Further Observations of a Jangly Music Fan

Wow! February featured an abundance of great new jangly discs and songs, and the month was also highlighted by an excellent area appearance by Roger McGuinn - who is still a magician with his Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar and his Martin 12-string acoustic guitar. McGuinn's encore featured "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" and "If I Needed Someone" back-to-back on his signature mapleglow Rickenbacker 12-string guitar. Roger will be releasing a brand new album - entitled Limited Edition - on April 1st; fans can learn more about this disc by visiting the www.mcguinn.com website. While you are waiting for this album to become available, here are some of the new discs and new Byrds-inspired songs that should keep you jingle-jangle enthusiasts entertained:

The album of the month award goes to Tom Alford's self-released Second Foundation. This album is chock-full of catchy, jangly pop tunes and I get a late 80s Grapes of Wrath vibe from these songs. "Strawberry Robot," "Shiloh," "What Could Have Been," "I'm The Only One," "Look To The Stars," "Someday Girl" and "I'm In Love" all feature hooks and vocals that would also compare favorably with Ric Menck's solo work. Well done, Sir Tom!

A Year In Pajamas - by Braden Blake. Speaking of Ric Menck, check out the chiming guitars and vocals on Blake's "Espris de Corps," "Laid" and "Good Enough" and you might convince yourself that you're listening to vintage Velvet Crush tunes. Toss in some Beach Boys and High Llamas references also. Well done, Sir Braden!

The song of the month award goes to Big City for their superb jangly tune "Some Burds" on their A Spring Of Summers disc. This is a Spanish pop band that reminds me a lot of the 90s Scandinavian band the Time Lodgers. "How The West Was Lost" will also keep jangle fans tapping their toes!

In the "blast from the past" category is the excellent compilation of Action Now tunes - All Your Dreams … and more 1981-1984. The disc includes 27 studio and live tracks and many of them feature jangly, ringing guitars - which is very consistent with the mod sound of that period. "I Want You," "So Much On My Mind" (which opens with chord progressions lifted from the Byrds' "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" and Love's "Can't Explain"), "Stop Pretending" and "Every Word I Say" compete nicely with the Squire's material from that same era. This is a terrific snapshot of another talented band from the pre-REM American pop scene.

Music For The Girl You Love is wonderful pseudo-60s pop from the Vermont duo of Sean Hutton and Reg Carter - known as Raquel's Boys. The disc was released on the primo pop Jam label and also features guest artist Jeremy Morris (Jam Records guru).

Favorite jangly tracks include "Place I Love" and "Somebody Loves You Girl," but don't overlook other nifty tracks like "Forget It" and "Knockout." The liner not "Sean and Reg play Rickenbacker guitars exclusively" should whet pop fans' appetities!

Another nice self-released disc that features some cool jangly tracks is Rock E. Rollins' The Post-Modern Adventures of 21st Century Rock n Roll Boy. "God Knows," "Almost September" and "Wasted On You" will definitely merit replay.

This month's "find" on the CDBaby website is Steve Pouliot's 1998 release - In Trouble Again. Open the jewel case and you will find a color photo of Pouliot and his band performing with two Rickenbacker guitars. Pouliot's voice reminds me of Headlights collaborators Steve Connelly and Steve Robinson … along with Gerry Beckley of America. The full band sound also reminds me of the Headlights (a short-lived Florida band that backed Roger McGuinn during his "Back From Rio" tour in 1991) and the Rumors. For confirmation of these observations and comparisons, listen to "Catch Me Falling," "It Ain't Over" and "A World Disappeared." Six years after its release, I'm very glad that I discovered your disc, Steve!

The Swedish band Cranbury Sauce returns with another big dose of Beatlesque psych-pop with their new disc Circular Songs. This band reminds me of This Perfect Day and the Merrymakers. Tracks that chime the most are "Days Of Ease" and "In My Time." Indefatigable Jeremy Morris, mentioned earlier in this column, also appears on this disc.

Speaking of indefatigable - Brian Jay Cline continues to churn out top-notch pop discs from his Las Vegas studio. Ready 2 Raveup is Cline's fifth disc in under four years. Like each of the previous releases, it showcases his brand of pseudo-60s pop with plenty of jangle'n'twang. "Long Way To Fall" and "Elevator" are prime examples of BJC's penchant for chiming hooks.

Although this disc doesn't jangle, Department Store Girl by the Rosenbergs has plenty of power pop panache and the disc deserves favorable consideration for Top Ten honors in 2004. "Weekend" does have some nice ringing guitars, and just about every other track has wonderful vocals and hooks galore. When a band sounds alternately like Fountains of Wayne, the Chevelles, Mayflies USA (gone, but not forgotten!), the Connells, Cracker and Greenberry Woods, you can understand why their songs are getting plenty of prime time TV play. Perhaps this terrific disc will help to put the Rosenbergs' music industry troubles aside … and give the band the well-deserved attention for their brand of pop music.

Another fufkin columnist gave favorable mention to (re)begin by the Vandalays last month, but the mention bears repeating. The "life as a school" theme-oriented disc flows nicely from start to finish, and "Begin Again," "Find Your Way" and "(re)begin" are catchy in their own right. Thanks go out to band member Dave Franco for sending me a copy of this solid disc.

Joel Sayles of the Minneapolis band Hindurodeo was also generous enough to share a copy of his band's latest release, Nalladaloobr, with me. This may not be the kind of Minneapolis area pop/rock that I was listening to during my teen years, but it is quite smart and radio-friendly pop by contemporary standards. "World Go Round" reminds me of the Mayflies USA; "Radio Ready" has some Steve Miller Band references; and "I Get Ahead Of Myself" has a guitar solo reminiscent of Boston! I also hear similarities to the Outfield and the Idle Wilds. The sum of these musical references is an album that a broad audience of pop/rock fans should find very appealing.

That does it for individual albums. Here are some of the individual tracks that have also captured my attention during the past month:

"Our Vacation" by Peter Hofmann. The guitars chime away!

"Never Let Me Go" by Jim Wurster. Some very nice jangle'n'twang!

"A Notice To Everyone" by the Model Rockets, "Ordinary Now" by Starbelly and "The Beholder & His Eye" by the Sun Sawed In ½ - all featured on the first Not Lame compilation of releases available only to Not Lame Clubhouse members. Visit the www.notlame.com website for membership details.

Last but not least - the awesome "wall of guitars"" version of "I Should've Known Better" by the Sand Rubies (on their Release The Hounds disc that featured only cover tunes). With David Slutes on lead vocals and chiming rhythm guitar, and Rich Hopkins blasting away on lead guitar, this "Desert Rock" track smokes the original!

Until next month, jangle on and keep on rockin' in the free world!

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