Scroll down for the latest releases by Phil Angotti, Corin Ashley, Freeheat, Team Rockit, Muck and the Mires, Forget Cassettes, The Eisenhowers, The Comfies, Sugar Mountain, The Changes, Outrageous Cherry, The Tickets, Bob Seger, Short Hand, Oxford Collapse and The Corner Laughers

Phil Angotti -- East Side Soul (Jam): This master of ‘60s-styled melodic pop continues to move his music in a more intimate direction on this album. Moreover, he throws in a little folk music for good measure, opening the album with the title cut, which is a throwback to Bob Dylan circa 1966. Okay, the lyrics aren't nearly as great as Dylan's, but the tune sounds great and Angotti ratchets up the passion. This could be described as a concept album of sorts, with Angotti singing about growing up in the suburbs south of Chicago. Lyrics and titles have place specific names (like "95th St. Bridge Song") and the overall mood is contemplative. But don't think that this is all chin stroking and sadness. Angotti can still knock off a bit of Badfinger/Beatles inspired pop wonder, like the pithy "If I Catch You", a song that makes a virtue out of its simplicity. Even better is the swoony really, really old school ballad "Marykate", which is augmented by flute accompaniment and a great jazzy guitar solo from Charlie Piper. On the more sober material, the lack of lyrical acumen noted above creates a problem. Strong music on songs like "Mr. Baroo" is undercut by pedestrian rhymes that exacerbate an inability to dig a bit deeper on these intended observational pop songs. The simplicity that works well on love songs (and can, thus, be forgiven) is not so kind when Angotti tries to get weightier. Still, the tunes are memorable and sound good. But that's a given with Angotti. jamrecordings.com

Corin Ashley -- Songs From The Brill Bedroom (Murray Hill): Ashley was a guitarist and songwriter in the brash mod/power pop band The Pills, a real rocking outfit. If you listened to their stuff, you'd never have guessed that Ashley had the heart of soft-popper lurking underneath. Well, maybe you could find clues in his swell writing for *Big Takeover* magazine (he's an ace reviewer). Still, even though I knew he had a Nilsson jones (and covers Harry on this plate), I never could have imagined how splendidly he could make music that come pretty darn close to the quality of heroes such as Nilsson and Paul McCartney, who are the two best reference points for this terrific solo record. Not only are the songs strong, but they get better as the album goes on. Moreover, Ashley has paid a lot of attention to the arrangements and the sounds -- listen to the second track, "Gin & Panic", where the various instruments are given just the right amount of sonic space, especially the George Harrison-style slide guitar leads that embellish the song. Even better, Ashley kills me with his voice -- he really pulls off this material exceptionally well, including the genuflecting "For Roy Orbison", the best musical homage to the shaded balladeer since Electric Light Orchestra's "Endless Lies". Another strong vocal performance comes on the passionate piano piece "Hill School 1978". Then there are songs that have sublime melodic twists and chord changes, like the languid extended piece "Her Mercury Smile/Foggy Meltin Breakdown". It moves from power pop with a John Lennon slant in the verses, to a soulful bridge, culminating in a feathery smooth interlude coming out of the chorus. There's even more to enjoy, but that alone is more than enough. This is an extremely accomplished work that fans of classic early ‘70s pop should buy, no questions asked. corinashley.com

Freeheat -- Back On The Water (Planting Seeds): Jim Reid and Ben Lurie of The Jesus & Mary Chain team with a former Gun Club rhythm section and create what is effectively the latest JMC album. The album cover may hint at some type of desert rock, but the music is pretty much the same amped up mix of ‘60s pop, garage rock and The Velvet Underground that has been Reid's stock in trade since 1986. So Freeheat doesn't score many originality points. However, the band is really engaged in the music, on a hodgepodge disc of studio and live tracks. Since it had been a while since I had thrown on any Jesus & Mary Chain in my home, this album made up for that deficit quite well. "Facing Up to the Facts" is a particular favorite, coming from the same place as JMC classics like "Blues From a Gun", with lots of guitars, a nice refrain ("don't worry be happy" sounding decidedly unhappy), and a chord progression coming out of the refrain that could set up a medley with "Smoke on the Water". Roni Mori does a co-lead vocal on "The Two of Us", which sounds like a soft ‘60s pop song run through the rock and roll feedback machine. Hearing Reid sing "we don't do drugs/because we know how to fly" is somewhat funny, as his intent, menacing voice doesn't exactly ooze with sincerity regarding this topic. There's also some pop that just sounds poppy, like "Back on the Water". This isn't an essential release, but if you, like me, haven't checked out that Jesus & Mary Chain sound in a while, this may float your boat. plantingseedsrecords.com

