| Good Music For Good People |
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April Update
| LOTS OF INDIE
POWER POP! |
EVEN MORE ULTRA
MELODIC POP! |
ABSOLUTELY THE
BEST NEW PURE POP!
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TENNIS COURTS
Oodles and Oodles of late 70s new wave charms!
Think the post early Elvis Costello bands
coming out between 1979-1982 “ The Sinceros and The Silencers come to
mind, as does Squeeze, early Costello, quite naturally. Smart guitars, wailing
lyrics, singers in glasses dissecting modern boy-girl longing.
All the songs flirt with late 70`s new wave
pop know-how, this one captures that same energy and adds a Mod-era hook magic
and Costello-esque sensibility and lots of peppy charm. There`s plenty of
slices of pure summery pop, tinged with the lament of a doomed affair. All
arranged with a dramatic flair and densely punctuated with Hollywood`s patented
brand of surly wit, gleeful sarcasm and peeved-to-vengeful wordplay.
EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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ROB BONFIGLIO (ex-Wanderlust)
"Dig The New Sounds Of"
Comes with EXCLUSIVE live CD filled with 5
rare demos and alternate mixes of songs from this album and his out of print
The Skies Of America release – as well as five more studio tracks from
“Shine”, the aforementioned out of print album from his previous band The Skies
Of America. 10 awesome additional songs on top of the 10
gems on “Bring On The Happy”!
The CD exhibits a songwriter in full command
of his facilities and talents and confidently gets down to things and going
straight for the throat. The material here sounds most like
"Girlfriend"-era, but you`ll hear lots of Velvet Crush, Tal Bachman
and maybe some hints of Jason Falkner`s first solo album here.
Bonfliglio utilizes big, classic power
poppin` riffing guitar hooks that straddle the middle-ground between pop-rock
sweet and riff heavy, radio ready sweat. There`s not a song here, actually,
that sounds like it`s not ready for radio, if they played this type of
material, which they, of course, should be. And is why radio is dying a
rightful death. Bonfiglio has a vivacious command of gentle but always
gripping pop melodies which breeze tenacious musicianship and gale force pop
ethic. Bonfiglio’s makes our kind of power pop!
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WHOA!! My kind of pop, man! This one
hits right between the eyes – please, this is where I, respectfully, ask you to
stop reading and get listening to the soundbites at the link here because the
story is there – not in the black ‘n white of these words. Come back in a
few mintues,okay?
All right. Thanks for indulging me.
Pop with attitude, eh? Yeah, there is some of that Replacements Mid West
rock thing going on - It`s classic rock for the power pop sect with its mixture
of Keith Richards/Stones guitar riffs and a soulful punch of tasteful horns
mixed in here and there. Passion – Guts – And – TUNES!
"This this disk absolutely works on
every level. I don't know what happened in the lengthy gap between CD's but it
certainly resulted in a much more unified sound. The songs are better, the
sound is better, the playing sounds more like an ensemble and less like a
recording project. This is power pop with the emphasis on "Power". No
ballads here my friends"-DigStation.
EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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Sometimes you just call really good music
simply by its most appropriate name and here on “Sweet Impossible”, a work that
does not fit in with any particularly defined music genre, “really good
music”. This Jerry Chapman’s third album and he’s lined up “Sweet
Impossible” to another winner – all his albums are very, very highly
recommended.
Musically, it`s a rootsy rock `n pop affair.
Reminding me of a marriage of, say, Matthew Sweet(Chapman`s knows his way
around massively hooky guitar melodies), T Bone Burnett, Tom Petty, The
Jayhawks, Jason Falkner, Bill Lloyd and John Hiatt. Like I said, hard to fully
pin down in a very cool way.
There`s catchy vibe here, as all the songs
gracefully drift from singer-songwriter sublimness and carefully constructed, open
chorded sounds to sweeping, accessible and good-natured melodies.
Yes, indeed – EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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ALAN BERNHOFT
"Beatlesque One"
A more appropriate title you shall not find
as you check out the latest releases on this site. Listen below and
you’ll hear Herman’s Hermits(track #5 at the link above), The Beatles(Track
#1), The Lovin’ Spoonful(#4) and early Beach Boys(#11). It’s an homage, a
love letter and very high recommendation for most of music fans spending time
on the Not Lame site!
