Ben Montague

I was recently asked to listen to a sampler of an upcoming album by a guy named Ben Montague. I did a little googling and discovered this forum entry about Ben.


http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/558950/Ben_Montague_Rainy_Day

Generic as hell! Yikes! Ben sure doesn't seem like much of a popular guy and just in case you didn't see the youtube link that our mysterious Ben Montague fan left below his first comment, I've embedded it below.

There are goofy, random interviews that range from about 3 seconds to 2 minutes thrown in there for some unknown reason. Overall, its not something I would watch twice. But, let's get to the review of his album preview.


Ben Montague is a British John Mayer/Jason Mraz/Panic at the Disco. Yet, even with those very popular artists I'm comparing him to, he is not very amazing. It's essentially recycled, so-called "alternative" adult contemporary nonsense that I like to avoid for fear of falling asleep driving or something.

Sorry Ben. You are a pretty plain guy and I remain pretty unaffected by your music. I also sort of suspect that you are the hopes of a very pushy manager who still thinks that people will shell out loads of cash for a real generic load of whatever.

Sorry for such a negative review, but I'd like to hear what any readers of this blog think of Ben. I leave my comments box open to anyone who wishes to listen to the man who I pictured above.

myspace | website

Bikeride - The Kiss

The Kiss is the 5th album from Bikeride. Recorded inside lead singer Tony Carbone's home on a recording machine from the 1970's, The Kiss is Bikeride's very best album.

For starters Bikeride needs to be praised for their use of bizarre instruments and interesting song construction that isn't used nearly as much as it should. On the song Your Lips and You has Didgeridoo, Davul and everything they can to make it sound as Arabian as possible. Also, the song A Dancer's Feet Are Not So Neat has some of the very best pedal steel playing in a pop song ever, and it should, seeing as how Sheryl Crow's former pedal steel guitarist is who they chose to play on it.

Of course the album is filled with more pop hooks than you could imagine. Worth mentioning is the great vocal reprise and pedal steel riff at the end of the previously mentioned A Dancer's Feet Are Not So Neat. The bonus track Siamese Twins is also unbelievably catchy.

Also worth mentioning is the exceptional mixing. As I read on their blog "It was mastered in the same room and on the same equipment as Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, biggest seller of all time. Maybe some of it will rub off on The Kiss." It most definitely did. Every song just sounds really great. Good job to Kevin Bartley at Capitol Records.

The album has a few trouble spots in the middle where the songs just aren't as original or moving. I also never liked Bikeride's habit of putting several silent tracks of varying length to eventually reveal a secret track or two. Just don't do the silent tracks; no one listens to them or cares about them.

Sadly, Tony Carbone died last March and left behind a really gorgeous daughter and wife. The band hasn't updated their myspace or anything yet, but I think its safe to say the band won't be them same without Tony. Who knows what the future is for Bikeride, but as for The Kiss, it is one of the best pop albums of the new millennium, but slightly haunting how it echoes his absence.

Myspace | Label | Buy it

Update and reviews

Hi there! It's been a long time since I've felt like blogging. For a few reasons, mostly being that I don't feel quite as passionate as I did before. The internet is a wonderful place where you can voice your opinions on just about anyone and you can probably find a group of people who will agree with you.

Another reason being that I am legitimately a pretty busy person. I make music myself and I am now making music for a television program on the PBS channel. I am a very big fan of Joe Raposo and this is a dream come true for me, so I try to put as much of my energy into my artistic endeavors as I can.

Finally, a few people have asked me why I never provide links to download music without paying for it. My first thought to that is that there are so many other music blogs out there that already do this, but I've always just cared more about journalism than piracy and I've cared more about music than uploading files online. (See my Beach Boys blog for evidence of this). Then, my second thought is that I am one of the few rather small blogs (not counting websites like pitchfork) that actually interview artists that I really love on the telephone. I spend days and sometimes weeks researching things and really gathering my thoughts to do my updates and interviews and I would hate to lose the respect that I think I earn from my favorite artists by insultingly sharing music that I have no permission to share after complimenting them by speaking to them.

I hope you will always want to get to know small artists better by reading about them, and then choose to support them if you really like them. Having said that, I hope I will be able to do a lot more interviews and reviews (which are the things that I care about the most) on my blog.

I'll start right now with some quick reviews on some of my favorite new albums.


