Further Observations From a Jangly Music Fan

The mid-Atlantic suffered through several 90 degree days in mid-April, and then survived an F-5 tornado at the end of the month, but the majority of April was pleasant enough to warrant plenty of music on the portable CD player that I listen to while I relax outside on my backyard deck. Here is a recap of the appealing jangly (and not so jangly) discs that captured my fancy during the past month:

That Was Now And This Is Then - a double CD compilation of Starry Eyed And Laughing’s mid-70s albums, along with some excellent bonus tracks and very thorough liner notes. Lead guitarist and vocalist Tony Poole, and his Aurora Music label, has done the pop music community a HUGE favor by re-mastering and re-releasing these terrific musical vignettes from an era when pop/rock was being suffocated by other genres of music. Tony’s vintage Rickenbacker 12-string guitar sparkles throughout - whether it is chiming, ringing or jangling. On tunes like “Lady Came From The South,” the English quartet could be mistaken for Firefall. On other tunes - like “Meet Me Lord” and “One Foot In The Boat” - they pretty much nail the Byrds’ sound. The double disc includes the band’s own version of “Chimes Of Freedom,” and it is every bit as good as the Byrds’ classic version of this Dylan tune. Long may you run, Sir Tony (who is currently with another jangly folk/rock/pop band - the Falcons) … and thanks to fellow jangle-enthusiast Alan Sack, who alerted me regarding this wonderful release. You can acquire your own copy of this compilation by contacting Tony at aurora_music@hotmail.com

House Of Silence - the second release by the veteran studio “super group” Bryndle. This is an album that should appeal to all Boomer music fans that grew up appreciating the music of Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold, Kenny Edwards and Wendy Waldman - the four talented members of Bryndle. All thirteen tracks are excellent (classic folk/rock ballads, lead vocals and four-part harmonies), but the standout pop number is “One Heartbeat Away.” For those younger music enthusiasts who are devout followers of the equally talented Continental Drifters, you owe it to yourself to check out the music that Bryndle’s members have been composing, recording and performing for the past thirty years. There are a lot of similarities between the two groups’ vocals, harmonies and musicianship. Long may you run, Karla, Andrew, Kenny and Wendy … and thanks to Karla, who mentioned this album during a recent solo gig at the Barns of Wolf Trap. This disc, and Bryndle’s self-titled first disc, may be purchased through the group’s website - www.bryndle.com

The Summertime EP by Michael Carpenter & King’s Road. This is a limited edition promotional EP that was released by Not Lame Recording. If you missed out on this EP, you’ll just have to wait for Michael’s next full-length disc, kingsroadworks, which is due for release later this year. I dig everything that Michael has released (original tunes and cover songs), but song-for-song, this EP is his finest effort to date. The six tunes jangle and chime in all the right spots. Like his American colleague, David Grahame, Michael is a talented and prolific singer/songwriter/musician and he makes the art of power pop appear effortless. Long may you run, Sir Michael!

Close on Michael’s heels is Me First - an eight song EP by Brad Harvey. There is more crunch than jangle in Harvey’s tunes, but the songs will hook you and you won’t be able to get enough of them! Harvey’s voice is reminiscent of the lead vocalists for both Cracker and the Cavedogs, and “Before The Evening Falls” borrows its lead riffs from Dramaram’s superb song “Shadowless Heart.” Me First warrants plenty of replay … and a full-length follow-up!

Sugar High’s outstanding debut disc - Saccharine & Trust. If you miss the Gin Blossoms (who have reputedly re-grouped and are working on another album), look no further than this fellow Arizona band, which has released a hook-filled thirteen-song gem of an album! “100 Years To Love You” is my pick to make the charts, but just about any of the mid-tempo pop songs merits radio attention. I am definitely going to seek out this band on my next visit home to Arizona!

