Save money this holiday season and send gifts to everyone on your list. The book “Songs Stuck In My Head” is an inexpensive way to let your loved ones know you have been thinking about them and to share your love of great music. It’s a unique gift that will live on into the new year.
For the remaining months of 2021, you get $10 off the cover price, so each book is only $20.
Plus each book comes with a 20-song downloadable soundtrack absolutely free with purchase.
This third LP of The John Sally Ride continues their knack for sharp power-pop/rock songs. The four-man combo John Dunbar (Guitar, Vocals), Sal Maida (Bass), Joe Pampel (Guitar), and Sal Nunziato (Drums) boast a more focused sound, and “The Nicest Things” keep Dunbar’s understated, self-effacing approach but layer in more hooks. “Putting It Off” is another breakthrough tune that defines the band’s unique approach. “I Never Understood (Where I Stood With You)” adds a little Motown influence with its horns. The title track “Now Is Not A Great Time” and “He Doesn’t Know If He Snores” expand the scope of the band’s sound to include layered psych-pop flourishes.
Both “Far From Eaten Out” and “She Doesn’t Do Nostalgia” are comforting and compelling to listen to. “You Let Her Break Your Heart Again” is a superior ballad, but the songs don’t break much ground after this. Themes of bitterness and rejection are all over the album, so the sad-sack lyrical approach will wear out its welcome for some. But as far as the musicianship, it might be perfect timing. Highly Recommended.
New Jersey roots rockers The Successful Failures return with a nautical-themed concept album. It features the guitar heroics of lead Mick Chorba and his crew; Ron Bechamps, Rob Martin, and Pete Smith. The anthemic “Naval Victories” recall The Who, Sloan, and Pearl Jam, and even better “A Coat For Dreams” rocks out with some dramatic melody lines across its 4-minute run time. The guitar fuzz kicks into overdrive on highlights “The Seas Roll Mountain High” and the AC/DC-like “Let The Power Go Through You.”
The layered harmonies on “Julie the Redeemer” are also very impressive, but despite these gems, the remaining songs don’t distinguish themselves and tend to blend into each other. Fans of heavily layered guitars will enjoy this, so definitely give it a shot. It’s music that deserves to be heard.
We start our November selection with the welcome return of Shake Some Action‘s “Break It Down,” it’s a slow-burning hook that sticks in your head quickly. The Thin Cherries are a Chicago band with a little more alt. rock feel, and the jangle band *repeat repeat gives a freebie that’s pretty cool with a nice beat. However, the best freebie of this month is the work of Orbis Max; as he collaborates with some of my favorite artists like Danny Wilkerson, Lannie Flowers, Ed Ryan, Lisa Mychols, and more. Adam Marsland has remixed and remastered his final album, The Owl and The Full Moon, and Beach Boys fans will want to soak that in. UK singer-songwriter John Myrtle has that retro-pop vibe with a great ballad “Get Her Off My Mind,” check out the entire LP for more. Kansas City’s Eggs on Mars serves up a smooth EP that boasts Midwestern charm and hooks, and Toronto’s Claude Kent (aka Clockwise) delivers an EP that reminds me of early Joe Jackson, full of sweet pop hooks.
I am very saddened by the passing of Billy Hinsche. He was a multi-instrumentalist and solid talent who earned fame with the pop band Dino, Desi, and Billy in the 60s and later joined the Beach Boys as a session musician. I was honored to have interviewed him back in 2009.
Rest in Peace, Bill.
David Brookings has continued to grow musically over the years, and with his latest Mania At The Talent Show, he’s still telling stories that resonate. “Hard Times” reflects on the COVID fueled era of anxiety. On “Keep It Real” he settles in with a laid-back catchy rhythm as he touches on some of his favorite Western pop culture icons growing up (Outlaw Josey Wales, Gunsmoke), and then he slows down even more on the sleepy jangling “Driving to Ojai.” The California vibe is strong with this one, as well as other tracks. And David’s humor is sharp as ever on the bouncy “Women of L.A.” about women “going to the vending machine to pick out a new face.”
Other standouts include “One of Us Is Crazy (The Other One Is Me),” “Get Off (My Mind),” and “Kill Shot.” The longer form story-song “Mania at The Talent Show” is a lively tale of catching “rock star” mania with catchy hooks that chug along. Some tunes are more atmospheric and less compelling (“Words Come Back To Haunt You” and “Hide Your Crazy”) but this doesn’t throw the album off track. Brookings is a talent that deserves to be heard. Highly Recommended.
For over 26 years as one of New Jersey’s finest bands, The Grip Weeds (singer/drummer Kurt Reil, his wife Kristin Pinell Reil, brother Rick Reil, and bassist Dave DeSantis) have dazzled audiences with their unique blend of psychedelic styled garage rock and power pop. In a moment of introspection, the band decided to back at what influenced their sound and pay tribute to songs they loved. This is the inspiration for DiG, and it’s no ordinary covers album.
The late sixties has always been a benchmark for the band, and they dig deep through this 2-disc set. The challenge is to improve upon the originals, and in many ways, The Grip Weeds are up for this challenge. The one-hit wonders are usually ripe for improvement and “Shape of Things To Come” (Max Frost and The Troopers), “Journey to The Center of The Mind” (The Amboy Dukes), and “Lies” (The Knickerbockers) are instrumentally superior versions. More modern songs like The Plimsouls “Lie, Beg, Borrow, and Steal” are given a retro arrangement and there are plenty of songs you’ll not be familiar with; obscurities like “The Little Black Egg” (The Nightcrawlers). Overall a great album for those who love to dig through the classic late sixties catalog. Highly Recommended.