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02 Feb 2015

Highly Recommended New Releases By Baby Scream And The Crush

Baby Scream, Fan, Fan, Fan

Baby Scream, Fan Fan Fan: The prolific Juan Pablo Mazzola welcomed the new year by dropping 39 new tracks over three LPs — a proper long-player of 12 new tracks, and a gonzo 27 track collection of assorted odds and ends, medleys, radio theme songs and covers.

The proper long-player, Fan Fan Fan, finds Mazzola in great form — disgusted, bemused, sarcastic, wrenched in self-doubt, spitting out the occasional profanity, and seemingly not caring a bit whether you like him or not. Never mind, of course, since you’ll be singing along quite happily as Mazzola peppers his cynicism with pretty melodies and non-stop head-boppin’ hooks.

All of this is immediately apparent. The lead track is a pounding piece of rockin’ pop called “Everybody Sucks.” It says its peace in a whopping minute-thirty-four after kissing off the world and closing with the words “my life’s a joke.” This is followed, most naturally, by “Back To Douche,” a slow, skull-pounding bit of regret about life’s wrong roads taken, living the shallow life and ultimately embracing mediocrity with gusto. The “Loner” is exactly as advertised (he’s also a “loser, for good measure) and Mazzola uses the platform to rock real hard. We learn later that “Politicians r Bullies,” perhaps, in part, because they “have never been kissed” and because “nobody is trying to be their friend.”

In less deft hands, this approach would wear thin rather quickly. But Mazzola knows his way around an instrument or five, spikes the negativity repeatedly with wit, and genre hops with considerable ease.  “Haters Will Hate” thus processes that well-worn phrase through a swaying neo-psychedelic gauze and nice piano melody:

A bit later, the acoustic “I Don’t Wanna Wake Up From This Dream” mines similar sonic territory and attests to the power of well-executed simplicity:

Fan, Fan, Fan is the probably the most fun you will have getting pissed off all year. You can get it right here. You can get 27 track compilation, lovingly titled The Worst Of, right here. While you’re at it, check out a prior compilation, quite charmingly called Greatest Failures.

The Crush, Someone For YouThe Crush, Someone For You: This Seattle-based three-piece captured the second spot on my list of the Best EPs of 2014. So word of their latest EP, Someone For You, was greeted with high hopes, and it doesn’t disappoint.  delivers five hook-filled tracks of rockin’ pop in a similar vein as 2014’s Future Blimps. This is pretty basic stuff, with chiming, scratching, occasionally jangling guitars, pounding percussion and Kira Wilson’s confident, knowing, almost mischievous, vocals.

The title track kicks off the festivities with a riff that burrows its way relentlessly into consciousness until it gives way to a chorus that does the same. “Don’t Mind The Sunshine” jangles with the best of them, and morphs from time-to-time into stomping garage rock:

“Stomping” best describes the next two tracks — “Question” and “Your Regret” — both of which will have you boppin’ along happily from beginning to end. The closing track, “Disco Puke,” channels late-70s punk rock so effectively that you could have sworn you heard it blasting over a rickety PA back in the day.

Someone For You is guaranteed a spot on my 2015 “best of” list. Its that good. Get it, now, right here.

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18 Jan 2015
3 Comments

What’s New At Pop That Goes Crunch Radio

Record Player

Lots of new music has been added at Pop That Goes Crunch radio in recent weeks. Here’s a run down of some finer pieces of new melodic pop blasting over the airwaves 24/7 for your listening pleasure.

Jonathan Rundman, Look Up: Rundman’s long-player, released last week, is equal parts rockin’ pop and acoustic folk. The brightly colored uptempo tracks are foot-tapping, sing-along exercises driven by Rundman’s fine sense of melody. “The Science Of Rockets” gets my nod for best in class:

Gretchen’s Wheel, Fragile State: Nashville-based artist Lindsay Murray got the attention of Ken Stringfellow with her cover of a Posies track. She snagged Stringfellow to produce her debut long-player released under a moniker that pays homage to a classic Schubert song. Fragile State is at once assured and, well, quite fragile, with its atmospheric production enhancing the spaces in Murray’s compelling compositions. There is a whole lot going on here, with elements of jazz, Americana, and a dashes of electronics here and there, each complimenting Murray’s gorgeous vocals:

Mothboxer, We’re All Out Of Our Minds: Mothboxer made the Top 10 on my lists of the best albums and best songs of 2014, so word of three new songs by the band — the other track also appears on the Sand The Rain long-player — was a big deal hereabouts. And they do not disappoint, delivering yet another stellar collection of 60’s-based pop with psych undertones that never sounds anything other than thoroughly contemporary. The entire EP, along with oodles of other tracks by the band, will be spinning in regular rotation for quite some time:

The next three long-players came out a bit too late in 2014 for adequate consideration on my “Best Of” list, but each were worthy competitors and are nevertheless in the mix for 2015.

