The marvelous jangle-pop masterpiece “My Golden Years” by The Lemon Twigs holds firm at #1 for a second week on my latest Top 30 chart. I love this song, and never tire of hearing it. “Neon Pill” by Cage the Elephant holds at #2 for a second week, after spending two weeks at #1, and the gorgeous “Time” by MISSIO inches up a notch to #3. Another wonderful jangle-pop/rock song, “Kool Aid Blue” by Canadian band The Sylvia Platters, enters the top 10. The biggest upward mover this week is “Murder On the Dance Floor” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, jumping seven spots to #16.
For a second consecutive week, there are three new entries to my chart. The first, coming in at #28, is “Take It Or Leave It”, a melancholy but beautiful song by Sheffield, England-based alternative rock band Dead Slow Hoot, who’ve been putting out great indie rock since 2016. Next up is the delightfully boisterous “Good Times Go” by another English alternative indie rock four-piece, London-based The Kid and I, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. Bringing up the rear at #30 is the terrific “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Austin, Texas-based rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain, which I also recently reviewedin a Fresh New Tracks post.
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (1)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (2)
TIME – MISSIO (4)
DILEMMA – Green Day (3)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (5)
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (STAY HIGH) – The Black Keys (6)
BLUSH – Vazum (8)
LUNAR ECLIPSE – The Vaccines (9)
DIAMOND AND THE MISSING SON – Unquiet Nights (10)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (11)
I’M IN LOVE – Jelani Aryeh (12)
FIND MY WAY – Ships Have Sailed (13)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (14)
LOVIN ON ME – Jack Harlow (7)
GOOD PEOPLE – Mumford & Sons, Pharrell Williams (17)
MURDER ON THE DANCE FLOOR – Royel Otis (23)
ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (20)
DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (21)
WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (22)
WATER UNDERGROUND – Real Estate (18)
LANDMINES – Sum 41 (19)
DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (25)
THE GLASS – Foo Fighters (28)
THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (29)
I’m thrilled to announce that my humble little blog EclecticMusicLover has been named one of the 10 Best Jangle Pop Blogs and Websites by the website FeedSpot – the internet’s largest curated database of bloggers and podcasts. It’s both a total surprise and an honor to even be included among these other great blogs. Here’s the link to the list, in which I’m ranked #10. I guess it’s due to the large number of jangle pop bands I’ve written about over the past year.
This is the second time my blog has been included in one of FeedSpot‘s best-of lists; last year, it was named one of the 100 Best Indie Music Blogs on the site. (At that time, my blog ranked #48, but now sits at #20, which I must admit is a complete shock!)
Though my blog is a labor of love for me, it’s also at times a source of frustration, disappointment and stress. Therefore, it’s gratifying that all my time and effort spent writing about often little-known independent artists and bands over the past eight-plus years has earned me some recognition!
The Sylvia Platters are a wonderful band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and I love their music. Comprised of Alex Kerc-Murchison, Stephen Carl O’Shea, and brothers Nick and Tim Ubels, they play melodic jangle pop, infused with elements of alternative rock, indie, shoegaze and dream pop, and served up with stellar arrangements, exquisite instrumentation and Nick’s sublime vocals. While not at all retro, their pleasing sound nevertheless reminds me at times of such 90s bands as the Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket, with hints of 60s The Byrds.
From what I can tell, they’ve been putting out really fine music for about nine years, beginning with their 2015 debut album Make Glad the Day. Since then, they’ve released a second album Shadow Steps, in 2018, as well as numerous singles and three EPs, including the outstanding Live at Malibu Sound last year. If you like great jangle and power pop, I strongly recommend checking out at least some of their back music catalog.
Photo of the guys drinking the blue Kool Aid by Anthony Biondi
Now the guys are back with a marvelous new single “Kool Aid Blue“, a tasty cup of jangle pop goodness. Released January 19th, the track was recorded and produced by Jordan Koop at The Noise Floor, Gabriola Island, BC, and mastered by Greg Mindorff at Suite Sound Labs in Vancouver. I know next to nothing about the mechanics of music, so can only do my best to describe what I hear.