Team Rockit -- The Lowest Point In Rock ‘n' Roll History (Firetone): If this were a bad album, the title would serve as a review. However, due to the quality of this release, the title serves more as a commentary, and the album is a fiery response to do something about this perceived low point. Poster Children drummer Matt Friscia has been a Rockiteer for a while, and has found a great frontman in Joe Sanzeri. His mentholated vocals, razor sharp guitar playing and solid songwriting combine smarts and primal rocking like other cool hard rockers such as Queens of the Stone Age, Alice Cooper, Didjits, and prime Urge Overkill. Some songs are pure drive, like "Something I Said", which is uptempo and performed intently. Others are a bit slinkier, but no less rocking. "Wake Up" has a central riff that seem to be morphed from Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" (not the prime riff from that classic, but a secondary one), and then moves into funkier territory, somewhere between the Queens and ‘90s Faith No More. Great song. Sanzeri's taut lead guitar line keys the sleazy "Teenage Queen". Indeed, the guitar line is so cool, the song only needs a decent chorus to be good, and it is. There's even a great slower track -- "Lucky Day" has a tossed off cool attitude in the verses, and a pleading chorus. These are the type of songs Alice Cooper and Aerosmith, in their early days, pulled off with ease. The Rockit does so too. Hard rock that isn't heavy metal or slowed down punk doesn't come around too often. This record really fills a rock void. firetonerecords.com

Muck And The Mires -- 1-2-3-4 (Dionysus): This is pure unadulterated R & B based garage rock, just like they did it back in the ‘60s. Muck and the boys channel their inner Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and fire off 12 songs in less than a half-an-hour, all in the name of fun. The band is capable of generating a frenzy almost on par with The Swingin' Neckbreakers ("Falling Back on Me") or throwing out some melodic AM radio magic, a la Bobby Fuller, but scruffier ("I Never Got Over You"). They don't credit who sings what, but the main singer has a great sore-throated R & B voice, which sells songs like the pleading "Lesley". They even do a swell cover of "(Just Like) Romeo & Juliet". One thing that struck me while listening to this record is how much this classic style of music has been marginalized -- really, Muck and the Mires aren't that far away from the J. Geils Band or Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, who had some success in the ‘70s. Yet, this type of music, when done by ace players like these guys who attack the songs with passion, still sounds great. dionysusrecords.com.

Forget Cassettes -- Salt (Theory 8): The short take -- this band sounds like they took inspiration from the heavier side of PJ Harvey, with a little Bettie Serveert on the side. And they sound real good doing it. This extremely well-recorded album runs the gamut from dense powerful rock to wispy beauty -- illustrated quite well on the opener "Venison". Lead singer Beth sings with a slight abandon, and the prettiness of her voice contrasts and compliments the music when it gets heavier. At times, this record is a harrowing experience, with the murky textures and downcast sounds being made. On "My Maraschino", the band contrasts a languid verse with a sudden stop followed by clipped bits of guitar. Instead of tensing up and releasing tension, they reverse the formula, and it makes for a compelling and original song. The band consistently creates moody atmospheres and then pierces them with lockstep drumming, probing guitars and Beth's engaging vocals. "The Catch" showcases the band's ability to put together the various drum, bass and guitar parts into something precise and still filled with emotion. Very striking stuff. theory8records.com

The Eisenhowers -- Almost Half Undressed (Serali): Ornate power pop in the vein of The Tories, Jellyfish, and Doug Powell. The Tories is the best comparison, because this band makes glistening music, but doesn't pile on lots of production tricks. This is a style that can grate when it becomes too pristine or precious. Like the best music from The Tories, The Eisenhowers avoid this, due in part to sharp observational lyrics (meaning their music isn't just an exercise in sounding good), and having some muscle underneath the sheen. These qualities are displayed to good effect on "Mr. and Mrs. Frankenstein". The song works a sinister pop melody, with an ominous psych-pop vibe in the verses and an instantly memorable chorus. There are also some cutting lyrics in the tradition of "Pleasant Valley Sunday": "Money talks/and we understand it." Another strong song in a somewhat similar vein is "Novelty Act". One song has a nice Beatles gloss on it -- "Jigsaw" has some George Harrison-like slide guitar that augments the basic Eisenhowers approach. That is, everything fits within the Jellyfish template, but other elements are added, like the underlying dance music (think Squeeze's "Cool For Cats") rhythm in the chorus of the inspired chorus. Inspired is a good word to describe this disc as a whole, and the inspiration is backed up by strong committed performances. serali.co.uk

