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Eric Sorensen: September, 2001
Further
Observations From A Boomer Music Fan
For those of you who are accustomed to scanning my monthly
column for the latest in jangly music, please note that the
column heading has changed slightly - at least for this month.
While jingly-jangly music is my favorite genre of pop music,
I do enjoy a broader variety of musical styles. The Byrds
and the Buffalo Springfield were my two favorite bands in
the mid to late 60s, and much of my music collection features
music that is derivative of these bands and my favorite solo
artist, Neil Young. I find many of today’s alt-country
bands appealing because they mix the jangle’n’twang
of the Byrds with the roots-rock crunchiness of Neil Young
and Crazy Horse. So, in addition to focusing on jangly music
this month, I thought I’d catch up on some overdue mention
regarding artists and songs that fall outside the jangly music
category.
Andy Gerber and his bandmates in Million Yen have finally
released the full-length CD, Blue Television Windows, that
has been “in the works” for several years. Million
Yen is at home with loud, crunchy rock that will remind listeners
of the Foo Fighters and the Goo Goo Dolls. However, Million
Yen can slow things down very nicely; “Summer Girl”
is an excellent melodic pop ballad. Check them out at www.millionyen.com
or www.veronicarecords.com.
A recent Parasol release that has caught my ear is Falsetto
Teeth by the Signalmen. The tracks favor a slower pace and
are mostly strummy. “Capture The Moon” is quite
similar to the Feelies/Wake Ooloo repertoire. When the Signalmen
get experimental, they even sound a bit like the late 60s
psych/pop band Kak. Go to www.signalmen.com
to learn more.
The good folks at Parasol (particularly Michael Roux) have
been very busy of late. Other Parasol releases of note include:
the re-release of the first Velvet Crush album, In The
Presence Of Greatness (with three bonus tracks); Velvet
Crush’s A Single Odessey, which showcases 20 obscure
and/or unreleased VC tracks from the past decade; Jeff Kelly’s
Indiscretion; and Demolition, the first album
in eight years from talented pop singer/songwriter Adam Schmitt.
A
Single Odessey sparkles throughout, but Byrds fans will
be delighted to find Gene Clark’s “Elevator Operator”
and the Byrds’ “Mr. Spaceman” and “One
Hundred Years From Now” clustered together in the compilation.
The album also features a terrific instrumental track, “Leisure
40,” and a MC5-styled pop/rock tune entitled “Butterfly
Position.” Jeff Kelly’s solo disc is highlighted
by the Beatlesque psych/pop tune “Somebody’s Daughter.”
If we are to believe the liner notes sent with Demolition
(ten songs that should appeal to both Kyle Vincent and Tommy
Keene fans), a surfeit of Adam Schmitt material may be released
soon. Welcome back to the pop fold, Adam, and thanks Michael
Roux!
I discussed the latest offering from the Brambles, The
Next Big Thing, in last month’s column and I will
sing its praises once again. Many of the 15 songs are jangly,
George Harrison-influenced pseudo-60s tunes. “Lonely
For Your Love” is a nifty power pop tune that smacks
of the Knack. (www.bramblesmusic.com)
Jim Huie’s tireless efforts to preserve “nuggets”
from the Paisley Underground era has resulted in the release
of an 18-song Absolute Grey compilation, A Journey Through
The Past. Absolute Grey was a quartet that recorded/toured
in the mid-80s and they sounded a lot like early REM, fronted
by Patti Smith (thanks to lead singer Beth Brown’s husky
voice). Find out more about this band and other pop artists
on the Paisley Pop label at www.paisleypop.com.
I am long overdue in thanking the talented indie pop artist,
Paul Nini (member of Log, solo artist and Old 3C Records guru),
for sending me a copy of the two-CD, 51 song Great Plains
compilation, Length Of Growth 1981-1989. The compilation
opens with an introduction from Dr. Demento and then launches
into a plethora of tunes that are organ-driven and pseudo-60s
in nature. There’s some REM-influenced strummy and jangly
tracks, along with the four-track sound that is reminiscent
of Guided by Voices’ and the High Llamas’ early
lo-fi works. For those who remember the 60s, think of Country
Joe McDonald and Frank Zappa collaborating in a pop vein.
You can learn more about this quirky collection of songs from
www.nugruv.com or www.old3c.com.
Thanks go out to Bob Trigg at Reverb Music for sending me
the CD-EP, Blinding Me For Sight, by Australia’s
Appleseed. This is excellent Australian power pop, produced
by Michael Carpenter. “Slipstream” may be getting
most of the airplay, but Steve Wynn fans will dig the five-minute
psych/pop tune, “Ignite,” that closes the disc.
Check Appleseed out at www.appleseedmusic.com
I have long compared Arizona musician Rich Hopkins (the “Godfather
of Desert Rock”) with Neil Young. Rich’s fiery lead
guitar riffs have been a mainstay for bands like the Sidewinders,
the Sand Rubies, Underbelly and the Luminarios for the past
15 years. His latest disc with the Luminarios, My Lucky
Stars, was just released on the Blue Rose Record label;
the vinyl version of the album includes his “wall of
guitars” version of “Eight Miles High.” Rich
claims that My Lucky Stars is the most pop-oriented
disc he has released to date. His fans ought not to worry
- the disc will still carry the sticker “file under guitar
rock!” I have had the good fortune to meet Rich, a very
humble fellow, and hear him perform in several small clubs.
To learn more about Rich, visit the www.sanjacintorecords.com
or the www.bluerose-records.com
websites.
Virginia Beach - just down the road apiece - is home to the
Mockers, who have released a dandy album with Living In
The Holland Tunnel. The album is already receiving numerous
accolades and was jointly produced by Mitch Easter and Brad
Jones. The disc features Beatles, Connells and Merseybeat-inspired
power pop tunes like “It Wasn’t Just Me” and
“C’mon Over To My Side.” www.themockers.net
Nashville has produced another fine pop/rock band, Stateside,
that can straddle the fence between power pop and alt-country
very nicely. Stateside’s debut disc, Twice As Gone,
is highlighted by the jangly ballad “You Were Made For
Me” - a tune that reminds me a lot of the Greenberry
Woods. www.statesiderocks.com
I am indebted to Kevin Gibson for sending me the latest full-length
disc from the Rumors - Mind The Gap - a masterful follow-up
to their 1999 debut disc, Pacific. This Indiana band will
remind listeners of REM, Colony and Toad The Wet Sprocket.
A review of Mind The Gap, which will vie for my Top Ten honors
this year, appears elsewhere in this month’s update.
Click here for that
review. www.therumors.net
Last but not least, Ray at Kool Kat Musik has discovered another
terrific unheralded band, Tumbleweed. This Norwegian band
has just released Another Kind Of Happiness - an album
that sounds like an amalgum of Hangtown, Blue Rodeo, Crazy
Horse, the Bottle Rockets and Lynard Skynard. “Canyon
rock” enthusiasts should snap this disc up - the pedal
steel guitar gives many of the tracks a very appealing jangle’n’twang
sound. Tumbleweed definitely has a bit more of a roots-rock
sound than fellow Norwegians, Midnight Choir, who released
some excellent country/rock discs back in the mid-90s - including
a superb cover of Gene Clark’s “Gypsy Rider.”
For more information about Tumbleweed, contact Ray at kkatmusic@aol.com
Until
next month, jangle on … keep on rockin’ in the free
world … or both!
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