Further Observations From a Jangly Music Fan

Summer is a great season for live music here in the Washington, D.C. area. Local musicians are featured at a number of outdoor venues - at noon on weekdays and in the evenings just about every night of the week. In addition, the Kennedy Center has been sponsoring free concerts by nationally-known artists at 6 PM each night on its Millennium Stage. Some terrific small clubs are stalwarts on the local scene - the Birchmere, the 9:30 Club, the Black Cat and the State Theater come to mind. Add to this the concert schedule at the area’s large ticket venues (Wolf Trap, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Nissan Pavilion and the MCI Center), and my usual “so much music, so little time” dilemma becomes exacerbated. The past month featured an outdoor show by the Beatles tribute band, Hard Day’s Night, a rain-soaked show by James Taylor, and a rare appearance by folk-pop sisters, Debi and Megan Smith. Rain forced me to stay inside between these live shows, and I was able to catch up on the following new discs:

Fire Garden (Parasol) - the latest release from the prolific and talented George Usher and his George Usher Group. At the risk of repeating myself, George has a knack for penning and singing songs that remind me a great deal of Roger McGuinn’s solo studio material. Fire Garden is no exception, and the 15 songs will captivate you with their melodies, chiming guitar hooks and George’s vocals. Favorite jangly tracks include “Are You Coming Or Going?” “The Day Before I Found Her,” “Fade,” “The Lost Fields,” “The Return Of Your Loved Ones In Dreams” and “Nowhere.” While Sir Roger McGuinn focuses his energy on acoustic folk music and occasionally reprising his Byrds hits, feast your ears on one of McGuinn’s contemporary protégés - George Usher. Once you have listened to this disc, you will agree with me that Fire Garden is a solid contender for Top Ten honors in 2003.

Speaking of prolific artists on the Parasol label, it is hard to ignore the sixth full-length disc from the Seattle-based trio Toothpaste 2000 - Catch-22. The album features 22 songs that host a broad spectrum of pop references - from 60s British Invasion and Spectoresque material to contemporary influences like Teenage Fanclub and Cheap Trick. One of my favorite tracks, “Imaginary Friend,” could pass for a classic 10,000 Maniacs tune. Toothpaste 2000 members Frank Bednash and Donna Esposito are also the boy-girl duo featured in Cowboy & Spingirl. While their production sometimes flirts with a lo-fi approach, their harmonies are smart and melodic. Like each of their previous releases, Catch-22 is chock-full of fun-to-listen-to pop music … and with 22 songs on the disc, there is no shortage of jangly, strummy tunes. It’s nice to know that Seattle’s rainy climate doesn’t dampen the spirits of this upbeat pop band!

Sing Me A Song (Sonic Boomerang Recordings) - by the Hurricane Lamps. This gem of a disc was recorded and produced right in my own backyard by a D.C.-based power pop trio that had escaped my attention … until now. “For A Good Time,” “Turn Me On” and “All These Things” feature strummy guitars and an early REM sound. The title track, on the other hand, sounds like it has the layers of guitars that are typical of John Hiatt’s recordings. Sing Me A Song is the band’s fourth release, and the new lineup and upgraded recording techniques promise brighter things. For the time being, this is a release the band should be very proud of.

About ten years ago, I got lucky and acquired a CD-EP by the Philadelphia band, Flight Of Mavis, at a local record show. The merchant was playing the disc on a boom box, and the songs alternated between power pop and power rock (slightly reminiscent of Crazy Horse). Several years later, I discovered that the current band Buzz Zeemer is a spinoff from Flight Of Mavis. Now, thanks to the good folks at Record Cellar Productions, 15 of Flight of Mavis’ earliest tunes (originally recorded in 1988 and 1990) have been re-mastered and re-released as a single CD entitled Flight Of Mavis. Over half of the tunes feature jangly tracks from the mid-80s REM school of folk-pop-rock Personal favorites include “The First Step,” “Curious,” “Through Her Eyes,” “Rain Fallin’ Down,” “See Saw, “On My Mind” and “Skip Around It.” This is an excellent compilation that proves that the collective works of Frank Brown, Ken Buono and Dave McElroy have stood the test of time. Long may they run in their current musical endeavors!

