Fear the 'fro! In a bizarre case of six degrees of separation, this man's daughter has been romantically linked with the actor / former wrestler The Rock! Wrap your head around that one.The latest round of retro rock caught me by surprise, it was almost as shocking as completing a pass in electric football (how I miss electric football, with the buzzing football field and the players moving in the most random directions possible). Now I try to stay open to new music because it's fun, at the same time nothing satisfies like a straight shot of music done in the style of the late 70's / early 80's for me. And lately there's been some reason to be happy with people from the past bringing back those great days of antenna tv and tennis stars named Borg.
First up is the group Tinted Windows. To be honest, I keep feeling like I should like this band more than I do. They play in old school skinny tie power pop style, like The Knack. An eclectic mix of musicians, Tinted Windows features Cheap Trick's Bun E. Carlos, Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger, Ex-Smashing Pumpkins James Iha and Hanson's (yes, I said "MmmBop" Hanson) Taylor Hanson. The lead single "Kind of a Girl" has that tight poppy sheen that worked wonders for The Cars. Even the video is done like something dug up from 1980. Power poppin' fun.
Second is Ernie and the Automatics, the latest effort from ex-Boston axe man Barry Goudreau. This time, he's roped in ex-Boston drummer Sib Hashian (though I'm sad to say the giant afro is gone), former members of RTZ and the sax player from John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. I got this song from an indie sampler by Paste magazine of all places! I put it on my IPod to check it out and was blown away. It will torque Tom Scholz shorts but where Boston has become increasingly antiseptic in their high tech approach Goudreau brings back the bar band boogie that made the band exciting. This track left me wanting to replay classic Boston songs like "Rock and Roll Band". Awesome awesome stuff.
2 comments:
So why specifically don't you like Tinted Windows more than you do? Is it because the song lacked any depth? It had a good sound though. MmmBop indeed!
I have to disagree with your view of Ernie and the Automatics. Barry Goudreau sounds like he's been drinking too much Southern Comfort. I miss the classic Boston sound, though I can still hear it if I listen super hard- like at the end of the song. What I always loved about Boston was that they weren't part pop, Southern, or anything else. They were just plain rock. I miss just plain rock.... :(
Thanks for reading Bunny, you surprised me at dinner when you mentioned Orion the Hunter and RTZ :)
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