JANGLE ON!
Early Summer 2019
by Eric Sorensen
2019 has continued to feature a succession of strong jangly tunes. In the good news category is the fact that the stunning collaboration between Andrew Taylor and Gonzalo Marcos – Dead Calm, under the moniker The Boys With The Perpetual Nervousness – is now available on CD. This disc should make many Top Ten lists for 2019, and it reminds me of the fabulous late 80s Someloves collaboration between Darryl Mather and Dom Mariani. Dead Calm features brilliant harmonies and chiming guitar riffs that exemplify the power pop genre of music. Enough said! Here are some other jangly gems that have crossed my radar screen in the past three months:
Side Three – the Armoires. Another Bandcamp website find that is now available through the Kool Kat Musik site. Standout tracks include “Alesandra 619,” “Anomene!” and “Responsible.”
Big Stir Power Pop & More: The First Year – this is a FREE download compilation that features many jangly tracks. The Big Stir label is a welcome addition to the power pop community!
Myths and Fables – the Bobbleheads. Bruce Brodeen was right on the money when he recommended this disc. The most chiming, jangly tracks are “Anne Murray Centre” (with an interesting shift from REM-like chords to an instrumental bridge riff from Jethro Tull’s “Aqualung”) and “Like Oxygen.”
Ask Again Later – the Dates. The very catchy “Any Other Nite” was my jangly song of the month in April. The tune has a bit of a “This Is How It Feels” (Inspiral Carpets) vibe at the start, and then it sounds like an update of the Easybeats’ “Friday On My Mind” with some nods to Steve Wynn and the Mighty Lemon Drops.
The Legend of April Country – Sean Hutton. The jangly “So We Became Alive” is my favorite song on this cool disc.
Slow Century – I Was A King. A strong assortment of songs that features many chiming tracks – like “Clouds,” “Bubble,” “Shake,” “Tiny Dots” and “No Way Out.”
Pop Circles – Richard X. Heyman. Yet another masterpiece from Power Pop All Star singer/songwriter/musician Richard X. Heyman. I was glad to participate in the Kickstarter campaign to fund this excellent disc. Richard’s Rickenbacker may be muted on the songs, but who cares – the melodies are infectious and RXH still has a tremendous knack for crafting songs that fall into the ear candy category. Long may you run, Sir Richard!
Caught By Light – the Armchair Oracles. Chiming guitars abound on “Don’t Let It Break You” and “The Last Of All Suns.”
Leo Koster Sings Gene Clark – Leo Koster. This is a full-length homage to original Byrds member Gene Clark, whose songs continue to be covered by power pop, Americana and alt-country artists. “So You Say You Lost Your Baby” comes closest to being a jangle pop tune, and the other eleven tracks are all very cool interpretations of Clark’s compositions.
Some of the catchier jangle pop tunes from the past three months include “Tidal Ways” by Michael Bain, “Never By Myself” by the Attic Lights, “Old Men” by the Zebras, “Big Hits & Misses” by Andy Kentler, “Kathy’s Eyes” by Braddock Station Garrison, “Ray” by the BV’s, “Wasting All Your Time” by the Embryos, “Last Home Game Of The Season” by Eytan Mirsky, “Dreaming” by Top Boost, “Valerie” by the Rightovers, “Spring” by the Snark Hunters, “Colorado” by Fever Blanket, “No End In Sight” by Strange Passage, “The Best Thing” by the Chanteurs and “Argyle Avenue” by Yipes!
In addition, fellow jangleholic Ray Verno recently compiled Byrdsian Volume 132 – which features some excellent jangly tracks and many compressed and chiming Rickenbacker 12-string riffs. Standout tracks include “Blue Ridge Mountains” by Space Opera, “The Grind” and “Look Of Approval” by David Celia, “The Worst Of The Rest” by Broken Arrows, “Always Wanted Too” by Charley Dush and some nice covers of classic Byrds tunes by various artists.
Until next time, jangle on!
ERIC
