BURN AFTER LISTENING The Riptides (Pirates Press Records) ***
A set of infectious, high energy tunes from these prime movers on the Canadian punk scene. Burn After Listening is full throttle down stroke punk with hooks galore, a la early Green Day. The themes here are prototypical nihilistic punk fare of course but given the times we find ourselves in, it feels like they’re hitting the right notes.
Bassist and primary songwriter Bob Goblin sums up the band well when he says “We’ve always loved fast, aggressive songs, but never shied away from the poppier side of things” he notes. “Boring records put me to sleep, so we make sure every song keeps you on your toes.” Having grown up on 70’s classic rock I’m not usually much into punk, but Burn After Listening is catchy and muscular. It’s maybe a bit repetitive as this sort of music usually is, but here we have 15 tracks with simple and direct melodies that stick to you like flypaper.
The Riptides, hailing from Ottawa, have been on the scene for over 25 years and have been winning over fans with energetic live shows and raw spirit. Comparisons to Green Day are inevitable as both bands have figured out how to walk the line between melody and 2 or 3 chord aggression, so it’s fair to say if you’re into one you’ll enjoy the other. Burn After Listening includes guest appearances by members of Teenage Bottlerocket, The All-American Rejects, Screeching Weasel, The Queers, The Apes and Lone Wolf, with the end result being fast and furious yet melodic. I could do without the swearing but hey, I’m an old man.
Burn After Reading isn’t the type of disc you put on to do some deep thinking despite the relevant issues the songs address; this is the type of music needed to stand up and fight.
https://theriptides.bandcamp.com/
HOT TRACKS: We Came To Destroy, Bad Habit, Lie To Me
SONGS FROM THE WAREHOUSE: HITS REWIRED Russ Ballard (Frontiers) *** ¾
Whether you realize it or not, you’ve heard this guy’s music. Songs From The Warehouse is a double disc release from the onetime member of Argent… a disc of new songs to show that Russ Ballard’s songwriting gift is still intact, plus a disc of brand new recordings of hits either penned or performed by him over the years. This is rock & roll with pop smarts.
“What started as my ‘lockdown tapes’ during the pandemic became an album” Russ says of Warehouse. “During lockdown my studio was a lifesaver for me, and I found new ways of writing and recording.” It’s nice to see Ballard grabbing a moment in the sun for himself here, given how many other artists have had hits with songs he wrote; Since You’ve Been Gone (Rainbow), God Gave Rock & Roll To You (Argent, Kiss), So You Win Again (Hot Chocolate), New York Groove (Ace Frehley), You Can Do Magic (America) Winning (Santana), and the list goes on. Russ has recorded new versions of all the songs just mentioned for the 2nd disc here. In the 70’s and 80’s in particular, if you needed a great song Russ was your go-to guy.
Russ Ballard’s career started at 14 when he wrote a song that was recorded by The Shadows for their The Sound Of The Shadows in 1964, and he’s never really looked back. You couldn’t get away from his tunes on the radio in the 70’s and 80’s as the list in the last paragraph shows. When all 4 members of Kiss released solo album in 1978, Ace Frehley’s version of New York Groove was the only hit single of the bunch. The music business has changed drastically since those days, but disc 1 of Warehouse shows us that Russ Ballard still has a serious gift, while the newly recorded versions of monster hits on disc 2 remind us of where he comes from. This is my first deep encounter with his music and I’m really enjoying it.
HOT TRACKS: Resurrection, God Gave Rock & Roll To You, New York Groove, The One Who Breathes Me
THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FUNKY Tim Gartland (Taste Good Music) ****+
Gartland has had a long career and played with some of the blues greats. The Right Amount Of Funky, his new solo album, blends blues, soul , reggae and roots rock in a beguiling and hypnotic blend with that deep, almost Sam Elliot voice. It’s easygoing magic.
In explaining the appeal of the blues Gartland says it is “essentially a genre in which the singer is having a cathartic experience. If you write about themes that are meaningful to your experience, you will create something new.” That much is apparent on songs like Waste A Worry, about a guy that lost his job and his woman at the same time; Don’t waste a worry on me, I’ll be my old self eventually he sings. The emotional centerpiece of the record has to be the title track, with lines like what’s funky enough is up to you to see/ what’s funky for you might not work for me. It’s a great song on a disc full of them, and something to remember when you’re tempted to look down your nose at someone whose musical taste or lifestyle choices differ from your own.
The Right Amount Of Funky was produced by Gartland and the Nashville studio owner Andy Peake. Backing up Tim this time around are Jack Bruno (Joe Cocker, Tina Turner) on drums, Mike Joyce (Delbert McClinton) on bass, Robert Frahm on electric guitar, Nalani Rothrock on backup vocals, Andy Peake on percussion and bg vocals, Dennis Drummond on acoustic guitar and bg vocals, and Jolie Grace on backing vocals…. It’s a very soulful mix.
The Right Amount Of Funky is a delicious album that grows on you with each spin… an experience to cherish. Love the attitude, themes and the music itself. Yep- this is a good one.
HOT TRACKS: The Right Amount Of Funky, Waste A Worry, If This Ain’t Heaven
HIGH SPIRITS The Barlow (E-Squared Records) ****
More indie country magic here from Colorado’s The Barlow. High Spirits follows 2022’s New Year, Old Me with a batch of inspired yet subtle genre-blurring numbers. Not quite as much twang here as the first record but no less vital and inspiring.
“We tossed the rule book out on this record” says guitarist/ singer Shea Boynton. “Our goal was to create great songs regardless of genre. This time around we made a point to be more open to different sounds and approaches.” High Spirits is to my ears a country record, and as I noted when reviewing 2022’s New Year, Old Me , this is still more country than what we hear coming out of the incestuous Nashville scene, where the music is more pop and rock than country. This feels like Blue Rodeo- there’s an honestly of feeling and a roll-up-yer-sleeves vibe that I like.
The melodies here are lively and quite catchy, Boynton’s voice is wonderfully expressive and the harmony vocals are tight and land real easy on the ear. Whether or not High Spirits is perceived as fashionable is beside the point. “We’re always working to be better songwriters, better performers and better musicians” Boynton notes. “We’ve learned that trying to chase ‘cool’ is pointless… by the time you get there, it’s gone. We unapologetically do things our way. We poured ourselves into these songs and we hope people connect with them.”
Starting January they released 3 singles ahead of the album- the title track, It Ain’t Mine. Roping The Wind- to give listeners a taste of what to expect, and now that the record is here I have to say I’m impressed with their attitude, musicianship and spirit. I don’t consider myself a country guy but I’m enjoying the purity of their approach and the Americana feel overall. Nestled between southern rock and traditional country, The Barlow has another winner here.
HOT TRACKS: Roping The Wind, High Spirits, Clean
