The English Beat, Remedy For Kill, Stupid Flanders, MADhaus Gallery, Long Beach, CA – May 12, 2012

Ska, Soul and Reggae was the style for tonight. This was an all – ages show at an art house garage at a house style facility between 6th St & 7th Street on Pacific Avenue in downtown Long Beach. I didn’t know that Long Beach had this arts district, but sure enough there were mural paintings and visual art all over this venue happening this night. This show included three bands performing as well.

First was Stupid Flanders. They are a seven piece band from Orange County. They are a new band that plays fast ska with slight rock  guitar riffs thrown in to get a little hard at times. They have a great two piece horn section that blast out riff lines and harmonizing sounds that were a treat to hear. The drummer who had not played in six months with the band, due to school, was in full strength who punched it up at times to please the audience. In the lively set included was a strip down version of Come As You Are by Nirvana mixed in with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song which the audiences appreciated greatly. The black uniform, pants and shirt, mixed with the bright orange ties made the band look professional. They were a great fun warm up band.

Remedy For Kill was next with a distinctive reggae style music featuring ska talking style with rap lyrics at times. This was an interesting mix the vocalist used together well. To match that was his three piece back – up band that were so tight that they were able to play off each others leads and riffs without missing a beat. Remedy For Kill was the local band performing tonight and they rocked the place to a smooth reggae swagger with ease.

Dave Wakeling and his band The English Beat were next. They played over two hours of a show. It included most of the band’s hits and included a couple of General Public tunes as well. The set included songs as: Tears Of A Clone, Never You Done That, Tenderness, Rough Rider, I’ll Take You There, I Confess, Twist & Crawl, Can’t Get Use To Losing You, Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret and many others.  The English Beat ended the show with Mirror In The Bathroom. The show was sold out and packed all night long. Our dancing feet though might have been hurting on the way home but still felt good anyways. Thanks for the great time Dave Wakeling and company.  Lets do that again sometime! Awesome!

(Review and Photo by Jonathan D. Wright)

JAMES, El Rey Theater, April 12, 2012

James is back on a jaunt through The West Coast from Canada though Mexico and onto Brazil. They are currently touring for their current album The Morning After The Night Before. The show started with the crowd favorite Lost Control done acoustic with a guitar, a horn and Tim. Tim and the two others came through the audience from the back of the venue finally making their way up to the stage.  Later on during the set in the song Say Something, Tim jumped down in the audience and at times stood up on railings to be over the crowd to sing. This time though he went completely all the way around the hall to sing to the entire sold out show crowd.

One time during the hour and fifteen minute, set the crowd gave the band an ovation that lasted a couple minutes. The band looked taken back and was very pleased to how the audience gave them such a loving kind ovation in the middle of the show.

Two songs really stood out during the performance were Waterfalls and the new song Expression. Waterfalls, “Under The Waterfalls”, was sung so heartfelt it was like being taken to tranquil place to where this amazing Waterfall was. The newer song Expression sounds like something Joy Division would do but with the soothing pop vocals of Tim Booth.  Manchester might now have the most amazing band with over 3000 votes given to James making them he number one band currently, but this might have seemed to be a taking back their roots in music to the era on 1980 sound. I don’t think that Expression was a good way to end the set but that’s what they did – and it is an interesting song. Tim played keyboards on it at one point too with Larry adding in on a solo drum pounding away on it too.

The band came back for an encore and played an additional 3 more songs. So the entire night James played over 1 hour and 40 minutes of music. This covered 18 songs out of their huge bundle of tunes from the past over 30 years being in the music business.

(Review and Photos by Jonathan D. Wright)

James

Had a chance to speak with Jim Glennie who plays the bass for the band and who also helps with writing of James mass library of songs. He was in Europe leaving for America when we spoke on the telephone.

Welcome back to North America. It’s sunny now so come on down.
Jim: I’m looking forward to it. I live in the northwest coast of Scotland. Where we have had snow for the past couple of days. So warm weather would be nice.

