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District 97 \u2013 Stay for the Ending<\/i><\/b>\nBy now, most everyone knows the backstory: American Idol<\/i> 2007 semi-finalist Leslie Hunt hooks up with some young Chicago area musical hotshots and fronts their \u2013 wait for it \u2013 prog band. District 97 released its debut album, Hybrid Child<\/i> in 2010. But hey, that was all well over a decade ago; what\u2019s the story in 2024? Happily, the group is still at it, making adventurous and challenging progressive music with Hunt\u2019s strong presence (vocal and otherwise) as its focal point. And the group\u2019s fifth studio album Stay for the Ending<\/i> may be its strongest effort to date. With its trademark hairpin musical tuns and prog-metal arrangements, the band delivers the instrumental goods , and Hunt\u2019s assertive voice soars above \u2013 weaving in and out of \u2013 the material. No word if the album title is hinting at this being their final release; let\u2019s hope not. D97<\/a> makes a strong case for the enduring viability of progressive rock.<\/p>\n
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Jeremy and the Lemon Clocks \u2013 Side by Side<\/i><\/b>
\nI don\u2019t know for certain that Todd Rundgren\u2019s Faithful<\/i> was the first album wherein an artist sought to craft tier own sort-of-clone version of classics from the psychedelic era. But it\u2019s nonetheless an exemplar of that subgenre. And while there have been any others since, the latest from Jeremy Morris is a proud addition to that psych tradition. On the new release\u2019s first disc, he covers the Lemon Pipers, Tommy James and the Shondells, Status Quo and Norman Greenbaum. And in each case you could easily guess what songs he\u2019s tackling. His approach is solid: run through the song more or less in its original form, and then head to the outer limits, extending most tunes well past the ten (or sometimes twenty-) minute mark. It works, giving him the space (heh) to explore the nuances within the melodies. The disc wraps with an original, the Lennonesque \u201cRevolution #7.\u201d The second disc digs deeper into the bygone era, with more compact readings of song by The Pretty Things, The Move, CSNY and the Beatles. It\u2019s all something of a busman\u2019s holiday, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t enjoy the ride. Roll up, roll up!<\/p>\n
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Caleb Nichols \u2013 Let\u2019s Look Back<\/i><\/b>
\nIf, like some listeners, you tune in to the music \u2013 the guitars, the beat, the vocal harmonies \u2013 rather than the lyrics, you might come away from listening to Let\u2019s Look Back<\/i> with one perspective. That POV might place the album in high regard thanks ot its catchy melodies, tight arrangements, expressive vocals and quality indie-rock vibe. If, however, you paid close attention to Nichols\u2019 lyrics, you\u2019d discover an album with songs that explore what it means to be on the receiving end of abuse. Heavy stuff indeed, but when it\u2019s done with conviction and authenticity \u2013 as this most certainly is \u2013 you\u2019d appreciate it and maybe even find yourself a bit awestruck at the display of forthrightness. Either way, time spent with Let\u2019s Look Back<\/i> is rewarding indeed. There are hints of Elliott Smith, albeit a bit harder-rocking, and I detect a whiff of the jangly end of The Cure\u2019s oeuvre. All of which is to say: it\u2019s great.<\/p>\n
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Kimberley Rew & Lee Cave-Berry \u2013 The Krelb<\/i><\/b>
\nReliably creative (and prolific) couple Kimberley Rew and Lee Cave-Berry are back with another winning set. There\u2019s a goo-timing bluesy feel to \u201cOut the Flap,\u201d in which Lee and Kim trade vocal lines while the band chugs along in a low-sling boogie style. \u201cWe Got Married in There\u201d conjures a Johnny and June feel. \u201cIf I Wasn\u2019t Me\u201d is all gentle folk and sweet harmonies. \u201cWoo Hoo\u201d is stripped-down glam rock, name checking some of the greats. \u201cGoldfish Song\u201d is jaunty c&w; \u201cAdam and Eve\u201d feels like the Beatles\u2019 She\u2019s a Woman\u201d with some wonderfully unhinged lead guitar. this duo can \u2013 and does \u2013 do pretty much anything they like, and it all works. The Krelb<\/i> may not be quite as rewarding as witnessing Kim and Lee live onstage at the Cavern<\/a>, but it\u2019s close enough for when that\u2019s not an option.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/shplang.jpg\")
Shplang \u2013 Thank You, Valued Customer<\/i><\/b>
\nIt\u2019s a breath of fresh air to happen upon a nominally power pop act that displays stylistic range and a command of those styles. Shplang is such a group, and on this, their sixth long player, Los Angeles band shines brightly. Core duo John Krause and Peter Marston know their way around a catchy riff, and they construct songs that work those riffs into study tunes with just the right amount of swagger. As one might surmise from the name, Shplang don\u2019t take themselves too seriously (though they could): titles like \u201cBaby Hobo\u201d and \u201cLittle Mushroom Men from Mars\u201d provide clues in that regard. If you can only spare four minutes to decide if you dig \u2018em, I\u2019d point you to the irresistible \u201cUnderstood,\u201d a tune that has (unsurprisingly) been tapped as the lead singe from Thank You, Valued Customer<\/i>. But the whole disc is ace.<\/p>\n