Monthly Archives: August 2025

Celebrating Marshall Crenshaw

29 Friday Aug 2025

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Things have slowed down for power pop legend Marshall Crenshaw with time. There were six albums of original material in his first decade as a professional musician, two in each of the subsequent decades, and then none over the last decade and half. But that doesn’t mean he’s been idle. Tired of the major label rat race, he decided to release a series of six EPs offering fans a new song, a cover song, and re-recording of an older song, eventually pulling the new material and few covers together on an album entitled #392: The EP Collection on indie label Red River Records. Since then Crenshaw has focused a lot of attention on curating definitive releases of his catalogue and now it appears that project has led him back to the EP material, repackaging them in album form as From the Hellhole.

Content-wise 11 of the 14 songs here appear on both collections so if you bought the EPs or #392: The EP Collection you may not want or need to buy them again, though the versions here have been remixed. From the Hellhole is also available on vinyl, unlike #392: The EP Collection. The three different tracks included on the new release include a demo of “Walkin’ Around,” a song that appeared on 1991’s Life’s Too Short, and covers of Rare Earth’s “I Just Want to Celebrate”  and Todd Rundgren’s “Couldn’t I Just Tell You.” For collectors, completists, or those who missed the EPs as they came out From the Hellhole is the missing album covering Crenshaw’s last decade and half. And it goes without saying, the songs are great, both original and covers. “Move Now” and “Grab the Next Train” both sound like classic Crenshaw should-be hits, with his signature economical lead guitar work and Everlys vocal vibe. “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” has a folk rock kick, both the 12 string guitar and vocals hitting all the marks. And the demo of “Walkin’ Around” comes off lighter and more spontaneous. On the covers front, his take on The Carpenters “(They Long to be) Close to You” was a surprise to me when I first heard it and it surprises me still. Let’s just say, Karen Carpenter and Marshall Crenshaw come at singing in very different ways. But Crenshaw’s understated approach really does the song justice. Meanwhile, the cover of Bobby Fuller’s “Never To Be Forgotten” is now the definitive version.

There are MC fans who are going to celebrate any new release, regardless of how much new it really offers. For many, From the Hellhole will fill a real gap for a lot of fans. For those who want more new material,  I suspect there’s stuff in the vaults that could see the light day at some point in the future. There are songs he wrote for others that never got the Marshall treatment and a variety of one-off contributions to soundtracks and tribute albums that deserve to gathered together. So here’s hoping for more Crenshaw down the line.

You can spend time with Marshall at his internet bolt hole or Bandcamp page.

Gregory Pepper: Now skull free

23 Saturday Aug 2025

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Canadian character-sketch songwriter Gregory Pepper has given up a lot for Lent this year. His new album No More Skulls says goodbye to said craniums and his old band The Problems. But his unerring knack for highly tuneful, incredibly short songs remains in place.

What we have here is 10 songs running just shy of 16 minutes, helpfully stitched together in some places into a seemingly seamless wall of song that shifts and undulates with striking tempo changes and creative choices when it comes to instruments. Album opener “No More Skulls” slinks in, slow and broody with somebody’s hand clearly dragging the tape speed intermittently. But half way through things blow up in a variety of ways, all good. The instrumental “Gopnik Prelude” that follows shifts the mood like a Wes Anderson film soundtrack before the vaudeville-esque “God Made You Weak” pumps up the energy. Four songs in “Cardinal Song” gets us closer to Pepper’s signature sophistico-pop sound and the sheen practically glistens. But steady yourself for the should-be single “Baby Tooth.” This is a compositionally rich piece of work with a seductive keyboard line and a dark tint to the melodic tone that colours the song. The rest of the album shifts gears like a premium automatic drive. “Lean On” has a new wave Cars elan, the guitars and handclaps so conjure the period. “Get Well Soon” is pop-folkie, acoustic-guitar simplicity itself. “We Don’t Have to Talk” evokes Jon Brion’s distinctive sonic mood for me. Then there’s “Bloodmobile.” At just 18 seconds of cartoon-worthy tune-age, it does an impressive job of establishing its many melodic themes so quickly. The record wraps with “Happy Days Theme Song,” a song that is pleasantness itself, just ambling along until a notable shift at the two-thirds mark increases the sense of urgency. It’s a genius move that draws the listener back from the lulling going on earlier.

