Odds and Ends

Each week I use this space to post some mini-reviews, cool tracks, random thoughts, neat news, or whatever else I damn well please.

MiniReview

Alpine White “The Hale” [EP] – The band did not take its name from the at-home teeth bleaching system, but rather the Gibson guitar. Colin Denker (lead vocals, guitar, piano, drums) is the mastermind behind this San Francisco quartet, which is rounded out by his brother Ian (bass, vocals), Ivan Wence (guitar, vocals), and Javier Benavides (drums). “The Hale” EP consists of four songs, the first half being superior to the second half. The gentle yet bright acoustic strumming of “When She Gets Home” serves as a fine introduction to this mellow rock band that straddles indie rock and power pop. “When She Gets Home” is memorable and moving, with enchanting backing vocals providing a sobering warmth. “The Evidence” picks up the pace a bit, practically floating with its soaring harmonies and crisp guitar line – another winner. “Days and Nights” is plagued with a lumbering introduction, but even when the vocals finally kick in, the song just doesn’t seem to get out of second gear. The record ends on a decent note with the steady “All The Weight” – lyrically strong, but musically less exciting than the standouts. Check out Alpine White if you like Snow Patrol, Arctic Monkeys, or Band of Horses. The EP is due out November 1 – learn more here.

Surprise of the week
Science has spoken – what are the catchiest songs ever? Some of them might surprise you…

News
I think this one will be a contender against the Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration for worst record of the year. Listen to William Shatner covering Black Sabbath here.

It has been a long time since we’ve heard from Alien Ant Farm (remember their awesome cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”)? I’m looking forward to the new record from these guys due early 2012. Details here.

Def Leppard discusses the state of music business: "The music industry went from being an art form to a business, and then to an industry." Read more here.

Butch Walker autobiography details here.

It’s confirmed: Jani Lane died of alcohol poisoning. Story here.

Rooney frontman Robert Schwartzman has announced the release of a new solo album and a supporting tour this fall.

And finally, in memory of Steve Jobs – a man who changed the face of the music business as much as he did computers.

Random iPOD song of the week
The Jayhawks – “Blue”


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Odds and Ends

Each week I use this space to post some mini-reviews, cool tracks, random thoughts, neat news, or whatever else I damn well please.



MiniReview

Simon Felton “Surrender, Dorothy!” – This is the second solo record from Garfield’s Birthday’s Simon Felton. His last solo CD, “Failing In Biology”, was a notable nugget of smart Brit pop (read review here). Felton marches along the same track on “Surrender, Dorothy!”, constructing careful melodies augmented with airy harmonies and psychedelic overtones. The hooks take longer to sink in than last time and the abundance of slower tracks is going to make some people yawn. On the other hand, there is some more sizzling guitar work to be found – check out the solo on “Peepshow” for example. The main attraction is the pop perfection in “Marbles”, and “Novelty” is another highlight I’d encourage you to check out. Recommended for fans of The Smiths, XTC, and The Divine Comedy.

Simon Felton – Official site.



Surprise of the week

Footloose is being remade. But the surprise comes from looking at the soundtrack artists…dissing Kenny Loggins and recruiting the likes of Cee-Lo Green amongst a bunch of country stars and…Smashing Pumpkins?! What sort of musical schizophrenic is going to want this? Here are the gory details.



And if that isn’t bad enough, they are remaking Dirty Dancing too.



News

Swallow this: Poison frontman Bret Michaels believes the band will make another album when the time is right. Here’s to hoping they can recapture the magic of their heyday. Read the story here.



Whose gonna buy your wild reissues? Get a load of all you get with the 20th Anniversary edition of U2’s landmark record “Achtung Baby” – check it out here.



Another hodgepodge of “new” stuff is coming from Foreigner in September. A 3CD collection – one acoustic disk, one full of re-recordings of hits (why?), and one of a live concert. Read all about it here.



