Brad Marino - Subterranean Jungle

I can never resist writing about a Ramones cover album - especially when one of my favorite artists is involved! Subterranean Jungle is by no means one of the most celebrated albums in the Ramones catalog. But like any perceived "lesser" Ramones LP, it's still a damn good record (and definitely underrated)! By the time the Ramones were writing and recording Subterranean Jungle in the latter months of 1982, they had clearly set out to get back to their punk rock roots. Brad Marino notes that this album falls somewhere in between "poppy" Ramones and their harder-sounding efforts of the later '80s. And that's a real sweet spot for a lot of fans. Marino has always been a big fan of this particular Ramones album. Having thought about covering a lesser-known Ramones album for years, Marino used his 2020 quarantine time to make his own version of  Subterranean Jungle. If nothing else, this release ought to get people thinking and talking about Subterranean Jungle again! 

One of the worst things I can say about Subterranean Jungle is that it made no sense for a Ramones album to start out with two covers! But with that said, Marino's versions of "Little Bit O' Soul" and "I Need Your Love" are as excellent as you'd expect given his talents and musical background. He makes the latter sound like it could have been written by the Ramones! While Marino is no stranger to straight-up Ramones worship due his time in Rydells, he also brings his love for classic pop and rock and roll into the mix on this album. So while he's covering Subterranean Jungle, he's not totally trying to copy it. It's no surprise that he does well with Joey-penned songs like "My My Kind of Girl" and "Everytime I Eat Vegetables It Makes Me Think of You". If you don't already think of those two as great Ramones song, Marino's versions just might have you re-evaluating your stance. Other particular high points on this release include the Dee Dee compositions "Outsider" and "Somebody Like Me".  

Perhaps the best thing about a re-do of Subterranean Jungle is that it lifts these great songs from the shadow of the abysmal production and drum sound of the original album. Marino, a huge fan of both the Ramones and the '60s pop music that so heavily inspired them, truly "gets" all of these songs. His treatment of this material reminds us what a terrific album Subterranean Jungle still is and how it could have been even better had more sympathetic producers been at the helm. Obviously, you've got to be a Ramones super fan to even consider buying a cover version of a Ramones album. Then again, who isn't a Ramones super fan? Vinyl for this release sold out in just four days! Look for a new album from Brad Marino in 2021! 

-L.R.

https://bradmarino.bandcamp.com/album/subterranean-jungle
https://www.facebook.com/bradmarinomusic

The Midnight Callers - Red Letter Glow

Fresh off of their stunning performances on the JEM Records Celebrates John Lennon compilation, The Midnight Callers are back with their debut album on JEM. This New York based foursome is comprised of Chris Paine (rhythm guitar), Martin Stubbs (lead guitar), Julien Budrino (drums), and Marley Myrianthopoulos (bass). Red Letter Glow is the name of the album, and it will be warmly received by those who enjoy punchy rock and roll with hooks. This, my friends, is an old school rock record! Influences range from '60s pop to classic rock to '70s/'80s power pop to '90s Brit-pop and alternative rock. The Midnight Callers pretty much have it all: the guts of a bar band, the talent to write hit singles, and the musical chops to rock arenas. And with the assistance of engineer/co-producer Kurt Reil (The Gripweeds), they've absolutely nailed the production on Red Letter Glow. This album manages to evoke the heyday of FM rock while still sounding fresh and modern in 2020. 

One aspect of Red Letter Glow I especially enjoy is the variety of its songs. Kicking off with the high-energy rocker "41 Miles To Roscoe" (a recent Coolest Song in the World on Little Steven's Underground Garage!) and glam-rock influenced "Down On Luck", this album really comes out swinging! From there, it shows you the many sides of The Midnight Callers. "River Rise" channels The Beatles by way of Cheap Trick, while "Return the Favor" sounds like the best song The Knack never wrote. I know that "power pop with actual power!" is a music reviewer's cliché, but I can't think of a better description for "Not Tonight". "I Need You" sounds like a rock radio smash straight out of 1978. "The Lights Are On" is the sort of epic, "cigarette lighters in the air" power ballad that you almost never hear in this day and age. 

Red Letter Glow reminds me of the rock albums I grew up on. It delivers a perfect mix of radio hits, rockers, deep cuts, and ballads. The songwriting, musicianship, and production are all top-notch. The Midnight Callers are a new and exciting rock and roll band in the classic style. And that's something I will never tire of. Another great find for JEM Records!

