What took so long? When you consider that Frank Bango’s “Fugitive Girls” has been on my list of greatest albums of all time, his latest “The Sweet Songs of Decay” is a long overdue summer classic. Often compared to Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, Bango has earned plenty of fans over the years and has played with artists from Frank Black to Nancy Sinatra.  The album is a series of finely textured, and gentle musing on mortality, starting with the ballad “You Always Begin By Saying Goodbye” just Frank and a lone guitar that recalls Big Star’s Chris Bell. Then the shimmering mid-tempo “Summerdress” has those swirling chords and harmonies that give you goose bumps. “Angela Eagleton” is another standout,  lead by acoustic strumming and a few keyboards. The song cycle of a “children’s album for adults” begins with the ballad ““Bunny in a Bunny Suit” where Frank is “pretending to be myself again” – it then goes upbeat on “I Saw The Size Of The World” it’s a relaxing, laid-back melody with a kid friendly repeating chorus (“And the rain came down”). The sadness of the some songs like “She’ll Miss the Spider” recall Ray Davies english countryside. And the darker overtones here cannot be overlooked – the moral Bango leaves us with is that everything must be embraced and enjoyed to it’s fullest while we are here. An impressive album from a brilliant artist.

Frank Bango Website | My Space | CD Baby | itunes | Not Lame

Listen to “I Saw The Size Of the World”

Listen to “Worm was Wood”

Yeah, I know the question. What the hell is a Gronk? Well the short answer is this band named after an obscure comic book villain. The long answer is there is a bunch of other references to the word “Gronk” across the wiki-verse. But for our purposes, it’s an Aussie band that clings to the geeky, quirky and melodic. Opening with “Dirt” that resemble a Devo meets Ween guitar antics and a simple beat. There are bits of Pink Floyd and Midnight Oil you’ll hear on “Tribeca” and it’s pretty catchy too. The album’s songs all have the harmonies and hooks that power pop fans will cling too. “Touch the Sun” is a cleaner Guided By Voices-like track that hums along in an 80’s like fashion. And “Pot O Gold” has a shimmering dreamy quality that evokes great 60’s psyche pop like The Move and The Nazz. My favorite song here is “Robot” which references The Ramones, GBV and has a solid hook full of great effects. The very XTC like “Suicide and Fine Wine” is a welcome surprise here. In addition, a sweet Beatlesque “la-la” chorus finds it’s way on “Birds Buzzin.” Another band to use for comparison here is The Lucky Bishops with less guitar fuzziness and more “Gronkiness.” Most songs here shine (other than the snoozer “Language”) and worthy of your ipod playlist. Get it and may the Gronk be with you.

My Space | Foghorn Records | Not Lame

Listen to “”Dirt and Worms”

A side project from Brandon Wilde and Chris Foley, this is a superb album full of great mid-tempo indie pop and alt country styled ballads. The opener “Hero” is a dead-on classic that Radiohead should have put on “Ok Computer” (Brandon even sounds like Thom Yorke on this track). Keeping the dark, but easy going mood “Survival” is a nice follow up, that has a catchy lament about a solider in Iraq (and those he leaves behind) with great storytelling. By the time we get to “Hello” it gets brighter and more Beatlesque. The very nice Wilco-meets-The Shins styled “Love Unknown” is another standout that’s impressive. Foley’s vocal on “inside” resembles a mellower version of Eddie Vedder, with a hint of John Mayer. The song has nice touches, including horns and overdubs that make compelling listening. Acoustic ballads like “Daydream” are woven around mid-tempo political nihilism and commentary from “This is Nowhere” (which recall The Kinks, Ray Davies). The catchy political theme continues with “Digital Bystander” as a call to arms to the Internet masses. At points near the end of the album it combines the above influences into something wonderful and unique (“Butterfly”). After a few listens you’ll be hooked by this Bunny.

My Space | CD Baby