Bright Giant and Kevin Lee & The Kings

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Bright Giant “s/t” EP

The Des Moines, Iowa based Josh Davis Band decided to evolve into a more refined and organic style this past January and have reformed as Bright Giant. The new band has a raw energy that mixes rock, country, alternative with a chewy melodic center. It sounds a little like The Mother Hips with less psychedelic influence and more Foo Fighters injected in the mix. Opening with the distortion driven “Women” it finds it’s voice with a foot stomping rhythm and harmonic chorus.”Songbird” is another gem that starts out with heavy rock riff, but the chorus and vocal phrasing is rooted in country-pop. It’s a unique style that is sure to win over roots rockers, metal heads and a few adventurous country fans. “Jesus, The Devil & Me” is another prime example that mixes Charlie Daniels Band narrative with Nirvana styled guitar feedback.

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Kevin Lee & The Kings “Dusk Till Dawn” EP

Chicago music veteran Kevin Lee has shared the stage with Pearl Jam, Matthew Sweet, Cheap Trick and a tour with REO Speedwagon. With the addition of Todd Jones (Guitar), Dann Morr (Bass), Erik Strommer (Drums) and Peter Spero (Keyboards) the music is very slick and production is clean on the opener “Next Big Thing” and the arena sound is big on “The Other Side” but the band pulls out the stops on “Slip Away” where the guitars churn out chunky riffs galore. Lee’s vocals at times seem overwhelmed, but they shine on the power ballad “Invisible.” This was my favorite on the EP with a great hook and inspirational melody.

My Space | CD Baby

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Gavin Guss "Mercury Mine"

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Seattle’s Gavin Guss is pop veteran who’s played with Nada Surf, Jon Auer, Harvey Danger, Fountains of Wayne and his own band The Tycoons. Important to note, Gavin was also lead singer/songwriter with the short lived group Tubetop who produced a pure pop masterpiece in Three Minute Hercules. Given these facts you know what to expect and he really delivers with his solo album Mercury Mine. Starting with the gentle acoustic hook in “X” it leads to a glorious McCartney-like chorus, that builds to sticky goodness in the multi-track harmonic ending with ascending basslines. The title track “Mecury Mine” has echoes of Harry Nilsson and Squeeze with it’s tinkling piano lead. There are too many gems here to count, so I’ll just indulge in my favorites, “Oasis” rings with the piano melody that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Michael Carpenter album. “Lifeboat” is another musical metaphor of the creative process at “…the bottom of The Puget Sound.” The album’s middle slows down a bit, but it has wonderful ballads that resonate, like the poignant “Marie” and the weary “Jetlagged.” Fans of Teenage Fanclub will love the guitar melody “Bud” and although the album doesn’t approach the highs it starts with, nothing here is filler, as most tunes fit in under three minutes and it’s sure to be repeated on your ipod playlist. Pure ear candy that is not to be missed.

Gavin Guss Site | Amazon

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The Power Popaholic Interview: Plasticsoul and The Dudes

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Meet the man behind the swagger. I had a great conversation with Steven Eric Wilson, the driving force behind Plasticsoul. We talk about how his groundbreaking album Peacock Swagger got started, his experiences in India, and his favorite  guitar. Listen to the interview with Steven Eric Wilson here.

Can a band be cursed? Some seem to think the Canadian band The Dudes are! After the album Blood, Guts, Bruises, Cuts was released, lead singer Dan Vacon and drummer Scott Ross suffered numerous physical injuries. But these scrappy dudes keep on rocking. Read my interview with The Dude’s Dan Vacon here or check it out on The Rock and Roll Report. If you want to talk about a real cursed band I can think of none worse than the story of Badfinger, the saddest tale in rock and roll.

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Film Review: 1974 On The Road With The Beach Boys

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Musician Billy Hinsche has a long storied history, but in 1974 he played front and center in The Beach Boys during the “Holland-era” tour. Billy playing guitar and harmonizing with the Wilson brothers is all documented in this new film. Not so much a concert film, but a selection of never before seen “home movies” of the band onstage and off. Lots of footage of the late Dennis and Carl Wilson are shown, intercut with current interview clips of other players in the band and some archival photos. It also really lets you learn about various background players, like sound engineer Steven Moffitt and musician Ricky Fataar and how important they were to the stage show. Highlights include Al Jardine playing bits of “Heroes and Villians,” Carl getting silly at breakfast, Dennis coming off very cool and some concert footage. You really feel like you are hanging out with the band in spots and traveling with them on tour, boarding the band’s private Fairchild F-27 plane in Kansas City, landing in Chicago and then checking in the hotel with Brian Wilson upon landing. Hinsche filmed plenty of private moments with the band, like Dennis and Al discussing transcendental meditation or a rowdy game of backgammon. Most of the movie was shot on Portapak black and white video, so it’s not exactly high definition. But for Beach Boys fans this is must-see TV, in addition is the Hinsche penned theme “Under A Beach Boy Moon” performed by John Hunter Phillips. Don’t miss the extra features: “Director’s Comments” and “Where are they now?” with an update on what became of the players.