The male member of this band, Johan Angergård, is also a member of one of my favorite Swedish bands, Acid House Kings and the girl at his side is Karolina Komstedt, from another beautiful band, Poprace. This supergroup of soft indiepop have released several albums together over the last 13 years, but their most recent album, The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming is their best to date. Slightly religious toned, the album is still gentle and beautiful. If you enjoy bands like the Submarines or Acid House Kings this is for you. (myspace)










The debut album from the Italian group Fitness Forever is nothing short of a masterpiece. The band is now signed to the brilliant Spanish label Elefant Records and rightfully so. Personal Train is loaded to the brim with strings, horns, bells and vocals that create a symphonic sound that even surpasses the best Beach Boys arrangements. The band's song writer Carlos Valderrama describes the band as his challenge to create pop perfection and it is extremely clear that he has created nothing but perfection with this beautiful album. (myspace)










This album came out a while ago, but I don't care because I still like it. The theme of this update is mostly extremely gentle orchestrated music and The Postmarks are just about the most beautiful band I know of today. Their singer Tim Yehezkely (yes, a woman) has the best female voice since Karen Carpenter passed away. This album just screams class, with jazzy arrangements and lush production it stands in a league its own. It is just impossible to explain why this album is so much better than all the others who attempt to copy their sound. The only way to know is to listen. Heart break never felt so good. (myspace)

The Very Most - Spring

One of my very favorite albums last year was The Very Most's second album, Congratulations forever (maybe you forgot about when I interviewed Jeremy Jensen, the band's lead singer and song writer?).

Well anyway, The Very Most are back in a big way, with a new EP released on Indiecator records. But please don't let those 2 letters "EP" make you think that this release is somehow less important than their full length last year. The nearly 14 minute EP is filled with all kinds of new sounds that show the promise for something that very few bands in this new millennium are showing - Growth.

Much in the same way that the Beatles were constantly evolving, The Very Most are expanding and experimenting in exciting new ways. In fact, every song on this EP has some form of strange percussion used. I'll just name a couple off the top of my head: Woodblocks, Vibraslaps, Scrapers, an army of Tambourines, Egg Shakers, and a lot of things I don't even know. The amount of percussion on "Spring" is really delightful and an extremely welcome addition.

However, all the experimentation in the world can never make a "bad" song "good". It should be mentioned that all the songs on the EP are extremely well written pop songs and fit very well together. The album is extremely enjoyable and pleasant and for the rest of my life I will associate this release with memories of spring. The band is actually making an EP for every season this year and I am confident that they will keep very true to this theme and do something that (as far as I know) no other band has done yet.

Probably the prettiest song on the EP is the third song "The Only Pretty Ring Time". The band sings an ode to the beauty of their home city Boise, Idaho and mentions how strange it is that their city is called the City of Trees. But I really just can't explain how great every voice on this song sounds. It really is wonderful.

Also, their label has commissioned a few remixes of some of the songs on the album. These remixes are also a blast and are all done so well. They make a very lovely companion to the EP and you can listen to the remixes for free on their label's website.

The Very Most are extremely committed to music and despite the speed that they release their records, they still put so much effort and joy into their work. "Spring" is the beginning of a new era for The Very Most and they have invited us to spend a year with them... A year?

I think I will be spending a lifetime with the Very Most.


MYSPACE | LABEL | BUY THE EP

I Found Love

Below is a positively perfect cover of the song "I Found Love" originally performed by The Free Design on their 1968 album You Could Be Born Again. This cover was done by the English band Trembling Blue Stars on the tv show YO GABBA GABBA. Check out their myspace!






i found this here

The Glasses - Story Problems

I just found this wonderful album from an artist named Will. Inside this disc are 10 perfectly crafted pop songs that makes me excited for West Coast indie pop again.

Story Problems is a beautiful album and its being offered for free on their website. I really suggest you take a listen to it and don't be afraid to fall in love with a new group.

http://www.story-problems.com/Home.html

The Heavy Blinkers - The Night And I Are Still So Young

The Most Brilliant Pop Album since 1966's Pet Sounds.

The Man From Another Place - The Loneliest Cowboy EP

In 1990 there existed a television drama called Twin Peaks. In that show was a character called The Man From Another Place. However, after the show's cancellation in 1992 many years have gone by, but that doesn't mean this obscure bit of television knowledge has gone completely forgotten.

Just recently a musician from Scotland has released his first EP, The Loneliest Cowboy, under the name The Man From Another Place.

What resides inside this 5 song, 16 minute EP is an exploration of the styles of some of the great pop composers of the 20th (and even 21st century). Clearly evident in TMFAP's music is the influence of Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson in their prime. Not to say that the songs are not unique in their style, but TMFAP isn't afraid to show his appreciation for the classics.

He describes his songs as "Soundtrack Music To A Lost Film" and I think that is both a good explanation of the premise for the EP, but also a visual guide. The music really could be put to film, as the piano chords repeatedly belt out a melody in a relaxed 4/4 tempo, strings and horns play a melody over it creating complex sounds that are both beautiful and intriguing. The Loneliest Cowboy brings tons of ambition and a well needed new face to the world of orchestrated pop.

This EP is on par with all of the best pop albums I've ever heard (including SMiLE and The Night And I Are Still So Young). With such a great EP, I hope The Man From Another Place can release a full length album with this much enthusiasm and creativity.

I recommend this highly.



Myspace

The Lexingtons - Trouble

Interview with Scott Schultz from Majestic

For over a decade now one of my favorite bands has been an obscure indie pop outfit from Brea, California called Majestic. Leading the charge from the obscure shelflife records Majestic has released two albums to date and both are classics to those lucky enough to have them.

