JANGLE ON!
Early Winter 2019
by Eric Sorensen
2019 was a strong year for jangly music, and 2020 appears to be picking up right where the previous year ended. Chiming, jangly pop/rock material that will appeal to fellow jangle enthusiasts include:
The Scenic Route – Dropkick. This new full-length disc from Andrew Taylor and his band mates will be released on February 7th. For those of us who couldn’t wait for the entire disc to be available, the chiming and catchy single “Feeling Never Goes Away” (my most recent Jangly Song of the Month) was released in advance via Bandcamp. Taylor continues to excel at weaving Byrds and Teenage Fan Club references into Dropkick’s ear candy tunes. Long may you run, Sir Andrew and band mates!
Full of Strange – the Fast Camels. This CD generated a lot of well-deserved buzz in power pop circles over the past few months. The band’s brand of psych-pop reminds me of the Green Pajamas. “Storyteller” has Byrdsian 12-string riffs that earned this song my Jangly Song of the Month accolades in December. Full of Strange is a winner – from start to finish.
Spread The Feeling – the Pernice Brothers. Joe Pernice and band mates have come a long way from their stripped-down roots-rock days as the Scud Mountain Boys. This latest album features a healthy slab of power pop/rock tunes – including jangly tracks like “Eric Saw Colors,” “Skinny Jeanne,” “Always In All Ways” and “Mint Condition.” The standout track is “Eric Saw Colors” – a melodic first cousin to “My Back Pages.”
Singles 1986 – 1991 – the Springfields. This is a must-have disc for fans of Velvet Crush in particular, and it is a must-have CD for power pop fans in general! The disc is a compilation of early recordings by Velvet Crush duo Ric Menck and Paul Chastain and the chiming tracks are so numerous they blend seamlessly into one another. Songs like “Sunflower,” “This Perfect Day,” “Clown,” “Bicycle Song,” “Wonder,” “Tranquil,” “She Swirls Around Me” and “Reachin’ For The Stars” are all reminders of what power pop should be – harmonies, chiming guitars and hooks galore. Long may you run, Sir Ric and Sir Paul!
Whistling After Midnight – Ben Vogel. This is an excellent album that features the jangly tracks “Cassidy,” “Leave This Town” and “Til’ I Found You.”
So Simple And So Clear – m.a.p.a. Wow! Jangleholics will be turning up the volume and tapping their toes to “Again,” “Always Again” and “Look Around.”
Short Story Picture Book – self-titled EP. These tracks fall into the power pop “lite” category and they deliver the goods when it comes to chiming guitars. Check out “The Eyes Of The Sleep Deprived,” “If You Miss The Morning,” “Lines” and “Counting Down.” In fact, “Lines” borrows some of its melody from “Starry Eyes” by the Records. Hope to hear more from this band in the future.
Guv I & II – Young Guvs. Newly available from power pop purveyor Kool Kat Musik, this disc is chock full of power pop nuggets. The standout jangly tracks include “Luv Always,” “High On My Mind” and “Try Not To Hang On So Hard.” Another welcome newcomer!
3 – the Weeklings. This is the third excellent disc from the Weeklings – who solidly embrace the power pop influences of the past five decades in songs like “I Want You Again” and “I Got The Love.”
Salto Al Vacio – Star Trip. The lyrics may be in Spanish, but this fan of power pop says “So what!” The chiming tracks are spot-on, and jangly music enthusiasts will love songs like “Salto Al Vacio,” “Hasta El Atarceder,” “Suenos” and “Mirame.” The sound of a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar transcends any language barrier!
Other catchy jangle pop tunes from the past two months include: “When It Breaks” by the Quivers, “You Told Me” by the Bertling Noise Laboratories, “Broken Gnome” by the JAC, “Up To You” by the Rallies, “California” and “Beggars” by the Fizzgates (a nice blend of REM and the Gin Blossoms), and “The Minutes” by the Eyelids (a band I plan to see the next time I visit Portland, Oregon!)
Byrdsian Volume 137, the latest compilation from fellow jangleholic Ray Verno, features 23 more jangly, chiming tracks. Standout tunes include “Sonny And His Sister” by Terry Hall (sounding eerily similar to “Arianne” by Kyle Vincent), “Everybody Danced” by Steve Simels (featuring a “She Don’t Care About Time” riff), “With Love Be Elevated” by the Cosmic Raspberry Morning (with a “Can’t Explain” opening riff), some great compressed 12-string riffs on other Cosmic Raspberry Morning tracks, and a cool acoustic version of “Lay Down Your Weary Tune” by Australian folk-rock duo Penny Davies and Roger Illot.
Until next time, jangle on!