The Hangabouts, Illustrated Bird: Peaceful easy feelings abound on this collection of thirteen slices of flawlessly executed melodic pop that will soothe the savage soul, or at least tame the savage commute. If Illustrated Bird feels unassuming and breezy on its first listen, hit the repeat button and take notice of the thoughtful, often clever, songwriting and sharp playing that runs throughout the album from start to finish. Oh, and try to get this one out of your head:

The Yorktown Lads, Songs About Girls And Other Disasters: What to make of an album sporting a song called “Cool Shoes, Bro”? How about that it is so much fun that you’ll find yourself bopping along happily to three-minutes of self-doubt called “Sick Of Me”? Or that you’ll wish you could find yourself flummoxed by the kind of writer’s block that results in the creation of a song as unrelentingly catchy as “Something To Write About”:

If the long-player doesn’t serve up quite enough fun with melody, also check out the four songs on the Lads’ recently released $200 EP. This one — about a busy and undoubtedly multi-tasking record label owner/jewelry maker/law school employee — will rattle around your head for quite some time, as well:

The Sharp Things, Adventurer’s Inn: This marks the third studio release by these Brooklyn-based purveyors of fine symphonic pop in less than two years. The elements that made the prior two long-players so compelling are present here in big servings, as well — soaring string arrangements, sophisticated, ornate 60’s pop stylings, Perry Serpa’s soulful lead vocals, perfect time-keeping by the late Steven Gonzalez, and big group harmonies. Put the three releases — Green Is Good and The Truth Is Like The Sun being the other two — into one big playlist, press play and drink in a singular musical achievement created over a short time period:

So, that’s just a peek at some of the fine new music spinning in regular rotation at Pop That Goes Crunch radio. Tune in frequently. You may hear you next favorite song.

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03 Jan 2015
3 Comments

Top 10 EPs Of 2014

EPs

I struggled with whether I should rank the best ten EPs of the year, or simply list them in alphabetical order. EPs serve a lot of different purpose. Some of almost complete albums. Some are previews of albums to come. Sometimes the artist only has the time, money or material to release three, four or five songs at a time.

Ultimately, though, I decided it would be best to rank the ten best EPs in terms of overall quality, no matter the intended purpose.

Cliff Hillis grabbed the top slot on my Top 30 songs list with his track “Dashboard.” The platter where that song appears, Song Machine, is also my top EP of the year. In my original review from August, I said:

Each of the songs is intricately drawn, and Hillis has a keen ability to add touches of drama, detail and personal observation to his compositions. Clever phrasing abounds on Song Machine, but Hillis is also able to take a step back and apply restraint and a light touch when necessary.

You can read that review here.

The EPs occupying the remainder of my list are quite varied, ranging from the aptly-titled New Trocaderos record to the much quieter and contemplative works of Andy Klingensmith and Donny Brown. Muscle Souls check in with a wonderful collection of Northern Soul-tinged rockin’ pop, with horns! Make sure to listen to the acoustic versions of the five originals, particularly the title track (which made my top songs list), to get an even better sense of their keen melodic abilities. The Crush, at Number 2, serve up relentless pounding and catchy Power Pop. The Persian Leaps, at Number 3, deliver five tasty helpings of hook-filled noise pop. The first side of an upcoming double long-player by The Foreign Films, as Number 9, has some subtle psychedelic underpinnings. 

Click on the links to listen, purchase and support the artists.

1.  Cliff Hillis, Song Machine. (Purchase)

2.  The Crush, Future Blimps

3.  The Persian Leaps, Drive Drive Delay

4.  Muscle Souls, Mark On The World

5.  The New Trocaderos, Kick Your Ass

6.  Greg Ieronimo, Bipolar Love

7.  Andy Klingensmith, Bright Again

8.  Donny Brown, Hess Street

9.  The Foreign Films, Record Collector

10. Brandon Schott, Verdugo Park

 

 

 

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01 Jan 2015
3 Comments

Top 20 Albums Of 2014

The Legal MattersI heard a whole lot of albums over the past twelve months. The following is my attempt to distill it all down to the very best of the year.

