WHEN THE MONEY'S GONE
Pure pop for now people. I don't know about you but the highlight of the Grammy Awards (Feb. 12, 2012) for me was when the Beach Boys - or what's left of them - finally reunited and brought smiles to faces around the world. Audioscam's intentional demolition of the Abba catalog a couple or few years back was wonderful pop deconstruction that slashed away at preconceived Abba notions. Here with 4 originals the band lightens up on the speakers but delivers concise and deliberate messages that show an intentional - and skillful - reticence to overplay.
Drummer Brian Pitcher might have to pull a Phil Collins and come out from behind the skins as the group is a trio here and the big song seems like it would need two guitars and a keyboard to recreate it onstage. It's probably Ross Wilson's multiple guitars sounding like keys and if they can pull this off without additional musicians more power to them. It's a memorable tune with strong production work coming in under three minutes at 2:48. Some site DiamondRecordings.com has the track listing http://www.diamondrecordings.com/artists.shtml
3 minutes and 5 seconds of "That Other Guy" reminds me of early British Invasion, maybe if Billy J. Kramer was a bit more hip and less nerdy. Peter Badenoch "guest stars" on bass while drummer/singer Brian plays acoustic guitar as well.
Track 3 sounds like an inversion of Lou Reed's "Ecstasy", compact Elvis Costello by way of Joe Jackson. It's Brad Wallace on the bass, song composition and vocals with Brian Pitcher on drums and Ross Wilson on guitar.
The final song on this easy to digest 4 track E.P. is chock full of guitar dazzle, "Different Eyes" with its hook of "So who do you think you are/to treat somebody like that"...3 minutes and 49 seconds of a snap/crackle drum with the guitar spinning like it's got vertigo or something...nice, tight, taut playing and short bursts of pop tunes the way I like 'em...buzzing in and out like a comet...too many artists are cramming 20 songs on a disc because they can. Audioscam delivers the goods here and states very loudly that less is more.
UPCOMING REVIEWS
Stratopheerius HEAD SPACE
Tiers...this guy Richard X Heyman played with Peter Noone and probably other pop heroes. Way behind on my reviews...will get to this a.s.a.p.
Halley Devestern is a great New York area singer...I think she was in Big Brother & The Holding Company at one point....unbelievable voice. Of course to sing Joplin one would have to have the pipes.
Billy Shake's CRASHING DOWN rocks... slam, bam, BOOM. Track 5 "Take Cover" and song 8 "Holy Eyes" worth checking out. Entire CD has merit.
RIP WHITNEY HOUSTON
"Saving All My Love For You" is a phenomenal song...this was like a hundred years ago and Madame Whitney, one of the last of the one-name stars...biggest since Axl became a one-name-wonder...should never have died. Absurd that there were no handlers breathing down her neck.
Jack Phillips TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
VANILLA FUDGE HERE AND THERE
Margaret MacDonald RAIN ON THE ROOF
KENNY SELCER
DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME
Suzy Bogguss
GOLD DUST
LIFESTYLES OF THE POOR AND UNKNOWN
Scott Couper (guitar, bass) and drummer Jay Couper are fraternal twins from the Needham, Massachusetts area. They headline the Cantab in Cambridge every Friday and Saturday night with Candy from Little Joe Cook's band. Scott also backed up Jon Butcher once upon a time and other notable singers. The duo backed up Denny Laine from Paul McCartney's WINGS back in 1989 or around that time. 18 selections including their classic WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MARY.
BALL N CHAIN
SANDS OF TIME
Kimberley Jaeger is raving about the title track to me; I'll give it a spin. There's also a secret Charlie Farren track on here because one or some of these guys were in Balloon with Charlie. A review when I figure it all out. Charlene has spoken. Happy Valentine's Day!
