JANGLE ON!
by Eric Soreensen
Although this is the time of the year when one’s attention turns to holiday-related events, there are still some new jangly discs and tracks worthy of mention in this year-end column. Jangleholics should find the following music very appealing:
1967 – Pyewacket. Original band member John McKindle has re-recorded and remastered the songs of this late 60s Marin County band (their demo album was never released), and John aptly titled the 15-track disc 1967. Byrds and Beatles influences abound throughout the songs – as evidenced by the similarity between McKindle’s “If I Really Cared To” and George Harrison’s “If I Needed Someone.” The bonus track “You Were On My Mind” is a janglier version of the Top 40 hit that fellow Bay Area artists the We Five popularized 45 years ago. If you set aside the 60s framework, studious pop fans will also hear similarities to the early 80s material of the Squire. Pyeweacket’s tunes range from straight-ahead pop to the psych-pop that was surfacing during the band’s short-lived existence (1967-1969). It’s all good, and it’s timeless. Kudos to John McKindle for finally bringing these nuggets out of the attic and back into the pop sunshine.
Hot Knives – the Hot Knives. This album is another time capsule from the treasure chest of vintage Bay Area music. This time, the album features mid-70s folk-rock by a band that included two of the founding members of the legendary Flamin’ Groovies. Imagine the folk-rock of the Beau Brummels and the early Jefferson Airplane, filtered with the more rock-oriented sound of the 1976 lineup of Fleetwood Mac. The tracks also feature the more muted “jangle” that the Flamin’ Groovies were known for. There are some cool cover tracks among the album’s 14 songs. Many thanks to Ray Gianchetti at Kool Kat Musik for carrying both of these Boomer-pleasin’ discs!
Marathon – Taylor Locke & the Roughs. Another solid release by one of today’s best pop-rock groups. “My Only Drug” is the radio-friendly track that tops my list of favorites.
Fellow Byrds enthusiast Ray Verno discovered some excellent chiming tracks for his latest Byrdsian 81 and Byrdsian 82 compilations. The standout songs include: a very cool cover of “I Fought The Law” by Gee Baldwin and the Janglehearts; “City Meets The Stars” by the Lovetones (a nice amalgam of REM and the Grip Weeds); and “Got Nowhere To Go” by Asteroid #4. Ray also sent me a terrific compilation of holiday songs – “A Jangletastic Christmas 2011” (Volume I); and I returned the favor by sending him “A Jangletastic Christmas 2011” (Volume II). Rickenbacker 12-string guitars are front and center on many of the songs; for example, Cam King plays his primo Ric 12-string on the Shakin’ Apostles’ contemporary version of “I Saw Three Ships.”
Next up: compiling the “Best of Jangle Pop Tunes – 2011” CDR. I’ll review the contents of that disc in next month’s column. Until then, Happy New Year … and jangle on!
