Kevin Mathews:
October,
2003

So Much Music, So Little Time

Sorry, no time to chat, trying to get this piece in under deadline…

BrokenNess ICU In Dandylions (Self released) Regan Barger is responsible for most of what you hear here, aided and abetted by Dane Estepa & Ray Hartman and probably the best way to describe this album is if you could imagine Bob Dylan jamming with the Beatles. Or perhaps Elvis Costello with Oasis, whatever. Needless to say, 60s pop fans will be thrilled. www.brokennessonline.com

Goodbye Girl Friday Faces (Self released) This jazz-rock combo returns with a 5 track EP that builds nicely from last time out. The title track is the highlight here, all atmosphere and Rhodes keyboards and a lilting melody that soothes. The rest of the songs wade in similar waters with "Cold Summer Rain" & "Tess" upping the tempo somewhat but overall a lazy sunny afternoon mood with the occasional light shower. Nice and smooth. www.goodbyegirlfriday.com

Atomic 7 …Gowns By Edith Head (Mint) Finally, the new millennium gets its own Ventures. Sorry? Well, in the halcyon days of the early 60s (pre-Beatles), guitar instrumentals were the rage (the Shadows - of Cliff Richard and…fame - were the popular proponents) and Atomic 7 certainly evokes that era perfectly. Go-Go girls optional. www.mintrecs.com

Screen Door Greener (Paste) More alt-country to bring you down hometown. Well, a little bit extra too as the trio infuses certain elements of jazz and rock into the mix. Which certainly makes for interesting listening but I personally prefer the moments when Ben Wakeman, Tom Willner and Chris Kearney concentrate on the pastoral muse. www.pastemusic.com

Peter Lacey Anderida (Pink Hedgehog) Brian Wilson fans need not think twice about Peter Lacey's latest release as Lacey indulges himself with sumptuous references to Wilson's golden era i.e. 1964 to 1967 in the same manner as the likes of the High Llamas have managed. Joyous stuff. www.pinkhedgehog.com

Paul Hyde The Big Book Of Sad Songs Vol. I (Bongobeat) Hey, who am I to argue with a title like that? Hyde gives his sad songs the opportunity to soar or fall without embellishment with only the aid of Robbie Steininger's mandolin as bare ostentation. A brave soul but the results bear his ambition out. Songs like "The Maddest of the Mad" and "Drunken Lover" shine. www.bongobeat.com

The Ghost This Is A Hospital (Some) Intense emo punk-fuelled rock from this maddeningly earnest quartet. Tough as nails as slashing frets and larynx suggest, lyrics as ephemeral as the moniker suggests, tracks like Diffuser and Red Slippers Red Wheels confound and impress, confuse and imbue. Not as straightforward as one may like but all the better for the listening effort. www.some.com

The Sharp Things Here Comes The Sharp Things (Dive) 'Iron fist in a velvet glove' is what came to mind when first listening to The Sharp Things' baroque rock approach with traces of folk, country, jazz and chamber music thrown in for good measure. This sense of erudite pleasure is heightened by the choice use of French horns, glockenspiel, orchestral bells, trumpets et al. Sophisticated without being alienating. www.thesharpthings.com

Coppersonic Coppersonic (Self-released) It's always refreshing to come across a band that is unafraid to simply play the music they enjoy without apparent concern about the commercial impact it may have. Coppersonic delivers a brand of rock music that may be labeled as "southern rock" though one wonders whether that phrase has any more resonance in this day and age. Nevertheless, the passion and verve must be recognized - check it out! www.coppersonic.com

Stereo360 Enjoy Your Life Poolside (Baby Pea) Power pop junkies - are ya paying attention? Stereo360's new CD is a must-have purchase as crunching guitars and irresistible melodies this side of Fountains of Wayne, Splitsville & the Shazam constitute a fairly safe no-brainer for all lovers of our fair medium. www.babypearecords.com

The Virtues Ruminate (Zip) Is there something in the Scandinavian air that drives their bands to produce such sweet pop songs in the finest traditions of the best '70s American powerpop and British classic rock? The Virtues hail from Sweden and maintain this astonishing track record with songs that certainly evoke the headier moments from that revered era. Much to reflect upon here. www.ziprecords.com

Charley Dush Charley Dush (Self released) Fact that there is a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar figuring prominently on the CD cover should instantly send images of the Beatles circa *A Hard Day's Night* and the Byrds circa *Tambourine Man* zipping through your synapses. Dush and friends have pulled off a veritable coup, evoking the wonder and excitement of these influences easily. CharleyDush@aol.com

The Pulltops 8-Track (Self released) Bright, cheery and vibrant, The Pulltops deal in infectious pop that detractors will decry as naïve. Well, I hope so! If that means believing that good ol' fashioned pop-rock has the power to put smiles on faces then so be it. Especially when The Pulltops do such a good job in evoking Badfinger, Raspberries and um…Bread with such integrity and diligence. Full marks for effort. www.thepulltops.com

The Ether Family How To Get Lost In A Time Consuming Ego Trip - Part 1 of 4 (Headphone Treats) an 80 track concept album??!!! As daunting as that sounds (GBV fans can probably relate to such prolificacy), there is little to fault when actually listening to the 20 songs on show here. Running the gamut from Who rockers to jaunty Kinks pastiches, the quality is kept at a highly enjoyable level though I'm not sure what the concept is about but I'm sure I'll find out in due course. www.headphonetreats.com

Buva Daydream EP (Self released) Buva does his Todd turn with this fine EP, co-produced with Ivy's Andy Chase and it is premium pop of the highest order in the Jason Falkner mode. Yup, that good! Probably somewhat under the radar but "Another World" is the kind of epic ballad that Todd would kill for now and "Daydream" is pure hilarity married to Brian Wilsonesque hysterics. Bravo! Encore! Maestro! info@buvaphonic.com

That's it, boys and girls, until next month - I'm outta here!

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