“So while there's no mystery as to the operative
sound here, the question remains: just how good are these
"Beatlesque" tracks?
Answer: Pretty darn good. Bernhoft covers most
of the Beatle era in sound here, so the effect is not unlike a Rutles album.
"Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" is the leadoff track, and it perfectly
captures the Early Beatle sound and is quite reminiscent of "Leave My
Kitten Alone". "Magic Everywhere" would be at home in the
mid-period of Rubber Soul and Revolver, and "Someday" and
"Sunshine Girl" are dead ringers for some of McCartney's more playful
moments while "Winter Ocean Mary Go Round" hints at Lennonesque
psychedelia...if your tastes run more to the whimsical McCartney side of the
Beatles, Beatlesque One should be Number One on your list to get.”-
AbsolutePowerPopBlog.
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SPINNING
JENNIES
"Peer Pressure"
BEEN OUT OF PRINT FOR YEARS! Just found
copies of this long out of print 2000 release from Spinning Jennies, whose
"Full Volume" best-of collection is a must-pick up! After you do
that, check this one out as it was their strongest release of 5 albums. As a
non-nonsense power trio, The Jennies sound embodied the cornerstones of classic
power pop: big chiming guitars, driving rhythms, soaring vocal harmonies...and
the ever-important melodic hook! Through the years, they have received
comparison to bands like 70s power pop icons Shoes, The Posies, Redd Kross,
Cheap Trick, Sloan, Husker Du and Matthew Sweet.
"...high-orbiting, hand clapping,
harmonically-hopped indie power pop in its golden moment." - Portland Music Central. "Spinning Jennies sound like a
mix of Cheap Trick with late Redd Kross...but let`s not forget about the whole
Superdrag influence, and of course, the Posies - when they actually knew how to
make records" Zero Magazine. "..one of the top power pop albums of
2002" Mike Bennett, Fufkin.Com.
This is out of print and we only have a few
handfuls of this one, so don`t` wait!
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Co-Produced
by Robbie Rist(The Andersons, Wonderboy
and so much more), you know, it has a stamp of Not Lame approval right
off the
bat. This latest CD promises to win over a new raft of fans, as well as
provide
a convenient jumping on point for any who may have lapsed. The
trademark pop
sensibility burns as bright as ever, but the lyrics are sure to connect
with
his loyal fan-base, confirming him as a man in thrall to his family and
comfortable in his own skin.
Upbeat
and warm, ‘Try to be Here’ represents another
urgent step forward. Back with a band once again and showcasing his
strongest
material yet, this is the sound of Jeff Caudill in his natural
environment and
at the top of his game.
“He
just takes a simple song, gives it the right vocal treatment, leaves
out the
superfluous and serves up a fine performance time after
time.” – Americana U.K.
“If you’re
a fan of American bands such as The Replacements, REM and The
Lemonheads,
you’ll find something here for you” –
Whisperin’ and Hollerin’
“Caudill's
trump-card is his ability to craft instantly memorable songs that swing
with an
outrageously catchy hook.” – Joyzine. Very Highly
Recommended!
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A top class indie rock-cum-power pop band from Detroit and a great find for
Not Lamers! Guitars slash and burn, the bass rumbles like a heard of stampeding
elephants, and drums crash and bang with precise abandon and remind me most of
Redd Kross – a very, very good place on which to hitch you musical wagon.
"A hyper-fuzzed, rousing, rough-around-the-edges
rock outfit with sunny-pop in the middle of its jangled shred" - Real Detroit Weekly.
"There's hooks here, chief. The big, fat, giant,
classic kind born of power chords and harmonies.”- MetroTimes. “Bassist Liz Wittman and drummer Brad Elliot
round out the power trio, and propel the Foes’ sound somewhere in the space
between the boy/girl power pop of The New Pornographers.. At the core of Born
Radical they deliver straightforward power pop, and they do it with enough
infectious enthusiasm to keep their take fresh.” – MotorCityRocks.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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VIBEKE
BRAND NEW FROM
VIBEKE! A 5 track EP/CD of Original Christmas Pop Songs!!! Makes a GREAT
stocking stuffer!!
