I’ve been hearing the The Airport 77’s for a while now. This is their second album, and a good one, just like their first. I recommend MJ Lenderman too.

Andy Sullivan of the band was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. 

Andrea Weiss: Who were you listening to when recording this album?

Andy Sullivan: The Osees, Bad Moves, MJ Lenderman, the Midnight Callers, the Messthetics, Nad Navillus.

AW: Who’s in the band?

AS: Andy Sullivan, guitar and vocals; John Kelly, drums and vocals. We were lucky to have Cal Everett on board for this record, playing bass and singing as well. He contributed two fantastic songs, “She's Everything” and “Anyone But You.” He lives too far away to play with us regularly. Gina Cocco just joined as our full time bass player.

AW: With “1999” were you afraid it would be misread as a cover of Prince’s song, or a comment about Taylor Swift’s album?

AS: No. Songwriting is like archaeology -- you start off with a random chunk of stone sticking out of the ground and start excavating until the whole lost city emerges. This song started off with a lyrical fragment - “take me back” - I heard at a performance of a Verdi opera in Maine last summer, and then built on the two-note musical motif you hear in the verse and the chorus. The 1999 hook emerged later. I think of it as a response to the Prince song -- the long aftermath of the party. Prince isn’t the only one with a 9 to his name: Taylor Swift had 1989, Bryan Adams had “Summer of ’69,” the Smashing Pumpkins had “1979.” I guess I could have made this song “Take Me Back to 2009” but that doesn’t seem quite right, nobody was having a good time in the depths of the Great Recession.

AW: “Summer Can’t Wait,” which is a great song, seems to be about summer, the season, a disabled person, or both. Which would be the correct interpretation?

AS: Both of your interpretations can be correct; there’s not necessarily a right way or a wrong way to interpret this song. It evokes a certain mood - unease, romance, idleness - that could fit either scenario. I see certain distinct images in my head when I think about this song -- the August sun setting over an empty playground, a swimming pool with nobody in it, idle kids milling around the house.

AW: The slow, dreamy songs, like “Satellite,” are good, and I like the change of tempo. What made you include more slow songs on this album? Was it just that they fit in well between faster songs, or is there another reason?

AS: We took more chances with this record than with our previous two. There’s more shifts in tempo, texture, and mood, and that creates opportunity for the two ballads at the end of the record, “The Hands of Time” and “Satellite.”

AW: There are songs that sound a bit like great Fountains Of Wayne songs. Were they someone you were listening to when writing the songs?

AS: We are big Fountains of Wayne fans. Each song is like a short story. We actually played at a gala Fountains of Wayne tribute show in April 2023, so yes, we were listening to them a whole bunch when we were making our record.

AW: What do you hope happens with this album?

AS: We hope a lot of people hear it and enjoy it!

 The Airport 77’s

Don’t Let Go

Jem Records

The new album from this very good pop/rock band find them very much in Fountains Of Wayne mode -- poppy, satirical, serious when needed, and a lot of fun.

All of these relationship songs also get into other areas, like the nostalgia of “1999,” or the couple on the run in “Make ’Em Pay.”  

But it’s “Summer Can’t Wait” that is the classic here; Summer as not just a season to love, with a lot of wry, dry humor, but sincerely as a person with a disability. There can never be enough songs like this. The only other one I know of is Dar Williams’ “Sullivan Lane.” As someone with a disability, I celebrate it, with no inspiration porn to be found. 

The whole album is a stand out, a lot of smart fun. It rocks, for adults, and is all around good. If what I say here intrigues you, try it. I bet anything you’ll love it.  

Andraa Weiss

 I’ve been listening to Chris Church’s music for some time now, and really like his Neil Young as pop/rock approach. A great example of that is his new album Obsolete Path and you might agree after giving it a spin.

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

Andrea Weiss: What artists were you listening to when writing and recording this album?

Chris Church: Too many to mention, really. That's always the case for me. There's always Todd Rundgren.

AW: To my ears, the sound of this album is like a combination of Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham, and hard rock. Would you say that’s accurate?

CC: I definitely think you're onto something there!

AW: The lyrics sound as heartfelt as Neil’s, which I like. Is that who inspired your lyrical approach, or did someone else?

CC: Neil Young is always an inspiration, Todd Rundgren more so perhaps, and I think they're both great examples of being able to lyrically go back and forth between heartfelt, more personal lyrics, and also just whatever else they choose to present. I love the idea of not being nailed down to just one approach.

AW: Of the people and styles I’ve mentioned, which do you like the most?

CC: That’s impossible to answer. I love music so much, I honestly see songs as friends. I've been obsessed with the concept of blueprints and practical applications of building a song since I was about 10 years old.

AW: Who played on the album? They are very good.

CC: Yes they are! The drummer for Obsolete Path is Brian Beaver, a great all around artist who also plays drums with me in our metal band, Däng. The wonderful Lindsay Murray (from Gretchen's Wheel) is singing background vocals yet again, as she has on several of my albums, and is truly a fantastic artist in her own right. Nashville music legend Bill Lloyd co-wrote and plays mandolin on the song "Vice Versa. " Other than that, the versatile Nick Bertling mixed the album, and the rest is me.

AW: Your last album sounded very early 80s new wave, but before that you sounded like 70s Neil Young. What caused the switch in style?

CC: I’ve actually attempted quite a few different stylistic approaches with my recordings, from metal to psych to folky to experimental, but I think I'm mostly landing in the territory of pop rock. I'm always fine with a Neil Young mention!

AW: What do you hope will happen with this album?

CC: I guess I hope it will mean something to someone besides me. I like it, and that's always my main goal.

AW: If you could give anyone one piece of advice about music, what would it be?

CC: Think about your choices, young soldier. Maybe try the stock market instead... Seriously though, if someone is truly an artist, they won't need or even heed a whole lot of advice. The blessing and curse is that they have to do it, and they're going to do it their own way.

Thanks Andrea!

 Chris Church

Obsolete Path

Big Stir Records

This powerful rock album, with a few quiet moments to rest on, really is a great listen. Heartfelt lyrics, guitars that in spots approach hard rock, and Americana are always nice to hear.

The songs that approach hard rock are reminiscent of 70s Neil Young, with some Lindsey Buckingham for spice. On the quieter songs, think the folk side of Neil Young, like Harvest.

While the lyrics on some songs are early 80s new wave-like, such as “I’m A Machine” and “Life On A Trampoline,” some of the relationship songs are Rundgren-like. “She Looks Good In Black” is wry, and grim. “The Great Divide,” filled with regret, is also wry.

If you want some variety in your pop and rock, try this. And try what Chris is saying in the short, sweet title song, and take that path. You might find a great way to go, with some great music for your walk or ride down it.

Andrea Weiss