Category Archives: Spotlight Single

Spotlight single: Scott McCarl “I’ll Be On My Way”

17 Wednesday Aug 2022

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Scott McCarl’s got a dream rock and roll story if ever there was one. After playing in numerous bands in the late 1960s and early 1970s he sends a demo of songs to Raspberries leader Eric Carmen – only to get invited to join the band! As it happened, Starting Over turned out to be ‘game over’ as the group split shortly after its release. But McCarl got the full ‘joining the band’ treatment: co-writing 5 of the album’s 11 cuts, singing lead on one track, and getting to tour with the group. So despite the Raspberries demise McCarl would appear to have had all the chops for a solo career. All of which makes his subsequent meagre solo offerings more than a little bewildering. There was the fabulous Mersey-drenched Play On that came out on a small independent label in 1997. But that’s it – sort of. Now there’s a new version of Play On that’s come out with a very different running order and mix of songs, drawing on recording sessions from 1970, 1981, 1995-6, and 2021. The whole album is really good and has a consistent vibe despite its multi-decade gestation. Drop the needle anywhere on the LP and dig that sixties-influenced songwriting and performance. Still, I felt I had to single out “I’ll Be On My Way” for your special attention. No, not the Lennon/McCartney song that Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas covered. This one is by Billy Sullivan, who also plays the ripping, jangly lead guitar lines.

Wow, talk about making a guitar sing! And McCarl’s vocal is so in the very pleasing 1980s sixties-revival mode. You can (and should) pick up the album from McCarl’s Bandcamp page, where you can also find a breakdown of the songs, when they were recorded, and who played what. Who knows, maybe there are more cuts lurking in the McCarl vaults for a new Play On … and On.

Spotlight single: Marc Jonson and Ramirez Exposure “Tape Recorder”

31 Tuesday May 2022

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Now here’s two great tastes that sound great together. On “Tape Recorder” one of the truly great should-have-been rock and roll stars Marc Jonson teams up with sunshine pop purveyor Ramirez Exposure to deliver a ringing ode to Jonson’s hero Dion. The whole thing is a delightful slice of sunny southern-California boardwalk pop. From the opening wash of Beach Boys background vocals,  to the discernable Cayucas lilt, to the non-stop thread of jangle tying it all together, the song shimmers with positive vibes. The track is like confectionary for your ears. It’s the first release from their upcoming long player Turning On the Century! and you’d be hard pressed to make a better launch than this. So if you’ve been missing the feel of a beach breeze in your hair, the sand beneath your feet, or perhaps a stroll down the boardwalk at twilight, just hit play and let Marc Jonson and Ramirez Exposure take you there.

Marc Jonson has an amazing back catalogue of recorded tunes stretching back to the 1970s, some of which can be found on Bandcamp, some elsewhere. Ramirez Exposure is Victor Ramirez in band form with two fabulous albums accessible here.

Spotlight single: The Kik “Ik Sta Klaar Voor Jou”

23 Saturday Apr 2022

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Rarely does a television theme song become an earworm for a good reason. But The Rembrandts “I’ll Be There For You” theme-song for Friends never seemed to get old, despite opening the show every week for 10 seasons. Listening to it now it is a curious mix of old and what were then contemporary 1990s sounds. I mean, at the time the guitars sounded retro but from today’s vantage point they sound much less so. That’s where Dutch band The Kik come in with a cover version that dials up the Merseybeat and makes a number of other subtle changes to the performance of the song that gives it a more authentic retro 1960s vibe. Of course, the biggest change here is language – the band perform the song in Dutch. It sounds great and hey, it’s not like English speakers don’t know what the song is about after all these years. Beyond the language changes, the guitars immediately stand out as more jangly, the organ work is more to the fore in the mix, and the band omit the distinctive handclapping that defined the The Rembrandts’ version. Maybe it’s just me but these changes free the song from its limited use in the series, sounding more like a song proper rather than abridged snippet featured in the show. Even the seldom heard bridge shines.

“Ik Sta Klaar Voor Jou” appeared on The Kik’s album of cover tunes from 2017 entitled Hertaalt! (translation: Repeats!) which featured songs from the Beatles, Oasis, REM, The Kinks and more, all sung in Dutch. You can check out all the covers at their bandcamp page as well as some great new releases too.

