Further Observations From a Jangly Music Fan

The supply of new discs in July got off to a slow start, but by month’s end there was a surfeit of excellent new music to write about. By now, those of you who read my www.fufkin.com site column are accustomed to learning about Byrds and Roger McGuinn-influenced jangly music. This month, you will be reading a great deal about George Harrison-influenced jangly music. That is only fitting, since McGuinn and Harrison had much in common - and they influenced one another throughout their musical careers. Here, then, is a summary of the terrific new discs that I would recommend to fellow jangleholics:

Moving On by Gat. I am indebted to Graham, lead member of the British band Gat, for sending me a copy of the band’s superb sophomore release. Graham’s Rickenbacker 12-string riffs resonate throughout nine of the eleven tracks. The album features eight original songs, two covers of Bob Dylan songs and a wonderful extended cover of Horst-Peter Schmidt’s (member of the Different Faces and also known as “The Crown Prince of the Rickenbacker12-String Guitar”) “Back To The Roots.” The lead vocals alternately remind me of George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Robyn Hitchcock. The chiming, ringing and jangly 12-string lead guitar (particularly on Gat’s great rendition of “My Back Pages”) reminds me of Roger McGuinn! This terrific disc is available through the band’s website (www.gatmusic.co.uk).

Staying with the George Harrison theme, I recently purchased a copy of Jimmy Pou’s full-length disc, A Dozen Scrambled Daze, after seeing Jimmy perform as George Harrision in the touring stage production 1964: The Tribute. Jimmy’s album features some very appealing mainstream pop/rock tunes, but patient jangle-fans and listeners will be rewarded when they hear echoes of George Harrison’s vocals and his Rickenbacker guitar riffs on Jimmy’s song “She Was In My Dreams.” By the way, Jimmy does an excellent job of portraying Sir George on stage. For those who haven’t seen 1964: The Tribute, I highly recommend it … and I would like to thank my musician friends, Pete and Maura Kennedy, for recommending the show to me!

Last month, the Vinyl Kings headed up the latest crop of Beatlesque pop discs. This month, that honor belongs to the Other Half and its self-titled disc. Like the Vinyl Kings, the Other Half’s psych/pop tracks favor the vintage 1966-1969 Beatles catalog. A bit of George Harrison-inspired jangle is evident on the song “Loser.” Listeners will be pleasantly surprised to learn that this excellent album is the work of a very talented trio of contemporary musicians.

Yet another cool Beatles-inspired disc is Blue Suburban Skies by Christopher Clause. The disc features twenty songs from the Fab Four repertoire. Not surprisingly, the standout jangly tracks are Clause’s cover versions of “And Your Bird Can Sing” and “Every Little Thing.” Sir George would be pleased to hear his Rickenbacker 360V64 model being emulated on these songs.

For several months, www.fufkin.com site readers may have been aware that pop singer/songwriter Tim Anthony was preparing to release a George Harrison tribute disc - He Was Fab. Tim recently informed me that the project is in its final stages, and he hopes to release the nineteen-track compilation by the end of August. Tim has kept this project under “close hold,” but my sources tell me that it contains some wonderful, reverent cover versions of Harrison tunes by indie artists that include (among others) Jeremy Morris, Jamie Hoover, the Drowners, the Brambles, the Lolas, Phil Angotti and Twenty Cent Crush. Given the propensity of many of these artists to use vintage Rickenbacker guitars, I am very confident that many of the tracks will feature jangly, chiming riffs. Tim is planning a very limited release of this tribute disc, so you may want to visit his www.jealousy-records.com site soon and place your order for this gem.

The long-anticipated new disc from Richard X. Heyman, Basic Glee, was released in early July. Boy, was it worth the wait! Allow me to join the chorus of pop music critics who have described Basic Glee as Richard’s best album to date. Each of Richard’s previous albums has been a masterpiece in their own right, so don’t waste any time in acquiring your own copy of Basic Glee. Another musician friend once suggested that Richard X. Heyman would be a member of his all-time pop All Star band. I have to agree. Every song on Basic Glee is a winner, but jangleholics (hey, the cover shows Richard strumming one of his vintage fireglow Rickenbacker guitars) will love “Everywhere She Goes,” “One Way Feeling,” “Diminishing Her Return” and “My Lorraine Bow.”

You can order your copy of Basic Glee from the www.richardxheyman.com website. I am also pleased to report that I will be hosting a Richard X. (and Nancy) Heyman house concert later this month - when Richard and Nancy leave the Big Apple for their Summer 2002 “Old Dominion” tour. Oh yeah, before I forget - one more Beatles comparison is warranted: check out the great pseudo-60s video version of Richard’s hit song “Cornerstone.” Enough said. Long may you run, Sir Richard!