New Butch Walker called “The Spade” arrives August 30. In the meantime, grab a FREE DOWNLOAD of the first single, “Summer of ‘89”. Details here.



Michael Sweet has left the band Boston for his old band, Stryper. Good news, bad news, who cares? Story here.



Random iPOD song of the week

Pop perfection. Squeeze’s “Hourglass” – one of their finest moments.

Odds and Ends

Each week I use this space to post some mini-reviews, cool tracks, random thoughts, neat news, or whatever else I damn well please.

MiniReview
Drew Martin and the Limelights [EP] – Drew Martin is a singer-songwriter from Richmond, VA, leading the band Drew Martin & the Limelights. Their first EP is self-titled and available on iTunes and Amazon – it features five jangle pop tracks to enhance your chilling out this summer. Drew is also a member of the Jim Ivins Band, which we’ve covered a couple times here previously on BMF (click here), and Ivins plays along here as one of the Limelights. Martin has a soothing voice, which can kick up into an ear-pleasing falsetto, perfect for this style of mellow yet upbeat pop rock. Most of the tunes are acoustic-based and feature cozy melodies atop of smart lyrics telling stories of deceit, nostalgia, and hope. Highlights include the driving rockers “Calling Your Bluff” and “Bring The Light”, but don’t miss the breezy closer “Just Call Me” either. Learn more about the band and their music here.

Great new video from Neil Nathan
Check out this great new animated video from Neil Nathan, “a homage to the perfect Sunday drive and to my uncle who used to drive a 67 Chevy Corvette Sting Ray Convertible and refurbish 'em for other collectors”. See more on Neil Nathan here.



Surprise of the week
Um…Rob Zombie has done a commercial for…wait for it…WOOLITE! You know, the gentle laundry detergent. Perfect match up, wouldn’t you say? It’s actually kind of cool – check it out here.

News
Tyketto reunion and new album for 2012. “Well...the ink is finally dry, and we can announce that Tyketto has signed with worldwide giant, FRONTIERS RECORDS. Tyketto happily joins the Frontiers family, which houses such heavyweights as Def leppard, Whitesnake and Journey! We have been busy finalizing the deal, and working on material for our fourth studio release. This will be our first new album since 1995's SHINE. These are some of the best ideas we have worked on in years. There's plenty of the classic DON'T COME EASY sound, mixed in with some new ideas and some great surprises! Look out for a Spring 2012 release....everywhere! All FOUR ORIGINAL MEMBERS WILL BE A PART OF THIS SPECIAL EVENT!”

American Idol David Cook will be celebrating the release of his sophomore album “This Loud Morning” on June 28th, 2011 with a special event at the Paramount Hotel in Times Square, NYC. Read more about it here.

New Butch Walker coming this Fall – not many details at this time, but you can read the story here.

Check out three new songs by Morrissey from his forthcoming new album here.

Paul McCartney opens up about the release of his first solo album and the breakup of the Beatles. McCartney said, "I was not a popular bunny". Read the full story here. By the way, Sir Paul turns 69 today - Happy Birthday!

Random iPOD song of the week
Never understood why the leadoff single, “Didn’t Know It Was Love”, from Survivor’s “Too Hot To Sleep” album didn’t help the record blaze up the charts. What is there not to like about this song?

Rare Trax: Marvelous 3 "Indie Queen"

Every Saturday at BMF we present rare or deep tracks from my collection for your listening pleasure, or perhaps for your amusement!

This week’s track is "Indie Queen" by the Marvelous 3 from their amazing 1999 album, "Hey! Album". Without question, this track is one of the most melodic tunes of the 90s, driven by the masterful skills of the prolific Butch Walker. Walker was introduced to the masses as a member of the hairband come lately Southgang, and today his solo career has produced diverse efforts with mixed reviews. To me, nothing tops his time in Marv3 and songs like "Indie Queen" illustrate why. One listen and this stunning chorus is in your head for life.

Listen to "Indie Queen"