First off, I really like the song’s fascinating melody that sounds more complex and unpredictable than a typical pop or rock song, which I find causes me to want to listen more carefully and closely. Second, I love the contrasting gnarly and jangly guitars, which makes for a richer, more dramatic soundscape. And what exceptional guitar work it is, those gorgeous jangly guitar notes sparkling like precious gems, accompanied by grungier notes soaked in glorious reverb. Of course, I have to call out the brilliant rhythm section of resounding bass and aggressive percussion that together drive the song forward so beautifully.
Nick’s vocals are warm and comforting as he sings the poetic, yet relatable, lyrics that seem to be about having uneasy feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty, and attempting to escape from them through alcohol, symbolized by Kool Aid blue.
Living in sequence Gets a little uneven Spin in a fixture Alight as a stone
Alternative vision A tragic hair decision Read in the leaves That all you need’s a missing page
Glimpse the ether A mirror figure It’s just a phase you can’t escape
A sinking feeling Amber light; a dimmer view But that sinking feeling Will dissolve in Kool Aid blue
Slow motion sickness Wasted in stasis Another draft begins alone With three sheets to the wind You follow it home
A sequined ceiling In the dark, a clearer view And that sinking feeling Will dissolve in Kool Aid blue
And that sinking feeling Will dissolve in Kool Aid blue Will dissolve in Kool Aid blue Oo oo oo oo oo oo
The video was written and directed by Daniel Sparrow, filmed by Brendan Taylor, with additional photography by Daniel Sparrow and Alex Kerc-Murchison, and produced by Zone Pictures. It stars Junnicia Lagoutin, who’s shown in scenes with and without Nick Ubels, along with Jordan Hughes and the other band members.
And here’s the song on Bandcamp, along with a bonus “sugar free” instrumental version:
Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri is a delightful band with an equally delightful name, Eggs on Mars. I recently learned about them when their front man Brad Smith reached out to me after having seen my review of Kevin Robertson’s album Magic Spells Abound, asking if I’d be interested in reviewing their latest album Warm Breakfast. Well, I gave it a listen and like it so much, I’m happy to share it with my readers. Featuring 10 tracks, the album serves up 26 minutes of wonderfully pleasing jangle pop.
From what I can tell, Eggs on Mars began as a three-piece and has been around for at least 10 years. Like many a band, they’ve undergone a few changes in lineup, and now consist of the aforementioned Brad Smith on guitar, lead vocals & keyboards, Mason Potter on drums, percussion & backing vocals, Doug Bybee on bass, keyboards & backing vocals, and Joel Stratton on keyboards & backing vocals. They describe their sound as “informed by our love of 1960’s pop groups like the Lovin’ Spoonful and Buffalo Springfield, as well as guitar-based 1990’s groups like Built to Spill. We’re kind of like Guided by Voices, and the voices guiding us might be the Beach Boys.” After hearing their music, I’d say that’s an apt description, as I immediately recognized strong Lovin’ Spoonful and Beach Boys influences.
They’ve released a fair amount of music over the past nine years, including seven albums and an EP, their latest of which, Warm Breakfast, was released March 21st. Listening to some of their back catalog, I can hear how the quality of their songwriting and musicianship have steadily improved over time. Their early albums have a lo-fi garage rock feel, whereas their more recent works feature stronger arrangements and sound more polished and well-crafted. Eggs on Mars have this to say about WarmBreakfast: “On this new album we wanted a warm, textured sound and so you’ll find doubled guitars, electric piano, measured guitar lines, and vocal harmonies. These all accompany lyrical themes of finding joy in life’s simple pleasures as a means to deal with its inherent chaos and disappointments. It’s a happy record with sad songs, or maybe a sad record with happy songs. It’s genuine Midwestern somber pop.”
The album was recorded, engineered and mixed by Rodd Fenton at Solstice Audio, and mastered by Josh Johnson. For the album’s recording, additional guitars were played by Austin Smith, with additional backing vocals sung by Sam Smith and Rodd Fenton (I’m guessing Austin and Sam are related to Brad). The colorful painting used for the album’s cover was done by Shannon Brouk, with photography and album layout by band bassist Doug Bybee.
Warm Breakfast opens with “Especially Now“, a 52-second-long introductory piece that establishes the album’s overall theme, with simple lyrics advising us to be better to one another: “Be kind, especially now. There’s signs, you can tell.” Next up is “No Problem“, a short, catchy song that perfectly encapsulates my experience as a music blogger: “Giving, giving more. Much less than there was before. Falling, feeling drained. Little left and deeply strained.It’s no problem, I can handle this all fine. It’s no problem, I will make all of this right. It’s no problem, I’ll take it on.” The jangly guitars and lovely harmonies are wonderful, and the sweet accompanying video, created by Blane Worley, features both animation and claymation.
