EP reviews : Cupid’s Carnival and Nick Frater

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Cupid's Carnival

Cupid’s Carnival “Clapham Junction” EP

Cupid’s Carnival wowed us before, and they are back with a much too short EP that gives Beatlesque faves The Weeklings a run for their money. Opening with the Fab-tastic “She Don’t Care,” it will make all those old Beatles fans swoon. From there it gives us several Lennon-styled piano ballads. The sparse “Clapham Junction-Platform 1” is modeled after “Imagine” and the follow-up “Looking For Rainbows” is a little more “Hey Jude,” but these songs are purely original and they definitely resonate.

“Yoko’s Smiling” is another slow tempo ballad, but the production is more layered with some nice slide guitar, organ and percussion. The song is a message of hope and love, about a Lennon fan honoring his idol’s passing. They repeat two tracks here with alternate versions, and it all ends way too soon. Highly Recommended, and btw more, please.

CD Baby | Amazon

Nick Frater

Nick Frater “Something/Nothing?” EP

I reviewed Nick Frater earlier this year and looked through some of his earlier EPs. This one from 2017 had a Rundgren-y looking cover so I gave it a spin. “Sleep It Off” is a sweet piano intro that leads us to a dreamland of melody, with the forceful “Best Intentions” has an echoing verse and a strong chorus that’s more like Elvis Costello than Todd.

Frater excels at making a dreamscape with banjos, floating harmonies and verses in the round for “So The Wind Won’t Blow It Away Part 2.” Another highlight is “Hotel Radio” with its swiftly changing tempos and melody lines. Overall a fine EP with very little filler, and mostly great music.  Highly Recommended, and I would check out all his music, as its totally infectious. What makes it even better is that Kool Kat Musik has included two EPs as bonus tracks. And of course, the bonus music is awesome!

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

 

 

RIP John Wicks of The Records

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Singer-guitarist John Wicks of the British power-pop band The Records, who were best known for the classic 1978 pop gem “Starry Eyes,” passed away in a Burbank hospice on Sunday morning, Oct. 7, 2018.

Born in Reading, England, he moved to Los Angeles after relocating to the United States in 1994. Wicks, who had been battling cancer for several years, nonetheless was able to tour and perform locally until not long before his death with other notable artists like Paul Collins and Bangles drummer Debbi Peterson.

The Records, like other pioneers of the late 70’s (Shoes, 20/20, Blue Ash) was part of a great power pop revival that continues to resonate today. John’s skill for crafting gorgeous melodies continued long after The Records career and he had several great solo power pop LPs including 2008’s Rotate. It is a must-have for true power pop aficionados. You will be missed John — Rest In Peace.

International Pop Overthrow Vol.21

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Annie Dressner

Various Artists “International Pop Overthrow Vol. 21”

I’ve been reviewing IPO compilations since Volume Ten, and its tough to come up with any new superlatives for International Pop Overthrow CEO David Bash and what he means to the power pop genre. It’s also notable that in an age of disposable digital downloads, he stubbornly creates a great tangible CD product that is well designed, researched and curated. This year the geniuses at Omnivore Records will be distributing it, so don’t miss out! As is customary, we get lots of new talent alongside old favorites as they stretch the boundaries of what power pop is (or is not). Here are some of my favorite tracks on each disk:

Disc One
Some good introduction tunes start the set, like Kai Danzberg’s “Welcome To The Show” and the syrupy sweet “Together Forever” by Justin Levinson. The deep chords of the slide guitar open Danny Wilkerson’s “You Still Owe Me A Kiss,” and some new artists I liked here include “Read 1 For You” by Searching For Sylvia and “CC It’s Not Me” by The Paper Jets.

