Review: The Smithereens - 2011

Evidently, The Smithereens are not content to be a reverse Spongetones (i.e. a originals band that becomes a Beatles cover band).

With over a decade passing since their last non-covers effort, I was a bit skeptical of 2011 despite the positive buzz I'd heard. After all, I was completely jazzed about 1999's God Save The Smithereens after hearing the killer "She's Got a Way" but the rest of the album fizzled. Would history repeat itself?

Luckily for all of us the answer to that question is a resounding NO! 2011 turns out to be the best collection of Smithereen tunes since at least Blow Up!, and may be the best since 11. "Sorry" kicks things off in vintage Smithereens style, easily the equal of earlier Smithereens classics. And this just begins a run of strong numbers: "One Look at You," "Keep on Running," and "Rings on Her Fingers" all hit exactly the right balance. It all sounds the way you would want a Smithereens album to sound.

The stately ballad "As Long As You Are Near Me" makes a serious claim to being the best one the band has ever recorded. Pat DiNizio's voice carries the tune along with a certain gravity, which is somehow enhanced by background "na na na na na na"s. Great stuff.

"Nobody Lives Forever" is a wonderfully understated rocker, one part personal philosophy, one part hand clapping sing-a-long, and all together fun. "All the Same" shows how recording all those early Beatles tunes has been rubbing off on the boys. Ringo's gonna demand a cut for the drum work alone.

All in all it has to be said this album works. There is less experimentation here, but that has to be expected for a band that has been at this as long as these guys have. The thing here is the songs and those kick ass.

Grade: A-/A

I Promise... I'm Just Resting

I'm not dead, and neither is this blog.

Older Music

One of the great things about being obsessed with power pop music is it is so large a genre of music that there is always something to discover. Oh, it might be an artist you have heard something of before, but you might not be aware of the depth involved in their catalog. That is the phase I'm in at the moment with a couple of artists. The first is the Lolas. I'd heard their "Little Deedra" a couple of years ago. I loved it at first listen, but I didn't follow up on the band until recently. I'm in the process of rectifying that glaring error right now. You can too (if they are not already in heavy rotation at your house that is): I've also been enjoying the Parallax Project album I Hate Girls (from 2009). It's a little too old to write a full blown review for but you will certainly be hearing cuts from this record, as well as Lolas tracks, on the Pub. Keep poppin' in a powered fashion!

Cotton Mather - Kontiki

Great news emerging about one of the best records of the 1990's and one of the best power pop albums ever:

In 1997 my band Cotton Mather recorded our second record, Kontiki, on 4 track cassette and ADAT in an old house about 30 minutes outside of Austin. It was released in the US without much fanfare on a little label called Copper. But when the record made its way to the UK a year later on the Rainbow Quartz label Kontiki was quite the hit with the press and music fans.

Now Kontiki, the "lost classic" has been out of print for years. I (Robert Harrison) have been busy readying a re-release of Kontiki which will include an entire second disc of bonus tracks. Not just a few out-takes but an entire discs worth of extras because when I dug back into the archives I found some real treasure...

The money we raise will pay for mixing an 11 track bonus CD (the first one will remain as it was), mastering, new artwork with extensive liner notes about the making of Kontiki and the history of Cotton Mather, manufacturing, publicity and and if we go past the target a good ways- a vinyl pressing.

Kontiki has been a staple on the Pub from day one so I am thrilled at the prospect of an expanded edition release. Follow the link over to Kickstarter to watch the amusing promotional video Robert Harrison and friends put together.

Who knows, you may find yourself hitting the pledge button.

To my mind that would be the best money you could spend today... (unless you are buying medicine for a sick child or something... but in regards to spending on music this would be tops.)

Cheers!

Linus of Hollywood - A Girl That I Like

This is not really a review as much as it is a simple heads-up to folks. Linus of Hollywood has a new single out on ITunes. It is everything one could hope for from a LoH tune. Listen for it here on the Pub, and then go drop the 99 cents on it.

It's worth every penny and then some.

Review: Tim Butler - All The Rest

This album is the indie pop equivalent of comfort food. There is something familiar, warm and inviting about all of the tracks. Is All The Rest going to blow you away with songs the like of which you've never heard before? No, it is not. However, sometimes you just need to sink your teeth into the tried and true.

That is the key here. This music is tried, never tired. "Reaching Out" is a classic album opener, all driving force and crunchy guitars. "We Can Have It All" is another classy tune, this time with a Crowded House feel in evidence.

An even earlier era is evoked in the fantastic "I Feel what I Feel" which updates 60's AM pop/rock radio, all bright sunshine and harmonies. "The Choice is Yours" is the best of the up-tempo numbers, laden with hooks and great guitar licks.

Really, there are no clunkers on the nine tracks here, and when the "la la la"s appear on the finale "I Feel Love" it hits the spot perfectly, just like that scoop of ice cream you get with a slice of hot apple pie.

My recommendation: Go get this album... and some meatloaf.

Grade: B+/A-

Review: Lannie Flowers - Circles

As far as Lannie Flowers is concerned there can never be too much of a good thing, especially when that good thing is juicy melodic power pop. While Flowers' 2008 release Same Old Story could be viewed as something of an oddity with its 30+ song snippets linked together like the second side of Abbey Road on steroids, Circles is a more conventional effort.

However, it is an effort overflowing with inventive ideas, wonderful hooks, and engaging lyrics. The title track is a full length re-working of one of the Same Old Story tunes and kicks off the album perfectly. "Turn Up Your Radio" sounds like it was recorded in Tulsa in 1978, if you know what I mean by that. "Around the World" contains my favorite lyric on the album; a tale of late night woe told by a fellow who realizes he's been had a little too late to enjoy any sleep.

The sound here is vintage Midwestern power pop with a little roots/Americana tinge here and there. As a result a song like "Where Does Love Go" sounds like an old friend you've just met for the first time. Is there a suggestion of the album being a little too familiar? Maybe, but the song writing is so polished you'll never care. This is the type of album crying out for inclusion on mix CD's. Taken out of the context of the album nearly every track would sparkle on its own as a little gem.

That's more than enough for me.

Grade: A-