The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy by Nada Surf (Barsuk Records)

Pop alternative is something this band does well. Catchy melodies linked to flowing landscapes and colorful backdrops. All of this is expressed by developed harmonies and fun energy almost like bubble gum. This isn’t a garage sounding pop but more produced and nicely arranges with great guitar riffs and streaming bass lines that keep you in line with the beat tracks. It’s okay to hum along too or sing out loud if ya can carry the notes too.

Nada Surf has a few really great gems on here that you’ll want to hear more than once. Opener title song of Clear Eye Clouded Mind helps you to process the title of the album and clearly sets up the mood for this 10-song extravaganza. The disc is full of fun trinkets of songs that will catch your ears and get you to hum along.

One of those songs is The Moon Is Calling. The chorus is calling you to get up and go up as if the moon wants you to get there. This song would make for a cool video. So who wants to go to the moon anyways – well at least I wouldn’t mind how about you?

Other great songs on here are: Waiting For Something (which we all are right now), Looking Through, Jules And Jim, The Future and No Snow On The Mountain. There are a couple slower tunes on here too but they wont put you to sleep. One of the newer sounds the band uses a horn in one of the songs too.

If you like Fountains Of Wayne you’ll appreciate this new Nada Surf CD. With the release of The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy, the band has an added a limited EP to some, which contains five of the songs from this album done acoustic. This is more pop than alternative but there are a few moments that get a little fast with beat and electric guitars.

(Review by Jonathan Wright)

THE EP’S

1. Relient K:  Relient K Is For Karraoke. This is a cover song EP with seven tracks on it. I would like the cover of this CD/EP for a shirt as well. But the covers of Tom Petty’s Here Comes My Girl and They Might Be Giants song Doctor Worm are excellent. Justin Beiber should be proud as well because this band also on here cover his song Baby as well too. This EP is fun and we need some of that blasting us into 2012.

2. The Ready Set: Feel Good Now. I didn’t know that Warner Brothers Records released Ep’s. But the danceable hip-hop and pop sounds of The Ready Set does lead themselves to getting a hit single off of this EP with my favorite song of the year Back To Back. There are some other reat songs on here also like A Little More, Young Forever and Hollywood Dream. The Ready Set is ready to strike it big with both radio and with the dance clubs easily with this new EP.

3. Amely: The Raleigh Sessions. Currently departed from Fearless Records though they have available this fine EP have decided to released this them themselves. Victory or Hopeless Records should pay close attention to this release that is for sure. It’s very cachy to the ear.

4. Less Than Jake: Greetings From Less Than Jake. This was released by the band on their own new record label called Sleep It Off Records. The only thing is if you want these on CD you have to buy them from the band while they are on tour at one of their shows. You can get the tacks from off of Itunes as well. Simple ska jams that are easy fun to dance around with. Just five tracks but well worth the full hearing of them all. The EP comes in at around seventeen minutes total.

5. Asleep In The Downlights: Asleep In The Downlights. This is dramatic slow drifting mood pieces of songs done by Hammock/Steve Kilbey/Tim Ebandi Powels. Steve Kilbey and Tim Ebandi Powels are members of The Church. This is one of those pieces you listen to in a dark room and having this following sooth intentions of moods smother your senses with it.

6. Ten Thousand Maniace: Triangles. This EP you had to get when you saw them live. Nattalie Merchant isn’t with them any longer and has been replace by another females vocalist who sounds like a little bit like Nattalie who is Mary Ramsey. Jeff Erickson who is an original member sings on two of the new songs Cold and on Fine Line. The other three songs sound like typical arty alternative pop 10,000 Maniacs tunes.

7. Josh Carterer: The Heart Of Christmas. Smoking Popes lead vocalist first solo project has come to life for this holiday season. One of the last EP’s I got but well worth the waiting for. There are four original songs on here. Plus there is a different arrangement that sounds awesome to the Christmas religious classic Hark The Herald Angels Sing. One of the best new original songs is Conroy The Gingerbread Boy. This song would make from a new great animated Christmas story. Perhaps someone should do something about this song and make it into a movie….hmm!

