Steve Eggers of the Nines sings a new demo at home on his piano. This charming home movie was filmed by his wife. Too bad it gets cut off at the end. So when is the next album coming out, Steve?
Michael Mazzarella "Folk Songs For The Curious Few"
Michael Mazzarella is a legend among power pop fans for his work with the Rooks. His solo career has concentrated on improving his songwriting abilities and his latest offering “Folk Songs…” is similar to the last album “Grey Over An Autumn Winter,” which presents a song cycle in somber tones. It was recorded on a simple eight-track with help from Richard X. Heyman on the harmony parts. Vocals as sharp as ever, Mazzarella is sounding more like a mix of Colin Bluntone and Chris Bell on the opener “Recollections of a Young Girl Gone.” Thankfully, the clouds part for the excellent mid-tempo “October on Bleecker” with it’s sweet strum and multi-tracked melody that mixes the Beatles and Big Star influences sure to please Rooks fans. Then the clouds return on bleak “The Ballad of Who Are We” which is a song about a bygone relationship fallen through the cracks of life. The next track “Open Letter Of Sorry” has a John Lennon quality with heavy echo in the piano and nasal delivery. Another standout is “Shine A Little” which has an spiritual quality with a strong Elton John styled piano melody. The songs themselves feel like a confessional and the melodies sparkle through the lo-fi approach on “For LaDonna The Blue” and “In An Ocean.” It ends with a gospel statement in “Hallelujah For The Hallelujah Of Us” and if it had a least one additional mid-tempo or upbeat song in the mix it would be better received. It’s a downer of an album, with the ending lyrics “Have all the friends I have known/Better to feel so alone?” Fans of John Lennon, and Big Star will appreciate this and of course if the mood suits you.
The Rooks Site | My Space | CD Baby
Note: For some reason the review of “Black Bunny” was deleted by accident, so I reposted it.
Jaimie Vernon "Nightmare @ 20,000 Watts"
Jaimie Vernon is not only president of Bulleye Records, he’s also been part of several bands in his native Canada. His third solo album is a concept album/homage to hit radio programs from the past. Rather than a single stand-alone CD of material, he has compiled 70 cuts as MP3s included on a multi-media disc that includes a ‘faux’ radio show from the fictitious CRCK-FM featuring Bob Segarini as DJ Brian “The Iceguy” Campbell. Follow the exploits of the last playlist from the last station on the last day of Top 40 radio. Much like Roger Water’s “Radio K.A.O.S” or Queen’s “The Works” album in “the end of modern radio” theme, except you get a whole lot more. I concentrated on the 23 songs of the “CRCK Top 20” where you get a complex story outline in the song “Radio Killed The Radio Star” which is influenced by The Cars, Beatles, and even Billy Idol. Some highlights include the very ELO inspired “(Letter To A) Dear Chum” and the reggae beat of “Clique Me Down” with horns and catchy chorus similar to Jimmy Buffett’s hits. “Airwaves” is the closest tune to Roger Waters style. With Segarini aboard, you also get a little bit of Chilliwack and other Canadian hits in the song “Life’s A Canadian Rock.” Included is a cover of the Hudson Brothers “So You Are A Star” and the bouncy “(Coney Island Turning) Upside Down.” Lots of other references to Canadian rock bands like Klaatu as well, however more attention is placed on the concept/storyline than the music itself, which doesn’t always live up to expectations. On the other hand, there is a TON of material here, so you are most definitely getting a “box set” worth of stuff for a single album’s price.
Bullseye Canada | My Space
Listen to “(Letter To A) Dear Chum”
Andy Reed "Fast Forward"
You are forgiven if you never heard of Andy Reed, but you would do yourself a favor and pick up the excellent debut “Fast Forward.” You’ll hear the Roger Manning Jr. vibe in the opener “The Ballad of….” to start things off with an excellent melody and Beatles-styled guitar and drum work. Andy has a sweetness to his melodies that brings to mind McCartney and Curt Boettcher with a simple piano and acoustic guitar. “The Criminal” has a good story to tell as well, about broken promises and sacrifice for that one true love, and a gentle strum that reminds me of The Cyrkle or The Free Design. After the beautifully sparse ballad “Play,” we get to “Novocaine” – a melancholy song about the singer’s weariness and loss of confidence, much like a Gram Parsons ballad. “Thank You” is straight from the Pete Ham playbook, a song of earnest joy and love and accented by electric guitars. “Tied Up” has those little synth touches like The Cars, but the song is closer Weezer or Fountains of Wayne in spirit. The odd song out here is “Around the Town” with a mix of Michael Carpenter-like melody, handclaps and old piano sound. A good song, but Andy’s vocals are too laid back for the tempo. The vocals are much better served on the closer “Are You Listening?” a fine Beatlesque mid-tempo ballad with a nice guitar solo that fades out at the end. There is plenty of great pop here, although we are a bit low on the “power” scale, fans who flip for multi-layered music with melody and harmony at the forefront will want this for sure.
My Space | CD Baby | Kool Kat Musik
The Shys "You’ll Never Understand This Band The Way That I Do"
And you are probably right. After all, I just know what you sound like. Southern California based The Shys emulate a classic 70’s rock and roll band with a knack for good songwriting and smart baselines. You almost don’t know what to expect in the instrumental opener “Spanish Village By The Sea” but then the next song, “The Hangman” has a catchy chorus and smooth LA club rock guitar riffs to impress you. But it gets much better with the Lennonesque “Savior” and proves you don’t need Lenny Kravitz vocals to do these kind of songs. “She’s Already Gone” is another gem with a song structure similar to Mott The Hoople’s “All The Young Dudes.” If you like narrative styled, bass lead songs you get “Mercy” or “Brother Please” which recall Mick Jaggar or Bob Segers’ best. Lead singer Kyle Krone has a great voice that matches whatever style of music that starts playing and I like the late era Beatles-styled tracks the best. “Find Some Courage” and “La Costa Verde” owes much to the Fab’s “Yer Blues” and “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” That’s not all, as “All On Me” sounds like it fell off an old Bob Seger Greatest Hits record. Other songs get less retro and compare well to The White Stripes (“Carry On For Two”). Fans of the above mentioned bands (Kravitz, Beatles, Stones, Seger) will treat this album like a favorite mix tape. Pop it in the player and play the air guitar to this.
The Shys Website | My Space | itunes
Listen to “The Hangman”