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| From | jimsouls@aol.com |
| Subject | Three current releases that might be of interest |
| Date | Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:57:58 -0400 |
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Three of my current favorites...maybe not power pop per se, but may be of interest to many list members...
BUTCH RYAN BAND - TIME TO WAIT
I was thrilled to see that Not Lame started carrying this as I've been a Ryan fan for quite some time. A review quoted by Bruce mentions The Hold Steady, Replacements and Bruce Springsteen as reference points. I'll add Tom Petty and Marshall Crenshaw to the mix. This is highly melodic roots-rock with a striking sense of maturity in the songwriting. Ryan's four previous releases are also excellent -- 2003's "Honeylove" is one of my all-time favorite cruising albums (if only I could still afford to cruise). Check out his MySpace page to hear four songs: two from "Time to Wait" and two older ones that include the ultra-jangly "Over You," which is one of my favorite pop songs of this decade.
KASEY CHAMBERS & SHANE NICHOLSON - RATTLIN' BONES
The best Appalachian-styled album of 2008 comes courtesy of a married couple from Australia. Chambers has been an alt-country darling for some time; her husband is a fine singer-songwriter with a Finn Brothers pop sensibility. While I like both as solo artists, nothing prepared me for this acoustic-based gem. Some of the most haunting melodies I've heard in years, ever-so-blues-tinged and tastefully embellished by banjos, fiddles, mandolins, etc. For my money, this easily beats last year's Plant-Krauss outing. Speaking of money, I paid $30-plus for this several months ago as an import. On September 16, it will be available in the USA on Sugar Hill. Chambers and Nicholson have several "Rattlin' Bones" tracks up on their individual MySpace sites. My favorite album of the year.
MAURA KENNEDY - SOLO TRACKS
Anyone familiar with The Kennedys might know that Maura is a huge power-pop fan. Lately she's been demonstrating that side of her musical personality by releasing one downloadable song per month on her MySpace page. There are now 10 such songs available for 99 cents each. While Maura is a devoted Raspberries fan, these songs cover a wide range of influences. The newly posted September track, "New Way to Live," has a Joe Meek feel to it with one of Maura's best vocals ever. It's one of the best recordings I've heard this year. I'm convinced that Maura not only would have made a great Bangle, but probably would have been the best Bangle.
That is all. Happy MySpacing!
Jim McGuinness
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