Once upon a time, pop and rock came together and made a baby, and its name was Pop-Rock. Very strictly speaking, Pop-Rock is a fusion genre that mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its (typically) guitar-based rock songs. Other genres that bear similar traits would be Powerpop, Melodic Rock, Soft Rock, Jangle Pop, Glam Rock, New Wave, Indie Pop and of course, Rock ’n’ Roll.
HOLY TIME WARP, BATMAN!
Relax, kids it’s still 2012 though from a listen to and look at British band The Silver Factory, you’d be hard pressed not to think about 60s pop. And why not, there is not enough attention paid to indie jangle pop practitioners and so.. check out this quaint retro video and stay tuned for the review of that debut EP to come…(Kudos to the Audities list poster for the recommendation)
Official Site
Singer-songwriter Jeremy (Morris) has been self-releasing his eclectic, versatile & prodigious musical output since the 90s and his voluminous repertoire runs the gamut from powerpop to progressive rock to instrumentals. Jeremy also writes and produces worship music in powerpop form and that’s what Alpha & Omega is premised on with titles like Let It Shine, I Just Want to Praise You and With God All Things Are Possible filtered through mainly jangle-pop and folk-rock.
Guitar Heaven, on the other hand is a all-instrumental album performed almost exclusively by Jeremy on acoustic guitar. Lyrical content is absent but there’s no denying the intent of songs like Glory Road, Kingdom Come and Jesus Loves Me. The fact that Jeremy is able to release two albums (simultaneously) with such diversity in sonic approach is a testament to the man’s talent and vision.
Check out the video of Glory Road below.
Official Site
Bread & Circuses is the name of the new EP from Philippine band Camerawalls. Those of you who caught the band at this year’s Baybeats Festival would be familiar with its pleasing evocation of 80s twee/jangle post-punk reminiscent of The Smiths, Orange Juice, Felt, Belle and Sebastian etc. Well, I have just received the EP from band leader Clementine and fans of good old fashioned melodic pop-rock will absolutely love the gorgeous music of the Camerawalls. Review to come…
Official Site
TEENAGE FANCLUB Shadows (Merge)
What more can I say about the Fannies? In the 90s, albums like Bandwagonesque, Thirteen, Grand Prix and Songs From Northern Britain supplied the soundtrack of my life. Building attractive structures from the foundations of the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Neil Young, Gram Parsons and Big Star, the Fannies have been an endearing source of musical epiphanies.
That said, I found the last two albums – Howdy and Man-Made – a little jaded, as if the band had run out of ideas. After an absence of five years, the Fannies are back with their ninth album – Shadows – and by all accounts, the break has certainly done them a world of good.
Stylistically, Shadows sounds closest to Songs From Northern Britain with its mellow, pastoral approach. No distortion, no modern-day special effects, the production is kept very clean and is highly reminiscent of Big Star’s #1 Record, with its gleaming guitars and sparkling vocal harmonies.
I don’t want to highlight any particular track because Shadows very much hangs together as a singular entity. Meaning that its an album in the former sense of the word, like Rubber Soul or Revolver was in the good old days. Warm memorable melodies are the order of the day enveloped with the appropriately lush production. So, check out Shadows and do listen from start to finish… best swallowed whole!
Official Site
CHRIS ENGLISH Dreamtown (SideBMusic)
After numerous years in the music biz, singer-songwriter English has finally released his debut solo album – Dreamtown – and all I say is: why did it take so long to get such enjoyable/likable music to us? Huh?
Better late than never is probably a better response but fans of such texturally dense & melodic brawny artists like the Beach Boys, XTC, Alan Parsons Project and Peter Gabriel will be wondering how much joy has been denied them in the intervening years. Whatever.
On the album cover, English holds the much revered Rickenbacker guitar popularized by the Beatles and the Byrds and whilst, Dreamtown isn’t too heavy on the jangle pop, the chiming signature of this famous guitar does lend its dreamy allure to the magical quality of this strong debut.
The perfect soundtrack to melancholy Sunday nights (which it is as I’m typing this), Dreamtown will envelope with luscious harmonies and atmospheric vibes that will transport you to happier climes. Tracks like the psychedelic I Can See Everything, the gorgeous Autumn, the heady Into the Blue, sunshiny Summer Revisited and jangly The River, firmly establish Dreamtown as essential listening for the Pop Underground.
Check out Chris English’s Myspace page.
Download “I Can See Everything”