The online catalog site for great indie pop music, www.cdbaby.com, has turned me on to several artists. Typing in the key word “jangly” helped me to discover the pop/rock music of Craig Davis - whose two full-length CDs, Another Weird Routine Day and Revolution Road, are both available from CDBaby. Craig is pictured on one disc with a Rickenbacker 360V64, and several tracks have a chiming Tom Petty sound to them. Beach Boys and Beatles influences can also be heard in Craig’s original songs.

Destroyer by the Brett Rosenberg Problem features some nifty ringing power pop tunes that sound as if Dave Edmunds was fronting Cheap Trick. “My Girlfriend’s Daughter” and “She’s My Baby Tonight” are two favorites. This disc is available from the www.brettrosenberg.com website.

The Mark Kleiner Power Trio has released an excellent pop/rock album, Love To Night, that reminds me of the 80s pop/rock band the Outfield. The entire album showcases Kleiner’s smart, well-crafted and melodic power pop tunes. “Baby It’s You” is the standout track that deserves radio airplay. Check out www.markkleiner.com for more details about this under-heralded artist.

If you’re interested in the jangle’n’twang category of music, I highly recommend the X-Rated Cowboys’ Honor Among Thieves album. “Rear View Mirror” will make my Top Twenty countdown of jangly tunes for 2002, and it reminds me of another favorite jangle’n’twang band - the Rumors. I’ll stick with the “alt-country” genre of music long enough to also mention Drag The River’s excellent new disc, Closed. When the band is cranking out mid-tempo tunes, they sound like a gritty version of Crazy Horse; when they slow things down, they remind me a lot of D.C. area favorites, Last Train Home.

Another song that will definitely make my Top Twenty jangly tracks for 2002 is “Fortunate Flowers” - from the self-titled album by Fools Face. The entire album features psychedelic power pop tunes that are worth a listen. “Fortunate Flowers” is also included on the terrific three-CD International Pop Overthrow (IPO) Volume 5 compilation. At least a third of the 68 tracks on this year’s IPO disc set are ear candy for jangleholics. Another “well done” to IPO organizer David Bash and his supporting cast!

The Churchills return with another top-notch album, Big Ideas. The band’s brand of crunchy power pop, augmented by excellent vocals, reminds me of the Finkers. The 15-song album ends with a terrific ballad, “Dear Jon.” Check the band out at www.thechurchills.net The Churchills now have a protégé band in the Crayons, whose debut album, What Color Are You?, was produced by the Churchills. The psych/pop tunes remind me of the Rosemarys and radioblue - two early 90s pop bands that never earned the recognition they deserved. “Today” and “Surround Me” will appeal to fans of chiming, jangly tunes. To learn more about this new band, visit www.thecrayons.net.

Even more clean, crisp psych/pop can be enjoyed on Allen Keller’s Wuthering Depths disc. All fifteen tracks merit listener attention, but the standout jangly tunes are “You” and “St. Louis, Misery.” You can track this disc down via www.wreckordcompany.com.

Chicagoan Larry O. Dean (who had a hand in the Post Office disc mentioned in last month’s column) has gathered together another talented Windy City bunch - the Me Decade. This band’s disc, Gentrification Is Theft, should be released soon. From a contemporary perspective, the band’s songs sound like Russ Tolman and Girls Say Yes. On a more dated basis, one can also hear wisps of the mid-60s San Francisco mixed gender bands, Jefferson Airplane and It’s A Beautiful Day. Whether the tunes feature strummy pop, straight-ahead rock, fuzzy amplification, psych/pop or guitar pop with strings, the twelve songs are all catchy enough to make this disc a worthy addition to your pop music library. For more details, visit the www.themedecade.com site.

Last, but not least, I want to mention the new disc by Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen - Way Out West. Hillman and Pedersen have toiled together and apart for almost 40 years; and they arguably achieved their greatest commercial success as members of the Desert Rose Band. The superb vocal harmonies and instrumentation demonstrated by “Chris and Herb” on Way Out West make this a “must have” disc for any fan of these two talented pop/rock/country/folk/bluegrass veteran musicians. Catch the pair live (as I did recently at the Birchmere), and you just might be treated to some vintage Byrds (an acoustic duet of “Turn, Turn, Turn”), Flying Burrito Brothers (“Sin City”) and Manassas (“It Doesn’t Matter”) tunes. Way Out West can be ordered from the www.backporchrecords.com site.

Until next month, jangle on … and/or keep on rockin’ in the free world!

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