Once I yelled out during one of your live tours the song Gold Mother, which is my favorite song, and was surprised that you played it right then. Do you take request like that and play them?
Jim: Pure coincidence. We normally don’t do songs just like that. It’s a song though that finds its way into the set every now and then. It’s a great song we do for the crowd. We usually try to bring someone out of the audience onto the stage and have a mini stage invasion with that one. It gives us a kick when we do that. But we tend not to do requests because sometimes they can get a bit muddy. It was a nice coincidence you got to hear it like you did. I really wish I could say that we played it for you, but it was already on the set list.

In 2010 you released your last album called The Morning After The Night Before. There is a cat snarling and hissing at you on that cover. What does that cat snarling have to do with the title or where did that title come from?
Jim: The cat had nothing to do with the title. It was an accidental image we absolutely loved. So if anybody wants to come up with a deep complex connection between the snarling cat and with it’s mirror ball eyes being on the album cover, that would be fantastic. We don’t have an answer for that one. The idea for The Morning After The Night Before was we were trying to write two songs with completely different character. We had written a bunch of songs but they weren’t quite different from each other. So instead of trying to mix these all up together for one record instead we said lets make two records. Then we gave them each different characters. The more peace album was The Night Before. The more reflective and low key was The Morning After. It didn’t quite work I don’t think. Songs do what they want to do. So some of the songs on The Morning After are a bit low key. But that was the idea. So instead of trying to mix the two together butchering it, which is what we normally do, let’s put out two CD’s one for each different characters. James is a band that writes lots of songs which covers different moods, atmospheres and are different sonically from each other. What we have done in the past is to try and somehow join songs together as a cohesive whole. We struggle still and sometimes some songs even get left behind like if they are too slow or something.  So we put them aside even though it’s a bit wasteful.

Mercury Records has been behind your albums for over the past 30 years. So why now is your the Gathering Sound box set being released by Universal Records?
Jim: I don’t know. No reason in particular to be honest with you. This is at the end of our relationship with Mercury Records and Universal. So we are separating our ways after this release. So no great thinking or plot behind releasing it this way to be honest that I know of anyways. It has been a very long relationship with Mercury Records. As with most record companies, people come and go over the years. So the people that we knew in the early years are gone. I wish I could say that they were the same people that we have had a long relationship with. But that isn’t the way it is in the record industry. We have had some fantastic people there that have been very supportive for what we wanted to do. They weren’t always the easiest bunch of people to work with a lot of the time. We demand things very much our own way. We are very demanding in that respect. I think if we had a lazy record label we couldn’t have been as flexible as we were with those people. It is quite surprising what we did with them at Mercury Records to be honest with you.

B SIDES ULTRA was another release from Mercury Records which contained some of your B Sides that have been accumulating. However, don’t you think that this doesn’t come close to having all of your B Sides released all together? Don’t you think like The Cure’s Connecting All Of The Dots box set release style would be more appropriate way to release all of your B Sides all together?
Jim: You are probably right. We have so much material from over the last 30 years. I do think you are right. I think nowadays it’s easier to kind of get things all together into one place. I think it just needs someone to do it.  A great deal of amount of work went into getting the box set stuff to get it out. And that doesn’t even touch to all this is really out there of James really. We need someone who has a lot of spare time. I really think you’re right. The beauty of being able to get music out to people now into non traditional formats is you can give them access to what they want in all of these weird and wonderful ways. I think you were right – those B Sides are fantastic. Were also very proud of our B Sides.   Some of the things I found that I have been looking through for the box set were old cassettes of demo’s for early 1980’s.  I found fantastic things also that I didn’t know existed or were just forgotten about.