Disc Two
A great opener by The Caper Clowns “Pretty & Underwear” is followed later by French power popper Tommy Lorente’s gem “Arthur.” One of the most impressive tunes on this whole set “Come With Me Now” is from David Minchin of The Innocent, as he channels The Raspberries perfectly. You do get some modern influences like The Fulco’s “Tell Me” with a small rap verse and the girl-group pop with Irene Pena’s “Pieces Of You.” Other new bands I enjoyed include Razz Band “Time Marches On” and Hux & The Hitman “How Can They Do That.”

Disc Three
The baroque ’60s of Green Seagull’s “(I Used To Dream) in Black and White” start off the most retro-sounding disc in the set. I really enjoyed The Tearaways innocent mid-tempo love song “I Could Love You Forever” and Emperor Penguins “Jensen Interceptor” reminded me of Love & Rockets. The reliable Plasticsoul’s “Monkey On A Stick” and David Dattner’s “Pinned” shred the chords very well.

With so much good music here it’s easy to find your new favorite band, even though I’ve reviewed many of the artists here. Highly Recommended (as always).

Get it at Omnivore Records

 

Singles Mostly: The Lunar Laugh, Willie Wisely, Air For Ants, Vegas For Randolph, The Dig

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The Lunar Laugh (aka Jared Lekites and friends) dedicated this single to the memories of Pat DiNizio and Tom Petty. A great catchy chorus with a sweet slide guitar riff! Pure bliss.

Willie Wisely delivers a live studio session recorded live in a Laurel Canyon, with Dan Kalisher (guitar/pedal steel), Erik Kertes (bass), Mark Stepro (drums) and Ryan Perez-Daple (sax).

Air For Ants is a New York City indie rock band with ambient pop and jazz elements. Proof that some experimental pop can be damn catchy and full of pent-up emotion.

Vegas With Randolph‘s new LP Legs & Luggage is due out any day now — this is the awesome opening track. Plenty of fuzzy riffs you can dance to!

The Dig is another NYC indie-pop outfit with a two EPs out for 2018; Moonlight Baby & Afternoon With Caroline. A little synth and harmonies never hurt anyone right? They remind me of Sparks a little. Here is a track from them.

Greg Pope and P. Hux

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Greg Pope

Greg Pope “A Few Seconds Of Fame”

Perennial power pop favorite Greg Pope is back! After 2016’s Guiding Star, Pope continues to impress with his crunchy guitar chords and catchy choruses akin to Matthew Sweet. “Forget About You” is a solid opener with the wall of guitars and an earworm melody. Next “She’s Already There” changes tone multiple times, with some classical touches and it makes for a unique listening experience that leads to the chorus.

Pope carefully constructs his songs and adds nice little details, like a harpsichord opening on “Planet Earth” and occasional metal-styled guitar arpeggios sprinkled in other tunes. Highlights include; “Hopes and Dreams and Fears,” “Dreams About You” and the amazing finale “You Got Inside My Head.” Highly Recommended (as usual).

Amazon | CD Baby

P. Hux

P. Hux “This Is The One”

After the brilliant Thank You Bethesda in 2013, Parthenon Huxley is back. He’s been on fans radar for over 30 years as an expert in songwriting, production, and guitar playing. He is also a founding member of The Orchestra and played with numerous famous musicians over the years.

“You gotta vision you can’t let go…” he sings on the title track, a rousing opener full of great energy. But most of the songs are more subdued, like the mellow “Song For James,” written for his daughter Fiona James Huxley, which is like a lost Eagles song. I definitely hear some Joe Walsh influences in the guitar solo. He amps the energy up for the catchy “Just Sayin’,” which sounds like The Cars meet Tom Petty a little. ELO fans will appreciate the strings on the majestic “Off We Go” and the Beatlesque touches on “Inside Your Shoes.”

Another highlight “That’s When I Know” has a familiar rhythm and manages to go into some nice directions with it. The influences on this album are more ’70s soft rock-oriented than his past catalog, but Hux always manages to entertain. A very good album that pop music fans should embrace.

Amazon | CD Baby | P. Hux Store