I first became aware of Lannie Flowers on a single called “Summer Blue.” It's not about the season, but Summer as a woman he wished he could be with. His new album, Flavor Of the Month, includes that single, which I am very glad about, and the album backs it up, as every song is as good as that. It's worth picking up.

Lannie was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

Andrea Weiss: Your last album, Home, was something of a concept album on home being a state of mind. This album seems to be more about relationships. Is that a concept too?

Lannie Flowers: No, not really. It’s an easy thing for me to write about. I spent a lot of my young life dealing with them.

AW: Who are your influences?

LF: It started with the Beatles, like a lot of people. There were a lot of English bands like the Who, the Kinks, Mott the Hoople, David Bowie, and Elvis Costello really had a big influence on me. From America, bands like the Stooges and the Velvet Underground had a big impact on me too. Also, just being from Texas, you can’t help but soak up a lot of country music, whether it’s intentional or not. There were plenty more along the way, but too many to go into.

AW: What would you say you learned between your last album and this one?

LF: Actually, both were being done at the same time. I have learned a lot about life and pandemics since the last album.

AW: How did Spyderpop Records come into the picture?

LF: I used to play in a band with Alan Petsche called the Pengwins and remained friends after he left. Years later he started the label in Arlington, Texas called Aaron Avenue Records. He asked me to put out my first record, Same Old Story. So it just basically started from that. It just all sort of morphed into SpyderPop.

AW: Do you have any plans to tour?

LF: I would love to. Just waiting to see if things are going to get back to some sort of normalcy.

AW: All the songs on here that were previous singles, like “Summer Blue,” are great. Were you happy or more than happy about how well they did?

LF: Yeah, I was happy with them. I just had time on my hands. So I decided to redo a few things and remix the songs.

AW: What would you tell someone first starting out in music?

LF: Above all, be true to yourself. Sounds corny, but time is too short to pretend being something you aren’t. All the best songs come from people who have a little something different to offer. Blaze a new trail!

 Lannie Flowers

Flavor Of The Month

Big Stir Records

What’s striking about this excellent power pop album is how easy it is to connect with the emotions of the songs. While the romantic feelings are mostly confusion, frustration, and everything in between, you never get the sense that all is lost with any of the women he’s dating, that everything, in the end, will be okay.

It’s not all bad, either. “Good” means life is good. The title song is about knowing the time, while you’re spending time on top of the world. “My Street (Front Porch Version),” a new version of the song that appeared in a “Nashville Version” on his last album, Home, also fits into this general mood.

Home was a concept album about going home, being home, and home as a state of mind. While concepts aren’t the case on Flavor Of The Month, many of these songs have a theme, about maybe being just that, but in a good way. Life is enjoyable this way, and eventually this phase will end and everyone will go on to someone else, leaving you alone to be whatever you want to be.

“Summer Blue,” an earlier single, is one of the best songs on an album filled with great songs. It’s about being in love with a woman called Summer, and wishing you could be with her. It sums up this wonderful album nicely, so what are you waiting for. Get it!

Andrea Weiss

 Jim Basnight

Opportunity Knocks/Still a Part of Me

Power Popaholic Records

The newest single from Jim’s upcoming album Pop Top is this double A-Side. Both songs are good, and very different types of power pop. “Opportunity Knocks” is a bluesy, rolling piano romp with a lyric explained by the title. It's a lot of fun to listen to. “Still A Part Of Me” is more serious and more pop. It’s an anthemic relationship song with a rousing chorus, the song going by in a rush. These songs are a good introduction to Pop Top. If you like what you hear here, you’ll want to get the album.

Andrea Weiss