JANGLE ON! – September 2022

by Eric Sorensen

This year is going by swiftly, and a wealth of jangly, chiming tunes continued to surface in the past month.  Byrds, Beatles, pseudo-60s and REM references can be heard in many of these CDs and single tracks.  Fellow jangly music enthusiasts should seek out the following jangly pop music:

            Backgammonesque – the latest CD from Buenos Aires, Argentina power pop band Los Andes (mentioned in an earlier column).  This CD features great melodies, terrific harmonies and just the right amount of jangle (REM, Rubinoos and Lolas).  My favorite track is “Yo Sabia.”  Long may you run, Sir Juan Marioni and bandmates!

            On! – by the Optic Nerve.  This pop band has stood the test of time; they treat fans of pseudo-60s music to fifteen new tracks.  The standout jangly track is “Jamie Rowe.”

            Watercolor Haircut and  The Ivy Room – by One Plus Two.  These two CD-EPS, released in 1984 and 1985, capture the sound of yet another 80s band (Charlotte, North Carolina) that was heavily influence by REM.  Like most fans of jangly music, I have a weakness for the many 80s artists who emulated REM.  Check out “Over You” and “Look Away.”

            Changes, Lost In Time or any of the CD-EPs and full-length CDs by Portland, Oregon chiming psych-pop band the Reverberations.  Byrds, Flamin’ Groovies and Beatles influences can be found in songs like “Sunshine,” “The Way I Want You,” “What Can I Do?” and “Mesmerized.”  Now I really wish I had spent more time checking out the live music scene when I visited Portland during the past decade!

            Favorite new singles from the past month include: “World On Fire” by Richie Mayer (from the Kool Kat-released Pop Aid – A Power Pop Compilation to Benefit the Citizens of Ukraine); the very jangly “Mama Told Me Not To Come” by Bill Lloyd (from the recent Spyder Pop compilation We All Shine On: Celebrating the Music of 1970); “Take A Moment” by the Dust Collection (shades of the Long Ryders); “Tapestry” (chiming) and “So Many Days” (strummy, with pedal steel flourishes) by the Los Angeles psych-pop band the Triptides; “Take A Beat” by Emmett Morris (Byrdsian – “Draft Morning” comes to mind); “Turn Me Around” (mid-80s REM) by Yod Crowsy and the Dark Marbles (also, check out their excellent cover of Love’s “She Comes In Colors”);  “You Shine Brightly” (classic REM) by Shoken Boys; “Mother Nature Is Son” by the Smashing Times; “Kick Out The Floor” by John Larson and the Silver Fields; “Satellite” by Jon McDevitt (alt-country meets jangle pop a la the Jayhawks); “Pop Glass Ceiling” by the Preoccupied Pipers; “Memory Lane” by Geist; “Sirens” by John McCabe (more classic REM); “I Don’t Mind” by the pseudo-60s band the Baron Four; the catchy “Wherever You Go” by the fundaMentals; and “Again” by M.A.P.A.

            Until next time, jangle on!  ERIC