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Monthly Archives: April 2016

From your favourite Linus of Hollywood record

26 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Artist Spotlight

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Glen Tilbrook, Let Yourself Be Happy, Linus of Hollywood, Something Good, Squeeze, Triangle, Your Favorite Record

tumblr_static_bqk6yt6disggcwscok40ok4w4Linus of Hollywood, stage name for Los Angeles musical polymath Kevin Dotson, has distilled a unique blend of 1960s/1970s influenced poprock on his four albums and various singles since 1999.  And he has a voice that is often a dead ringer for Squeeze frontman Glen Tilbrook.  The album catalogue might look a bit thin, but that’s just because he’s in such constant demand to do music for television and movies and produce and write songs for other people’s records to pay the bills.  But what he has managed to put out is quality stuff, fully deserving of stratospheric success.

1999’s Your Favorite Record evidences his mastery of different musical styles, from the clever soft poprock stylings of “Say Hello to Another Goodbye,” or the acoustic swing of “The Man Who Tells the Crazy People What to Say”, or the musical hall-ish “Everybody’s Looking Down.”

By 2001 the hooks are even sharper on Let Yourself Be Happy with songs like “A Whole New Country” (what’s not to love about a flute solo?) and “I Need You Around,” while there is a touch of vaudeville in “The Girl I’ll Never Have” and novelty in “Thank You for Making Me Feel … Better.”

2006’s Triangle carries on this mix, with great poprock tunes like “Do You Know What I’m Thinking” and the banjo swingish “Starting Monday,” while the acoustic fingerpicking of “I’ll Get Through It” changes tempo but remains just as catchy.

In 2008 Linus of Hollywood released two albums that summed up his career to date.  Attractive Singles is a kind of sampling of the three previous releases, with the 30 second title track the only new material.  Meanwhile Reheat and Serve features various unreleased material, like the great “Do You Want to Get Married,” as well as his many covers of different 1970s artists like the Bee Gees, Paul McCartney and Nick Gilder.  Here the cover of Gilder’s 1979 hit “Hot Child in the City” is both original and inspired.  And the 30 second “Bonus Tracks” opener is pretty funny. https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/01-bonus-tracks.m4a Bonus Tracks https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/11-hot-child-in-the-city.m4a Hot Child in the City

a0911179656_10All that went before was enjoyable but 2014’s Something Good takes Linus of Hollywood’s performance to a new level.  As Powerpopaholic put it in a glowing review: “It is more than something good, it is something great!”  Right out of the gate, the listener is hit with some pretty impressive production and songwriting with “Caught Up in a Feeling,” a tune that exudes just hint of ELO, and the exquisite “A Girl that I Like,” a masterful, truly perfect single.  Other highlights include the more sedate but catchy ‘”Biography,” with its great line ‘I’m the best part of your story,’ the 1970s pop-sounding “Whoever’s Around,” and the acoustic swing duet with Kelly  Jones, “If You Don’t Love Me, You’ve Gotta Let Me Go.”  And the cover of Kiss’ “Beth” is entertaining.

Beyond these albums tracks, two of my favourite Linus of Hollywood songs are the singles “Summer Fling,” another great acoustic swing duet, this time with Brett Anderson, and 2015’s “Icy Tracks,” with both featuring his trademark acoustic guitar floor and slathered on background vocals.  Linus of Hollywood has announced on his Facebook page that he is presently working on material for a new album, due out later this year.https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/05-summer-fling-feat-brett-anderson.m4a Summer Fling

Linus of Hollywood would benefit from a devoted legion of followers – join the cause on his website or Facebook page.

Sounds like Simon and Garfunkel: Paper Kites, Fruit Bats, Robinson and Woltil, You Won’t, Jeremy Fisher, and Villagers

24 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Poprock Themepark

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Fruit Bats, Jeremy Fisher, Simon and Garfunkel, Steve Robinson and Ed Woltil, The Paper Kites, Villagers, You Won't

simon-and-garfunkelYou’ll never see the rock critics expounding on the seminal influence of Simon and Garfunkel to contemporary music – but it is there.  Not because S&G broke new ground like the Beatles or the Kinks or the Who.  Nor did they exude a counter culture rock persona like the Rolling Stones or Jimi Hendrix.  But they did contribute to the unique 1960s synthesis of musical styles, songwriting, and performance that would define the popular song in the decades to come.  Paul Simon’s genius was in melding the authenticity of folk music with the more relentless hooks from pop music, cast against a dazzling array of musical backdrops (something more fully exploited in his solo career).  But in S&G, his talents produced a unmistakable sound, regardless of the style of the material.  That sound can be found all over the contemporary music-sphere.

