Maple Mars has been at the nexus of power pop and psychedelic rock, and Someone’s Got To Listen finds Rick Hromadka and his able crew (Steve Berns, Ron Pak, and Joe Giddings) bringing the hooks on then opener “Useless Information,” with a timely warning that we are “moving in the wrong direction.” Then the epic psych-pop, “Gliding” offers grand themes with stadium-sized sound. This approach is also on the expansive 5-minute “Silver Craft.” But Rick can still craft tasty power pop melodies and “Anchors Aweigh” is another great tune.
It gets trippier with “Someone Take The Wheel,” the gurgling reverb contrasts perfectly with the harmonies and the central themes of reflection and transition are beautifully done in “Crooked Smile.” While Hromadka hasn’t approached Maple Mars in ten years, the time away has made the music that much better as a group effort. Songs tend to linger, like the apocalyptic vision of “Goodbye California,” and add to this not a single bad track here. Many thanks to the premiere label Big Stir Records for getting this done. Highly Recommended and an easy pick for my 2022 top ten list.
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Chicagoâs Bishopâs Daredevil Stunt Club delivers the follow-up to 2019âs End Over End. The Cheap Trick influence remains strong here, âPony Upâ has several nicely layered riffs, but feels repetitive. âHold You Upâ and âSilverballâ fare much better, with building verses and more fine guitar work. âThe Liftâ is another highlight, reminding me a little of Extreme. The band certainly knows how to rock, and âFifty Foot Womanâ brings those heavy riffs to the forefront.
However, it does lack the pop hooks, until we get to âTremor Control IIâ which also adds some Cars-like synths. This was my favorite song here, and even though âJoni, Itâs Not Like Thatâ has an interesting melody, itâs a bit obscure to write about Happy Days characters nowadays. The tone and influences start to shift with âWhat Theyâre After.â It starts out fine and goes off into guitar solo indulgence towards the end. The songs also tend to overstay their welcome (most clocking in at over 4:00 minutes). âBah Bah Bahâ is over 7 minutes long, and while its technically proficient, the suite isn’t that memorable. Overall not a bad album, but you may want to start with End Over End first.
Alert! The Buckleys may not fit into my “power pop wheelhouse” but I know a sweet hook when I hear it. The bandâs newest single, âOops I Love Youâ has the kind of catchy country-pop flavor that could become a HUGE hit if it gets a little love from the music media and fans. The Buckleys are a three-piece band from Australia, consisting of siblings Sarah, Molly, and Lachlan. While they are country-pop; you can hear several classic pop influences; Sheryl Crow, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Fleetwood Mac. They are very polished performers with an interesting history, and their new EP Take It As It Comes, is out on August 5.
On August 5th, Jem Records will release the third tribute album (after John Lennon and Brian Wilson) “Celebrates” album with JEM Records Celebrates Pete Townshend. Once again presenting the label’s artists’ interpretations of a classic rock icon’s songs. I really dig this beatnik version of “Can’t Explain” by Lisa Mychols and Super 8 ( Paul ‘Trip’ Ryan). Snaps all around for this one. More is coming from this release, so hold on to your hats. For a preview of all the artists, check out this compilation video!
Celebrating the fact that Sloan has a new album due out in October, we get the single “Spend The Day” to whet our appetites. What a prolific band, and speaking of prolific, Richard Turgeon has a sweet new EP Rough Around The Edges, check out the riffage on “I Never Loved You,” a classic power pop-sounding gem. The dense grunge-like rhythms are in contrast to the crisp re-released and remastered Kurt Baker solo Brand New Beat. This is without a doubt my favorite of his albums, and every song is top shelf, plus a boat-load of extra tracks (a total of 26) – so worth it.
Sad to say, but The Sunshine Boys are calling it quits, the trio leaves us with a pair of great tunes, both “Underwater” and “The Beginning.” If you want more buzz in your riffs, Geoff Palmer (The Connection) fits your needs perfectly. The FREEBIE this time is the lovely unpolished harmonies of The Happy Somethings from the UK. Great jangling happy melodies, full of irony guaranteed to brighten your day.
UK singer-songwriter Glenn Prangnell (Groovy Uncle) and New Jersey musician Mare Rozzelle formed The Vague Ideas and came up with a rock musical based on the book âThe Songs of John Lennon: The Beatles Years.â The songs were started by book author and Berklee professor, John Stevens, but Glenn finished the project in 2021 after his passing. The songs are based on imaginary letters written or received by John Lennon during his post-Beatles time in New York. The cast of Jonh’s life is all here; Cynthia, Yoko, Julian, Sean, Paul, Mimi, May Pang, and even Richard Nixon.
The Lennonesque vocals and arrangements are stunningly accurate and well written. This is a musical salve to Beatle fans, and you’d swear John wrote these tunes himself. The tender love song format fits “I Had To Go (Letter To Cynthia)” perfectly, and the pounding piano works on the funny “Nixon’s Listening (Letters to Tricky Dicky).” You will spend hours playing “spot-the-influence” with each tune, but it tells a straight narrative and there isn’t a note of filler here. Highly Recommended.
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Caleb Nicholsâ solo debut, Ramon, is more than a tribute to The Beatles, McCartney’s Ram, or John Lennon’s Imagine. It’s a love story between The Beatlesâ Mean Mr. “Ramon” Mustard and a ship captain named Jerome Custard. Using the fictional characters from Abby Road’s songs, Nichols weaves a tale of gay love, loathing, and tragedy.
The first track, âListen to the Beatlesâ with its “Dear Prudence” rhythm makes clear the middle school atmosphere, and his inner thoughts while listening to his favorite band. A standout here is the McCartneyesque “Run Rabbit Run” with its quick-witted lyric and catchy chorus. The aching ballads (“Ramon” and “I Can’t Tell You”) are closer to Elliot Smith than the former Fabs. But the pounding bass on “She’s The Beard” clearly illustrates closeted anxiety. “Jerome” is another highlight which feels like a Beatles-Prince hybrid. However, some themes feel too repetitive (“From a Hole in The Road”) or are just boring. But overall a good album worth exploring, especially if you’re a Beatles fan.
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