Gorgeous, reverb-drenched shimmery guitars are a highlight on “Wrong Way“, which seems to be about self doubt and inner conflict, feeling unsure of who we are or how we should act: “Just like a child I can’t decide what it is I should be.” It’s a beautiful track, and one of my favorites on the album.
“Every Day I Cross the River” speaks to the daily drudgery of going to work every morning “Every day I cross the river, debating just what is earned. Weigh its worth against what’s lived for. Navigate through twists and turns.“, but thankful for having a loved one to come home to in the evening: “You don’t have to ask about my day because I’ve already lived it. You don’t have to ask about my day because you’re the best part of it.” The song starts off which just acoustic guitar, then the music gradually builds into a lovely soundscape of jangly guitars, sparkling synths and gentle percussion. Brad’s smooth vocals are sublime, rising to a falsetto in the choruses.
Keeping with a similar theme, “Never Change” is about how, despite the day-to-day worries and demands of life, your love and devotion remains steadfast: “Overworked, you help ease it, so I will not quit. I’ll never change, won’t change my mind.” The song has a mellow, catchy vibe, highlighted by a terrific organ riff. “All’s Well Elsewhere” features a languid, guitar-driven melody, exuberant percussion and beautiful Beach Boys-esque harmonies. I’m not sure, but the lyrics seem to speak to not dwelling too much on things over which we have little control: “All’s well it’s a fairytale. All’s well it’s not bad at all.” The video, created by Jesse Banion from vintage 70s footage of a beauty pageant, represents a kind of fairytale.
Eggs on Mars turns more serious on “Nameless Headline“, using the story of a man killed in a car crash to signify the randomness of life, and how those of us who didn’t know him might have a brief passing thought over his misfortune, whereas those who were close to him are much more deeply impacted: “That could have been me. Another nameless headline to most. That could have been more than it would seem. Certainly to those who were close.” The bouncy “My Words” seems to touch on the old adage “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”, also pondering whether some do good out of their own sense of altruism, or simply because they want praise: “My words, my words, can’t hold their weight. Demonstrations of compassion give me hope that there’s still something to believe in. My good intentions don’t redeem me. Are you fine with helping if there’s no acclaim?“
Another favorite of mine is “Earthwormin‘”, both because of its marvelous jangly guitars, warm keyboards and lush Beach Boys-like harmonies, but also for its lyrics that once again speak to my own challenges as a music blogger: “Balancing is challenging to do now. Everyone expects something from you now. Day in, day out struggling get through, how?” Album closer “Whose Plans?” is a pleasing, mostly acoustic song, accompanied by what sounds like children playing in the background, and trailing off with ambient sounds of crickets at night. The spare lyrics ponder the concept of how our lives seldom go as planned: “All the things we rearranged, yet so few left unchanged. When we look at ourselves, has all this been done well?“
Warm Breakfast is the perfect title for this album, as its pleasing songs are like comfort food for the ears, delicious with every listen.
Kevin Robertson is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Aberdeen, Scotland who makes a very agreeable style of jangle pop. His music is strongly influenced by a range of influences, including 60’s pop, classic and psychedelic rock, 80’s jangle music and 90’s Brit pop. He’s been actively recording and releasing music both as a solo artist and as a member of Aberdonian (I love that word) jangle pop five-piece The Vapour Trails since 2019.
In a short period of time, Kevin has released a sizable amount of music under his own name, beginning in 2021 with his debut album Sundown’s End, followed by Teaspoon of Time in 2022, as well as a number of singles, demos and session recordings. On March 31st, he dropped his latest album Magic Spells Abound, an aptly-titled collection of nine exquisite songs. Recorded by Kevin with the help of musical friends who have appeared on his releases over the years, the album was produced by Nick Bertling, and released by the Subjangle label in conjunction with Futureman Records.
Listening to Magic Spells Abound calls to mind the music of so many great acts of the 60s, 70s and 80s, yet Kevin’s beautifully-crafted songs are thoroughly original. The album opens with “As the Crow Flies“, a charming and hopeful song that immediately makes me think of the beautiful melodies and harmonies of the Traveling Wilburys. In fact, Kevin’s pleasing vocals even remind me of the late George Harrison on this track as he sings “Don’t be afraid of the sunshine. Don’t cause alarm. Don’t be afraid of this darkness. It means you no harm.” So, too, with the mysterious and lovely “Candlestick Morning“, where his vocals and intricate guitar work seemingly pay homage to Harrison, at least to my ears.
