Category: Pop (Page 111 of 216)

Brandie Frampton: What U See

I’m not the world’s biggest pop country music fan by a long shot, but even I have to admit that 16-year-old Brandie Frampton has a lot going for her on her album What U See. The young artist shows an uncanny command of working a song into a tasty froth without getting into cornball or cliched territory. The gal’s already won some awards for her work, and one listen to this disc will prove why. “Ain’t That Life” is one of the best pop country tunes to come along in years by anyone, period. “I Want You 2” sounds like something that could easily climb the charts with Frampton’s throaty vocals at the fore and her down-home attitude shining through. “Colours” shows off Brandie’s softer side and once again it comes off impeccably, with beautiful production. What Frampton really has here is a true pop and country album, straddling the line easily between both. What’s more, she isn’t doing kiddie fluff or tackling subjects that might be too “adult” for someone her age. This is simply just good stuff through and through. Look out, Miley Cyrus. (DLF Records)

Brandie Frampton MySpace page.

Richard Frankz: The Traveler

Richard Frankz explodes out of your stereo with his good-time honky tonk/blues-country cookin’! It’s true, people. Frankz is a solid songwriter and The Traveler is a fine CD packed with journeyman type songs. “Just Being Me” swings with steady assurance with tight production and rock solid playing by Frankz’ band. “More Each Day” has a smooth kind of ’70s professionalism to it, while the same rings true for “Just Spending Time (With You).” Then there’s the pop side of Frankz, which is best experienced on a track like “I Could Never Fall” that sounds like something Chicago might have done when Terry Kath was still alive. Good stuff, indeed. “Southern Summer Nights” recalls Little River Band as well as Glen Campbell. And on “One Step Forward” Richard Frankz shows off his abilities at melding country and bluegrass with much panache. The Traveler is certainly a rock-solid album that fans of older country stars and just plain good songwriting and performing will like. It’s certainly nice to hear this style of music at this quality being made today. (Richard Frankz Music)

Richard Frankz’ MySpace page.

Timmy Curran: Word of Mouth

Around the turn of the century, the Onion ran a classic article about dolphins growing opposable thumbs and wreaking havoc on the human race – and although no one could have known it at the time, but there really was a plague preparing to descend upon us from the oceans, in the form of surfers turned guitar-strumming pop stars. Okay, so if you want to get technical about it, the plague hasn’t really arrived yet – so far, we’ve really only had to deal with Jack Johnson (and Matt Costa, but he’s a skateboarder, so he doesn’t really count) – but mark our words, it’s on its way. As proof, here’s another one: Timmy Curran, whose strum-diddly-umptious debut, Word of Mouth, is out now. On the granola-pop spectrum, Curran lands closer to Xavier Rudd than Jack Johnson – with a dash of Paul Simon and maybe just a pinch of Astrid Williamson thrown in – which is a very good thing, because it keeps the album from sliding into dullsville. But don’t worry, hacky sack fans – Curran doesn’t get too crazy; these songs still carry enough of a bongo-playing Matthew McConaughey vibe to keep your mellow from harshing. The end result isn’t anything especially memorable, but Curran is a decent enough songwriter and vocalist to quit his day job one of these days. Getting people to accept a grown man named Timmy, on the other hand… (Citsuca 2008)

Timmy Curran MySpace page

Steal This Song: Jem, “On Top of the World”

Ooooh, her music is so dreamy. And she’s not hard on the eyes, either.

The press release for Jem’s upcoming album Down to Earth threatens that it will be a disturbingly eclectic affair, using choirs, banjos, Latin beats and even Cut Chemist doing his thing. Her blog-approved song “On Top of the World,” however, is all about the blissed-out pop. Not that there is anything wrong with that. St. Etienne’s best-of receives near-daily play at Chez Medsker, so this sounds just fine to me. I will reserve judgment on the “funky banjo” track until I hear it, though.


Jem – On Top of the World

Pictures and Sound: Pictures and Sound

Former Blue Merle frontman Lucas Reynolds has always looked cooler on paper (raised in a geodesic dome by a woodworker; spent time as a river guide and cattle rancher before moving on to music) than his music has suggested. For all their off-kilter promise, Blue Merle frequently sounded like nothing so much as Coldplay lite – a damn shame for a Nashville buzz band with a mandolin player and a violinist in the lineup. Now that Blue Merle has bitten the dust, Reynolds has moved on to Pictures and Sound, and adjusted his sound accordingly: this 10-song set sounds like what might happen if Bob Schneider collaborated with Citizen Cope. That’s a good thing, in case you were wondering – although Pictures and Sound lacks the “raw energy” Reynolds claims to have been aiming for, it boasts unobtrusive production and plenty of hooks to go with his butter-soft vocals. Highlights include the instantly memorable “It’s You” and “100 Directions,” as well as “Every War,” which combines remedial peacenik poetry with a wonderfully left-field appearance from Willie Nelson. If you have a significant other who’s been tormenting you with Jack Johnson records, swap ‘em out for this. You won’t be sorry. (Vanguard 2008)

Pictures and Sound MySpace page

« Older posts Newer posts »