holiday compilation. Highly Recommended.

Kool Kat Musik


Oh – in case you’d like the entire Kool Kat Kristmas Kollection to keep things nice and tidy, get Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 here.

Lannie Flowers and Empty City Squares

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Lannie Flowers

Lannie Flowers “Home”

Lannie Flowers is an amazing talent and despite not having a new LP since his Live In NYC album, he’s been very active. Worth the wait, Home boasts Lannie’s strongest songwriting to date. It starts quietly with the upbeat and catchy “Running.” The layered guitar hooks are familiar to Lannie fans, and the title track is a comforting mid-tempo rocker that encompasses the album’s main theme, which is that “home” is where the heart is, and wherever you are in life.

The album is very introspective, as Lannie lightly strums “My Street.” The observational lyrics are sweetly endearing, and the follow up “Anyway” is another brilliant bit of songwriting that recalls Paul Simon or Adam Schlesinger. The Texas-style comes through on “Free To Dream” and “I Got A Secret,” with its mellow verses and slow rhythms. Thankfully the rockers come back with the melodic bliss of “Just Go To Sleep,” the Lennonesque “Shine A Light,” and the wicked bass-driven melody for “It’s All Over.” And Lannie wears his heart on his sleeve with each of these songs of heartbreak and doubt, like on “Missing You Tonight” and “He’s Got Himself.” Every song here is fined tuned to resonate with emotion. Highly Recommended and earns a spot on my top ten list for 2019.

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Empty City Squares

Empty City Squares “337”

New Jersey’s John “Yanni” Fotiadis is the main songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of Empty City Squares. This artist has been mostly under the radar, but now he should be getting a little more attention. Fotiadis has a gift for composition and production, his influences point directly to the mid 70’s peak of post-McCartney rock (Wings, Andy Pratt, Gilbert O’ Sullivan, David Essex).

The opener “Neighborhood Van Gogh” is a shimmering example of power pop, with handclaps, layered percussion, and a driving beat. The technique is very compelling, “A Big Sunset” and “Sometimes You Need To Look Back (When You Look Ahead)” reminded me of 70’s pop oddity Brian Protheroe, but with Abbey Road like ambitions. I found “Campaign Song” especially rang a lot of those melodic bells with terrific musicianship and dramatic lyrics. “Overly Sentimental” is another big highlight with a boogie-woogie guitar rhythm that’s simply infectious.

However some songs weave in more than one style during a chorus, and while interesting, it loses melodic hooks in the process. John packs many musical ideas into each song and often the songs run over 5 minutes. Another issue is that his vocals don’t always rise to the material written. For example, “Just Play” proves a great tune that simply falls short without an aggressive rock vocal. Despite these flaws, most of the songs are worthy of repeat listens. This is music that deserves to be heard, and I can’t wait to hear what John does next.

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Ho ho holiday singles! The Weeklings, Johnathan Pushkar, Peggy Sue, The Lunar Laugh, The Popravinas, The JAC

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The holiday season is upon us, and the holiday singles are already here! The Popravinas of sunny California are looking for presents, while Joe Algeri, aka The JAC has reliably delivered a stocking stuffer every year. Peggy Sue is a vocalist from UK that I just found and liked – new LP is expected in February. All these singles are FREE downloads. And at the last minute, The Lunar Laugh share a festive moment recorded live at VZDs in Oklahoma City, OK.





The Weeklings celebrate the season with the original “Gonna Be Christmas”- Get the single on  Amazon


Johnathan Pushkar covers The Beach Boys “Little St. Nick” – Get the single on Amazon


More singles will be posted as we get closer to Chanukah and Christmas

Jeffrey Foskett and Stephen Clair

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Jeffrey Foskett

Jeffrey Foskett “Voices”

Jeffrey Foskett isn’t a household name, but he really should be. One of the most versatile and skilled vocalists in pop, he spent most of his career with The Beach Boys. He sang the high falsettos previously credited to Carl Wilson and was a dependable vocalist for countless live shows. Unfortunately, his singing career was cut short in early 2018 when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Surgeries and treatments have led to the loss of a vocal chord, but he continues to play other instruments. Foskett’s stunning a cappella singing pays tribute to several pop classics and was recorded over several years’ time.

