There are certain bands that just defy convention, and Spygenius is one of them. The combo starts this album with a mix of lounge organ, guitars and percussion with “Digden’s Rise.” It could be some alternate James Bond movie theme, with it’s dark jazz elements and stormy ending. It’s a heady start, but it yields to the brighter “Smardy’s Fish Paradise” which smacks of Neil Innes or Stackridge with a ramble about English love. This style continues on “The Ballad Of Jack Snipe” where the XTC tradition of multiple themes and rhythms layered one after the other make a compelling listen. Guitar strum and handclaps lead the song “Stupid” and the stream of consciousness lyrics help keep it listenable. Unfortunately, the band seems to fall into a self-indulgent spiral on “Matter Out Of Place,” but they recover nicely on the great “First Do No Harm” which sounds like it fell off of a classic Crosby Stills Nash album. The album loosely tries to shift musical gears with each tune, and it doesn’t always work. “You’ve Got A Lucky Face” and few other tracks speed up tempo or volume to point where they feel forced. Thankfully another gem here “The Girl Who’s Everywhere” fills the air with Byrdsian guitars and vocals, and “Trolls” is a six-minute epic that any Stackridge fan will cheer loudly to. Eclectic listeners will find Spygenius a real treat.

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The Bradburys “Don’t Pump The Swingset”
Produced by Jeff Murphy, The Bradburys latest EP fits nicely in the midwestern power pop category (Shoes, Cheap Trick, Material Issue). Highlights include the bouncy “Mary Goes Around” with it’s catchy chorus, and the Beatlesque mid-tempo “She’s From Liverpool” about a dream girl who dresses right and listens to all your favorite music, and vocalist Jake Blake leading the gentle harmonies. They break out the 60’s psyche-pop organ for “Perfume Counter Girl” and “My Big Hello” is another hook filled gem about making a good first impression. The bonus tracks here just about make this an LP with a few tunes from other Bradbury releases, including “Go-Go” with it’s muscle riffs and “I Love It When It Snows” from a Christmas release. Overall a nice addition to your power pop collection and I hear the group is working on a new full length release very soon. I can’t wait to hear what’s next.

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The Flying Machines “s/t”
You have to appreciate a band with as much persistence as The Flying Machine.  Originally we “discovered” them as The Attorneys in 2007. Then they changed their name and have slowly earned the respect of audiences and journalists.  “On A Whim” continues to be a rock solid single, a mix of The Strokes and Queen on speed. The opener “Talk About It” starts with a light reggae beat and resembles Maroon 5 slightly with a blistering guitar solo. The production here is crisp and straightforward without loosing any of it’s melodic energy. William Ryan George (vocals, keyboards) has a driving vocal approach often compared to Freddie Mercury, and he’s joined by John Wlaysewski (guitars), Ken Weisbach (drums) and Evan Joyce (bass). The guitar melodies are anchored by a solid rhythm section on the soaring “Stay” which make it a second strong single here. Added gems here are the anthemic “I Can’t Stop” and tortured “Gina, Don’t Call Me.” The latter half of the album adds some Billy Joel styled keyboard acrobatics to the Zepplin guitar riffs on “Hopelessly Alone”  and the dramatic closer “Clearing The Boards.” After several listens these latter tracks reveal to be the groups strength. If you missed this band years ago, this is the year to jump on the bandwagon for the ride.

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Arranged Marriage “Dearly Beloved”
Arranged Marriage is a father (Brad Allen) and son (Scott Allen) team up – and you thought your dad was cool! Dearly Beloved is the record they made together at home in suburban Detroit. They indulged in their mutual musical loves, notably Wilco, Tom Petty and Elliot Smith. They built a home studio, learned Protools and experimented with trashcans as drums. Tracks like “Sit Alone” with it’s pounding piano are like Harry Nilsson and Jeff Tweedy in a room jamming together. “Is All Mine” is dead-on Elliot Smith in approach and much of the album makes for interesting listening. Brad Allen has been writing and performing music since his teenage years in the 1960s. He has spent a substantial amount of time encouraging and fostering the musical talent of his sons Scott and Ryan. Expect it on April 24th on iTunes.

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Listen to “Sit Alone”

Listen to “Is All Mine”

The Amboys “Everything Between the Moon & the Sun”
The Amboys comprise of singer/songwriter C.M. Smith, drummer Connor Effenberger, bassist Manny Castanon and guitarist Kyle Waugh. Musically it’s a bit close to Wilco meets The Presidents of The USA with its take-no-prisoners honky tonk rock opener “The Right Track.” The tone of the album is pretty consistent with blistering guitar solos and beer-soaked stories. “These Roads” has a western feel, like cowboys who admire Phish. The band takes a more modern approach with “Answer The Phone, Please” – a dramatic story about life on the road. “Drunk Mistake” could be a modern take on Golden Earring’s “Radar Love” but the music is much more genuine. My favorite here is the bluesy rock of “This Very Thin Line” with it’s chugging rhythm, rocking guitar breaks and incredible energy. The only real attempt at country is the closing acoustic track “Can’t Live Here.” Not power pop, but power roots-rock if you want to categorize this one. Like a favorite dive on a Saturday night, this album will leave you bleary-eyed and wanting to come back for more.

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