Tesla - Homage

Although they’ve released eight studio albums of largely original music over their forty plus year career, Tesla is no stranger to cover songs.  Not only did they get their start as a cover band, one of their first hits was a cover of Ph.D’s “Little Suzi,” their biggest hit was a cover of “Signs” from the Five Man Electrical Band and they also released two albums of covers in 2007 titled Real To Reel Vol 1 and Vol 2.  Now, with the release of Homage, they are back with another batch of covers.  Unlike those earlier covers albums, which focused more on classic and hard rock, Homage often looks further back to bands and artists from their earlier formative years, and there is also a lot of diversity in the songs they selected.  In addition to the covers, the album does include an original, “Never Alone,” a bluesy ballad in the same vein as their biggest hit “Love Song.”  Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home” kicks the covers off, and along with The Temptations’ Motown classic "I Wish It Would Rain" a little later, is a solid bluesy rendition with plenty of soul and an emotional vocal from Jeff Keith.  When it comes to Queen, “Spread Your Wings” was a Top 40 hit in the UK, but isn’t what would come to most people’s minds as a cover.  Having said that, their performance proves that they made the right choice.  Next up is Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” and while not too far removed from the original, the song sounds like it was made for them and they still do enough with it to make this version their own.  Probably the most unlikely track on the whole album is Elvis’ “If I Can Dream,” a song that was inspired by the recent assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert F Kennedy and most notably known for his performance during the ‘68 Comeback Special.  Keith really showcases his vocals here, which are smoother, as he largely steps away from the raspiness he’s known for.  On Badfinger’s “Come And Get It” (written by Paul McCartney), they maintain the insanely infectious pop hooks of the original but give it a little bit more of a rock edge, while James Brown’s “I Got You” is just a plain old fun, upbeat cover.  The next two tracks are somewhat of a surprise and not really songs that would come to mind immediately when thinking of influences.  They give Supertramp’s “Give A Little Bit” a bit of a spin, with more of a rock element (and no horns), and on Climax Blues Band’s “I Love You” they do an excellent job of taking the essence of the song and giving it a little bit of a grittier blues groove (they actually released a different version on the 2011 album Twisted Wires).  They dip their toes in swampy / southern rock on CCR’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “The Ballad Of Curtis Loew,” both of which seem to fit the band perfectly and don’t stray too far from the originals.  Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind” is an absolute classic, and they do her justice with a fantastic take on the soulful tune giving it a bit of a dirty blues, rock element.  Closing the disc out is Hank Williams Sr.’s “Mind Your Own Business,” another fun track that finds them taking his classic country tune and giving it some boogie woogie, honky tonk swagger.  

(Frontiers Music)

  

Interview with Twin Bloom

After informally playing together from time to time, Gvir Aviv, Mickle Nguyen, Joshua Cano, and more recently Sandra Alva, formed the band Twin Bloom, and released their self-titled debut EP.  I recently had the chance to ask Mickle some questions about the EP, working with producer Maryam Qudus and more.

I read that three of you have been playing together for about ten years.  Can you give me a little bit of band history?  Also, having played together that long, what took so long for us to finally get this EP?

The three of us, Josh, Gvir and I, have played together off and on over the years, nothing serious. We shared a practice space and played with some other friends here and there, but nothing formal. Twin Bloom has only been a project for about a year and a half. We hadn't played together regularly in years before that, so when we started back up this time, we made a goal to get in the studio within six months. Sandra was also the missing piece that helped us actually move forward.

With so much time together I'm assuming there were a lot of songs to choose from.  How hard was it to pick these four?

Honestly, "Summer's Gone" was the only mostly finished song we pulled from the past.  If I'm remembering correctly, "Magazine Dreams" and "Under the Current" came from small ideas from back then but were pretty much written together in this new project.  "Signals" was new to the rest of the guys.  It was music I had written on my own and tracked a demo of, but it was different, more keys and drum machine.  It really opened up and improved with the band and Gvir's melody.  So, to actually answer the question, it wasn't hard because we were just pulling on the threads that were interesting to us.  We had a few more ideas we worked on that either got tossed or are now in our set.

The songwriting is credited to the band as a whole.  Is there a certain way the songwriting tends to happen, or does it vary?

It definitely varies.  It tends to begin with a riff or a melody and then grows with the band.  Sandra speeds it up, or Josh comes up with a lead melody or harmony, and it builds from there.  Gvir and I have also come in with more solid ideas, but none of us are too precious about what we bring to the table.  We're okay with dismantling something and putting it back together so we all have our fingerprints on it.

I read that you set a goal of making the record within six months. Did you end up sticking to that and do you think that goal had any impact on the end result?

I think we did, or came very close.  We had some songs that were completely finished going into it, "Magazine Dreams" for instance. The goal made us accountable to being close to ready when we went into the studio with Maryam.  It also timeboxed us so we couldn't just let the process go on forever like we've done in the past.  But I have to say, some of the things that came together in the studio were so good too.

I saw something that said you wanted the songs to evoke a specific feeling or emotion that comes from nostalgia.  I think that you really succeeded with that and also feel like the music and the lyrics do a great job of creating really strong visuals.  I was wondering if you also feel like you were successful in doing that?

I think we did.  When I listen to the EP, each song kind of puts me in a part of a day in the past.  Gvir's lyrics fill in the details around the music. I think there's a sadness and longing to all the songs.

Throughout the EP there are elements of new wave, shoegaze, power pop, jangle rock and even a little country in the twang of the guitars in "Signals."  Who would you consider some of the band's biggest influences?

Everyone in the band has such different musical taste, but there's a good amount of overlap, and I think we just pull from everything in our pasts. The obvious ones are Alvvays, Weezer, Teenage Fanclub.  If I remember correctly, Gvir grew up on his parents' records, Pink Floyd, Queen, then found punk and eventually indie rock like Death Cab and Elliott Smith. Josh grew up on Motown, he's really into electronic music but also pop. He probably has the most eclectic taste of all of us.  Sandra played in metal and screamo-type bands and I know she still loves pop-punk.  I grew up listening to R&B and pop music, and was a big product of early MTV, then found the Southern California punk scene, then hardcore, screamo, emo, but honestly, I listen to everything.  Pop music is really what excites me and I always come back to it, whether it's a band like Alvvays or Robyn or the catchy hooks of our labelmates Motorcycle (I constantly have "Relive It" stuck in my head).  I'm a sucker for a good melody.

Not a comment, but I wanted to say I really love the video for "Summer's Gone."  It really seems to capture the vibe of that song perfectly.

Thank you so much. Working with Kyle Garrett was so great.  He really listened and helped bring the vision we had to life.  We'd love to work with him again, especially after seeing his insane video for Tod Lippy's "The Ache." It's seriously so insane, go check it out.

Maryam Qudus produced the EP.  She has worked with an impressive and quite diverse array of artists.  How was that experience, and what impact did she have on the end result?

Maryam was so fun to work with. I think we were a bit nervous going in, or maybe it was just me.  Not nervous about working with her, more that some of the songs weren't completely done and were finished in the studio, so I wasn't sure how they'd turn out.  I had nothing to worry about with Maryam at the helm.  She really listened to what we wanted but also pushed us in directions we probably never would have thought of, and we're very proud of the finished product.  We're in talks to get back in the studio with her at the end of the year or early next year.  I'm really looking forward to it.

For Twin Bloom you came back to guitar after some time playing bass in other bands.  How was that shift?

