Friday Roundup.

Gregg Swann-Turn to Stars. As I noted upon his passing from colon cancer in early 2011, not only was Gregg Swann an outstanding power part artist (his 2006 release placed at #11 on my initial year-end list) but he was a gentleman as well in his dealings with me when it came to reviewing his disc. After hearing of his death, I thought we'd never hear new material from him again, but thanks to demo recordings he made in his last year or two along with newly-recorded backing tracks from his band who funded the process through a Kickstarter campaign, we have a new Gregg Swann album. And although it's a bit short and a bit uneven as posthumous albums of this type are, it's still a fitting sendoff and a damn fine record. "Rain Dance" opens on a staccato guitar riff similar to Green Day's "Brain Stew" and starts off the disc in melodic rocking fashion while the midtempo "Stereo Down" recalls the excellent "The Truth Hurts' from his previous album. Elsewhere, "LA, CA" is a fittingly mellow number about Los Angeles that sports a memorable chorus, "Idlewild" features a haunting, slow-burning melody and "Today" makes a fitting epitaph as it sends the album off with a buoyant power pop tune. RIP Gregg.

CD Baby | iTunes

David Brookings-The Maze. After four years largely away from music (along with a move from Memphis to the San Francisco bay area), David Brookings has returned with sixth album and first since 2009's Glass Half Full. The latest features more of his easygoing melodic style, and takes a more personal look at life. The jangly "If I Didn't Make it Back" starts things off in classic Brookings mode and makes us glad he made it back, while the Beatlesque and ornate "Cora" (which even name-drops Gene Simmons) follows as the disc's real standout. The autobiographical "No Regrets" is another highlight, as Brookings looks back on key moments of his life, and while "The Dream is Over" seems like a title for a dirge or an elegy it's instead a rollicking number that shows off Brookings' guitar playing and melodic skill. "Heroin Donna" is another catchy Beatlesque track, and "I've Got No Game Now" is a lovely ballad about the fear of having to date again. It's great to have Brookings back.

CD Baby | iTunes / Stream at official site

RIP Gregg Swann.

It's with great sadness I found out that Gregg Swann passed away last week after a four-year bout with colon cancer. A NYC musician, Gregg had my #11 album of 2006, the excellent Everybody's Got to Be Somewhere. I reviewed his album in the infancy of this site, and I remember how nice he was in corresponding with me, even sending along an extra autographed copy of the disc. We'll miss ya, Gregg.

CD of the Day, 5/15/06: Gregg Swann-Everybody's Got to Be Somewhere

This one took me by surprise. Found it on one of my CD Baby listening marathons, and it stood out like a shiny diamond ring on a pile of garbage. (OK, maybe that's a bit too harsh a comparison for the other stuff, but the magnitude of contrast was definitely there). Swann's disc is vintage power pop, equal parts melody and crunch. Vocally, he sounds a lot like Mitch Linker (the ex-Day Trader who put out a fine solo album last year and has a new EP out), and also reminds me quite a bit of Ed James as well as the non-Sloan Chris Murphy I featured last month.

Swann wastes no time getting down to business with the rocking "Darkness Is Cheap", a two-minute blast featuring a great guitar riff that'll stick in your head. Next up is the apparent single, "Easier Said Than Done", power popcraft of the highest order; "I Remember When" follows with more of the same, complete with a Merseybeat guitar middle. The tempo drops a bit with "Let Me Get This Straight", but the quality doesn't, and things pick up again with "Hollywood". There really isn't a subpar track among the remaining five either, including closer "The Truth Hurts", an outstanding midtempo number. Don't be surprised to see this disc in my top 10 come the June 1st update.

The only negative here is the relative lack of samples to be had. He apparently has no myspace page, and his site is pretty bare bones. You can stream "Easier Said Than Done" from there, but that's about it. You'll just have to get into it the way I did, off the 2-minute CD Baby samples which should be all you'll need, and where you can wisely spend $10 to buy it.