Apples In Stereo, "The Discovery Of A World Inside The Moone," SpinArt. Here's some more charming 60s-influenced pop from this Elephant-6 band. There's nothing ground-breaking on this CD, but at the same time it never really gets annoying like other bands who try too hard to emulate their influences. The best songs on this album sound like demos of classic Kinks or Beatles songs, minus any meaningful lyrics. This is worth seeking out, especially it you've heard this band before.
Ashley Park, "Town And Country," Kindercore. This is a must-find for fans of Beach Boys influenced indie-rock. Kindercore rarely releases anything but nauseating twee-pop, so don't be put off because this one is a real exception. Ashley Park sounds quite similar to the High Llamas with Brian Wilson influenced instrumentation, great melodies and neat harmonies. This nice thing about 'Town And Country' is that it has polished production and performances. Ashley Park is quite unlike the plethora of crappy slacker bands who can't stay in time or carry a tune to save their lives, but cite "Smile" as an influence. A pleasant CD that's worth picking up, especially from the used bin.
Blank Pages, "Funny Pages," Face Down Records. Since this is my own disc, I won't bore you by talking about how great it is. But if you're a power-pop fan like myself, I think you'll be in to it. Judge for yourself by checking out our website at www.blankpagespop.com. There you can read other people's reviews of 'Funny Pages' and sample some of the music. I'm so happy to have my first official release out this year that it had to go on my top picks list anyway!
Paul McCartney, "Cellar Full Of Noise," Bootleg. In support of his 1999 release, "Run Devil Run," Paul gave a special performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool that was broadcast across the world via the Internet. Released as a bootleg this year, the CD finds Paul in top form, running through a set of oldies with the same band that played on 'Run Devil Run," featuring David Gilmour on lead guitar. Paul's vocals are superb and the band puts in great versions of some obscure rock and roll tunes like "Party" and "Shake a Hand." He even revisits some crowd pleasers like the Beatles classic "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twenty Flight Rock." A must for Beatles fans, as it proves that Pauly still has some life left in those old vocal cords.
Papas Fritas, "Buildings and Grounds," Minty Fresh. Papa's Fritas returns with a very mellow album for 2000. There are a couple of enjoyable, upbeat and quirky pop numbers ("Vertical Lives" and "What Am I Supposed to Do?") that sound like the music on Helioself. The rest of the album is much softer and takes a little getting used to. Once it sinks in, you'll find some beautiful and soulful music ("Girl" and "Way You Walk.") "Buildings and Grounds" reminds me at times of 70s adult contemporary bands such as Tusk-era Fleetwood Mac. This is not their best album, but it's certainly their most diverse and ambitious.
Elliot Smith, "Figure 8," Sub Pop. Figure 8 is mainly an acoustic album, which is at times very pretty and melodic. "Pretty Mary K" and "Someone That I Used To Know" are beautiful songs that fall somewhere between the Beatles and Nick Drake. Smith does have a tendency to become repetitive and boring on his less tuneful songs, especially the irritating "Everything Means Nothing To Me." He is at his best when he picks up the tempo bit, sounding like a quirky mix of Jason Falkner and George Harrison on songs like 'Son Of Sam' and 'LA.' Those two songs alone are worth the price of the disc.
Superdrag, "In The Valley Of Dying Stars," Arena Rock Records. The long-awaited third release from Knoxville, Tennessee's Superdrag doesn't disappoint. It's their most straight-forward album, full of rocking power-pop that just overflows with amazing hooks and melodies. The sticker on the front of the disc displays an apt quote that describes Superdrag's sound as Carl Wilson fronting the Replacements! Songwriter John Davis' vocals are in top form on some of his best tracks to date, including "Baby's Waiting," "True Believer," "Goin' Out" and "Lighting The Way." Even at it's quietest moments ("Unprepared," "Ambulance Driver" and the title track,), the album still has an intensity that keeps the listener's attention. There's not a bum track on the whole disc. This is my power-pop for the new millenium: driving guitars and production that almost borders on emo, combined with amazing Beatles-influenced hooks. Undeniably the best CD of the year, and highly recommended to anyone who got this far reading my reviews!
Tsar, "Tsar," Hollywood. Where Oasis is lacking, Tsar picks up all the slack. This album has more memorable hooks and melody than the last four Oasis albums combined. While they sound similar, Tsar finds more influence in the obnoxious glam rock of 70s bands like Sweet. The lyrics are always silly but rarely annoying because they don't take themselves too seriously like our English friends. Above all, this album is just packed with memorable pop tunes that sound like the best tracks by bands like Super Deluxe, Greenberry Woods and the Vandalias with a Brit-pop slant. "Calling All Destroyers," "Kathy Fong Is The Bomb," "The Teen Wizards" and "MoNoSTeReo" are all wonderful songs that stuck in my head after only one listen. If you're a fan of over-the-top 70s pop, you need this one.
XTC, "Wasp Star, Apple Venus Volume 2," TVT. The second volume of of the "Apple Venus" CDs is the "electrified" counterpart to the mainly acoustic Volume One. As a result, it's a little more fun to listen to than it's predecessor. Again, Andy Partridge turns in the best tracks, like the poppy "I'm The Man Who Murdered Love," the quirky "Wounded Horse" and the funky "You And The Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful." As he did on Apple Venus Volume One, Colin Moulding holds up his end of the bargain, presenting more trite and useless drivel. "Standing In For Joe" takes the cake as the worst song this man has ever written and "Boarded Up" is a close second. Skip those horrific tracks and enjoy another fine set of Partridge tunes that hold up well alongside the rest of the XTC catalog. Perhaps Andy should just go solo?