Scroll down for capsule reviews of releases by Blue Cartoon, The Crayons, Gore Gore Girls, Buzzie, Mary Kate O'Neil, David Byron Ragsdale, Box O'Car, Allen Keller, The Loud Family and Shimmer Kids Underpop Association.

Solomon Burke – Don't Give Up On Me (Anti/Fat Possum): Burke is a certified ‘60s soul legend who has always had an audience, but never broke through to superstar status. He is one of those artists who has developed substantial cache amongst fellow musicians, who recognize that Burke has a show stopping voice and commands it with the subtlety of a master. Given 11 tracks written by great tunesmiths like Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Nick Lowe, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Van Morrison, Dan Penn and others, Burke does what he's supposed to do – make an excellent album. I find the songs that clearly were not tailored to Burke to be the most fascinating. Tom Waits and his wife Kathleen Brennan pull out one of their patented plucked-from-the-ether-of-the-‘30s melodies on "Diamond in Your Mind", and how Burke finds his way to fit in this musical milieu is a testament to his brilliance. Similarly, "The Judgement", an Elvis Costello/Cait O'Riordan number, is cut from the chamber-pop cloth of earlier Declan ditties like "The Comedians", and Burke navigates the path to make a decidedly Caucasian melody and rhythm come out covered in Southern passion. Of course, Van Morrison's two numbers are gimmes and Bob Dylan's basic blues-rocker "Stepchild" is a perfect fit. And dig Burke's delicate phrasing on winners like the title cut (co-written by Dan Penn) and Nick Lowe's "The Other Side of the Coin". Even when Burke is staying low key, his voice is commanding, the power apparent and the rough edges visible and so attractive. When Burke unleashes the full fury of his awesome instrument, it is a wonder to behold. That he is sparing in doing so makes it all the better. Joe Henry will probably, and deservedly, snag a Grammy nomination for his sympathetic production that avoids formalism and puts the focus where it should be, on the Soul King. About the only thing that's lacking is the absence of any faster paced numbers, y'know, the kind that make you wanna dance. Which means this terrific disc could actually be improved upon a bit. fatpossum.com.

Blue Cartoon – The Wonder Of It All (Aardvark): Sweet pure power pop with a strong ‘70s orientation that simply melts in the ears. The band has survived the replacement of a lead vocalist without a misstep. David Loren's voice isn't quite as distinctive as John McElhenney's, but it's so malleable and adds to the shimmer of lovely tracks like "DaVinci's Art", a song that could win the 2002 Wistfulness Sweepstakes, awash in high end guitars and perfect harmonies. The band winningly wonders how folks from the past would view us now in comparison to what they thought the future would look like on "Flying Cars (1959)". Fans of Velvet Crush will dig the understated country-rock charm of "Everyday Magic", one of those songs that instantly hooks you in. These are just some of the highlights from a batch of tunes that furthers the aims of Dwight Twilley, Badfinger, 20/20 and many of the other old school power poppers. Primary songwriters Jeff Tracy (guitar) and Lee Elliot (bass) are remarkably consistent and manage to keep things moving on the 13 songs. If you demand some edge in your music, this is the wrong disc to get. But if like tunes that verge on pristine but use the clarity and beauty of the presentation to create a happy and joyous feeling, Blue Cartoon may be your band. aardvarkrecords.com

The Crayons – What Color Are You? (Cropduster): Cronies of The Churchhills, who produced this disc, The Crayons share the ‘hills modern pop-rock sensibility, meaning their songs have enough melodic strength to please some power pop fans, but are sufficiently contemporary to fit in with recent alt-rock tunes. Where they differ is in a decidedly less happy tone than the The Churchills – The Crayons aren't flat out rockers, yet their songs have a sharpness and tenseness that give the disc character. "In a Jar" is a great example of their balanced approach, taking you into the song with a slightly sinister guitar riff in the style of Nirvana or The Breeders, but rather than going to guitar blowout mode, the band releases the tension with a melodic chorus – the use of dynamics is more subtle than the usual alt-rock mode, yet still effective. They have a few numbers that remind me of middle-period Inxs (circa Listen Like Theives), languid pop-rock (such as "Can You Feel?"). This is a solid outing that suffers a bit from a lack of variety in the songs, as the effect of a procession of mid-tempo numbers with the same emotional tone yields diminishing returns. The band's natural melancholy, however, sounds great on the tracks with lighter melodies like "Surround Me" and "Allyson Fell off the Bike". I could easily hear these guys on the radio in the next couple of years. cropduster.com

