The Junior League "Smile Shoot Smile"

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Hailing from St Augustine, Fla., The Junior League aka Joe Adragna once again has delivered some pop goodness to follow up his debut “Catchy”. The new album has plenty of sharp pop craft along the lines of REM jangle and The Beatles, with a touch of Toad The Wet Sprocket. Joe is more than a one man band here, as the opener “Everybody Loves Me (But You)” has much in common with Buffalo Springfield and Brian Wilson. The songs are cleanly produced and well written – “It’s The End” pumps up the volume in this traditional break up song with forceful guitar riffs. The melodic and mellow tunes do the best here, from “What I Am” to the sunny “Memories” remind me of Stealers Wheel in the baseline. The lower key songs “Sundress” and “What If I Am,” touches on adult contemporary pop. But it goes the other way as “Princess Stephanie” is true pop gem, with a soulful vocal and toe tapping chorus and “Hey, Pop Life” brings to mind The Ramones. Some deep lyrical work in “I Never Thought” refer to the struggle with letting go, as he sings “I never thought I’d be so tired..” Well, I don’t think I will grow tired of The Junior League anytime soon.

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The Virgins "The Virgins"

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Move over Maroon Five, we got the Virgins in the house! The hook filled single “One Week Of Danger” is lightning captured in a bottle here. A hybrid of Franz Ferdinand and the Strokes… they’ve got an awesome danceable pop sound. “She’s Expensive” is another true pop gem that will ring in your head for days. The style then changes for the next few tracks, and “Rich Girls”and “Teen Lovers” has a 80’s funk that sports high angular rhythms and tinny beats, the songs continue to be very catchy in a retro-pop way.  The extreme here is the track, “Murder” that recalls Frankie Goes To Hollywood (Remember them?) It’s full of hooks, catchy melodies, and plenty of fun. The middle of the album sags a bit, but it ends strong with two more sticky gems — “Private Affair” hints at ELO and The Thompson Twins and “Radio Christiane” reminds me of The Motors. If you’re a fan of the 80’s, and Strokes, this is some awesome ear candy. The production is solid and clean and takes some of the grit out of the originals and bumps up the power of the dance grooves, so hit “repeat” and shake it, man. Mark my words, this band has hit the big time.

My Space | The Virgins | Amazon | Itunes

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The Gilligans "My Name Is Willy"

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Guitarists Todd Borsch and Dan McKenzie hooked up with David Krieger assuming bass guitar duties and veteran drummer Scott Pellican and formed The Gilligans – a British Invasion influenced garage band that came out with “Snoring With An Accent” in 2007. This new album finds the group spreading it’s wings a little bit. The music is split between sugary sweet pop and Cavern Club-era rock. “Wanna Wear Your Sunshine” is a good example of the band’s gritty guitar energy. On the other side of the coin, a text book example of power pop music, “She’s A Boomerang” recalls The Rubinoos and Curt Bochetter. “I Want To Be Your Loving Man” is a true gem that brings to mind both The Hollies and Southern Culture On The Skids. “In A Flash” is a lead by a tight fuzz amped guitar and sweet vocals that brings these contrasting influences together. The songs are all pretty good, no duds here — although the harmonies on a few songs disappear into the background, with such a prominent lead guitar. And sometimes the effort to get psychedelic, gets a little carried away with the vocal phasing (“This All Starts With You”) and I remind myself this is not a Pillbugs album. Overall, a very good album (no sophomore slump here) that’s worth plenty of repeat listens and a few coconuts. 

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The Shaker Pegs and White Lies

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The Shaker Pegs “Blue Moon”
The Shaker Pegs are a three-piece rock-and-roll band looking to take the world by storm by playing their infectious music to everyone and anyone. Originally formed by longtime friends Mark Piro and Chris Memoli, The Shaker Pegs have always insisted on creating a sound filled with a strong sense of melody and rhythm. By fusing ‘60s-esque rock-and-roll with their own individual style, the band has an excitement that encourages listeners to tap their toes and snap their fingers. The vocal harmonies sometimes strain to keep up with the wonderful songwriting, but these guys have the right idea — Sounding a bit like a Brooklyn version of the Barenaked Ladies or Moxy Fruvous. Highlights include”Hey Natalie” and “Sloppy Joanna”
Listen to The Shaker Pegs | Itunes


White Lies “To Lose My Life”
Frontman Harry McVeigh sounds an awful lot like Ian McCulloch on “To Lose My Life”, the debut single from the band White Lies. This isn’t power pop, but if you like a thick fog of goth guitar buzz, the album’s high-gloss production and sanitized gloom will click immediately with fans of Joy Division, Tears For Fears and Echo & The Bunnymen. “A Place To Hide” and “Fifty On Our Foreheads” are also standouts on this modern Brit-mope indie album full of lyrical doubt and melancholy. The emotions on much of the additional tracks are commercially hollow, but McVeigh’s lyrical treatment works on “Unfinished Business”, booming the words “you’ve got blood on your hands and I know it’s mine” works well, it’s a perfect anthem for the Twilight crowd and the best track on the album. The string arrangements on “The Price of Love” are also a nice detail at the albums end. Recommended for vampires and vampire lovers who like pop music. FYI: The band’s site is pretty darn cool too.
MySpace | White Lies Site | Itunes

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