There is substantial overlap between the artists on this list, and the artists on my Top 30 songs list, which you can find here. That is to be expected. The best songs of the year typically are not “one-offs.” Most appeared on albums to which I found myself returning many times during the year.

The Legal Matters’ self-titled “debut” grabs the top spot on my list. Its combination of incisive songwriting, beautiful production, memorable melodies and the best vocals of the year (particularly, of course, those sublime harmonies) propelled it to the top of the class. My original review can be found here. Aerial’s Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak At School? came in at a close second with its clever and sometimes witty writing, and its brilliant melding of classic Power Pop and West Coast Pop sensibilities. My original review can be found here.

Each of these long-players on my list deserve a spot in any serious music collection. They fall squarely in the “indie pop” realm, but are nevertheless varied in approach and intent. The list includes the driving and fast-paced rocking pop of The Sugar Stems, the exquisitely crafted and personal melodic pop from Dave Caruso, the classic jangle pop of The Britannicas and The Carousels, the bright and shiny updated Power Pop of Ransom and the Subset and The Jellybricks, a walk through the Nuggets compilation with The Above, some early-80s-styled melodic rock from Edward O’Connell, and the quiet, almost chamber pop of Fauna Flora, among its mix.

Click on the links to listen and purchase — which you should. Quite happily.

1.  The Legal Matters — The Legal Matters

2.  Aerial — Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak At School?

3.  phonograph — phonograph Vol. 1

4.  Linus Of Hollywood — Something Good

5.  The Paul & John — Inner Sunset

6.  Dave Caruso — Cardboard Vegas Roundabout

7.  Mothboxer — Sand And The Rain

8.  Dropkick — Homeward

9.  Ransom and the Subset — No Time To Lose

10. The Britannicas — High Tea

11. The Well Wishers — A Shattering Sky

12. Edward O’Connell — Vanishing Act

13. The Carousels — Love Changes Like The Seasons

14. The Above — Waterbury Street

15. The New Mendicants — Into The Lime

16. Rick Hromadka — Trippin’ Dinosaurs

17. Sugar Stems — Only Come Out At Night

18. The Jellybricks — Youngstown Tune-Up

19. Joe Sullivan — Schlock Star

20. Fauna Flora — Fauna Flora

You can here tracks from these great albums, and many others, at the streaming Pop That Goes Crunch radio station, which you can reach right here.

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30 Dec 2014
8 Comments

Top 30 Songs Of 2014

Song MachineFor this year, I expanded my list of the best songs of the year to 30. I heard upwards of 2,000 songs released this year. Consequently, the 30 that made my list are truly the best of the best.

Following the list, is an embed of a podcast where I “count down” the Top 30, and add some commentary. Complete versions of each song can be heard in the countdown. Last year’s Top 20 can be found here.

This list is biased heavily toward songs released in the first ten months of the year. That does not mean that songs released since October are not worthy of being listed. Those songs, however, did not have sufficient time to percolate so that they could be assessed adequately against songs that I have been on my listening devices for many months. They will be eligible for inclusion in next year’s list.

I also decided not to include any covers or live versions of songs. Instead, the focus is on original music released over the past twelve months. Well, one track (“The Kids”) was released in the waning days of 2013, but is much more of a “2014 song” than a song of the prior year.

As always, it is difficult to make fine line distinctions between great songs, and your mileage may, of course, vary. Mine could also vary over time, but this is how I see it at the end of 2014.

1.  Cliff Hillis, “Dashboard” (Song Machine EP)

2.  Linus Of Hollywood, “Biography” (Something Good)

3.  The Legal Matters, “The Legend Of Walter Wright” (S/T)

4.  phonograph, “Don’t You Bring Me Down” (phonograph Vol. 1)

5.  The Paul & John, “Long Way Back” (Inner Sunset)

6.  Aerial, “Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak At School” (Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak At School)

