Jay Gonzalez and The Krayolas

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Jay Gonzalez

Jay Gonzalez “Back to the Hive”

Jay Gonzalez (Drive-by Truckers) returns with a second full-length solo album designed to sink into your head with simple, mellow pop melodies that recall the early ’70s AM radio. The instrumental opener “Sunspot” gives us a clue to the time period, and the title track “Back To The Hive” follows through with an easy-going strum. The country-folk love song “(I Wanna) Hold You” features inventive lyrics like “I wanna fold you up like origami.” Jay effectively mines all the influences and still makes these songs hook-filled gems.

Jay enlists Athens, GA friends like Chris Grehan, drummer Joe Rowe (The Glands), and former Drive-by Truckers Matt Lane (drums) and John Neff (pedal steel guitar.) The album’s second half gets a little more varied, with the terrific power-pop of “Need You Round,” and its double-tracked guitar and synths. The James Taylor-like ballad “Never Felt Bad (About Feeling Good)” evokes the same moods, and “Cryin’ Through The Wall,” a dramatic tribute to Robin Gibb is another winner. Highly Recommended.

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The Krayolas

The Krayolas “Savage Young Krayolas”

We’ve been advocates for The Krayolas for a long time, and this newly re-mixed and re-mastered collection stands as proof that these Tex-Mex Beatles have the goods. These Chicano garage rockers from San Antonio rock right out of the box with the first three songs “Aw Tonight,” “You’re Not My Girl,” and “Roadrunner.” The energy and hooks are heavily influenced by the Dave Clark Five, Duane Eddy, and The Kinks (a cover of “You Really Got Me” is here too).

The band offers versatility with the Merseybeat “All I Do Is Try,” and the garage stomper “Gator Gator.” The harmony-filled “Sunny Day” compares favorably to The Beach Boys! The appealing melodies are so crisp, and if this is your first taste of The Krayolas you can look further into their catalog starting with ‘Best Riffs Only’.This is super highly recommended and stands as one of the best archival releases of 2020.

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EP and Singles Potpourri: Sandy McKnight, Beebe Gallini, Brad Marino, Vanilla, Jon Klages, Barton Hartshorn

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Sandy McKnight‘s follow-up to last year’s San Fernando Beat EP continues his string of “shoulda-been” hit songs with Fernando Perdomo. If you’re looking for DIY rock and roll, look no further than Beebe Gallini and Brad Marino. Beebe’s got a rough garage sound, but it’s chock full of hooks, and Brad’s sound is vintage gold, similar to The Rolling Stones.  Going back in time further, Vanilla ’66 is an instrumental album for a 1960’s movie that never existed, retro pop fans can bask in the fluorescent glow of nostalgia. Will there be another Austin Powers movie? We got the soundtrack.

Jon Klages new single “1133 Ave. of the Americas (For Enoch Light),” is a subtle jazzy tribute to his grandfather, akin to Harry Nilsson in its brilliant simplicity and a great mood setter. UK artist Barton Hartshorn has a new single, “Listen For A Change,” and it recalls Prefab Sprout and early Style Council. Very nice.




Steve Robinson and My Life As A Dog

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Steve Robinson

Steve Robinson “Swallowing The Sun”

Steve Robinson (Headlight, Roger McGuinn) made impressive music with singer-songwriter Ed Woltil on his album Cycle several years ago. Robinson has a smooth approach on this solo LP. Opening with the layered acoustic and jazzy electric guitars of “Sorry Amsterdam,” he looks back at his youth in the 1980s and it feels similar to Aztec Camera. “Wild God” is even better at setting a mood with its caustic lyrics “Eat your words and spew your junk” and its raga-like rhythm. Another gem here is “Quiet One” with its subtle melody and a slide guitar from XTC legend Dave Gregory. It is a fitting tribute to George Harrison, the “quiet” Beatle.

The songs move from Celtic-styled folk-pop (“Milk and a Dash”) to dour acoustic ballads (“Skinful,”) but there are some bright gems here, notably the McCartneyish piano pop of “Mr. Empty Head” and the bouncy love song “Make You Mine.” As he notes in “Dizzy Love Song” it’s “not rocket science… just sing along.” Beautifully produced and cleanly mixed, I’m sure you’ll find enough favorites here to make this album one that deserves a spot in your playlist. Highly Recommended.