It's been so great.  Don't get me wrong, I love playing bass too, but guitar is my main instrument, and before the last two bands I'd played guitar primarily except for filling in here and there.  So going back was easy, and that plus writing with the band has made it extremely fun. Also, getting lost in pedalboard world is always fun for me.

How is the music scene in Oakland and San Francisco, and how has it been for a "new" band?

We're an Oakland band, but the scene in the Bay Area, which includes both Oakland and San Francisco, is thriving, and we've been extremely lucky to have labelmates, friends, and bands we've just met be super supportive.  I can't undersell how much releasing our EP on Dandy Boy has helped.  Otherwise, I think we'd be a little lost.  I do feel like were the new kid on his first day, and some cool kids took us under their wing.

Now that the EP is under your belt, do you think we will be seeing more music soon?

We have some new songs written and are working on more.  You can catch two of them in our current live set.  We'll get them tracked soon with Maryam.

Do you have any plans to expand your touring to other parts of the country?

We would love to.  If the right opportunity presents itself, I think we'd try our hardest to make it work.

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Thank you Geoff, for your time and for reaching out.  Please take a listen to our s/t EP, out now on all streaming services on Dandy Boy Records. We just started shipping vinyl orders, so if you'd like one, grab it at our Bandcamp. And check out our music video for "Summer's Gone" if you have a minute. 

(Dandy Boy Records)

Luke Haines - Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Bizzy

Over the past twenty plus years, Luke Haines has released albums from bands that have included The Servants, The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder, along with solo albums and three with REM's Peter Buck and members of The Minus 5.  For his latest solo album, Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Bizzy, he delves into the unlikely subject of the magic and magicians from the British children’s television of his youth in the sixties and seventies.  I will say that with a few exceptions there is very little here that most of us outside the UK will be familiar with, but that doesn’t detract from make this a highly enjoyable release.  The title track kicks things off and is a fun, almost hypnotic, psychedelic track with some great fuzzed out guitars.  The psychedelia continues on the next track, the laid-back “Mama Cass,” which is one of the aforementioned exceptions, with lyrics detailing the title subject teaming up with the Scooby Doo gang, something that is relatable over most of the globe (for those of you wanting to delve a little deeper here, Elliot was featured in the 1973 episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies episode titled "The Haunted Candy Factory").  On “Death Card For The Kids,” he dips his toes into glam with more fuzzed out guitars and a stomping beat, while “Tommy Cooper - Chaos Magician,” and later on “TV’s On All The Time,” (with an HR Pufnstuf namecheck that us Americans will recognize) are very reminiscent of the quirkiness of Robyn Hitchcock. “Headchanger,” a song about Worzel Gummidge, a scarecrow with powers that change depending on which of his interchangeable heads he is using (?!?), is another fuzzed out psychedelic track with hints of glam. “Mum” is an upbeat little ditty at just over one minute that’s juxtaposed against dark and disturbing lyrics, while “The Omen 2” is a lilting acoustic track asking, “have you seen The Omen 2?” (apparently it was classified AA in the UK meaning it was suitable for 14-year-olds leading children to ask that question).  Following the folkier “The Standing Stones Of ITV” is “Mick Robertson Says,” a midtempo track, with a touch of glam, about the host of the children’s show Magpie, and the slower, more introspective “Spiritualist Church at 7.30pm Every Other Wednesday.” “Graham Bond Turned On His Mellotron” is a brief little tune of minimalist, swirling psychedelia about David Nixon, a magician and television personality, who also involved in the development and manufacture of the mellotron, and musician Graham Bond, the first rock musician to record using the instrument.  The slow and mysterious “Magic Shop,” along with a reprise of the title track, close the album out perfectly.

(Cherry Red Records)

The Long Ryders - High Noon Hymns

With the release of High Noon Hymns, The Long Ryders are back with their sixth full-length release, and third since getting back together in 2004 after a thirty-year break (with the exception of the occasional live show).  Like its predecessor, the band is comprised of Sid Griffin, Stephen McCarthy, Greg Sowders with McCarthy and Old 97s' Murry Hammond playing bass in place of the late Tom Stevens.  The album is another strong collection of country and roots rock with elements of psychedelia, jangly guitars, soul and even a bit of post-punk.  Opener “Four Winters Away,” is the first of several songs that address their dislike of the current political climate.  It’s a punchy, jangly rocker with a post punk edge and lyrics looking forward to when Trump is out of office.  “World Without Fear” takes a less specific view of the problems of society, dreaming of a world without fear, and is an easygoing midtempo track with some influence from The Byrds.  The next two tracks are back to a more pinpointed opinion on the state of the country.  Channeling a bit of The Rolling Stones, “Stand A Little Further In The Fire” is a rocker addressing the “Liar In Chief,” while “Ramona” is a more laid-back psychedelic, roots rock song criticizing ICE.  The remainder of the album largely moves away from the more political lyrics, starting with “(How How How) How Do You Wanna Be Loved?,” an extremely catchy, driving rocker.  More in line with classic, old school country, “Knoxville On The Line” is a gorgeous, laid-back, deeply emotional and introspective track.  With a guest appearance from X’s D.J. Bonebrake on vibes, “A Hymn For The City Of Angels” is another laid-back cut with a bit of a shuffle, that pays homage to Los Angeles, while “Down To The Well” is a solid, straight-on rootsy rocker and “Wanted Man In Arkansas” is a great, classic country ballad.  Drawing from eighties alt country, but giving it a modern day sound, “A Belief In Birds” is one of the album’s standouts.  Following the catchy, midtempo country rock of “Rain In Your Eyes” and the reflective, introspective “Say Goodbye To Crying,” they close the album with a fresh take on Dylan’s “Forever Young,” highlighted by Wyatt Ellis on mandolin.  High Noon Hymns is another perfect of example of how vital The Long Ryders were and still are.  

(Cherry Red Records)

Shane Embury - Bridge To Resolution

Although not one of the band’s founders, Shane Embury is currently the longest running member of Napalm Death, where he is bassist and main songwriter.  In addition to Napalm Death, he has contributed to many other projects, including Brujeria, Lock Up, Dark Sky Burial and Meathook Seed.  While he’s known for extreme metal, he drew from his love of goth and post-punk of bands like Cocteau Twins, Killing Joke and The Mission, to create his latest solo release, Bridge To Resolution.  Embury provided the vocals, guitar, bass and synths, with Carl Stokes (Cancer, The Groundhogs) playing drums and Simon Efemy, who has worked with a diverse array of artists including Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, The Wonder Stuff, Pantera, Napalm Death, Cancer, The Wildhearts and Diamond Head, producing. The album opens with “Spasm Prayer,” a driving electro tune with gorgeous piano textures that give it an ethereal side and a very hook-heavy pop sensibility.  That pop side continues on “The Dreaming Abyss,” but with a more synth-driven, aggressive and darker side.  On the title track, he fully embraces his influences to create a haunting, dark wave soundscape, while “Thorns In Despair” shifts in dark and brooding industrial direction, but still with an ethereal electronic undercurrent.  With “How To Corrode Memories” Embury draws on more of a post punk influence with its upbeat, swirling, almost chirpy, synths and layered vocals, and on the dreamy “Illusion Guillotine” he returns to the more atmospheric and ethereal darkwave sound enhanced with haunting female backing vocals.  On “Taurus” he changes things up with an upbeat, synth-driven dance beat.  The album closes with the seven-and-a-half-minute epic “The Gift Of Shame Wrapped In Guilt,” which starts as a mesmerizing ambient wall of synths, then slowly builds as piano and vocals come in and then gets even heavier with guitars and percussion while always maintaining that hypnotic essence.  Bridge To Resolution is an outstanding addition to Embury’s discography and one that not only stands up to repeated listens but will have you hearing something new every time.