The Comfies -- Close To Me (Livewire): This is either an excellent EP or a near great album that mysteriously left the final three tracks off. The Comfies specialize in minor key pop that appears to be strongly inspired by The Zombies. The foundations for the first two songs here sound like Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone came over for rehearsals to give pointers. That being said, "Close to Me" and "That's What She Gets" are more than Zombie-pproximations, as The Comfies add their own melodic spin and instrumental tricks to provide a fresh and winning take on a great pop approach. I don't know if the other five tracks quite measure up to the standard of the first two, but they are all worthwhile. "Medicine" focuses on a stop-start guitar part and sounds like a pumped up Don Dixon tune -- it's even a little funky. "Your Sunshine" has a creative textured arrangement and reminds me a bit of Jason Falkner in its approach. I like how the band stitches together a few ideas that may not have seemed to fit, and made it work very well. I'm very, very impressed by this release. livewirerecordings.net

Sugar Mountain -- In The Raw (Brewery): This is a roots rock record full of greasy riffs in the tradition of The Rolling Stones and The Faces. Sugar Mountain sounds like they hit every roadhouse from California to Chicago to down south. Heck, their record is produced by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel, who gives it a nice thick sound. How these Spaniards learned to do this blues rock and roll so well that you'd think they learned it in a garage in Macon, Georgia is a mystery to me. Making this sound so authentic is a team effort, but frontman Javier Ruano deserves extra credit for penning the fine tunes, and impressively singing them with a soulful voice. Ruano is rangy and has distinctive phrasing, giving this band a strong personality beyond its superb playing. The opener "Not Your Business" is a playfully chugging rocker that let's you know right away that you're in good hands. Indeed, these Stonesy rockers are a specialty, most of them emphasizing greasy guitar parts, but I must take special notice of "Let It Shine", a peppy number fronted by some pounding piano from Isaac Campos and Jose Salgado's drumming, accurately described as a "train beat" in the liner notes. The band shows off a country side on "Good Thing's Gone". It's twangy in the manner of The Mavericks and Dwight Yoakam, with thoughtful lyrics: "Them pretty women is not the only thing I crave/true love with meaning is always better anyway." Ruano swaggers when he rocks and aches when things slow down, and he also sells the blues rock ballad "Running Around". Sugar Mountain tops it off with a bashing cover of The Kinks' "Picture Book". Muy bien. breweryrecords.com

The Changes -- Today Is Tonight (Drama Club): Sometimes you review the record you have, sometimes you review the record you wish you have. The first full length from The Changes is a case in point. The band's debut EP was a thrill -- melodic songcraft (sometimes reminding me of Paul McCartney) with real musical chops (evoking Police and Steely Dan comparisons) recorded with a lot of raw energy. The production gate swings the other way on this album, which smooths out both the instruments and vocals like so much of Ian Broudie's production work (his own Lightning Seeds, The Wild Swans and others) in the ‘80s. Indeed, if they could have just added a crappy artificial drum sound, this might have sounded like an authentic ‘80s platter. I prefer The Changes raw, so this disappoints, slightly. But they still write good songs and play them quite well, so this album still has its charms. In fact, once I got used to the glossy production, I appreciated songs like "House of Style" that show that The Changes' sophisticated pop skills are fully intact, as the song has a breezy percolating feel -- this is kind of akin to Tahiti 80, without a dance vibe. One thing I notice on this and a few other tracks is that, like The Police, one of the best qualities of this band is when there is sonic space between the instruments of these top notch musicians, and sometimes, the production fills in too much. The excellent "Modern Love" balances the fuller sound with leaner passages, and it has a great instrumental hook. The band revisits their EP on a couple of tracks, and man, the songs are still outstanding. I truly think that "Such a Scene" is more devastating in its more immediate EP version, but even in the swirling atmosphere on the album, this song is a musical evocation of true yearning. And the lead guitar work here kills. Meanwhile, "Her, You and I" is romantic music which in both rhythm and melody seems to encircle the listener. They should just do this song on every album -- no one else around right now could come up with such a track. As this review may indicate, I've gotten over almost all of my initial disappointment. dramaclubrecords.com

