Joe Giddings and Nick Pipitone

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Joe Giddings

Joe Giddings “Better From Here”

Joe tells us right away ‘I don’t want to sing like the Beatles again, but I’m gonna do it anyway’ on the title track. It’s got a little bit of everything, but what stands out is that’s got some real guitar muscle. The next tune tones it down with slide guitar on “Always Raining Somewhere,” his songwriting here is in top form.

The influences are never stuck in one place, and it’s stubbornly original. “Gone So Far” is another brilliant example, with sweet harmonies and chord shifts. His guitar can shred with anyone, as he plays with a post-punk sprightliness and a less overtly British Invasion-inspired melodic sense that’s closer to the power-pop greats of the ’90s.  Fans of Velvet Crush and Fountains of Wayne will enjoy “Amity Horror” and “Rock and Roll.”  The high harmonies just burst in again on “If I Don’t Have Love.” Not a whiff of filler here and each track hits its target.  This is looking to be in my top 10 of 2020! Super Highly Recommended!

Kool Kat Musik


Nick Pipitone

Nick Pipitone “Thiensville”

Milwaukee’s Nick Pipitone has delivered a concept album in Thiensville, about a middle-aged man’s life in a small Wisconsin town. Inspired somewhat from The Kinks Village Green Preservation Society it touches on a lot of local names and places. The most distracting thing about Nick is his nasal Elvis Costello meets Bob Dylan styled vocal delivery. If you can get used to it, you will enjoy this album.

Starting with “Century Estates,” it’s a look back at a housing development that was “top-of-the-line” in 1969. The guitar riffs are great, similar to The Raspberries, but his songwriting style is clearly modeled after Mike Viola. “Skippy Had A Dream” is another early standout, and the album gets better the further you go along.

The ’60s influenced “The Prime Minister” with its psychedelic fuzz, very much recalls The Beatles “Rain” and “The Gathering” is a great slice of life tune about reliving your past, at a reunion with wine in hand comparing diamonds and Range Rovers. These song stories are very well written and musically smartly composed. Big highlights include “Coffee War” with a terrific guitar melody and “Village Scoop” with its catchy percussion. “C.O.C” about The College of Concordia goes to great lengths finding words to rhyme with “Concordia” and I love the line “No. 2 pencils and No. 3 girlfriends, Both are quite handy in the dead of winter.” Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Nick Frater and Greg Pope

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Nick Frater

Nick Frater “Fast & Loose”

Nick Frater has been very productive, after last year’s top-ten album Full Fathom Freight-Train, he released the experimental 59 Vignettes and like an Energizer bunny, he keeps going. This new album Fast and Loose is out on Big Stir Records label.

After a nondescript instrumental we get the optimistic “Let’s Hear It For Love” a driving opener with a memorable chorus, with just enough of a Beatles vibe to make a favorite. While “Luna” marches along to a pounding beat, the best is yet to come. Frater’s ability to craft a lovely ballad with “That Ship Has Sailed” and “Moonstruck” remains in fine form. The albums second half doesn’t loose stream with the pensive “So Now We’re Here” as the hooks take hold in the verses, and the Beach Boys styled magic is all over “Would You Like To Go?” Fans of The Explorers Club will like that one, and the only misfire here is the bombastic “Cocaine Gurls,” a two-minute song stretched to four with a chaotic guitar solo laid over it. However, Nick’s songs are primarily memorable, and that makes this one highly recommended.

Amazon | Big Stir Records

Greg Pope

Greg Pope “Wishing On A Dark Star”

Greg Pope, the Nashville power-pop powerhouse since 2008’s Popmonster is back with a new album. Pope, now joined by his sons Asher, Noah, and Finn has moved in a more enlightened direction with his music. The influences are simply much more varied than in past works with less reliance on a single lead guitar melody.

The opener “Gone” starts with a methodical verse about a breakup with some nice Queen-like guitar touches. “Blue Skies Above” has a great catchy chorus that recalls The Police and the bright “Morning Sunshine” embraces some prog-bass along the lines of Yes and Genesis with its calming harmonies. The title track brings to mind classic Pink Floyd with its strong bass-percussion focus, and the acoustic “Jump Back From The Light” has inspiring lyrics to help a friend in need.

The heavy guitar riffs and fun lyrics on “Vacation (From My Vacation)” is another big highlight, but it’s nice to hear Pope expanding his sound like the jazzy blues rhythm on “Blue Bird Fly” and the gentle guitar and synth ballad “Crawling Back To You.” Like all his music, it is Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp | Greg Pope’s site

The Lemon Twigs and Juniper

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The Lemon Twigs

The Lemon Twigs “Songs for the General Public”

Brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario continue their quirky theatrical homage to the conceptual rock of the 70s. They seem to follow in the unconventional path laid out by Russell and Ron Mael (Sparks) with their own Lemon-y glam twist. But it’s unfortunate that they start out with “Hell On Wheels,” a bombastic Meatloaf styled epic belted out by a parody of Bob Dylan. We get it. Its all very tongue in cheek, but a little subtlety would go down better. They add so many influences and ideas into each track it can be disorienting. Like a Chinese dim sum menu, you will find plenty here to like and dislike.