You got to work with an orchestra and with a choir while on this tour for The Morning After The Night Before. What was that like and were they recorded for release some other time?
Jim: We did film one of the shows. We also recorded the sound from all of them.  It was an amazing experience. It was so fantastic. I would never had thought I would get the pleasure to experience James like this. We definitely are going to do something with the recordings and filming of this. We aren’t quite sure just yet. You know by doing this we ended up playing several different songs. Song that we did with the orchestra, we let the director chose the songs to what he felt would work in that way. He picked some weird and wonderful things that we haven’t played in years. So that was very stimulating. So we would plow through our records to play those particular songs he picked and played those. That was really exciting. We were playing songs for no ordinary reason that we had left behind. But that was fun. We had the best of both worlds really working with an orchestra and with a choir throughout the European tour and in America with the choir as well during that tour. I liked working with the choir. With the choir we were able to nail all of the harmonies that our own backing vocals can’t. Something very powerful about that I think. So you get a full of melody sound which I found to be very emotional, but yet very powerful.  I know we can’t deliver all of that. So the choir bolted onto our wall of rock ‘n’ roll. So the deconstruction and reconstruction of a song into something else was amazing! With playing with an orchestra and a choir, the nice thing is there are more people around. With having those in that group doing this for the first time and with all of us together being enthused made a very big difference. So through their joy, it made this all very exciting.

On the release of JAMES: THE BEST OF you included a live acoustic set of songs. Why haven’t you toured here in the USA for an acoustic tour or make an album bared down stripped as they say acoustic? What does acoustic do also for James sound?
Jim: Because there is seven of us. We can make a racket with our electric set. We have a lot of technology behind us when we play like that. We have also a lot of sonic weaponry there as well. This can fill up any sized venue, which is great. But, there is a degree of security within that really. We do love playing acoustic. It is very scary. You are really that more open because you can’t hide behind an amp and pull up your sound. I don’t know why we haven’t done the USA like that. We played a United Kingdom tour acoustic. It is something that we can do. I’ll mention it and see what we can do. You can get the credit for it if we do that then. It might be also more cost effective too. An idea of recording an album like that is nice as well. Probably would be interesting. This is an aspect of James that we haven’t done. We have done some stuff for radio like this.

You had several albums out before working with Brian Eno. You were all ready if a great forward momentum. What did Brian Eno do for your band?
Jim: We liked working with Brian Eno. He was our hero. I think he gave us confidence to kind of have a bit more fun with songs and be more relaxed with it. We were really very intense when we went into the studio. It was never a pleasant experience. It was like it was too important. We were worried about doing the songs justice. So from day one till the end everyone was intense about the whole thing. Like it would take three hours to get one snare drum sounding right. So it wasn’t fun. Eno would come in and suggest something. But because it was Brian Eno, we would do it and go along with it. If it had been anyone else, they would have gotten sacked. We then realized music can be enjoyable. So we got the confidence from him to leave some things alone. Keep things simple. If there was a problem. try odd approaches but then leave it behind. Come back to it on another day if you need to solve that problem. Don’t sit arguing about something for hours on end with your head against a wall. Brian Eno was a bit fun. Brian Eno is a great thinker. He is really a very funny man with a great sense of humor. He suggested some ridiculous things when the songs weren’t working. He’s a great problem solver. He is very off the wall and very left field. I like to think we have tried to carry some of that into what we do now, though he is not here. Having said that it would be nice working with him again. But it’s more expensive for us now.

With Tim now living in California, how have you been able to write new songs? With him here in California has it helped in the lyric writing?
Jim: I don’t know if it has changed the lyrics. I haven’t noticed any specific changes. Writing wise we just got the opportunities of windows that we can do it. He is coming over here while we are doing a bunch of summer festivals. During the festivals, they fall on the weekends. He will be here then for a few weeks together then. So during those gaps between festivals we write. If we are lucky weather wise, we will stay a bit longer where we are and write. But also Larry and I have come out to Tim’s in California to write a lot. Tim has a little studio attached to his side of the house so we write there. Sure there is sometimes distance between us. So we are doing a lot of writing over this summer and should have a new record out by next spring or summer. Writing new music has always been the life blood fuel to make us want to be here. This then lets us see how it connects with our past and to see how it’s going to move us forward. It is a continuity of something fresh coming through. Then there is the challenge of what it is going to be. We also like the fear in writing. Fear of bringing new records into the world and trying to make them work. So then we work them to convince people to listen to them. Then we put them into our live set. That fear is why we like playing live in concert. I think if we continuously play the back catalog again and again we would get stale. We need that fresh fuel coming in.