My advice? Grab the popcorn and settle in somewhere to really enjoy Gregory Pepper’s No More Skulls. It’s got the pacing and colourful characters of a late night flick at the all-nite movie house. But don’t look away, things move fast at Camp Pepper. Undoubtedly you’ll probably miss something hella clever.

Photo courtesy Gregory Pepper, Camp Pepper, Illustrations.

The parallel worlds of Jonathan Davies

20 Wednesday Aug 2025

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Toronto singer-songwriter Jonathan Davies performs in parallel worlds, one recognizably song structured, the other breaking its rules in unpredictable ways. Songs like “Parallel Elton” and “Beethoven Girl” wear the cleverness gene like a They Might Be Giants deep cut. They’re based on fun concepts with music that makes us stretch beyond the ordinary but still, we can easily follow along. But others like “Runalong Sue” make us work a little harder, morphing halfway through from a Randy Newman kind of story song to something else completely. Needle-dropping across Davies’ bandcamp pages one is tempted to paste a musical theatre label across his ouvre, given its penchant for story exposition and social commentary. “When Larry Jon Played” has a very Lyle Lovett country storytelling style while “Devil’s Cleft” casts its story with a more acoustic folk guitar feel. You definitely get a Broadway sense of musical tension on “Venus, Our Neighbour.”

But the theatre angle doesn’t quite capture everything Davies is offering up. Songs like “Wilson Siding,” “Give a Penny, Take and Penny,” and “Lipstick Smears” all reach for a more commercial folk pop sheen we might associate with Paul Simon or Harry Nilsson or Suzanne Vega. They’re hooky, lingering, sonically sophisticated. By contrast “Incorrigible Germany” leans on the smarts, like Randy Newman but without the cheek. Others like “Until I’ve Heard You Sing” and “Those Eyes: A Coming-Of-Age Novelty Ballad” are touching in their confessional directness and musical simplicity. Davies also writes, sings and records in French. I don’t what he’s on about in “Ton histoire reste a raconteur” but I love the sonic groove he’s got going.

Back in 2015 Davies claimed (in song) that he’d “Already Written All My Good Songs.” But given what we’ve heard here it’s apparent that wasn’t true. Here’s hoping he’ll continue to prove himself wrong.

Check out his worlds of music at his website and bandcamp locations.

Breaking news: Zombies of the Stratosphere, Born Ruffians, Force Model, and Randy Klawon

15 Friday Aug 2025

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Hold the presses, there’s more breaking music news out there that’s fit to print. Apparently the world is awash in zombies, ruffians and forces deliberately designed to test you. And Randy’s. Plenty of them too.

I’ve been meaning to write about the Zombies of the Stratosphere for quite a while. Their records sound so precise and pristine, just layer on layer of sonic goodness. The new LP is Shot An Arrow, their first to hit to record shelves in four long years. “If You’re Into It” amounts to a strong opening with a sound like a cross between XTC and the Alan Parsons Project. Love the organ riffs. Title track “Shot An Arrow” is full of They Might Be Giants whimsy. “Long Way” also leans on keyboards to create a particular pop atmosphere. But there’s surprises awaiting those who dig a bit further into the record. Country gets a look in on “California Waits,” “Whistling Wind,” and “Shut Out the Light,” the latter dialing up a bit of Memphis sort of Beatles. Then again “Bones Don’t Lie” and “Sister Sundown” rock things up a bit more. I’d single out “Mercy Rider” as a should-be hit. The song alternates punchy lead guitar and organ work in a Crowded House kind of melodic workout. Or check out how “30 Guns” vibes a bit early 1970s Moody Blues. Closing number “Vacancy Arms” is another standout XTC-ish number reminiscent of the Nonesuch era, with a touch of the Eagles here and there.

