Nelson Bragg normally spends his time as a drummer and percussionist for Brian Wilson’s band. While working on the legendary SMiLE album tour, he put together his solo CD “Day into Night.” It’s got a great opening with the rich harmonies in “Forever Days” that combine The Hollies and the California sound to something unique and wonderful. He tops that with the pristine “Tell Me I’m Wrong” with lush production and a hook that won’t leave your head. The album is split into two sides (“Day” and “Night”) and the folk-rock-pop combo is primarily on the Day side. The shimmering rhythm of acoustic guitar is hard to resist in “Return the Love You Take” and is comparable to the sweetness of The Posies’ “Dear 23” in feel. A Beach Boys-like vocals tribute makes it’s way on the Night side with “Death of Caroline” – it’s a beautiful song, about recovery from depression. The remaining tracks here, while very good don’t quite reach the highs of the earlier tracks, even though the ending “Turn The Darkness Into Gold” weaves CSNY and George Harrison into richly orchestrated ear candy. Overall an excellent release that shouldn’t be missed.
Yes, the more the merrier. Spread the love of The Major Labels, a power pop supergroup made up of Mike Viola, Bleu and Ducky Carlisle. I’m not gonna say anymore, except you need to pass out 3 friends e-mails to get the album.
Here are a few emerging artists EPreleases that hit my inbox:
The Breakups “Eat Your Heart Out” EP
This album blew me away on first listen. A big hint here is that they are opening with Jason Falkner in Silverlake, CA this month. Starting with “Day in The Sun” it has angelic choruses and heavy guitars similar to Tripsitter or Teenage Fanclub. The next song “Tissue Sample” is a strings and guitar ballad with lead singer Jake Gideon’s gentle vocals similar to Cloud Eleven. This six song EP is varied in style and keeps you guessing throughout with a variety of styles. “Feed” has the rising guitar chords similar to Fountains of Wayne. The ending “Winding Down”gets the Ken Stringfellow vibe done well. Don’t miss this one. MySpace | The Breakups Website
Keyboard Cathy “Sushi Lover”
Yes, Cathy has an old Broadway sense of melody and a Roland R-600 keyboard. But it’s not all pop showtunes and kitsch. It falls somewhere between The Carpenters and Julie Andrews, the best of this is evidenced in the song “Golden Child” which won Honorable Mention in the Broadway/Cabaret category of the Unisong International Songwriting Contest. The song “Sushi Lover” is like the ultimate dinner music for Japanese eating – as it has instructional narrative that teaches you how to enjoy eating the food. And the pop melodies are upbeat and cheerful (almost saccharine) and the messages in the music sound straight out of Dr. Phil’s motivational guide. You will either love it or not, but it’s worth a listen.
My Space| CD Baby
Lazy Lions “Keep Your Love Away”
Brooklyn rockers Lazy Lions, have a way with really fine Elvis Costello styled power pop – just listen to the opener “Keep Your Love Away” and just try not to smile or tap your feet. The bouncy melody and smart guitar play also remind me of Squeeze, and the song “Magellan In Reverse” has echoes of The Fixx as well. This is an excellent 4 song EP of melodic goodness that compares well with power popper, Any Trouble and The Db’s. Highly recommended for sure – One question: When is the full length album coming out? My Space | emusic
Kaitlyn Anderson “A New Word For Over”
In the past, I’ve given nods to good female vocalists and Kaitlyn is no exception. Here is an alternative to the current female pop cliches, with the single “So Much Better” a really strong song, is part Meredith Brooks attitude and Shania Twain sweetness. She has a strong pop vocal that doesn’t overly stylize the song and as an example “Unhappy” has a great melody and understated rock guitar that doesn’t take away from the vocal performance. Also worthy of note is Guillermo Guerrero’s excellent guitar solo on “Walk Away.” A bit of Pat Benetar rock leaks out on “Pressure.” Worth checking out for sure. My Space | Kaitlyn’s Site
A look at Brian Wilson’s new release, “That Lucky Old Sun” this promo looks like a solid effort and the video has guest spots from the usual legion of followers, The Wondermints, Jeffery Foskett, and others.