7.  Dave Caruso, “The Art Of Erica” (Cardboard Vegas Roundabout)

8.  Nick Piunti, “Quicksand” (single)

9.  The Hazey Janes, “(I’m) Telescoping” (The Language Of Faint Theory)

10. Mothboxer, “In The Morning” (Sand And The Rain)

11. Dropkick, “Halfway Round Again” (Homeward)

12. Ransom and the Subset, “When Will I See You” (No Time To Lose)

13. The New Mendicants, “Cruel Annette” (Into The Lime)

14. The Carousels, “My Beating Heart” (Love Changes Like The Seasons)

15. The New Trocaderos, “The Kids” (single)

16. The Crush, “Around” (Future Blimps EP)

17. The Well Wishers, “I Believe” (A Shattering Sky)

18. The Persian Leaps, “Pretty Boy” (Drive Drive Delay EP)

19. The Above, “Do Your Have A Healthy Mind” (Waterbury Street)

20. Edward O’Connell, “The End Of The Line” (Vanishing Act)

21. Propeller, “You Remind Me Of You” (single)

22. Chris Richard & The Subtractions, “Call Me Out” (Decayed)

23. Greg Ieronimo, “Roller Coaster Ride” (Bipolar Love)

24. The Person & The People, “Vitamin C” (What A Drag)

25. The Bon Mots, “Gallahad” (Best Revenge)

26. Sugar Stems, “Haunted” (Only Come Out At Night)

27. Muscle Souls, “Mark On The World” (Mark On The World EP)

28. Rick Hromadka, “Dreams Of A Hippy Summer” (Trippin’ Dinosaurs)

29. The Britannicas, “Got A Hold On Me” (High Tea)

30. Gen Pop, “Warm Sun” (Waiting For Disaster)

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12 Nov 2014

The Big Show #11: Twenty-Two Rockin’ Pop Songs For Your Listening Pleasure

Retro RadioThe eleventh edition of The Big Show spins twenty-two rockin’ pop songs for your listening pleasure.

It features recently released music by Nick Piunti, Dave Caruso, The Persian Leaps, Lisa Mychols 3, Jet Black Sunrise and Rick Hrmodka, as well as an archival, previously un-released track by Spinning Jennies.

Perennial favorites The Grip Weeds check in with a cover of The Byrds’ “She Don’t Care About Time.” This is followed by a set of neo-60’s tracks by the Boston-based band The Forz, The Kaisers, as well as “The Wonders” doing the theme song from the film That Thing You Do.

Rounding it all out is Guided By Voices doing “Surgical Focus,” The Grapes Of Wrath doing “Isn’t There” and a classic piece of West Coast Pop by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Of course.

There is, quite naturally, much, much more. The complete track list appears after the embed

So, give it a spin, and check out the main mix at Pop That Goes Crunch radio, streaming 24/7.

Tracklist:

1.  Nick Piunti, “Time Machine”

2.  The Grapes Of Wrath, “Isn’t There”

3.  The Grip Weeds, “She Don’t Care About Time”

4.  The Forz, “What Can I Say”

5.  The Wonders, “That Thing You Do”

6.  The Kaisers, “Shake Me”

7.  Dave Caruso, “Your Fake Friends”

8.  John McMullan, “You Are Dreaming”

9.  The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, “If You Want This Love”

10. The Persian Leaps, “(Goodbye To) South Carolina”

11. Guided By Voices, “Surgical Focus”

12. Mothboxer, “Sunrise”

13. The American Professionals, “Other People”

14. The Marvelous Beauhunks, “Top Of The World”

15. Baby Scream, “Unicorns”

16. Lisa Mychols 3, “Ready For Action”

17. Spinning Jennies, “I Before E”

18. Jet Black Sunrise, “Granite”

19. Roto’s Magic Act, “Happier Than Ever”

20. Rick Hromodka, “It’s All In Your Head”

21. Zeus Henderson, “In Black And White”

22. Who Hit John, “Winslow Winston”

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20 Oct 2014
1 Comment

Three More EPs Worthy Of Your Cash

Here’s another run-down on three EPs that are worthy of your hard-earned cash.

New TrocaderosThe New Trocaderos, Kick Your Ass: The New Trocaderos are a mini-Supergroup consisting of Brad Marino and Geoff Palmer of The Connection and Kurt Baker, perennial favorites of this site. My review of the band’s double-sided single released in late-2013 can be found here. They’ve returned with three new songs co-written by pal Michael Chaney. True to its title, this one gives you a swift and powerful kick to the backside, or rather several swift and powerful kicks to the backside.

