Late Cambrian and Andy & Jason Reed

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The Creachies

Late Cambrian “Sweet Cambrian High”

Brooklyn band Late Cambrian continues to weave magical electro-pop with its dance-friendly melodies. In fact, it stands out with superb arrangements and clean production.

The jangling “Girl Bag Holder” has a moody synth melody with a killer chorus that begs to “Party All Night!” Lead singer/songwriter John Wlaysewski does great things with beats and rhythm on “Yearbook Photo” and “Thanks For Your Time” while delivering a solid musical narrative and melodies that other bands (like Weezer) would envy.

The rising angst on “Dark Heart” is another big highlight. Olive’s vocals take over on the catchy “Common Enemy” and unlike most electro-pop, this is very accessible. A fine stream of reality comes through on “Missed Connections” as John describes his old neighborhood. Then check out the lovely layered harmonies on “Hollywood.” Once again, no real filler here as this album is a real grower that deserves multiple listens. Highly Recommended.

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Andy Reed

Andy Reed & Jason Reed “Make Your Move” EP

The talented Andy Reed teams up with his brother Jason to deliver this debut EP. “The Longest Pause” is a lonely mid tempo ballad that features some good harmonies and an emotional ending. The music isn’t quite the same style as Andy’s earlier solo work, but it’s still a compelling listen.

“Left to Right” is has angular melody with some nice guitar accents after each verse. “The Welcoming Song” and “Find My Way Back Home” both start out in a foggy haze, but the songs form fully after minute in, with some dramatic musical effects. The 80’s styled rocker “Make Your Move” closes things with Jason leading the vocal for this one. Overall a good start for the Reed brothers. Check it out.

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Singles: The Sunchymes, Ken Sharp, Ed Ryan and Red Caravan

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The Sunchymes summery fusion of power pop and psychedelia is back with “Try,” a subtle melody with lots of jangle and sweet harmonies. Get this one as a FREE download.

In honor of the reunion of Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, Ken Sharp got together with Fernando Perdomo and Rob Bonfiglio to make this original single – get it on Amazon or Itunes

Ed Ryan has a new single too and this one has a Spanish styled melody featuring a multi-layered guitar strum. It’s always good to hear from Ryan, and this single is a FREE download.

I don’t know much about Austrailian artist Red Caravan, but much of his output on bandcamp is FREE. It’s lo-fi indie pop done with an acoustic guitar. Worth exploring.

Chris Price and The Rallies

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The Carousels

Chris Price “Dalmatian”

After last year’s brilliant Stop Talking, Price collects a few songs written during these sessions and added some new ones. Price continues to deal with contrasts and character studies of damaged people early on in Dalmatian. Starting with the chugging beat of “Sick Boy,” its a catchy ode to a remorseless killer who “likes his gun, it turns him on.”  The piano ballad “Fever Dream” is a flowing emotional melody with delicate harmonies about “going down the rabbit hole” of love.

The tone shifts on “Roller Coaster,” a rocker that boasts a tasty baseline and beat sure to be a favorite, its the definition of a power pop classic. “The Dream is Over (But We’re Just Waking up)” is a self-reflective piano tune with some great layered harmony lines, and “Discount Love” has rocking dance beat and a Beach Boys-styled “umm-bop-ditty” backing that would’ve been a huge hit if it was released in 1976. I found no filler anywhere, and even though this album isn’t as thematically unified as  Stop Talking, it strikes a more balanced tone. And despite the “odds & ends” approach, it sounds like Price is having a lot of fun here as well. Makes my top ten and appears at the top of that list for 2018 so far. Don’t miss this one. Super highly recommended!

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The Rallies

The Rallies “Serve”

There will always be great music that slips through the cracks, and The Rallies Serve is one of those albums last year I wish I heard earlier. The Rallies are a tight four-piece band from Tacoma, Washington fronted by Steve Davis (vocals/guitar), Lee Brown (drums), Jeff Weidman (guitar), and Rick Jones (bass). Fans of The Rembrandts, Matthew Sweet, and Crowded House will really enjoy the Rallies sound.

