Android Angel “Glow Worm”
MySpace | Amazon| Itunes (Nov. 30)
Jupiter One “Sunflower”
Android Angel “Glow Worm”
MySpace | Amazon| Itunes (Nov. 30)
Jupiter One “Sunflower”
Just in time for Halloween, Bryan Scary and The Shredding Tears worked a bit of musical magic. The mad hyperactive piano of “Andromeda’s Eyes” and even faster chorus makes it hard to enjoy, unless you’re into a musician on a sugar speed overload. Thankfully, he dials it back down to earth on the follow up “(It’s a) Gambler’s Whirl” with a tight disco-pop composition. The next track is the best, an ELO-inspired “The Garden Eleanor” with a bouncy piano and catchy hook in the chorus that is so good it’s scary (ugh. Even I groaned at that one). The other tracks are pleasant and engaging, including the lovely ballad “Maria Saint Claire” and the expansive epic “Bye Bye Babylon” that has great manic energy and guitar majesty. In summary, after a trick (track 1) we are given some wonderful musical treats to fill our metaphorical musical goody bag. The band are touring throughout fall/winter to support Mad Valentines. They plan to enter the studio early in the new year to record their next full-length album, a Western set during the early 20th century and titled Daffy’s Elixir.
Now for a new band few have heard of from Rotterdam, Netherlands called The Madd. They follow in the tradition of European mid 60’s garage-merseybeat revivalist like The Mellowmen, Bronco Bullfrog and The Winnerys. I can’t tell you much about them cause I don’t speak Dutch, however this local reviewer does and you’ll hear all the English you need to know in the review. The opening track, “I Know” is a dead ringer for The EasyBeats and the follow up track “The Days Mind The Time” is a brilliant Beatlesque mid tempo charmer. “Good Evening Girl” is another gem full of catchy riffs, fast tempos and solid harmonies. The band plays really tight, so it doesn’t feel like a simple retro-retread and the first half is damn near perfect. And unlike some European retro bands you won’t hear any Dutch accents. On the albums second half, a little more psychedelic feel is added with Farfisa organs to “I Loved You” and “If You Don’t Come Back” and you’ll hear bits of The Seeds and Strawberry Alarm Clock here. By the albums end, we go the full garage monty along the lines of The Creation or The Pretty Things on “Love” and the theme “We’re Pretty Quick.” But that doesn’t change the fact that each song here is an soothing salve to retro pop enthusiasts like myself. Fans of the above bands and classic power pop simply must get this now. It’s extra cheap on AimeStreet ($3.30) so you have no excuses.
My Space | Band Website | Lala | Amazon | AimeStreet
So you’ve never heard of Stackridge? Well if you’re not from the UK you are forgiven. The Anglophilic progressive pop band began to great fanfare in 1971, were predicted to be bigger than Genesis and even had an very well reviewed LP produced by George Martin right after his Beatles tenure ended (Man In A Bowler Hat). Then by 1975, they fell off the public’s radar. I never heard about them till recently, and after listening to the back catalog, it’s like the discovering a missing link between 10cc, Klaatu and Protocol Harem. Needless to say, if you like any of those bands, you can dig deep here. For those power pop fans who question the inclusion of a progressive band here just give a listen to “Dangerous Bacon,” and I guarantee you’ll be hooked. But, today these old codgers have a brand new album for you to hear. A Victory For Common Sense has most of the what fans expect. Well orchestrated rock and pop, starts off with “Boots and Shoes” a standard melodic rock tune that’s crafted with an ear towards contemporary audiences, that then bathes itself in anglo-slice-of-life nostalgia on “The Old Country.” A real gem here is “Red Squirrel” with it’s Badfinger-like guitar riffs and steady bass rhythm. The folk ballad “North St. Grand” slows the albums pacing a bit, but a few other tracks poke through some of the serious prog noodling, like the wonderful “Lost and Found” and the ethereal gem “Cheese and Ham.” It ends on a ponderous unwieldy jam with “The Day The World Stopped Turning.” While it doesn’t touch the glory of the early 70’s albums, it comes pretty darn close in spots. For most long time UK fans this more than enough to celebrate.