Bash On Pop: June 2021
Hello, Everyone!
Here’s my June installment of Bash On Pop, featuring eight reviews of albums you need to own, so dig in… at your wallet’s peril! 😉
The James Clark Institute-The Colour Of Happy (Room 5; CD and LP)
This affable Torontonian has finally reached soundvana on his latest album, The Colour Of Happy, as it lives up to its title with 10 ultra hummable, singable power pop tunes which sound about as effortless as Mountain Dew going down your throat. You won’t be able to get songs like “Blue In The Red Room”, “Better Than I Remember” and the compelling ballad, “Truth Serums Time” out of your head because Clark sticks to the formula of classic power pop; verses that grab you and hooks that won’t let go. The Institute includes, among others, Moe Berg of the legendary The Pursuit of Happiness! One of the better discs of 2021! https://www.clarkinstitute.com/
The Red Locusts-The Red Locusts (Lolipop; CD)
Is it, or isn’t it? It is…essentially a brand new album by Rick Springfield, on which he goes back to the kind of pop/rock basics we heard on his albums like Beginnings and Wait For Night. Springfield has been very circumspect about his involvement with the album, although he hints at it a bit cheekily on a You Tube video. There are no band credits on the CD, and the Red Locusts website has names like Paul Ramone (ha!), Scotty and Skippy Skuffelton, etc…(clearly Ramone is Springfield). There are some would-be-classics on this album, like “Another Bad Day For Cupid”, “Miss Daisy Hawkins”, which could be a musical brother to “What Would The Children Think”, from Beginnings, and “Honestly”, among others.The Red Locusts are still a well-kept secret; their Facebook page doesn’t even have 100 likes as of this writing, but now you can be let in on the ground floor, purchase the disc for yourself, and be a comic book hero to all of your friends by telling them about it! https://lolipoprecordsstore.com/
Aaron Lee Tasjan-Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! (New West; CD and LP)
Sometimes artists hide in plain sight, or for whatever reason just fall under one’s radar, but this young man from Nashville, who has a big following in certain circles, deserves to be known in the power pop world! Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! is his fourth album, and the McCartney and Petty influences abound on tracks like “Computer of Love”, “Up All Night”, and “Another Lonely Day”, among others, and “Feminine Walk” is described in the liners as coming from a time of rock ‘n roll’s “sly sexual sedition”. Sure, why not? Tasjan sings and plays like a pro, the songs are tight as hell, and the production by Tasjan and Gregory Lattimer is spot on. He’s definitely a talent to be reckoned with, and he may be on his way to the recognition he deserves, so don’t miss out! Bonus: the catchy opening track, “Sunday Woman”, was co-written by Scot Sax! https://www.aaronleetasjan.com/
V/A-JEM Records Celebrates Brian Wilson (JEM Recordings; CD)
The perfect formula for a tribute disc: pay homage to an iconic artist, by some damn good artists in their own right, and that’s exactly the case with JEM Records Celebrates Brian Wilson. Some of the renditions are pretty faithful, like “Love And Mercy” by The Gold Needles and “Girl Don’t Tell Me” by The Anderson Council, but even these bands put their own stamp on them; others change things up a bit, like The Weeklings take on “Help Me, Rhonda”, which turns it into a power pop classic. Lisa Mychols and Super 8 bring a feminine touch to “Don’t Worry Baby; The Gripweeds add a dash of cool by doing an ultra-energized Smile version of “Heroes & Villains/Roll Plymouth Rock”, and it’s wonderful that Nick Piunti chose to re-create “Hang On To Your Ego”, rather than its better known Pet Sounds companion. Honestly, when it comes to tribute albums, it doesn’t get better than this! Note: the CD isn’t released until July 16, but you can pre-order it via https://www.amazon.com/Jem-Records-Celebrates-Brian-Wilson/dp/B09483M8LH/ref=sr_1_1
Deadlights-Deadlights (That Was My Skull; CD)
The venerable Jeff Shelton has long been the main man behind power pop stalwarts like Spinning Jennies, The Well Wishers, and Hot Nun, but here he puts his shoegaze shoes on with the first album by Deadlights…and it’s a good ‘un! In truth, some of the tracks really aren’t too shoegazey, as they’re basically Well Wishers tunes with a bit of reverb on Shelton’s voice, but several do marry Shelton-esque melodies to shoegaze signposts like gauzy guitars and stuttering drum fills. It’s also cool that Shelton elicited singer/songwriter Lindsay Murray to sing on one of the tracks, as her voice is evocative of Elizabeth Fraser. Deadlights is pure power gaze pop for now people, so check it out! https://deadlightssf.bandcamp.com/releases
Smash Palace-21 (The Rocket Entertainment; CD)
If you’ve not yet heard of Smash Palace, you may know main men Steven and Brian Butler’s names from the band Quincy, who released a major label album in 1980 (which definitely needs a reissue, but that’s another matter). After the demise of Quincy, the Butlers formed Smash Palace in 1985, and they’ve been going strong ever since. In fact, 21 (not their 21st album, but so named to celebrate 2021) may be their best yet, as it has every signpost of a major label release without being overly glossy. The band, also featuring pop music icon Cliff Hillis and Rocket Transfer Warehouse main man, Greg Maragos, is the tightest Smash Palace yet, and the songs on 21 feature their usual tight harmonies and Beatle-isms/Americana, but also some strong America (the band) influence on tracks like “Travel Into The Light” and “Strange Things Happened” (which absolutely would have been a hit back in the day). A consistently strong listen from start to finish! https://www.smashpalacemusic.com/
Radio Days-Rave On! (Wizzard In Vinyl and Rock Indiana; CD/Screaming Apple; LP)
Rave On! is the long awaited new album by this fine trio from Milan, Italy, and it was definitely worth the patience, as it’s as classic as power pop gets: hook-filled songs about love and lust, with all the urgency and energy that introduced the genre. Try not to dance to tracks like “Lose Control”, “No One To Blame” and “When I’m With You”; you can’t do it, but there’s also the dizzying, Badfinger-esque ballad, “Between The Lines” to cool out by. Radio Days may remind one a lot of the Japanese trio The Mayflowers, so if you know and love them, you will love Rave On!, but this review is a clarion call to all power pop fans to check out this and their three previous full-lengths! https://radiodays.bandcamp.com/
Jeremy-Distant Dream (JAM Records; CD)
I’ve been a long time admirer of Jeremy Morris’ music, and, full disclosure, a long time friend, which is why I rarely review his discs. After every album he’s released, and they’ve been, to quote Jeremy and The Beatles, “getting better”, I always say, as we all do after listening to many DIY releases, “if only he had a producer”. Well, our wish has been granted, as Morris enlisted the aid of none other than Ken Stringfellow, whose production of Distant Dream has definitely given Jeremy’s music-and, as a spiritual man he may not approve of this phrase- some balls! The ever-present jangle, harmonies, and Lennon-esque influences are still here, as they probably always will be in Jeremy Morris albums, but the full-bodied production takes everything to another dimension. It’s rare that Jeremy includes cover songs on his albums, but this one features a nifty version of, appropriately enough, Big Star’s “Thirteen”. The team of Morris/Stringfellow may have come up with Jeremy’s best album of a long and fruitful career! https://www.jamrecordings.com/