Scroll down for the latest releases by The Features, The Insomniacs, Lisa Mychols, Adam Marsland and Sukilove

The Features
Exhibit A

(Universal)

thefeatures.com

I first saw The Features in Nashville. The Sparta, Tennessee band was a revelation, mixing two explosive sensibilities into something volatile, hooky and danceable -- take the dynamics and crescendos of Roxy Music and Sparks circa 1974, and the power and muscle of Pixies (and, by incorporation, the Pixies' influences), and let the rock happen. In the four years since, it has been frustrating, picking up singles and such in dribs and drabs, seeing the occasional foray up to Chicago, and even getting my mitts on some unreleased recordings -- this was a great band, for sure. Why no album?

Well, 2004 finally brings a full length disc. While it's not the second coming of Sparks that I was hoping for, it is one of those rare records where a band manages to retain its personality while taking a step in the direction of being a bit more accessible. This is a rocker that might convince some Weezer acolytes and tempt some indie kids.

The frontman is way up front for The Features. Matthew Pelham bangs on his guitar, whilst contorting his vocals in a near falsetto -- it's like he's Frank Black Mael. He can be playful or angry or whimsical. Parrish Yaw is right behind him, with his full array of keyboards that bring to mind everyone from Brian Eno to Steve Nieve. Roger Dabbs (bass) and Rollum Hass (drums) provide a jumping foundation -- Haas is quite the basher.

The pick to click with the aforementioned acolytes and kids is "Blow it Out", which is kind of Cars-like, without being imitative. The song begins with a hummable hook and sports one of Pelham's least quirky vocals. The pleasant verse then ratchets up into an automatic chorus, the melody accompanied by Yaw's organ, which is set on "Steve Nieve". This is a summer single that will hopeful warm up the rest of autumn.

This is followed by the killer "There's A Million Ways to Sing the Blues" ("and this ain't one of them"). The song rides pea-soup beat groove, with Hass resurrecting the deft muscle of XTC's Terry Chambers, while Pelham skewers self-pity. Pelham's guitar and Yaw's keyboards are in lock step, the song picking up steam like a freight train. Sometimes great songs aren't about a dozen complex parts. Instead, a smart lyric, indelible riffs and a little melody in the chorus to tie it together, and you have a winner like this hit repeat again tune.

The energy on this record captures the band's explosiveness on stage. But they can calm down, and they do so winningly on the mid-tempo "The Idea of Growing Old", which is a modern day "When I'm 64", with all of the saccharin drained out and replaced by brains. I'm at a loss which great lyrical snippet to highlight, as Pelham's words here are so pop in a classic sense. This is a song that cool people will want to play at a wedding.

Like two of the other great debut records of the year, Franz Ferdinand and The Futureheads (the year in music 2004, brought to you by the letter ‘F'), The Features have a knack for that great bit in a song that turns listenable into must listen to. On "Situations Gone Bad", which structurally sounds like some mix between Elvis Costello (1979 vintage) and Roxy Music (early), with Yaw playing chords with grandeur, the chorus is a lesson in simple dynamics -- a 4/4 beat, double tracked guitars and an ascending melody sung by Pelham. The band then embellishes. It's a basic trick, performed to perfection. And it occurs all over the album.

I still think that as good as this is, they have some unreleased songs that could have taken it even higher. Regardless, this is a band with a special sound and spark, with awesome songs that I hope will be heard by many.

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The Insomniacs
Switched On!

(estrus)

estrus.com

Every few years, The Insomniacs come out of hiding and put out another handful of crisp garage rock tuneage that often nods in the direction of Mod and Freakbeat. There is pretty much no artistic pretense here whatsoever, and it would be more than justifiable to complain that Insomniacs albums are truly fungible. Of course, if you like this sound, that's not a weakness. I love this sound.

This trio is fronted by David Wojciechowski, a nimble fingered bass player who has a solid, slightly sandpapery voice that he probably wishes were a bit more in the vein of Steve Marriott or Stevie Winwood, but it is more than credible enough for this R & B rooted material. He also is the songwriter and has absorbed a lot of key ‘60s influences so thoroughly that rarely do I find myself thinking ‘this sounds just like (fill in name of band).' David's brother Robert handles the guitar duties, mixing up the right amounts of jangle, tremelo and fuzz. Drummer Michael Sinocchi seems to be descended from great drummers like Kenny (Small Faces) Jones and Rick (The Jam) Buckler, a bouncing beatkeeper who knows that in a trio format he needs to fill the space with creative fills without overwhelming the song.