(Dissonance Productions)

  

Manraze - Lock, Stock & Barrel

Manraze got its start in 2004 when Def Leppard’s Phil Collen had some song ideas that didn’t fit that band, and contacted his former Girl bandmate Simon Laffy.  They started writing some songs together, and since Phil liked the dynamic of a three-piece, they decided to contact Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook to round out the band.  Several years later, in 2008, they released their debut album Surreal, which was followed by album number two, PunkFunkRootsRock in 2011.  Now, with the release of the five CD box set Lock, Stock and Barrel, those two albums have been compiled along with three discs of bonus tracks consisting of live and acoustic cuts, instrumentals and rarities.  

Surreal explodes right out the gate with the angsty, fast-paced punk of “This Is,” followed by the high energy rocker “Turn It Up.”  They then switch things up on “Runnin’ Me Up,” a more laid-back rock song with a hypnotic reggae groove.  “Every Second of Every Day” is up next and is rock with a hooky pop edge that’s not so unlike Def Leppard, as is “Low,” which has come really great guitar work from Collen.  With a taut, swirling groove, “Spinning Out” finds them changing things up once again, with a dirty, almost grungy, sound.  Mixing hard rock with a reggae groove, “Can’t Find My Own Way,” is often strongly reminiscent of The Police’s “Can’t Stand Losing You,” while “Skin Crawl” is a hook heavy, hard rock cut, but with a darker, gritty groove.  The upbeat rock of “Connected To You” has a very infectious, bouncy and upbeat groove and “Halo” has a similar vibe, but with a hint of glam.  Although the high energy rock with a punk edge of “It’s Entertainment” shows some promise, it’s quite repetitive and falls short of the album’s remaining tracks.  Thankfully they turn that around quickly on the closing cut, “Shadow Man,” a dark and moody rocker that is an album highlight.  Quite an impressive release that draws on the influences of their bands, but has a sound all its own.  

The somewhat aptly titled second album PunkFunkRootsRock opens with “Over My Dead Body,” which starts off sounding like old school Alice Cooper or KISS with Collen doing his best Gene Simmons on vocals, before shifting into more of a punky, glam rocker complete with singalong choruses and handclaps.  Continuing in a more experimental direction, including Collen’s effects-laden vocals, “I C U In Everything” sticks to the darker sounding side of things, but gives it an interesting modern rock twist.  They slow things down on “All I Wanna Do,” a poppier track with a laid-back bluesy groove and a sexy, slinky shuffle, while the reggae beat of “Closer To Me” once again brings to mind The Police.  The influence of Collen’s other band can definitely be heard on several tracks including “Lie Lies All Lies”, a rawer tune with a hint of punk attitude, “Dreamland,” a fun rocker with the tighter sound of a three-piece, and “Get Action,” which is Def Leppard through and through all the way down to the title.  They slow things down again on “Edge Of The World,” a slower, dreamy track with a hint of psychedelia, and also throw in a cover of Hendrix’s “Fire,” which is a good version, but doesn’t really add anything to the song to make it stand out.  With its high-octane drive and some great guitar work from Collen, “I, Superbiker” is a raw, adrenaline fueled rocker that to me is the standout track on the album.  Unfortunately it is followed by “Bittersweet,” one of the weaker tracks here that comes across like a Foo Fighters outtake.  They close the album out with the “Dog Bite,” a really strong hard driving rock instrumental with a catchy groove that showcases the musicianship of all three.

As for the three discs of bonus tracks, they start off with one containing eleven instrumentals.  With nine of these coming from songs on the two albums and the vocal versions of the other two appearing as a bonus track on disc five, it’s doubtful that this disc is going to be anybody’s go to.  As for the final two discs, that is a completely different story.  Disc four is titled “Live & Unplugged” and kicks off with nine live cuts recorded at three different venues.  The band is tight and on fire on these tracks, often giving them a kick in the pants compared to the album versions (check out the two performances of “This Is”).  The remaining six cuts are acoustic takes that show they are just as successful going the other direction, including a great version of “Halo” that incorporates a snippet of Al Green’s “Take Me To The River” and an incredibly soulful take on “All I Wanna Do.”  The final disc is Unreleased and Unleashed and actually contains some of the most diverse tracks in the collection.  First up are a couple non-album singles, both containing some outstanding guest backing vocals from gospel singer Debbi Blackwell-Cook.  “I Surrender” is a midtempo track with a bit of a Def Leppard feel, but really set apart with her vocals, while “Take On The World” (the main song in the movie I, Superbiker II - The Showdown, about the British Superbike racing championship) is really cool high energy, foot stomping rocker mixed with a dance beat.  The other unreleased songs here are “Immaculate,” a dark, really heavy instrumental that has a movie soundtrack vibe and a bit of an industrial influence and “Original Sin,” a really strong, gritty rocker with a darker side.  The remaining tracks are a Deep Dub instrumental version of “Turn It Up,” that turns it on its head and sounds nothing like the original, a heavy dance mix version of “Halo,” a dark, electro-industrial mix of “Skin Crawl” and club dance remixes of “Low” and “Get Up.”  All of them put a nice spin on the original and are well worth a listen.  While it's quite possible that Manraze fell under the radar of alot of people, which is surprising with the musical lineage of its members, Lock, Stock & Barrel is the perfect way to correct that in one nice five CD package. 

(HNE Recordings)

The 69 Eyes - I Survive EP

For the past thirty-seven years, and amazingly with only one lineup change all the way back in 1982, Finland's The 69 Eyes have continuously cranked out their own brand of what has been called "goth 'n roll."  Now with the release of their new EP I Survive they are back at it again, with another collection that meshes elements of goth (especially due to Jyrki 69's distinctive deep goth vocals), rock, sleaze and glam.  The EP opens with the title track, which features a guest appearance from guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) and is an infectious, rocking anthem with great singalong choruses.  Next up is a cover of the Thin Lizzy classic "Cold Sweat," and while it isn't too far removed musically from the original, the vocals really give it their own spin.  Loaded with some great guitar work, "In The Misery" is a straight-ahead hard rocker that brings to mind The Cult in the Sonic Temple era.  With former Monster Magnet and The Atomic Bitchwax guitarist Ed Rundell guesting, "Devil's Rose" closes out the album and does a great job of showing their darker and dirtier side.  Whether you are a seasoned fan or this is your introduction, I Survive is a great addition to your collection. 

(Black II Black Records)

  

Adrian Belew - The Atlantic Years 1989 – 1992 

Adrian Belew’s early career kicked into gear when he started playing with Frank Zappa followed by working with the likes of David Bowie, Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club.  In the ensuing years he recorded the first three of his albums with King Crimson, released three solo albums and two with his band The Bears.  At this point he focused again on his solo career, resulting in three more albums, all of which were were released on Atlantic Records, and brings us to the three CD Box Set The Atlantic Years 1989 - 1992.

