Category: Just The Bits

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Sidewalk Driver – For All The Boys And Girls (2009)


Sidewalk Driver
For All The Boys And Girls
2009

Sidewalk Driver are know for their over the top live performances. Anyone who has ever walked out of the club covered in glitter and confetti after one of their shows will tell you that. They’re one of those bands you’ll tell your kids about having seen back in the day.

The thing that makes Sidewalk Driver truly special, though, is that they manage to back up all the glitz and glamor with great musicianship and songs so catchy no quarantine can contain them. For All The Boys And Girls is a non-stop barrage of clever lyrics and big rock hooks. Sidewalk Driver have managed to create majestic anthems with enough depth and imagination to make them personable, even when the scenarios presented within are so absurd that few people will actually be able to relate to them.

“Dancing With Her Friends” gets things going on the right foot. Phasered guitars and a snappy beat propel the carefree lyrics. “Marianne” is heartfelt and almost feels like an updated “Maggie May” at times. “Seeds & Stems (Just Like Angels)” may be the greatest song Elton John never wrote. The intro to “Radio” reminds me of Sweet with its glam meets bubblegum sound.

Things get awesomely weird on “Wake Up, John!” and “Jenny Don’t Really Like The Boys”. The former is heavily indebted to David Bowie, the latter to Lorena Bobbitt. In lesser hands, songs like these would become novelties. With Sidewalk Driver, these songs become essential.

It’s pretty clear by this point that I think Sidewalk Driver are pretty great. Would now be a good time to point out that I haven’t even mentioned the song yet? You know, the song. “Tornado”. “Tornado” is the song that makes people’s heads spin. “Tornado” is the song that makes my head spin.

With their skillful mix of witty lyrics, undeniable melodies and classic rock sound, Sidewalk Driver have managed to make an album of uplifting music with artistic integrity. That’s not an easy thing to do. Most happy music is written off as insubstantial. Cynical music is almost always taken more seriously. I’ve always said I admire The Flaming Lips for being able to make thoughtful, joyous music. I feel the same way about Sidewalk Driver.

Holy moly. I’ve just made references to Sweet, David Bowie, Elton John, Rod Stewart and The Flaming Lips. Are Sidewalk Driver really that good? Yes. Yes they are.

Where to get it:

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The Fagettes – The Fagettes, Vol. 1 (2011)


The Fagettes
The Fagettes, Vol. 1
2011

The Fagettes are chock full o’ ’60s garage rock goodness. They’ve got simple, snappy back beats, handclaps and boy-girl vocals. The guitars are soaked in reverb, tremolo and crackly distortion. The Fagettes put the “F” back in fun. I don’t really know what that means. It’s just how they make me feel. This EP is a blast.

Now on to Volume 2…

Where to get it:

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Brendan Boogie – Songs From The Armory Vol. 3 (2011)


Brendan Boogie
Songs From The Armory Vol. 3
2011

Brendan Boogie is back with the last EP of his ambitious project to release new music every month for the first half of 2011.* This time around, Brendan presents us with a third installment of songs co-written with like-minded pop aficionados.

First up is “Attraction Fades”, one of two collaborations with Oranjuly’s Brian King (who has so far managed to avoid the dragons that are no doubt pursuing him). Mr. King’s retro pop stamp is all over this song. This is one of my favorite songs to come out of Brendan Boogie’s EP experiment. I love it.

Naked On Roller Skates’ Leesa Coyne takes over lead vocal duties on the melancholic “Using Me Using You”. The song has a beautiful sadness to it. Brendan’s duet with Abbie Barrett on “Love Is For Losers” lightens the mood as much as a song that references clubbing baby seals can lighten a mood (which, it turns out, is quite a bit).

Brendan Boogie and Brian King reunite for the closing number, a timeless piano ballad titled “With A Single Motion”. The stark instrumentation allows the layered vocals to shine. Fantastic.

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* Much like the mid week hiatus of The Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble’s preliminary round, Mr. Boogie took April off. Slacker.

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Emily Peal – Tunneling (2011)


Emily Peal
Tunneling
2011

Truth be told, I don’t feel entirely qualified to write about Emily Peal’s new record. I can’t seem to wrap my head around it. I’ve been listening to Tunneling for about a month now, and every time I do I get the spins. The attention to detail is staggering. This record is impossibly complex, yet maintains a remarkable accessibility (you know, except for the disorientation thing). I’m done thinking about it. I’m just going to enjoy it.

Emily Peal’s piano driven sound is equal parts musical theater, introspective singer-songwriter sensibility and Queen-style grandiose rock, complete with intricately layered backing vocals and bombastic guitars. Check out the menacing “Gentle When You’re Cruel”, the emotional “Privilege”, the delicate “Creator” and the disarming “Elephant In The Room” to get an idea of the musical range Tunneling covers. It’s vast.

I’ve got a soft spot for “Wise To You”. It’s a song that never fails to make me smile. This studio version has more elaborate instrumentation than the live version I posted a little while back, but maintains the latter’s undeniable charm.

Tunneling is quite the impressive album, whose whole is even greater than its numerous parts. Just don’t try to figure it all out. It will make your head spin.

Where to get it:

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Michael J. Epstein – “July 4, 1976 (Disco Independence)” (2011)


Michael J. Epstein
“July 4, 1976 (Disco Independence)”
2011

Do you like historically inaccurate songs about Independence Day, the Founding Fathers, disco music, life, liberty and the pursuit of facial hair? Maybe?

