July is here and the AC is on full blast. This is why I like to check on new music from old friends. French artist Any Version of Me does his best Brian Wilson tribute with “Away,” perfect for the beach. If you’d like classic pop greatness, you have the talented Dana Countryman offering up a FREEBIE that you can’t miss; made of assorted selections from his catalog, and “Summer Sand” is another sweet Beach Boys-styled gem. It’s been a long time, but Eric Barao has a delicate ballad that just tugs at your heart; “Whoever You Are.” Aussie rockers Anatomy Class impressed me with its anthemic rich melody, fans of Lemonheads, Swervedriver, and Pixies will adore “Expo 88,” and another band from down under The Valery Trails celebrates the summer with “Jaisalmer,” a bouncy rocker stocked with guitars and horns. Seattle’s Supercrush seriously reminds me of Superdrag and other late 90’s power pop on its perfect EP Melody Maker. and finally, Ryan Hamilton is back and he tells you to write your troubles down, then fold your worries into “Paper Planes.” Hope it flies far!
Tag: Dana Countryman
The Lunar Laugh and Dana Countryman
The Lunar Laugh “Nighthawks!”
Oklahoma duo Connon Anderson and Jared Lekites are The Lunar Laugh and they offer up a live concert album with a pair of studio tracks on Nighthawks! The band tends to cover the musical spectrum from power-pop to folk-rock, and country. Opening with the studio tracks “I Wanna Know” and the spawling “It’s Okay,” it showcases their smart melodies and stylistic range (especially on the latter.) From here the live concert begins. Starting with “On The Road” it’s an excellent song with palatable energy that draws the audience to clap along.
The solid performances of “Winsome” and “Living A Lie” soon expand to other tracks, like bass player Campbell Young’s “Alive,” Neil Diamond’s “Solitary Man,” and Death Cab For Cutie’s “Soul Meets Body.” While these are well received, they don’t fit the band’s identity as well as a “Mama’s Boy” and “Old New Kid In Town.” With 18 songs it would’ve been a little better to get a few more studio tracks instead of covers, but nevertheless, this album is a pleasant diversion and deserves to be heard.
Dana Countryman “Pop Scrapbook”
Once again the prolific Dana Countryman is back. The unapologetic “One-man Brill Building” delivers a knockout pop punch where his meticulous production details enhance everything he does. The terrific “Mrs. Sunshine” is a collaboration with Klaatu’s Terry Draper and Scott McPherson. It sounds like a lost track from classic ’70s Klaatu mixed with ELO and Queen; it’s simply great (we need a whole album of this!) But Dana is never stuck to a single style or genre, and the classic hook of “My Little Caroline” follows in the Neil Sedaka tradition.
The breezy light jazz-pop of “City Life” and the bossa nova “Sunday Comes Along” is an idyllic slice-of-life guaranteed to lighten your mood. Dana also isn’t afraid to take chances, as the mini-musical “Record Store Employees” is a medley of melodies all dedicated to crappy customer service. It’s another winner here, and “Brand New Feeling” is a country ditty with a really nasal vocal. The shmaltz level remains high on the other songs, but nothing here is cringe-worthy (although “Butterflies” comes close). So if you love retro pop get this – it’s highly recommended.
Dana Countryman and Ryan Allen
Dana Countryman “Come Into My Studio”
Dana Countryman is a true craftsman of retro adult pop, and for his latest album, he literally takes you on a “tour” of his musical menagerie with plenty of contributing guests; Brian Gari, Ronnie D’Addario, Dee Long, Probyn Gregory, Matt Tyson, Kai Danzberg, Chad Quist, Scott Bennett, Scott McPherson, Tricia Countryman and Kirkcaldy McKenzie.
This album is really for fans of glossy AM pop in the vein of The Carpenters, Captain & Tennille, and Christopher Cross. “Come Into My Studio” is a breezy intro, and then the catchy “Take A Little Chance” sparkles through the speakers, much like those boy-girl pop gems Neil Sedaka used to write. The hooks are all over highlights like “Ecstasy,” “Where Can My Baby Be?” And “Every Time You Break My Heart.” The early Beatle-isms are all over the gem “Better Let Her Go,” and “Same Old Dream” is like an old variety show routine, with a tap dance interlude!
Several tunes bring to mind TV themes, like “It Happens Every Time” and “You Gotta Love Jeanne Marie.” Dana’s music can sometimes be a bit too much treacle for some, but he’s controlled those impulses here. That makes it a highly enjoyable and recommended gem!