Outrageous Cherry -- Stay Happy (Rainbow Quartz): This album from the Detroit psych-pop stalwarts is being touted as their stab at glam. Essentially it's some different accessories for the same clothing. The reverbed vocals of Matthew Smith, the Velvet Underground strum-drone guitars, and the contrary bubblegum worthy melodies are back in full force. The glam aspect comes through most often in the drumbeats, which contemplate the eternal question, what if Mo Tucker played drums for either Gary Glitter and/or T. Rex? And would she have worn lurex? It's hard for me to say where this album belongs in the Outrageous Cherry canon, though it deservedly belongs. While the band has, to a large degree, traded ambition for consistency, there's something to be said for delivering some gems on every album. I'm quite fond of "Memphis Stereo", which opens with a distinctive guitar riff and an urgent melody, with Smith hitting the top of his range. Then there's a relatively happy chorus with nice ‘ooh la la' backing vocals. This doesn't quite sound like anything the band's done before, though it fits in perfectly. The title cut is a nice showcase for Smith's dry sense of humor: "Stay happy when they throw you in the back of a squad car/stay happy when they say someday you're gonna be a star." One of the glammiest tunes on the record is "The Song They Don't Want You to Sing", which has the bounce of a mid-tempo Slade song, and deceptively simple lyrics that rank amongst Smith's best. The song initially sounds like a pump you up, do your own thing anthem. But it goes much further, as it hits upon something truly subversive in the 21st Century -- standing up for what you believe in: "Follow your instincts, they'll say you're not clever/think things through and they'll brainwash you forever." As long as Outrageous Cherry keeps delivering songs like this, they will always be worth listening to. rainbowquartz.com

The Tickets -- The Tickets (Brewery): This reissues recordings that originally came out on cassette in 1990. The Tickets were a power pop band with a bit of a pub rock twist, as their music sometimes reminds me of the skinny tie excellence of Fools Face and (Paul Collins') Beat, but steeped in R & B based rock a la Nick Lowe, Squeeze and others. Let me make this clear -- this is ultra top drawer pop, as the songs are simply magnificent. This album holds its own with the early ‘80s stuff it evokes, playing more like a (should have been) hits compilation than a regular album. Where to start? How about the track I'm listening to now, the yearning, urgent hypermelodic "Heartland", a song that is full of rising melodies and builds to release points that simply captivate. Bryan Shaddix brings it home with his passionate but controlled lead vocals. If you'd like something swoonier, try out "Dream About Me". This song plays like the love child of Squeeze and Marshall Crenshaw, with its uplifting chorus. The band does a great job of balancing roots rock with a McCartney flavor on "Nothing Else I Can Do", with another great Shaddix vocal. Brian Martin takes the mike on "Way Down Here", which is even rootsier, yet has the bounce of the aforementioned Fools Face. In addition to the cassette tracks, the band tacks on a couple alternate vocals on two cuts and both sides of a 1986 single. If this sounds good to you, you owe it to yourself to pick this disc up. breweryrecords.com

Bob Seger -- Face The Promise (Capitol): Next to Phil Collins, I don't know of too many mainstream rock stars who generate more antipathy than Bob Seger. It's probably a case of one ballad too many and the ubiquity of the toothless "Old Time Rock and Roll". Oh, and the constant playing of "Like a Rock" on Chevy commercials (though it sounds good in comparison to John Mellencamp's "My Country"). Which is a shame, because Seger has done a lot more good for rock ‘n' roll than bad. From his cool ‘60s sides (when will Capitol put out a reissue comp?) to the great mid-‘70s rock to some good songs even as his music got progressively slicker, Seger has got plenty to be proud of. So it is good to hear his still terrific sandpapery vocals on his first album in ages. Unfortunately, the album is filled with average songs that are similar to what he had done about 20 years ago. Of course, given the choice between this and a Rob Thomas album, I'm sticking with Bob. But this is a bit too comfortable. However, I'll admit that I like the hoary ballad "Wait For Me" in spite of its utter obviousness. I also like the fact that "Simplicity" is basically a slight variation on the *Night Moves* fave "Come to Poppa". Indeed, the album has a number of slick R & B based rockers, all of which gain a bit from Seger's strong singing. Seger duets with Kid Rock on country singer Vince Gill's rollicking "Real Mean Bottle" and it works, and even better is the duet with country thrush Patty Loveless ("The Answer's in the Question"). One song stands above all -- "Won't Stop". It's an acoustic warning shot with an ominous feel, and a melodic middle eight that is unlike anything I've heard Bob do. Yep, he still has a classic tune in him. capitolrecords.com

