Timmy Sean and Mooner

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Timmy Sean “A Tale From The Other Side” Part I

Inspired by Stephen King, California musician-producer Timmy Sean rolls out a “supernatural thriller, monster movie rock opera,” ten years after his impressive debut. The album concept starts off as a fun coming-of-age story (a bit autobiographical) in Part I, with Part II due early 2021.

After the spooky intro “opening credits” the guitar and harmonies flow on “The College Year” a richly produced mid-tempo ballad that looks back after graduating. “In California” bursts out with a fresh power-pop melody loaded with hooks, and it’s the big highlight. “Fortune and Fame” have Weezer and Lenny Kravitz influences, as it marches along to a soulful beat. The music is loaded with bombast, as “My Jaded Love” is a wonderful piano ballad with some overbearing percussion that plays into the anthemic “Over and Over Again.” The sound effects and bits between songs hold the story together but are so frequent that it can be distracting. However, there isn’t a bad song anywhere and the entire production is top-notch. Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp

Mooner

Mooner “The Alternate Universe of Love”

It’s been a few years since Lee Ketch’s Mooner delivered a new album and The Alternate Universe of Love has Lee experimenting with textures and sounds along the lines of Jeff Tweedy, but he still knows how to write a great song, as the opening title track shows. It starts quiet with an acoustic guitar but mid-way through gets funky with synths and drums.

The next few tracks, quietly bring out lots of contrasts. “Can I Be Angry?” has a sedated vocal, as the guitar rhythm gets progressively “angrier.” “Eleanor’s Ideas,” tells a good story, but for all the neat sonic tricks, it doesn’t resonate much. But then we get “I Can’t Tell,” a classic hook-laden melody that draws you in. And then one of Lee’s best-ever songs “Why Don’t You Need Me?” a brilliantly written ballad, that cries out with strings and piano.  “Is This All I Can Do To Love You?” is a solid mid-tempo eulogy to a lost relationship. After this, we get back to atmospherics on the remaining tracks. This is a heart-felt grower of an album, and music fans should grab some headphones and check it out.

Amazon

More Xmas Presents: Another Sleigh-load of Holiday Singles and More!

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Wow! The space under the tree is just packed now. Notable goodies include a full album of music inspired by the classic A Christmas Story by Ralphie’s Red Ryders (a regular contributor to our pages under a new pseudonym) and our annual single by The Slingsby Hornets. Nick Lowe adds his Christmas standards and The Martial Arts do a fine job – check out the brilliant original “Snow Flakes.” Add to this The Decibels, John Dunbar, Stop Calling Me Frank, and The Heatwaves and you’ve got another great holiday mixtape!








The Lees of Memory and Brian Bringelson

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The Lees Of Memory

The Lees Of Memory “Moon Shot”

From the ashes of Superdrag,  multi-instrumentalist John Davis, guitarist Brandon Fisher and drummer Nick Slack formed The Lees of Memory. Leaning more on the shoegaze side of the equation, Davis starts with “Lonely Everywhere,” a symbolic anthem of COVID isolation with layers of guitars, sitars, harmonies, and percussion. Very much in the model of Matthew Sweet meets Bob Mould, it’s got a great hook that stays with you.

The heavy guitar crunch is applied perfectly to “Crocodile Tears” a song that feels like a dark cloud floating above you, and “Free and Easy” drifts along like a classic Pink Floyd guitar epic full of blues and resignation. “Drift Into Dream” is another gorgeous composition, with echoing harmonies resting on those dense rhythmic layers. Most of the songs hit the mark, “Live Without” and “The Wheel” is as good as anything Superdrag ever did, although most of the tunes are pretty downbeat. “The Summer Sun” feels like a eulogy to those sunny days on the beach. Davis throws in the kitchen sink on the 4 minute plus finale “Far Beyond” with a funky break obviously inspired by Prince. An excellent album that stands up to repeat listens and grows on you. Highly Recommended and it makes my year-end best-of list.

Amazon

Brian Bringelson

Brian Bringelson “Desperate Days”

Brian Bringelson, a member of the band Anchor and Bear and a solo artist under the name Paul Starling is back under his own name on Desperate Days. The opener “Losing Train of Thought” is a sweet catchy melody, that sounds much like his early material with slight echoes of early Beach Boys and The Smiths. The jangling guitar of the dream-like title track “Desperate Days” builds with each verse, the vocal harmonies burst through on the chorus.

Bringleson’s music has a very unforced and casual approach, with a Pet Sounds styled production aesthetic, best-exemplified by “Bone Collector,” “The Deep Dark Truth,” and “Rust and Gold.” But my favorite here is “Letting Go Of Arrows,” an epic ballad with smooth echoing harmonies and hooks. Not everything attains this level of greatness, but enough does. This is easily Brian’s most accessible and mature album, it’s definitely highly recommended.

Amazon

A Very COVID Christmas: Ho-Ho-Holiday Singles!

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COVID has allowed many musicians to develop holiday music early, and this year boasts a bumper crop of great singles. In fact, it seems everyone had time to record “Jingle Bells” this year. But I enjoy the variety and originality of most of these Christmas tunes here. Grab them quick before they get as stale as Grandma’s fruitcake in January!










December Videos: Bleu, Matthew Sweet, Taylor Locke, Richard X. Heyman

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Bleu McAuley, is an award-winning songwriter, producer, and recording artist who’s done great power pop in the past and recently helped with the new Dear Stella EP. His new song “I Wanna Write You a Symphony” is supported by the above video work of filmmaker Graeme Wilson who started following Bleu’s career in 2008 and decided to contact him after Bleu casually mentioned in an email newsletter that he was puzzled about how to put his pile of new songs out in the world. He is planning the release of his sixth solo album.


Matthew Sweet is back! “Give a Little” is the new single from his upcoming album Catspaw. Sweet mentions, “It has a lot of elements I like both lyrically and musically. I think this one came to me all at once—music and words together. I really like the start and stop riffs that underpin the chorus; they give it quite a kick.” Yes, it does! I can’t wait to review this new LP.

I kind of lost track of Taylor Locke (Rooney) since his early solo work. But he has been very busy collaborating with artists such as Linda Thompson, the New Pornographers, Sloan and composing music for TV and streaming shows. Plus, he did 40 dates as a touring guitarist for L.A. legends Sparks.“Dying Up Here,” a hooky charmer that was co-written with Bleu McAuley and appears on Locke’s new EP “The Bitter End”

Choices We Make is a timely new song from Richard X. Heyman‘s upcoming album. An amalgam of folk-pop with Memphis soul, the song is anchored as always by Richard’s drumming, guitar and organ, and piano, and festooned with a lush vocal arrangement. He is joined in this effort by wife Nancy Leigh on bass, Probyn Gregory (of the Brian Wilson band) on trombone and trumpet, and jazz saxophonist Duke Guillaume.