Christmas
Rock and Roll does not get any better than this! 5 excellent originals from
her! More details and soundbites coming!
HOLIDAY & CHRISTMAS FUN!
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Thanks to Not Lamer Rob Bartlett for turning me onto
The Veltz Family – This is what he had to say about them: ‘Their harmonies are a thing of beauty.
The joy they share as a family is evident in every note of music they
play, and when you listen to them, you are immediately embraced by the warmest,
most positive, uplifting vibe this side of Yasgur's Farm. They are
special special people who love to make music and that music is amazing.
VERY VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!’
So I had to pay attention to that – but the problem
was Not Lame did two moves in a matter of six months and their CD was packed
away in a box that it should not have been so it’s been completely missing for
over a year until I opened up this wayward box a few weeks ago! Yes, yes – ‘lame’! All in good time – It is now unearthed
for y’all to check out properly
here!
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VELOURIA
Here’s a most welcome surprise from one of LA’s
premier power pop bands on the scene in the late 90s – VELOURIA.
Led by Scott Taylor, Velouria are back with their
ripping version of early Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello with a some of the
punch that you find in good ‘ole rock ‘n roll. This is riff heavy, melodic
power packed power pop that jumps right out of the speakers. Folks who
remember other LA bands like Possum Dixon and Teen Machine may find some similar spirit in some
of these songs here, too.
“This original Silver Lake trio rocks power-pop glee with wall-of-sound
overdrive and spine-tingling abandon” – YesWeekly. Two Big ‘ole
Thumbs Right On Up!
Very Highly Recommended!
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THE NAOMI STAR
2009 release from Steve Bunovsky and The Naomi
Star! Like The Naomi Stars’ last one, "Sunshine Girl",
“Through The Eyes” is, similarly, a beguilingly haunting display of
smart and sweet harmonies that while acoustically driven on many of the songs
here, have an overpowering affect. Kudos to Bunovsky writing an album confident
to be hushed and acoustically strummed where the song demands such treatment
and resist the temptation to blast the pop hook out front.
It`s the graceful, gentle summer-breezed air of the
entire release that makes it so enjoyable from the first listen and onward.
hink a mixture of America, Bread, Cloud Eleven all wrapped up in a love
of Badfinger and late 60`s/early 70`s Bee Gees and probably some solo George
Harrison if Wings were backing him up. Check out song #3 below for a good
representation of what’s going on here. As with everything in their
catalog, I very strong recommend Bunovsky’s music for many Not Lamers!
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This is Jesse Sprinkle’s 2008 solo release and add
another notch of achievement in a long career of a consistently excellent
music. Sprinkle can’t help but make
moving, powerfully impactful tunes. Fans
of Neil Finn, Ice Cream Hands, Elliot Smith and good tunesmanship, Sprinkle’s
outings are always worth checking out.
“Surrounded By Lights” is a more of a laid-back affair than “The Corner
Of An Unlit World” but the hallmarks of carefully blended vocals and soaring
open chorded strums very much remain. Crisp
guitar lines and rich, soothing vocals urge the complete success of this
project clearly into focus, opening up fresh pop vistas of effortless strumming
and lovely melodies. IT does not get much better than this for fans of
acoustically, chiming, ringing power pop than this. Lyrically rich, the songs
rely on sugar-sweet harmonies on every second of this CD.
“Sprinkle's music is sparse and spacious,
moody but not gloomy. It's essentially the man and his guitar, and most of the
instruments that he colors the tunes with. Sprinkle rifles around the thesaurus
in his head, searching for an appropriate label before settling on ‘darker
pop.’” – Rochester City Newspaper.
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MIGHTY FAIRLY
"Big Words And Power Chords"
Order Today -- $12.00
Mighty Fairly plays an eclectic, hook-laden type of
indie-pop, with 7-layer burrito deep harmonies, while never taking themselves
too seriously. A down-to-earth, self-deprecating sense of humor, along with
catchy melodies you can’t get out of your head, short of surgery, have created
a unique and radio friendly sound. Mighty Fairly takes a twist on indy pop.
