Something old....something new (#12)

"Seconds of Pleasure" by Rockpile (released 1980 - remastered 2004)

   The only release from these legendary English new wave/retro rockers. Featuring Nick Lowe (bass, vocals), Dave Edmunds (guitar, vocals) Billy Bremner (guitar, vocals) and Terry Williams (drums, drums, drums) Rockpile revs up American rockabilly and R&B to perfection. Every song is filled with memorable melodies and is bursting with hooks. Covers of "Teacher Teacher" and "If Sugar was as Sweet as You" get things off to a rollicking start. The bouncy "Heart" features an outstanding vocal performance by Bremner and a blistering solo from Edmunds. Chiming guitars and brilliant harmonies propel "Now and Always". Cracking drums launch the shuffle "Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)" "Wrong Again" is a spunky number highlighting Edmund's vocals and guitar. The bubbling soul of "When I Write the Book" is driven by drums and organ. "Fool Too Long" is a dark rocker filled with crashing guitars and vocal harmonies. The album ends with the ripping "You Ain't Nothin' But Fine" maybe the best song Chuck Berry didn't write. The remaster includes the songs from the 45 issued with the original pressing of the LP. It features four Everly Brothers songs lovingly sung by Lowe and Edmunds. There are also three excellent live tracks making this remaster a must buy. It's sad that this is the only release by Rockpile but we're fortunate they left us with this little slice of pop brilliance. 

"Majesty Shredding" by Superchunk (released 2010)

    I am late to the party in regards to "Superchunk", a four piece indie-rock outfit from North Carolina who have been around for over 20 years! Two members (Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance) formed Merge records which continues to be an influential tastemaker for indie music (Arcade Fire, Dinosaur Jr., M. Ward) and this is their first album in almost ten years! This release sounds incredibly fresh, radiates positive energy and is an astoundingly great record from beginning to end. The disc opens with a howl of feedback and some splendid distortion-fueled guitar skronk on"Digging for Something".  The strangely titled "My Gap Feels Weird" follows up with more glorious guitar crunch and strong vocals. "Rosemarie" is a beautifully melodic mid-tempo rocker which leads to my favorite track "Crossed Wires". Buzz saw guitar riffs fuel the tune into a super catchy chorus and more fuzzed out six-string bliss. If they just repeated these same songs again and again I would be satisfied, but no, there's more! The frantic punch of "Slow Drip, the string enhanced "Fractures in Plaster", the roaring twin guitar hum of "Learned to Surf"and the hyper punk workout "Rope Light". "Everything at Once" closes the album in majestic rocking style. Passionate vocals, sugar-coated guitar noise, great songs, if you like Husker Du at their melodic best you will love Superchunk! 

Something old....something new (#11)

I plan to review one golden oldie from my collection and one relatively new release that I really enjoyed each week. I welcome any ideas, comments or ideas for future topics.

"The La's" by The La's (originally released 1991 - remastered 2001)

    The one and only release by "The La's" is my favorite CD of the 90s! The brilliant pop eccentric Lee Mavers labored long and hard to produce this power britpop touchstone which is mainly remembered for the pure perfection of the sterling earworm "There She Goes". Overflowing with hooks, jangly guitars, unforgettable melodies and Maver's vocals (think Oasis) this is a cleanly produced pop/rock masterpiece! Opener "Son of a Gun" is a pretty song resting on a bed of acoustic guitars, "I Can't Sleep" comes out rocking and crashes into a short burst of a guitar solo, "Timeless Melody" features more chiming guitar, the hypnotically herky-jerkiness of "Way Out", the singalong joy of the ironically titled "Doledrum",  The hard rocking "Failure", the delightful falsetto voice and poppiness of "Feelin'" and so it goes for twelve tracks (17 on the remaster) of amazing precision pop. All the tunes clock in at around three minutes and have concise and beautifully constructed guitar solos until the epic eight minute finale of "Looking Glass" which ends amid rhythms accelerating to a noise filled crescendo. A bonus track highlight from the 2001 remaster is the punchy "Knock Me Down". It is astounding how much raw energy and life leaps from the speakers given the perfectionist mentality that went into the making of this album. I never tire of hearing these songs and if you want more there is a great BBC Sessions disc and lots of Youtube live footage (they sound great). Long live the pop perfection of The La's!

"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart" by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (released 2009)

      The debut from this Brooklyn quartet is a delicious slice of dream pop. Ten wonderful tunes featuring warm fuzzy guitars, powerful choruses and winsome vocals that drive this album from the first note to the last. The hard charging beauty of "Come Saturday" is pure ear candy. "Young Adult Friction" employs nice harmonies and a scintillating choppy guitar break. "This Love is F**king Right!" is shoegazing music in the best way, a wash of beautiful rhythm and melody. "Everything With You" mines a similar vein while "Stay Alive" is a pretty ballad placed in the middle of the disc to nice effect. "A Teenager In Love" has an 80s vibe due to the synth sounds and is followed by "Hey Paul" a catchy two minute blast of pop/rock energy. "Gentle Sons" finishes off this musical treasure with a majestic wall of fuzzed out guitar noise. This short but incredibly beautiful focused effort may not break any new musical ground but it is a real pop rush (a top 5 pick for me in 2009) and I look forward to hearing the new "Pains of Being Pure at Heart" disc "Belong" which has just been released.