The first of these releases was Mr. Music Head, which was an all-digital release that found him playing all the instruments with the exception of Mike Barnett playing bass on two cuts.  The album’s opening track “Oh Daddy,” is a really fun duet with his then eleven-year-old daughter Audie that reached number five on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks.  It’s a super catchy pop tune with humorous lyrics where she asks questions about when he will be rich and famous.  Some of the other highlights include the lighthearted pop of “One Of These Days”, “Coconuts,” a percussion heavy track full of twangy guitar, the bouncy, piano-driven “Bad Days,” the experimental blues of “Bumpity Bump” and the intriguing yet gorgeous, everchanging, stripped down “1967.”  While the majority of the album shows a poppier, albeit offbeat, side to Belew, there is still plenty of experimentation on tracks like “Peaceable Kingdom,” “Hot Zoo” and “Cruelty To Animals” (this track was originally only found on the CD version).  

While he was working on the follow-up album, Young Lions, Belew joined Bowie as musical director and guitarist on his Sound+Vision tour.  That resulted in Bowie co-writing and singing lead on two of that album’s tracks, including “Pretty Pink Rose,” which hit number two on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in the US.  It’s a catchy tune with a rock edge that’s not so unlike his work around that time with Tin Machine.  The other Bowie contribution is “Gunman,” a hard driving track with a tense vocal performance and some really creative guitar work from Belew.  Other standout tracks include “Looking For A U.F.O.,” a fun little tune that sounds like ELO crossed with Motown, “Men In Helicopters,” a quirky, yet very catchy, pop tune with a strong environmental warning (another hit, reaching seventeen on the US Modern Rock chart), the laid-back, jazzy “Phone Call From The Moon” and “I Am What I Am,” somewhat of an instrumental that really showcases his guitar playing and incorporates taped excerpts of sermons from Nashvile radio evangelist Prophet Omega.  The album also contains a couple of covers with a reworked version of “Heartbeat,” a song he originally released with King Crimson, which has a similar vibe to that version, but is a little more stripped down with more of a pop feel, and a fairly faithful version of The Traveling Wilburies’ “Not Alone Anymore,” that was a tribute to Roy Orbison.  Also included on this disc are a couple of bonus tracks that were originally released on the “Pretty Pink Rose” maxi single.  “Shoe Salesman” is a nice little acoustic guitar and vocal track with some witty, pun-filled lyrics and “Neptune Pool” is a gorgeous, dream-like instrumental that sounds like it could be a movie score.  

Inner Revolution was Belew’s final album for Atlantic and often shows the influence pop music had on him and his affinity for more pop influenced hooks.  The album open with the title track, which is a more straight-on rock song with some strong pop sensibilities.  The midtempo “This Is What I Believe In,” is reflective of his work with King Crimson and really showcases his impressive guitar work.  The pop really shows itself on the next two tracks with “Standing In The Shadow,” which has an edgier side with distorted guitars and vocals and “Big Blue Sun,” a super catchy tune that, along with “Birds,” is strongly reminiscent of ELO.  Further mining the pop world, the bouncy, upbeat “I’d Rather Be Right Here” is a bit reminiscent of George Harrison’s version of “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You,” while “The War In the Gulf Between Us” sounds a bit like Squeeze.  The diversity of pop music and bands that influenced him can be heard in tracks like “I Walk Alone,” which finds him once again channeling Roy Orbison, the upbeat Beatles-esque “Everything” and “Heaven’s Bed,” with its XTC sounding quirkiness.  The album closes out with “Member Of The Tribe,” a more classic upbeat rock and roll tune that again showcases his innovative guitar work.  Although definitely not without its unique quirkiness, this era of Belew's contained some of his most accessible music and make for a really fun listen.  

(Esoteric Recordings)

Dark River Darling - Everywhere But Here

Everywhere But Here is the debut release from Dark River Darling, alter ego of Erin Royer.  It is an album full of tracks largely rooted in mountain folk and bluegrass but mixed with a variety of other styles and instrumentation, along with Royer's distinctive vocals.  In addition to the more traditional instruments, the notable use of horns (flugelhorn and trumpet) on almost every song, is a touch that really makes the album stand out. “Spirit & Ash” gets the album started and is a laid-back, haunting and mystical track with an interesting chorus with vocals that twist and turn in quite an interesting way.  The more traditional folk tune “The Ballad Of Josephine and Josephine” tells the tale of two women in love who can’t be together and end up living separate lives.  The musicianship on this one is great, with some fantastic banjo from Royer and an interesting vocal deliver that has a rushed feel to it, sounding almost like there are more words than should fit, which gives it a sense of tension.  Next up is “I’ve Been Riding With The Ghost,” written by the late Jason Molina for his project Songs:Ohio and the first of two covers here.  They do a brilliant job of conveying the sadness of his lyrics through the music and give the song a cinematic quality through a folk filter.  “Cross Country Baggage” is a wistful and dreamy folk tune with a hint of psychedelia, enhanced beautifully with the horns, and “Pomegranate Gin” is a gentle, laid-back acoustic tune with some great harmonies.  The band kicks things into high gear on “Dirty Dog Blues,” a gritty, bluesy bluegrass rocker with some stellar banjo and slide guitar from Royer and Gena Lanette, respectively.  With a galloping beat and more outstanding banjo, “Merry Maggie” sounds like a classic mountain folk song that if you didn’t know better, you would think it had been around forever.  “Sarah” is another great mountain folk track and does a great job of showcasing the band with everyone getting a chance to stretch out on instrumental passages.  They close the album with Lucinda Williams’ “Blue” and while the arrangement hearkens back to the original, instrumentally it’s rootsier with more reliance on banjo and fiddle.  Everywhere But Here is a very refreshing listen and well worth checking out.  

 (Guernsey Beat Records / Dark River Darling)

Marty Wilde - Let's Rock This Place

Considered one of the pioneers of British Rock and Roll, Marty Wilde released his debut single in 1957.  In addition to his career as a singer in the ensuing years, he has also been a successful songwriter, having written songs for the likes of Status Quo, Lulu and Hot Chocolate, as well as numerous songs for his daughter Kim, including co-writing her biggest hit “Kids In America” with his son Ricky.  Now, sixty-nine years after that first single, he’s back with a new album, Let’s Rock This Place.  The album is a collaboration with Darrell Higham, who has toured with Imelda May, recorded with Chrissie Hynde and Jeff Beck, and alongside The Stray Cats’ Slim Jim Phantom, was a member of The Kat Men.  His rockabilly band Darrell Higham and the Enforcers contribute as the backing band on the album.  The tone for the album is set perfectly with the opening title track, a really fun, high energy cut of old school rock and roll with a rockabilly beat.  Originally recorded by Wilde as a b-side in 1961, he revisits “Your Loving Touch” and gives the rocker a modern day shot in the arm.  “The Boogie Was King” is a little more laid-back with a boogie woogie beat and some great piano.  Cliff Richard and the Shadows first recorded “Dynamite” back in 1959 and here Wilde keeps the rockabilly spirit of that original alive but also gives it a much fuller and meatier sound.  “How I Cried” is a variation of his song “I Cried” that was released by The Wilde Three (Wilde, his wife Joyce and Justin Hayward, later of The Moody Blues) in 1965, and is a heartfelt ballad with an emotional vocal performance and some really nice soulful guitar work.  One of the biggest surprises on the album is his cover of The Police’s “Can’t Stand Losing You”, which is a super refreshing reinterpretation of the song, turning it into a bouncy rockabilly track.  The straight-ahead British rock with a touch of country of “Back On The Road” reminds me at times of Junior Brown.  First recorded by Jim Bullington and the Continentals, and then a hit for Jimmy Edwards, "Love Bug Crawl" is a fun and bouncy rockabilly track with a hint of early Elvis.  "Just Walkin' In The Rain" was a hit single for Johnnie Ray in 1956 and here is a dreamy, slow melancholy ballad with Wilde showcasing his crooning along with some really nice harmony vocals and Higham's acoustic guitar work, while the upbeat “Lonely Weekends,” (originally a hit for Charlie Rich) adds a hint of honky tonk country flair to the mix.  The album closes with two tracks that are not only my favorites but are also completely unlike the rest.  Frankie Laine’s original version of “Remember Me (The Girl In The Wood)” had a haunting quality to it, but here it’s taken to an all-new level creating a dramatic, folk-tinged ballad that reminds me of Joe Meek’s production on the John Leyton song “Johnny Remember Me.”  The final track is “Words Fell Down,” a song he and his wife wrote that was recorded by their daughter Kim on her debut album.  It’s a really cool merging of Kim’s synth heavy new wave pop sound and rockabilly that if given a chance could be a hit.  It's so refreshing to hear the eighty-seven year old Wilde experiment with his music, so do yourself a favor and give Let's Rock This Place a listen.