Baker gets the festivities started with “Real Gone Kitty,” and takes you back to the days when Jerry Lee Lewis was boppin’ at the high school hop and Joey Dee was doin’ the Peppermint Twist. The guitars scream like banshees on this one, and the piano keys fly by at a mile a minute thanks some nifty vintage playing by Kris “Fingers” Rodgers. You won’t be able to sit still while this one is on. In fact, you quite likely will need to take a breather and get some water after working your way through this two-minute-and-change romp:

 

Palmer takes over lead vox on “Dream Girl,” which you will swear was a big hit back in the summer of ’65 with its pretty jangling guitars and equally gorgeous harmonizing. Personal experience says it will be ringing around in your head the moment you wake up in the morning:

 

Marino grabs lead vocals on “Brain Gone Dead,” the most “modern” of the three songs with its Ramones-like vibe straight out of 1976. This one is quite a  bopper. It runs a whole minute-and-a-half, and sports lyrics like “Take ten reds/Quart of gin/Notify/Next of kin.” It’s Jim Carroll’s “People Who Died,” stripped to its essence:

 

Get Kick Your Ass.

Now.

Right here.

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Jennie VeeJennie Vee, Die Alone: Vee puts a contemporary sheen onto late-80s/early-90s indie pop from her apartment in New York. She describes her sound on her Bandcamp page as including “pop punk,” “post-punk revival” and “shogaze.”

All of that is quite apparent from the ringing opening guitar riffs of the title track of her five-song EP. It will transport you to an underground dance club sometime in the 1980s. The next track, “Wicked,” cuts the gloom with a nice, almost sing-a-long chorus:

“Say Goodbye” is updated noise pop. The closer, “Gone Away,” is a kiss off to the definitive jerk that will have you unconsciously tapping your feet to its syncopated vibe.

Die Alone is a promising debut. Hopefully, Vee has more in the pipeline. You can get Die Alone right here.

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Soft Peaks

Soft Peaks, Altocumular: Soft Peaks is a Baltimore-based band that skillfully dishes out traditional, no-frills guitar-based Power Pop on its second five-track EP of 2014.

Bright and shiny guitar riffs open “All The Way,” and set the tone for what follows.  “Everybody Wants Her” is an unassuming bit of guitar pop with the best hooks on the collection:

The band also can also rock harder, as displayed on “Winemakr” (spelled correctly) and the noisy and stomping closing track, “New Mean::

The two Soft Peaks EPs released in 2014 make for quite a nice longplayer of basic, enjoyable Powerpop. Sometimes that’s the best tonic after a tough day in the jungle. You can get Altocumular right here.

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17 Oct 2014
1 Comment

Aerial And Edward O’Connell Release Two Of The Best Longplayers Of 2014

I have the pleasure today of reviewing two of the finest longplayers of 2014.

AerialAerial, Why Don’t The Teach Heartbreak At School: Aerial is a three-piece band from Scotland that produces authentic West Coast Pop of great variety, stunning quality, occasional clever wit and consistently gorgeous harmonies. Although the band last released an album in 2002, the long delay has hardly diminished its skills.

The festivities begin with “Cartoon Eyes, Cartoon Heart,” which adds a bit of fuzz to the basic pounding pop approach. The title track is a sing-along, clap-along, bop-along slice of teenage heartbreak and regret. “Japanese Dancer” inserts some call-and-response into a paean to the girl of the title who dances on the street clad in kung fu slippers while brandishing a plastic whistle. “Great Teenager” imagines how great teenage life could really and truly be —  if the teenager was actually in his late-20s.

Those are each rockin’ pop songs. Aerial, however, also delivers the goods rather nicely on the more introspective tracks.

“Dear Anna” amps up the harmonizing alongside its basic plea seeking a second chance to explain. “Where Are You” slowly builds tension for a minute-and-a-half before becoming a full-fledged rocker, and back again. The collection closes with “Wave Goodbye To Scotland,” a relatively quiet track about how the love for a person can trump the love for a place.

Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak At School is a shoo-in for my year-end “best of” list. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a long and otherwise boring commute to and from work. Buy it from Kool Kat Musik — right here — and also get a previously unreleased CD of 4 demo tracks.

Check out the band doing an acoustic version of the title track right here:

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Edward O'ConnellEdward, O’Connell, Vanishing Act: O’Connell creates smart, unaffected guitar-based rock that sounds instantly familiar upon its initial listen. His recently released long-player, Vanishing Act, has a timeless quality to it, as it if could have been released in 1969, 1979, 1989 — well, you get the point. Although nothing on Vanishing Act advances the march of western civilization, O’Connell nevertheless delivers twelve expertly crafted pop tunes that make perfect use of the occasional string, keyboard, horn or pedal steel to add texture and a full, rich sound to the basic guitar-bass-drums approach.

