Bash On Pop: October 2021
Badfinger-The Lost Broadcasts (Cantare; CD)
Ever wonder what Badfinger would sound like doing “Respect” or “Up On Cripple Creek”? I didn’t think so, but the answer is…really hot! The Lost Broadcasts contains mostly BBC tracks recorded in-studio by The Iveys and Badfinger, and these cuts reveal that both bands, indeed, rocked much harder live than on record! There are very cool versions of “Maybe Tomorrow”, “Come And Get It”, and “songs for the new album” (No Dice) like “I Can’t Take It” and “Believe Me”. A real gem here is “Surrender Your Love”; although the sound quality on this one isn’t too great, the track is wonderful. This disc is essential for all Badfinger fans!
https://megadodo.bandcamp.com/merch/badfinger-the-lost-broadcasts
The Brothers Steve-Does (Big Stir; CD)
On their second album, the punnily-titled Dose, these LA glam-rockers take on a bit more of a genteel vibe, which is not to say that the album doesn’t rock, because it certainly does, but there’s a certain newfound grace to these tracks. Every one’s a winner, but standouts include “Get On Up”, which one could hear the Jackson 5ive doing, the acoustic-electric “Next Aquarius”, the perfectly glammy “Electro-Love”, and one that should be a hit for the ages, “Sugarfoot”! The band really throws a curve with “Mrs. Rosenbaum” and “Love Of Kings”, which dip their toes into soft pop! Definitely pick this one up, and see the band live when they’re back in action, because Jeff Whalen is the consummate front man! https://www.bigstirrecords.com/
Tot Taylor-Frisbee (Rough Trade; CD and LP)
It had been more than a decade since this brilliant UK singer/songwriter/renaissance man had released an album, but Frisbee was definitely worth the wait! The album is described as “upbeat sounding songs with a downbeat subject matter”, and that’s certainly true! “National Music Day” is a song Taylor wrote for a like-named holiday that was ultimately cancelled; the catchy “Carsick” is about exactly that; “Baby, I Miss The Internet” hints at the time when Trump threatened to take down the ‘net. The best track may be “Featurette”, which is a beautiful paean to a lost love. Taylor is still in fine voice, and every tune on Frisbee has a British sophistication and sensibility that can only come from years of songwriting. Great stuff! https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/tot-taylor/frisbee
Ward White-The Tender Age (VF; CD)
One look at the cover of The Tender Age, and your immediate thought will be “David Bowie”, as White certainly bears more than a passing resemblance to The Thin White Duke. There’s a musical resemblance too; though White is from New York (now residing in Los Angeles), he sounds like a high tenor version of Bowie, with similar vocal inflections. The album is a very strong mix of up-tempo and ballads, with standouts including “Easy Meat”, “Let’s Don’t Die at The Spotlight”, “The Tender Age”, and the rockin’ “Wasn’t It Here”. Neuron bending chord changes abound, and in a different era this album would have been huge, with lots of MTV videos to showcase it! www.wardwhite.net
People Years-XIV (Cornelius Chapel; CD)
File under: always read the e-mails you receive from publicists. This Birmingham, Alabama band has recorded an album that is oddly compelling, and definitely sneaks up on one with repeated listenings! A bit hard to pinpoint the sound, but it’s very ambient in a late ‘80s/early ‘90s kinda way, at times similar to what The Church or Pavement were doing during that time period, but with a more modern vibe. One could see tracks like “Language Moves”, “For Real Now” and “Just Like You” being played on KROQ back in the day, and “When We Dance Again” is definitely emerging as one of this writer’s favorite tracks of 2021. Check it out, if you’re looking for something beyond the usual power pop thang! http://www.corneliuschapelrecords.com/
ANC4-Strange Tide (Beluga; LP), (Kool Kat; CD)
A Gothenberg, Sweden supergroup of sorts, featuring Roger Arvidsson (Arvidsson & Butterflies), Tomas Nilsson (Mop Tops) and Janne Borgh (The Moderns), who pool their talents and create one of the eminently catchy platters of 2021! Although Strange Tide is a pure power pop record with some psychedelic and jangly touches, the whole affair has a lot of soul, in the true sense of the word, particularly tracks like “Go Easy” and “The Man Who’s Afraid Of Everything”, but no matter where you point the laser, the album rings out with pure joy, passion, and undeniable songs. Sixteen tracks in all, and you’ll never find yourself saying that you wish there were fewer. A likely candidate for my Top 10 of 2021! https://www.belugarecords.com/ https://www.koolkatmusik.com/
Nelson Bragg | GRATITUDE BLUES
On Steel Derrick Music
It’s been a long wait, but well worth it, as Gratitude Blues is as good as anything Bragg has done, and that’s saying a lot! There’s certainly nothing bluesy about this record, as it’s pure pop all the way, with sophistication and skill, and his signature “open” production style reminiscent of bands like The Grapes of Wrath. The opening track, “Lose Yourself”, is an attempt by Bragg to “write a four-chord song in the style of what’s on the radio today”; if radio sounded like this, we’d all be a helluva lot better off! There are plenty of luminaries who play and co-write with Bragg on the album; “The Cool Kids” is co-written by Peter Holsapple, and it’s a theme with which many of us can identify-finding ourselves after many years. “Whitechapel Girl” is a co-write with Thomas Walsh of Pugwash, and certainly has that band’s sound; the track also features Roger Joseph Manning Jr on harpsichord. “The Last Girl I Ever Loved” is a tribute to the late Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens, on which Bragg effects a fine DiNizio baritone and Smithereens vibe. Everything herein is absolutely wonderful, and his fans will certainly register a combination of gratitude and blues to learn that this will be his final album. Note: each CD comes with an individually drawn piece of art by Bragg himself! https://nelsonbragg.com/
Until next time, I bid you happy listening!