  

-L.R.

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Letter-Glow-Midnight-Callers/dp/B08FP45574

https://www.themidnightcallers.com/

http://www.jemrecordings.com/

https://www.facebook.com/themidnightcallersnyc/

https://www.facebook.com/Jem-Records-607560186079388/

Kurt Baker - After Party

The trilogy is complete! Eight years ago, Kurt Baker and Wyatt Funderburk co-wrote Baker's first full-length album Brand New Beat. Produced by Funderburk, Brand New Beat quickly became a modern classic of power pop. It was a record so great that even its outtakes made for an album (Brand New B-Sides) that would be the envy of a lot of pop bands. Baker and Funderburk collaborated again on 2015's Play It Cool - which was arguably even better than Brand New Beat. Five years later, Baker, Funderburk, and all the Party Animals are back with the third (and best!) installment in this series. 

Out today on Wicked Cool Records, After Party manages to be the best of both worlds. It has the stylistic variety of Play It Cool, but in spirit it's closer to the early '80s power pop influenced Brand New Beat. Joining Baker and Funderburk are old pals Geoff Palmer (guitar), Kris Rodgers (keyboards), and Craig Sala (drums). With Baker now residing in Spain, these guys don't get the chance to see each other all the time. And that gives After Party a "the gang is back together" type feel. It was recorded this past January and February while Baker was back home in Portland, Maine. All of these individuals have seen their musical careers take off in the years since Brand New Beat was released. But they were all happy to get together and make the kind of record that only the Kurt Baker Band can make!

While I'm also a big fan of Baker's more garage/rock and roll centered Spanish band The Kurt Baker Combo, I'm always going to have a soft spot for the power pop stuff he co-writes with kindred spirit Funderburk. After Party is informed by many of the same influences that had me connecting so instantly with Brand New Beat. It's got that new wave/power pop meets early '80s FM rock (Donnie Iris, Cheap Trick, .38 Special) vibe with just a hint of '90s Lookout! Records. I've previously featured "Over You" and "I Like Her A Lot" on this blog - both of which are classic Baker/Funderburk collaborations. In a similar vein are "Wandering Eyes" (a crunching pop-rock hit right out of the Rick Springfield playbook) and "She Don't Really Love You, Dude" (which is either power pop influenced pop-punk or pop-punk influenced power pop depending on your point of view). If you're into big hooks, punchy guitars, and catchy choruses, this album will not leave you wanting. But if you're looking for something a little different, Baker and the boys have got you covered. I dig how the gentle little McCartney-esque number "Waiting For You" turns up at just the right time. And if you wish that Joe Jackson's 1979-80 period had never ended, you'll be psyched to hear "Good". Elsewhere you've got power pop running straight into a Beach Boys song ("Used To Think"), spot-on new romantic/synth-pop worship ("Keep Dreaming"), and a genuinely lovely piano lounge ballad ("A Song and a Drink"). 

Brand New Beat was a huge album for a lot of people my age who grew up on '80s radio and then came to love pop-punk as young adults. As collaborating songwriters, Baker and Funderburk gleaned the best elements from 30 years of melody-driven rock music and created something that felt new and exciting in 2012. They easily could have resorted to formula and cranked out several more albums that were copies of Brand New Beat. But instead, they worked to build on their musical vision and embrace a wider range of influences. Once I came to accept that Play It Cool wasn't going to be Brand New Beat part 2, I quickly realized it was a better record. And that progression culminates with After Party. Baker and Funderburk are far better songwriters (and a far better songwriting team) than they were 8 or 9 years ago. After Party reflects that growth while still retaining the original spirit of the trilogy. Baker's name is on the cover of the record, but this is just as much Funderburk's creation (his production, as always, is immaculate). And this record certainly would not be what it is without the contributions of some of the finest musicians in today's rock and roll scene. Say what you will about 2020. But any year that gives us a new Kurt Baker record can't be entirely bad!

