Tag: Gary Ritchie

Eyelids and Gary Ritchie

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Eyelids

Eyelids “A Colossal Waste Of Light”

Eyelids is a super-group of sorts from Portland, OR, including members of Camper Van Beethoven, Guided By Voices, The Decemberists, and the Elliott Smith band. Produced by Peter Buck (REM) who also plays on the record, there are no slouches here as the ascending guitar riffs lead the way on the opener “Crawling Off Your Pages.”  Vocalists John Moen and Chris Slusarenko split the duties here, and the songs are definitely designed for multiple listens to grow on you.

The songs gather a multitude of influences from REM’s jangle, The Smith’s rhythms, and Big Star’s poetic loneliness.  This is a departure from the more psychedelic aspects of the band’s past work, but the coolness factor is upped. “That’s Not Real At All” is a spacious, slow groove that sticks, and “Only So Much” is a haunting mid-tempo rocker. The band hits its stride on “Runaway, Yeah” with overlapping guitar melodies across a wicked synth, and gets closer to REM on “Everything That I See You See Better” and the catchy “Pink Chair.” Each song has its own flavor, and like a good musical smorgasbord, it satisfies the senses without any filler. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Gary Ritchie

Gary Ritchie “Potpourri Of Harmony”

Gary Ritchie has been recording great power pop for decades as an unabashed Beatles fanatic, and it shows through this extensive retrospective of his work. Ritchie skillfully delivers an upbeat and refreshing musical experience that fans of the Fab Four or The Spongetones will surely enjoy. Way too many highlights here, but I really liked “Alright,” “You,” “Carol Says,” and “Record Store.” Like the recent Ken Sharp collection, you’ll find an impressive collection of songs that effortlessly captures the spirit of the Beatles while still feeling fresh and contemporary.

This comprehensive collection includes his 5 solo albums, with added rarities, and at 40 tracks, it’s all the Gary Ritchie you will ever need. Whether you’re a diehard fan or just someone who appreciates good music, this album is a must-listen.

Amazon

Anton Barbeau and Gary Ritchie

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Anton Barbeau

Anton Barbeau “Kenny Vs. Thrust”

Prolific cult musician Anton Barbeau is the melodic dadaist for the 21st century and proves it with his strongest release in a long time. His poetic, freestyle lyrics and unique vocals are supported by solid psyche pop rhythms. It’s tough to categorize Barbeau, but his distinct style falls somewhere between Robyn Hitchcock and Julian Cope. “Wire from the Wall” is a good start with its memorable chorus and tin can percussion, then we get the XTC-meets-The Velvet Underground gem “Beautiful Bacon Dream” brimming with texture and melodic distortion.

“Jingle Jangle” has an obvious 12 string melody that feels majestic and the nonsensical “Clean Clothes in a Dirty Bag” is a slightly goofy rocker that will get you moving.  Other standouts include  the lush “Back to Balmain,” the quirky and catchy “Popsong 99” and “Mahjong Dijon.” The album title refers to Anton’s backing bands; “Kenny” in the US and “Thrust” in the UK. But I couldn’t tell much difference, as Anton (and the listener) is the winner in this bout. Certainly a highly recommended album.

Amazon | Big Stir Records | CD Baby

Gary Ritchie

Gary Ritchie “Head On A Swivel”

Gary Ritchie is a classic power-pop artist, similar in style to Jamie Hoover or Gary Frenay whose music can light up the room, and lift your mood instantly. The Beatle wig on the cover offers a clue, that Ritchie has a fab sense of songwriting. “Maybe It’ll Be Tonight” does this with a Raspberries-like guitar riff and a chorus that sticks fast to your brain. Next, the title track has echoes of McCartney as it bounces along, and “Emergency Time” is another classic melody with handclaps and punchy percussion.

The album continues to deliver excellent music quickly and cleanly with “Here We Go Again” and “False Alarm.” The tone slows down on the semi-tropical “Lean On You,” but it’s a momentary pause as “Arms Around A Memory,” “Matter of Time,” and “You” are brilliant songs that round out this album. “Record Store” is a great little vignette about trying to pick up a girl at the local shop, and it reminds me a bit of Lannie Flowers. Almost every song hits the mark and after a few spins, it will quickly become your new favorite LP. It’s hard to argue that this shouldn’t be in the top ten for 2020 — and of course, Highly Recommended.