Reaching back even further, I recently rescued an LP from a stack of vinyl that I used to listen to when I first moved back to the Washington, D.C. area in 1987. The album in question is The Grapes of Wrath, by the Seattle-based band by the same name. A Grapes of Wrath compilation disc has been released in the past three years, but it omitted many of my favorite tunes from this first album. If you like jangly music, you will dig nearly every track on this album. “O Lucky Man,” “Backward Town,” “How Long” and “A Very Special Day” set the tone for this 11-song album. If you are a fan of the Gin Blossoms, Fire Town and/or the Posies, you will really dig this classic pop album.

One of the discs that didn’t receive mention last month has gained growing favorable attention during July - All The Children Sing By, by the power pop trio the Gurus. Although the album features just eight tracks, these songs make a strong case for further recordings by the Gurus. Many of the tracks are Beatlesque and will remind pop enthusiasts of the Nines; other tracks will remind listeners of the Records and the Shambles. For pure jangle appeal, don’t miss “It’s Only Love” and “Tormenta.” Please, guys, let’s hear some more from you soon!

Too Close To See Far - the latest full-length disc by the Cosmic Rough Riders. Like their three preceding full-length albums, this disc has plenty of jangly songs (“Justify The Rain,” “For A Smile,” “Because You,” “Life In Wartime” and “Kill The Time”) and lots of tracks that will remind listeners of Teenage Fanclub. “Justify The Rain” also sounds like a Nick Heyward song, and “Kill The Time” could pass for a Pernice Brothers tune. Soon, other artists will be emulating the Cosmic Rough Riders … in a melodic cycle that pop fans are sure to enjoy.

If you’re in a retro mood, you will enjoy the first new disc by Barry Tashian (Daniel Tashian’s dad) and the Remains in 35 years - Movin’ On. “Listen To Me” could be a jangly nugget from the British Invasion era, while “Tim Keeps Movin’ On” updates the 60s sound with some contemporary flair. There are strong similarities between Tashian’s lead vocals and Shane Faubert’s singing voice. If the combination of Shane Faubert (Cheepskates) and some slick Nashville pop production appeals to you, then you’ll definitely enjoy this new disc from the Remains.

The Rainbow Quartz label has struck gold again - this time it is A New Devotion, the debut disc from the High Dials. The disc showcases 18 songs that (much like the Orgone Box material) could have been hidden away for the past 35 years. Beatles psychedelia and Beach Boys orchestral influences are readily apparent in these psych-pop tunes. “Morning’s White Vibration” features some nifty jangly Rickenbacker guitar riffs.

Here’s a quick rundown on the other new discs that joined my collection during the past month:

I Was Accident by True Love. Not Lame bills this group as sounding like Jellyfish (which they do), but if you check out my favorite jangly track, “Mr. Sad,” you’ll be reminded of Nick Heyward.

Leap Of Folly by the Trolleyvox. More very jangly boy-girl pop that should appeal to fans of the Kennedys, Agnelli & Rave and the Villas.

International Pop Overthrow Volume 6. Three CDs with 66 songs - how can you go wrong?

Eight Miles High: 19 Tracks Inspired by the Byrds - included with the most recent issue of Uncut magazine, which has a terrific cover story on the Byrds. I have heard many of the featured tracks before, but it was nice to add Diesel Park West’s version of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” to my music collection. (NOTE: I have four full-length discs by this band, and they are all solid pop/rock albums)

Eight Track by the Pulltops. Straight-ahead pop/rock from a Midwestern pop trio that has cultivated its sound from the past four decades of pop music. That means that listeners are in for a treat!

Until next month, enjoy the summer concert season in your area … and jangle on!

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