-L.R.

https://kurtbakerwcr.bandcamp.com/album/after-party

https://www.facebook.com/KurtBakerMusic

https://www.instagram.com/kurtmiltonbaker/

https://twitter.com/KurtMiltonBaker

https://www.facebook.com/WickedCoolRecords

The Short Fuses - Dawn of the Deaf

Can I get a Hell yeah!? One of the most monstrous rock and roll records of recent years finally gets a physical release! The Short Fuses unleashed their raging comeback album Dawn of the Deaf in April of last year. It was their first new album in nearly 16 years. And holy smokes, did this thing ever rip! Travis Ramin, Miss Georgia Peach, and Justin Staggs re-assembled as a trio and flat-out rocked it. Inspired by 2016 election rage and a fascination with horror that was a rite of passage for almost any 1980s East Coast punk kid, the band was revved-up to make the resistance rock record of 2019. And now it becomes the resistance rock record of 2020! Dawn of the Deaf is out today on the mighty Rum Bar Records. This just might be the hardest-rocking thing Lou has ever released. Not playing it loud ought to be against the law. In my quarter-century of reviewing records, I don't know if I've ever heard a more successful merging of hard rock and punk influences. And then you've got Georgia's powerful, soulful vocals taking it over the top (is there a more underappreciated singer in all of rock?). If you were raised on a steady diet of the MC5, Motörhead, the Dead Boys, and The Misfits, these 12 thundering tracks ought to be right up your alley. From the powerhouse opener "Baby Got Bat Wings" to the face-melting "Rock Yo Self (Until You Wreck Yo Self") to the resistance anthems "Furiosa" and "No" to the arena death rock of the title track to the epic instrumental "High Score", Dawn of the Deaf is an unrelenting force! Heck, there's even a cover of Jakkpot's "You Ain't Shit (Without a Leather Jacket)" that gives the original a serious run for its money! 

In order to ensure that Dawn of the Deaf was as awesome of a rock and roll record as humanly possible, The Short Fuses enlisted a production team of legendary proportions. Daniel Rey produced the album. Adrian Popovich from Tricky Woo mixed it. Geza X mastered it. With all of that talent involved in the creation of this album, you had to know it was going to sound amazing and massive. More than a mere satisfying comeback, Dawn of the Deaf is The Short Fuses' best album by far. You can feel the passion, conviction, and energy that went into this record. And rather than overshadowing the message, these killer tunes make it all the more powerful. These songs were written and recorded well before the events of 2020, but their re-release at this exact moment in time could not be more fitting. If you're outraged by injustice in the world, this album ought to be your personal soundtrack to fighting the power. Crank up the volume, rock out righteously, and don't let the bastards grind you down!

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dawn-of-the-deaf

https://theshortfuses.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheShortFuses/

https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

The Lemon Drop Gang - I'm Not the One!

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but Rum Bar Records has added another great band to its roster! The Lemon Drop Gang hails from Tucson, Arizona and features Johnny O'Halloran (Magnatone, Tina and the Total Babes, Nikki Corvette and the Stingrays) on guitar and his wife Steph (Tulip Sweet and Her Trail of Tears) on vocals. Johnny O'Halloran is, of course, from Boston's famous O'Halloran family. He and Malibu Lou have been pals for decades, so it's only fitting that The Lemon Drop Gang are now officially Rum Bar recording artists!

A band name like The Lemon Drop Gang perhaps suggests a sweet indie pop group. Well let's just say that names can be deceiving! Reissued today on Rum Bar, the band's 2016 debut album I'm Not the One is indeed a really great pop/punk/garage/rock and roll record with hooks for days. But it's also quite haunting and at times straight-up creepy - a perfect album for the Halloween season! Steph O'Halloran is a powerhouse on lead vocals. Her voice has an amazing tone but also an undeniable presence. Once you hear her voice, it's hard to get it out of your mind. A running theme of this album is "tales of psychotic love". It's full of songs about obsession, possession, outright stalking, and love gone horribly, horribly wrong. I'm not a big horror guy in the traditional sense. But if you're talking about psychological horror, well that's way more my speed. Steph O'Halloran has got a sick and twisted mind, and I absolutely LOVE it! I appreciate how many of these songs seem so pleasant and tuneful at first listen before you really dig into the lyrics. Then things turn scary. 