(Cherry Red Records)

Bucket - Mosaic

Following an early full-length, a couple singles and then last year’s EP Muck, Dublin three-piece Bucket is back with the 4 song EP Mosaic and their own brand of industrial hardcore electronic noise rock.  While that sounds like it would be loud, noisy and abrasive, and it is, they always manage to give every song an incredible sense of melody.  Having never heard of the band before listening to the new EP, I went back through those earlier releases.  While you can hear the rumblings of what they sound like today on that first release (the details of this release are very limited and it appears it may just be the band's guitarist and vocalist Cian Dahdouh), there is more reliance on elements of garage rock and psychedelia.  As I made my way through their other releases I could hear them honing more and more into their sound, which they have really found on Mosaic.  Lyrically Dahdouh says, "All of the lyrics are interior monologues from fictional narrators dealing with extreme psychological states - paranoia, mania, trauma, obsession. I liked the idea of these different perspectives forming a bigger picture, like a mosaic. I found it interesting to think anyone around you could be having thoughts like this and you’d never know."  “56345” gets things started and is a fifty-five second wall of screeching, pummeling, mind numbing noise that will have you jumping in your seat the moment you hit play.  After opening with manic flutters of percussion, “DNB” explodes into a blistering blast of aggression and noise, then about halfway in the tempo changes into noisy screeching chaos.  After starting off with a hard-edged, pulsing electro industrial tune that comes across as suffocating, “Nonsense” shifts into more of an industrial dance beat with an extremely catchy groove.  “Nails” is sparse and slow building at first, giving it a sense of anxiety, but then becomes a wall of raw, speaker rattling noise with a groove that will have your head bobbing.  With Emmet McNamee’s mysterious bassline running underneath it, “Memento” has a hardcore drive with Korey Thomas absolutely pummeling the drums and their ever-present wall of noise.  Mosaic is an incredible new EP with a sound that is honestly hard to describe and really needs (and should) be heard to really understand what’s going on.  Really looking forward to hearing where Bucket will be going from here.  

(Bucket)

Franck Carducci - Sheeple

Franck Carducci is a multi-instrumentalist who started playing Hammond organ at five and then went on to learn guitar, bass and drums.  He joined his first band when he was fourteen and, in his twenties, he played with around twenty different bands of various styles.  Although Sheeple is his fifth studio album (including Naked, an acoustic album with Mary Reynaud) and his debut goes back fifteen years ago to 2011, for some reason he has been off my radar until now.  Thanks to this outstanding release that has all changed and I’m now not only familiar with Carducci, but it has sent me diving deeper into some of his collaborators, most notably Reynaud.  The title track opens the album and is a short organ instrumental with sheep noises (or sheeple?!?) that leads into the excellent, hard-driving AOR rocker “Self-Righteousness,” which has some great organ and guitar soloing from Anthony Honnet and William Remond, respectively.  “Sweet Cassandra” is up next and is the first of a three-part suite that is spread out through the album.  It’s a beautiful track with some folk tendencies that is largely just acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals from Carducci and Reynaud.  The remaining parts of the suite pop up later with “Sweet Cassandra (Reprise),” a short instrumental with a mediaeval flair that has Franck accompanied by Roy Van Oost on flute, and “Sweet Cassandra (2019),” which is similar to the original, but with Franck handling everything.  At ten and a half minutes, “The Betrayal Of Blue” starts with laid-back, primarily acoustic psychedelia and then twists and turns through hard-edged rock passages that give it an element of intensity to quieter sections of psychedelic introspection.  It has a really playful tone, at times reminding me of his incredible label mate Rosalie Cunningham and even includes a brilliant theremin solo.  “The Limits of Freedom” kicks off with a blast of solo piano and then shifts into a classic AOR rocker with another blistering guitar solo.  With Carducci handling everything except drums and extra vocals, the darker and less playful “Love Or Survive” is a powerful thirteen-minute prog track that is often reminiscent of the early days of Yes.  The sheep noises are back again on “Do What You’re Told,” which is listed as a bonus track, and is a silly little, laid-back song that wraps things up with a funky blues groove and lyrics that repeat slight variations of the title. 

(Esoteric Antenna)

  

W.D. Miller - Child Of The Kindly South 

After spending his teens and early twenties playing in hardcore, death and sludge metal bands, W.D. Miller shifted to folk and country for his band Los Bastardos Magnificos.  In 2018 he released his debut solo album and has now followed that up with Child Of The Kindly South.  The album features performances from members of Horse Feathers, Magnolia Boulevard and Frigidkitty among others and showcases his stellar songwriting and well-worn vocals that at times bring to mind Blaze Foley.  The album kicks off with “Etude No. 1 in A,” a short instrumental that sounds like something you would have heard during a break on old time country radio, then moves into “Banquet of Stone,” a slow, dark track with a slight old school country waltz beat.  The pace picks up on the midtempo, rock-tinged country track “Go, Go! (or The Songwriters Lament,” about the perils of trying to write hit songs.  With Michelle Miller helping out on vocals, “Carry Your Burden” is a beautiful country ballad (again with a bit of a waltz beat) about family taking care of each other when times are tough.  “Dear John” is a melancholy cut written as a letter to the late John Prine, who was a massive songwriting influence of Miller’s, while standing out from the rest of the album, “Best Revenge” is a catchy, upbeat tune that has a fun little bounce to it.  One of the album highlights is “Fell Apart,” which has some killer, emotional vocals from Maggie Noëlle of Magnolia Boulevard and has all the makings of a classic, old school country heartbreak duet with a touch of a rock edge.  It’s also fleshed out nicely with piano from Logan Hill and some great slide guitar.  “Watch It All Burn” reminds me of Tyler Childers and is a nice ballad about the responsibilities of adulthood and reflecting back on your wild, carefree younger days.  Another high point is the haunting “Shades Are Drawn,” with Miller’s fragile vocals and a gorgeous atmospheric quality thanks to J. Tom Hnatow’s synths.  “One Hell Of A Ride” is a rocking honky tonk song that lightens things up and brings us to the reflective closer “Little Things / CODA,” which is stripped down to just Miller’s voice and acoustic guitar accompanied by J. Tom Hnatow on glockenspiel.  Child Of The Kindly South makes a welcome addition to any true country music playlist.