Australian band The Paper Kites nail the S&G sound on “Never Heard a Sound,” from the signature acoustic finger rolls to the effervescent harmony vocals.https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/09-never-heard-a-sound.m4a

Chicago’s Fruits Bats take the influence but sound like they’ve tuned everything down into a lower register on “Rainbow Sign.”https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/01-rainbow-sign.m4a

I wasn’t convinced Steve Robinson and Ed Woltil really fit the S&G bill until about half way through “The Boy from Down the Hill” because I was too distracted by the more obvious Bryds and Beatles influences but the vocals do have some very S&G touches.

You Won’t sound like S&G from an alternative dimension, you know, the one where everybody here is there too but somehow just a bit weirdly different.  “Three Car Garage” is a wonderfully weird and different S&G-style single.

Jeremy Fisher is the living embodiment of S&G studies, a master of the master’s many styles.  Really, if Simon and Garfunkel were sensible and wanted a killer comeback album they would just comb Fisher’s catalogue for an album or two of amazing material.  Fisher particularly excels at the up-tempo S&G sound (e.g. Cecilia, Mrs. Robinson, etc.) as is evident from “The Scar that Never Heals.”

Ireland’s Villagers capture the more morose side of S&G on “Becoming a Jackal,” particularly when you hit the chorus.

Check out the following links that will take you to these bands’ various internet real estate: Paper Kites, Fruit Bats, Steve Robinson and Ed Woltil, You Won’t, Jeremy Fisher, and Villagers.  You Won’t will be appearing at the Drake in Toronto May 10 for what will be an intimate and undoubtedly amazing show.

Breaking news: Honduras, Bird Dog, Jayhawks, Dropkick, and the Posies

17 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Breaking News

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Balance the Light, Bird Dog, Dropkick, Hollywood, Honduras, Out od Love Again, Quiet Corners and Empty Spaces, Squirrel vs. Snake, The Jayhawks, The Ocean and the Sea, The Posies

break newsWe interrupt our regularly scheduled blog postings to bring you these breaking recent releases that run the gamut of indie/alt rock, alt country, powerpop and nouveau folk.

Honduras easily get marked off as garage rock punky.  Could be the guitars on a few tracks exude that but to my ears there is lot more range to this band than such a label might suggest.  Early single “Ace” has a killer clean, hypnotic intro riff that is too smooth to be punk while more recent album tracks like “Off White” show off a band with great instrumental chops.  “Hollywood,” their latest single, builds nicely from interesting interplay amongst the guitars into a great tuneful alt-rock sound and song.

Bird Dog take us into a mournful, slightly-discordant harmony vocals direction with “The Ocean and the Sea.”  It begins all folky but rocks out just past the middle into the end.  The song is catchy but it is the vocal harmonies, reminiscent of Jack and Eliza or the Fleet Foxes, that burn it into your brain.

The Jayhawks are back with a new album and tour.  From the band that has produced such standout tracks as “Save It For a Rainy Day,” “Over My Shoulder,” and “Real Light” there appears to be more gas left in the tank.  The new single, “Quiet Corners and Empty Spaces,” has all the magic qualities the Jayhawks are known for: sparkling acoustic guitars, smooth harmony vocals, and a devastatingly hooky chorus.

Scotland’s Dropkick have released a lot of material over the past decade, mining an acoustically grounded poprock sound akin to Teenage Fanclub.  Six years back they released a fantastic holiday EP of original tunes.  Now they’re back with a new album, Balance the Light, which features some of their strongest material. “Out of Love Again” feints with an acoustic opening, only to lurch quickly into poprock mode with great swirling guitars, ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ background vocals, and plenty of hooks.

Rounding things out is the fantastic new single from The Posies, “Squirrel vs. Snake.”  A lush opening gives way to acoustic guitars and vocal phrasing that reminds me of Squeeze in their heyday, only to shift again in the chorus to a more shimmery powerpop sound.  And the song even has something to say.

Honduras will be bringing their guitar sound to Toronto’s Adelaide Hall May 4th, while the Jayhawks appear at the Horseshoe Tavern June 11.  More information about the touring and recording exploits of Honduras, Bird Dog, The Jayhawks, Dropkick and The Posies can be found on their webpages and Facebook accounts.

No one remembers David Newberry

13 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Artist Spotlight

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Coyote, David Newberry, Desire Lines, Freddy Mercury, Replacement Things, Slow, Souvenir

davidnewberry21“David Newberry sings folk music with rock sensibilities. Or is it the other way around?”