Tony The Tyger Presents … Fuzz, Flaykes, & Shakes Volumes 1-5. Fans of 60s garage/pop music know that Dionysus Records and Bacchus Archives have tapped into some “mother lodes” of vintage 60s material. These five volumes showcase excellent material and well-researched liner notes about the featured obscure bands. Jangleholics will be thrilled to find many Byrds-inspired tunes in these compilations. Look no further than “I Need Your Love” by the Nomads, “She Treats Me Bad” by the Bittersweets, “Love Questions” by Burch Ray, “Wait” by the Lyrics, “Tell Me” by the Redwoods, “If You Want Me” by the Menaces, “Searching For Your Love” by the Other Four and “Cool, Calm & Collected” by the Druids. Visit the Dionysus Records website at www.dionysusrecords.com <http://www.dionysusrecords.com> and keep an eye out for future releases in this series … as well as other cool compilations of 60s garage recordings.

Ol’ Yeller’s fine full-length disc, Nuzzle. Ol’ Yeller is a Minneapolis area band that gets a big alt-country/folk/pop sound out of a trio. The very first song on the disc, “Out There,” could be mistaken for a Kevin Johnson & the Linemen tune; on the rest of the tunes, Rich Mattson’s lead vocals sound a lot like Evan Dando … and the songs blend elements of the Lemonheads with Uncle Tupelo, the Bottle Rockets, Crazy Horse and Big In Iowa. “Under The Tree” and “Summer Of Madness” are on my “should be getting airplay” list. Thanks go out to Jeff and Corrie (Her Highness) at Miles of Music for this terrific find!

Jill Olson’s latest solo disc, My Best Yesterday (available from www.125records.com ) Jill has selected a strong group of tunes that showcase her fine voice, her ballads, her folk, pop, rock and Americana tastes … and some very appealing jangle’n’twang accompaniment. The album was produced by Blasters maestro, Dave Alvin.

Tom Hooper’s The Unexplored Cosmos. Indie pop listeners will recognize Hooper as a former member of two fine northwestern pop bands - the Grapes Of Wrath and Ginger. Hooper won’t disappoint you with catchy tunes like “Cardboard Man” and “Try To Believe Me.”

Sky High - The Complete Silverlode. Too many overseas deployments must have kept me from hearing of this 80s duo (Ken Kirschner and Geoff Gibbons) - who emulated many of the “soft rock” acoustic groups of the 70s. This compilation features 19 tracks by Silverlode, and Air Supply, America, Seals & Croft and Cashman & West influences are abundant throughout the songs. If you’re in the mood for “soft rock,” songs like “Thoughts Of Amber” will definitely fulfill the need.

Beach Access - the latest release from the Malibooz (John Zambetti and pals), a very talented band with musical pedigrees and musical tastes akin to Jeffrey Foskett. “The Call Of The Wave” and “Our Summer Love” should grab the attention of Beach Boys fans, and the entire disc will appeal to those who dig the 60s retro sound. Some cool instrumentals and a terrific Walter Egan ballad, “Summer Is Over,” are also featured. If you miss songs about the beach, cars, surfing and summer … check out www.malibooz.com <http://www.malibooz.com> … and catch a wave!

Heavy Weather by Splurge. Another very cool Aussie band that heard the jangle of the Someloves and mixed it with other pop ingredients to come up with a disc that warrants many replays. Standout 12-string tunes include “Come Monday Morning,” “Invisible Man” and “Inside This Skin.”

Last, but not least, Gutterflower by the Goo Goo Dolls. Six years ago, I obligingly took my adolescent sons to see the Goo Goo Dolls. Their live show turned me into a believer, and each of their releases since then has proven the band’s ability to mature and crank out mainstream pop/rock. Gutterflower is my favorite Goo Goo Dolls disc, and there are numerous commercially appealing songs on the disc. “Smash” and “Sympathy” feature the most chiming guitar riffs, but if you listen carefully, you’ll hear some mandolin flourishes in a couple of tunes. This group continues to successfully bridge the generation gap and attract listeners from several different generations. Long may you run, Sirs John, Robby and Mike!

Until next month, jangle on … and/or keep on rockin’ in the free world!

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