The Stan Laurels and Rich Arithmetic

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The Stan Laurels

The Stan Laurels “There is No Light Without the Dark”

John Lathrop (aka The Stan Laurels) has taken the next leap forward in his musical vision. The band always had strong melodic songs, but the garage elements are toned down and the overall soundscape feels bigger. “Florida Man” relies on strong guitar riffs and John’s resonant vocals, while “Tomorrow” has a strong jangling rhythm, reminiscent of  The Ocean Blue with its heavily textured sound.

Next, the brilliant “Lost & Found” is both catchy and full of musical subtleties. This combination of heavy chords and gentle vocal performance, similar to Teenage Fanclub is also notable on “On Paper” and “Mo Collins.” While other songs don’t approach this level of greatness, they fit right in. Definitely highly recommended.

Big Stir Records | Kool Kat Musik


The Stan Laurels

Rich Arithmetic “Shiftingears”

Rich Arithmetic was an oddity in the Not Lame catalog way back in 1995 with Sleep In A Wigwam. The band fronted by Richard Horton is back with a potpourri of styles heavily influenced by the ’60s pop and folk. Opening with “In Our Time (Ode for The E-Types)” is an earnest tribute to a beloved one-hit-wonder of a band and it continues with a cover of the tune “She Moves Me.”  The fond look at musical nostalgia continues with the bright harmonies on “Do You Remember?” and “Haley.”

The next few songs are eclectic in style but mostly unmemorable. The psych-pop pastiche “Waiting For Isaac” and baroque pop of “Before For The First Slice” full of echoing vocals and strings are compelling distractions. “He’s A Good Man” is another standout here, with a piano pop melody full of bounce, very much in the XTC style. Overall an interesting release worth checking out.

Kool Kat Musik

https://youtu.be/NiU2cVJFjPg

Singles and EPs: The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club, Nerd Magnet, Squire, Devon Kay, The Unswept, The Dowling Poole, Katie Kuffel

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So much singles goodness here, starting with the strong riffs of The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club. The Nerd Magnet (from Japan) also delivers crunchy guitar goodness that will attract power pop fans. Squire recalls a bit of the ’80s rhythm with that echoing jangle and a Beatlesque composition. Devon Kay & The Solutions has rich harmonies and a catchy chorus that made me like them “a little bit.” Our EPs feature The Unswept covering some power pop greats and The Dowling Poole has a fitting tribute to our former President. Katie Kuffel is releasing “1999” as a wistful look at parent-child relationships. Enjoy!







Matthew Sweet and Heatwaves

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Matthew Sweet

Matthew Sweet “Catspaw”

Matthew Sweet’s “Catspaw” was completed last year, but only released recently and it’s his most somber and stylistically consistent album in many years. The theme of the album was described by Sweet “Don’t ever forget life is totally cruel and the catspaw is already coming down on you.” Sweet spent his time on this one, doing all the instrumentals with drum work by Ric Menck (Velvet Crush).

“Blown Away” boasts those oppressive chords, and bluesy swirling guitar fills that are his unmistakable signature. Sweet has always had the ability to draw you into his pain, and he does it here brilliantly. Next, “Give A Little” has a solid hook that keeps giving and has “a little bit of hope” as it lurches along. Then “Challenge the Gods” shows his defiance. “Punch the world in the face. Use your time to rise above.” as he offers sound advice to the oppressive environment that was 2020. The guitar melodies seem tighter and more focused than his previous outings since he’s handling the lead by himself. Many highlights are here, and overall this stands out as his best album since 2003’s “Kimi Ga Suki.” So technically — this will make my top albums list. A great start to 2021.

Amazon


Heatwaves

Heatwaves “Complete Recordings (2017-2020)”

Jose Dolz (Shock Treatment) and Luis Sanchez (Depressing Claim, Reactivos & K7s) wanted to do covers of those Phil Spector produced girl groups like The Ronettes, The Supremes, and The Shangri-las. They “discovered” vocalist Ana Beltran at a karaoke bar and the rest is history. However, the title is a little misleading, as this is not a defunct band, nor did they stop recording.

