Some quick hitters on this Independence Day (ironically they're mostly Britpop):
Michael Collins-Last Laugh. He hails from NYC, but Collins sounds like he's from London with this album of bouyant Britpop, and "What Does it Take to Walk Away?" might be the catchiest, most joyous song I've heard this year. Definitely summer-appropriate. iTunes
Chris Cole & The Circus-Still Rolling With the Times. Speaking of Britpop, here's Britpop from an actual Brit. Cole's sound here belongs in a mix with the latest Noel Gallagher album, and highlights include the anthemic "To Find Peace in This Place", the fine "Got to Let Her Go" and the title track which recalls Oasis' epic "All Around the World" if it hadn't been stretched out to seven minutes. CD Baby
Gordon Weiss-It's About Time. After a 7-year absence (perhaps referenced in the album title), Gordon Weiss is back with the followup to Sum of its Parts, another collection of sophisticated, intelligent pop in the vein of Elvis Costello and Wilco. The standout tracks here are "The Ugly Inside", the theatrical "The Great Imitator" and the rocking "Thanks I Get". Bandcamp
Zach Vinson-How We Spend Our Days EP. Nashvillian Zach Vinson's sound is high energy piano pop in the vein of Bens Folds and Kweller, while vocally he resembles fun's Nate Ruess but without that Ruess's bombast. Or in other words, it's very reminiscent of Ruess's old band, The Format, especially on tracks like "You're the One", "Home" and "Something About the Way". iTunes
Last week we had The Rip Off Artists' Esque, and this week in the so-meta-it-hurts category, I bring you Gordon Weiss' debut album, Sum of Its Parts. Like The Rip Offs, Weiss proves he isn't shy about wearing his influences on his sleeve by virtue of the album title, and with tracks titled "Fountains of Weezer" and "Red Shoes Revisited", the subtext truly becomes the text.
The first line Weiss sings on this disc is "I know you've heard this all before" from "Fountains of Weezer" and that comes after the Cars-like guitar riff heard throughout "Stacy's Mom". So yes, "Fountains of Weezer" lives up to its title. That still doesn't mean it isn't a catchy rocker. "Too Much" follows, a "Tumbling Dice"-style rocker that lets Weiss pay homage to The Stones, while "It's Easy" is a fine, laid-back West Coast-influenced number. Meanwhile, "Red Shoes Revisited" is a worthy sequel to the Elvis Costello original as Weiss captures the Attractions' late 70s sound, and "Unforgivable" is quality jangle pop. Elsewhere, "Hook, Line and Singer" (apart from its punny title) channels the first Marshall Crenshaw disc with its catchy melodies and slight rockabilly feel and the piano-and-strings-based "Match Point" proves Weiss knows his way around a ballad.
This is a debut that's both tuneful and confident (in a genre where "derivative" is the main complaint leveled at it by non-fans, Weiss essentially says here "I'm derivative and proud of it!") and power poppers should be all over this one.
Michael Collins-Last Laugh. He hails from NYC, but Collins sounds like he's from London with this album of bouyant Britpop, and "What Does it Take to Walk Away?" might be the catchiest, most joyous song I've heard this year. Definitely summer-appropriate. iTunes
Chris Cole & The Circus-Still Rolling With the Times. Speaking of Britpop, here's Britpop from an actual Brit. Cole's sound here belongs in a mix with the latest Noel Gallagher album, and highlights include the anthemic "To Find Peace in This Place", the fine "Got to Let Her Go" and the title track which recalls Oasis' epic "All Around the World" if it hadn't been stretched out to seven minutes. CD Baby
Gordon Weiss-It's About Time. After a 7-year absence (perhaps referenced in the album title), Gordon Weiss is back with the followup to Sum of its Parts, another collection of sophisticated, intelligent pop in the vein of Elvis Costello and Wilco. The standout tracks here are "The Ugly Inside", the theatrical "The Great Imitator" and the rocking "Thanks I Get". Bandcamp
Zach Vinson-How We Spend Our Days EP. Nashvillian Zach Vinson's sound is high energy piano pop in the vein of Bens Folds and Kweller, while vocally he resembles fun's Nate Ruess but without that Ruess's bombast. Or in other words, it's very reminiscent of Ruess's old band, The Format, especially on tracks like "You're the One", "Home" and "Something About the Way". iTunes
