Packaged to look like one of those bizarre promotional items issued by
local chambers of commerce to entice visitors to enjoy the attractions
of the area, the Young Fresh Fellows' Fabulous Sounds of the Pacific
Northwest looks like a silly, tossed-off joke. And in many ways, that's
exactly what it is; the thing is, it's both really funny and startlingly
well done. From the banging opener, "Rock and Roll Pest Control," to
the closing piece of self-mythology, "The Young Fresh Fellows Theme,"
the Seattle foursome comes off like the Replacements with the drunken
angst replaced by a near-terminal case of the giggles. However, even
amongst songs like "Power Mowers Theme" and "Teenage Dogs in Trouble"
are sharp, punky slices of pop-geek desperation like "Think Better of
Me" and the scathing "You Call That Lonely," two early indications that
the smirky juvenilia that characterizes many of the Young Fresh Fellows'
albums are but one side of their collective personality. The sound is
borderline awful (producer Conrad Uno would become much more skilled
with the board even as early as the follow-up, 1985's Topsy Turvy) and
the performances are at times just short of incompetent, but the songs
(mostly courtesy of leader Scott McCaughey) are a promising lot with
regular flashes of incipient greatness. AMG
What a week I am having, gem after gem are dropping into my mailbox and once again a great big grin is gracing my face, I am reaching into my closet for some leather soled shoes and the bathroom for some talc, sure, it is going to be messy but I don't care, listening to the songs of Mr Day, the bringer of todays heavenly foot tapping tunes, are just too great not to dance to!
I am a massive fan of Northern Soul but to bang on about all the old stuff that "us" fans already know about on my blog is like teaching granny to suck eggs!
Whilst Mr Day aren't strictly Northern Soul, that is certainly a major influence in their sound as you will discover a little further into this article. Another influence, to these ears would be Paul Weller and this is how I think Paul Weller would sound if he followed his passion for soul as opposed to his Humble Pie stylings, maybe?
During the writing of this second album, the band evolved naturally towards a more ambitious sound which clearly set them at the intersection of Rock and Soul from the 60s to now. With the arrival of second guitarist Julien Masson, fervent founder of Buttshakers, as precious on stage as in studio, the band decided to use 100% analog production and recording techniques: magnetic tapes, live takes and cracklings contribute to producing a rich and organic sound. Like The Roots, who, when working with Cody Chestnut become unclassifiable both in terms of gender and time, Mr Day is very far from being a revival band. On the contrary, Dry Up In The Sun appears resolutely timeless, that is to say in his vintage, yet modern approach. The beats perfectly coexist alongside the guitars, as in the great era of Primal Scream in the 90s. The alchemy seems perfect and natural on each of the 10 tracks that make up this inspired and mastered sophomore work.
Mr Day now define themselves as a real Pop band. Never stuck into copying and firmly rooted in music genre, this second album is built primarily on a song format and comes from a band continuously looking for a sound that uses and mixes their many influences into something unique and original. Dense, without any frills and contagiously smart, Dry Up In The Sun alternates without any misstep between a magnetic soul ballad like "Follow You," an exhilarating pop anthem like "Forgotten Realms" or a bright cover of "Queen of the Minstrels" by Cornell Campbell, for which the group recorded in a chapel in order to find some natural reverb and singular energy. In the end, it's all the fun and excitement the band felt while recording that we can feel and taste in return by listening to this album, both on record or on stage
One of the songs that I have had on repeat from the album is "Caveman" an absolute stomper of a song and possibly the best piece of Soul I have heard that isn't from the sixties, I have played this to several people, who all agree it is a foot tapper of the highest order!
I have to say, well, gush out really, this is the best blue eyed soul I have heard for a long time, I am absolutely loving this album to pieces, if you want to brighten up a rainy day, dance and grin like a Cheshire cat from ear to ear, buy this album for yourself and then buy a copy for everyone else that you love!
Mr Day are:
vocals /guitar : ERIC , drums / back vocals: REMY "ONE SHOT" , keys :
RAPHAEL , bass / back vocals PATCHWORKS, mojo guitars / back vocals :
JULIEN
Follow, befriend, like and love Mr Day here: FACEBOOK
Back in the 80's I became somewhat disillusioned by what the "music machines" were churning out, supposedly for my listening pleasure, so I took a trip back in time to see what I had overlooked from the bygone era of the sixties and I discovered loads of American garage bands playing in a style of the sixties British Invasion, but punkier and, well, more kick arse, for want of a better expression. There were literally thousands of songs to be discovered and bearing in mind this was before the home internet I spent a small fortune on these, unheard bands, who recorded in cheap studios, garages, bedrooms, some even sounded like they had recorded in a trash can, but they caught a real essence of what rock 'n' roll was meant to be, loud, tuneful, melodic, fast and most importantly fun! Every now and then a band pops up that once again checks all these boxes, not often sadly, but "Paradise" do (they recorded in a proper studio too!), so sit up and listen, this is music!
