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Rick Corcoran/The Orgone Box
The Orgone Box

Minus Zero Records

http://www.minuszerorecords.com

originally released 1996/re-release 2001

Reading over some British reviews of The Orgone Box, I become painfully aware that my knowledge is seriously lacking when it comes to the origins of Rick Corcoran, his former band Orange, and what was apparently a radio hit in the UK in the mid-nineties, "Judy Over the Rainbow." All I have to go on is my own nostalgia for a sound and a time I remember fondly as well as my gut reaction to a record so charming and wise and brilliant, I wish I could go over to London and kiss the feet of Bill Forsyth for pursuing the avenues that led him to re-release this wonderful record.

The history behind The Orgone Box can be followed on the Minus Zero website, so I feel no need to rehash that. By all means, if you are interested in the coincidences, serendipities, and passions that fuel indie music as we know it, please have a look. As I'm listening to this record yet again and writing this, superlatives tumble from my frazzled brain that could never do The Orgone Box justice. It comes from an era in the UK that saw Blur and Oasis duking it out daily on the charts and in the headlines, a wonderful time for pop music in some ways, but also a time when a smart, smaller release could easily be overshadowed. Skip ahead to 2001, Minus Zero, and a timeless collection of songs.

The Orgone Box is an album true to itself. Seemingly unaffected, Rick Corcoran revels in Briticisms like "You're all night in the pub and you're with your mates" from "There'll Always Be Attitudes." Slightly reminiscent of Robyn Hitchcock both sonically and lyrically is the trippy "Bubble," (this song makes me think of John Travolta, for what it's worth…,) it's dripping with hooks and a beautiful watery sound. I can't help but make a comparison with Cotton Mather's Kon Tiki only because it's a more well-known (for now!) pop touchstone. Obviously, the two are not connected in any way, other than Kon Tiki came out only a year after The Orgone Box appeared. I just hear a similar aesthetic, an overdubbed, voice in a tin can, tambourine flourish that instantly brings to mind Harrison and co.

There really isn't much more I can say about this record, other than GO BUY IT! We've been given a wonderful gift with the discovery and re-release of this pop gem…I worry that if I say too much, the magic of that first listen will elude you. Come up with your own superlatives.

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Cliff Hillis
Be Seeing You

Not Lame Recordings

http://www.notlame.com
http://www.cliffhillis.com

Be Seeing You continues the stellar track record Not Lame has achieved by pushing their artists to make records that go beyond "average" Power Pop. Although Cliff Hillis is certainly familiar to fans of the genre through his work in Starbelly and the John Faye Power Trip, it's finally time for a disc that showcases his individual personality and talent.

Most distinctive on the record is Cliff's voice, a clear, subtle tone with an edge similar to Jason Falkner's It's a voice that doesn't need to resort to the shouting and spitting so often heard on the radio these days. Another factor setting him apart from the rest is his guitar playing, using effects without getting flashy and bending sounds around a melody instead of just playing along. Combine that with his production talents ("Be Seeing You" is self-produced and engineered) and you have a one-man super-group!

Obvious care and attention has been taken with every track. "Be Seeing You" is lush with layered harmonies, such as in the moody "Coming Out Alive;" punched up with horns, as in the very Squeeze-like "Sheila Said;" and motivated with propulsive drum sounds and radio-ready guitar crunch on "Me and You." Some of the songs have an oblique, stand-offish quality, leaving the listener wanting just a little bit more, not an easy feat in this give-'em-all-you-got world. I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of Cliff Hillis in the coming year because this release is destined for many Top Ten lists.

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Yogi
20/20 Hindsight

Permanent Press Recordings

http://www.permanentpress.net

20/20 Hindsight meets just about all the elements on my checklist for a "Power Pop" classic record:

"Did I hum the melodies after just one listen?"

CHECK

"Are there different harmony parts to sing along with in the car?"

CHECK

"Is the word 'love' mentioned at least 27 times?"

CHECK

"Is there jangle?"

CHECK

Naturally, meeting all my petty little requirements isn't what makes this record special, it's the heart of a song like "Indian Summer" that convinced me Yogi has what it takes. Yet again, Permanent Press puts out a winner.

Starting the record off with a truly GLAM sounding drum-beat and chorus, "A.N. other" betrays it's meaty hooks with a rather S.N.A.G-y tale of a gal leaving a bad relationship in search of a good one. The sensitive Scottish pop of Yogi bears some sonic connection to Teenage Fanclub, Del Amitri, and even the Bluebells. As lame as it is to connect bands based on a shared land mass, a certain emotional component to the songs can't be denied.

Stand out tracks include "Armwrestling," with a soaring chorus not unlike The Mighty Wah!; acoustic charmer "Chase the Rain Away;" and "Sliding In," a near epic manifesto about regret. "Mexico Road" lopes along a bit like a steady burro in the hot sun, prime tunage for throwing back some cervesa, and make no mistake, despite the sensitive subject manner of the tunes, Yogi appear to know how to have a good time, which is crucial to rock and roll.

If I had one quibble with this disc (and believe me, I always have a quibble about something) it would be with the length of some of the songs. Repeating the chorus, no matter how tuneful and brilliant, to make a 3 minute song top out at well over 4 minutes can try my gnat-like patience. Otherwise, I am always happy to hear a band like Yogi; passionate and eager, not glossed-up, sell-out crap from some assembly line.

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