8. Joe Brooks: A Reason To Swim. Here is another artist who can sell out small to medium venues who was signed to Universal Records who has gotten dropped. However Joe Brooks has released his own solo EP. Maybe Sire records should pick him up. This Crooner shows again his great talents and writing abilities on this independent EP. He makes writing a simple ballad and how a simple pop song can mean so much. Give his guy a real break already he deserves it. This EP could easily have two singles from it with the very first songs.

9. The Bobbleheads: Two Guitars, Open Fire. This pop alternative band out of San Francisco has showcased for a long while now and played through the bar scene. This is the bands second EP since it’s first debut CD release.. They do seem to show us that garage pop is still apparent and full of life. International Pop festival has seen this band play it at both Los Angeles dates and for the dates in San Francisco for the past couple of years. John Ashfield can write a good pop song with ease. Record labels like Hopeless, Hollywood and Sire Records should check this band out

10. Pop Fiction: Next Level. Here is some pop that makes you move around and want to dance with. There is some alternative edges to this work that gives them a sound to still explode with that is catchy a well too. Los Angles local that definitely shows that in Los Angeles there is still a cool vibe in the pop alternative scene. This sure isn’t no garage band. This is a produced sound that sends our speakers into a leap of fun blasts.

ALBUMS

1. Glen Campbell: Ghost on The Canvas. His is an artistic achievement from Glen Campbell. It’s so very sorry that this will be his last record. His alzhighmers disease is taking it’s effect on him. He is currently on his last and finale tour as well. This record though is something very heartfelt and personal as well. He album paints pictures and images that are true to one’s own self universal feelings. Glen Campbell will sorely be missed by many no doubt. At least though he has put out a Grammy worth getting record for his last one.

2. The Human League: Credo. Not sure what the title means, but electronic dance is definite at the bands forte and they do it very well once again with this release.

3. Tennant/Lowe: Th Most Incredible Thing. This orchestration music set to a ballet is divine. This shows that a pop alternative band, as they are The Pet Shop Boys, can make other appealing emotional orchestrated ballet music as well too. These guys are so multitalented.

4. Yellowcard: When You’re Through Thinking, say Yes. They first released the record as an alternative rock album. Here through hey have released it again and all of the songs are done acoustic. The songs are amazing taken down to their rawest form. You can here each instrument distinctively which lets the vocals harmonize over them with easy flow and understanding.

5. Simple Plan: Get Your Heart On! Yet again they give us a fun and exciting energy to an alternative pop record. They did get a lot of help on this record from such artist as Natasha Bedingfield, Rivers Cuomo, Alex Gaskarth (of All Time Low and even a rapper K’naan is featured on a song too. One of the softer tunes is Astronaut which could make for a great video as well too.

6. Fountains Of Wayne: Sky Full Of Holes. With such pop songs like A Road Song, A Dip In The Ocean, Working Man’s Hands and open track The Summer Place all lead them to easily being made into video’s of some sort. The band fill up small to medium venues across the states pretty easily. The even did an acoustic tour opening for Amie Mann as well. They might come across as a simple pop band but hey are well produced.

7. Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy: White Magic. This is there second collaboration release. Kennedy sets the orchestration background with interesting mood swings and Steve Kilbey croons you melodic melodies to mix everything together correctly. Even if it’s an up beat songs or a softer one, they seem to work well as a duo team ye again.

8. The Black Rabbits: Hypno Switch. The band doesn’t seem to be able to break out of Australia with this debut release. This alternative band should hook up and tour with The Church. The have really great harmonies and outstanding guitar work on this debut as well too.

9. Stephen Jerzak: Mile And Miles. Hip hop positive dance music with great added guitar, keys and solid drumming real drummer, Stephen Jerzak shows how a real hip hop dance album should sound. He might not be the young delightful Justin Beiber (thank God! – HD Ed.), but Stephen is able to hold his head up just as high with such new songs as Party Like You’e Single and She Said. Watch out dance floors here comes Stephen Jerzak.