Power-pop guitar sounds and a fun sense of humor that pokes fun at everything,
including themselves.
“Sometimes even the most bombastic of groups, like
Supergrass and OK Go, settle down (relatively, of course) for album No. 2. More
than that, “Big Words” is one of the most rewarding listening experiences of
the year. I’d actually stake my reputation on recommending this record to you
and yours. The tracks I mentioned earlier are great, but they don’t compare to
the downright pop perfection of “Close” and “Shadow.” The former, a carbon copy
of Splitsville in its Burt Bacharach-worshiping heyday" - Duluth Budgeteer News.
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BURNING DAYLIGHT
"Whiskey & Romance"
"Contagious songs in the alt-country mode,
sounding like a cross between Wilco, the Old 97's and vintage Soul
Asylum." The sound is stripped-down
Americana and lush pop. And
though leader Nick Young leans heavy on his love of the alt-country medium, his
penchant for melody and hooks takes away some of the requisite melancholy. The
trio twangs tight, riffs rural, and swings sweet, with equal doses of straight
time and chops, thus adding to the band's overall accessibility and appeal.
You'll hear the Earle, but the Costello is in there, too.
“Each selection on this fine long
player leverages a fully-baked song in its core. Mr. Young and company choose to
wrap their work in the way that is most complimentary to the song within.
The beauty in Burning Daylight's work lies in its confidence
and belief in, first and foremost, the song. It takes guts to trust a song to any number of
stylistic vehicles. The result is a record that invites you into a number of musical
environments and atmospheres--one that is equally fun and engaging. Highly
recommended summer listening." – North
Country Roots Report. VERY Highly Recommended!
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KENSINGTON MARKET
Kensington
Market was a Canadian psychedelic group that issued two albums on Warner
Brothers Records in the late 1960s. Avenue Road came out in 1968 and Aardvark
followed in 1969. These albums have been regarded by some as lost gems. With
this one, Aardvark, it has more a strong San
Francisco, circa ’67 sound – think Jefferson Airplane
and a more poppier Grateful Dead.
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Kensington Market was a Canadian psychedelic group
that issued two albums on Warner Brothers Records in the late 1960s. Avenue
Road came out in 1968 and Aardvark followed in 1969. These albums have been
regarded by some as lost gems. “Aardvark”
departs from the light psych, SF styled rock of the era and goes forward into
more light hippie rock area.
"3 stars. Yes, Kensington Market were one of the most
well-respected groups on the scene in late-1960s Canada; yes, this album came
out on a big label (Warner Brothers); and yes, it was produced by a major
figure, Felix Pappalardi, then hot with Cream. This doesn't mean, though, that
this is anything more than a very ordinary late-1960s rock LP, leaning towards
the gentle pop/rock side without being too mainstream. In keeping with the
times, a lot of attention was paid to varying the styles and arrangements, from
airy-fairy pop-psychedelia ("Looking Glass") and jugbandish good-time
rock with echoes of The Lovin’ Spoonful ("Beatrice") to folk-rock-pop
("Speaking of Dreams" is rather like 1966-1967 Elektra-produced
folk-rock with a poppier slant) and somberly orchestrated, introspective tunes
that never lost sight of pop harmonies and vague psychedelic sentiments."-AMG
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CORNERSTONE
COMES with a limited BONUS 6 song EP!!
“Whatever Happened To…” is like
a love letter to early/mid 70s British glam, pop and rock.
PowerPopAHolic wrote this about their first album and
it applies here:
"Oozes cool and talent...neat pop-psyche...sounds like an updated
version of The Sweet...a bit of Jellyfish meets Dream
Syndicate...almost sounds like The Pillbugs...the guitar work here
(very similar to Queen's Brian May) is a joy to listen to
throughout...You'll have lots of fun with this release."
The album is a mix of cover songs and original ones
from Frank E.
