While not Christmas-themed, I wanted to feature this Syracuse University freshman, Callan Nagel-Dubin, who covers The Flashcubes with “It’s You Tonight” for his project in a recording class at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Ironically, the first time The Flashcubes ever recorded was as a student project for a musical recording class at Newhouse in the spring of 1978.
It’s easy to dismiss, but I love original Christmas music. Honestly, I’m tired of the old classics (the constant repetition is what makes some people hate Christmas songs) and would love to hear new stuff on the radio. Not only are all these great examples of new Christmas music (Joe Algeri’s JAC is more of an outlier here), but most of them are also “Name Your Price,” so this is also a bargain. I have one more week of reviews left, and then on New Year’s Eve, we let fly our top 25 albums for 2023. So enjoy the egg nog while it’s still fresh!
The animated video is from The Dowling Poole, the track is taken from the album ‘Refuse’ which is available to buy on Bandcamp here. Really great singles this month and my faves so far; The Rallies kill it with “Must Be Love” a power pop classic in the making. The queen of power pop, Lisa Mychols also returns with The Masticators for an excellent freebie “Here’s A Boy” and Nashville band The Nobility‘s ballad “Poison Mind” recall The Bee Gees styled falsetto. If your tastes are more old-school, The Low Spirits deliver the freebie “Outta Sight” with its textbook ’66 Animals style, and Geoff Palmer’s side project The Guts has a punk pop gem with “O.F.S.C.” Finally our old friend Cliff Hillis has a sweet new EP out, but since this is a singles post, his new single is a catchy sing-along about the “coolest scuba diver we know.” He should tour kindergartens with this (is this how Raffi got started?).
Jeff Shelton (aka The Well Wishers) was assigned by a production company to create a soundtrack for an indie film, but due to complications the film was never made, and the music was shelved. Jeff now brings these tunes out of the shadows to see the light of day.
The Well Wishers sound is well established and doesn’t change here; melodies full of heavy riffs, fuzz bass, and drums. “Back Door” is a good start with a catchy chorus that sinks in immediately. “Free” recalls The Smithereens with its deep rhythmic approach, and “Layover” leads with an inspired piano rhythm. The only misfire is the out of place country ballad “Dreaming My Dreams With You.” While these songs aren’t as inspired as last years A View From Above, this soundtrack has its share of highlights including “Great Day Out” and “She Already Knows.”
The Rallies are returning with their sophomore album and if you love positive vibes, then this is for you. Led by Steve Davis (Acoustic Guitar, lead vocals), and backed up by Lee Brown (Drums), Karl Van Der Velden (Guitar) and Ben Heege (Bass). Thebouncy tempo & jangling guitar opener “All Over Town” sets the tone and begs repeat plays. A calming acapella mantra opens the catchy “It’s Okay,” as it bathes you in reassuring vocal harmonies of “Keep Calm/Carry On.”
The acoustic “All of Us” also slowly builds into a brilliant harmonic sing along. Next, “If You Do” uses a simple riff and rhythm to hook you immediately, it reminded me a little of Lannie Flowers work. Other highlights include “Brand New,” the Tom Pettyesque twang of “Alive,” and the layered vocal gem “Up To You.” While the songs are uniform in approach, there isn’t a dud to be found here. Highly Recommended for sure.
After last year’s brilliant Stop Talking, Price collects a few songs written during these sessions and added some new ones. Price continues to deal with contrasts and character studies of damaged people early on in Dalmatian. Starting with the chugging beat of “Sick Boy,” its a catchy ode to a remorseless killer who “likes his gun, it turns him on.”The piano ballad “Fever Dream” is a flowing emotional melody with delicate harmonies about “going down the rabbit hole” of love.
The tone shifts on “Roller Coaster,” a rocker that boasts a tasty baseline and beat sure to be a favorite, its the definition of a power pop classic. “The Dream is Over (But We’re Just Waking up)” is a self-reflective piano tune with some great layered harmony lines, and “Discount Love” has rocking dance beat and a Beach Boys-styled “umm-bop-ditty” backing that would’ve been a huge hit if it was released in 1976. I found no filler anywhere, and even though this album isn’t as thematically unified as Stop Talking, it strikes a more balanced tone. And despite the “odds & ends” approach, it sounds like Price is having a lot of fun here as well. Makes my top ten and appears at the top of that list for 2018 so far. Don’t miss this one. Super highly recommended!
There will always be great music that slips through the cracks, and The Rallies Serve is one of those albums last year I wish I heard earlier. The Rallies are a tight four-piece band from Tacoma, Washington fronted by Steve Davis (vocals/guitar), Lee Brown (drums), Jeff Weidman (guitar), and Rick Jones (bass). Fans of The Rembrandts, Matthew Sweet, and Crowded House will really enjoy the Rallies sound.
The opener “Don’t Give Up” is a solidly strummed melody in the tradition of Tom Petty that speaks of hope. The jangling gems “Whatever You Thought,” “No One Knows,” and“Every Now and Then” all feature solid songwriting and easy on the ear melodies. The catchy “So Right” boasts a great rhythm and harmonies that drives the song forward. The style and tone of the songs are all very consistent, and if you wanted to nitpick – it would’ve been nice to see a little more variety. That mentioned, The Rallies are a force to pay attention to, and I hope to hear more from them in the near future. Highly Recommended.
