Further Observations From A Jangly Music Fan

I had the pleasure of enjoying an evening of terrific live music at the Birchmere in mid-July. The tandem of Pure Prairie League and Poco played for three hours before a sold-out audience. Pure Prairie League opened with Gene Clark's "Kansas City Southern" and then showcased some new material (that reminded me of Restless Heart and Blackhawk) as well as their chart hits. Craig Fuller did a superb job on "Falling In And Out Of Love/Amie" and the other songs that he performed lead vocals on. Bass player Michael Reilly had the lead vocals on "Kansas City Southern" and "Two Lane Highway;" lead guitarist Curtis Wright (who sounds a lot like Vince Gill - the then obscure singer who replaced Craig Fuller in the PPL lineup in 1978) had the lead vocals on several new songs and "Let Me Love You Tonight." The Fuller/Wright/Reilly three-part harmonies were spot-on! The five-member band included a talented pedal steel guitarist who also played fiddle and mandolin.

Poco's first three songs were "Under The Gun," "Good Feelin' To Know" and "Rose Of Cimarron." Rusty Young performed the rhythm guitar licks on a mandolin on the first two songs. They mixed old and new material, with a wonderful acoustic medley of "Keep On Tryin'" and "Crazy Love." Paul Cotton played lead guitar, and Rusty Young alternated between pedal steel, lap steel, mandolin, electric and acoustic guitar. The highlight of their set came during the encore number - when they did a rousing version of "On The Way Home" (the prolongued guitar lead-in sounded like "It's All Too Much" by the Beatles ... until the three vocalists broke into the familiar "Oooooo ... woo, ooh, ooh" that precedes the song lyrics on this classic Buffalo Springfield song! For Fufkin readers: I highly recommend that you see either of these bands if they are performing in your area this summer!

Once again, there was no shortage of primo pop and jangly tunes to enjoy in the comfort of my air-conditioned home while the mid-Atlantic heat index continued to swelter. Here are some of the many CD finds that should appeal to fellow jangly music enthusiasts:

North Pole - by the Primary 5. On first listen, I thought this band sounded like a perfect blending of Teenage Fanclub and the Fountains of Wayne … with some Gerry Beckley/America overtones. My favorable impression hasn't changed after many repeat listens! Just like Teenage Fanclub, the Primary 5 sounds like the Byrds filtered through a 21st century pop music approach. "What Am I Supposed To Do?" "Comin' Home," "I'll Lay You Down," "Without You," "Field of Dreams," "Mailman" and "Shine On" are the most jangly tracks on a disc that doesn't have a weak song in the bunch.

Like Her - by the Volebeats (on the Turquoise Mountain Records label). The emphasis in this Detroit-based jangle'n'twang country-pop outfit's music has changed over the years to decidedly favor the chime of a 12-string Rickenbacker guitar. I dug their music when they were releasing albums that featured brooding alt-country ballads, but my ears really perked up when those 12-string riffs embellished previous tunes like "Shannon" and "Radio Flyer." This album sparkles from start to finish with the usual strong assortment of JeffOakes/Matthew Smith original tunes, and the guitar work jangles on the Beatlesque "September Spell," "Everytime," "Here It Comes Again," "Like Her," "This Girl" and "World's Looking Lonely." Previous releases are not as jangle-oriented, but the Volebeats' back catalog is well worth listening to.

A strong contender for "Song of the Month" honors is "4th of July" - from the recently-released Put The "O" Back In Country album by country-rock artist Shooter Jennings (Outlaw Waylon's son) and his band. The video doesn't do justice to the great Rickenbacker riffs that brighten this song from start to finish. Think Lynard Skynard or Steve Earle … with a heaping amount of chiming guitar licks and pedal steel guitar to go with the Southern-fried vocals.