Gore Gore Girls – Up All Night (Get Hip): Motor City combo that mixes some basic garage with some swell old R & B and girl group tunes, showing an affinity for the dusties almost on par with The Detroit Cobras. Unlike the Cobras, singer/guitarist Amy Surdu writes or co-writes eight or the disc's 12 songs, and writes well enough that I had to keep checking the liners to ascertain the origin. The playing is alright – not the ultimate in garage execution, but the job gets done. So "I Don't Think So" comes off like the logical midpoint between The Donnas and The Sonics – bad girl attitude with a swingin' swagger. Surdu's range is good, not great. But her phrasing and ability to sing dirty or clean – it's quite a talent. And the fact that the band can do a song so innocent as "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" (a Goffin-King hit for Little Eva that The Beatles later covered) without irony, while still sounding like a rock band, is a tribute to their devotion to the form. My favorite Gore Gore originals include the careening "Shotgun Wedding" (Girlschool meets The Cramps?), the peppy and cleverly arranged "Astral Man" (with a nice stop-start chord change in the chorus) and "Up All Night", which has the boss Pacific Northwest song structure that The Wailers, Paul Revere and the Raiders and The Kingsmen dug. Send Amy and bassist Melody Licious (the new garage Laurie Partridge) on the road with the Swingin' Neckbreakers! Gethip.com

Buzzie – Are You Feeling Anything Yet? (Bigdigi): Rootsy power pop that illustrates what a difference a vocalist makes. Buzzie is basically John McElhenney, the former lead vocalist of Blue Cartoon. And McElhenney has a splendid voice, which effortlessly hits all the right notes. More importantly, he conveys so much emotion, which is vital, since his lyrics are extremely plainspoken (you would never call this cat pretentious). Love songs are just so much more effective when the singer sounds like he's in love (or just had his heart broken). 20/20's Ron Flynt produces and other Austin, Texas notables contribute, including Wit Williams of Cotton Mather. The songs jangle away effectively. McElhenney wisely leads with his best known Blue Cartoon track, "She's Gone", one of those classic longing pop tunes with an indelible hook that will be showing up (in both the Blue Cartoon and Buzzie versions) on compilations for years to come. A few tracks come near that extremely high standard. I really like the moody "99 Days" – this is so simple, McElhenney letting his voice carry the melody with minimal guitar, drums and organ providing just enough support. "The Same Thing" has a great hook, finding an urgent melody that is not only catchy but get across the feelings of the lyrics. There are some fine happy love songs – "I'm Inside You" is a soaring jangle rocker and "Beautiful Beautiful" is more playful and soulful – this is one of the few numbers where the low key playing may have been misguided, as it might sound better if it were played with a bit more vigor. Not as smooth as McElhenney's former band, but John still shows his love for easy going songs that are relaxing and engaging. Buzzie.com

Mary Kate O'Neil – Mary Kate O'Neil (71): Talented singer-songwriter finally gets a full-length disc out and finds a sympathetic collaborator in Jill Sobule, who produces the disc and co-writes seven of the 14 tunes. While this doesn't quite reach Sobule's lofty level, it took Jill a few albums to fully develop, and there's no reason that O'Neil's career should not progress in a similar fashion. There are a few moments on this album which seem to be ‘Jill moments' (i.e., stuff that could have easily come off one of Sobule's discs), but O'Neil establishes a consistent personality, primarily through her detailed lyrics and some stylish forays outside the girl-with-guitar arena. The best song is "Prime Time", which melds the best of folk-pop with a dazzling girl groupworthy hook. Not far behind is "Mundane Dream", with a splendid yearning bridge and chorus that gives the song two extremely memorable and affecting portions. Emotionally, O'Neil really packs a low key wallop on "U-Haul", as she goes over the end of a relationship while packing away her things so she can move out: "to decide what's yours/what's mine/what's left behind". Unlike "U-Haul"'s protagonist, count on O'Neil sticking around for a while, making quality records. 71recordings.com

David Byron Ragsdale – In Here (Groove Disques): Talented songwriter who touches upon power pop and some more basic rock and roll styles. The performances on the disc are inconsistent, perhaps due to recording in a few different places (the bulk of the project is home studio). So the caveat here is that there are a few songs that don't get the treatment they might deserve. Generally, the more traditional rock and roll numbers work best, perhaps because the variable production makes less of a difference. "Disappointed" is a nifty shuffle with some Spanish-sounding guitar that could have made a swell tune for Roy Orbison or Del Shannon. "Don't Bother the Waitress" might be the best track on the album – with a ballad-style melody, as Ragsdale shows some empathy for the Nickled-and-Dimed set – this finds a mid-point between NRBQ and Sir Douglas Quintet, methinks. Ragsdale sometimes comes up with numbers that have the same light melodicism of Marshall Crenshaw. "Girl from Surry" is the best of this bunch, which builds to a happy romantic hook. The chugger "Little Horse" exemplifies the drawbacks of the home recording approach, as the percussion lets down what is a well-penned rocker. Moreover, Ragsdale's voice is not given the proper setting, as all the instruments sound tamped down. This is one of those discs where the good stuff is really nice, and you wish that it could have been more consistent. groovedisques.com.