Paradise found!
Their eyes burnt by the glowing landscapes of the electronic revolution.
Their teeth sharpened to the sounds of a youthful uprising. Hating the
Beatles before they loved them. Blood brothers to their instruments,
idols of procreation and pro-creation. Aged by the sun. Singing the
sounds of a now nameless generation. Raised in the cornfields of the Bible Belt, the industrial wasteland of Cleveland,
Ohio, the rolling hills of the Lake Michigan coast and the burnt desert
of the Golden State. The four members now emerge from the dark hollows
of Portland, Oregon. It is the sound of flux. The response to a
United Federation of States run by the few. A response to growing up
tormented by idols and enemies. Their sound is a refuge from data,
meetings and humans. In a world of mindless pop culture, we offer you an
escape from the masses. Mass media is no longer the cure. What we offer
you is our cure. A sound we call Paradise.
This 8 track album is powered along by growling vocals, fantastic farfisa, a strong rhythm section and well crafted songs, sometimes it reminds me of The Seeds and sometimes of more modern bands like The Hives but most importantly it reassures me that there are still bands out there making, great music, fantastic music, brilliant music....kick arse rock 'n' roll!
Stukas over Disneyland, released after a four-year silence, shows
the Dickies training their popcorn wiseguy sights somewhat away from the
hardcore and Ramones influences of earlier platters to that of power
pop and '60s songs. The former of the two new influences is showcased in
the tunefully memorable "Pretty Please Me" and "If Stuart Could Talk";
the latter is evident in "Rosemary" (with its Beatles-on-caffeine
bridge), "Wagon Train" (which sports a broad tune that evokes
comparisons to old Western T.V. show theme songs), "Out of Sight, Out of
Mind" (featuring a chorus that echoes the one in Ricky Nelson's "Garden
Party"), and especially the title track (which exhibits noticeable surf
music and Chuck Berry influences and sets ironic, humorous lyrics
detailing a Disney-based world takeover). Bows to their earlier punk
influences can be seen in the uproariously funny "She's a Hunchback"
(complete with smart-aleck references to the Victor Hugo novel) and a
giddy cover of the Led Zeppelin classic "Communication Breakdown." The
1988 re-release appends three songs ("Gigantor," "I'm Okay, You're
Okay," and "Bedrock Barney") cast in the Dickies old cartoon hardcore
manner; while all are likable and welcome, the addition of these numbers
makes this release seem more stylistically schizophrenic than it
originally was. Regardless of the version obtained, this excellent album
is an enjoyable and recommended listen. -AMG
Winning best band name this week is "Grandma's Boyfriend" from San Francisco, who have just released a six track 7" single....YES....six tracks on a 7" single!
All but one track on the single come in under the nifty 2 minute mark but they fit everything in there perfectly, this is pure Power Punk Pop and if I was forced to give you a comparison I would say The Dickies meeting The Ramones. I hope it won't be long until these guys deliver a long player, this is great, get up and jump about music, they are about to go out on the road, unfortunately I don't have any dates, but follow them on Facebook (Link at the bottom of this post) and go and check them out!
These guys deliver, short, sharp, punches to the ears and mind
"Grandma's Boyfriend" are:
Mike Ramos - guitar, vocals
George Tarlson - bass, vocals
Malcolm Kenter - drums, vocals
Grandma's Boyfriend have been in touch and have given me the following dates for their live appearances, so go along and have some fun if you are in the vacinity!
5/17 >> @ McWorld (5011 Adams Blvd, Culver City, CA)
5/18 >> @ Trunkspace (Phoenix, AZ)
5/19 >> @ Magnetic Music (Taos, NM)
5/20 >> @ Lion's Lair (Denver, CO)
5/21 >> @ TBD, (Salt Lake City, UT)
Grant Lindberg is back again with another free offering of brilliant Power Pop heaven!!!!!
When Grant isn't out fishing, he is writing and recording select cuts of Power Pop for our delight and this 5 track EP bolsters up the rest of his back catologue quite nicely, which is also all there on bandcamp also for FREE and I highly recommend that you download it all.
If melodies, crunchy guitars and well crafted songs are your thing, then Grant is your man!
As many of you are aware, Phenomenal Cat are one of our little darlings here at "Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More!" In fact, we adore them and hope that you have enjoyed the single a month free downloads they have provided for you this year as much as we have.
If you have and would like to show your gratitude, the band need your votes to help them to expose themselves....calm down, calm down, I mean in a live performance at "Lounge on the farm festival!"
If you would like to ensure that one of the UK's finest Power Pop bands are in attendance at this festival, please follow the link here: http://www.yousaytheyplay.co.uk/voting/band/Phenomenal%2520Cat all you need to do is submit an e mail address and your vote will be cast. Lets make sure that Power Pop gets some representation at this festival.