Spotlight single: The Bleeding Idahos “The Beat Says”

28 Friday Jan 2022

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The Bleeding Idahos are from the Hammer, actually. That’s Hamilton, Ontario. In Canada. Emerging from the ashes of indie rock and roll outfit The Zilis, this new project has bit more melodic heft, a tad more shimmer in the guitars. Their first single “The Beat Said” is built around an earworm of a lead guitar hook that slides into the song out of a razor sharp slash of a rhythm guitar chord. It pops up repeatedly in the song, accenting what is otherwise a buoyant, head-bopping good time. B-side “Tony Danza Goodbye” is also pretty special, working up an American Graffitti-style, neo-1950s vocal aura that is all Saturday night at the drive-in with your baby. Of course with these two disparate contributions it’s hard to know just where this band is going but hey, that just makes me even more curious. We’ll find out more soon as this two-song single is the first of three two-for-one single releases promised by the band on their Facebook page, all contributions to a forthcoming album to be entitled Resilience, Vol. 1. I, for one, can’t wait to hear more.

The Beat Says
Tony Danza Goodbye

You can find The Bleeding Idahos on Facebook or in many of the usual places digitally downloadable music is sold.

Spotlight single: Phil Dutra “It’s Not Enough (Falling For Your Love)”

17 Wednesday Nov 2021

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Phil Dutra’s got an ear for the poprock everyman, appealing to all ages and various style partisans. His songs could easily slip into heavy rotation on any 1980s Top 40 radio station. Truly catchy retro pop indeed. Of course, I imagine Dutra’s work taking off in a different time because there have been eras when the charts have managed to find a place for all tastes, usually on the basis of the triumph of melody and solid songwriting over technique and fads. Dutra belongs to this venerable tradition. His latest “It’s Not Enough (Falling For Your Love)” oozes ‘classic song’ from every pore. From the early 1980s jangly guitar work to the juxtaposition of subdued verses and soaring choruses, Dutra gives new life to a recognizable formula. All that’s missing is the top-down convertible, a highway, and a car stereo blasting this tune. Trust me on this one, everyone could use a bit more of Phil Dutra in their lives. Cuz classic never really gets old.

Phil’s got a website and a Bandcamp page. Drop by, he’s a friendly guy.

Spotlight single: Miniature Tigers “Anything Else”

02 Tuesday Nov 2021

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I fell hard for Miniature Tigers’ 2016 single “Crying in the Sunshine.” It had such an original mix of dreamy vocals, percussive keyboard impact, and deliciously sly melodic hooks. For a long time I just kept hitting repeat again and again. So I don’t know how I missed the band’s 2019 release Vampires in the Daylight. It’s another delightful collection of synthy, indie dream pop, one part of Family of Year, another part Sitcom Neighbor. Highlights for me include title track “Vampires in the Daylight,” “Better Than Ezra” and “Manic Upswings.” But my fave is undoubtedly the slow-burn jangly ear-worm “Anything Else.’ Kicking off with a catchy fingerpicking allure not unlike Magnetic Fields’ “Acoustic Guitar,” the song slowly builds intensity in an almost meditative fashion. And it’s not just the obvious, superior hooks that make this song work, it’s the varied choices for subtle instrumental ornamentation dotted here and there. Halfway through I was convinced the track was perfect montage music for that part in the movie where the protagonist is broken and not sure if they make any heroic recovery. Either way, whether the hero lives or thrives, the listener gets to be a winner. I say, hit play on this dreamy wonder and get carried away.

As we drift, Miniature Tigers are drip releasing new singles and working on a brand new album. Get ready to dream big time. Updates can be found on the band’s Facebook page.

Spotlight single: Overlord “I Don’t Want to Sing This Song Again”

01 Friday Oct 2021

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A new single from Overlord is cause for much excitement over here a PRR headquarters. We’ve loved their past work with a monastic intensity. But let’s face it, it’s been a tough few centuries for overlords. Notwithstanding John Lennon’s claim that we’re all still effing peasants, demand for a ‘lord of all lords’ who can rule the shire, extract a bit of surplus from the serfs, and go all bro with his nobles on regular trips to the holy land to kick some infidel ass has declined precipitously since that whole ‘free labour’ thing came in with capitalism. That must be a contributing factor to Overlord’s declining musical productivity of late. Since the release of the band’s last long-player The Well Tempered Overlord in 2016 there’s been just one single, 2017’s “Up For Anything.” Oh for the good old days of feudal leisure!

