Further Observations From a Jangly Musical Fan

January was a month of climate extremes - ranging from the mid-60s in the early part of the month to a succession of snowstorms at the end of the month. The latter weather circumstances certainly made me appreciate the stack of new discs next to my home stereo. In addition, I was able to attend two very different music shows this past month. My favorite Tempe, Arizona-based band, the Gin Blossoms, played to a 650-person crowd at the State Theater. Lead singer Robin Wilson introduced several new numbers and mentioned a forthcoming album (I love this band, but I'll believe in a new album when I see it!) The audience sang along to every tune from their New Miserable Experience album and the handful of noteworthy songs that succeeded their debut album. It's nice to note that this pop/rock quintet is still together and still drawing an enthusiastic audience.

Three nights later, I enjoyed seeing the John Jorgenson Quartet perform at the 110-person venue, Jammin' Java. Jorgenson is a guitar virtuoso, and his current tour is featuring the Gypsy Jazz/Franco-American Swing music that was popularized by Djano Reinhardt in the 1930s. It is always fun to see John's fingers flying across the frets of a stringed instrument - whether it is a bluegrass tune on mandolin, a country or rock melody played on his Telecaster … or a standard from 70 years ago performed on acoustic guitar.

By way of a mutual friend, I shared my table at the John Jorgenson show with Steve and Elizabeth Lasko. Steve is the mastermind behind the nifty guitar pedal product/compressor that 12-string enthusiasts should be snapping up - the JangleBox. If you want to learn more about this product, visit www.janglebox.com I am now anxiously awaiting the arrival of my own JangleBox, so I can mimic the sound of the Byrds on a six-string guitar; I may find this a lot easier than struggling with the tuning and playing of a 12-string Rickenbacker! The JangleBox has already received an endorsement from Roger McGuinn - and that should be all the endorsement it needs!

Without further delay, here are some of the recent additions to my music library that may interest the rest of you jangly music enthusiasts:

Lost In The Dream - by the Edisons. Before I even listened to the first song on this disc, I knew I would enjoy its contents. The give-away clue came from the track credit information: Steve Connelly produced and mixed the disc, and he was one of the featured guest musicians. Those with a long memory will recall that Steve Connelly was a member of the Headlights - a very jangly pop/rock/country band from Florida (that toured as Roger McGuinn's backing band in 1991). Steve has been involved in numerous projects since then - and each disc with his credits is a "keeper." The Edisons are a Florida quartet who play plenty of chiming, jangly guitars on their pop/rock tunes - with some Connelly-provided pedal steel guitar riffs as well. After a first listen, "Just For You" is a standout track, but all of the songs blend together nicely and remind me of the Headlights, the Rumors and jangle'n'twang artists Walter Clevenger and Brian Jay Cline (see below). Long may you run, Sir Steve … and studio mates!

The Bombones - by the Bombones. The Rock Indiana (Spanish) label is a big clue that this is primo power pop - which it is! The tracks bounce along merrily, and "Blue" is a contender for Jangly Song of the Month accolades. "Blue" opens with a chiming note progression that is very similar to Material Issue's "Next Big Thing" and then features a melody and vocals that could easily be mistaken as Teenage Fanclub. All songs are in English - making it even easier for power pop fans to sing along!

One For The Road - by Brian Jay Cline. At the risk of sounding redundant, Brian Jay Cline just keeps getting better with each new release. By my count, this is Brian's sixth full-length disc. What are you waiting for - buy it! Jangle enthusiast will be delighted by "Round And Round" - a jangle'n'twang number that deserves very favorable comparisons with Walter Clevenger and the Dairy Kings. Long may you run, Sir Brian!

Speaking of prolific pop artists who improve with each release, don't miss the latest disc (a 2003 release) from Smart Brown Handbag - The Big Sigh. This band has been a favorite of mine since I first heard them; The Big Sigh is the sixth SBH disc to be added to my collection. SBH has been turning out finely-crafted melodies and lyrics for years, but the band seems to have gained an affection for jangly guitars on this disc. One way to describe The Big Sigh is to suggest that Ghost Of An American Airman has discovered the Mighty Lemon Drops and the Trashcan Sinatras! "Bulletproof" is tops among the list of chiming tunes that also includes "Pushing Around Pieces," "Stubborn Is Fine," "London To Amsterdam," "Big Sigh" and "Courtship."

