Further Observations From A Jangly Music Fan

The portion of the mid-Atlantic that I live in was spared the February blizzard that covered a narrow band of the east coast with two feet of snow. In typical fashion, our four inches of snow was followed by a warm front that melted the snow from our roads and driveways within two days. There were still plenty of cool evenings that made it conducive to remain indoors and sample new discs. Here are a few new titles that should appeal to jangleholics:

Jangleholic - by Les Fradkin. Les sure does love that fireglow Rickenbacker 360V64 12-string guitar of his! Once again, this George Harrison model Rickenbacker is featured on the cover of Les' latest album (Les confided that he is a disciple of the Frank Zappa school of prolific recording) - Jangleholic. The album features several original tunes and Les' cover versions of some of his favorite songs from the past five decades. The title track recounts Les' lifelong love affair with the jangly, chiming sound of a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar. The melody reminds me a bit of the great Starry Eyed & Laughing tune "One Foot In The Boat."

Roger McGuinn turned many Bob Dylan folk songs into sing-along pop tunes with 4/4 time and chiming Rickenbacker riffs; Les does the same on his version of Dylan's "I Want You." If you ever wondered what a Simon & Garfunkel tune would have sounded like with Rickenbacker 12-string accompaniment, check out Les' fab version of "The Dangling Conversation." Les shines on the other cover tunes as well as on his own compositions. Les further enhances the chiming guitar licks with the use of the superb effects pedal - the JangleBox. (It's a small world - I met JangleBox inventor Steve Lasko last year, and I ran into him again at a Roger McGuinn concert!) Les is busy working on his next release; until that disc hits the street, this album should be the top attraction for jangleholics in 2006! You can find it at the following web link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lesfradkin10. Move over Starry Eyed & Laughing and Starbyrd; Les Fradkin belongs in that first pew of Jangledom with you!

Since I have already referred to Starry Eyed & Laughing several times, I would like to remind fufkin readers that a great two-CD retrospective of this 70s band, That Was Now And This Is Then, was compiled by Tony Poole and his bandmates several years ago. Jangleholics will definitely want to seek this album out! I have to admit that I play this band's version of "Chimes Of Freedom" more often than I play the Byrds' version!

Among my favorite McGuinn/Byrds/Gene Clark disciples is the talented Sid Griffin, whose repertoire includes stints with the Long Ryders (the most Byrds-influenced band to emerge during the "Paisley Underground" era in the early 80s), the Coal Porters and Western Electric. Sid has also released some excellent solo material, and his latest album - As Certain As Sunrise - is his finest solo effort yet. This twelve-song disc showcases Sid at the top of his game - whether he is playing mandolin, guitars or other instruments. The most chiming track is Sid's cover of the Flamin' Groovies' "You Tore Me Down." The most haunting track is Sid's cover of "I Come And Stand At Every Door" - with the lyrics sung in English and narrated in Japanese. Track-for-track, this is a testament to Sid's mature and masterful musicianship and songwriting skills. The disc is available on Sid's own Prima Records label … and it richly deserves to be released stateside. Long may you run, Sir Sid!

Songs for Housework - by the Fire Marshals of Bethlehem. Okay fans of the Kennedys and the Living Room Legends - this is a no-brainer. If you dig chiming guitars and boy/girl vocals, this album is overflowing with both. "Bed Bed" and "Please Don't Worry" are competing for my Song of the Month accolades, but nearly every track has that sweet jangly sound! I certainly hope that this band from Austin has more music to share with pop fans.

Leave Her Alone - by the Badways. There's a fireglow Rickenbacker guitar featured on this album's front cover, and it doesn't take long to discover the tracks that feature the chiming, ringing guitar riffs - "Two Worlds," "Ghost" and "Don't Wanna Talk About Her." This quartet has put together twelve tracks that should appeal to all fans of pseudo-60s pop/rock.

Happy After Ever EP - by the Vandalays. Five songs; great harmony vocals; punchy melodies; and some nice chiming guitars on "I'm Not Sleeping" and "Ramona." It all adds up to pop fans hoping for more!

Parador - by Willie Wisely. The pre-order hype from Not Lame guru Bruce Brodeen was truly warranted. This is a Top Ten album from a very talented indie pop singer/songwriter/musician who belongs in the same league with Chris von Sneidern, Kyle Vincent, Richard Snow, Marc Carroll, Richard X. Heyman, Paxton and Owsley … to name a few. From start to finish, this is one of those albums that will have your guests saying "That's a great album - who is that?" Even though his guitar only chimes on "Altitudes," Wiseley has me captivated throughout. Parador sets a very high bar for the power pop community. Long may you run, Sir Willie!

Speaking of Not Lame, the label now has a firm release date for Five Way Street - a 21-track tribute to the Buffalo Springfield. The disc will be out on May 16th; participating artists are Walter Clevenger and the Dairy Kings, Byrds of a Feather (featuring Andrew Gold and pals), the Retros, Maplewood, Noctorum (featuring Marty Willson Piper of the Church), Rich Hopkins & the Luminarios, Marc Carroll, Diesel Park West, Bill Williams, the Grip Weeds, the Windbreakers, Jeff Larson, Buddy Woodward & the Nitro Express, the George Usher Group, the Freddie Steady Five (featuring Freddie Krc), Edward Rogers, the Kennedys, Last Train Home, the Riffbrokers, Western Electric (featuring Sid Griffin) and the Shambles (featuring Bart Mendoza). Several of the participating artists have expressed an interest in sponsoring tribute concerts in New York City, Austin and Los Angeles. I will provide further details with fufkin readers, as I learn more about these prospective shows.

I watched the movie Elizabethtown (with Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst) several weeks ago - I thought the movie and the soundtrack were both terrific! A standout jangly tune from the film is "Same In Any Language" by I Nine. The female vocals have a Mary Lou Lord vibe, and the jangly guitar accompaniment gave it a bit of a Sam Phillips sound.

A song that still sticks in my mind, even after five months of play, is "Always Love" by Nada Surf. The message is timeless.

Last but not least, I would like to mention that Geert Jonckers has launched a pop record label - Pyjamarama Records - that is releasing 45s in limited pressings. All proceeds go to charity. I encourage pop artists with live, unreleased or demo tracks to contact Geert about releasing this material on his label. Artists can select a charity of their choice, or they can elect to have the proceeds go to a Dallas area Children's Advocacy Center. You can learn more about Pyjamarama by visiting www.Picturesleeve45s

Until next month, enjoy the spring thaw … and jangle on!

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