Michael J. Epstein is hoping you do.* He’s written “July 4, 1976 (Disco Independence)” for people just like you! You need not like actual disco music, just songs about disco music, as the song is not in the disco style. It’s a little indie rock ditty that rewrites history to explain why we have fireworks and barbecues this time each year. It’s a free download. As an added bonus, Mr. Epstein is throwing in a version of “The Stars And Stripes Forever (Moustache Mix)” that sounds like…

I’ve spent enough time on this.

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* Actually, he probably doesn’t even care. He seems like a well enough adjusted individual to not worry about this sort of thing. It’s all good.

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Tony Savarino – Guitaring (2010)


Tony Savarino
Guitaring
2010

Guitaring makes one thing abundantly clear; Tony Savarino is good at playing the guitar. Really good. On this full length record, Tony has assembled a crack backing band and manages to pick his way through all manner of guitar instrumental. Rock, lounge, spy, country, folk, jazz… it’s all represented here. There’s also an unlisted track that sounds kind of like The Monkees with a female singer (that’s a compliment).

Oh, and the cover photo is amazing.

Where to get it:

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Sugar Snow – Sugar Snow (2010)


Sugar Snow
Sugar Snow
2010

Sugar Snow play perfectly pleasant pop. Simone Berk sings sad songs, but don’t distress; the overall tone is indubitably inoffensive. There’s a ’90s indie influence to their modern music. Sugar Snow sometimes sound similar to Aimee Mann, Freedy Johnston or Juliana Hatfield. This self-titled set is a respectable release.

Where to get it:

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Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling – Questions Are A Burden To Others (2011)


Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling
Questions Are A Burden To Others
2011

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling is a duo made up of Sophia Cacciola on drums and vocals (usually) and Michael J. Epstein on bass (usually). Their songs are based on the ’60s British sci-fi spy series The Prisoner. Weird, right? It kind of is, but it’s also rather intriguing.

First of all, the bass rarely sounds like a bass. It’s so processed and distorted that it sounds like some kind of weird guitar/organ/bass hybrid from the retro future. The complex nature of the bass sound helps minimize the novelty of their unusual instrumentation. As for minimizing the novelty of lyrics based on The Prisoner, well, uhhh… how much do you really know about The Prisoner, anyway? If you don’t know much about the Patrick McGoohan drama (thanks Wikipedia), then it won’t seem like a gimmick. I would imagine if you knew a lot about The Prisoner it would be just plain awesome.

As for the music, it is guttural. Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling are desperate. They are dark. Tick tick tick tick-tock. The tension builds. The juxtaposition of sparse instrumentation and dense sound is powerful. Their urgency is alarming. Tick tick tick tick-stop.

I think I need to check out The Prisoner.

Where to get it:

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BrownBoot – Here’s The Thing: (2011)


BrownBoot
Here’s The Thing:
2011

BrownBoot reminds me of Humble Pie. I don’t think I’ve ever said that about a local band before. I guess there’s a first time for everything. It’s not that BrownBoot sounds exactly like Steve Marriott and gang. The common traits are found in songs like “Shame” and “Iron & Ledson”: a love of soul, big guitars and powerful vocals. In BrownBoot’s case the vocals come in male and female varieties courtesy of Rodrigo Van Stoli and Jordan Valentine. I can think of other bands that BrownBoot calls to mind. They are all from the early ’70s. You get the picture.

“I Can’t Wait (To Get Away)” is insanely catchy. Much like Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”, it’s the kind of song you’re glad someone wrote about somebody, but you hope never gets written about you. The big difference is that BrownBoot’s song is a scorcher lyrically and musically. “Mae Stay” pulls in the reigns a bit to good effect.

BrownBoot closes things out with “Spacepipe”. It has a killer groove, a nice heavy organ riff and Jordan Valentine stealing the show with her wailing vocals.

Where to get it:

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Oranjuly – Oranjuly (2010)


Oranjuly
Oranjuly
2010

The worst part of peaking as an musician is not knowing that it’s happening. You can’t really tell you’ve reached your personal artistic summit until you’re already stumbling down the wrong side of the mountain. When you get to that point, all you can think about is trying to scramble back to the top. Guess what? This side of the mountain is much steeper. It’s colder. It’s covered in oil. And broken glass. And bees. It’s also protected by a dragon. Good luck getting back to the top, buddy.

I’m here to inform Mr. Brian King of Oranjuly that he may want to enjoy his moment at the top of Pop Mountain*. It’s all downhill from here. There’s just no way he and his band can top this self titled record. I’m sure they’ll try. In fact, I’m pretty sure Oranjuly will make some more darn good records. But I’m not fooling myslef, they ain’t making another record this good.

The songs on Oranjuly are crafted to pop perfection. For thirty-three minutes Mr. King’s tunes manage to call to mind Brian Wilson, Wings, Todd Rundgren, Ben Folds and Weezer (before they found Rick Rubin). The production is stellar. Oranjuly pulls out every pop trick in the book without making it sound like they’re pulling out every pop trick in the book. No afterthoughts or gimmicks. There’s nothing but pure love for the song on display here.

So, Mr. King, enjoy the rest of your day. You’ll be fighting dragons soon.

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*Ok, so it turns out Pop Mountain is a real place in Connecticut. It’s only 351′ high. That’s more like a hill. In no way do I mean this to belittle the accomplishments of Brian King or his band, Oranjuly. Pop Mountain sounds a lot more majestic than it actually is, I guess.