Amazon | CD Baby

David Brookings and Gary Ritchie

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David Brookings and The Average Lookings

California musician David Brookings has been a steady favorite of mine for many years, refining his songwriting craft and sound with each album since 2000. With his new band The Average Lookings, David delivers a truly unique sound that retains his main influences (Beatles, Beach Boys, Byrds) without sounding imitative. His vocals are a little like Roger Hodgson (Supertramp) so he has better range than most. Each song here hits the bulls-eye; “Hearts” starts us off with its effective catchy chorus, jangling rhythm and ending crescendo. The hand-clapping, bouncy “Time To Go” is a perfect follow up and “The Optimist” is another gem that proves “you’ll never be a winner unless you lose for quite a while.” Even the ballads like “Don’t Stop to Doubt Yourself” are compelling both lyrically and melodically.

Another memorable twist is the country-tinged rocker “I’m in Love With Your Wife,” which is a fictional accounting of Eric Clapton bragging to George Harrison that his girl Patti “looks wonderful tonight.” Beautifully written and produced, its all killer, no filler – and enough variety in style and tone that keeps the music fresh and unpredictable. It’s darn close to a flawless record and rockets to the top of my best LP of 2016 list.

Itunes | Buy direct from David | CD Baby

Here is a great bio video of David…

Gary Ritchie

Gary Ritchie “Poptimistic”

Chicagoan Gary Ritchie returns on Poptimistic and from the bouncy opening “Million Dollars” its very much like a classic Rubinoos single followed by “Let’s Pretend,” a Beatlesque tune full of simple lyrics and Rickenbacker bass lines. Clearly Ritchie has improved his songwriting over the years, as the compositions are tighter than past albums. “Subtle as a Freight Train” allows both Ritchie and co-guitarist Jeff King to show off a bit, and Gary also has a love of old school ’50s pop Buddy Holly style on “Perfect Girl.”

No filler anywhere, and plenty of catchy gems like “Carol Says” about a profile of a fortune teller and “Dial 9,” a mid-tempo Merseybeat charmer. The attitude of all the songs are summed up in “Real Good Feeling,” and if you are a fan of retro-grade pop perfection look no further. Highly Recommended.

Amazon | CD Baby | Kool Kat Musik

The Junior League and Gary Ritchie

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The Junior League “You Should Be Happy”
After a few solo projects, Joe Adragna puts his sweat into a new Junior League album. Starting with “Keep It Home,” its an excellent roots rocker, assisted by buddy Scott McCaughey (The Minus Five). “Hey Misery” is a Beatlesque piano tune with Pet Sounds styled bass and horns, and even a sax solo. The next song, “One Step Forward (Another Step Back)” has even more Beach Boys styled instrumentation and harmonies.

Adragna then shifts back to a strumming acoustic guitar on the excellent “Samantha Smile,” with a hook filled chorus that reminds me of The Autumn Defense. The heartache ballad “Charming” has a very distinct Queen-like quality in the guitar and strings coda. In fact, the best written ballads I’ve heard this year are found towards the albums end. No filler here, its exceptional all the way around and makes my top ten of 2013 nominee list.

Bandcamp | Amazon | CD Baby


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Gary Ritchie “Near The Alley”
Chicago based Gary Ritchie gives us a follow-up to Hum, Sing, Repeat from 2011. This time we start with the title track from his last album “Hum, Sing, Repeat,” a loving nostalgic look at rock back in Richie’s childhood. With his partner in crime Jeff King (bass, guitar, keys) they play through a terrific collection of songs. “Victimized” and “Charming Life” are catchy melodies that compare well to The Romantics.

The band takes on early Beatles simplicity for “Hear My Pleas” and then it’s back to the guitar riffs of “Midnight Lovers,” which sounds like a lost Raspberries tune. Clearly Ritchie knows his classic power pop, as “Back To You” has some Badfinger-styled guitar. The quality of tracks vary after the mid point, but standouts include “Invisible Man” and “Pull Your String.” Rock on, Ritchie!

CD Baby | Amazon