Not only did I get to review the album, but I contacted Miles Zungia of Fastball for a brief interview. Check out the interview button on the right or click here to read the Fastball interview.
True Lyrics Revealed Dept. Yes! It is finally revealed in this footage of Joe Cocker at Woodstock — what did he actually sing onstage that day, during “A Little Help With My Friends”? Scientists have used the latest technology to reveal it captioned for the clear-headed.
Fastball was formed in 1994 by native Texans Joey Shuffield and Miles Zuniga along with So-Cal transplant Tony Scalzo. After “The Way” was released in 1998, Fastball moved to the big time and has been putting out quality albums ever since. After a four year break, Little White Lies is released today. One thing the band has kept up is the knack for coming up with great hooks that don’t leave your head. “All I Was Looking For Was You” is a textbook example of melodic rock with immediately accessible riffs and hand claps. The sweet harmonies are as tight as ever on “Always/Never” and showcases the bands mellower side. Another standout “The Malcontent (The Modern World)” is very reminiscent of “The Way” in song structure, and the lyrics are a scathing comment on the rock star life. The other tracks here are also fully engaging, including the title track “Little White Lies” and the European flavored “Angelie.” My favorite track here is the awesome instrumentation and arrangements on “Mono to Stereo” guaranteed to get your head moving to the beat. The approaches slightly change from track to track and keep things moving well, “She’s Got the Rain” is another gem, lead with a great piano rhythm. The band loosens up even more as the album moves forward, for example the part Stones, part Dylan-like “We’ll Always Have Paris” is rousing bar room guitar romp, with some nice harmony accents. This is a refreshing release that fans of Fastball will cherish, as well as newer fans that aren’t familiar with them. So yes, this is a highly enjoyable and recommended addition to your ipod playlist.
Philadelphia’s Spinning Lucy got me hooked with the dramatic melody of the opener “Star Sign” and it shows the debut of a tight rock band with great talent. Vocalist Will Roberts leads the band from track to track without sounding cliche or having the tracks wallow in self pity. The bands sound is comparable to the Gin Blossoms meet The Rembrandts with a touch of Jimmy Eat World. The songs are all well performed with a matter-of-fact upbeat approach despite the dark subject matter. It took a few listens to see the themes of death and regret in songs like “Digging Up Bones” and “Hello.” The serious lyrics and wonderfully crisp hooks make “Lions” a real winner here. The band’s take on love to loss and back again in “Crowning” and “Ghost In You” puts them a step above most catchy rock bands. The latter songs lyrics speak of acceptance with lines like, “If you forgive the monsters in me/then I’ll forgive the ghosts in you.” The adventurous story in “Goldilocks” doesn’t seem to keep pace with the melody, although the guitar break is really nice here. The arrangements are a little too even handed in places without giving the listener a hook to hang to on “Letting You Down” and the faux orchestral “Flavor Of The Weak” can get a bit pretentious, but the hidden instrumental track at the end is a nice finish. With a little more concentration on hooks, this band should continue to prosper. Keep your eyes on these guys, as they could break out big time with this album.
My Space | CD Baby | Spinning Lucy website
This is a project mainly consisting of new songs produced and written by Gerry Beckley (America). The album title and release date is TBD. Special guests include Dewey (Bunnell), Rusty Young, Jeff Foskett and others. Give a listen to this work in progress… I always look forward to a Jeff Larson release.
Today, Welsh pop wizards, El Goodo‘s video for the single, “Feel so Fine,” hits the web. See the album review here. Filmed at an old Welsh abbey ruins site in the valleys of West Wales outside of Port Talbot, the birthplace of Anthony Hopkins and the city that inspired Bladerunner, the video was costumed by Marigold Costuming whose other claims to fame are costuming for Dr. Who and the Welsh Opera. It was directed by Mie Sorensen, who has worked for MTV, Nickelodeon and VH1. Unfortunately, while filming, an El Goodo member accidently caused a fire which interrupted the last parts of filming and almost burned down remaining parts of the abbey. The police were called by a local farmer and subsequently Miss Sorensen spent the night in the Neath jail under suspicion of arson. Luckily, no serious damage was done, and hopefully all charges will soon be dropped. Talk about getting burned!