The opening track, the country-tinged “My Dumb Luck,” sets the tone for everything that follows — O’Connell’s strong lead vocals alternating with plush harmonies amid a hook that will stay with you for hours. “Every Precious Day” took me back to the days of driving around college in a 1981 Honda listening to the local alternative rock station, a very good thing indeed:

“I’m The Man” ups the country quotient considerably and, in the grand tradition of a certain branch of that particular genre, repeats its basic hook –“I’m the man that she wants to kill” — several times.  The swaying title track has a slightly baroque feel, and features the backing vocals of Parthenon Huxley. Quite naturally, the collection ends with the slightly jangling rocker, “The End Of The Line,” whose pumping, sunny disposition will make your forget, or not even notice, its bleak theme and inherent sadness. It attests wonderfully to O’Connell’s songwriting chops.

Vanishing Act displays O’Connell at the top of his craft. It contains not a single bum track, and its twelve songs ultimately go by in a blink of an eye. It should be available wherever finer music is sold.

 

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13 Oct 2014

The Big Show #10: Rockin’ The Planet

Hi-fiThis tenth edition of The Big Show spins rockin’ pop tunes from places near and far.

The second set features a bit of Southern Power Pop from The Shazam, Nine Times Blue and The Semantics.

New music is represented by Linus of Hollywood, The Persian Leaps, Ballard and The Dowling Poole.

Big Star checks in with an alternate version of their cover of The Kinks’ classic “Till The End Of The Day.”

Rounding it all out is The Move doing their own classic “Night Of Fear,” Pixies doing “Here Comes Your Man,” and Wondermints contributing a bit of surf music on the ski slopes with “Ski Party.”

There is, of course, much, much more. The complete track list appears after the embed

So, why not give it a spin, and check out the main mix at Pop That Goes Crunch radio, streaming 24/7?

Track List

1.  Cliff Hillis, “Coming Out Alive”

2.  Linus Of Hollywood, “Caught Up In A Feeling”

3.  The Lost Boys, “In My Sleep”

4.  The Shazam, “Calling Sydney”

5.  Nine Times Blue, “I Can’t See You”

6.  The Semantics, “Merry Go Round”

7.  Ballard, “Crossing Every Line”

8.  Big Star, “Till The End Of The Day”

9.  The Persian Leaps, “Pretty Boy”

10. The Move, “Night Of Fear”

11. The Dowling Poole, “The Sun Is Mine”

12. Hector and The Leaves, “Problems”

13. Old 97’s, “Designs On You”

14. phonograph, “Waiting For The Sun”

15. Rocket Bureau, “Clarabelle”

16. Eugene Edwards, “It Doesn’t Get Better Than  This”

17. The Zags, “Tattoo”

18. Pernice Brothers, “Bechamel”

19. Pixies, “Here Comes Your Man”

20. Cockeyed Ghost, “Dirty Bastard”

21. The Idea, “Only Reason”

22. Wondermints, “Ski Party”

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01 Oct 2014
1 Comment

Dave Caruso’s Tasty Songcraft

Dave Caruso: Carboard Vegas RoundaboutIt’s not all hard-driving Power Pop here at Pop That Goes Crunch. Quieter, more introspective work is occasionally in order. Dave Caruso’s new long-player, Cardboard Vegas Roundabout, fits beautifully into that space and delivers ten finely crafted tunes that sound particularly great on the car stereo (especially with the top down or the sunroof wide open), or on the headphones late at night after a hard day of work or play.

Caruso cites his main influences as “Elvis Costello, Neil Finn, Elton John, Del Amitri, Ben Folds, The Beach Boys and The Beatles.” That’s a rather tall order, but Caruso is more than up to the task.

“Mystery & Sweetness” begins the festivities with a swaying mid-70s vibe and sweet vocal harmonies on top of a beautifully strummed acoustic guitar. The harmonies kick into high gear on the next track, “Champion,” in which Caruso lays down some of the most complex vocal arrangements of the year, and succeeds over-and-over again. “Your Fake Friends” is a relatively driving piece of jangle pop that nicely skewers supposed camaraderie in an age of status updates and social media “likes.” These virtues crystallize in “The Art of Erica,” in which Caruso serves up the bitter with the sweet in a track that likely will find its way onto my year-end “Best Of” list.

Samples of each song on Vegas can be heard on Caruso’s website, where you can purchase the download of the album, as well an extended 22-track CD which includes alternate versions demos, bonus mixes and 12-page booklet with song lyrics, photos, liner notes and credits. Click over there right now, and drink in Caruso’s tasty songcraft.

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