Box-O-Car – In The Future...On Mars! (Modern): Four studio cuts and three live recordings make up this supafine slice of 21st Century glam rock. Perennial Chicago power pop contender Skid Marks hits the mark and outdoes the modern take on T. Rex/Bowie/Sweet sounds practiced by contemporaries like Cobra Verde and Chainsaw Kittens. Like those bands, Box-O-Car has the dazzling guitar flash, but edges ahead with the type of songwriting that put Windy City bands like Material Issue on the map. Marks and his mates (songs are attributed to the band) are exceptionally concise, don't bury their hooks (no fear of catchiness here), and know that one of the secrets of great glammy power pop is having not one, but at least two cool distinctive guitar bits – maybe a riff, maybe a lead part, or some other business that appeals to the 14 year old in any true rock fan. Don't want to paint these guys with too broad a brush – they show off other stylistic devices – like the Cars-meets-Redd Kross new wave with a frenzy glaze on "Under Your Command" and the inspired-and-pulled-off-superbly cover of 801's "The True Wheel". Those songs are just as effective as pop-stompers like "Pretty People Revolution" and "I Wanna Be A Girl". Bravo! cracked-rock.net/boxocar.

Allen Keller – Wuthering Depths (Wreckord): Very strong pop-rock record – based on this disc, Keller is one of Chicago's best kept secrets. He has certainly done the best power poppy song (finding a midpoint between Matthew Sweet and Utopia quite well) ever called "Hookers and Blow", which has a riff that sweeps across the speakers like a wave riding up the beach and strong lead guitar lines. This song also exemplifies the adult world view here – Keller has some things to say with his lyrics. "St. Louis, Misery" is a plaintive tale, with Keller, accompanied only by his electric guitar, succinctly describing a man ending an affair because of his past misdeeds: "Loneliness follows me home/so I'm never, no, I'm never, alone". He cuts to the bone. Another fave rave is the Britpoppy slam of bigamist "Mr. Butterman". The pop sophistication here rivals Crowded House, more recent Elvis Costello, and sometimes approaches the grandeur of Jellyfish and Doug Powell (ex. -- "Nicotine"). Yet he still can pen a simply ditty like "Crackers". Really good stuff. wreckordcompany.com.

The Loud Family – From Ritual To Romance (125): Culled from the last two tours of this fine Scott Miller-led project, this is a pretty good live album which captures a band that got better and better live. For the uninitiated, Miller is a fascinating songwriter, who since the ‘80s has blessed the world with his love of oddball wordplay and skewed power pop songwriting. Think of the weirder tracks from Big Star's Radio City (I'm sure he studied "Oh My Soul" carefully) and Chris Stamey's work with The dB's, and that's a starting point for the twists and turns Miller likes to throw into his songs. Yet he knows how to craft a melody and a hook. This disc has a few choice covers (Eno, My Bloody Valentine, Pixies) and some old Game Theory numbers that blend well with a representative, but not quite definitive, selection of Loud Family material. Very few live albums are essential and I wouldn't put this one in that category, but I think such a document was necessary here. Why? To show that a band that could often be quite arty and esoteric could put on a crackling show. This fairly reflects the Loud Family I saw live, a band that managed to pull off some complex studio stuff on the stage while adding the necessary vim and spirit to make the jaunt to the venue worthwhile. Moreover, since the Loud Family's catalog was fairly uneven for such a quality group, this actually is a decent primer for the band. Top tracks include "Baby Hard-to-be-Around", debut album highlight "Spot the Setup", the slow, pulsing and moving "Good, There Are No Lions in the Street" (from their high water mark and best balance of eccentric and accessible, Days For Days), an inspired take on Pixies' "Debaser" and the always compelling, strangely ascending hook of Game Theory's "Curse of the Frontier Land". I'll probably play this more than a couple of their studio sets. 125records.com

Shimmer Kids Underpop Association – The Natural Riot (Hidden Agenda): Psych-pop that shares a low-fi aesthetic with the Elephant 6 collective, the Kids live in a wobbly world where they have, over the past few years, developed a distinct musical vocabulary. Almost necessarily, a Shimmer Kids album will be kind of hit-or-miss as their artier aspirations sometimes substitute meandering atmospherics for anything that really strikes the ear, though they never get as pretentious as Olivia Tremor Control could back in the day. Which means that the occasional bit of dross is over and out pretty quickly, and actually adds rather than detracts from the flow of the album. And the murky production also works to their advantage, as it takes multiple spins to extract some of the cool things going on here, making this a rewarding disc. Sometimes the band lets their Beach Boys flag fly ("Another Planet"), other times their melodies come closer to modern classicists like Zumpano and The Shins ("Like Candy, Like Poison"), and split the difference on "Going in Circles" -- any way it's done, it's falsetto fun for all ages. Sly lyrics also come into play. "Miss Confidential" is a music hall jaunt about a guy who falls for an alleged spy ("double agents can't fall in love") and the psych-folk "Baby Bankrobber" ("buy each other a Smith and Wesson as birthday gifts") are witty. "Model Kit" shows some rock energy and "The Soft Police" is a paranoid mantra that is soothing yet disturbing. This is pretty much for big fans of the psych stuff. I think it's time for the Kids to graduate to better quality studios and see if they can expand their artistry more. parasol.com

______________________________________________________

To reach any other page contained in this month's update on Fufkin.com, read the home page for the appropriate link and click on it. You can also search the site from any page using the search box located at the top of each page. Merely type in the word, phrase, name of the band, recording, name of the Fufkin writer that you are looking for or Whatever in the search box, and then click on "Search". If you would like to e-mail us, go to the About Us page for a list of e-mail addresses.

Go back to the home page by clicking here

______________________________________________________