Two for Tuesday, 5/25/10

Leo London-Leo London. Leo London isn't from London (and for all I know, he may not be a Leo) but this Portland, Oregon piano-based singer/songwriter could find a following among fans of artists like Josh Fix and Bryan Scary. "I Don't Know" (video below) is the kind of driving, catchy and manic number that Fix & Scary have become known for, while "Caroline" is a bit less frenzied, but just as tuneful and melodic. Elsewhere, "Ashes and Wax" veers from tender to tough, "Somewhere" is haunting and baroque, "Single" sounds like Kurt Cobain fronting a piano pop band, and "Dial Tone" is right out of the Jellyfish playbook. Closing things out is the ambitious 6-1/2 minute "No Rock N Roll", which sustains its length with a fine melody and a wonderful "ooh ooh ooh" outro that accounts for its last two minutes. An impressive debut.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes



Michael Trent-The Winner. This South Carolina artist is back with the followup to 2007's self-titled debut, which was a Michael Penn/Jon Brion-type affair. But as the Monty Python troupe would say, and now for something completely different. Trent has reinvented himself as a Dylanesque, Bright Eyes-styled singer/songwriter and the results are fine, shambolic fun. The honky tonk of the title track is followed by the R&B circa Atlantic Records 1955-styled call and response of "Tell the Truth". The rowdy "Bad Luck" has a live-in-the-studio Gary U.S. Bonds feel, and the true-crime tale "All or Nuthin'" sounds like it came from a long-lost 60s Western epic. This isn't pop, or power pop, but the enthusiasm in Trent's tunes here is contagious and it's worth a listen.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Lala link (good for the next six days)