Intro JB

Jim Basnight

Introducing Jim Basnight

Precedent Records

Some of these songs are punky. Some are anything but, such as blues, jazz, and guitar pop.

These songs didn’t fit on his other albums, but their depth and breadth make them more than odds and sods. It makes for a great album with songs that deserve to be heard. Check out his other albums, too. They all are wonderful.

Andrea Weiss

James Styring interview

I first heard the band on Big Stir's The Fifth Wave singles comp, and was instantly a fan. I was glad when the band leader, James Styring, contacted me out of the blue. It was the perfect way to further experience this album. He agreed to an interview.

Andrea Weiss: Could you give a short history of the band?

James Styring: I had played with Mikey, our bass player, in a previous band. We decided to get together again and write a bunch of new songs. The writing went well, so we demoed the best at Mikey's home studio. We thought the next logical step would be to put a full band line-up together. Martyn, our guitarist, is the owner of the studio where we record. He was initially going to help out on a couple of songs, but things gelled so well, he came onboard full time. Same thing with Danny, our drummer. He came in to record with us, but joined the band soon after.

AW: Guitar pop seems timeless, and very much in tune with today. Why do you think that is?

JS: I think a good melody can stand the test of time. It's not dictated to by fashion or trends. It can break down barriers and communicate with everyone. I don't think that's likely to change anytime soon.

AW: I like how your lyrics are so happy and positive, even when the situations written about are bittersweet. Do you like having that balance?

JS: I try to. I think life is a balance between happy and bittersweet. Light and shade. I just try to capture and reflect a little of that in my words. Some of our songs may appear dreamy or psychedelic, but they all have their roots in reality. There's truth and life experience in all our songs, sometimes you just have to dig a little.

AW: “American Sushi” seems like a critique of the US, and a good one? Is it?

JS: I had the title for a while. I probably heard it on TV or read it somewhere. The verses have a Wild West feel to them, kind of like an old cowboy movie. And you're right, I guess the chorus is a celebration of all things American. If it is a critique, it's certainly a positive one. America was a mystical place, growing up as a kid in the UK. All the best moves, TV shows, comic books, etc. came from over there.

AW: Who are your influences?

JS: As a band, we listen to a lot of different things, but we share a love of melody, so it just seems to work when we get together to write. We don't set out to sound like anyone else, or to follow a label, we just do what we do and it sounds as it sounds. Having said that, I'm sure you can hear some of our influences in the songs.

AW: Who would be some other bands to check out in the scene?

JS: There's so much great music out there at the moment, you just have to go looking for it. Our label, Kool Kat Musik, would be a good place to start. Big Stir are working with some fantastic bands, as are Spyderpop and Futurman Records, all great places to find new music (and there are many more).

AW: How did getting on one of the Big Stir singles compilations happen?

JS: We had just begun writing for "Woke Up In Hollywood" and we thought it would be a great way to let people know there was a full-length album on the way. We knew it would be a great thing to be involved with - Big Stir put out some fantastic music - so we approached Rex and Christina with the idea.

AW: How did you get Rex Broome from the Armoires and Big Stir to play on the album?

JS: We'd always wanted to work with Rex, we're fans of The Armoires, and figured now would be a great time. It was just a case of asking, really. I'd met Rex briefly at Liverpool International Pop Overthrow a few years previous, and we'd kept in touch. He heard the rough demo and said yes. We also have Power Pop legend Lannie Flowers playing on a track. We have some very talented friends!

Andrea Weiss

IKIC

It’s Karma, It’s Cool

Woke Up In Hollywood

Kool Kat Records

This UK band has made a very good, very charming album, with subtle, nuanced guitar playing, smart, happy, fun lyrics, and a singer who always sounds cheerful.

“Wooden Buddha,” the single from the album, is nicely, gently psychedelic. “American Sushi” celebrates the best of American culture from afar. This album is worth picking if you are a fan of guitar pop and modern pop/rock, or for anyone who just wants a good album.

Andrea Weiss

The Corner Laughers

Temescal Telegraph

Big Stir Records

The follow up to the excellent Matilda Effect is folk-rock/modern pop-rock so light and nimble on its feet that it carries you away. The music is expertly played, and lead singer/songwriter Karla Kane’s smooth, happy vocals are wonderful. Her ukulele is indispensable.

Most of these songs are feminist, such as “Sisters Of The Pollen” celebrating a sisterhood of bees, happily working together. There are two songs about life, death, and rebirth: “Wren In The Rain” is about winter, as death, turning to spring and rebirth, summer life, and fall, when it ends again. “Lord Richard” is a eulogy to a turkey vulture. Even as this is an American band, the songs feel very British, in a Fairport Convention sort of way, especially “Skylarks of Britain,” with lyrics like “Rosie Abbot has a rabbit in the library/cozy habits surround her.”

This is one of the best albums I’ve heard all year, and a must-hear for those who love folk-rock, guitar pop, and modern pop-rock. Pick up Matilda Effect and Karla’s solo debut as well.