I was able to sit down with the band's lead singer Scott Schultz (pictured in the center). We talked a lot about the band and also about his latest creation, the Children's TV show Yo Gabba Gabba.

Listen to the whole conversation below!


Download


+ Check out Majestic's Myspace

Ancient Free Gardeners - Innards Out

The Ancient Free Gardeners are a snappy indie quartet from Melbourne, Australia. They just released a single that you can download for free below. It's a very beautiful song and if you liked the band Calico below, you will also really love this song.



Download "Innards Out"

Myspace | Website

Review: Black Diamond by Calico

Not many people know this, but I have always been a very big fan of ambient music. So when I was offered the chance to hear the new album from Salt Lake City's own Calico, I didn't waste any time delving into the CD.

At about 50 minutes long, all 8 songs are pretty long and (ranging from 2 to nearly 9 minutes) ultra mellow. Black Diamond is an exercise in alt folk pop with a great view for the cinematic side of song writing. Although there are vocals on 6 of the 8 songs, the album seems much more like an instrumental album as the whisper style vocals could be considered an instrument themselves.

As for the music itself...it's droney. It's very droney. I'm very thankful I've heard a lot of other music of the same type, because I'm sure anyone jumping into this CD without having any knowledge of the music could be a bit, well, confused. But to it's credit, the music on the album is beautiful. Each chord and rhythm fits perfectly with the atmosphere that the band paints and in addition to that the album is mixed just perfectly.

If you are going to listen to this album, make sure you have your headphones on. This is just one of those albums. It's a beautiful trip taken with music and a solid second release (we know how hard that 2nd album can be).

Calico will also be touring quite a bit in the next few months, so be sure to visit them if they come to your town.

myspace

Review: Modulations by Chewy Marble

In 1995 Brian Kassan, then bassist for the band The Wondermints, decided to start his own group Chewy Marble. In the last 13 years Brian and his gang have released 2 albums, their debut self titled album in 1997 and their follow up, Bowl of Surreal in 2001. Now 7 years later their 3rd album, Modulations is upon us.

I have to admit, I have not heard their first 2 albums, so I was pretty much in the dark when I popped this one in. I was expecting something along the lines of the Wondermints style of orchestral pop songs with shining harmonies and polished production. I think it's pretty unfair to compare this CD to anything by The Wondermints because in actuality it is nothing like them. Not to say that it is completely original but the influences of the album are a little trickier to put a finger on.

The opening song, the band's single from the album "She Roxx" plays off as an ode to high school life and crushes on those tough girls we all remember. The pop/rock sound of the song is easily comparable to popular music of the early 90s (when bands like Weezer were just starting to enter the main stream) but doesn't seem quite as convincing as the track could be. Perhaps its the use of words like "Fox" to describe girls or spelling the words rocks as "Roxx". It feels corny.

But fortunately the album does save itself from this false start. The next track Don't Look At The Sun has a much better pop appeal and melody that can be sung along to. In fact, the album flows from this point rather smoothly with the dreamy song cross-hatched world and the summery relaxation that the song Somewhere Else offers.

The album is a very large melting pot of the pop, rock and classic rock genres, creating a sound that can be uniquely refreshing and incredibly interesting at some of the most unexpected times. It's very clear that Brian Kassan has devoted a great amount of energy into this album and at it's best moments Modulations rings with the glory of albums like Led Zeppelin IV and The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle.

The album ends strongly with the folky and heartwarming instrumental Moments which transitions into the ballad at the end of the album, Clutter. I think having listened this far into the album I really turned from a listener to a real fan; Chewy Marble can really write a pretty damn good song.

If you are in the mood for some great 70s classic rock revivalism with that 90s alternative edge, you should head to the link below and give a listen to Chewy Marble's new album, Modulations.

Myspace | Label

Interview: Jeremy Jensen of the Very Most

I wrote about The Very Most and their new album Congratulations Forever a few days ago, but I really don't think that I explained enough how much I really like it. The second album from Boise, Idaho's Very Most is definitely a pop masterpiece and you should go to their myspace and buy it now.

Aside from that, I had a chance to talk to Jeremy Jensen (the band's lead singer and song writer) about the band and his new CD. You can hear our phone conversation below!


Download




Myspace | Website

The Very Most

Have you ever been to Idaho?

I never have, but I hear good things about it. Lots of trees and lots of open space.

But I have one more reason to like it now. A band from Boise called the Very Most.

I just recently heard from them and listened to their latest CD and it is absolutely gorgeous. They remind me of The Magic Numbers with their boy - girl harmonies, but the arrangements of their songs are much more complex and dense.

Go ahead and take a listen to them (they have some mp3s on their site). Harmonies like these guys have only come so often!

Good Fight Fighting
Sod Off
Spilt, Spilt Milk



myspace | website