(Think Like A Key Music / W.D. Miller)

The Four Horsemen - Nobody Said It Was Easy

In 1987, when former Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction bassist Haggis (real name Stephen Harris and later known as Kid Chaos) came to play some bass on The Cult’s Electric, producer Rick Rubin took him under his wing.  Once the album was released, he joined the band on tour and got a call from Rubin saying he should start his own band and should meet a singer named Frank C Starr, which led to the formation of the Four Horsemen.  Rubin also suggested Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery, brother of legendary punk and metal drummer Chuck Biscuits, who then came on board as drummer, and with Haggis switching to rhythm guitar and the addition of guitarist Dave Limzi and bassist Ben Pape the band was complete.  Following the release of their eponymous four-song EP in 1989, the band went into the studio with Rubin handling the production and recorded their full-length debut Nobody Said It Was Easy, which has now been reissued by Dissonance Records.  Unfortunately, the album’s release had a two-year delay due to Starr’s six months in jail on drug charges, but when it finally saw the light of day it was well worth the wait.  The title track kicks the album off and does a good job of setting the tone.  It’s a sleazy, blues rocker that comes across like The Black Crowes on steroids.  The band doubles down on the next track, “Rockin’ Is My Business,” which takes the elements of the opener and adds a strong shot of AC/DC.  Starr’s vocals really shine on this one and the end result isn't too far removed from what Haggis had been doing a few years earlier with The Cult on Electric.  Drenched in slide guitar, “Tired Wings” moves things in a bit of a Southern Rock direction, but with a raw energy that bands in that genre tend to be lacking.  “Can’t Stop Rockin’” is a hard-edged boogie-woogie rocker that takes a page from the Status Quo book and brings us to “Wanted Man, which is a repetitive track that really doesn’t go anywhere and is the album’s only real misstep.  From the title to the music, “Let It Rock” is pure, straight-up AC/CD.  Driven by an extremely infectious groove, “Hot Head” is a straight-ahead, midtempo blues rocker, followed by “Moonshine,” a breezy tune with a really fun beat that is a bit of a different direction for the band.  They dip their toes back in boogie woogie on the next two tracks, with the easygoing “Homesick Blues,” which is a really fun listen, and “75 Again,” which add a southern rock edge that is reminiscent of Black Oak Arkansas and has some outstanding guitar work towards the end.  “Lookin’ For Trouble” brings to mind AC/DC again, but with an intense, raw and ragged punk energy.   The album closes strongly with the lazy blues rock of “I Need A Thrill / Somethin’ Good,” which has some great guitar work and organ and sounds like a jam session that would close a live show perfectly.  While the album was met with positive reviews, the delay caused its release to coincide with the surge in grunge’s popularity resulting in poor sales.  On top of this, Starr was arrested again on drug charges and spent another year in jail, and the combination of all of that caused the label to drop them.  Although Haggis and Pape ended up leaving the band, in 1994 the remaining members started working on a third album, but then faced another tragedy in September of that year when Montgomery died of a drug overdose.  The band finished the album with his brother Chuck Biscuits playing the drums, but just over a year after his death, Starr was hit by a drunk driver and ended up with a severe head injury.  In hopes that Starr would recover and return to the band, they went on tour with Ron Young handling the vocals, but that never happened and he died in 1999, resulting in the band breaking up.  While it would've been nice to have some bonus cuts, like possibly the EP, but if you don't already have a copy of Nobody Said It Was Easy in your collection, this is a great time to rectify that.  

(Dissonance Records)

Bosh Rothman - Joshua EP

In 2001, drummer Bosh Rothman, along with his brothers Lawrence and Yves and guitarist Cory Becker, got his start in the band Living Things.  They released 4 albums and 3 EP's, several of which were produced by Steve Albini, before calling it a day in 2011 (they did reunite for an EP and single in 2020).  Following that band, he co-created the band Kill Birds and worked with a wide variety of other artists.  His new EP, Joshua, was inspired by a dark time he was going through in his life.  In his own words, "I slipped even deeper into a dark place. I was eating too much, sleeping all day, and living in constant pain-mentally and emotionally. I needed help".  He said he remembered hearing about how Ringo Starr and Dave Grohl, two of his drumming heroes, dealt with pain and the loss of their bands with music, and was inspired to use that to help himself.  After writing the song "Joshua," which became the title track, he decided to record versions of five of his favorite songs by his favorite drummers, resulting in this six cut EP.  Covers of songs from the two aforementioned drummers open the EP.  For Foo Fighters’ “Big Me” he slows things down in a gorgeous reinterpretation that turns it into a very introspective and vulnerable song.  His take on Starr’s “Photograph” sticks a little closer to the original but gives it more of a rootsy power pop edge.  Rothman calls the title track, and lone original, “a personal letter to himself.”  It’s a stunningly beautiful, very melancholy song with some great vocal harmonies from him, Lily Elise and Andrea Wasse, that lyrically deals a lot with those dark times he had been in and how you can move past them.  While The White Stripes’ “In The Cold Cold Night” is a very sparse tune with Meg’s vocals and very minimal instrumentation, Bosh's take on the song has more of a lo-fi, raw bluesy sound that is not so unlike what The White Stripes were known for.  His take on The Carpenters’ “Superstar” is a stunningly beautiful version stripped down to haunting slide and acoustic guitar with captivating female vocals accompanying his (I was unable to find liner notes, so I'm not sure who the female vocalist is).  The EP closes out with a cover of Father John Misty’s “Real Love Baby,” which doesn’t stray too far from the original, but gives it a rootsier, Americana spin.  Joshua does a great job of marking this new chapter in Rothman's career and is one that I look forward to following.  

(Bosh Rothman - instagram)

Johnny Cougar - American Dream: The Mainman Recordings 1976-1977

In 1976, three years before he first hit the singles charts with "I Need A Lover," John Mellencamp released his debut album Chestnut Street Incident under the name Johnny Cougar.  He had been trying to get his music career going for several years and went to New York looking for a deal, where he ended up working with Tony Defries, whose company MainMan had been David Bowie’s manager and represented other artists including Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Mott The Hoople. He went back and forth between New York and his home in Indiana, recording the album with musicians that included the likes of Mick Ronson (guitarist for Bowie’s Spiders From Mars), composer and arranger Michael Kamen, David Mansfield on steel guitar, violin and mandolin (played with Dylan and composed numerous films), Hilly Michaels (drummer with Sparks) and guitarist Mike Wanchic, who still plays with Mellencamp today.  Unfortunately, the album didn’t sell very well, and due to that and changes in personnel at the label, the songs he had recorded for a follow-up were shelved and he was dropped.  Around this same time, Indiana record label Gulcher released an EP of songs that were recorded before his debut called US Male (included here on CD for the first time). Following this he moved to London and signed to Riva, releasing the album A Biography, which contained the aforementioned first hit single. Ironically the song hit number five in Australia, but the album wasn’t released in the US, but then became a US hit when it was released the following year on his John Cougar album, hitting number twenty-eight.  His next album was American Fool, and this is when his career really took off reaching number one in the US and containing the hit songs “Hurts So Good,” “Jack and Diane” and “Hand To Hold Onto.”  Due to that success, nine months after that album was released, Defries decided to release that shelved second album The Kid Inside.  All of this brings us to the new double CD American Dream – The Mainman Recordings 1976-1977, which collects those first two albums, the US Male EP, ten tracks from Skin It Up (demos and lost tracks from The Kid Inside sessions) and ten previously unreleased demos, early mixes and alternate versions.  