Ambience meets straight up rock and roll heart on Born Ruffians album #9 Beauty’s Pride. Whether they are going straight for the rock jugular on songs like “Do” or delicately traipsing into the open emotional field that is title track “Beauty’s Pride,” this is a band that knows how to take you on a sonic ride. Things open with other-worldly synth before gelling into the dance-able “Mean Time.” “To Be Seen” keeps the indie rock dance vibe going in a solid bit of potential single-age. Then “What a Ride” shuffles the poprock deck again and again. By contrast “Let You Down” has a wonderfully English guitar pop consistency. As the album starts to slow down the songs feature fun sonic additions. “Can We Go Now” intersperses what sounds like 1980s video game sound effects. “Supersonic Man” sounds like a slowed down David Bowie. I love the spare instrumental and emotional intensity of “Hi” and its crashing chorus. “In the Meantime” is so lulling, counter-posing a stark up-front vocal and fuzzy guitar chords.

LA’s Force Model launch their EP Barricade with psych guitars and a fattened up vocal sound on opening track “All Expectations” that is just so damn alluring. What could be next? “Barricade” is noisy in a math rock kind of way. “Nothing At All” turns up the melody quotient without necessarily turning down the guitar amps. The bristling lead guitar licks on this track repeat in a way that is captivating. But nothing will prepare you for the outstanding should-be hit single “How Can One Girl Be So Sad?” Man, this track is a hook beast, melding vocals that tip between the Bryds and Britpop with a melody that is a ferocious ear worm. I’ve already hit repeat countless times! And then things are over all too soon with the light-then-crunchy closer “Pisces Dreamboat.” What a blast of melodic rock goodness this EP is.

Here to bring on some pop sweetness and light Randy Klawon offers us six pop wonders on his new EP Sunday’s Child. Inspired by the super-charged pop hooks of bands like the Beatles, Monkees and Raspberries, Klawon’s efforts could easily slip onto radio playlists covering the 1970s and 1980s. Title track “Sunday’s Child” sets the bar high, with top rank production and musical arrangements. This one really sounds so radio ready, heavy rotation. “Sleep Tight” has a rough and ready Beatlesque pop quality with solid Harrison sound-alike lead licks. Then “Every Name in the Book” turns up the jangle and buffets the main vocal with great back-up vocal support. Both “All You Really Need” and “Let’s Do It Again” are pop gems with striking guitar work. At just 18 minutes long, Sunday’s Child is over before you’re quite ready to see it end.

I’d say that’s all from the news-desk but frankly there’s plenty more on the story board. Keep tuning in for frequent updates.

Photo ‘Found Kodachrome Slide” courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Pull up the covers

09 Saturday Aug 2025

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Covers can feel like an artistic cheat. Why write something new when there’s a wealth of material out there that’s already proven to be popular? But covers can be an equally exquisite creative outlet in the right artistic hands. So here we pull out some pretty fabulous covers from acts that certainly know their own way around a songwriter’s desk.

Our first song triplet reaches back to the sixties and seventies. Robert Crenshaw steps out of his brother’s shadow on his 2003 long-player Dog Days and takes on a real classic pop wonder with a cover of The Vogues 1966 hit “Five O’Clock World.” Artists as varied as Julian Cope, The Proclaimers and Bowling for Soup have taken a stab at it but Crenshaw’s version really lands. Mark Ward’s new album Translator offers a wide range of covers but his take on Badfinger’s “Baby Blue” hits the power pop guitar and vocal marks. Sometimes artists seem to deliberately take up material pretty far flung from their usual melodic haunts. Like Mark Aaron James’ cover of ABBA’s “The Name of the Game.” This is not an easy song to knock off at karaoke. It’s got strange pacing, plenty of tempo change-ups, and a melody that curves in unusual ways. James gets the tune across in an original way.