So reads the blurb for Newberry’s YouTube page, a sentiment that really does capture what he is trying to do.  The folkie vibe is all over his early recordings like 2010’s When We Learn the Things We Need to Learn and 2012’s No One Will Remember You but they do not simply settle into a guitar finger-picking esthetic.  The electric guitar is never entirely put away.  As he says in a mock Dylanesque press conference staged for a college radio contest, “I don’t know if folk music has ever had anything to do with which particular instruments you’re using.”  This rogue view has only intensified on his more recent recordings, particularly his brand new single, the stunning “Souvenir.”  The track was left off his fall 2015 album Replacement Things because, as he says, “It just didn’t fit.”  Well, it deserved to fit somewhere because “Souvenir” is a supremely confident effort from a songwriter who wears the song like something old and comfy.  A deceptively simple sounding tune, with a lovely backing of many different guitar lines and subtle background vocals.

 

a3040939905_10Casting back through Newberry’s catalogue there are so many great songs, ones that touch on both the personal and political.  I am partial to “4th Fret” and “The End” from When We Learn the Things We Need to Learn and “Easter” and “English Bay” from No One Will Remember You.  But his 2014 EP Desire Lines definitely represents a shift in approach – now the record seems more than just a collection of songs and Newberry is clearly experimenting with his sound and image.  Listen to these two starkly different treatments of his song “Slow”: one draws from his folkie electric esthetic while the other is a full blown poprock song.  Personally, I think the latter has got hit single written all over it.

david10If Desire Lines and the radio edit of “Slow” represented a boundary-testing bit of experimentation, then 2015’s Replacement Things comes on like a new, more comfortable synthesis of his many influences.  This is a solid record with great songs and a coherent, unique sound.  Littered with references to his sometime Vancouver home, I’d have to call out “Coyote,” “Shiny Pretty Things,” and the haunting “Freddy Mercury” as my stand-out tracks.

Newberry can be found playing live all over Canada, but particularly in Peterborough, Toronto and Vancouver.  Find out how to connect with his concerts and recordings from his Facebook page.

Edward O’Connell’s dumb luck

05 Tuesday Apr 2016

Posted by Dennis Pilon in Artist Spotlight

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Edward O'Connell, Elvis Costello, Every Precious Day, I'm the Man, Nick Lowe, Our Little Secret, Pretty Wasted, Tom Petty, Vanishing Act

Our_Little_Secret_Back_CoverSure, when you first hear Edward O’Connell you get the Costello vibe, you get it bad (by which I mean you get something good).  You might even think “Hey, this guy is putting out the albums I wish Elvis Costello would …”  But the seemingly familiar Costello ring to the songs, to the vocals, to the turns of phrase is so much more than simply reminiscent.  O’Connell has taken the inspiration and made it his own.  And there is so much more influence afoot in his two albums of material: a bit of Matthew Sweet, a dash of Peter Case, even some Marshall Crenshaw and, of course, Nick Lowe and Tom Petty.

3401450His debut record from 2010, Our Little Secret, is a solid start: a host of great tunes and a cover riffing off of Nick Lowe’s Jesus of Cool album and the unknown comic.  “I Heard It Go” has a great turnaround in the chorus, “Cold Dark World” has wonderfully shimmery vocals, “We Will Bury You” is trademark Costello country, while “All My Dreams” sounds like a lost track from Imperial Bedroom.  But the standout song on this album for me is the majestic “Pretty Wasted.”  A real gem that exudes equal parts Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, with a lovely Nick Lowe lyrical sleight of hand with the line ‘She’s pretty wasted … pretty wasted on you.’https://poprockrecord.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/06-pretty-wasted.m4a Pretty Wasted

Edward-OConnell-7-1Four long years passed before O’Connell’s sophomore effort, Vanishing Act, emerged in 2014, but it was worth the wait.  The album kicks off with strong material in “My Dumb Luck” and “Lonely Crowd” but the third tune, “Every Precious Day,” is a master class in poprock songwriting: killer guitar riff opener, great Tom Pettyish vocals, with just a hint of Crowded House in the swirling organ and guitar work at the 2/3 mark.  Other highlights include “Severance Kiss” (with another great guitar opener), “Odds Against Tomorrow,” “Yesterday’s World,” and “Last to Leave” with its exquisite low tempo atmosphere.  “The End of the Line” deserves to be featured if only for its surprisingly aggressive guitar opener that then melds seamlessly into a super midtempo poprock number. But my favourite song on the record is the witty Nick Lowe-ish “I’m the Man,” a sad tale of a man who ‘should have seen it coming’ with his death-obsessed partner.

Besides the music, the best thing about O’Connell is the back story: intrepid university lawyer by day, poprock genius by night.  Here’s a guy who trolled in the Washington D.C. rock and roll scene for decades, playing back up for various people, while holding down a legal day job, but finally decided to put his own creative efforts at the forefront rather late in life (at least according to the standard rock and roll biography).  Better late than never, indeed.

Looks to be a strong live performer as well: here you can see him doing “Lonely Crowd” solo in Bethesda, Maryland.

Find out more about Edward O’Connell on his website and Facebook page.

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