Short Hand -- Good Enough (Collectable Escalators): The music here lies somewhere between folk-rock and psych-pop, recorded in glorious mid-fi that provides the right atmosphere for the moody tunes. Sometimes, the vocal quality here reminds me a bit of Rick Corcoran of The Orgone Box, while the approach is like a rustic take on George Harrison or Lindsey Buckingham. The title track opens the proceedings with a psychedelic vibe, sporting a burbling repeating bass line complimented by a parallel lead guitar line, supporting a spectral atmosphere and lyrics that are alternatively cryptic and cutting: "I've had the guts to change my luck/if not the luck to change enough." This song is followed by the pretty finger picking on "The Best of the Swing Years". The music may be sweeter, but the lyrics again are somewhat ghastly, fully establishing the disquieting pull of this disc. On a few songs, this reminds me of a Delta-folk version of Manu Chao, which has a bit to do with Shorthand Davis's vocal tone. One song in that vein is "Saying Goodbye", which has a light blues-jazz guitar part and some distant piano. The less-than-pristine production actually favors this song, as the song almost sounds like it was recorded 50 years ago, until he sings: "Here I am/knee-deep in shit again." The closer "Everybody Knows" is similar and equally good. Familiar yet strange, I like this record. collectableescalators.com

Oxford Collapse -- Remember The Night Parties (Sub Pop): This veteran band is garnering some superficial Shins comparisons, because they write pop songs and sing them in falsetto voices, and they now share a label. However, the Oxford Collapse is a bit different animal. Whereas The Shins invert and distort classic ‘60s pop motifs, this band attacks pop, sometimes with dissonance, other times with unusual arrangements or off-kilter melodies. Lurking beneath these songs is an oddball sensibility in league with XTC, Game Theory, Big Star, the dB's, The New Pornographers, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Pixies. After a few listens, it becomes apparent that this band has its own musical vocabulary, manifested not only in the compositions but how they blend the vocals (usually Michael Pace and Adam Rizer warble together, in a cool but unharmonious way) and map out the multiple guitar parts of Michael Pace. Some songs build on repetitive refrains and hyped up playing, like "Lady Lawyers", which initially has a cadence similar to Mission Of Burma's "Nicotine Bomb", if played by Lindsey Buckingham after a coke binge (yes, it's that energetic). It then moves into slightly less frenetic territory, but the enthusiasm is undeniable. "Please Visit Your National Park" starts off with chiming guitars and remains buoyant throughout. The multiple lead guitars both establish the rhythm and melody of the piece and Rizer on bass and Dan Fetherston on drums fit their parts in accordingly. The band shows ambition, with "Return /of Burno" navigating a few different paths in around 8 minutes. And the record ends with its most accessible number, the bouncy "In Your Volcano", which lists area codes and comments on them: "(516) -- all the assholes and the pricks/(364) -- all the virgins and the whores." Okay, they are quirky, and all the better for it. subpop.com

The Corner Laughers -- Tomb Of Leopards (Sandbox): Does anyone out there remember cub? They were a Canadian band that played a spunky brand of pop that they called cuddlecore. It combined surf music energy with sweet and twee melodies. The reason I bring cub up is that The Corner Laughers sound to me like cub 10 years down the road -- the rock energy turned down to soccer mom volume. The core of this cuddly band is Karla Kane, on vocals and ukelele, and guitarist Angela Silletto, who are abetted by various Bay Area popsters like Khoi Huynh and Chris von Sneidern. They have some cute songs, and the best two start the disc. "You Two Are the Ones" is like a more bopping Jill Sobule, with Karla singing about her love for two people...who happen to be a couple. This is followed by "The Red Queen", where the uke ukes out and the song could easily be adapted into a jug band arrangement, a la The Lovin' Spoonful. Producer Aaron Madsen adds some cool lead guitar sounds. Other highlights include "One for the Ladies" with Mr. von Sneidern on drums, and the saucy "See You in Hell". I like the wit and obvious fun being had. I would like more consistent songwriting, and maybe rocking up the music just a notch. sandboxrecords.com

________________________________________________

To reach any other page contained in this month's update on Fufkin.com, read the home page for the appropriate link and click on it. You can also search the site from any page using the search box located at the top of each page. Merely type in the word, phrase, name of the band, recording, name of the Fufkin writer that you are looking for or Whatever in the search box, and then click on "Search". If you would like to e-mail us, go to the About Us page for a list of e-mail addresses.

Go back to the home page by clicking here

________________________________________________________________