Ryan Allen “Song Snacks Vol. 1”
Ryan Allen takes a page from the Guided By Voices playbook and create a bevy of very short songs bursting with energy and creativity. And like his hero Robert Pollard, Allen does a great job. “Inventing Sports,” “Luke Warm” and “Barking Up The Right Tree” are excellent power-pop tunes that maintain the Extra Arms sound with a touch of GBV lo-fi fuzz and they seamlessly flow together. Similar to Nick Frater’s 59 Vignettes these songs are no longer than one to 2-minute sketches, and with a bit more flesh on the bones. Ryan was also influenced by The Wrens and Olivia Tremor Control in style and production.
Lots of fun to be had here, from the driving riffs of “Trash Mountain” and “Gem City” to the glam goodness of “You’ve Been Electrocuted.” The music alternates between these louder songs and softer acoustic rhythms on songs like “Raspberry Ghost,” which really deserve a longer treatment. While not everything is gold here, there is more than enough to recommend. This has been a banner year for short attention spans with Ryan Allen, Nick Frater, and 2nd Grade. It’s all music that deserves to be heard.
Dana Countryman and Palmyra Delran
Dana Countryman “Cabaret of Love”
Countryman has been accurately described by John Borack as a “One-man Brill Building.” His influences go from the ‘50s to the early ‘70s and often cross the line into retro-kitsch. But its done with such skill and fine musicianship that it’s a guilty pleasure (without the guilt). And an array of guest talent is here; Terry Draper and Dee Long (Klaatu), Jamie Hoover (The Spongetones), Probyn Gregory (The Brian Wilson Band), Scott McPherson, and Kai Danzberg.
The bossa nova and trumpets start things quietly with the subtle title track and from there the sunshine pop of “I Never Knew” bursts forth like a “lost” Carpenters hit. Kai Danzberg adds his harmonies to The Beach Boys-styled “If I Had A Girl” and “Summer Sand.” Then Jamie Hoover’s Beatlesque guitar leads the catchy “Just See If I Care.” More highlights include “That’s Why I Love Her” As the album progresses, the shmaltz level increases, some of it the Four Freshmen-like “The Night I Fell In Love With You” and others so sweet (“You Better Watch Out”) you’ll get a toothache. Highly Recommended.
Palmyra Delran and The Doppel Gang “Come Spy With Me”
While it’s been a long time since pop siren Palmyra released a new LP, but she certainly picked a top-notch group of friends to help her along. Special guests include Steven Van Zandt, Debbie Harry (Blondie), and John Carlucci (Fuzztones).
The opening title track has Palmyra in fine form with a “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” garage pop melody loaded with harmonies and distorted guitar hooks. “Happy Birthday Middle Child” is boosted by Harry’s backing vocals and its eye-rolling sarcasm. Then “Tape A Nickel To The Tonearm” is a throwback to the swivel-hipped dance craze era. The R&B gem “I’m Satisfied” is a cover of hard rock combo Fanny’s deep cut from 1973 and Paul Collins adds his guitar to “(If You’d Like To Make A Call) Please Hang Up.” The latter is almost a musical answer to Collins hit “Hangin’ On The Telephone” with The Nerves. “I Thought You Said You Were Gonna Kill Yourself” is classic Palmyra and another standout. Overall a terrific LP that would’ve made my top 40 list.
Dana Countryman and more
Dana Countryman “The Joy Of Pop”
Dana Countryman is a treasured talent that has devotes himself to the lost art of 70’s styled AM pop, his songwriting and compositions are a perfect amalgam of Richard Carpenter and Neil Sedaka on his latest Joy of Pop. The opener “Perfect Sunny Day” is a excellent example of Beach Boys styled sunshine pop, full of bubblegum and rainbows. “No Other Guy” is a great follow up, a sugary mid-tempo love song with great rhythms and criss-crossing harmonies. Dana gets help from Dee Long (Klaatu), Matt Tyson, Chad Quist, Mike Marinig and his wife, Tricia Countryman.
Most of the songs are romantic yearnings, like the near-obsessive “Can’t Stop Thinking ‘Bout You” and “Oh, Roxanne” about crushing shyness. Dana goes doo-wop “With All My Heart” and “Hang On Little Girl,” so you’ll hear some Four Seasons influences too. A harmony duet with Tyson “Tell Me That You Love Me” is a very Everly styled gem. Unfortunately, with 14 tracks Dana loses steam towards the album’s end as the songs get more saccharine, and overly sentimental. Like gorging on cotton candy, you can only take so much. However, a majority of the music is pure magic. Get it!
Video Album Previews
Canadian music icon and former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page will be touring again, here is the video from his recent solo LP “Surprise, Surprise”They Might Be Giants are back with “I Like Fun” and they sound better than ever. Album drops on January 19, 2018.