Tag: David Brookings

David Brookings and The Grip Weeds

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David Brookings

David Brookings “Mania at the Talent Show”

David Brookings has continued to grow musically over the years, and with his latest Mania At The Talent Show, he’s still telling stories that resonate. “Hard Times” reflects on the COVID fueled era of anxiety. On “Keep It Real” he settles in with a laid-back catchy rhythm as he touches on some of his favorite Western pop culture icons growing up (Outlaw Josey Wales, Gunsmoke), and then he slows down even more on the sleepy jangling “Driving to Ojai.” The California vibe is strong with this one, as well as other tracks. And David’s humor is sharp as ever on the bouncy “Women of L.A.” about women “going to the vending machine to pick out a new face.”

Other standouts include “One of Us Is Crazy (The Other One Is Me),” “Get Off (My Mind),” and “Kill Shot.” The longer form story-song “Mania at The Talent Show” is a lively tale of catching “rock star” mania with catchy hooks that chug along. Some tunes are more atmospheric and less compelling (“Words Come Back To Haunt You” and “Hide Your Crazy”) but this doesn’t throw the album off track. Brookings is a talent that deserves to be heard. Highly Recommended.

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The Grip Weeds

The Grip Weeds “DiG”

For over 26 years as one of New Jersey’s finest bands, The Grip Weeds (singer/drummer Kurt Reil, his wife Kristin Pinell Reil, brother Rick Reil, and bassist Dave DeSantis) have dazzled audiences with their unique blend of psychedelic styled garage rock and power pop. In a moment of introspection, the band decided to back at what influenced their sound and pay tribute to songs they loved.  This is the inspiration for DiG, and it’s no ordinary covers album.

The late sixties has always been a benchmark for the band, and they dig deep through this 2-disc set. The challenge is to improve upon the originals, and in many ways, The Grip Weeds are up for this challenge. The one-hit wonders are usually ripe for improvement and “Shape of Things To Come” (Max Frost and The Troopers), “Journey to The Center of The Mind” (The Amboy Dukes), and “Lies” (The Knickerbockers) are instrumentally superior versions. More modern songs like The Plimsouls “Lie, Beg, Borrow, and Steal” are given a retro arrangement and there are plenty of songs you’ll not be familiar with; obscurities like “The Little Black Egg” (The Nightcrawlers). Overall a great album for those who love to dig through the classic late sixties catalog. Highly Recommended.

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David Brookings and The Lund Brothers

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David Brookings and the Average Lookings

David Brookings and the Average Lookings “Scorpio Monologue”

David Brookings took the slow road to power pop stardom. His eighth album shows how much he’s grown as an artist. Scorpio Monologue goes further with both melody and musicianship compared to his past work. He also experiments with a variety of styles; power pop, rock, folk, and even Bossa nova. 
 
The jangling rhythm anchors the opening progressions of “And It Feel Like.” The song carries a maturity with its solid chorus and shredding guitar solo. But the seriousness eases with the catchy “I Grow Up Fast,” a breezy autobiographical strummer where “the future catches up with the past.” The buzzing power ballad “Time Takes You By” makes the mood with relatable and hopeful lyrics. Brookings also has a good sense of fun with the folky “Silicon Valley” describing the area like a goofy travelogue of Northern California, ending with the choral hymn “Steve Jobs!” The band lets its Chuck Berry flag fly next on “She’s Mad At Me Again,” and it’s simply infectious.  Its also takes guts to cover one of the most covered songs ever, but David makes Badfinger’s “Without You” work just fine. Overall not a single weak track, and easily a candidate for my top 10 of 2019 list. Super Highly Recommended.

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The Lund Bros

The Lund Brothers “Loser” 1993-97′ – Remasters and Rarities”

Chris and Sean Lund, aka “The Lund Bros” occupy a unique place in the annals of power pop. In 1995 they were bankrolled by Geffen Records to produce six tracks, but ultimately they were rejected for sounding “too much like the Beatles.” While objectively the band’s music fits more between bands like Extreme or Zebra, what the hell is wrong with The Beatles? The virtuoso guitar shredding skills and multi-track choruses are simply great. The duo continues to produce material, and perform around Washington state.

The demo tracks used these recordings as a basis for their first full-length record, the self-titled “Loser” released in 1998. Chris Lund’s Demon Studios have remastered all these tracks, including songs that were never released! Favorite tracks: In My Hands, Invisible Man, Told You So, Such A Ride and You Know. Highly Recommended.

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Lamar Holley and David Brookings

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Lamar Holley “The Color of Day”
Lamar Holley has been busy making childrens pop music since we heard his Confessions as a College Student. And he certainly starts off with the goofy kiddy theme “Planet Puzz,” but he examines the growth and death of teenage romance with the remainder of the album. “Roller Coaster” is a peppy pop tune, that gradually grows from kiddie theme to full fledged teen crush on the catchy “One and One.” This song is the album highlight, most similar to Confessions layered pop style.

Holley’s next song is the subtle moving ballad keyboard focused, “Beside You.” Next, “Acting in Love” is the true story of a New York City actor who met his future wife at an audition. With “Are You Really Mine?” he begins to question whether his girl really loves him in a show-tune styled monologue. “Feeling Famous” is a burst of optimism with its Beatlesque rhythm guitar. Things start to slow down after that, as the tone of the songs gradually trace the break up. The song cycle ends with the dramatic “Who Am I?” and the renewal of spirit in “Joe.” While it doesn’t surpass his debut, Holley’s vision holds as a very satisfying follow-up.

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David Brookings “the maze”
Seattle singer/songwriter David Bookings is back with his 6th album. As a songwriter Brookings growth since 2009 is subtle but equally visible, since his move to the West Coast. Brookings guitar centric style is a hybrid of Kenny Howes and Jeremy, and he gets right to it on “If I Don’t Make It Back” with up-beat, hand clapping rhythms and solid solo breaks. The songs are sort of semi-autobiographical, “Cora” is a standout with rich instrumentation and fuzz guitar chorus; a great character study tune.

I’m sure most indie musicians appreciate “The Greatest Songwriter No One Ever Heard,” who “used to be an outcast, used to be a nerd” channeling his soul into music. Another highlight is the crunchy “Heroin Donna” and the title track with its Lennonesque echoing melody. “I’ll Wait Up For You” is another easy-going slice of life, with a tight composition and a terrific middle eight. Brookings is a young artist with a melodic gift and we should encourage him to continue his journey. Highly Recommended.

CD Baby