Robert Crenshaw – Five O’Clock World
Mark Aaron James – The Name of the Game

Moving toward the new wave turn of the decade capping off the 1970s The Pictures lead guy Davey Lane gives us a less English version of Squeeze’s kitchen-sink singalong “Up the Junction.” It’s got a rougher edge, slightly less winsome, perhaps more drink-along than sing-along – but good. The Dahlmanns know their Tom Petty and give us a taste on their 2024 Lucky EP. Their version of “A Thing About You” is less snarly, more power poppy, and utterly delightful. By contrast, Canadian Jeremy Fisher deconstructs The Cars super-hit “My Best Friend’s Girl,” adding mischief, some pipe solos, and background vocals with just enough cheese to be enjoyably ironic.

Arriving in the 1980s The Extensions reinvent the Simple Minds’ iconic movie tune “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” They seem to slow things down, lower the angst level, but dial into the song’s sincere heart. Lisa Mychols likes to collaborate and her new vehicle is The High Frequencies. Catch their magnetic cover of David Bowie’s “Modern Love.” It’s another song that sounds so easy to do but needs a certain kind of energy to really come together – this band does it justice. Another artist that is hard to cover is Aimee Mann. Her work is just so her that it’s hard to imagine other possible versions. But Marti Jones, another artist with a distinctive vocal approach, pulls it off on her cover of Mann’s “Put Me on Top” from her 1993 solo debut Whatever.

Marti Jones – Put Me On Top

Wrapping up this covers extravaganza is an elegant re-make of Elliott Smith’s “Waltz #2 (XO)” from the ever so piano-delightful Sofa City Sweetheart. The accompaniment is spare, just piano and Juan Antonio Lopez’s aching vocals.

Photo ‘Found Kodachrome Slide’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Jeremy Fisher Redux

04 Monday Aug 2025

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Canadian folk popster Jeremy Fisher has been getting back to his earlier material lately. Let It Shine Redux is his latest installment of re-recording his earlier material, this time an acoustic reworking of his first major label LP. A lot of artists have been drawn to the redux path in the last two decades, mostly to squeeze a bit more on the royalty side away from record companies. The first instance I recall was Squeeze’s Spot the Difference LP from 2010. The band’s reasoning was pretty straight up. With boomer nostalgia fueling the use of 1980s music in movies and TV the band wanted their re-recorded versions to be licensed for use instead of the ones owned by their former record company. And who can blame them. In Fisher’s case though, as he never really broke that big commercially, the reasoning might be different. This time out is a bit different from his 2022 reworking of Goodbye Blue Monday, retitled Hello Blue Monday. That record completely retooled the musical approach, different instruments, sometimes different tempos. But Let It Shine Redux is more of an acoustic treatment, reducing the earlier record’s pop complexity to just acoustic guitars (rhythm and lead) and vocals (background and lead). And these are not even the first acoustic takes as a number of tunes from the record have already appeared in stripped down form on Fisher’s Acoustic Songbook I and II. Still, the versions here are different from all others and definitely worth the return visit.

The album features the same tracks as the original in the same running order. Opener “Lemon Meringue Pie” sets the all-acoustic tone and I’ll confess I worried as it got going that things might be too stripped down here. But when the chorus kicked in that Fisher magic simply could not be contained. Other songs like “Suckerpunch” and “High School” gain a fresh punch with these new arrangements while should-have-been hits like “Singing on the Sidewalk” sound no less AM radio fabulous. A number of songs from the original album were already pretty folky (e.g. “Fall For Anything,” “Drunk on Your Tears”) so Redux gives Fisher a chance to strike a different folk pose. And he does, drawing out new melodic possibilities from his material. That’s the thing about Fisher, he makes it all sound so simple, obscuring his songwriting prowess. Always more Paul Simon than Bob Dylan, Fisher’s material is usually hummable, often sing-along-able, sometimes just reverently moving. What I loved about Let It Shine was Fisher’s knack for getting just the right balance of quirky instrumentation and reliable hooks. Let It Shine Redux alters that balance for sure but the results are fresh and lively and no less compelling.

On his website Fisher muses about getting material together for an album of new material. That can’t happen soon enough. Stock up on your Fisher catalogue at Bandcamp or his own retail space to help make that a reality.