Well chin up loyal subjects, your continuing fealty is about to be rewarded. Overlord is back with a song as good as any of their past curio poprock classics. I mean, who opens with fabulous accordion? Ok, They Might Be Giants. But who else? Overlord gateway-drug your way into “I Don’t Want to Sing This Song Again” with some alluring accordion work before breaking out a masterful melodic performance, perhaps vibing a bit of Teenage Fanclub but mostly just giving us that good old hooky, verbally-clever stuff we love them for. My only concern is the possible subtext here. Does not wanting to sing this particular song mean Overlord is really saying ‘so long’? Banish the thought. Even in the darkest ages I’m a bit of a musical optimist so I’m going with ‘early single from a fab new soon-to-be released album’ as my judgement of this one-off release.

For a medieval holdover, Overlord are working the social media with a modernist élan. Check them out on their internet manor, Facebook and Bandcamp pages to get all latest ‘hear ye, hear ye’s.

Spotlight single: Jonny Polonski “People Are Lonely, Horny, Angry and Depressed”

12 Wednesday May 2021

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Gather round people and hear today’s topical troubadour Jonny Polonski give voice to what we’re all feeling right now. On his new single “People Are Lonely, Horny, Angry and Depressed” the man sings it like it is, namely that everybody is tired, randy, cranky and feeling blue. Of course, it rhymes when he says it. And the music is like a shot of Elvis Costello meets the Eels. So just listen to him and you can skip my blathering. You’ll be glad you did because Polonksi is a legendary talent. Though somewhat reclusive and mercurial in his recording and record releasing habits, just about everything he’s put out has been critically acclaimed. And deservedly so. You can dip in just about anywhere in his catalogue and find a real gem. To me, this one-off, clearly pandemic inspired single is no exception.

Catch up on Jonny Polonksi at his Bandcamp and Facebook pages.

Spotlight single: Brett Dennen “Here’s Looking at You, Kid”

27 Saturday Feb 2021

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Falling somewhere between James Taylor, John Denver and Paul Simon on the singer-songwriter spectrum, central California mountain dweller Brett Dennen aces the acousticy clean, folksy pop song style. But his most recent extended play release sees him stretching into the more retro poprock field with “Here’s Looking at You, Kid.” The track has the feel of a great big song, a classic potential group sing-along with a beat so open even most clap-incapable can get it right. The roll out and beat is very Sonny and Cher circa 1965, with a bright guitar lead line that threads through the song, coming back at regular intervals. I can’t make up my mind whether the track is more Ben Kweller or Dusty Springfield. Vocally and song structure-wise it’s very Ben while the guitar timbre is so Dusty. The acoustic rendering of the tune really brings out the melodic lead guitar line too. I could imagine a faster version that would push the song more into the power pop genre but Dennen’s pace is A-OK too, a nice and easy, in no hurry delight of a single.

Here’s Looking at You, Kid
Here’s Looking at You, Kid (acoustic)

Besides easy rocking the guitar troubadour thing, Dennen is also a talented water colour painter. Check out his art, music, and seemingly constant series of online shows from his website and Facebook and Bandcamp pages.

Song of the day: The Feels “She’s Probably Not Thinking of Me”

24 Saturday Oct 2020

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Christian Migliorese has been doing a punky poprock thing for at least a decade and half, both with his current outfit The Feels and on prior recordings as The Tattle Tales. But his efforts reach their zenith on his brand new 45, the poptastic “She’s Probably Not Thinking of Me.” From a rather straightforward punk-influenced opening riff the song suddenly opens up at the 20 second mark like a Busby Berkley dance number with marvelous background vocals and magnetic hooks. The whole thing comes off like a wonderfully ragged mid-period Fountains of Wayne number. Somebody tell me there’s a whole album of this stuff on the way because Fall 2020 desperately needs to feel this good for at least 38 minutes (divided amongst ten or so carefully crafted increments). This song is a guaranteed instant-replay single.

The Feels barely mar the pristine surface of the internet with just a Bandcamp page and Facebook site that hasn’t been updated in six years. Maybe we can change that by sending this song flying up the charts.