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My Life As A Dog

My Life As A Dog “Borders”

My Life As A Dog is the passion project of singer-songwriter Ryan Hanifin. Ryan traces his five-year Odyssey from his home in Texas to Brooklyn, before finally settling down in Charleston, SC. An echoing piano ballad “Dotted Lines” is supported by classic strings that make a clean lead into the melody of the title track “Borders.” As the main melody chugs along Ryan’s vocal style brings to mind crooner Eric Matthews. The theme of the album is travel, and we do time travel with the ’80s-influenced “Science Fiction” and “Concrete Shoes,” its instrumentation recalling Tears For Fears at times. A highlight here is “Jessamine and Lavender” with its dramatic storytelling and jangling guitars. Ryan puts it all out there, and it will speak to many. This is definitely music that deserves to be heard.

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Singles: Beebe Gallini, The Nobility, The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco, Gentle Hen, Mo Troper, Janita, Timmy Sean

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Beebe Gallini is the newest garage rock, girl pop hybrid and they can shred like nobody’s business. The new LP Pandemos is her first full-length album, made up of demos she cut earlier in the pandemic. Nashville’s The Nobility delivers a theme of celebration and The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco doubles down on the quirkinesses, with key changes everywhere! Gentle Hen‘s freebie channels They Might Be Giants here with every parents’ cry for help. Plus, Mo Troper is doing a cover of the entire Revolver album. Darn good too! Speaking of covers Finnish-born talent Janita gives us a solid cover of Peter Gabriel’s classic “Digging in the Dirt.” With WandaVision in the rearview mirror, Timmy Sean did a quick cover of the jingle “Agatha All Along” and it’s his biggest viral post yet! Where is Reed Richards?







The Golden Needles, Rob Fetters and John Dunbar

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The Gold Needles

The Gold Needles “What’s Tomorrow Ever Done for You?”

UK band The Gold Needles gets ambitious with this new release. The title track is a fantastic start with its earworm chorus and country rhythm. The band’s sound is akin to The Grass Roots, Sweet and late-era Moody Blues updated to today’s era. “I Get The Pressure” is another gem with its neat bassline and spacey synths. The band takes the Hollies “Have You Ever Loved Somebody?” and owns it, nearly outdoing the original. The band proves its rock creds with “Dead Man’s Hand” and “Susie Is Sorted (She Doesn’t Care).” While the chugging rocker “Billy Liar” references the classic British flick, I was really impressed with “Realm Of The Black Dog,” an awesome psych-pop gem about depression that sinks into your soul. Overall, not a single note of filler here and highly recommended. Don’t miss it!

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Rob Fetters

Rob Fetters “Ship Shake”

Rob Fetters is an immense talent and although it came out last year, it’s always a welcome addition to your playlist. “Turn This Ship Around” is all about changing your destiny and making your own luck. It’s a great message and richly delivered – very much in the Tom Petty mode. “Artichoke” is another impressive song, with its sweeping synth and guitar lines that bring to mind late-era Genesis. From here Fetters gets a little esoteric on songs like “Prophets” and “Me & Eve.” But there is the kick-ass single “Can’t Take It Back” with a riff that grabs you right away. You also get weirdness with “Dog Is God” and a few near misses like the self-pitying “Nobody Now.” Greatness pokes through again with “Queer Year,” likely the best song about gay acceptance I’ve heard. Definitely check this album out, it deserves to be heard.

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John Dunbar

John Dunbar “Oh Wellness”

Another late 2020 album I missed that deserves your attention. Dunbar’s music has evolved over the years to become more melodic and catchy, and Oh Wellness does a great job of mixing his cynical style with a simple hook. “Born To Bore” is a sweet mid-tempo gem all about the clueless friend who just won’t shut up. Dunbar has several personal irritants set to music, like the lack of appreciation for punctuality on “The Problem With Being On Time” and job insecurity on “Easy to Replace.” The songwriting is great throughout, and John keeps these songs simple and to the point. Subjects like dating and relationships are all part of “The Girl Who’s Heard It All Before” and the excellent gem, “A Sentimental Heart And A Skeptical Mind” and it makes this LP a great listen. Highly Recommended.

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