Jared Lekites and Ryan Hamilton & the Harlequin Ghosts

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Jared Lekites

Jared Lekites “Looking For Diamonds X”

Jared Lekites is a singer/songwriter based in Oklahoma City with a style that’s part Paul McCartney and part James Taylor. This was Jared’s 2010 debut, but with plenty of time during the COVID-19 lockdown, he reworks and re-recorded many tracks here plus a bunch more. “Love That Lasts” opens with gentle harmonies comparable to Brian Wilson’s balladry and the title track boasts a great opening riff and a catchy verse that carries you along with a “bop-bop” backing rhythm in the chorus.

The variety of musical textures and instrumentation is impressive on “Electric Car Ballet” and “Let Your Hair Down (Once In A While).” In addition, the full-length version of the album includes the singles Jared recently finished gem “Freebird” and some great covers; McCartney’s “Temporary Secretary” and The Beach Boys underrated “I’d Love Just Once To See You.” Highly Recommended.

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Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts

Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts “Nowhere to Go but Everywhere”

Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts continue to write hook-filled melodies that made their Wicked Cool Records debut a top ten album last year. The gentle opener “Only A Dream” sets the bittersweet tone with crisp vocals that foreshadows the theme ahead. Ryan has a real love of music’s past and “Oh No” featuring Key Hanley demonstrates this by naming a bevy of his favorite album titles. Similarly “Jesus & John Lennon” name-checks some more, with a mild country-pop rhythm.

The album finally shows some bounce with “Out of My League,” a fun tune about getting that pretty girl, and the follow-up “Let’s Go Slow” is a mid-tempo tune about that first date. Next, “Can I Get an Amen” seems to recall Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive” in the melody. While there is no filler, the band feels like its playing safe here. After the upbeat “Newcastle Charm” it may lull you to sleep with the next few tunes. And while the last tracks “We Gave It Hell” and “Pick Yourself Up” complete the love-lost song cycle, the lyrics feel rote and predictable. Still, it’s a good collection of songs that deserves to be heard.

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October Surprises: Singles, EPs, Compilations and a Cartoon

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On a rare occasion, I hear some EMD that does it right. On “Tarantino,” Steve Aoki & Timmy Trumpet modernize the classic surf guitar riff of Dick Dake, later made famous via Pulp Fiction. Aoki’s mesmerizing electro beats combined with Trumpet’s eccentric horn licks are very entertaining. The cartoon is also a hoot!

Willie Dowling’s infamous Jackdaw 4 discography is now on 369music (with his Dowling Poole albums). If you missed it, this was a free download for a while. But this was a great XTC inspired band – check it out.

Wisconsin’s Disq does a decent cover of this Wilco song. They also have a collection of demos from their break-thru LP from March.

Einstein’s Sister, a legendary power-pop/indie rock band from the late ’80s is back! The old discography is on Bandcamp now, and these brand new singles sound fresh!

Zach Jones has a way of updating that old pop sound that is pure magic. I was very impressed with this sharp sounding “Must Be On My Way,” which resembles a lost Monkees single.

Melbourne’s four-piece Girlatones have a gentler approach towards pop. There is a sense of acceptance in the combination of guitar, vocals, and piano. Lead singer Jesse William’s vocal delivery is akin to the vocal stylings of Belle & Sebastian.

Crown Vic Royal is not a whiskey, but a band from Chicago that plays blues-infected rock and roll. Check out this new EP.

Garfield’s Birthday is a band from Weymouth, England and for 25 years Simon Felton (Head honcho of Pink Hedgehog Records) has done a smashing job. Now a long-awaited “best-of” compilation is finally available. Plenty of rarities and alternate mixes.

Premiere: Kurt Baker “I Like Her A Lot” 

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The new Kurt Baker single “I Like Her A Lot” appears on his upcoming album ‘After Party’ out Oct 23, 2020, on Little Steven Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records.