10. Gary Numan: Dead Son Rising. With such synth songs as Resurection (instrumental opening track), Dead Man Rising and We Are The Lost Gary Numan now shows on his 16th release that he could easily score a horror film. Abe Fenton produces this newest CD. It has Nine Inch Nails heavy guitars and synth sound in lots of songs to give you 12 tracks of crushing riffs, menacing vocals and bomb bolting rippling synth moods and hisses.

Thanks to all of these great CD’s for 2011 and for all of the other fine music that was heard throughout the year I thank you for that as well. Keep the music art alive always.

(Compiled by Jonathan D. Wright)

JOSH CATERER, GARLAND, The Echo, December 6, 2012

Garland opened up for Josh Caterer this evening in Echo Park at The Echo club on Sunset just below Alvarado.  Garland played as a four piece but I would have rather seen them as a six member piece unit that was used on their debut CD.  They played several songs from their first release including the songs Bye + Bye, Reverie and the great version of Sunshine Days that really rocked the crowd. They had lots of sound problems which included high searing pitches from the guitars that ruined a lot if the bands softer songs. This in return gave the lead singer hard to hear himself problems through the monitors to watching him hold his own ear just to hear himself sing his falsetto voice. There was one other really great new song called I Need You which would make for a great single if they can get a new album recorded.

Josh Caterer was in town to show off his newest solo EP The Heart Of Christmas. I would have thought this was going to be a Christmas show. But to my surprise, Josh did about 45 minutes of The Smoking Popes songs acoustic.  He took several requests from the attended audience and played them for us. He charmed us in the middle of some of the songs to tell us what the songs were about as well. He also played a couple of compositions about his wife who was also in attendance at this show. Some of the songs of The Smoking Popes he did were Gotta Know Right Now, You Spoke To Me, Paul, First Time, Rubella, Need You Around, Pretty Pathetic, They Say We’re Too Young and a few others as well.

During one song he broke into doing What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding, a cover of an Elvis Costello song. At the very end of the intimate evening, Caterer played two songs from his new solo EP.  To set the Christmas spirit a float he did Conroy The Gingerbread Boy and the lead track The Heart Of Christmas. You can buy this EP while Josh is on tour or you can order it from him at www.joshcaterer.com.

I hope he has been recording these intimate shows while on tour. They would make for a great DVD.  He should consider for the next Smoking Popes record to be an acoustic one. The Smoking Popes are currently signed right now to Asain Man Records.

What an early Christmas treat it was to see Josh Caterer live in such an intimate setting.  Here’s hoping this becomes an annual holiday tradition!

(Review by Jonathan Wright – Photo by Kenneth Morton)

People And Things by Jack’s Mannequin (Warner Brothers Records)

Fans of Jack’s Mannequin know of the leukemia Andrew McMahon has bravely fought. The Glass Passenger last album reflected on this with its dark lyrical content. With People And Things it shows McMahon’s progression to dealing with maturity and closeness that he has made with his family and friends. This CD also tackles themes of marriage, life on the road and nostalgia.

Starting from opening chords of My Racing Thoughts a fresh perspective in full production is heard with complimented synthesizers. That’s not all – you will find other stand out instruments like guitars as well. Sure the Piano is there but it blends in this time without having to be out front. This lets Andrew’s joyful voice play a stronger part in the album. With such lyrics as “I think I’m running short on inspiration, she’s running long on borrowed time,” poetry flows easily this time around as if speaking from the soul.  Andrew gives his own nods to the previous The Glass Passenger ‘in one of the songs on the record as well. Hey Hey Hey (where all going to die) might be a reference to the aforementioned album in this song, but the chorus is possibly one of the most anthem-like melodies on the album. In the song Restless Dream, Andrew shows his versatility on the record as well as growth in his songwriting abilities.