Slingsby – really unusual but always ultra-cool covers of
songs like
“Rock ‘n Roll Love Letter”,
“Devil Woman”, “Children Of The
Revolution”, “Pictures Of Matchstick Men”
and more light up up the sky
here. Listen here at the links above for a proper taste.
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PLASTICSOUL
An grabber!
From the first few bars of the first song, "Broken Bones", I knew this
was going to be a wonderful record because of its uplifting, but
haunting melodic glide that reminded me of the best songs off of Grant
Lee Buffalo`s "Fuzzy" album. Indeed, that spirit continues on "Pictures
From The Long Ago". Other important, striking influences dash in and
out of focus creating a just as strong as impact as this first song:
Jon Brion, Aimee Mann, Micheal Penn, The Eels and Kevin Tihista.
This CD showcases extraordinary talent and something that has been
missing from music at large - depth of content surrounded by
irresistible sounds, it`s beautiful, rich and warm. Filled with
expression and sweet sounding melodies all over the place, Plasticsoul
is anything *but* plastic.
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GARY REYNOLDS
You`ll hear plenty of
Squeeze(that Beatle-thing again), early Michael Penn, Vinyl Kings and Reynolds
gift for borrowing the soaring, touching hooks of late 60s George Harrison and
appropriating the whimsy of Bowie with his own distinct, often pessimistic touch of
blues is undeniable.
This CD is an instant classic, thick with gospel
handclaps, piccolo trumpet, choral backups, wurlitzer, strings, singsong piano,
infectious hooks and unforgettable grit. Although his work rewards repeat
listens, it`s all instantly connective. Electric. Immediate.
"I was enthralled by this. And I dont use that
word a lot. If the CD title Instant Happiness rings of John Lennons Instant
Karma, Im guessing its intentional. This is the album Lennon, David Bowie, and
the Electric Light Orchestra would compose if locked in a studio together.Each song on the CD casts a different spell, but one
slides smoothly into the next, a tapestry of lush, full, beautifully
orchestrated pop music. This CD is a perfect dream. Somewhere, Lennon is
smiling." - IndieMusic.com
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DIESEL PARK WEST
One of the great unknown British rock bands of the
last 20 years that so few, sadly, know about.
Some bands belong to their own time, other trespass on decades where
they don?t really belong. Diesel Park West must have
seemed to some people back in 1989 as the most welcome and liberating guitar
band anyone had heard then for years.
Over the past couple of decades constant touring and
one-nighters across Great Britain and Europe has secured a
fanatical following for the band. It’s a
big, blasting 12 stringed guitar assault sweet as any modern rock going on
today. Their web site has a VIP Lounge area where
you can access tons of free rare songs and videos for free – sign up and
enjoy. Click on link above to get the URL.
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TUNEFUL TROLLEY
"Island In The Sky"
2008 expanded edition of this '60s treasure featuring
bonus tracks. Discovered and championed by Jay & The Americans, The Tuneful
Trolley were a Psych-Pop sextet with a knack for writing and performing solid
Beatle-esque Rock. This first-ever CD issue of their long-out-of-print Capitol
LP is supplemented by rare mono single mixes, none of which have ever been
issued on CD. The 16-page colour booklet also includes rare, unpublished photos
and comprehensive liner notes that feature the participation of original band
members.
“3 stars. After the record sank in the marketplace, the Tuneful
Trolley split up, and most of the members did little or nothing in music
afterward, which is surprising when you hear the album -- Island in the Sky
is hardly a masterpiece, but given the group's age and inexperience, it's
impressive stuff, full of engaging pop tunes (most written by the group), solid
vocal harmonies, and tasteful arrangements well-executed by the band. Most of
the material on Island in the Sky falls into the category of East Coast
sunshine pop, which means the outlook is a bit cloudier and more attitudinal
than similar West Coast product. Island in the Sky sounds like the
promising debut album."-AMG
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STRAY
"Stray" w/ bonus trax
One of my all time favorite obscure hard-rock classics hardly anyone knows about! Please listen on.
