Kevin Mathews:
December,
2003

So Much Music, So Little Time

I think my year end list for 2003 is taking shape - slowly but surely. Let me just say that the top three positions will probably be Sumday (Grandaddy), Yoko (Beulah) and When I Pretend To Fall (The Long Winters) in that order. These releases represent to me the sonic achievements of the year, all headphone treats where every nuance, every lick and every beat seems to be deliberately crafted and fashioned to create emotional highs (and lows) that resonate. Yes, I realize that there is still a couple of weeks before we say goodbye to 2003 but barring some last minute surprises, which is still a realistic possibility considering the ton of music that I haven't had a chance to listen to, I'm pretty much sure that these three fine efforts will remain at the toppermost of the poppermost come January 1st, 2004. Till then, on with the show.

Guided By Voices Earthquake Glue (Matador) This just may be the best GBV album since Alien Lanes and considering the awesome quality of the last two, is really saying something! I challenge anyone to name me a band that even comes close to GBV's unique hybrid of The Who-styled arena rock and Genesis-flavored prog. www.gbv.com

Feel Feel (Curb) Scot Sax has left an indelible mark on the pop underground with his stellar work with Wanderlust, Bachelor No. 1 and as a solo artist, not least for his quintessential seasonal 'should-have-been-a-hit' "I am the Summertime." Feel is his latest vehicle and overall, this debut leans towards the alt-country-pop favored by the likes of the Jayhawks. www.curb.com

Frisbie Period (Hear Diagonally) This is a special release - a live acoustic performance of songs written by Frisbie's erstwhile drummer Zack Kantor - absent due to unfortunate ill health - by his band mates Liam Davis and Steve Frisbie. Impressively delivered, with panache and aplomb, these eleven songs transcend its austere settings to explode with verve and imagination. www.heardiagonally.com

The Dave Rave Group Everyday Magic (Bullseye) Touted as the follow-up to 1990's Valentino's Pirates, Dave Rave (nee DesRoches) presents a delectable selection of 60s pop inflections - from the Byrdsy "Madeline Says" to the Lennonesque "Once In A Lifetime" - that will thrill every astute power pop listener. www.bullseyecanada.com

Superchunk Cup of Sand (Merge) Odds and sods compilation that proves that either Superchunk has been around for too long or that even Superchunk's leftovers are deserving of attention. After giving this the once through, I'm not sure which is the case but I will say that this is one for the fans only. www.mergerecords.com

Various Artists Planet of the Popboomerang (Popboomerang) Scott Thurling's fledging Aussie label is going great guns at the moment with *Planet* being its second such compilation. With the added bonus of Jam artists like The Lolas, Ed James, Florapop and of course, Jeremy matched with the recognizable talents of Michael Carpenter, Ben's Diapers, Dom Mariani, Joe Algeri & Danny McDonald, this is a no-brainer purchase! www.popboomerang.com

The Buttless Chaps Love This Time (Mint) These Chaps surprise with an eclectic agenda that impresses, jumping from John Cale-inspired reverie ("18 Rabbits") to 80s synth-pop ("Love This Time"), from rustic bluegrass ("Lonely Hearts") to electronic chamber rock ("Fresh Horses"). And yes, they even have a song called "Numan." Nuff said! www.mintrecs.com

Ariaphonics Ariaphonics (iGram) Melding classical music with rock is not new of course, but this intriguing hybrid of arias and electronics (hence the name) from Russian producer Dmitri Silnitsky comes across more like Pink Floyd or Tangerine Dream interpreting Bach, Vivaldi et al. www.ariaphonics.com

Pushing Red Buttons Pushing Red Buttons (Self-released) Here's a pleasing disc from out of the blue for those hankering for faithful re-creations of classic 70s pop-rock. Think: Todd Rundgren/Utopia, Wings, ELO, 10cc et al. Sophisticated and well-produced, this superlative endeavor from Steve Herrig and a gaggle of contributors (including Kasim Sulton) will leave genuine pop lovers with smiles on their faces. www.pushingredbuttons.com

Tijuana Strip Club Sparklers and Bottlerockets (Foggydog) Randy Codero, the man behind the Strip Club, sings like Mark Eitzel, writes like Steve Earle, and generally does enough to keep the country-folk enthusiast's interest piqued. There are choice softer acoustic moments - "Hate the Sound of Rain," "Bottlerocket" and Stephen Duffy's "Natalie" - that tug the heartstrings nicely enough. More sensitive than that ironic name suggests. www.tijuanastripclub.com

Huw Gower In Pursuit of Excellence (Self-released) Journeyman stuff from Huw Gower on this sophomore release. Song-wise, the material here seldom rises above the sort of competent roots-rock you might expect from say, Mark Knopfler, and like the erstwhile Dire Strait, Gower knows his way around a guitar. Contributions from Mike Mazzarella & Dave Rave should be of interest to the power pop camp. www.huwgower.com