Andrea Weiss

Having a good laugh: an interview with Karla Kane of THE CORNER LAUGHERS

When I started listening to the Big Stir singles comps last year, I was thrilled to find good, new music to listen to. So I dove in, and everyone I’ve heard has been a winner, including The Corner Laughers. All of their albums are worth a listen.

Karla Kane, leader of the band, was kind enough to answer some questions for me.

Andrea Weiss: How did the band form?

Karla Kane: Way back at the start, it was formed by me and my friend Angela, who’s since moved on from music (but not the friendship). Khoi joined us pretty early on and we eventually poached Charlie after admiring his drumming in a friend’s band. We’d all been big fans of KC Bowman for years, so it was very exciting that he somehow ended up one of us. We’re a quite tight-knit foursome now and have been for a good long while.

AW: Who are your influences?

KK: I always find this to be an impossible question. Too many to name, of course. But they would have to include the masters of musical theater, British folk and British Invasion, Kirsty MacColl, David Byrne… most of all, our various and very talented musician friends. We’re so lucky to have worked with some of our favorites, including Martin Newell, Mike Viola, Wesley Stace… and to be honest, all my band members are still my biggest idols!

AW: How do you think “Temescal Telegraph” compares to your last album, “Matilda Effect?”

KK: You’ll have to tell me how it compares. It’s the first record we’ve made that’s entirely self-produced and recorded (at KC’s Timber Trout studio in Temescal, Oakland) and we made it more quickly than past albums. We didn’t have a lot of guest cameos, although we did have a few. I think it has a nicely intimate, natural and immediate sound, or at least that’s the way it feels to me because of my memories of making it.

AW: I hope this isn’t a typical “women in rock” question. So few women play modern pop/rock (and the ones that do are wonderful). Why do you think that is?

KK: I’m not sure that it’s true that few women play it, but yeah, there are no doubt scenes where it’s still much more dude-dominated. Sexism and stereotypes, unfortunately, are still rampant in 2020. Happily, I know plenty of great musicians who identify as women. I know our label, Big Stir Records, feels strongly about diversity and representation.

AW: Your lyrics are very feminist, which is great. Do you think that would be another way for more women to participate in the genre?

KK: I can’t help writing songs that reflect me and my beliefs, at least to some extent. I would hope other women feel comfortable writing whatever lyrics they want in whatever genre they wish! But there’s always room for interesting lyrics, whatever the topic or message. Some people are able to separate the artist from the art but I’m not usually one of them.

AW: I like that your music is almost folk/rock. Is that also an influence?

KK: Oh yes! We love both traditional folk and folk rock. My 2017 solo album is even more folky, but “Temescal Telegraph” definitely has lots of folk-rock moments.

AW: I love your ukulele playing. It’s a good twist. Do you mean it that way, or as something else?

KK: I just happened to pick up a ukulele one day (many years ago now) and enjoyed playing it, so that became my instrument and I began using it while writing songs. As the band developed it just naturally stayed with me. There was no plan or agenda to it. I do like the unique sound and texture it gives our music, though, and maybe adds to the folky sound you mentioned above.

AW: “Wren In The Rain” is a great song about death being natural, inevitable, and a fact of life. Do you feel this song would make people think about it that way?

KK: The whole album has a sort of “life-death-life cycle” theme going on, and, yes, that song certainly has themes of nature and seasons. It was inspired by a real-life family of wrens who often nest in our yard, so I think of it more as a song about spring and new life in that sense, but of course it all goes together. “Lord Richard,” the final song on the album, is another bird-inspired one that very much takes that approach to thinking about death.

Andrea Weiss

Big Stir Singles: The Sixth Wave

Big Stir Records

The newest singles comp from this wonderful label, a benefit for Sweet Relief, is dedicated to the late Matthew Seligman. Like the others in this series, it's great.

There is a little of everything here: anthems, contemplative relationship songs, Jim Basnight’s salute to mature women with “Big Bang,” the dance pop of Paula Carino’s “Welcome Spiders,” and the chilling “Home” from Joe Normal, in which a guy gets killed by his girlfriend and goes home.

But the overarching theme here is youthful adults rocking out. All these songs are sane, mature, without a shred of OK Boomer, and a delight to listen to from beginning to end.

This album is a must-hear. I hope it makes a lot of money for Sweet Relief, and may this series continue, as it gets better and better each time.

Andrea Weiss

AH

Andrew Hibbard

Changes Video

Sofaburn Records

“Changes” is the first single from Hibbard’s self-titled album.

The video is great: black and white images of him playing, walking, and recording, all very contemplative, much like the song.

The song, which is alt-country, does remind me of Dylan, but Jerry Garcia’s songs with the Grateful Dead are more like it. “Changes” is nicely gentle, with an undercurrent of sadness. Recommended for those who want a song like this for quiet times, or just something good.

Andrea Weiss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs_KJLj9aTg