The opener “Don’t Give Up” is a solidly strummed melody in the tradition of Tom Petty that speaks of hope. The jangling gems “Whatever You Thought,” “No One Knows,” and“Every Now and Then” all feature solid songwriting and easy on the ear melodies. The catchy “So Right” boasts a great rhythm and harmonies that drives the song forward. The style and tone of the songs are all very consistent, and if you wanted to nitpick – it would’ve been nice to see a little more variety. That mentioned, The Rallies are a force to pay attention to, and I hope to hear more from them in the near future. Highly Recommended.

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Videos and freebies: The Weeklings, Spygenius, Dominique Leone, Ancient Babies

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The Weeklings are back! It’s a new single that was recorded during the Abbey Road sessions for Studio 2 last year and has never been released. Look for it now on Amazon.
Dominique Leone sends us some wonderful piano songs with complex arrangements and solid melody. Check out “Domestic Bliss” and the rich multitracking on “I’ll Always Be Right Here.” And yes it’s a FREE download on Bandcamp.

Ben from the band Onward Chariots, has a new project called Ancient Babies with a mix of melodic rock, disco and electro dance pop. Yeah, this isn’t what I usually feature here but definitely check out the last track “Rolling Like A River” a rocking garage styled theme.

Spygenius of Canterbury, England, last album Pacéphale (pah-say-fahl) is being re-released in the USA. The band plays pop in the jangly, hooky, mold of XTC or Robyn Hitchcock and it’s accompanied by an illustrated storybook — check it on Big Stir Records or Amazon.

The Incredible Vickers Brothers and The Creachies

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The Incredible Vickers Brothers

The Incredible Vickers Brothers “Torch Songs for Swingers”

The Incredible Vickers Brothers are no circus act, but a pair of multi-instrumentalist brothers that draw influences from British ’60s pop, and Americana with tightly written songwriting. Produced by Allan Clapp (Orange Peels) it is a more mature offering than their debut Gallimaufry from ten years ago. The focus of the music is on music dealing with loss, longing, memory and mid-life crisis. It all slightly reminded me of an Americanized version of Martin Newell’s most recent work.

Opening with “Mirrors” it’s a catchy jangling melody that begs many repeat listens, about the horrors of aging; “Mirror, mirror on the wall/ why you make me look so small?” The almost Kinks-like rant “Money Gonna Buy Me” about the loss of influence sticks with you, as the big chorus of “Faded Away” delivers an anthemic punch. “Bleaker and Bluer” is a brilliant highlight, like a late XTC styled composition it also deserves attention. Slower moments of “In Memory” and “Over and Out” have a feeling of calm resignation, but they are balanced by the solid guitar rant “Blue Collar Cruel” the best Lou Reed song he never wrote. The music has those familiar touch points, but the compositions are pure Vickers originals, and I could not find a single wasted note.

It is said a lot of power pop has a focus on blind nostalgia, days of teen longing with an optimistic point of view. This is not that kind of album, but a clear-eyed, sober look at where you are and where you’ll be going. At the end of the album, Bob Vickers sings “Sometimes we bury the living while taking care of the dead.” This plainly makes my top ten for 2018 best of list. Don’t miss it.

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The Creachies

The Creachies “The Creachies”

A hyper quirky pop band from Baltimore — the Creachies create a melodic dream pop meets Devo sound on the opener “The Creachies Are Here” and “Welcome.” Then the guitars come out on “Not Never And,” it sounds like a mix of Shonen Knife and the B-52s.

The music on hits the sugar highs a few more times with “Pants Off” and “Do You Think I’m Interesting?” There is a lot of creativity on songs like “We Were Babies” and “Error 500,” but there seems to be some filler too. Definitely worth the affordable $5 download. Enjoy!

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