A lot is going on this month. The Brooklyn power pop band Wifey is one of the best-kept secret cool bands. They performed their new single “DiMaggio” at The Broadway (thanks to Steven Korn for the video). Bands that have been quiet for a while have new material, like The Junipers‘ “Annie Almond,” which sounds very much in the mold of the Euphonious Trolley EP, one of my favorite recordings from this band. Plus, after last year’s top-ten EP, The Glad Machine is back with a new single, “So High.” It’s a catchy gem that weaves guitars and harmonies together really well. Next, Joy Buzzer an up-and-coming band that was often seen at IPO last year, is back, with a rocking single “You’d Be Suprised.” And I’m not surprised — that they got signed by Wicked Cool Records. New Jersey veteran rockers The Chesterfield Kings also return with “Fly The Astral Plane,” a groovy throwback to the late 1960s. Finally, Cherry Fez is “Superexcited,” to deliver this new single, and I’m impressed with the combination of pensive vocals and frantic percussion – a great single all around. So much good music. So little time. Enjoy!
Tag: The Glad Machine
EP Reviews: Late Cambrian, Michael Simmons, The Glad Machine, Mom, Los Andes, The Legal Matters
Lately, there has been so much good music in my inbox that I simply can’t put both singles and EPs together in a single post so…. here are my favorite EPs for September.
Late Cambrian have always been a unique blend of pop, dance, and experimental rock without sounding artificial. Future Snacks starts with the synth-blended “The Last Wave,” but comes up with a plenty of compelling melodies, like the bouncy “Its Always Something” and multi-tracked harmonies of “Sydney Sweeney.”
The Glad Machine goes full throttle on power pop, and fans of The Posies, Jellyfish, and Velvet Crush will appreciate the catchy “San Francisco” and the looser guitar on “Baby It’s You.” Not a bad track here, swirling guitar riffs of “Virginia” rule the day. One of the best EPs of the year among a crop of treasures.
UK-based Mom has been pumping out catchy 70’s inspired guitar nuggets every few months, and fans of The Ramones, The Cars, and The Rubinoos will dig this one. Highlight here is “To The Beat” and “Now Until Forever.”
Buenos Aires-based Los Andes has the formula down, and “Julie” featuring Xoel Lopez will hook you even if you don’t “hablar español”. The band also pulls the talents of legendary musicians Lukah Boo, Star Trip, and Hank Idory. No filler and gorgeous musicianship that proves power pop is much loved beyond the borders of the USA. Bravo!
Your token FREEBIE, The Legal Matters give you a Trapper Keeper stuffed with beautiful covers of their favorite tunes. Big Star’s “When My Baby’s Beside Me” and Teenage Fanclub’s “Don’t Look Back” are my faves here.
Summertime Singles, Freebies and EPs: Dan Israel, The Glad Machine, Golden Richards, Kevin Robertson, The Blendours, Believe It – It’s Easy, Robby Miller, The Foreign Films
It’s a hot, humid week in NYC and I am waving the white flag of surrender. Too much heat and too much music. I’m far behind on album reviews, but as far as singles and EPs we have a treasure trove of power pop goodies. I’m proud to start it off with the excellent Dan Israel single “The Hang of It,” which is a perfect highway traveling song, and he’s got a video too. The Glad Machine/Golden Richards split singles are catchy gems all on their own, and Kevin Robertson (Vapour Trails) has been super active recently, he’s got a new solo album, EP, and single. All great jangly treats. The Blendours are a duo from Iowa that resembles an acoustic Bowling For Soup, and they serve up some fun-filled folk punk. A new band Believe It, It’s Easy from Connecticut has its moments on the first 3 songs of this freebie. Robby Miller is another rookie with a hook-filled love song. Finally, The Foreign Films’ next LP ‘Starlight Serenade’ is almost ready, so here are 2 tracks early to keep you cool this summer.
The Glad Machine and Ed Ryan
The Glad Machine “The Glad Machine”
Once in a while, you find a band that just does everything right. Western Massachusetts band The Glad Machine has all the right elements, the big hooks, big guitars and the reliable rhythms that make it a joy to discover. The quartet is helmed by vocalist Brad Thayer with Neal Robinson (Bass), Greg Saulmon (guitar) and Mike Franklin (drums). The list of influences is a who’s who of power pop; Cheap Trick, The Posies, Jellyfish, and Superdrag.
“Homecoming” is a great opening theme, and it comes across like a lost 90’s rock classic, with some smooth reverb guitars and a pounding beat. “Wake Up Girl” and “Wave” has more hard rock elements similar to bands like Semisonic or The Marvelous Three. The easier mood and harmonies of “I Wanna Drive” and Cheap Trick-styled composition “Tonight” suit the band even better, and make it stand out from songs that could sound too similar. The band gets more adventurous with “18 Days” and “A Song For Steven” including some solid story-telling lyrics. Overall a pretty substantial debut, and it’s highly recommended.
Ed Ryan “Furious Mind”
Ed Ryan (The Rudies, Jupiter Jets) continues his solo journey here as he absolutely shreds on the opener “You’re My Kind of Fun,” a song that demands you turn up the volume. Now that he has your attention, Ed goes melodic on the follow-up “Here I Am” with some nice ’60s touches; the bouncy chorus, strings, and church bell flourish. Ed channels a little Ramones in the excellent “Rocket Ship,” and other recommended songs are “I Know, I Know” and the heavy jamming rhythm on “Can’t Drag Me Down.”
It’s when Ryan takes on longer songs like “Take Me Home” and “Faulty Connections,” that the limitations of his songwriting and overuse of vocal overdubs start to show some strain. That’s not to say he doesn’t shine on slower songs, as “Lullaby” is a soulful and poetic gem and the mid-tempo “Back In The Day” is a fantastic closer. Overall, a worthy follow up to last year’s Roadmap. It’s music that deserves to be heard.