On “Make Believe” and “Autumn Brings“, with their captivating melodies and infectious, foot-stomping grooves, both his stunning jangly guitars and vocals seem to channel the Byrds. Kevin’s skill for writing beguiling melodies is beautifully showcased on the winsome “The Crest of a Dream“, highlighted by an enchanting hook and some fine harmonica work. And on the breezy, uptempo “Cloak and Dagger“, Kevin and company nicely capture the glorious harmonies of Crosby, Stills & Nash.
One of my favorite tracks is “WanderOn“, with it’s catchy toe-tapping beat, colorful array of jangly and fuzzy psychedelic guitars, and buoyant Beatles-like harmonies. The lovely, folk-tinged “Sunset” is yet another terrific song, with it’s bewitching twangy guitars and sublime harmonies. And on the final track “Equilibrium Blues“, Kevin blends pleasing folk rock with spacey psychedelia to create a fascinating and compelling song that’s part Crosby, Stills & Nash and part Electric Light Orchestra. The lyrics seem to speak of evil forces at work to create uncertainty and chaos around us: “They’re coming from the gutter, to destroy your equilibrium./There’s not enough love in the sky to bring such a tear to one’s eye.”
I like everything about this album – the masterful arrangements, gorgeous guitar work and myriad instrumental touches – but it’s the marvelous harmonies throughout that really make Magic Spells Abound such a great record for me. Kevin is a very talented singer-songwriter and musician, and has much to be proud of with his latest work.
One of my favorite humans on the planet is Marc Schuster, who’s not only insanely creative and multi-talented, but also incredibly generous, funny and kind. I first got to know him several years ago through blogging (he has a terrific WordPress blog called Abominations), and he’s been among the most consistently loyal supporters of me and my blog.
A true renaissance man, Marc is an educator, author, literary critic, songwriter, musician and even a pretty decent visual artist. In addition to teaching English at Montgomery County Community College in southeastern Pennsylvania, he’s written several books, scripts for two short films, and numerous book reviews. He’s also a prolific musician, writing songs and recording music both as a solo artist and as part of multiple music projects. In just the past six months, he’s not only released several of his own singles and EPs, but also recordings by The Ministry of Plausible Rumours, a joint project with his cousin Vincent Zabielski, who put out a terrific album Summer Again last October, an outstanding improvisational instrumental album Simmons and Schuster that he made with fellow musician/educator Tim Simmons (you can read my review of that album here), and the single “In the Pink” by his collaborative music project Plush Gordon this past December.
Though Marc likes to experiment with different sounds, styles and textures, most of the songs he records as a solo artist have a delightful, indie bedroom-pop sensibility. Not only are his songs infectiously catchy, he has a wonderful knack for putting a youthful, often tongue-in-cheek perspective on everyday situations and problems many of us have faced at one time or another. On his new EP There Is No Down, which dropped February 2nd, he delivers five optimistic tracks (actually four plus an acoustic demo of one of them) assuring us that, no matter how crappy things may seem at the moment, there’s always reason to celebrate. For the recording of the EP, he was assisted by Paul Sanwald and Tim Simmons, who I’m guessing played piano.
Case in point is the trippy opening track “Funky Underpants“, wherein ‘funky’ refers to colorful and fun, not, well, you know… Over a languid bass-driven groove, Marc layers some lovely shimmery guitar notes and thumping drumbeats to create a jazzy, psychedelic backdrop for his dual auto-tuned vocals, half of which sound like Mick Jagger. He sings of wanting to pull himself out of the doldrums by letting loose in a pair of funky underpants: “Wishing I could dream, dreaming I could fly. Waiting on a world where we never die. I could be a saint or I could live in sin. I could live forever if my life would just begin. I want to sing. I want to dance. I want to wear a pair of funky underpants. I’ll take a drink. I’ll take a chance. I’ll take the world on in my funky underpants.”