Thankfully the brothers are very talented and can turn on the charm effortlessly. “Live In Favor Of Tomorrow” embraces a breezy melody that power pop audiophiles will love. The piano melody of “No One Holds You (Closer Than The One You Haven’t Met)” is a Billy Joel-Todd Rundgren hybrid that dazzles with its layered composition. The harmonies are equally amazing on “Somebody Loving You” boosting the deep synth melody. Highlights also include “The One” and “Only a Fool” with its prog-pop composition, loaded with minor chord shifts. There is just enough to make this album highly recommended, so check it out.

Amazon


Juniper

Juniper “Juniper”

Fifteen-year-old Juniper Shelley, daughter of singer-songwriter Michael Shelley is getting into the family business. Her self titled album displays both a modern teen POV and reverence of pop’s past. “I guess that my musical taste is a mashup of my family’s music and my friends’ music,” she says. “I really like the Beach Boys, the Zombies, and Fountains of Wayne, but I also love Taylor Swift.”

With a bevy of guest stars, from Marshall Crenshaw, Chris Geddes (Belle and Sebastian), to Dennis Diken (The Smithereens) and more contribute here, making Shelley’s modest vocal work shine. “Kids on My Corner” is a real pop gem, with its fast rhyming lyric and catchy percussion. All the songs are timeless girl subjects (a la Lesley Gore) with sweet melodies on “Best Kept Secret,” “Girls Just Want A Boy To Rest Their Head Upon” and the bouncy “Sticking With My Henry.” But it’s not all mush, and the playful set has some great songwriting in addition to the excellent musicianship. Like those early Beach Boys records, it’s bona fide innocence on full display. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Happy Labor Day Singles and EPs! Erik Voeks, Brent Windler, Vista Blue, The Junior League, Ken Sharp, Lisa Mychols & Super 8

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Enjoy these fresh singles for the long weekend.

Erik Voeks has been one of my favorite DIY rockers for years, but this timely political gem is one of the best singles I’ve heard in a long time. His new band The Ghosters have bumped up his stock quite a lot here!

Brent Winder the singer/songwriter for “Sons of Great Dane” is back working on a new solo album, and this single “Around The Bend” is a richly arranged gem. It’s a FREEBIE that shouldn’t be missed.

The ever-present Vista Blue is back, saying goodbye to summer in a mashup of Ramones and Beach Boys glory. Speaking of the Beach Boys, are you a fan of Brian or Mike?

The Junior League (Joe Adragna) kicks major ass here with Scott the Hoople on this Monkees meets Dylan single “Summer of Flies.” Great summer tunes on this EP.

Ken Sharp gives us “Halyx Rising (Lora’s Song).” It is a Queen-like gem that dazzles with the effects and guitar riffs. Inspired by a new documentary, “Disneyland’s Forgotten Sci-Fi Rock Band.”

Lisa Mychols and Super 8 dropped some “bonus” session tracks from their latest album. These sessions are a glimpse into the recording process and “unplugs” these cool songs.

 

Brendan Benson and Librarians with Hickeys

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Brendan Benson

Brendan Benson “Dear Life”

Brendan Benson is a rarity; a veteran power-pop artist still making great music that resonates with mainstream audiences. Even with his stint in the rock band The Raconteurs with Jack White, he’s always touched on the zeitgeist effectively. He’s bent his style to suit current music trends on his opener “I Can If You Want Me To” full of looped samples, dubstep styled beats, and synth effects. But he doesn’t break, and “Good to Be Alive” effectively gets the message out, despite the programmed beats and middle-aged realization “my body’s getting older, but my brain is aging slower.”

Eventually, the guitar hooks find their way to us via “Half a Boy (Half A Man)” a brilliantly arranged single. Next “Richest Man” and “Baby’s Eyes” find Benson coming to terms with the joys of middle age, and both songs are excellent. “Dear Life” and “I Quit” are a lyrically darker, but no less catchy. The apt described “Freak Out” shifts the sound level up a few notches. The album is unpredictable and has enough of “classic” Benson mixed with his more experimental tunes to make it a great listen overall. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Librarians with Hickeys

Librarians with Hickeys “Long Overdue”

Akron Ohio power pop band Librarians With Hickeys start the album with the Velvet Crush-like gem “Until There Was You” full of crunchy jangle and a late ’60s Byrdsian approach to the vocal melody. The band is led by Ray Carmen (vocals, guitar) and Mike Crooker (guitar, vocals), with the addition of Andrew Wilco (bass) and Rob Crossley (drums). Next, “That Time Is Now” builds a wall of harmony with twin Rickenbacker, handclaps, tambourine, and Lisa Mychols(!) backing vocals.

The style shifts a little closer to the early ’80s on “And Then She’s Gone,” and “Next Time” with its reverb chords and brass accents. Fans of REM and Game Theory will flip for “Obsession” and “Poor Reception.” These influences are more pronounced on the album’s second half, but they get down to power pop basics on the catchy “Black Velvet Dress.” Overall a very strong debut that deserves to be heard. Check it out.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik