“Ah. What’s that, K-9? A huge sound coming from that far off nebula? Things might get rocky, so you’d better stay and guard the TARDIS.” It’s hard not to hear the name Tom Baker and not visualise a curly-haired, long-scarfed eccentric and his camp robot dog, isn’t it? Well, joking aside, here’s a different Tom Baker for you: a Boston native primed and ready to crack your skulls with a semi-raucous three guitar assault. To kick off 2016, Baker, sometime member of The Dirty Truckers, has teamed up with various other Boston alumni – fellow Trucker John Brookhouse (g/v); Gymnasium’s Charles Hansen (g), John Sheeran of Family Township (bass) and Watts’ tub thumper John Blout, all of whom are on hand to bring more than a touch of their own Stones obsessed style on three very sweaty and shamelessly retro numbers.
Tag Archives: retro
HONEY MOON – Honey Moon EP
In terms of retro sounds, things rarely come any more assured and gorgeous than those of London based Honey Moon. On their debut EP, it’s as if the quartet have been sucked through a time tunnel back to 1967, to a time when fashion boutiques like Granny Takes a Trip were all the rage for the wealthy and hip in-crowd, a time when experimental music was still in its infancy, but more importantly, a time when music was becoming rather sophisticated. From there, they’ve learnt a great musical craft, transported it back to the present and layered it with a modern sheen and a few filters. The EP’s four tunes jangle with a lazy, blissed-out sense of cool; each of the players bringing something special to this short musical throwback.
KURT BAKER – Play It Cool
Kurt Baker’s first full length release ‘Brand New Beat’ was an instant power pop classic. Despite all of the tunes being appropriated from the catalogues of Joe Jackson, Nick Lowe and The Cars, Baker’s abilities for penning a great chorus along with his insistence on bringing a party spirit ensured his enthusiasm and talents shone through almost every moment of every track. A companion disc comprising ten session leftovers – ‘Brand New B-Sides’ – was worth the price of admission for his take on Nick Lowe’s ‘So It Goes’ and an ode to actress Emma Stone (the appropriately titled ‘Emma Stone’) alone.
TREVOR AND THE JONESES – There Was Lightning
Las Vegas based quartet Trevor and The Joneses care not for fashion. Parts of ‘There Was Lightning’ – their debut LP from 2012 – could have been recorded at the same time as The Stooges’ ‘Fun House’, while also showcasing material that’s clearly channelling a lo-fi equivalent of Neil Young’s ‘Zuma’ with occasional nods to the underground of the late 80s. In theory, this sounds like a disjointed mess…and true enough, it doesn’t sound so special the first time you hear it. After allowing the tunes time to mature and to properly sink in, however, you’ll discover an album celebrates retro rock styles in a huge fashion. …And although the material is varied – drawing influence as it does from over three decades of rock – the band have developed a surprisingly confident style.
THE NAKED SUN – Pickled Hearts
At the end of the first quarter of 2013, underground Americana band The Naked Sun dropped their first studio EP, ‘Space, Place and Time’, a brilliant mix of sounds that borrowed heavily from Neil Young and Wilco, with passing nods to the quieter strains of The Great Affairs and The Grateful Dead. In terms of blending classic Americana sounds with a little psych and a pinch of rock, it provided a great – if all too short – listen. Two years on, ‘Pickled Hearts’ picks up where the first EP left off, and for those who enjoyed their previous slice of slow-burning Americana, it will not disappoint. In fact, there are a couple of numbers where the band shows an increased confidence in their abilities; thankfully, though, any improvements are not made on a sonic level. Recorded live in the studio, ‘Pickled Hearts’ provides another brilliant glimpse of the band’s warts ‘n’ all style.