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| From | "Mike Hodges" <mikenrox@hughes.net> |
| Subject | IPO LA and new releases |
| Date | Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:06:34 -0400 |
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Hi Everyone,
I just checked the line-ups for IPO LA and I am tempted to fly across
country to see Tuesday Evening's show. Adam Daniel, Ken Sharp and the
Shambles? Wow! I'd be a fixture at the merch table to be sure. I was
pleased to see that Maryz Eyez are playing - I saw them live here in
Michigan and they deserve to be world famous. Perhaps now I can look
forward to a new CD from them.
Speaking of new CDs, I've been enjoying quite a few of them. Number One
on my list has to be "B-Side Oblivion" by Three Hour Tour. To be honest, I
thought this was going to be an "Odds and Sods" collection of old b-sides
and unreleased vault stuff. Wrong! This album rocked right out of the gate
and the songs (well, the first seven anyway) were complete gems with great
playing and arrangements. I began to dig through the liner notes to
discover that Adam Schmitt and most of the Velvet Crush are in this group.
The tracks "Lonely Place" and "B-Side Oblivion" are stunning. It's at the
top of my mid-year list.
Some of the CDs I had been anticipating for a while were slightly
disappointing. The new Private Jets disc is pleasant and poppy, but does
not have the impact of their debut EP "A Four-Leaf Clover in E-Major". The
same could be said of the new Spongetones. It is pleasant to listen to and
I don't regret spending time with it, but nothing grabbed my ears in the way
classic Spongetones music does. The Drowners, The New Odds and Ike
registered the same way. I am glad to own all of them, but I'll put on
their older stuff if I get the urge to hear them.
Which makes the following observation all the more surprising, the best
2008 album by a veteran act I've listened to for years was by...Jeremy!
"Pop Explosion" is his best CD. Period. He comes on like Cheap Trick on
the opening cut and things pick up from there. The album has variety and a
...thicker sound. There are more layered instruments in the arrangements,
and there is a real full band sound to the rockers. This fleshes out the
Byrds-like "Superstar" and supports the killer riff in "Time Is Running
Out". The piano ballad "The Perfect Love" is beautiful, but my favorite cut
of all is "You're Gonna Get It". The Liam Gallagher-like snarl that Jeremy
brings to his live renditions of "Heaven To Pay" comes through here on CD.
In the chorus, the protagonist snarls with righteous indignation
"You're gonna get what you deserve
It all comes down to who you serve
You're gonna get what you deserve
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"
I'm betting Jeremy can't wait to showcase this one live. The disc
comes with a bonus collection of covers Jeremy has done for various comp
discs. It is a nice dessert after the meaty main course that is "Pop
Explosion".
The best older CD I've just recently discovered was "Bowling For Soup
Goes To The Movies". I also like "Champion" by The Audition. The best new
song I've heard is the as-yet unreleased "She's Under My Skin" by the Smith
Bros. (who were fantastic in Chicago) and the best older song I heard for
the first time was "Keeping The Dream Alive" by Freiheit. "Oh Me Oh My" is
a fun song off the new Nerf Herder CD, but the CD that has stayed in the
player the longest this summer is by Nerf Herder's lead singer, Parry Gripp.
It's titled "For Those About To Shop, We Salute You". Each 'song' is a
minute-long jingle for a different product. They are catchy as heck and my
kids and I love 'em. The samples on I-tunes contain nearly the whole song.
Sample "Bran Flakes", "Golf is Groovy" and even "London's Calling" if you
want to hear a touch of Ray Davies.
Back to lurking.
Mike
BTW - is there any news on a new Redd Kross CD in our future?
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