CD reissue with remastered sound and 5 really good bonus trax and
wonderfully long liner notes. This album is a truly undiscovered,
unknown gem that fans of a vaguely psych-and-hard rock sound of the
time(1970) will not only appreciate but, potentially, come to love as I
have. Pretty much unknown in the US (but Stray count the Damned`s
Captain Sensible and XTC bassist Colin Moulding as fans)---the
obscurity is quite justified because most of the material that followed
this brilliant debut was fairly pedestrian 70`s hard rock, the best of
which are gathered on the second disc here. But "Stray", the debut is a
slab of mightiness thrust down by Zeus upon the earth but nary noticed.
It`s certainly not for all who are reading this right now, but those
who `get this` this type of rock from 1970, you will forever thank Not
Lame. Think early Black Sabbath(and this was recorded before the first
BS came out!), classic Budgie, a heavier, more mind-expanding version
of Free, The Pink Faries with much better songs and a spirit that Led
Zeppelin was introducing at the time.
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THE BLACK WATCH
"AFter The Gold Room" (6 song EP)
Special,
limited 6 song EP that feature 4 new songs and two from their last album,
“Icing The Snow Queen”.
Fredrick`s
ambition not only to make his distorto-jangle-dreampop version of The White
Album (his as well as producer/The Black Watch bassist Scott Taylor`s favorite
Beatles record), but also to meld both Kevin Shields and Nick Drake-like
sensibilities throughout the recordings, is realized in a record that, for
those who have followed The Black Watch`s nearly two-decade-long career, as
well as for the uninitiated, will surely surprise and delight. Their truly
unique blendings of moody, melody drenched hooks colored divinely with violin
and cello stringed strummings that breathtakingly beautiful and leaving
fingerprints of music1s ability to capture feelings of the soul. Think a very
song oriented Yo La Tengo, The Go-Betweens, House Of Love hanging with The Jazz
Butcher. Not Lame was proud then and is still proud to highlight this band for
pop fans wh have not heard such a great mix of styles.
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THE
POSTMARKS
"By-The-Numbers"
There music has been
described as a suburban bedroom symphony suffused
with post-teenage heartbreak and painstaking pointillism. It's some of
the most complex and sophisticated pop music around, a self-contained,
hermetically pure world of orchestrated, swooningly cinematic
lusciousness. “Nuevo-pop outfit craft enchanting
multi-dimensional
music melding their poetic creativity with Brian Wilson-esque
orchestrations."-Spin. Here, each song is a cover song.
“3 1/2
stars. Apart from a couple fumbles, By-the-Numbers turns out
to be a
successfully executed concept and a very pleasant listen. A proper
follow-up with original compositions would have been preferable, but as
holding patterns go, this one is just fine.”-AMG.
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DUNCAN
LLOYD
"Seeing
Double"
UK
Only import and what a shame that fact is! Start listening here and
hear why! “Duncan Lloyd is better known as the lead guitarist
and
backing vocalist from Maxïmo Park but as a solo artist he has
just
released the album Seeing Double. Many solo side projects can tend to
be below par versions of the original band’s music,
thankfully not the
case here. With studio time kept to a minimum this record has a
refreshingly flawed, rough and raw sound, which is reminiscent of
earlier Graham Coxon solo work and Mwng by the Super Furries.
'Seeing
Double' is a certainly a poptastic album and may appeal to the
James Morrison and The Feeling's fans more than anyone else because of
the quirky and melodic tracks the album has to
offer.”-AllGigs.
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APOLLO
SUNSHINE
"Shall
Noise Upon"
“Bouncy 60 s-style melodies crack wide open, breaking into
outbursts of
pummeling and feedback before jumping back into the tune. It s all
neatly
and cleverly plotted, but with a looming chaos that s anything but
nostalgic.” – NY Times. “3 ½
stars. a musically ambitious and eclectic
bouillabaisse of pop, folk, indie rock, and unspecified trippiness that
joyously celebrates its 21st century variation on the hippie dream of
good vibes and stuff that sounds pleasingly messed up.”
– AMG.
“8 out of 10. Shall Noise Upon is grand, at
times grandiose, and full of rich textures and expansive melodies.All
of these compositions have been meticulously polished by the
attentive ears of the professionally trained musicians that are Apollo
Sunshine. " - PopMatters
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