Andrew with this record has made it more of a fully realized CD with writing with his band mates and letting the other members instruments and participation stand out more. The record is definitely a band effort, and not just a solo project.  Andrew even lends his vocals over band member Anderson’s leading country tingled finger picking motion on his guitar on one track.  Production was a definite plus into the making of this album. Great arrangements and orchestration is enjoyed in the music that will enthuse your listening pleasure with this CD.  McMahon’s voice lamenting in the chorus “Oh my imagination running wild, I guess I missed you from the day that we first met” is terrific – letting us see a vulnerable side of him.

Thanks for a great record. It has been three years in waiting for but well worth it. You have stepped up your professionalism with this release. What an artist! Andrew shows he is in this for the long haul no matter what it takes.

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

Volume Two: High And Inside by The Baseball Project (Yep Roc Records)

Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate and The Minus 5) and help from REM’s Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck and some fine back up music friends like Linda Pitmon (from Steve Wynn’s Miracle 3 band) have come up with another 13 songs that play homage to the beloved past time game. Seems like these maybe from Steve Wynn’s own watching of some of the games and the others are reliving old pastime selected events that happened at a ballpark near you. What happens when two music greats focus their talents upon their favorite sport? You get another entertaining The Baseball Project, Volume Two: High And Inside. The end result is an album with impressing knowledge of the game with its depth of obscure baseball lore.

The amazing thing on this CD is that McCaughey and Wynn admit inherited the task of including so many names, dates and places which required a focused mindset than the standard three minute pop gem might require and do it simply well here. This album should be nominated up for a Grammy Award. Volume 2 also includes music guest artist as Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie, Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, as well as Chris Funk and John Moen from The Decemberists. The album is a little country but with enough power-pop that hooks you right into it.

There are some great stories, with nostalgia and baseball history galore on here. There are songs here about Pete Rose, and The Twins too. So sit down with a couple of beers and Cracker Jacks or beer nuts and give this project a good ole fashioned memory a spin and relive some great past moments of bassball. Some of the best songs are Don’t Call The Twinkies, Panda And The Freak, Pete Rose Way and Ichiro Goes To The Moon. This is a true Home Run of a winner record.

“Batter Up”

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

You newest CD the cover artwork is very unique distinctive and different from your other albums with their creative drawings are on them. What does the picture mean to the album?
Forrest: Well there is an actual wall in my house where that whole thing is set up that way in real life. So it wasn’t pieced together it is like this. This is a photo of my wall. Everything is hung up and there are assorted different knickknacks. These are all important things that are in my life. Like there is a picture of my wedding party. There is a picture of my dog. Just things are up there that are really important to me.

So was this done to make the album a bit more personal?
Forrest: Yeah. I gathered a lot of things that dealt with my wedding. This record is about that – getting married.

You seemed to give away some of your more deep heart feeling away in this new CD was that intentional?
Forrest: I base my criteria even on other bands and there words on their cd’s to see if they really mean what they say as well too. I am also a good sucker for a good singer. With these two things im totally hooked in and hope i get and give that same thing. A good honest record.

You have taken the leap of faith and left your last record label to put this cd out. Are you still in good faith and friends with your old record label Drive – Thru Records?
Forrest: No I haven’t talked to them in a couple of years. It wasn’t a friendly breakup. It’s all right. They ended up having unfriendly breakups with all of their bands.

Here is a quote from your new song Getting Old. “Not till a night when I turned 25 I saw that I had it all wrong…”  Had what wrong?
Forrest: What I was talking about is that when you are a kid time move super slow. You have got all the time in the world. It seems infinite. Then I started to come realize that time was finite and was running out and that you have to make the most of it.

What did you end up doing or change to do that when you were 25?
Forrest: I started trying to enjoy each and every moment. Live today. And to live smart. I kind of stopped forcing things to be something that they weren’t. Just try to enjoy thing for was it was. “here is a situation we are in and it is great.”

Now with hip hop and dance being so abundant, maybe your past records can have a chance of being played in clubs. How about this new record Would It Kill You? Getting played in clubs?
Forrest: Maybe for the past ones. For this one we went down a different path with it. Now we are musically going somewhere else. So then we can now wait for that sound to catch up with us.