“A lot of the topics on this record came out of conversations I would have with my co-writer and producer Wyatt Funderburk. I’m sure I said, “I like her a lot” in passing and then was like, “Wait…it’s so simple, but why not make that the title!” I love the line “Monday night she goes down to Amigos, never afraid to get up and dance,” mostly because of the Amigos name-drop. I’ve talked about this bar in Portland, Maine a lot, but the place really is an important spot in the making of After Party. They say it’s a Mexican restaurant but to be perfectly honest, I’ve never eaten the food there. One of my favorite choruses on the record, Wyatt suggested a few variations of the melody line that really made it pop in the end. This definitely captures our sound during a live show.”

Stephen Clair and Palisades

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Stephen Clair

Stephen Clair “The Small Hours”

Stephen Clair’s understated effort The Small Hours is a perfect example of an album that grows on you. The easy-going bass line of “Come Down” hides the misery of “the blues turned to gray” and the divided state of our country. But it’s not all a downer, as the catchy lead “Is This Thing On” is power pop magic with its vibrant melody. Clair’s storytelling peels back the layers of emotion below the surface, and when he goes in a jazzy direction on “Dorothy” or the dour “Marie” its poetry in the same vein as NRBQ or Ray Davies.

The bluesy jazz approach includes some humor on “Fixing To Fly” about a chicken looking for a way out of the henhouse or the bouncy percussion of “Pig In A Poke” which will get you moving. The serious timeliness of “Hurricane Coming” is contrasted by the rock-funk of “Cheap Date.” Clair remains an underrated treasure and deserves your attention.

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The Palisades

The Palisades “Almost Night”

The Palisades were a Hawthorne, CA band that played the live music scene in the South Bay from 1982-83. They were heavily influenced by 1960’s rock and roll, and but never got signed as this was the age of synth-pop dance music. Those mullet-haired teens remained friends and recorded a few rough demos highlighted by “Let The Young Live” and “All Around The World,” which is a little like a poor man’s version of The Records or The Knack.

Thankfully the band re-recorded these tunes, and they sound much better.“Disappear Away” is a strong song about the dreams of youth, and “Lies” is classic power-pop with its strong riffs, and the melodic chorus of “ooh, girl.” Other highlights include a cover of The Turtles “Let Me Be” and the surf guitar of “Suicide Surf.” The album is packed with 27 tracks of nostalgia. Check it out.

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SLD and Rick Hromadka

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SLD

SLD “Lost”

SLD (aka Sounds Like Digging) is back – Tom Parisi and his cousin Paul Costanza return with a smooth rich sound on “He’s Got You Now,” a slick single with a grand chorus backed by psyche pop guitars. This is like a double album with 17 tracks.

“Fly Away” is a McCartney-like piano gem, that slowly picks up steam to its magical chorus, with an upbeat “ooh-la-la,” rhythmic harmonies, and a wicked guitar break that begs for repeat listens. “Don’t Want Get Over You” is a wonderful jangling pop gem full of great chord changes and Tom’s guitar riffs are supported by Paul’s bright vocal that defines the SLD sound. A few songs get bogged down where the rhythm, not the melody is the focus (“No Way,” “She”) but even these are decent.

There are many highlights here: “12 to 5” has brilliant harmonies across each verse, “Lost” is ultra-smooth pop, and “Last Night” is a polished, atmospheric song with an expansive melody. Using synths and an ’80s slow pop rhythm, “Circles” could’ve been a Tears For Fears hit, and “Midnight Eyes” boasts a hand-clapping beat with underlying phased guitar chords. Fans of ELO, Pilot, and The Nines will really enjoy this. Highly Recommended.

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Rick Hromadka

Rick Hromadka “Better Days”

A solo new album from Rick Hromadka (Maple Mars, Ruby Free) is a tour de force plus it’s loaded with talented guest stars. Very polished compared to his last LP, starting with the title track it makes clear that’s he’s embracing the “dad rock” label with a variety of vintage rock influences – almost a combination of his previous bands.

“State Of Mind” boasts an addictive chorus and inventive lyrics throughout. Both “Searchlight” and “The Ever After” have terrific guitar work, reminiscent of Thunderclap Newman. As a break from the seriousness, the whimsical “I’m Here To Entertain” makes use of many musical circus tropes, as the video shows.  Additional gems include “Full Blown Freakout,” “Pinwheel,” and the epic harmonies are all over “The Last Volcano.” No real duds here, so it also makes my top ten for 2020 list. Highly Recommended.

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