His debut album, Chestnut Street Incident, starts things off and while far from a great album, I have always felt that Mellencamp himself, along with many of the critics, never gave it a fair shake.  There are signs of the direction he would head later in his career, but it’s definitely a work in progress. The album opens strongly with “American Dream,” a gritty, heartland rocker that is quite catchy and reminiscent of Bob Seger.  One of two songs on the album co-written with George M Green, a childhood friend who would go on to write many more songs with him and others, “Dream Killing Town” has lyrics about living in a small town that Mellencamp would become known for and is a rootsy rocker with piano and sax giving it a Springsteen vibe.  The album’s strongest cut is “Chestnut Street,” a beautiful, atmospheric ballad featuring some outstanding piano from Kamen along with Mansfield’s fiddle and mandolin (the actual title track shows up later in the album and is more electric rock version of the song).  “Good Girls” is a big, classic rock tune with twin guitars, and closer “Sad Lady” is the other Green co-write and another sweeping ballad with more of Kamen’s piano.  The remainder of the album consists of covers, a couple of which work way better than the others.  While “Oh Pretty Woman” and “Jailhouse Rock” have already been covered way too many times and these versions don’t anything to the original, his take on The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Do You Believe In Magic?” gives it a bit of swagger and really works, as does The Doors’ “Twentieth Century Fox,” which is reinvented with more of a garage rock sound.  The final cover “Supergirl” isn’t usually mentioned as a cover, and is credited to Aldo Legui and Bob Marcus, but is actually a version of “Superlungs My Supergirl” which was written by Donovan, who recorded a psychedelic rock version (Terry Reid also did a bluesier version).  The Mellencamp version is poppier and while not bad, loses some of the edge of their versions.  Although it was released after his debut, the US Male EP was recorded before it, and is now available here for the first time on CD.  It starts with “2000 AD,” a simple tune of just Mellencamp singing and playing acoustic guitar, but lyrically it foreshadows his future work in things like Farm Aid detailing the abuse of the environment.  “Lou-ser” is a really strange and interesting track that has a bit of a Springsteen feel, but with elements of new wave, jazz and even a bit of Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer.”  While “Hot Man” has a glimmer of his rootsier side, it’s more of a straight-ahead hard rock tune and probably EP’s weakest cut. The closing cut is a really good cover, this time Paul Revere and The Raiders’ “Kicks,” which Mellencamp gives a good kick in the pants.  This EP is a great addition to this set giving a listen to the earliest days of his career.  

Although it was initially shelved after it was recorded, and not released until American Fool became a success, The Kid Inside is another solid collection that really hasn’t gotten its fair due and continued to show Mellencamp getting his footing.  This is shown perfectly right from the start with the title track, a solid, gritty rocker that also has a touch of a Stones vibe.  While “Take What You Want” is extremely catchy, it moves a little too far into pop territory as does the rootsy “R Gang” a few tracks later.  Rocker “Cheap Shot,” which has some Stones-ish guitars, ballad “Sidewalks And Streetlight,” and the seven minute plus epic “Too Young To Live,” all show that Springsteen influence.  “American Son” is a ballsy, hard rocker driven with twin guitars.  A couple of the album’s high points are up next with “Gearhead,” a sweeping, largely acoustic track that has a great arrangement, and “Young Genocides,” a piano driven ballad with a very emotional vocal along with some really nice piano from Tom Wince.  The album ends impressively with “Survive,” a bit of a mini suite about the perils of growing up that includes some really interesting piano and even a little flute along with the sax.  

As for the bonus tracks, the first set of ten was actually released in 2000 as Skin It Back and were supposedly recorded during the sessions for Chestnut Street Incident.  There are two versions of the song “Skin It Back” here, which are interesting for a couple of reasons.  One is labeled “acoustic version,” which is actually not acoustic and according to what I found after scouring the internet isn’t Mellencamp singing, but is actually Dave Parman, who among other things played bass and guitar on those early albums.  This version is a work in progress where you can hear them working out the chords on the fly and has unfinished lyrics.  As for the song, it’s a very dramatic tune with some great piano and one that I would love to have heard finished (the other version is a full band, electric instrumental take).  “Last Of The Big Time Spenders” is another demo with someone else on vocals (this time it’s sax player Wayne Hall) and is a decent Mellencamp flavored blue collar rocker.  Other originals include “Little Heroes,” a bouncy pop tune that comes across a bit cheesy and “The Whore,” an acoustic guitar and vocal track that show some promise but isn’t quite there.  On the other hand, “When I Was Young” has a haunting, late sixties west coast psychedelic rock sound that really shows a different side to him in these early days.  There are a few more covers here as well, and ironically most of them are much stronger than the ones that were included on the album.  His take on Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” has an arrangement that is similar to the one Lulu released a few years earlier, but with some more rock-oriented psychedelic flourishes.  The Stooges’ “I Need Somebody” was an interesting choice compared to the others, and he does a good job with it by sticking close to the dark and slinky sound of the original but giving it more of his rock edge.  While “Hit The Road Jack” is another one of those songs that have been overdone, he delivers it with that Mellencamp swagger that really makes it fun.  Unfortunately, the version of “Kicks” here is a more straightforward take that loses all the punch of the one on the Gulcher single.  The remaining ten bonus tracks are all previously unreleased.  The only new song among them is “I Just Wanna Be Black,” a bizarre funk tune with very Seventies synths that is absolutely unlike anything else from him (there is also a stripped down demo version). The remainder of the tracks are demos, alternate versions and early versions.  Some of the notable ones include a couple takes of “Chestnut Street” and one of “Sad Lady” where you can hear them experiment with the arrangements and instrumentation.  There is also an alternate electric version of “Gearhead” that turns it into a gritty rocker that is just as good as the album version.  American Dream makes for a fun listen back to those early, early days of Johnny Cougar and is a great addition to the collection of anyone that considers themselves a John Mellencamp fan.  

(Lemon Recordings)

Interview with Homebase

Homebase is a great new band based out of New York and New Jersey.  They have just released their debut Close To Something, a five song EP that does a brilliant job of meshing hardcore aggression and hook-heavy pop punk.  I had the chance to talk to guitarist/vocalist Matt Valentin and vocalist Tony Valentino.

I know most of you played together before Homebase.  Can you give me a little bit of background on the band?  Also, how do you think Homebase differs from what you did before?

Matt: There is such a deep lore behind our history before Homebase. To keep things simple, our story began at The School of Rock. That’s where I met Ochoa and Tony. Our passion for music grew stronger after we recognized that we each had similar interests in the music that we enjoyed listening to. Ochoa was the most excited and hit me up over the phone when he was first introduced to Tony. “Bro, there is someone here that you HAVE to meet. He is just like you!” It was something along those lines. There was already a high bar Ochoa had set for him. Once we met, we connected instantly. Without hesitation, all three of us went into the rehearsal room and started covering ‘All Systems Go’ by Box Car Racer. It was such a beautiful moment because I knew that These were the guys I wanted to hang out with and work on music together. Caruso and I knew each other long before Ochoa and Tony. When we were younger, we casually hung out at his place along with some other friends of ours. But once we started discussing starting a band, it was like clockwork. Caruso had converted his basement into a practice space for us and the rest is history. It wasn’t until recently we’ve tagged Churro along with our journey. We’ve played shows with him before in a previous band we were involved with. Overtime, things had changed for Churro and he wanted to be part of something completely different than what he had worked on previously. We couldn’t have been more excited to bring him on board.