With such a fine sound, as long as David whips up a batch of strong tunes, then a good album is inevitable. The album is chock full of standard issue Insomniacs tunes, with just enough wrinkles to distinguish it from their prior efforts. The heart of the album consists of excellent rockers like the opener "Alice White" and "She's a Mess". On "White", Robert jangles, hits a power chord or two and dashes off leads effortlessly, while brother David pleads, perhaps for the last time, for the attention of a flighty lass. Musically, Ms. White is just a few doors down from Miss Amanda Jones. As the song drives into the final chorus, Robert plays a fuzzy riff that sounds like vintage 1965 Rolling Stones, while producer Dan (ex-Original Sins) McKinney adds a dollop of organ. "She's a Mess" is a mix of hooks based on rhythm, hooks based on melody, and some nifty harmonies, with a great use of dynamics. The song sounds like a collaboration between Roger McGuinn and The Creation. There are even some cool lyrics: "she's like the Sunday paper/hard to read, and crumpled later."

These snappy gems are contrasted by change ups like "Leave". This song dips a toe into mild psychedelic territory, David breaking out the sitar. It's not really a great departure, as it is otherwise a typical Insomniacs song, but it has a slightly different flavor. This is followed by the slower R & B lament "It's Gone". Though, as I mentioned before, David is no growler, he has always been effective on the slower material, because he has a really expressive voice. Quite frankly, I think The Insomniacs should take a page out of Reigning Sound's playbook and do a few more slowed down numbers. The only other time they do it is on the effective closer "Tomorrow", where the sitar comes out again, and the band connects with their inner Rascals.
Other highlights include the stomping "Maryanne Lightly", which has a bit of menace in the verses, which is contrasted by a strong chorus melody, and the title cut, where Robert strums and windmills, and Michael gets a chance to do a little percussion breakdown under a brief guitar solo.

It would be easy to take The Insomniacs for granted, since they are revivalists with little or no intention but sticking to what they do well. They are so good at it, however, that they demand attention. If you are fan of ‘60s beat music, this is worth checking out.

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Lisa Mychols
Sweet Sinsations

(Rev-Ola)

revola.co.uk

Lisa Mychols has an AM radio in her heart. The winsome Californian has delighted fans of the great pop sounds of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, both on her holiday solo album from years ago, and her recordings with The Masticators. Prolific, she ain't. However, the quality of what's in the grooves here shows that patience with Ms. Mychols is an ample reward.

Right now, I'm grooving to "Turn the Radio On". It has a swaying melody, with a danceable mid-tempo groove. Actually, there's something about the melody in the verse that reminds me of a Schoolhouse Rock song. However, those songs never had such a terrific middle eight. On this track, Mychols sings in the high end of her range which is insinuating in a wholesome yet sexy way, kind of like Diana Ross in her Supremes days.

On "Take a Ride", Mychols adds a modern polish on a rock number that could have been number 10 with a bullet on the Cashbox chart in 1978. The verses and chirpy chorus make it sound tailormade to be plopped between Steve Miller Band, The Cars and Brothers Johnson. Heck, there are even handclaps. Yet, what makes this song rule above all is another incredible middle eight. It takes the song from a good timing silly willy shimmy shuffle smile into another dimension. The song becomes panoramic, with Mychols opening up to the skies with jaw dropping melody. Oh my.

While Mychols is a rock and roll girl (the type that Paul Collins wanted to be with, by the way), she is also terrific on softer material. "Oh! To Be in Love" is a breezy soft pop song which conjures up a ‘60s romantic warmth, a bit Bacharach, a bit Jimmy Webb, a little Brazilian jazz-pop. This song is in love with both love and the music, and Mychols's singing is intoxicating. She is equally captivating (and quite convincing) as a balladeer on the lovely "Las Brisas Sun". This is a winning bid for a standard -- you know, the type of song that a Barbra Streisand or a k.d. lang could sing. Of course, the performance here is so strong, they might stay away. Mychols shows off a much more sophisticated singing technique than you hear on the average pop record. This is probably the most ambitious track on the disc and it's an unqualified success.