The easy-going “Feelin’ Just The Way I Do” by Hawaiian pop duo Cecelio and Kapono is very typical of Jeff’s solo work, and the gentle rendition of Buddy Holly’s “True Love Ways” is perfect for a slow dance. But it wouldn’t be a Foskett LP without some Beach Boys covers. This is where Jeffrey kills it. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Good Vibrations” are faithful to Brian Wilson’s vocal arrangements, but on “Warmth of The Sun,” I think it’s even better than the original. Jeff’s version of The Association’s “Everything That Touches You” is untouched by instrumentation and showcases his amazing harmonic skills. Another jaw-dropping display of vocal skill is his rehearsal on Neil Sedaka’s “Laughter In The Rain.” The collection is a touching portrait of Foskett’s love of harmony and compelling melodies, so do yourself a favor and get this now.  Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


Stephen Clair

Stephen Clair “Strange Perfume”

NY musician Stephen Clair makes a basic statement with his new album, Strange Perfume. It’s that rock and roll doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles to be good, but it does need emotional resonance to make an impact. Clair’s sound is what I would consider alternative garage rock, you’ll hear influences from Lou Reed, Wilco, Soul Asylum and The Rolling Stones. Stephen is joined by bandmates Aaron Latos, Daria Grace, Nate Allen, and Brad Hubbard.

The title track starts with a grungy kind of jangling rhythm and Clair’s understated, but deep vocal keeps things moving. “Cadillac Jack,” is a big highlight, similar to Tom Petty’s style with a steady beat and ethereal backing vocals in the chorus. “I’ve Got Trouble” has more guitar muscle, like the Stones a little with the barroom croon, “I’ve got no trouble, getting into trouble, it just comes to me.” Another highlight is “Crown Of Man” with its grimy guitar slowly trudging forward full of squelches, and the tempo increases as it gains traction. “What Got In Your Head” is another slow grower that sticks. Overall a terrific LP full of bluesy rock that deserves to be heard.

Amazon

https://youtu.be/tthtzn-J068

Pernice Brothers and Project: Ghost Outfit

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Project Ghost Outfit

Pernice Brothers “Spread The Feeling”

This is the Pernice Brothers’ first new album in nine years. And Joe Pernice almost makes it look effortless with excellent songwriting and stellar musicianship. Starting with the simple strums of “Mint Condition,” it flowers into a catchy gem full of richly textured sound. “Lullabye” opens with those ’80s styled guitar notes, resembling Modern English and “The Devil and The Jinn” is a classic Pernice return to form. A story told with lyrics that are more poetry; “Love is a cruel company store, a trans-global disaster it’s a meltdown to the core.”

It’s those emotional notes matched with a compelling melody that makes this album so damn good. Even the simple ballads, like “Evidently So” are so expressive they demand attention. The punchy pop returns on “Throw Me To The Lions” and its jangling perfection with “Skinny Jeanne.” Not a hint of filler here and even the bonus tracks are good.  Joe’s crafted this with a solid cast of musicians; Pernice Brothers alumni (Peyton Pinkerton, James Walbourne, Patrick Berkery, Bob Pernice, Ric Menck) and new contributors (Joshua Karp, Neko Case, and Pete Yorn). It’s like rediscovering the Pernice Brothers all over again, and it makes my top ten list for 2019.

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Project Ghost Outfit

Project: Ghost Outfit “Project: Ghost Outfit”

A super-group is a rare thing, and when you have all the players on the same page it creates something special. The great Bill Lloyd has teamed up with Cheap Trick guitarist Tom Petersson, guitarist Adam Shoenfeld, and drummer Keith Brogdon. They all met up at a party hosted by Petersson and decided to play together. The result is Project: Ghost Outfit.

The opener “Somebody’s Heart” is pure magic, with Keith’s vocals and the group harmonies in the chorus create power-pop gold here. Lloyd’s guitar leads the anthemic rocker “Hang On” and it’s another catchy rocker with a sweet descending chord progression in the chorus. Throughout the album, you do hear a distinctly original sound although the DNA of Cheap Trick is clearly present on tracks like “Ups and Downs” and “Never Remember.” Lloyd’s influence is most pronounced on “Mess My Mind,” and like all his material – catchy as hell. It took a few spins to appreciate all the details and there is no filler amongst the 7 tracks. The finale “Buying Time” is a good reflection on getting older and remembering days past. I just wish there was more – hope the band considers a sequel. Highly Recommended.

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