Maple Mars
Gliding single
Big Stir Records
From the band’s upcoming debut album for Big Stir, Someone’s Got To Listen, this first single is noisy, crunchy, with almost grunge-like guitar playing, maybe a little like Nirvana’s "On A Plane." The lyrics are about gliding, flying high.
It’s very good, a lot of fun, and it really does glide along. I like the guitars. Noise and crunch rule. If that sounds good to you too, enjoy a great single.
Andrea Weiss
Jesse Bryson
Come Back single
Big Stir Records
The original is by the late 70s power pop band Fotomaker, and Jesse’s dad Wally was a member of that group. The cover is pretty faithful to the original.
As wonderful as the original is, I somewhat prefer the cover. It flows more, and is a little faster and more kinetic. I like fast and flowing in a song.
It also rocks, so play some air guitar and get into a great cover of a great original.
Andrea Weiss
Jim Basnight is back with another single that doesn’t disappoint, and the more I hear, the more I think he's one of the best. If you don’t know his work, Pop Top, the album this single comes from, is a good place to start.
Jim was kind enough to answer a few questions about "Stop the Words/Evil Touch."
Andrea Weiss: What is the backstory to these songs?
Jim Basnight: "Stop the Words" was a song which goes back to the Moberlys days. It's been a solid tune in my live show for most of my performing career. Moberly guitarist Glenn Oyabe composed some great guitar licks which fall between the vocal phrases nicely, which I've brought forward in my live shows with a few modifications. It has an unusual groove, but it works great as a platform to demonstrate timeless 80's dance styles which always make me smile.
"Evil Touch" also goes back to the Moberlys days. It's another bluesy rocker, built on a danceable shuffle, but with some nice modern rock power chords pumped in for good measure. The lyrics fit the current climate, as certain folks on the national scene have been messing with me so long that I've lost patience. I want no more of their evil touch and I think others may feel similarly. Both songs are simple pop guitar numbers, but also have unique feels. To me that's when the best rock and roll happens. Simple, energetic, but not something different, with a meaningful message.
AW: What is "Stop The Words" about?
JB: "Stop the Words" is about having been around the block enough to know when to hold your tongue. Simple message. Not that the singer knows it all, just that they are not going to take that ride again. Both songs have a somewhat serious tone, but the music is so fun that I doubt anyone will be brought down. Just a fun song with a little message that is basically positive. Nothing heavy, but not bubblegum.
AW: You write good melodies. How easy is it to get one going?
JB: Thank you!! It's very easy. The hard part is taking the time to document it while you're inspired, and the music is coming from your soul. If you don't do that, you may remember some things about the melody, perhaps even the correct notes. It's the feel, dynamics, and the emotion that makes the difference between good and great songs. Write down the words and chords, but make sure you do a little recording of your performance of it, even if it's just a phone recording.
AW: “Evil Touch” is a blues, and good blues, at that. Did the song just lend itself to that style?
JB: To me it's rock and roll, but with a roadhouse type of feel. Blues was the skeleton that both of those genres are built upon, but the song is not a pure blues. To me the Beatles and the Stones, two groups of Brits, are the touchstone I'd use to compare songs like this. Both acts were completely inspired by the first wave aka the golden age of rock and roll, which was of course a new way to present r&b and blues influenced hillbilly music aka rockabilly. The fact that they brought English and American pop influences into the mix, was probably because it was there and found a way into the creative process. Much like Elvis playing blues.
When he was a child, Presley copied music he heard on the Grand Ol' Opry (hillbilly or later country and western), the Gospel Hour (Southern gospel, played on Sundays often by musicians who played juke joints and honkytonks the night before) and blues (new to the radio in the 1940's) or possibly by the time Elvis was around 13 (1948) it may have already been called r&b. Presley sang songs in the styles he learned to sing as a pre-adolescent and early teen and developed over the course of his teen years by absorbing these radio shows, when he auditioned for Sun Records' Sam Phillips in the early 50's. Phillips wasn't thrilled with the country or gospel. But, when Sam heard Elvis's blues songs, he learned from listening to the radio shows of "Sonny Boy Williamson" (Alex Miller) and "Howlin' Wolf" (Chester Burnett) on KWEM in West Memphis, AR, Phillips started seeing dollar signs.
I look at "Evil Touch" similarly. I write and sing songs which come from the songs I learned growing up, which I use like a set of building blocks to spell out how I'm feeling when I sit down to write. What comes out is a combination of those building blocks and the feelings in my heart that I'm attempting to spell out with them.
AW: What other singles and albums might be in the pipeline?
JB: Not sure. I'm working on several musical projects. I may release another single from my Pop Top (2022 Remaster) album, as there are more good ones to work with. But, I've got a few other things cooking, so we'll have to see.
I've booked a lot of live gigs in the NW, thankfully, so I'll be doing that, too, over the course of the summer. We'll just have to see what happens.
Jim Basnight
Stop The Words/Evil Touch single
Power Popaholic Productions
The A side is punky blues about knowing what time it is, with a great put-down of a hipster in the chorus. The B is blues you can dance to, about wanting people to leave you alone.
Both are good examples of how versatile rock and roll really can be, that anything can be rock and roll if done right, and these songs certainly are done right. More good rock and roll is always needed, especially today.
So if you want two songs you can rock out to or party to, these are the ones. Or just relate to the lyrics. Or both. It's all good.
Pop Top (2022 remaster) | Jim Basnight | Power Popaholic Productions (bandcamp.com)
Andrea Weiss
In Deed
Don’t Kill The Babe single
Big Stir
The return of Sweden’s In Deed finds the band in fine form, with swirling organ and bold accusatory lyrics about hypocrisy and being yourself. It’s catchy and will make you want to shimmy around the room. If you want sharp lyrics contrasting with happy music, this is it, and it's great.
Andrea Weiss
The Flashcubes
Have You Ever Been Torn Apart single
Big Stir
Very faithful to the original by the Spongetones, this breakup song is a little mid-60s Beatles, maybe the Who's “I Can’t Explain” or “The Kids Are All Right.” It will start ringing in your head from the very first time you hear it, and will make you want to dance. So play it and shimmy around the room, and just feel good listening to a great song.
Andrea Weiss