Tim has two albums out of solo work. Did you help with either of them and what do you think of them?
Jim: Yeah I like Tim’s solo work. I have not been involved with them other than when he released his first album with Angelo. They got some TV in Europe in the United Kingdom. James was at that stage with a little different line-up than we are right now. So we were the back up band. We were Tim’s house band for that. It was really funny but great working with Angelo with this and Tim. Tim has a great desire to put out these records. He has these other fantastic music sides to him and his music that he wants to get out and does. That’s really fine. He finds a way to work them in and out of what James is doing. So that’s not a problem. So it doesn’t cause any friction or anything. I really like a lot of what he has done. Some of the stuff is really worth while. I think every now and again he seems to get out to express some thing that has not sort of been there for him properly with James. So off he goes and does it. But he is always conscious of not getting or letting of it get in the way of what ever we are doing as a full band. There has never been any problems in that respect. He is sensible enough. He does look out for all of us and that’s cool.

Have you written any songs for anyone else or for yourself?
Jim: I don’t think I have. Well actually that’s not true. Larry and I have flirted with some other singers with some stuff . But nothing has ever been released from it. It’s quite interesting when we are busy with James I don’t have any inclinations because James satisfies my need in music. But when James aren’t busy I get itchy feet to start doing other things. So if I am with James then I am busy and I don’t need to go out on some tangent.

During this last tour for this record you have had some VIP packages available for the show. This gained access to your sound check for a couple of songs and a short interview with the band. How does this effect James in this situation doing this and allowing it to happen?
Jim: It was suggest actually before to do it when we traveled here in the USA. This helps us now to do it to break even for get over here to tour. We hadn’t ever had a VIP Package available until this past tour. So we were uncertain to how they would be go. We also didn’t know how they would be for us doing them and how that would feel. So we were worried to how it would pan out. But what we found out was that we loved it. Silly really but we loved the experience. For one thing it made us more focused and try harder in the sound check part of it. It also made us bring in songs into sound check that we haven’t played in a long while. But because of the people where there live watching us We would then try really harder and we weren’t sloppy or messy with the songs because people were looking and watching us and paying even closer attention. If they went really well then we added them into that night’s set. So by the end of that American tour we had been able to play over fifty of our songs. Plus also Tim gets nervous. I don’t think Tim will mind me saying this. But after all of these years still Tim gets nervous before going onto the stage. But when he is on the stage performing he clicks right in and becomes this completely focused Tim which makes him able to be himself. So for Tim and us to see those people from sound check in the audience during that night’s performance make him and us feel more relaxed as if now performing for a bunch of friends. This has really make a huge difference on Tim. So for something that we did for pure financial reasons became something pleasurable. So we will keep offering this and doing it when we can at the venues. It has really had an impact on our sound check and to the gig. I give the small audience a little show of our reality of ours too. This lets them see what kind of goes on behind the scenes. The VIP experience has been appreciated by those people who have come to this. This makes it a little bit more special for them and a bit different and special for us too.

If you can catch James now while on tour here in North America. They head to Mexico after this. Then it’s off to Europe for a few festivals. Look for a new CD sometime soon because they will be writing it all during this coming summer. Available in July on Universal Records some time will be The Gentle Sound Box Set from James make sure to order it from them. Thanks to Jim Glennie for taking time out for this phone chat. Make sure to get your copy and listen to The Morning After The Night Before..

