(July 2020) Episode 273 of the “opus project” is THE DOLLYROTS. Peppy, energetic pop-punk with plenty of hooks and a bubblegum attitude. Wife-and-husband team. I recommend the first two not-yet-overproduced albums.
Favorite album: Because I’m Awesome
Favorite song: Because I’m Awesome
Best cover: Brand New Key
Compared to expectations: same
(June 2020) Episode 268 is SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE. Look up “ground-breaking” in the dictionary and there’s a photo of this band. The music synthesized trends of the late 60s — soul, rock, psychedelic and the San Francisco Sound — into a rocket of sound, with timely social commentary, reinforced by their composition as first fully integrated rock group. But Sly’s most lasting musical contribution may be as one of the Founders of Funk. As with anything, best when funky.
Favorite album: Stand!
Favorite song: Stand!
Best funk song: Loose Booty (just ask the Beastie Boys)
Compared to expectations: same
(June 2020) Episode 267 is SLEATER-KINNEY. If your 90s playlist doesn’t have S-K in it, it sucks. Or your general rock playlist for that matter. They are notable for emerging within the riot grrrl movement with its feminist and social consciousness. But at its core it’s aggressive guitar rock with an aggressive attitude — and isn’t what great rock is all about? Tucker’s high warble can get tedious, but I can overlook it.
Favorite album: Call the Doctor
Favorite song: Entertain
Compared to expectations: same
(June 2020) Episode 266 is HAWKWIND. My interest is their role as a pioneer in space rock. The acidly cosmic albums of the early 70s are good head trips. Their peak featured Lemmy before he founded Motörhead (from the name of a Hawkwind song). But then they became Yet Another British Band That Never Ends, with multiple lineup amid countless recordings over half a century. Their dip into New Wave wasn’t bad, but mostly it’s Dave Brock’s (the only consistent member) shifting efforts to put out spacey material (new age, techno, tepid prog rock).
Favorite album: Hall of the Mountain Grill
Favorite song: Silver Machine
Compared to expectations: ↓
(April 2020) Episode 261 is PORCUPINE TREE. When many others were going back to basics with grunge in the early 90s, these guys were reviving prog rock. Some of the music is enjoyable, especially the heavy metal-tinted later recordings, but the vocals/lyrics tend toward the prog-pretentious which is kind of a turn-off.
Favourite album: Deadwing
Favourite song: Shallow
Compared to expectations: ↓
(April 2020) Episode 260 is LUSCIOUS JACKSON. Their funk, syncopation and semi-rap is a Very 90s sound, but unlike so many others of that decade, it holds up. It is not a surprise they have links to the Beastie Boys. Did you know they made a children’s album?
Favorite album: Fever In Fever Out
Favorite song: Under Your Skin
Compared to expectations: same
(March 2020) Episode 255 is KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD. As I continue prospecting Australian psychedelic bands, I hit the friggin’ gold mine with KG&tLW (out of Melbourne, not Perth, this time). They are My New Favourite Band! Strong prog-rock elements here, so I label their sound “Progadelic” (if no one else has coined the term). Each album has its own personality and offers its own experience: melodic acoustic ballads, psych freak-outs, jazz fusion, thrash metal, microtonal tuning, garage rock, and a sci-fi concept album featuring vomit. Their output is as prolific (15 albums and 2 EPs in less than a decade) as their music is propulsive, which often feels like skydiving after downing a case of Red Bull. Try it!
Favourite album: Nonagon Infinity
Favourite song: Head On/Pill
Possibly a Reincarnation of Olivia Tremor Control: Paper Mâché Dream Balloon
Special sauce: whoever’s on bass guitar
Compared with expectations: ↑↑
(February 2020) Episode 253 of the “opus project” is BUZZCOCKS. WOW! those first three late-70s punk pop albums kick ass! Buzzcocks near the top of my “regret” list: bands I should have been listening to at the time instead of the crap I was listening to. Their later output (90s-10s) is decent but unremarkable guitar-driven rock.
Favourite album: Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Favourite song: No Reply
Special sauce: Pete Shelley’s guitar hooks
Compared to expectations: ↑
(February 2020) Episode 252 is TAME IMPALA. Continuing my tour of psychedelic rock bands from Perth, Australia (yes, it’s a thing). I hit a speed bump with Tame Impala. Not sure why they’re labeled “psychedelic” (especially after retiring their guitars). Merely the overuse of echo? It’s all lush synth-laden pop which is not interesting to me (but gets them arena gigs, I guess). I recommend Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and Pond instead.
Fun fact: I finished this episode on the same day their most recent album was released.
Favourite album: InnerSpeaker
Favourite song: Solitude Is Bliss
Compared to expectations: ↓
(February 2020) Episode 251 of the “opus project” is THE EASYBEATS. This is the best 1960s rock band you’ve probably never heard of (likely because they’re from Australia*). And if you have, you might agree they belong in the same discussion as the Stones, Kinks, Pretty Things and Yardbirds of the same period. Catchy melodies, sweet harmonies, groovy beats, guitar hooks. You might recognize “Friday on My Mind.” Bonus: they recorded albums of all-original materials before most other bands did.
Favourite album: It’s 2 Easy
Favourite song: Sorry
Compared to expectations: ↑
* Guitarist was George Young, elder brother of Angus and Malcolm of AC/DC.
