Tag: Jim Basnight

Jim Basnight and Marc Jonson & Ramírez Exposure

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Jim Basnight

Jim Basnight “Early Years”

Where did it all begin? Jim’s bohemian existence as a musical artist is chronicled and remastered as a series of early solo singles and some with his band The Moberlys. His energy is palatable on the 1977 openers “Last Night” and “Leave The Past Behind,” after being robbed in NYC. Songs like “I Return” scream “hit record” and Iggy Pop clearly influences “Sexteen.”

For fans of the early ’80s, the styles run from power pop, punk, and new wave. Basnight and The Moberlys have an edge few could claim at that time,  as “Country Fair” and “I Trust You” are both catchy gems. The Bo Diddley guitar on “Show Who You Are” and the bouncy sweet “Love is Beautiful” showcases Basnight’s many moods. Overall a 20-track lo-fi, fun listen and highly recommended.

Amazon

Marc Jonson, Ramírez Exposure

Marc Jonson & Ramírez Exposure “Turning On The Century: Volume 1”

Marc Jonson teams up with Ramirez Exposure and the long-awaited results do not disappoint. “Tape Recorder” opens with glorious harmonies worthy of Brian Wilson, and Curt Boettcher, and the songwriting has a melodic ethereal quality like the band America. From the light jangle of “Titling At Windwmills” to the expansive echoing vocal of “Sour Lemonade Sour.”

California sunshine is strong with the duo, and songs are mostly short mini-symphonic scaled gems – a great example is “Rain, Rain, Rain,” as it conjures visions of wide open spaces. The two alternate lead vocal duties and Marc sounds most comfortable on the breezy “I Don’t Know Your World.” The only pet peeve here is the hooks aren’t as strong in the album’s second half but that doesn’t take away from the superb musicianship here. Highly Recommended. Currently singles are on Amazon, and the full album is on Bandcamp.

Kool Kat Musik |Tape Recorder | Sound of the Real World

Remasters and Rarities: Jim Basnight, Bill Lloyd and The Keys

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Jim Basnight

Jim Basnight “Pop Top” (Remastered)

“Pop Top” was Jim Basnight’s first solo album, originally a cassette-only release in 1992, and his first CD album release in 1993.  The tracks came together while he was on tour with the Moberlys, and working with a variety of collaborators (including REM’s Peter Buck) deliver fine examples of the late ’80s and early ’90s pop-rock. “My Vision of You” is an effective jangling tune, with emotional verses and a solid chorus. “Asphalt Field” is a narrative pop-rock song that reminds me a bit of Midnight Oil, and the rollicking “Opportunity Knocks” has a wicked piano blues riff similar to The Rolling Stones, and it’s really catchy. With 18 tracks, this compilation hits a lot of different moods and styles.

Jim works his magic on most of these tracks; notables include “Blue Moon Heart,” “One Night Away,” “Hello Mary Jane,” “Evil Touch,” and “Restless Night.” Overall plenty of worthy tracks makes this highly recommended LP. This has never been released digitally for downloads or streams and has been long out of print, until now. Check it out!

Bandcamp


Bill Lloyd

Bill Lloyd “Feeling The Elephant” (Remastered)

Between 1983 and 1986 before he joined the country duo Foster and Lloyd, Bill Lloyd put together a series of power pop songs in the tradition of Dwight Twilley and released it as Feeling The Elephant in 1987. It was reissued in 1990, where it found its audience — but power pop fans can really appreciate the music with this newly remastered version of the album. The chiming guitars of the opener “This Very Second” are bright and hook-filled, and the Big Star-like crunch of “Nothing Comes Close” is timeless perfection. The big single here “Lisa Anne” is very much in the mold of Marshall Crenshaw and the jangling “It’ll Never Get Better Than This” is another gem here.

A few songs actually are dated by the period but still, sound fantastic like “I Wann Sit And Watch The Credits Roll” and the hard rock “All At Once You Are Unzipped.” Overall not a wasted note here and it holds up extremely well. If you ever wanted to find a place to start the deep dive into Bill Lloyd’s power pop this is the place. It should be an essential part of your music collection.

Amazon


The Keys

The Keys “Unlocked”

There are several “lost” power pop treasures of the 1980s, but The Keys are of particular importance. In the wake of the punk revolution in the UK, The Keys first album from 1981 is the definition of “a lost classic” of the power pop genre. Similar in approach to Elvis Costello and The Beat, the band was signed by A&M Records, and produced by upcoming star Joe Jackson, but despite the critical acclaim it only sold a few thousand copies, and it remains a find for rare record collectors and was never reissued on CD. The band dissolved in 1983 without a follow-up to the debut.

But in the year prior to the breakup, The Keys made some recordings in London between 1981 and 1983. These 12 tracks are now unearthed today and fit in perfectly with their first LP. The band has a slightly more muscular sound with “Crying Out For Love” and “Don’t Do That.” The recordings aren’t that high quality, but the talent remains impressive. Unlocked is a release of Rollin Records, but there seems to be only limited distribution, and I can’t find a place in the USA that has it. So just like the debut, it’s another mad dash to find it. But if you do it’s a worthy companion.

Rollin Records UK | Discogs

Jim Basnight with The Rockinghams and The Moberlys

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Jim Basnight remains a rock and roll survivor, from his days with The Moberlys in the ’80s, to The Rockinghams in the ’90s to today. Last year Power Popaholic released the full-length LP Jokers, Idols, and Misfits with our digital distribution on Bandcamp. This year Jim has gone back to his archives and re-released his original albums with those bands. These releases have been remastered and include never-before-released bonus tracks. Enjoy!

