Goodman and The Gershwin Brothers

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Goodman

Goodman “The Era of Buckets”

When I hear people say that classic power pop is an old niche genre with older influences, I generally agree. So what does the future of the genre sound like? I listen to artists like Michael Goodman, who has been steadily increasing his musical skills over the past ten years. Goodman plays electric and acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, banjo, piano, and synths. He is assisted by producer Oliver Ignatius and studio drummers Jordyn Blakely and Jeremy Kolker. The Era of Buckets pulls no punches melodically and takes in influences from psychedelia, shoegaze, and slowcore.

“Don’t” is a brilliant opener, with guitar strums across a light layer of xylophone and  Goodman’s emotive dual-tracked vocals. The next track is the super-catchy anthem “Watch Your Mouth” with its passive-aggressive chorus. “Wildcat” is a droning shoegaze melody about obsession, and “Wasting Away” adds a snappy synth beat to this minimal dance jam. Although the tone is melancholy on most tunes, like “She Finds Me Out,” or “Somethings Happening” it still retains a very compelling melody line. “Shallow(Completely Shallow)” reminds me of Brendan Benson, and its a great break-up tune. “Headrush Baby” is another winner, a richly layered composition with great minor chord shifts. The expansive “Life Begins!” bathes itself in a psyche-pop glow as it describes the (lack of) meaning in life. This is Goodman’s best album and it’s highly recommended. Plus it makes my top 25 nominee list for 2019.

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Gershwin Brothers

The Gershwin Brothers “God Is A Bully”

The duo of Dave Foster and Lane Steinberg (aka Sol and Al Gershwin) are joined by a local NYC musical crew (Mike Fornatale, Charles Roth, Tom Shad, Tom DeVito, Mary Spencer Knapp, Erica Smith) for this stylistically diverse band debut.  I’m a big Steinberg fan and his contributions to the album are clear to those familiar with his work. All songs are written by Foster and Steinberg, and we start with “Deleting You,” a witty song about culling your “friends” from social media, and then we get the Beatlesque opus “Unbroken.” The song is an impressive ballad that recalls McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” in the chorus, beautifully done – it’s the albums high point.

From there we go to “Antelope Canyon” starring Erica Smith’s delicate vocals sounding like a hybrid of Laura Nyro and Basia. Another strong composition with some jazzy overtones, that get a little psychedelic on “Heaven In My Head” with lots of drama and synth organ. Lane sings the title track, a smart and catchy mid-tempo ballad. The album sometimes ventures into weirdness; like “Notre Amour Fantastique,” sung by Mary Spencer Knapp; an operatic show tune sung like Édith Piaf! The rare “Mama’s Love” has all three leads sing together.

Despite the incohesive nature of the album, there are a lot of good songs here; “Sugar-Free,” and “Endless of Summer of Love” are great tunes with neat harmonies.”He’s The New You” is a lovely folk anthem of empowerment after divorce. Definitely something for everyone here, so check it out on Bandcamp.

Bandcamp

Ho ho holiday singles (part 2) Gifts from Big Stir Records, The New Trocaderos, Ballard, The Decibels, and The Slingsby Hornets

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Our friends over at Big Stir Records have a lovely Holiday Maxi Single (Big Stir Digital Single No. 56) with holiday songs from Anton Barbeau, The Bobbleheads, Dolph Chaney, Kai Danzberg & Scott McPherson, The Decibels, The Forty Nineteens, Alison Faith Levy (with Karla Kane), and Kimberley Rew & Lee Cave-Berry. Add to this, new holiday singles by Athanor and The Brothers Steve. Now that’s a stuffed stocking!

The New Trocaderos (Kris Rodgers and Kurt Baker) deliver a bluesy holiday track. Oh, and it’s a FREE download.

Bolton, UK is the home of Ballard, a lo-fi indie pop dude. He’s missing Christmas – and it hasn’t even started yet! Also, a FREE Download.

The Decibels have an entire Christmas EP for your holiday. Love the Motown version of “Deck The Halls.”

Although I haven’t heard a new LP in years, The Slingsby Hornets always have a Christmas tune ready to go! Get this single on CD Baby.

Warren Scott Band and The Toms

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Warren Scott Band

Warren Scott Band “The New Deal”

Brandon Warren, Scott Tofte, and Will Prapestis have been playing together for many years, but this is their first recorded album. They have a loose, melodic sound comparable to Skeleton Staff, with a host of influences from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Warren Zevon, and The Barenaked Ladies. The title track is a modern reaction to politics, and Warren’s vocals stand out dripping with sarcasm (Is he talking about Trump or FDR?). While it isn’t quite what I expected, it gets better from here.

“One Hit Wonder” is a fast-paced gem, with horns and quick bass arpeggios. The band opines on musical tastes with “Something 2 Listen 2” and it’s also very catchy. “She’s A Little Bit Off” has a 50’s styled melodic chorus, about the unconventional nerd girl we all admire from afar. Pop culture is often subject matter; ”St. Christopher” is a tribute to the work of the late Christopher Crosby (“patron saint of pratfalls”) aka Chris Farley. “Miss Moneypenny” is a jaunty James Bond-inspired tune and “Saturday Survivor” is a banjo led melody layered with amazing harmonies. While not everything sticks, there is enough bouncing melodies, catchy hooks, and driving rhythms to make it highly recommended. Check it out!

Amazon | CD Baby

 

Lannie Flowers

The Toms “The 1979 Sessions”

Tommy Marolda is a respected songwriter, musician, record producer, engineer, and music publisher. His 1979 debut of “The Toms” is rightly called “One of the finest slabs of D.I.Y. pop bliss ever” by music critic John Borack and it deserves all that acclaim. Tom has continued to record his own material over the years, notably working with The Smithereens and Richie Sambora. But that 1979 debut was special. Now we finally get to hear more music from the session.

The first three tunes are very similar to the style of “The Toms” debut and could’ve made the cut. In particular “She Said Goodbye To You” and “That Could Change Tomorrow” are stuffed with catchy melodies in a jangling package. Things slowly evolve stylistically after that. The quality of “Til The End Of The Day” and “She’s So Lovely” are poor, but the songs are well written. “Love At First Sight” adds some modern funky riffs and disco beats; you hear Tom trying out a new sound. “Angela Christmas” is a lost gem that deserves to see the light of day. Again the sound evolves as “Talk Is Cheap” and “Uptown” sound more like the ’80s power pop. For fans of the first album, this is an essential companion. If you’re not familiar with The Toms, start with the debut. It’s music that deserves to be heard thanks to Futureman Records.

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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.

Amazon | CD Baby


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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