Star Collector and Ken Sharp
Star Collector “Game Day”
First of all, this is NOT the Joe Giddings band from the 1990s, but a new band out of Vancouver, BC with a sound that’s sure to warm the heart of most power pop fans. Opening with “Game Day” its got strong guitar riffs (and a Big Star progression) and an authentic wail from vocalist Vic Wayne and guitarist Steve Monteith. Fans of The Who and Sloan will love this.
“Rip It Off” comes next and the buzzing jangle sells it, as its namedrops some famous song titles. But this original song rips off no one–and it’s a compelling rocker. “The Silent Type” is another guitar-hero theme, with some well-done rock harmonies. Some of the tunes run a little long, but the crunchy goodness of songs like “Cayenne & Caramel,” and “Green Eyes” make it worth it. Definitely, highly recommended.
Ken Sharp “Miniatures”
Ken Sharp has been on a sunshine pop kick with recent singles, so here he shares a collection of 32 short songs and snippets. It’s a good way for an artist to get out a lot of material, and for listeners with ADD it’s perfect. The tunes are mostly baroque melodies, featuring Ken’s distinct twee vocal. Highlighted melodies include “Day In, Night In” and the gentle “Lorelei.” Some personal anecdotes like “Stack O Records” and “Word of Wonder” would sound great with a little more development (and bass).
The musical treacle might wear out its welcome for some people. But I found lots of charm with “My Lullaby,” “Perfect Sun,” “Clara Baby,” “Somethings Happening,” and the Beatlesque “4am.” In many ways, the music also reminds me of obscure British toytown pop from the late ’60s. Overall, fascinating and worth exploring.
Easter Eggs: Singles and Covers Galore
A great bunch of freebies for Easter Sunday. GTG Records sampler with a ton of deep covers from Michigan bands performing select songs by artists they love. The beauty of this is I have not heard of any of these artists before, but they sound great. And the tracks are new discoveries for the most part. Kai Danzberg is also back with a new bossa nova beat on “Only You,” and how I wish I was somewhere tropical. Plus a sweet cover single of Manfred Mann from Cult Stars From Mars, and Rich McCulley delivers a country-pop ballad that hooks you immediately. The Weeklings are also back with a timely “April’s Fool” and Brett Newski gets BNL singer Steven Page to contribute to a snappy gem. Swedish duo Vola Tila’s “I Need My Girl” is a brooding and atmospheric single that makes its mark. I will keep my eye out for these guys. Finally, Reaction‘s single “Keep Movin’ (Don’t Stop)” has a very early 1980s vibe, and similar to the B-52s “Love Shack.”
Iain Hornal and Bhopal’s Flowers
Iain Hornal “Fly Away Home”
Iain Hornal, best known as a touring member of 10cc and Jeff Lynne’s ELO impressed me with an excellent debut, and 4 years later (and a lack of a tour for 2020) we have a follow-up. I have to say, when you play for the best rock pop bands some of that greatness will rub off, and fans will love the opener “Wake Me Up, Drop Me Out.” It first brings to mind classic Graham Gouldman, but entirely original; a solid melody with soothing slide guitar accents.
The swaying follow-up “Fly Away Home” is an uplifting tune that seems a perfect theme for a long plane trip. The melancholy ballad “How Much It Means” is a deeply emotional look back to a loved one’s passing. “Try A Little Love” is another winner, similar to Andrew Gold, the chorus bursts out with layered harmonies and hooks you immediately. Iain’s adult pop smartly touches a variety of styles, so it never gets predictable. However best songs are loaded in the first half, and a few songs get overly sentimental (“I Can’t Tell You”), but melodically it’s always on point. Ends with the understated acoustic charm of “Drop This Song.” Overall, this is a highly recommended gem.
Bhopal’s Flowers “ALSTROEMERIA: A Journey On Earth & Beyond”
Bhopal’s Flowers is a new psyche-pop band and Alstroemeria is a psychedelic & conceptual record, mapping a 24 hours cycle, in which each song is linked to a specific time of the day/night. If you loved the Beatles’ “Love You To” then this is the album’s starting point. It opens with the fantastic “Enjoy Your Life On Earth,” a collection of Sitar rhythms and layered melody lines. “Napoleon Candy Sweet” adds handclaps and a hook-filled riff, try to imagine Kula Shaker with more of a power-pop sound.
This exclusive release from Kool Kat Musik recalls the 1960s psychedelia but not overtly so, and the trippy hippy elements don’t bury the melodies. The sitars have a hypnotic quality and the band’s style shifts enough to keep you engaged, like “Tomorrow’s Heroes” adds plenty of hooks to all that jangling guitar. This is a long player with 16 tracks, and while the sunshine is one half, the darker themes come out on the second half. Plenty of standouts here too, with “What About You” and the slinky “A Night At The Devachan.” High-quality arrangements are everywhere, and it ends with a cover of Cream’s “I Feel Free.” A MAJOR trip and Highly Recommended.
Rocket Bureau and The Dials
Rocket Bureau “Middle Angst”
A concept album born out of frustration, don’t let the quick punk opener “Disconnected” throw you off too much. Wisconsin’s Kyle Urban describes middle-age blues perfectly on several short bursts of power-pop energy. “Not You” and “Lipstick Queens” express the raw emotion, like “you’re no fun anymore.” The guitar acrobatics are quite impressive, but it gets better on “Summertime Crime,” a look back at those “wasted” years of youth and how it’s over. The tunes blend together seamlessly, fans of Cockeyed Ghost will really enjoy this album, especially “Something Wrong” which goes for the full Robert Pollard, loaded with layered riffs and an anthemic chorus.
“Bummer” continues our protagonist journey “what if you dropped everything, and let it shatter?” And the next several songs deal with a “sort of introspective hell” and it keeps the pedal to the floor on tone and tempo. Each short musical theme resonates, with “One For The Angels” and “Starlit Hotline” as standouts. While I enjoyed this album, it seemed a bit too long. Despite this pet peeve, it’s a very worthy musical ride that deserves to be heard.
The Dials “And Another Thing ... b-sides and asides”
The Dials are a British band that formed in 2002 whose music is a mixture of psychedelia, country, and rock. These are “B-sides” that never made previous albums, but the quality is really high. It starts with an excellent psychedelic groove “A Jigsaw Mind” and it seamlessly goes into “C.S.N.” which name drops legendary band’s Deja Vu, with an organ and acoustic guitar tribute. “Watch Her Walk Away” is another Byrdsian composition similar to “Eight Miles High.”
The songs then shift to a more folky direction with “Ford In The Road” and “Little Voices.” These mellow compositions give way to “Deep Blue Sea” a surf guitar lead gem that would make Dick Dale proud. A standout here is the music hall piano selection “The Station” with a terrific melody and middle eight. Then the band lets loose on the title track “And Another Thing,” and it rocks! The talent here is undeniable. Overall an enjoyable listen and should encourage you to invest in the band’s past “A” material.