Jim Basnight with The Rockinghams

Jim Basnight with The Rockinghams “Makin’ Bacon”

While in Seattle, Jim Basnight teamed up with Criss Crass (Muffs) and Jack Hanan (Seattle’s Cowboys) to form this fun trio in 1992. Originally released on Not Lame Records in 1999 after the band broke up, its stage shows had a reputation for being pretty wild, and it’s easy to see why.

Opening with “Middle of the Night” has a grunge-fueled riff that sets the mood, “dancing to your favorite song” and the party has started. Bouncy punk-pop of “Need A Car,” “Played A Trick” and the jangling gem “Ho Chi Minh” show just how good this band was together. The songwriting feels immediate and the riffs and vocals are loose, on “More Than One Way” you get a hint of what they sounded live on stage. Basnight struts around and howls approval on “Lattes,” and impresses the groupies looking for a “Rock and Roll Girlfriend.” This release includes some rare tracks like “Ripple In The Bag,” “Miss America,” and “Python Boogaloo.” Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp

Jim Basnight and The Moberlys

Jim Basnight and The Moberlys “Seattle – New York – Los Angeles”

This 1995 Moberlys compilation (now updated and remastered) gathers many songs from the band’s career in the ’80s and is an underappreciated gem that still sounds timeless today. Influenced by The Byrds, The Raspberries, and The Rolling Stones (to name a few) they combine roots rock, garage rock, and new wave pop in a unique melange. The band changed line-up through each of the cities mentioned in the title, but Basnight was the constant.

“I Wanna Be Yours” recalls the sharp pop of The Pointed Sticks, while “Rest Up”  is a tight song that brings to mind both The Byrds and R.E.M. and on the ballad “Lose Me” Jim does his best Jagger-like vocal. The band successfully does roots-country on “Aint it Funny” and “Elma,” but can still do pop gems like “Summertime Again” and “She Always Smiled” with ease.  “Tonight” feels like Tom Petty, and “Your Fool” is a bouncy new wave radio hit.  This kind of musical variety was rarely done back then, and it’s more impressive that each genre is handled so well. No filler at all, and an important document of this “lost” power pop band. Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp

Jim Basnight exclusive debut with The Moberlys, Rockinghams and more

powerpopaholic

Jim Basnight and The Moberlys

Jim Basnight

Jim Basnight “Jokers, Idols and Misfits”

Jim Basnight has been a rock and roll survivor, from his days with The Moberlys in the ’80s, to The Rockinghams in the ’90s to today. Power Popaholic is proud to debut his new full-length LP Jokers, Idols, and Misfits with our digital distribution on Bandcamp.

Jim has gathered together a series of covers over the course of his musical career that mean something to him personally. Some will be familiar (The Who’s “I Can See For Miles”) but many are not. Obscurities like The Cowboys, Mike Czekaj, and The Sonics are alongside the well-known rockers here. The Kinks “This Is Where I Belong” opens a sprawling 21 track journey into rock, pop, and punk. The performances are top-notch, as “Rock and Roll Cowboy” showcases the energy of The Rockinghams, while the excellent covers of Marc Bolan’s “Laser Love,” The Sonics “Cinderella” and “New Guitar In Town” demonstrate just how freaking tight The Moberlys were.

Basnight also arranges the music to best effect with his vocal style, like on The Turtles “You Showed Me” with an emphasis on its percussion and horns. The bluesy approach on “Princess In Rags” with strings and trumpets shows Jim’s range and flexibility. This is one album that defies predictability, and for every familiar tune, you get something you’ve likely never heard before. I have to admit my bias here, but overall this is a terrific mix of songs with something for everyone. CD version is expected in a month or so. Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp

Jim Basnight and Trip Wire

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Jim Basnight

Jim Basnight “Not Changing”

Veteran musician Jim Basnight made waves in with The Moberlys early in his career and he continues to put out great material to this day. Not Changing is his first new album in seven years and it offers listeners a variety of moods and memories. The album starts with the easy-going “Code to Live By,” a testament to his longevity with a terrific solo guitar break. The title track is a wistful look back on his career, confident that he’s made the right choices as he states “with this guitar, you can dig for gold, but can you dig a soul from a grave?” He returns to the theme of death with the somber “Suicide Evening,” and “Kurt Cobain.”

While there are several quieter tracks, Jim shines when he reaches into that classic blues-rocker style similar to The Rolling Stones on “Big Bang” and “Best Lover In The World.” The rollicking “Making Love for a Living” is a catchy tune sure to get you moving and “Never Get Lost” is another power pop gem. More highlights include “Second Street,” “You Never Cease To Amaze Me” and the radio-friendly finale “Living The Way I Want.” This is a celebration of a man comfortable doing what he loves. So, why change such a good thing? Highly Recommended.

Bandcamp | Amazon

Trip Wire

Trip Wire “Once & Always”

San Francisco stalwarts Trip Wire continue to rock on their fourth LP with Marty Schneider, Bill Hunt, Stu Shader, and Jeff Shelton (The Well Wishers).  The gruff “Had Enough” evokes Bob Mould, and Shelton shines here as the vocalist on “Down” with lots of great energy. “Light Of The Moon” has some interesting composition and sounds like a cross between Lou Reed and REM. The subtle “Golden Gloves” with its strings and the seamless follow-up “Clear,” showcases a simple acoustic melody that builds into a majestic solo jam. It almost sounds like a completely different band. 

But the album is far from over, as they get back on to power pop with “Bottle Rocket.” After this, we get the folk-like jangling pop of “Act Fast” and country twang of “Carolina.”  The band seems most comfortable with roots-inflected rock, and while the other genres aren’t bad, they don’t stick in your head for long. Overall a refreshingly honest rock ‘n’ roll album that deserves to be heard.

Big Stir Records