The romantic balladeer Freddy Monday provides us with “Passing By Hours,” a sublime and melodic single that I can’t resist. Check it out on Apple Music—next, a shout-out to Stonedog, with a freebie that hits the sweet spot on its opener, “Time Machine,” and the late 70s guitar riffs come out on the impressive “Hourglass.” The always-interesting Michael Slawter has an EP with experimental power pop, and it’s worth your time. All the songs are cool, but check out the jangling “Down to Witness” and rocking “Little Mind” to get a taste. It’s Karma It’s Cool are back with some summer music and we get those buzzing “Autumn Recruits.” The Stone Souls have a few singles out, and this is the latest, a surf-styled tune with horns on “No Sense of Time (It’s Alright).” Enjoy that summer sun and the music, it’s June!
After Mooner created the amazing Masterpiece a few years ago, I wondered what Andy Ketch would do next. We have both brilliance and experimental rock on display in this LP. Opening with “Yeah, I read it,” it mixes word association with gleefully wild guitar noise. “The Stand-In” is a sweet catchy gem about a washed-up actor, “don’t mind him, he’s a stand-in, OK?” Echoes of Big Star are all over “I Don’t Know How,” and the ballad “Desire” has a yearning chorus with some nice harmonies.
The songwriting shifts around in tone, but notable tunes are “My Sorrow” and the creeping “Slow Parade Of Love” that grows into a gorgeous chorus. Ketch and company know exactly how much distortion to use effectively, very much like Radiohead’s early efforts. While not hitting the highs of the last release, this is still a highly recommended release. Don’t miss it.
Thanks to the folks at Futureman Records, we get another blast of guitar pop from Mr. Slawter. “Summer’s Kind” is a wonderful jangling gem that sure to stay on my playlist all year. The hooks come fast and hard on “Free Fall” and the rumbling reverb of “Same Old Thing,” so fans of Bob Mould or The Well Wishers will want to check these songs out. Lots of highlights including, “The One (And Only),” and “We Belong.”
Slawter adds some archival material after the new stuff, in the form of the “Mick in ’69” EP, originally released 2013. It’s amazing how consistent Michael’s sound has been and with a total of 16 tracks, it still holds up. Check it out.
From the label that brought you The Bullet Proof Lovers, The Connection, and Watts – comes Tom Baker and The Snakes. Baker is a veteran of Boston’s garage rock club circuit, and he’s assembled a talented band with three guitarists that know how to shred to the rhythm. Fans of the above bands will know what to expect, as this is good ole rock and roll with guitar and attitude that takes its cues from The Stones, The Jam and The Replacements.
This is mainly a hard rock album, but some short catchy power pop is here too, like the opener “Gotta Find Her” and the memorable “Doll Eyes.” If you want heavier stuff, the band delivers in spades on “Make It Hurt” and “Bad Change” as Baker’s voice goes hoarse competing with those guitars. And “Needle In The Red” is another standout. This is music that deserves to be heard at high volume with a cold beer in your hand.
Michael Slawter “An Assassination of Someone You Knew”
A veteran of the North Carolina music scene, Slawter made this first solo LP with the help of producer Jamie Hoover (The Spongetones) in 2007. Thanks to our friends at Futureman Records, it’s back and you’ll hear all kinds of upbeat catchy themes here, notably the opening rocker “Count To 10” and it still sounds fresh. Slawter has mastered the melodic techniques and solid songwriting that shares the same musical DNA as REM, The Connells, The dB’s and Mitch Easter.
The first three tracks are just flawless pop with “Obvious” and “Hollywood Sunshine” sticking in your head long after the song ends. It shifts to more storytelling on the self-depreciating “Too Dumb For You,” and slice-of-life gem “Leave Her Alone.” The jangly “The Day Before You Left” is a perfect example of emotional balladry. There is a lot here to love and several bonus tracks are included. Enjoy it!