International Pop Overthrow (IPO) Volume 8 - three CDs, 65 songs - lots of which feature jangly guitar riffs - what more can a pop music fan ask for? This eighth collaboration between Bruce Brodeen and Not Lame Recordings and IPO Festival founder David Bash comes as close to representing what is best about the indie pop music scene as anything you can acquire this year. Personal favorites include a very cool mainstream pop tune by the late Jim Ellison (who fronted Material Issue), "Life Is Strange" by the Shamus Twins, "Upside Down" by Jeremy, "The World Goes By" by Blue Cartoon, "In The Street" by Big Star, "She Say Yea" by the Scruffs, "Jangle #1" by Semion and "Emma Peel" by the Michael Guthrie Band. Make the investment in this three-CD set … and these 65 songs will whet your appetite for next year's Volume 9!

Half A Million Miles - the latest studio album from the Kennedys. This husband/wife singer/songwriter duo celebrate their first 500,000 miles of touring together with a new batch of original tunes (inspired by their travels and experiences) and a terrific cover of Bob Dylan's "Chimes Of Freedom." This album has a very acoustic feel to it, but a close listen reveals the subtle presence of Pete's Rickenbacker 12-string guitar and his always-superb production skills.

In God's Plan - the CD EP by the "inspirational" band Six For Grace! I would probably go to church more often if the folk-rock group that performs there did what this South Carolina sextet does - augmenting original tunes with chiming Rickenbacker 12-string hooks. Standout tunes include " 'Til We See The Son" and "In My Heart & My Mind."

"One Fine Day" - by Tony Low. I can't remember who sent me this mp3 track, but popmeister Tony Low has recaptured the spirit of the mid-60s with this very jangly song! Thanks again to whoever sent me this track!

Look Inside - the outstanding new disc by the Invisible Mind Circus. Can you say Grip Weeds? Can you say Rainbow Quartz. Mixing jangle-pop with psych-pop, this band sets a high mark with songs like "Broken Dreams," "Blue Saturday," "In My Room," "On The Outside," "Day Dream," "Penelope" and "The Look." Long may you run! Can you say "Top Ten?"

Outside of Reno - by the Roscoe Project. Pseudo-60s pop gems abound on this album! "Bipolar," "Urban Steel," "Misk Knowes," "Sleight of Hand" and "These Last Few Hours" will please fans of Tom Petty, Dramarama, etc.

Does San Diego pop icon Bart Mendoza ever rest? Bart was kind enough to send me another compilation of recent recordings by the Spring Collection, Rachel Gordon, Static Halo, Mission to Mars and several of Bart's solo demos. There is no shortage of jangly riffs on the featured songs. Pop fans should keep an eye out for forthcoming releases that will include the works of the aforementioned artists. "Better With You" by the Spring Collection is pure pop confection. Long may you run, Sir Bart … and mates!

Blast - by Lamar Sorrento. This may be my "find of the month" from CDBaby. Much like the Invisible Mind Circus album, Sorrento is right at home with jangly pseudo-60s pop and psych-pop.

Like many pop writers, I receive my share of promo discs from artists and labels. I apologize to many of the artists because column space often keeps me from giving their discs fair mention. Some of the not-so-jangly discs that merit pop fans' attention include:

Alive - by San Francisco's Jet Set. Ten new tunes from a talented band that has been aided in the studio by the legendary Chris von Sneidern. Straight-ahead pop that puts a contemporary spin on the pop sensibilities showcased during the past four decades.

Little Spaces - by American Princes. Pop-rock from the Yep Roc label that reminds me of the stable of artists that used to be represented on the Mammoth label. For lack of a better term, I regard this group as alt-pop.

The self-titled disc by the Cruel Cuts. The band openly acknowledges the influence of many 60s pop/rock artists on their music … and it translates nicely through their 2005 prism.

Song of the Day Café - by the Pralines. A nice collection of contemporary "coffeehouse pop" tunes by a group that features the lead vocals of the talented folk-rock singer/songwriter Pamela Richardson. Pamela's affection for Gene Clark and the Byrds are highlighted by the 12-string jangle of guitarist Rick Salazar.

Transmissions - by Stand. This is an album of mainstream rock tunes that reminds me of the Alarm, Bush and Creed.

Satellite Nights by the Modern Giant and Some Suburban Road EP by Gigantic. Two more examples of the catchy Australian pop scene brought to you by the good folks at Popboomerang Records.

Until next month, jangle on!

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