So how did this music come to change or can you explain it?
Forrest: It wasn’t conscious for a decision to change. It was more of a natural full production of growing up. I built a studio at my home which may have had a lot to do with it. The band before now used to be a lap top production. So it was limited to what I had available to use then. Now I have got a whole lot of things at hand to use. Mostly now it’s about being more musical. We are more of a performance of a song.

Putting out this record as your own release. What has been your experience thus far?
Forrest: The experience has been great. Usually when you have more people involved more of the time is spent with idea that they are coming up with. Then you have to find ways of saying no to those ideas. The down side though is not having any money. There is also no advertising. Then the record comes out but only others find out about it if they who buy it tell them about it being available to get it.

HelloGoodbye have grown up some now. But, they keep putting out honest records.

(Interview and Photo by Jonathan D. Wright)

Peter Hook & The Light, El Ten Eleven, El Rey Theater, September 16, 2011

For a second night of Joy Division songs, front man Peter Hook might be in his mid 50’s but still rocks like he was a teenager with his bass. Now Peter with a mohawk youthful styled hair cut, Joy Division songs from Unknown Pleasures sounded fresh though Ian Curtis has not been with us for many years. Released this week for those not in attendance can buy the CD that was recorded of this show in Australia during the start of this tour.

At 9:00PM this Friday night electronic duo El Ten Eleven based out of Los Angeles, took the stage to entertain the Joy Division faithful in attendance. The interesting guitar with combined bass mixed with solid percussion drums made for an interesting danceable at times set. No overdubs were used and everything they played for over 45 minutes was done live. So they gave us a sort of a short rage concert like experience. Peter Hook chose this local duo himself to open and was a great choice.

10:20PM with opening background walk on number of Trans Europe Express music by Kraftwerk, Peter Hook & The Light were on stage as the curtain opened. The backdrop behind the drums in a silhouetted white light against the back made the artwork for Unknown Pleasures album cover come to life. With the dark lighted stage and full of fog, Joy Division’s enigmatic singer, could be felt heavy over the faithful that were here at The El Rey Theater. Some consider Joy Division’s material sacred to it being treated cautiously especially those closest to it. But, Peter Hook’s contribution to Joy Division’s unique sound is as important as Ian Curtis’s voice and lyrics.

Hook, for his share of the Joy Division mystique, presented the music in a straightforward fashion, giving the majority of the bass duties to his band while taking on most of the vocals himself. With a tight band injecting energy and passion in to the music, Hook appeared, loose, relaxed and engaged. A few times during some of the music bridges even posing to camera’s that were snuck into the audience. As a special guest performing three of the set songs was Moby (with a Flipper shirt on? Sorry no scene points for the “Flipper” tee shirt). With passionate vocals Moby did due homage to the songs he performed, which were Insight, New Dawn Fades and the classic Transmission.

During some songs when the crowd was slamming around hard, Peter Hook got more energy from us and it showed by his gracious thanks by the end of the shows set of songs. Included on this performance was a great versions of No Love Lost, Leaders Of Men, Glass, Digital, Atmosphere, Warsaw and Failures. But this evenings true gift of songs were to here in its entirety of Unknown Pleasures album.

With already hearing I Remember Nothing, She’s Lost Control, Disorder and Shadowplay, the evening concluded with an outstanding crowd surfing Love Will Tear Us Apart. It’s midnight and time to go home as the stage curtain came to a close. Peter Hook was moved deeply and very thankful to his devoted fans.

It’s been over 30 years since hearing some of these songs done live but the time waiting seems worth it when performed with such class and respect. When conversing with Peter Hook, at the record signing in Hollywood Amoeba Records on Thursday September 15, 2011, he said that he has planning to go back to Australia to perform Closer to a live crowd and to record it for a CD release soon.

