Sitcom Neighbor “Charm”
Led by singer/songwriter/guitarist John Murphy, Sitcom Neighbor recorded Charm over a two year period with bassist Pat Mitchell (The Records) and drummer Eddie Cleland. Producer Steve Refling (Seth Swirsky, Nelson Bragg, Nushu, etc.) added his talents as well. Opening with “Amphetamine” you know right away you’ve got a winner with simple acoustic strum and harmonious dual tracked vocal similar to Teenage Fanclub. “Vaseline Water Balloon” is a XTC meets Kinks styled collection of metaphors with nice cello accents.
My favorite is the majestic Badfinger-like “Let It Go” with its awesome hook. “Darlene” is another fine rocker, with a strong melody. The songs continue to evoke late period Beatles, especially in the ballads like “True Love and Medication.” No filler anywhere, it figures to be high on my year end top ten list.
Hot Freak Nation “Lifetime To Lifetime”
Hot Freak Nation is led by the songwriting team of Greg Roberson (Tiger High, Reigning Sound, Arthur Lee’s Love) and Don Main (The Late Show).
The jangle anthem “(You Are) The Best Kind Of Poison” starts us off, sounding a bit like Superdrag. It moves quickly to pysche-pop and garage on “Nothing Stays The Same” and “All The Right Things” but it also has subtle hooks that slowly sink in after repeat listens. The ballads like “Sunshine From The Heart” have an Alex Chilton styled resignation and the march “Everything Is Everything Else” is a great party song. The band settles into the retro vibe comfortably so fans of both The Clash and Terry Anderson’s OAKT will really love everything here. A rock solid debut.