Now, don't forget that she still can rock (I just mentioned that in the last paragraph). "Rock in the City (Tonight)" and "Rocket to Mars" are superb power pop numbers that will satisfy the cravings of Masticators fans. Really, there are only two missteps on this album. One is the cover of The dB's "Cycles Per Second". This is a dB's debut album track that exemplifies Chris Stamey's mastery of rubbery second album Big Star wackiness, and Mychols tries to straighten out the wobbliness and make it a bit more of a straightforward song. But the dissonant melody of the song can't quite be tamed, and so this remake never really catches fire (though she gets bonus points for excellent taste). The other misstep is the cover. Grainy color photos of Mychols in some pink thrift store get up? Normally, this wouldn't be too big of a deal, except for the fact that the cover of Lost Winter's Dream is so outstanding.

Yes, I'm picking nits. The more I listen to this disc, the more I realize that this is pretty much everything I hoped for from a Lisa Mychols album. A versatile disc that effortlessly moves from one style to another while evincing a cohesive sensibility. It's the sound of promise fulfilled.

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Adam Marsland
You Don't Know Me

(Karma Frog)

karmafrog.com

What do you mean, I don't know you? Mr. Marsland, I have you pegged. You're a literate guy with an ear for a melody and a voice that can go almost anywhere your songs take it. You are glib and clever, yet also sincere and expressive. You love to rock, but you have a soft side. You know how hard it is to succeed in the game of rock and roll, yet you try harder than anyone to get your music out to as many people as possible.
Now, I don't know specifically why you released this as a solo record rather than a Cockeyed Ghost record, but I can make an educated guess. I'm thinking it's because it allows you to change the orientation of the music (more piano based, softer songs) and you can play around a bit with the personnel (though Ghosts Severo and Kurt Medlin play on the disc). Heck, any excuse to work with the wonderful ‘60s pop singer Evie Sands and Darian and Probyn of The Wondermints, right?

So this makes you a singer-songwriter, I suppose. Well, it suits you. This disc is a great showcase for your vocals, as the keyboard dominated songs seem to make you break out your falsetto and high range more often. This is a good thing. There aren't too many singer-songwriters out there who can go from conversational wordy patois to soaring choruses at the drop of a hat. That's a technique that you roll out a number of times here, and it works every time.

A great example comes early in the disc on "Love X 10 (How Dare You)". Marsland deftly packs a bevy of polysyllabic words in the verses, managing to make the carefully constructed words sound conversational. In the wrong hands, this would be awkward, but Marsland is a pro at this. Moreover, it is how he imposes his personality on the music. Yes, the song is well-constructed, the chorus is strong, the playing is great, and on that basis alone, this is a quality song. Yet it's more than that, it is specific to the artist, and it makes for an extra connection.

This personality comes shining through on "Have a Nice Day", which starts with the line "everything sucks today". The sunny music is perfect to support the words. Marsland tells the tale of a sour woman who meets a guy with a tray of flowers who turns her on to positive thinking (is he a Moonie? A Krishna?). This song works both as a nice piece of storytelling (a lost art in pop, methinks) and a soaring piece of pop, with a chorus that just keeps going up and up. This song also reveals the fascinating dichotomy of Marsland, who is capable of extreme cynicism, yet sings this song without any trace of irony and utter conviction.

He also still rocks, and fans of his powerful power pop work with Cockeyed Ghost will warm easily to "My Kickass Life", another nifty story song, and really go nuts for "What The World Needs Now Is A Good Deus Ex Machina", which is the tradition of past gems like "Burning Me Out of the Record Store". On the pure pop tip, the back-to-back winners "The Big Bear" (which features strings and a nifty bridge into the chorus which is the simple ring of a bell) and "Other Than Me", each provide Marsland more chances to unleash his awesome high range (and toss off lyrics like "I'm glad I never dated Aimee Mann/and landed in the crease of a lyric sheet").

This is a record that could be the answer to the musical question, what if you melded Elton John and The Negro Problem. Marsland is a known admirer of Elton John, and that influence shines through on songs like "What The Hell" (which he can segue into "Bennie and the Jets" live, among other Reg classics), though the chorus is more...like some other Elton tune. The song also is a brilliant and thoughtful take on a shallow relationship ("When in Rome/when in doubt/we're in a dark corner/making out").

