OK, all I know about Cinco De Mayo I immediately forgot after Spanish class in 10th grade. So I don’t really have anything to say about it. But, it does mean that Spring has sprung, and I am loving the warmer weather. And with warm weather comes the search for the perfect summer record. I’m not sure if we have one yet this year, so we might just have to pull Kelly Jones’ SheBANG! back out for now. And while you’re at it, check out these sweet new releases from some old favorites and some brand new bands featuring other old favorites.
Jellybricks – Goodnight to Everyone – *** – Another winner from the Jellybricks. This album definitely seems more polished than previous Jellybricks stuff, and that is great, it makes it clear what good pop songs this band can pop out.
Honeydogs – Sunshine Committee – *** – Love the Honeydogs, and this is another example of why. A great unique sound, that is engaging and fun. Great insightful lyrics, and good messages. Would love to have a full-length, but this is still great.
Outrageous Cherry – Universal Malcontents – ***1/2 – I think a step up for this band, who I’ve never been to sure of. I feel like this album definitely shows the best they can be. Great psychedlic style music, with a great sound, and interesting perspective on the world.
Tinted Windows – Tinted Windows – ***1/2 – A good energetic record from this supergroup featuring Taylor Hanson, Adam Schlesinger, James Iha and Bun E. Carlos. Some really catchy songs like “Kind of A Girl” and “Cha Cha” make it worth the price, but mostly the record doesn’t grab you on first listen, I’m not sure how lasting the impact of the record will be. Time will tell.
Ben Harper & Relentless7 – White Lies For Dark Times – *** – I’ve never been a huge Ben Harper fan. His stuff has been a bit hit or miss. I really liked Diamonds on the Inside, though. So when I heard this new song Shimmer & Shine, I was both shocked and intrigued. It was rockin’ and so I was hoping the rest of the album would be the same, but the song is kind of an anomaly, and the rest of the album doesn’t quite hit the mark. I see he is trying to be harder rocking, but he fails to pull it off most of the time.
