Further Observations of a Jangly Music Fan

While the weather here in the Washington, D.C. area has been very fickle (75 degrees one day; 35 degrees with flurries the next day), there has been no shortage of new jangly discs and songs to keep me entertained. Roger McGuinn's brand new studio album, Limited Edition, was even mailed to online customers a week and a half before its official release date of April 1st. In addition, a Fufkin website column reader and fellow Byrds enthusiast, Ray Verno, brought several obscure Byrds-inspired artists and songs to my attention. I will give these artists and songs proper mention in next month's column. Until then, here are some of the new discs and songs that should keep the rest of you jingle-jangle enthusiasts entertained:

Song of the Month accolades are awarded to the very jangly track, "Dogs," that is featured on Epic's Sunshine State disc (on the Revolver label). The song combines Nick Heyward-type vocals, an Orange Humble Band sound and tons of chiming guitar riffs. It's just the kind of song to kick-start the spring season! Although only one other track features ringing guitars ("In My Head"), the rest of the album's songs have a very catchy pseudo-60s appeal.

The runner-up in the "Song of the Month" category is "Julie Anne" by Shifter (included on their Waking Up Late disc); this is plain and simple classic jangly power pop.

Yet another very jangly track is "Shine On," from the Liberty Ship's Tide album. The keyboard and song structure remind me a bit of the Inspiral Carpets' great hit song, "This Is How It Feels."

The Album of the Month award goes to Rob Smith for Better World Tomorrow. The cover art depicts the bridge of a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, and the disc includes engineering, drumming and technical assistance from Michael Carpenter (the Australian equivalent to Mitch Easter). "Any Fool Can See," the title song and "Say Goodnight" showcase the most Rickenbacker guitar riffs, but this is one fine pop album from start to finish. Better World Tomorrow deserves favorable comparison with the work of the Rubinoos, the Toms and Mark Johnson. It's that good!

Israel's best power pop band, Rockfour, has released another excellent disc - Nationwide. "Candlelight" is a peachy jangly track; "Moving Fast" features Roger McGuinn-inspired Rickenbacker riffs; and "Fuzzy White" could pass for a Robyn Hitchcock song. Fellow D.C. area music enthusiast Robbie White has seen Rockfour on several occasions; I'm definitely going to pay more attention the next time Robbie tells me that the band is playing in our area.

Jeremy Morris and his JAM Records label have recently released two superb pop albums: & I You by Herb Eimerman and Something You Oughta Know by the Lolas. Both artists are well-known for their chiming guitar work, and these two albums showcase plenty of jangly, ringing guitars. Both discs feature a bit more snap, crackle and punch then previous releases by Eimerman and the Lolas; I'm curious to see if this trend continues with forthcoming JAM artist releases. Standout jangly tracks on Herb Eimerman's latest disc include "I Hope You Find," "Just One Touch," "I Don't Want To Know" and "I Felt Clean." Lolas tracks that chime the most are "Dana The Chromium Girl" and "Weird Daughter."

Jeremy/JAM and Mick Chorba of Face Down Records have collaborated on an excellent Who tribute disc, entitled Who's Not Forgotten, that includes some nice crisp tracks … and the Lolas' cool version of "The Kids Are Alright." Almost every cover track is true to the original song; for a 60s "purist" like myself, that makes this compilation even more appealing.

In the jangle'n'twang alt-country-pop genre of music, Dave Gleason's Wasted Days deserves mention for the band's latest release - Midnight, California. The standout track is "Hardest Part" - which mixes some of the riffs from Tom Petty's "Listen To Her Heart" and "The Waiting" … and also sounds like the great single, "Yesterday's Streets," by Comanche Moon. Other tracks that will appeal to jangle'n'twang enthusiasts are "Listen To The Wind," "Inspiration" and "How Am I Supposed To Live." Gleason's band blends the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Bakersfield sounds very nicely.

The new disc by Lazy Susan, Never Before, features a very sharp jangly mid-tempo tune, "Wasting Time," and two other tracks - "Rosie" and "Wrong" - have nicely layered chiming guitars. The "crunch'n'jangle" sound reminds me of This Perfect Day and the Wannadies, and a close listen to "Wrong" reveals a Beach Boys/Teenage Fanclub chorus … along with a very strong Posies/Ice Cream Hands vibe. I don't mean to discount the band's originality, but the pop world could use more mimicry like this.

Fresh on the heels of a excellent full-length album collaboration with Jamie Hoover, Pop All-Star Bill Lloyd has just released his latest solo disc Back To Even. When it comes to Bill Lloyd, you're never just back to even … you're always ahead of the game. This time around, Bill's collection of top-notch tunes is highlighted by the classic jangly power pop song, "I Got It Bad." Long may you run, Sir Bill!

Just off the presses at Paisley Pop are a self-titled disc by Milkshake Jones and a CD-EP by Salim Nourallah, A Way To Your Heart. I get a strong 80s jangle-pop vibe from the Milkshake Jones disc - evidenced by tunes like "Glow," "Between The Lines" and "Stop Me From Falling." Nourallah's work is more introspective and more synthesizer-driven; nevertheless, it is the type of primo pop music that listeners have grown to expect from Jim Huie's Portland-based label.

When those chilly March days kept me inside, I re-discovered some favorite "blasts from the past." These songs include: the Headlights' "Denial;" Fire Town's very Byrdsian "Carry The Torch" (I caught the tail end of the video version of this song on MTV and raced to Georgetown at 11:30 on a Saturday night to acquire the album!); and the equally Byrdsian "City of Sisterly Love" by Jimmy Silva. Some classic tunes age very gracefully!

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

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