(Review and Photos by Jonathan D. Wright)

You currently have a new EP Greetings From that’s available as a download or you have some while on tour this summer. You have now released this on your own record label Sleep It Off Records. Is a new full album coming out soon?
Buddy: That is the full album. It is a five song EP. I don’t even know if we are going to do a full album release anymore. That’s an outdated thing. We’re going to write five or six songs at a time. Then record them and get them out. This way it get newer music out faster instead of waiting for years for something to come out. Nobody cares for a full album its just a one song then disposables on them anyways.

As a musician do you prefer downloads or obtaining the physical actual CD to listen too?
Buddy: For me at this time I have stopped getting actually physical cd’s. Because now I use downloads on my phone or on my computer/ So everything is digital and cd’s are taking up to much space. A CD now is just a small hard drive. Also people have forgotten about the lost art of the album. If I am going to busy music I still go and buy vinyl. Vinyl because it sounds better on the stereo and the artwork is larger. Vinyl is still enviable and sometime you get cool things with it.

On the actual record store vinyl record day for 2011 what did Less Than Jake do for it?
Buddy: We were going to release something on vinyl but we did a in store record signing down in Pensacola Florida

You now have your own record label Sleep It Off records. What have you been learning with it?
Buddy: Fortunately having Vinnie (who plays drums) on our team who has had his own record labels before including Paper & Plastic currently, knows all of the ins and outs of releasing a new record.

This new record label of Sleep It Off is a whole band effort right?
Buddy: It’s really not like a label sort of speak. Because were really not trying to put out a bunch of other different band either. It’s just a way to have our own mark so that we can start releasing our own stuff. This way it keeps everybody else’s fingers out of the mix.

One of your newest songs from the Greeting From Ep is Goodbye Mr Personality. Who has the best personality in the band?And why would you want to say goodbye to that personality?
Buddy: Well I can’t say myself but I do have the best personality in the band. I would say that JR has the best demeanor of the band. He doesn’t get angry at things. I actually think we all in the band each of us all have different personalities. We are like the Brady Bunch kids and we all get over any humps that we have amongst us as a band really well.

This brings you up to date with Less Than Jake. Watch out for new recordings soon. They might just be EP’s for now but maybe just maybe a full length might come around. The best way though to check out the band is to get their newest DVD called Anthology. They play 6 of their albums all the way through. The concerts were recorded in Florida the bands home state. So this lets you see them at their best live and full of fun where they do ska the right way fast and raw.

(Interview and Photos by Jonathan D. Wright)

DVD ANTHOLOGY by Less Than Jake (Sleep It Off Records)

The Cure did it with their DVD called Trilogy. I am a big supporter of bands performing their albums in their entirety, as it’s a unique experience from both the band’s and their fans to enjoy. Oh sure Less Than Jake throw in some extra footage and couple extra songs on this four disc set. But here is a true way to really get to see the band function and play these CD in order. Less Than Jake played all six of their full-length albums from front to back over the course of six days at three different venues in their home state of Florida. Then the performances were documented on film. It may have taken awhile, but the shows are now available on the band’s new DVD set, Anthology. Enjoy and see how ska is really done and done well on here live.

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

Domesplitter by Direct Hit! (Kind Of Like Records)

A little reference to background for how this CD came to be. The band cut a series of 5 EPs that they gave away for free. First on their own they gave them away and then later on gave them away through Death To False Hope Records. The ten tracks on Domesplitter were then culled from those releases, then voted on by fans and re-recorded in the studio by the band’s current roster.

“Fuck you! Get pumped!” is the band’s rallying cry right off the bat from the record. Once singer/guitarist Nick Woods shouts these four words seconds into the album you know you are getting yourself into fast fun. Lyrically speaking the songs are easy to follow which allows you to go slamming in the punk pop frenzy anywhere this band performs.

The subject matter if you listen closely ranges from such topics as love to zombie attacks, and everything in between.   So if your looking to get pumped up and fast soar around and you like the sounds of The Loved Ones and Dillinger Four then give this band from Milwaukee, WI a spin in your CD players and turn it up for your neighbors too just for the punk fun of it.

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

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