Recently, I got to chat with John Gray, lead vocalist for The Swedes (shown above) and also the sunshine pop maestro, Dave Dill – both have new albums out, so I asked a few basic questions. Check out the Artist Interviews section on the right, or these direct links here:
Interview with The Swedes, John Gray
Interview with Dave Dill
The Ringles have lots of those crunchy fuzztoned guitars and awesome 60’s influenced pysche-pop tunes. Todd Borsch and Tom Rose keep things lively, as the songs style resemble The Resonars or The Pretty Things. The album, however opens with a lot of echo and effects on several early songs and it can mask the vocals a bit too much. Thankfully out of the massive 17 tracks here – there are plenty of great ones. “A New Day” which is an excellent Who-styled Mod tune in the mode of “Can’t Explain.” Things get really trippy with “Lisa’s Riding on Star” – so bring your incense out for this one. The fine acoustic strum of “I Am” opens up to reveal a Byrdsian guitar slice of goodness. This albums’ not called “Rickenbacker Ballet” for nothing. The McGuinn twelve-string style comes out big on “Come Tumbling Down.” The production is sometimes basic and they over treble the mix occasionally here, but the Beatlesque-chiming guitars of “Feeling Nothing at All” brings a smile to these Rickenbacker guitar lovers ears. Other songs like “The Way” get a bit overtly preachy with the Christian lyrics, but it’s a good song. Also, “Alone Tonight” has more than bit of The Beatles’ “Mother Nature’s Son” here. The fuzz earlier on the album gives way to a folk strum on songs like “Early Morning Tea” and is a pleasant pop ballad. Overall, if you love sixties style jangle pop, this one’s a winner.
Jam Records | My Space | CD Baby
A long time ago, in a galaxy not so far away, a band named Phantom Planet was a simple emo-styled power pop band lead by Alex Greenwald and with actor Jason Schwartzman playing drums. Then they got pop fame and fortune with the single “California” on the TV show, the O.C. and then somewhere along the way the major label dumped them and four years later it brings us to “Raise The Dead.” Welcome home, guys. Much like Supergrass, this band is on the comeback tour. And glad to say, this is the strongest Phantom Planet album since “The Guest.” Greenwald’s music was inspired by the slavish devotion to cult leaders like Charles Manson and Jim Jones. The songs have an undercurrent of dread to them that’s hard to pinpoint, the group sounds like a wonderful Beatles Radiohead hybrid. Opening with the strong title track, it has the emotion and grit with a catchy baseline and that leads us to the awesome follow up, “Dropped” which has a hook that won’t let go and a buzzsaw guitar that will stick like glue. “Leader” has that cult-vibe for sure with lyrics like “everyone will be reborn” and creepy kids chorus in addition. Next the single “Do The Panic” is another catchy song with a kinks-like narrative. The rest of the songs shamble along, best represented by “Geronimo” which is tangle of guitars and chaos. The Radiohead influence comes out on “Quarantine” in a big way. Lots of well written songs with strong guitars like, “Leave Yourself For Somebody Else” with shades of The Strokes and The Who in the melody. The band, which has changed a lot over the years, feels comfortable in it’s own skin here.
My Space | Not Lame | itunes
Listen to “Do The Panic”
Tommi Zender is a Chicago native who has worked as the Bon Mots guitarist and also done some solo work. “Will Work for Harmony” is essentially lead by Tommi’s amazing guitarwork. Starting with a Zen-like prologue the first single “Something To Hide” sets the stage. A bit of Todd Rundgren and Jon Brion styled arrangements with help from sweet guitar harmonies and Tommi’s soothing vocals. The follow up “Home At Last” is a laid back Paul McCartney-like mid-tempo number. The guitar is double tracked to weave a solid support for the melodic chorus. Most of the songs are uplifting and hopeful, a good example of this is “The World Already Knows” with it’s layered guitar breaks and accented drumming. The clean sound and superior production help elevate the melodies and, each tune is polished to it’s full potential. The dreamy wall of sound on “Cinnamon Apple Cider” is lush in detail and “Summer Vacation” continues this easy going vibe. This is clearly a musician doing what he loves as opposed to trying to get a “hit” and it’s sweet therapy. If you love good guitar pop, pick this one up. In addition, Tommi’s version “Bedspring Kiss” from The Jellyfish Tribute is on his MySpace page for listening.
Tommi Zender web site | My Space | CDBaby
Listen to a clip of “Something to Hide”
I’ve been hearing a big buzz about Paul Steel for months now. Mix even parts Brian Wilson and Roger Manning Jr. and you get a good idea of who Paul Steel is. A Singer/songwriter extraordinaire came out with “April & I” in the UK last year and as he’s about to release his newest “Moon Rock” album any day now, we across the pond get wind of this talent through this incredible debut now. How do I start with this one? Well it opens with a swirling orchestral sweep of an introduction worthy of “Pet Sounds” and “The Wizard of Oz” soundtrack combined. This leads to the Andy Partridge-like “April” a piano pop joyous ode complete with Jellyfish-styled production throughout. Then with a Wilsonesque opening, “Worst Day” tells the story of the album. A bouncy mid-tempo pop aria, with Bacharach styled horn flourishes. “Take It or Leave It” is a slick orchestral doo wop similar to The Grease soundtrack. The missteps here are “School Bully” which turns into a frenzied dance track, and the funny, but profane “Honkin‘ on the Crackpipe” which goes a bit overboard here. The ending tunes “Grown Up and Away”, “April and I” and “Imaginary” are an orchestral pop triumph on first listen. The entire album package concept is imaginative here too; made to look like a child’s book on heavy cardboard stock with stick figure drawings. If the lyrics were a bit less adult, you could play this to your kids. Steel makes the album “April & I” a big fat love letter to his childhood, complete with an imaginary girlfriend. In fact, it’s closer to “tween-age symphony to God” or Broadway Show soundtrack in 30 minutes, than a straight pop album. And if you enjoy that kind of novelty, you’ll eat this up. Apparently a host of famous musicians have. Kudos from The Wondermints and VanDyke Parks included. Beach Boys and Jellyfish fans alike will rejoice.
UPGRADE: This albums hooks just continue to eat away at my resistance. After multiple listens, I’m upgrading this rating.
The Paul Steel web site | MySpace | iTunes