Great new band with a catchy tune gets me everytime. This is Julius C’s debut single “Don’t Want Anybody.” On the other hand I never met a gorilla costumed band I didn’t like.
The Grip Weeds "Strange Change Machine"
Those musical brothers Kurt and Rick Reil are at it again, after revisiting and remastering the debut album and the last studio release “Giant On The Beach,” the band produced this massive double CD set stocked with great power pop and pysche pop gems. Joined once again by Kristin Pinell (guitar) and Michael Kelly (bass) the band devoted one disc to Kurt’s songwriting and the other to Rick’s compositions.
The band’s opening tunes are a culmination of influences, and they are no longer pinned down by one type of sound any longer. “Speed Of Life” is a joyous sonic celebration of rock and things are more akin to classic Yes than The Byrds (although that 12 string sound is still there). The heavier meaty rock of “Don’t You Believe It” is right along with the Who or Golden Earing playbook. The bands smooth harmonies on “Be Here Now” never sounded better and Kurt’s acoustic skills shine on “Sun Shower.” The Beatlesque “Twister” is a another catchy gem you shouldn’t miss.
It’s tough to sustain a listeners interest through one disc, but the band succeeds in doing this with disc 2. Rick’s opener “Coming and Going” is more mid-tempo and his songs have more of a psychedelic flavor. A great cover of Todd Rundgren’s “Hello It’s Me” is followed by the energetic “Truth Is (Hard To Take).” Another perfect psyche pop melody is on “Used To Play” with it’s multilayered harmonies in the chorus. The instrumental fills are very short and support each disc nicely, without any throw away songs. Throughout the entire album you will hear bits of Fleetwood Mac, Love, Cream and Todd in spots. In short, they have evolved and this album should be savored like a fine wine. Yes, five years is a long wait — but boy was it worth it. My last interview with the band was while they were building this work of art. It gets a top ten album nomination for 2010, easily. Best of all you can get eight songs from this great album FREE right here.
More power pop legends pass away…
Two players in both rock and pop passed away recently: Tommy Hoehn died last Thursday. Hoehn was part of the Memphis music scene and an integral part of Argent studios work with Big Star. He played with The Scruffs as well and the 1977 single “Blow Yourself Up” was his biggest hit, eventually earning Hoehn a new generation of followers thanks to its inclusion on 1993 Rhino Records compilation D.I.Y.: Come Out and Play: American Power Pop I (1975-78). He also recorded two albums with another Memphis power popper, Van Duren. This article mentions how that occurred.
Another rock legend, Pete Quaife passed away after a long bout with kidney disease. Pete was The Kinks original bassist. He left the band in 1969 becase of all the fighting among band members. In a 1998 interview, Quaife pointed to the band’s 1968 disc Village Green Preservation Society as his favorite. “For me, it represents the only real album made by the Kinks,” he said. “It’s the only one where we all contributed something.” The 2010 video below is Ray Davies’ tribute to Pete at Glastonbury.
Lindsey Buckingham "Holiday Road"
Yes, it’s the theme song from National Lampoon’s Vacation. Another in a long line of memorable hits from the eighties with the Fleetwood Mac guitarist and solo legend.
Oranjuly "s/t"
As a music junkie, you gotta love stumbling across a great unsigned band that deserves attention, and here is one for sure. Oranjuly is the creative brainchild of singer/songwriter Brian E. King who worked over three years on these tracks. Orangjuly is also the combination of Brian’s birth-month and his favorite color. He added a few friends like Jordan Weaver (guitar), Greg Souza (keys), Chris Erickson (bass) and Lou Paniccia (drums) to round things out.
The album recalls plenty of classic pop influences without leaning too heavily on them and making hook filled magic. Starting with “Her Camera” its perfect blend of Wilson-esque harmonies, melodies and Weezer-like guitar riffs. The bouncy piano lead of “Mrs. G” is a Ben Folds styled compact symphony with a dense chorus and wicked guitar outro. The romantic “I Could Break Your Heart” compares well with Lamar Holley, full of hand claps and clever shifts in key. Like a box of chocolates, each track is a new sweet flavor, from the indie-guitar pop of “The Coldest Summer” to the delicate harpsichord and horn arrangement on “Hiroshige’s Japan.” The retro chords of “207 Days” is another joy that combines a Rundgren-like mid-tempo sound with a chorus of “ooh la las” that is just amazing. What else here can I rave about? Every track just shines with no filler to be found makes it a slam dunk to be the best power pop debut of the year. Currently the band is on tour with The Luxury and Spirit Kid — see them now before the crowds get too big.