Ben Diapers Laughter Tracks (Rhythm Barrel) Mikko Lappalainen is a blazing power pop torch in Finland and anything associated with the man is usually a good indicator of quality pop. Our percussive Finn returns with his premier band to dazzle with more jangle-twang-rock that draws a direct line from Teenage Fanclub to the Jayhawks. Superb. www.hop.to/bendiapers

Myracle Brah Treblemaker (Rainbow Quartz) Andy Bopp returns with the fourth Myracle Brah release that builds on the foundation of John Lennon chops circa 1964-1967 and his Beatlesque offspring viz. T.Rex, Badfinger, Raspberries, Big Star etc. Which makes for one enthralling power pop ride! www.rainbowquartz.com

True Love I Was Accident (Not Lame) I can't recommend this any higher to those of you out there who appreciate a (un)healthy dose of guitar crunch, sweet melodies, chunky harmonies and manic drumming. Channelling the 'right' influences (eg. Queen, Who, Jellyfish, Byrds, Elvis Costello, Squeeze) into their tight power trio format, True Love is something you must experience. www.notlame.com

The Randies The Randies (Self-released) Girls just wanna have fun! These four punkettes can do no wrong in my book as their powerful assimilation of the Go-Gos, Pretenders, the Muffs, the Runaways and of course, Blondie thrill and excite on every level. www.therandies.com

Christiansen Stylish Nihilists (Revelation) I am trying my best to ignore the dead-serious lyrics that Christiansen chooses to adorn its nu-metallic hardcore punk ethos. But I can't - lines like "Music is my dada. Judas is my daddy" ("More Saints, Less Musicians), "When you die, I'll be your DJ" ("The Middle Finger") and "The Frankenstiel implied without Shelley" ("Dead Celebrities Are Amusing") are either too inane or insightful to disregard. Take your pick. www.revelationrecords.com

Ray Mason Band Idiot Wisdom (Self-released) Oh, give me a slice of the Ray Mason Band anytime. Mason is a singer-songwriter of the calibre of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and John Hiatt and on this latest instant classic, songs like the sublime "Didn't Want To Have To Do It," rollicking "Big Ass Balloon" & strident "Slippery" make this CD a wise acquisition. www.raymason.com

The Naomi Star The Naomi Star (Pleiades) This quartet features some excellent understated songwriting and performance in the Crowded House mode. Case in point - the intriguing melodic twists of "December Sun." "This Man" ups the ante somewhat but the rest of this debut never strays far from the placid, which is never a bad thing. www.pleiadesrecords.com

Stay at Home Bomb Demo Very LA punk, Stay At Home Bomb it seems, "grew out of" the band's "boredom with the state of music and their frustration with their inability to maintain a tidy home." Heh! Frenetic to a fault, with honey-lemon dripping out of every tune, Stay At Home Bomb will pleasure old-school punks still hankering for the good ol' days. www.stayathomebomb.com

Raising The Fawn By the Warmth of Your Flame (Sonic Unyon) Pink Floyd goes country? Yes, you might be tempted to draw that conclusion on this five-track EP, and why not? There is an uncommon sensibility at work as pleasing entrancing paeans to "The Common Cold" and a rustic tribute to the "Country Home" finds Raising the Fawn opt for difficult solutions to musical dilemmas. www.sonicunyon.com

George Usher Group Fire Garden (Parasol) Byrds devotees, Rickenbacker 12-stringed heaven awaits as George Usher remains one of the precious few guitarists (others include Bobby Sutcliff, Peter Buck and of course, Robyn Hitchcock) uncannily equipped to reflect the glory that is Roger McGuinn. Mixed by none other than Mitch Easter, Fire Garden is a jangle pop lover's dream come true! www.parasol.com

Sting Sacred Love (A&M) I would soundly dismiss this flaccid and cynical exercise if not for the amazing song that is the gospel-flavoured "Dead Man's Rope." Drawing a reference from "Walking In Your Footsteps" off Synchronicity, Sting manages somehow to trace a man's journey to Truth with "All this wandering has led me to this place/Inside the well of my memory, sweet rain of forgiveness/Now I'm walking in His grace." Shockingly insightful. www.amrecords.com

The Kings Because of You (Bullseye/Dizzy) 80s Canuck pop sensations are back with a collection of lively songs that suggests that they've never been away to begin with. The chops are spot-on, the licks are dangerous and the tunes are as relevant as they've ever been. Not only that, the ballads ("If The Stars Come Out Tonight" & "I'm Sorry Baby") are big and emotional, the way you'd expect. www.bulleyescanada.com

Katrina and the Waves The Original Recordings 1983-1984 (BongoBeat) Before Katrina and the Waves achieved mainstream success; they had recorded two albums with Canadian label Attic Records. BongoBeat presents these lost recordings in a bumper package that includeds a bonus DVD as well! More immediate than the subsequent re-recordings, the likes of "Going Down to Liverpool," "Walking On Sunshine" and "Don't Take Her Out Of My World" are moments of pop history that should not be missed. www.bongobeat.com

Say what? You want more? Come back next month - same time, same place - and let me see what I can do for you. Season's greetings and may you find love this Christmas!

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