Thanks to Phil Andrews at Palo Alto Pop Overthrow for this one.
I reviewed The Explorer’s Club back in May. More interviews coming soon!
Cartographer "Cartographer"
After a review of Dan Weir’s Town and Country, I was told Scott Gagner who was part of that band, had his own album. Hailing from Minnesota, Scott Gagner started his career as a drummer in a few California bands before he created his own entity. Cartographer is a fine example of good songwriting in the classic style of REM or Wilco, with a rich melodic sound. A big standout here is “I’m Not Following You” with it’s ringing guitars and perfect pop rhythms that will bounce around in your head for days. Layers of piano, moog synths and drums make “Love Triangle For Two” a pleasant mid tempo diversion. It gets more alt country with the ballad “Sound Rebounds” and “Waiting” have a Wilco meets Pearl Jam feel. “Suburban Girl” has nice energy, with guitar, synth melody and handclaps that make this song lots of fun. This album is too long to be considered an EP, but by the end feels like it needs more music (leave them wanting more I guess). I look forward to a follow up.
Cartographer ‘s Site | CD Baby | My Space
Lyme & Cybelle (aka Warren Zevon & Violet Santangelo)
I have a new batch of reviews this week, and hopefully a big surprise toward the end of the week. This weekend as I gathered some old CDs, I found a moldy old gem that I originally heard this on the “Nuggets” box set several years ago. After checking the web for information on this group I recently found out the identity of “Lyme” — the male half of Lyme & Cybelle was in fact Warren Zevon. This is a great mid 60’s pop track, shades of The Monkees “Last Train to Clarksville” with it’s own psyche-pop touches. Fans of Warren Zevon will have to listen very closely to detect any traces of that famous “Werewolves of London” voice. The record was actually a minor hit (Top 100, though it made into the Top 10 in some West Coast markets). They duo recorded a couple of 45s, though on some of the later ones Zevon is gone with Wayne Erwin taking his place. Thanks for the IronLeg blog for this tasty tidbit of trivia – and a cool obscure song!
Listen to “Follow Me”
Jim Boggia “Misadventures in Stereo”
Jim Boggia makes a welcome return with “Misadventures in Stereo” full of hooks and harmonies, with lush descriptive stories that beg repeat listens, in a similar way to Mike Viola. The album was planned as an LP with two distinct sides — the first five tunes focus on love, relationships, and other personal affairs, while the second half concerns itself with the bits and pieces of other people’s lives. The opener “Johnnie’s Going Down” is a catchy foot tapping single and the follow up “To and Fro” is more like Viola, with a variety of studio magic and sonic textures (like Spanish castanets). The song also features a steady beat and solid guitar riffs. Then the songs get slower and more bittersweet (“No Way Out” and “So”) about failed relationships, like a male Aimee Mann. The rockin’ “8 Track” is a Boggia classic with 70s styled guitars and shouted breaks – lots of fun to listen to. Fans of Emitt Rhodes will flip for “Listening to NRBQ” that includes a guitar solo from NRBQ’s Al Anderson on the fadeout. Then an excellent song about a geek getting even with the school bully (“Chalk One Up for Albert’s Side,” co-written with Beach Boys lyricist Tony Asher) It ends with the somber blues of “Three Weeks Shy” about a solider struggling to come to terms with the death of a young soldier who was due to be shipped home from Iraq in less than a month that feels a lot like a Black Crows ballad. Overall an excellent album that will feel at home in your power pop music collection.
Jim’s Web Site | My Space | CD Baby | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik
Listen to “To and Fro”
Listen to “On Your Birthday”
Listen to “Listening To NRBQ”
Frank Marzano "But Enough About Me"
Utter charming DIY power pop is what makes you root for Frank Marzano. The Edinboro, PA transplant has all the right influences (The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Klaatu) “bands with a real emphasis on songwriting.” he says. The songs have sunny, cheerful melodies and the arrangements are top notch as well – best compared to Chris Breetveld (The Breetles). Opening with the Merseybeat of “A Girl named Sam” it jangles away and should put a smile on your face. Marzano’s vocals work best here, his slightly nasal delivery resembles Mike Love a bit, so it takes getting used to. The album is a hodge-podge of Beatlesque pop-rock, ballads, doo-wop, and folk, tackling such diverse subjects as romance, city life, divorce and single motherhood. The lyrics are fun and often full of dry humor – in fact, he most often sings in an earnest first person narrative. He tries to pick up a single mom in “Hot Mama” mentioning all the selling points including “I’m patient with kids.” Another highlight is the descriptive of “Bleecker Street” complete with idealized “homeless who discreetly ask for change.” All the instrumentation is quality too, from Phil Popotnik’s sax solo to Frank’s own guitar breaks. But it’s got it’s flaws, too. One can fault the length of many songs, for example “Hard To Get” is over four minutes and wears out it’s welcome after two. The ending piano epic “Matthew/Neurotica” clocks in at over eight minutes. Other tunes are just creepy (“She Does Math”). But when it gets it right like in “My Christmas Wish” – it’s a breath of fresh air and Frank’s honest sweetness comes through. This is a guy that just loves this kind of music and it shows – he played at The Baggot Inn in NYC and mentioned “If I’m capable of playing Carnegie Hall, then I want to do that. If the best I can do is a street corner in Edinboro, PA, then I’ll do that, too.” He certainly has talent. Fans of innocent sweet pop will overlook the lack of self editing here and revel in the quality melodies and musicianship.
Frank’s Site | CD Baby | Itunes