Central Park Carousel - by the Fire Apes. This power pop band's sophomore effort is on the Kool Kat Musik label - which is a big clue regarding its appeal to pop fans! I can't put my finger on who they sound like … but Beatles-inspired power pop tunes with chiming guitars - like "All The Right Things," "Tell Me" and "Let Me Know" - will please a very broad audience.

A recent visit to the CDBaby website netted three excellent discs by the power pop group, Smash Palace. Tops among these discs is the band's 2004 release - Over The Top. Pop listeners will hear Beatles and Byrds references in the group's material - particularly on songs like "Steal Her Thunder," "Ordinary World," "Juliet To Me," "Everything You Bring" and "Another Man." When I replayed "Juliet To Me" I even heard similarities to the great latter-day Long Ryders' material. You can learn more about this talented band by visiting their website at www.smashpalacemusic.com

Surrogate Lovers - by Sharif. Where did this guy come from? This is an exceptionally strong debut disc that reminds me of Bowman's sparkling pop/rock. Open the soft-sided jewel case and you will find a nice photo of Sharif with a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar! You will hear the Ricky ring on the pseudo-60s gem "You're My Girl," and you will hear subtler chiming on tracks like "Pass The Silence" and "It's On Me." Whether the tracks chime or not, this is top-notch pop from start to finish.

Limited Edition Authorized Bootleg - by Magic Christian (a studio band that features Flamin' Groovies alum Cyril Jordan). Although the contents of this disc don't jangle to the extent that Jordan's earlier material does, this is a very cool collection of pseudo-60s psych/pop.

Blue Hair City - by the Ferocious Daisies. This is a 1993 release by the band that John Hoskinson honed his skills with before he went solo. This disc features jangly REM-influenced tracks like "She's Not Afraid To Die," "How Could I Know?" "Lose Myself" and "No One Else To Blame." The more I listen to these songs, the more they also remind me of Dusted-era Gin Blossoms tunes.

Glue, Glitter & Shine - by the Marlowes. This is the latest solid release from Rhode Island's primo pop band. "The Next Last Waltz" and "Understood" will definitely appeal to jangleholics.

"You're My Number One" by the Tony Jackson Group. This jangly track is from the Tony Jackson Group: Watch Your Step! The Complete Recordings 1964-1966 disc.

You'll be amazed at how much this song sounds like the contemporary retro band the Resonars … and the Hollies!

In the not-so-jangly category this month, I have been digging Bad Religion's "Los Angeles Is Burning" - which is about as catchy as a heavy Social Distortion/Foo Fighters-influenced "pop" song can be. I also acquired Sex, Love And Rock'n'Roll - the 2004 release by Social Distortion. God Bless these guys - they excel at "in your face" guitar-driven rock …and I hear some Neil Young, Lynard Skynard and Georgia Satellite riffs thrown in for good measure! My favorite "Desert Rock" artist, Rich Hopkins, just released The Best And Worst of Rich Hopkins & Luminarios. Thirteen tracks just scratches the surface, Rich. Long may you run … and keep on rockin' in the free world!

In the paragraphs above, I mentioned CDBaby, Rock Indiana and Kool Kat Musik as excellent sources of contemporary pop music, but my primary source (90% of the new discs that I acquire) of primo pop music is none other than Not Lame. I purchased the very first Not Lame compilation, SymPOPhony, at my favorite indie record store in San Diego in 1995 … and the rest is history. I used to routinely phone Bruce Brodeen for his recommendations to suit my taste. Now, I rely on his online catalog (www.notlame.com) and email correspondence to make sure that I haven't overlooked the latest in jangly music and power pop gems. Every month, at least one (if not a handful) of the discs that I write about in this column was acquired via Not Lame. Long may you run, Sir Bruce!

Until next month, jangle on!

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