The finale is his "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", an epic that he earned with the excellence of the preceding 11 tunes on the disc. The song, beautifully augmented by Sandra Beane's cello, is a relationship post-mortem. Marsland realizes that he was a doormat, and learns something. After singing that he wishes he can change his life, he shifts to the right position – "I'm gonna change my life/I'm gonna change myself." As he grasps these vital thoughts, the guitars move in and the song creates a real emotional power. It moves to a pensive instrumental section, with a reading by Gwynne Garfinkle from her poem "Aubade". Because the song has set in its emotional and musical hooks, this does not come off as pretentious but is an appropriate coda (though the song fades out and then back in for just a bit longer). Bravo!

Marsland is continuing to grow as an artist. This is an entertaining disc, and a thoughtful one. If you thought that they don't write ‘em like that anymore, you're wrong. Marsland has run the ‘70s through his muse and made something that is fresh yet sounds classic.

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Sukilove
You Kill Me

(Sukiloves/Hidden Agenda)

parasol.com

This album is almost a negative image of Sukilove's debut album. That album consisted of songs that were, on the balance, melodic pop songs with darker undercurrents. Often, Pascal Deweze masked his pessimism with gentle wit. Still, there were a few songs that foreshadowed the follow up, moodier, edgier pieces that showed what may be Deweze's true face.

While he still sings with a terrific winsome (and occasionally weary) voice and his ability to craft exceptional pop melodies is intact, many of these songs incorporate the blues to make for an intense album. On "Secrets", pop is the furthest thing from Deweze's mind, initially. The song starts with squonking guitars that evince some fruitful study of Captain Beefheart's catalog. From there it progresses into more conventional territory, but it serves as the most extreme example of what is going on here. Crowded House also embraced the dark side while retaining their melodic excellence, and Sukilove takes that stance even further into the abyss.

The intensity on this disc is sometimes simmering and sometimes white hot. Two signature tracks steeped in the blues are simply great rock drama. "Steal Your Love Away" contrasts Deweze's splendid pop voice (at times reminiscent of Roddy Frame or Glen Tilbrook) and the melody he sings over some blues slide guitar that plays a consistent pattern of notes. These shouldn't fit, but he makes them do so. In some ways, this reminds me of middle period Fleetwood Mac, something that could have fit alongside "Oh Well". The song is insistent and desperate, building and building, and fading as the bass kicks in and the song moves into a piledriving blues rock mantra. Damn, this is cool.

They begin "Girl on the Moon" with Deweze chanting out the title. This is pretty much just a straight ahead blues song, that could have been done with just a beat up acoustic and some foot tapping on a board. However, instead of going the Delta route, the band chugs along as Deweze goes from hoping to get the girl to shouting "we could have been/we should have been/wonderful". What makes this tune really stand out is the dreamy middle eight interlude that stamps this as a Sukilove song.

A whole album like this would have resulted in a work that might have been on par with John Lennon's *Plastic Ono Band* LP for pure power. Sukilove does not take it quite that far, leavening this disc with songs that come closer to their earlier, pop-centric releases. Yet the emotional cast of the disc is consistent. This doesn't mean the disc is a bummer. Instead, like the aforementioned Lennon album, it's cathartic.

A compelling example of this consistent tone is "1234", a song that reveals pop craftsmanship, yet it's performed with a droning guitar and dashes of organ. The song has a number of memorable parts, uses repetition as a hook device, uses dynamic chord vamps as a hook device -- even when baring and tearing his soul apart, Deweze can't help but craft something that sticks in the head.

A good example of this is "My Son", which I am voting the tune most likely to have appeared on the last two Sukilove records. The song is about a father giving advice to his son. Apparently, he has a secret that he doesn't want to get out. And he tells the son that he better stay with his woman. With all this, the only line in the chorus is "you're such a wonderful liar." This tune is as mysterious as it is McCartney-like. Meanwhile, on "I Didn't Mean It That Way", things tone down to just above a whisper. It's simply a lovely lament: "Oh what a joy/heaven's is on its way/and I will spend my whole life singing/I didn't mean it that way." Even on the prettiest song on the album, Deweze doesn't let anyone (himself?) off the hook.

This is a real breakthrough. This album is so direct and honest in a way that most indie rock never even comes close to. I fervently hope that this album can find a larger audience, as music that resonates so strongly, composed and played with such quality and intelligence is a rare commodity.

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