Opening with “My Baby Has Gone” it’s got the girl-group style as far as song structure, but the guitar figures more prominent than those buttoned-down original influences. It’s a lot of fun and catchy too. “Lonely Nights” features Beltran’s version of Diana Ross as those strings swell up. Hearing these tunes, they do make an effort to grow beyond the template, but you’ll have a grand time playing “spot the influence.” Overall it’s infectious, including some Christmas and French-language songs. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

EP Reviews: The Airport 77, The Cheap Cassettes and The Lickerish Quartet

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The Airport 77s

The Airport 77s “Rotation”

The Airport 77s embody the classic power pop spirit of 20/20, Pezband, and The Knack with a modern spin; “When you’re kissing on me do you think of James McAvoy?” is a great tune that simply rocks with both attitude and desperation. “I mean, I get it — he rocks your world…” implores lead singer Andy Sullivan.

The anthemic “All The Way” has a touch of Cheap Trick in its DNA and it’s all about making that special moment memorable. A good cover of the Bram Tchaikovsky hit “Girl of My Dreams” fits right in with the band’s style. “Bad Mom!” is another highlight, with a jagged new wave rhythm, great bass line, and lyrics that obsess about that MILF in the PTA.  The band really delivers lyrically and musically. Highly recommended.

Amazon

The Cheap Cassettes

The Cheap Cassettes “See Her In Action!”

Punk pop stalwarts The Cheep Cassettes recalls The Buzzcocks and Ramones, with its catchy garage riffs and rough-hewn vocals courtesy of lead songwriter Charles Matthews. The title track bobs along with gusto, and a fantastic guitar break before the final verse. “Only Lovers” and “Lil Bit Everyday” are great in-your-face tunes that stick, especially the latter, with a great hook in the chorus. As a bonus, we get some live tracks including The Replacements “Valentine.” Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp

The Lickerish Quartet “Threesome, Vol. 2”

Those ex-Jellyfish boys (Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Tim Smith, and Eric Dover) are back! After the highly anticipated and well-received Threesome Vol.1, the band’s follow up is more of the same.  Opening with the spacey “Do You Feel Better?” with sweet

 highly recommended.

Direct Sales | Amazon

Zach Jones and Reno Bo

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More 2020 releases I missed…

Zach Jones

Zach Jones “Be Nice! (The Singles Collection, Vol. 1)”

Between October of 2019 and September of 2020 the talented singer/songwriter Zach Jones has teased us with some stellar singles, so it made sense for him to compile them at the end of the year into a single LP. The opener “Be Nice!” is a beautiful pastiche of classic influences (The Beatles, Beach Boys, and numerous Motown artists). It bursts with the hope of reconciliation (wow! Very timely.)

This is followed by a cover of the Brian Wilson late-70s classic “I’ll Bet He’s Nice.” Jones’s production work is solid, and “Jim & Jane” is a melodic study of a couple on different life trajectories. “Best Thing To Happen” is a light Buddy Holly styled gem and the jangling goodness of “Like The Tide” is a bit like early Neil Young. The ballads have a Broadway musical quality like “October’s Almost Over” and “Yesterday of No Return.” A great collection and highly recommended.

Amazon


Reno Bo

Reno Bo “You Can See It All From Here”

Reno Bo is another brilliant musician who is just too good to overlook, yet I ran of out time for a proper LP review in 2020. He opens the acapella prayer “Phantom Anthem” with some haunting multi-part harmonies. “Baby Blues” and “Second To Last” are slices of smooth guitar pop very much in the mold of Lindsey Buckingham.

He switches gears a bit with “Take Cover” as its 80s synth beat leads the rhythm. The blues jam “Houdini In Reverse” is also a nice change of pace, and the buzzing “Even A Stone” recalls classic Eric Clapton. The latter half of the album keeps this beautiful blues-rock sound around and “Time Again Tomorrow” is another highlight. While the album lacks uptempo tunes, every song is flawlessly performed. Highly Recommended.

Amazon