(Interview by Jonathan D. Wright)

James Official Home Page

The General Strike by Anti-Flag (Side One Dummy Records)

Political antics is something not estranged to Anti-Flag. The only difference is that Anti-Flag has never beaten around the bush at it. They try and stay as politically and as up to date as possible. They are the band that stands up and wants a challenging fight for the underclass and underdog. They sum up the scenes in real life that are happening politically around us. There are so many reasons to be scared from how the state of society is these days. Riots and shooting and robberies you would think we were in a war zone locally. This doesn’t even begin the argument of where freedom of speech lies that seems to want to be slammed down us to be quiet instead of fighting back at least verbally. It’s not just here in the states with the Occupy Movement but it’s all over the world stuff going on as well. Mayhem, protest and demonstrations have gotten out of hand. So political charged musicians like Anti-Flag have started to have their say too.

Right from the start of this CD it’s heavy in politics with a twenty second rage of attack on the judicial process that is happening in the United States. The other 11 tracks that follow this discuss openly stated views about social issues in the United States, economic protest and middle–east violence are all at a very out spoken in the lyrics. You need to retain a strong political mind listening on this cd. This marks the bands ninth release. Besides the great messages throughout the CD, the music is melodic punk with some innovative arrangements and with different instruments being over aggressive at times. So this aggressive message outcry for real listening and then doing something afterwards will either get you politically charged and involved or it will get you bouncing all over your room maybe even to tear up things and throw them around in a frenzy. Some of the best songs here are: Nothing Recedes Like Progress, The Ranks Of The Masses Rising, Broken Bones and The Neoliberal Anthem (which would make for a great video). 2012 is here and we are all living in it as this band tells it like it really is. The is a standout Cd just like Green Day’s hit American Idiot.

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

Symptoms by Useless ID (Fat Wreck Records)

Useless ID incorporates good melodies on top of killer songwriting & a great voice. Their past two albums were amazingly solid. I respect that over the years, these dudes have stuck to their indie roots & kept the underground. It’s 2012 and the band has mature from being on Kung Fu records to a more medium upper records label Fat Wreck Records. For the last eighteen years, Israeli punks Useless ID have released albums. With the release of Symptoms, Useless ID appears to be in a position where they may get a leg up and break out finally with ease. This makes Useless ID’s seventh CD and it features twelve diamond hard and razor sharp songs. From opening assault of Live Or Die, Useless ID shows what they’re made of.  With an unshakable foundation drummer Jonathan Harpak, guitarists Guy Carmel and Ishay Berger sear sensibilities of listeners with a one-two wallop of pop melody punk brutality. From that strong beginning, the band seems to go out of its way to out-do themselves with each successive song.

Great stand out tracks are: Before It Kills, Erratic, Manic Depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Symptoms is a group effort release. Sometimes though Berger throws in these guitar lines so harsh and determined that it sounds as if the band has been influenced by hardcore music. It’s Jonathan Harpak who packs in a most incredible percussive turn that keeps everything in line and pulses you to keep you in touch to the massive beat. Beyond all that, singer/bassist Yotam Horin maintains phenomenal vocals as he crosses dark and worrisome imagery in his matured lyrics this time around. All of this makes for a very interesting progressive album for sure. This record has some of the best refined pop-punk melodies to come along in years. What a great ride this album is to listen too. Now go catch a wave and ride it surfboard or skate board.

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

Less Rhythm More Booze by Authority Zero (Suburban Noize Records)

This live recording was done in Arizona at Club Red in Mesa, AZ on July 2nd 2011. On here you will find 16 songs and included as a Live DVD of the show as well. This album is for the fans to show them just how much fun Authority Zero has when they are able to perform for an audience. This is true ska punk but its done acoustic. Done acoustic your asking why…well, because there was a power problem for the show.

The show starts of with a new song called Liberatededucation. Other great songs done were Big Bad World and Break The Mold. At the very end of the set was a cool convergence of two great songs from 2002 – One More Minute and Over Seasons. Artistically one of the best performances this band has ever pulled off. A definite collection piece to have.

(Review by Jonathan D. Wright)

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)