Wow. I am crushed. This is one of the giants of the genre, so I am hard pressed to think of something to say, other than he will never be forgotten. To quote Jim DeRogatis: “Alex Chilton, a legend of the Memphis music scene and one of the founding fathers of the power-pop movement, died at a hospital in New Orleans on Thursday, the victim of an apparent heart attack. He was 59 years old. Chilton’s hugely influential band Big Star was about to be celebrated at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, partaking in a panel session and a showcase gig on Saturday. The band was experiencing the latest in a series of career resurgences, thanks to the recent reissues of its celebrated albums from the ’70s as the box set, “Keep an Eye on the Sky.” Read more of the obit here.
Behold Genesis at the peak of it’s musical powers – the band ruled the worlds of progressive pop and rock for most of the early eighties. Those opening synth chords sent shivers through your spine in jr. high school. The band was one of the last great supergroups, and every member had success in their later solo careers; especially Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. BTW, Hulu is posting a bunch of the bands vids – so check’em out. Congrats to Genesis for making the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today!
The Slingsby Hornets “Something Old…Something New…” Jon Paul Allen returns and he hasn’t lost any of his mojo, as the Brian May inspired guitar licks on “Stoned Houses No.1 / Elevator” rip through the speakers. “Gettin’ Better” is a 70’s styled rock glamfest that has a lot in common with the recently released Vinyl Candy. The Slingsby Hornets trot out a few really obscure covers, (“Pinball,” “Gonna Make You A Star”) and perform them so well you wouldn’t know they aren’t originals. He adds a bit of psychedelic rhythm to the guitars on “She’s The One” and “Are Friends Electric?” sure to please fans of The Pillbugs. Some interesting effects are all over “Miles Away” which feels like a Andrew Gold-Brian Wilson collaboration. Another gem is “Glass Of Champagne” with it’s steady beat, “oh yeah” harmonic chorus and divine guitar riffs — it’s one of my favorites here. He kind of goes overboard on the faux-James Bond movie theme “The Devil May Care,” but overall this is Allen’s strongest album to date, full of great melodies, awesome musicianship and careful studio production. Fans of classic rock influences shouldn’t miss this one.
Josh Ketchen & The 1,000’s “We Don’t Belong Here” Boston based Josh Ketchen is a singer songerwriter that builds songs with a unique sound that falls somewhere between Paul Simon and Ian McCulloch. The farfisa organ opens up “We Don’t Belong Here” and it’s clear Josh is a good story teller. His crooning style took me a few listens to get used to, but the catchy melodies and beats win you over. “Earl Grey” is a detailed and compelling story of a long term relationship. The musical themes take small details from the early ’60’s Beach Boys and Belle and Sebastian, as evidenced by the echoing “Riverside” with it’s Spector-like orchestration. Occasionally it gets a bit pretentious (“Another Term For Love”) but often it’s very honest and hits the right balance of melancholy and whimsy. “Dream” is a sad/hilarious portrait of a washed up rocker, as Josh wails “What do rock stars dream when their heads aren’t filled with amphetamines?” Almost every track has a memorable arrangement and keeps things moving along, and the bouncy “Say So” is a real pop treat. Some songs lean more folk than pop, and fans of Camera Obscura, Stereolab and Robyn Hitchcock may also find this a totally enjoyable album. This is a small debut that grows on you like moss and will remain planted in your memory.
The Tangerines “In Season” Those missing Swedish power pop need not fear, The Tangerines have returned to lighten things up. Starting with “You’d Better Stop” it shimmers with jangley 12-string guitars and high harmonies that fans of Cloud Eleven, The Beatles, and The Byrds have come to love. The vintage pop compositions all hit the right sweet spots and the arrangements are gentle and welcoming. With 16 tracks you could run into jangle overload here, but each song is carefully constructed and Per Tolgraven and Håkan Eriksson take care not to repeat themselves. There are even echoes of The Hudson Brothers on the harmonic interplay with “New Sensation.” The more aggressive songs resemble The Raspberries, beginning with the piano lead “Seeing Someone.” The chords and melody are what’s important here, highlights include “Hey Hey Michelle,” “Get Out,” and “The Beat Goes On.” Not everything is as memorable, but there are no weak songs here and the band’s clean production gives everything that extra polish. This CD shouldn’t be missed, and even though it came out last year (in Sweden) I will include it in my top ten for this year.
The Easy Outs “s/t” East Coast music veteran Bruce Ferguson (Captain Sensible, The Damned) have put together this debut with Bobby Kennedy (guitar), Bernie Branz (drums) and Gage Rowley (bass). The Easy Outs have mined the classic three chord rock sound that lends comparisons to Thin Lizzy, The Buzzocks and The Ramnones. Opening with the gritty “Little Miss Innocent,” it’s perfect rock and roll for a Saturday night. The old school punks throw a welcoming shout to today’s generation in “Emo Boy” along with the screaming guitar riffs. Other tracks use the same forumla with varied degrees of success, but “I Ain’t Got Nothin’” and “I Walk Alone” stand out as the best of the bunch. “Sweet Revenge” has a catchy chorus and great riffs, but the harmonies here are a bit rough. Fans of old school power pop are also sure to dig this album, along with anyone who grew up with Kiss or Joan Jett on your turntable.