Along a similar vein, “Feel Free” explores misbehaving, even if just for the night, in order to have a bit of fun: “Everyone says we should know better, but I never could tell wrong from right. Let’s hit the town like we won’t remember it. Let’s disappear into the night. I’m up to no good, and you’re just as bad. This could be the best time I ever had. I’m looking at you, you’re looking at me. Is this what it’s like to feel free?” Musically, the upbeat song has a bouncy pop-rock sound with a lively mix of jangly and fuzzy guitars.
“All We Are” has more of a rock vibe, with Marc’s marvelous fuzz-coated reverby guitars taking center stage. On this song, his vocals sound a bit like the late, great Tom Petty as he sings about the impermanence and brevity of our lives on this earth, and that we might as well make the best of things while we’re here: “The clouds roll in. The seasons change. We disappear. The world remains. All we are is right now.”
I think my favorite song on the EP is “Elevators“, a bittersweet piano-driven affair. I love the melancholy but beautiful piano keys, and the electric guitar solo in the bridge is superb. The lyrics speak of reminiscing about what seemed like simpler, more innocent times, yet not wanting to wallow in the past, but instead remain hopeful about the future: “So keep the fire burning to get us through the night. The wolves are creeping closer, but I think we’ll be all right. We used to ride in elevators, look down on the world below. We used to ride in elevators though we had nowhere to go.”
The fifth track “All We Are (Demo)” is an acoustic version of the third song on the EP, with only Marc’s gentle vocals and guitar. The spare treatment of the song nicely fits the simple and direct message expressed in the lyrics: “All we are is right now.” It’s a fitting finish to a lovely little EP.
I continue to be amazed and a little amused that I’ve gained a reputation as a music blogger who artists and bands reach out to in hopes I’ll listen to and write about their music, especially given the fact I play no instruments, cannot read music, have never written a song, and know zero about computer music programs or synthesizers. Hell, I only learned a few years ago that a bass guitar has only four strings as opposed to a standard six-string guitar! That said, I’m immensely impressed by people who can do all those things. I also try to keep an open mind about all kinds of music, and (almost always) know a good song when I hear it.
With that in mind, I’m pleased to feature a young, promising musician from Canada who goes by the artistic name PHYSIA. It’s the basement project of 19-year-old college student James Bings, who just released his self-titled debut EP Physia on the 25th of January. Now based in Victoria, James grew up in the small city of Williams Lake, deep in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, and learned to play guitar and bass at a young age. He developed his skills performing live with his late grandfather, mostly jig and waltz songs. Drawing inspiration from bands like Mac Demarco, HOMESHAKE and Mild High Club, he wrote the songs for Physia during his freshman year of university, and recorded, produced and mixed them by himself. He played guitar and bass, and used synthesizers for the percussion.
His songs are all instrumentals, characterized by his lush-sounding reverb-drenched guitars, subtle bass and gentle percussion. The first track “Cool Cat” is an aptly-named, pleasing song with jazz-infused jangly guitars and just a hint of percussion. The title track “Physia” is sublime, with a lovely melody and terrific jangly and chiming guitars. I especially like the watery guitars that appear later in the song that add a bit of funkiness to the track. “Beach Interlude” is a short track, only 1:16 minutes long, but it’s a beauty, with some fine guitar work that conveys images of a romantic night on the beach.
“Nice Dog” is a mellow, happy tune with jazzy, reverb-heavy riffs, accompanied by a pleasant little percussive beat. The song seems to end at the 3-minute mark, then suddenly starts back up with a sped-up version of the same melody and guitar riff, ending on an exuberant note. “Floral” is another brief track, but James’ intricate guitar work is really beautiful.
My favorite is “Drag Queen” which has the most complex and fully-developed melody of all the tracks. The sweeping jangly and chiming guitars are gorgeous, and I love the effect of James’ soaring vocals that meld so beautifully with the guitars, creating a wonderful glittery soundscape. I asked James why he gave the track that title, and he said he was inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race, which he and his girlfriend enjoy watching. The laughter of who I’m guessing is James and his girlfriend at the end is a fun touch.
Physia is a great little EP, and a very respectable debut effort that James should be proud of. He’s a fine guitarist and composer, and I really like his sound. I’m confident his skills will continue to grow and improve as he matures, and I’d like to see him use more complex melodies, guitar riffs and synths, and perhaps even try writing lyrics and adding more vocals to his songs.
The cool artwork for the EP was created by graphic and digital artist, editor/motion designer and composer Harrison Ames Barrett https://www.ames.digital/
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 