Musically, The Lemon Drop Gang is drawing a lot from '60s pop and girl groups as well as '70s punk and new wave. They are at their core a melodic guitar pop band. But their songs have hidden layers and take surprising turns. And in there with the punk, garage, and power pop influences, you can definitely hear some eerie, distinctly southwestern undertones. Songs range from fierce and punky ("Hit the Wall", "Bubble Yum") to beautifully haunting ("Ghost", "You Just Don't Know It") to perfectly pop ("Georgie"). Moving away from the general theme of the album, "Georgie" is a response to the The Seekers' 1967 hit "Georgy Girl". If you've ever listened to "Georgy Girl" and thought, "God, that's such terrible advice!",  you will feel much better about "Georgie". This song celebrates individuality and advises against the trap of living your whole life in accordance to what society expects of you. That's a wonderful and powerful message, and "Georgie" is one of the year's most essential independent singles. Another highlight is closing track "Time To Myself" - a true anthem for those who want nothing more than to get away from everything and everyone. Talk about a song that really holds up in 2020! 

I'm Not the One is a stunning debut from one of the most unique and fascinating garage pop bands I've come across in a long time. It's definitely a pop record, but in a wonderfully twisted way. Of course these songs will quickly have you tapping your toes and humming along. But they'll stay with you long after that and just might haunt your dreams. The Lemon Drop Gang have been around a long time and are fixtures of the Tucson music scene. I can only hope that being on a label like Rum Bar will bring them the international exposure and adoration they so richly deserve. Don't let 'em change ya, Georgie! 

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/im-not-the-one
https://thelemondropgang.bandcamp.com/album/im-not-the-one
https://www.facebook.com/lemondropgang/
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

Natalie Sweet - Oh, By the Way​ it's.​.​.Natalie Sweet

Oh, what a day for Rum Bar Records! Today Malibu Lou has launched not one, not two, but three great albums back into orbit! My last but most definitely not least Rum Bar post of the day concerns the first American release of Oh By the Way​ it's.​.​.Natalie Sweet. Originally released in Europe last year on the fabulous Surfin' Ki Records, this was my #2 album of 2019. And I sometimes lose sleep over not having made it #1! This is the debut solo album from Natalie Sweet, formerly of The Shanghais and The Control Freaks. It's kind of like The Shanghais album that never was, but it's also a vintage Travis Ramin production (see also: Candygirl, Tina and the Total Babes). Oh, and Morten Henriksen of the legendary Yum Yums is on guitar. Sweet basically assembled a power pop super group for this album! I won't get too deep into a review since I've written about this album before. But I'll just say that it finds Sweet and Ramin fully embracing their shared love for new wave power pop, girl groups, '50s doo-wop and rock n' roll, and the almighty Ramones. After Ramin completed work on Oh By the Way, he teased it as a "slammin' power pop album somewhere between Rocket to Russia and Parallel Lines". And I must say that his description was spot-on! If you can never get enough of your Josie Cotton, Holly and the Italians, and Nikki and the Corvettes records, be sure to add this one to the rotation. Vinyl still available here!

-L.R.

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/oh-by-the-way-its

https://nataliesweet.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords

Hoodoo Gurus - "Get Out of Dodge"

Well here's a band you might have heard of! The legendary Hoodoo Gurus are back with a terrific new single on their own label Big Time. "Get Out of Dodge" is a return to the band's classic power pop sound and features guest backing vocals from both Vicki Peterson (The Bangles) and John Cowsill (The Cowsills, Beach Boys). Not one to shy away from political topics or social commentary, Dave Faulkner wrote "Get Out of Dodge" as a statement on the hate, intolerance, and extremism that are sadly on the rise in today's world. The song is about how it's sometimes best to not engage with toxic people who are set on hating you. If these individuals are never going to soften their views, the best course of action is to just remove them from your life. "A good surgeon knows when a damaged limb can be saved and when it's better to amputate," Faulkner says of this song. "So cut your losses and get yourself to a better place, somewhere people will cherish and support you, and live to fight another day." 

"Get Out of Dodge" was recorded back in June at Harry Vanda's Hercules Street Studios in Surry Hills (where the band had previously recorded Answered Prayers). Wayne Connolly engineered and assisted in the production of the track. The song is available now as a digital release and will be coming out on 7" record later this year (backed by the the recent anti-Trump number "Hung Out To Dry"). While COVID-19 forced the cancelation of Hoodoo Gurus' 2020 tour dates, you can expect to see them back out on the road next year along with a new album to mark their 40th anniversary as a band!

 

-L.R.

https://hoodoogurus.lnk.to/good

https://www.hoodoogurus.net/

https://www.facebook.com/hoodoogurus/

https://hoodoogurus.officialstores.com.au/