I think Homebase is fundamentally different than what we’re used from our previous projects. The writing, the production, the stage presence. It’s in a way that we’ve always wanted it to be but never fully understood how to get there. I recall doing some ridiculous skits on stage or uploading skit-like videos with the old band that weren’t as fun as I thought it would be. At least, not in a direction I’d wanted it to go towards. I think the most important difference is our presence. Before, things felt goofy or not serious enough. Not to mention we had a mascot that aged like milk. Looking back, we were completely new to this sort of thing and thought some of the things were funny. But as we grew older, we knew we wanted to step away from the old goofy acts and take things one step further. It was hard, because it felt like we were being pulled away from what we wanted to achieve.

Are any of the songs on the EP from that earlier era or are they all new for Homebase?

Matt: The one song that I can think of before Homebase was even a thing would be "Close to Something." What’s interesting about that track is I remember revisiting Ochoa and Tony after a long hiatus and presented this song to them at some point. The guys were pretty hyped. Tony especially. It gave him such great vibe and impact on the sound. The final mix is far different from the demo. The rest of the tracks we’re written fairly recently.

How does your songwriting tend to work?

Matt: Our songwriting may be considered unusual. I tend to assume that most bands write songs together as a group. While part of that is true to us, we usually write songs on our own privately. Once we’ve felt like they’re good enough, we present it to each other and discuss if it’s something we want to pursue or not. So far this process has never changed for as long as I can remember. It’s honestly pretty rare for us to get together as a group to write, let alone two of us at once to write a song.

For me personally, I write my music based on events I’ve experienced. And yeah, that seems pretty obvious to any musician, but getting the melody, sound, and words down can be pretty difficult. There’s a specific way we each want to express these emotions in sounds that best suit the theme of what we’re going for, and it doesn’t get easier. What helps is we have each other to fall back on. There’s always one of us with an idea to expand the songs that we’re writing, and it keeps the creative juices flowing throughout the creative process.

While I am a fan of pop punk, over the years the genre has become a bit stale with so many bands sounding like each other.  A lot of them also veer so far to the “pop” that there is almost no “punk.”
I tend to be drawn to bands that take it and do something fresh, and having said that, I like how you take that pop punk foundation and then add the heavier hardcore aggression (“Bold” is the perfect example of this).  Do you think this was the sound you were looking for from the start, or did it evolve into this?

Matt: I’m glad you mentioned this. Pop Punk has diversified itself in many different ways. What we may consider pop punk could be something completely different to someone else. What we’ve noticed is that some of our favorite bands crank things up a notch and take their sound into a completely different direction than what we were anticipating. I think that’s what we are aiming for. I believe a great example of what I’m describing would be ‘Letters to you’ by Finch. The beginning of the song clearly shares pop-punk sensibilities but quickly molds itself into this heavier grit-like sound as the song progresses. Though there can be ‘pop’ elements in our music, we lean towards more heavier elements. Head bobbing melodies. This was the type of sound we were aiming for since the very beginning. Writing "Bold" appears to be such a fast-paced song but the writing process took some time to get it exactly where we wanted it to be and for us to consider it a definitive sound of Homebase.

I love the intro to “Close To Something” and how it opens the EP.  Can you tell me a little about that?

Matt: "Close to Something" was a song I wrote sometime back around mid or late 2022. It was what I considered the true beginning of my adult hood. Life for me around that time was questionable for a lack of a better word. I was a lot more ambitious than I am today, I felt strong about pursuing so many different things like becoming a YouTuber, a sound engineer, or a professional go-kart driver. Regardless of what It was, I always felt held back. Most of it was my fault. Either from stress and anxiety or just giving up entirely. Another part of my failure were these poor habits I had. I didn’t really take good care of myself. Eating junk food, playing video games all day. Those were some of the things that were easier to do than put myself in a position where I can learn or become something I’ve aspired to be. I can be very harsh on myself. Over the years, that part of me has improved. I’m back in a position in life where things aren’t looking as bleak, and I’m more inspired than before to take one step at a time towards things I want to achieve and break those poor habits that would normally prevent me from doing so.

“Start Over” is such an interesting song, starting off with what sounds like a long instrumental section and then just breaking down into an introspective acoustic guitar strum and vocals that sound like they are coming from the bottom of a barrel, and then what sounds like a single hit on a piano key.  Can you tell me a little bit about the idea behind that song.  Also, is that meant to be an intro to “Nuff Said”?

Tony: "Start Over" was one of the quickest songs we put together. At the time we were recording at the studio, we had 4 songs ready to go but needed a 5th one, and considering it was our last weekend at the studio, we needed to be snappy with it. We believed it was the perfect interlude track into "Nuff Said" due to its nature in tone and transition. The instrumentals create this feeling you would get on the last day of school but immediately shifts into this dark but almost beautiful acoustic section. The lyrics are simply from the last verse of "Nuff Said", just rearranged in a way where it almost feels like you’re about to give up on something. 

There are actually a lot of little snippets or sections throughout the EP where you throw in a little twist, like the section at the end of “Nuff Said.”  When I listen to it, I hear an industrial metal heaviness that reminds me of Fear Factory.  Are these things that you consciously added or is it something that just happens organically?

Tony: Honestly, when re-recording songs that we’ve had in the vault for a while, it was fair to expect a few changes. The little bits and pieces you hear throughout the track were elements that we never expected to make in the final mix. Ideas involving pedal effects and layered vocal tracks are examples of ideas that just spawn out of nowhere. Stuff like that made the recording process a lot more exciting and the level appreciation just grows through the roof the more those ideas start to form.

The song sequence has a flow to it, and they seem to somewhat segue well from one song to the next.  Is that something that you had in mind when you recorded them and decided on the song order?

Matt: We wanted our EP to be this cool musical journey to follow through. Almost like opening a flip book. We were intentional with most of the transitions from one song to the next. At the studio with Rob (Barbershop Studios) he helped us expand that even further with sick effects and loops that enhanced the transitions and overall sound of the music. We didn’t fully realize how well it all sat once we placed the songs together on the EP. Ochoa was very intentional with the transitions for the ending of "I Feel" and the beginning of "Close to Something". When you loop the EP, they should transition together really well.

Tony: I believe it was early 2025 was when we had a discussion about this. Transitioning into tracks was the least of our problems compared to the overall theme we wanted to go for. We wanted to make sure that each song sounded different while keeping the message of confronting inadequacy the same.  It was definitely something we needed to consider if we wanted people to take our band seriously. In a way, it challenged our perception a little bit and by the time we had the songs done, deciding on the track order came easy as certain keys of the songs made transitioning feel smooth.

I know the EP is streaming several different places.  Do you have physical copies available?

Matt: Yes! We’ve recently printed out CD’s! We intend to sell them at shows we perform at if you visit our merch table. We’ve been discussing shipping the CD’s out to those who live further who want to support us, but we haven’t gotten that far yet. I love vinyl media, and the guys aren’t ready for that, haha.

Now that the EP is out what are the band’s future plans?

Tony: At this point, we’re just gonna keep going. This summer we have a weekender lined up with a few great bands. On top of that, the hype for new music has us rushing to make more. It definitely has us excited and we couldn’t be more grateful to be doing what we love and cherish most.

I saw online that you have a few upcoming shows and when I looked over your previous shows it looked like everything is in New York or New Jersey.  Do you have any plans to expand your touring area?

Matt: Oh absolutely. We intend to travel to nearby neighboring states like Pennsylvania and Connecticut. We’ve been discussing traveling to California for an opportunity when the stars align, but we aren’t entirely sure just yet.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Tony: For those that have ideas in the chamber, just release them in whatever way you can. Whether it’s with music, art, or even film, those ideas can be inspiring to someone someday. We hope you enjoy the music and we can’t wait to start making more. Thank you!

(Homebase)