Genre: Power Pop / Mod / Merseybeat / Garage Rock / Psychedelic / Surf / Blue-Eyed Soul.
If you can mix those styles into something crispy … Trolley can. Caught in the Darkness proves it.

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

Hearing the final mix of a song as it was being finished.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

I would probably say “Step Into The Clear” because it has all of the quintessential Trolley trademarks. Great melody, chiming guitars, lots of harmony vocals and fun little ear candy keyboard flourishes.

What’s the story behind the bandname?  

mmmm…not real sure really. I think it maybe has a faintly 60’s ring to it? I dunno

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not? 

I would say we are as far removed from any sort of industry as we possibly could. We are pretty much DIY every step of the way, from recording and mixing our music, releasing it ourselves, to promoting and marketing the band and our music. Some of this is by choice and some of this out of our hands.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet?

I’ve never really got caught up in how good of a musician someone is…it’s usually songwriting and a voice that matches it goes further for me. Having said that, I think one of the groups we are all digging now and were lucky enough to open for a couples is Pugwash.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

ha…how about the first 5 songs on The Zombies Odyssey & Oracle or The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds or…each band member would probably have very different mixes.

What’s up for the next couple of months?

Hopefully doing some recording and we have a big outdoor festival coming up in August

Listen & buy here

Check their facebook for updates

Sweet Sweet Music talked with these Spanish Power Poppers about their new album, Beach Closed. If you like Weezer, Fountains Of Wayne and the Beach Boys, and who doesn’t, you should try this one.

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

We’ve had a great time while recording. We were looking forward to doing this album and we enjoyed every minute. We were all day together. We recorded in the morning, we had lunch together, and then we carried on in the afternoon. And like this, 24/7. It was a very intense week, but we loved it.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

Maybe, “Where is Barbara Ann”. It’s a song with vocal harmonies that reminds us of ‘Beach Boys’. It could be a good example.

What’s the story behind the band name?

The name started as a joke from Paolo and Dani. A Latin singer had an album with the same name.

There was a time when we couldn’t go back…

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

We are really quite out of the industry. We simply make songs. We’ve never suffered the changes undertaken by the music industry, since we’ve never been in. What we notice is the facility that we have nowadays to make our music reach everybody through internet. A few years ago, it was impossible to contact people from different countries, and now you can do it instantly.

After my visit to Sweden I was a bit disappointed because I thought there would play a melodic rock band on every street corner but ….. Not. As I go to Spain I expect a power pop or American band ….. But … probably not?

It’s not really like this. We’ve read and heard many times that Spain has a very deep music tradition, especially, power pop, but the thing is that the CD sales or the concerts don’t prove this. It’s very difficult to have your followers in our own country. It might be even worse in other countries, but the music you expect to have is not the one you are going to find.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song- mixt tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

“Everything is wrong” by Gigolo Aunts,

“Please don’t rock me Tonight” by Fountains Of Wayne,

“She goes to bed” by Jason Falkner,

“God only knows” by Beach Boys and

“Running down a dream” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

What’s up for the next couple of months?

We’ve been thinking of filming a video clip and play as much as we can. We can’t wait for this album to be heard.

Check Champagne’s Facebook website for updates.

Sweet Sweet Music talked to Steve Smith about Bee in Your Bonnet, Fallon Cush’s new album. If you like The Jayhawks, The Well Wishers or The Junior League … please try:

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

Well, recording in a studio chock full of vintage gear including a 70’s neve console with a bunch of great people is as much fun as you can having standing up. It’s really the reason I keep doing it and it’s always a let down when we finish. I really want to get back in there to start the next Fallon Cush record as soon as we can because it is just so much fun. If I had to pick one thing though I would say I’ve never seen anyone get such pure joy from singing or music in general as Suzy Goodwin who sings B/V’s on this record does. Watching and listening to Suzy sing when she’s in the moment is always confirmation of what everyone’s motivation for making music should be.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

Every Fallon Cush song is based on personal experience. I’ve tried to write lyrics in a detached kind of way and just can’t do it. So, pick any song and you’ll learn something but I’d probably say There’s A Dark Side To That Moon off Bee In Your Bonnet isn’t a bad place to start. It sounds pessimistic but isn’t. It’s optimistic. Stylistically it’s probably a pretty good intro to Fallon Cush.

What’s the story behind the band name?

Once upon a time, you’d think of a band name, ask your mates whether they’d heard of a band of the same name and if they hadn’t and there was no band of that name with a record in your local record store then you’d run with it. The internet’s changed all that. When we decided to release that first batch of songs as an album I needed a band name, there are too many Steve Smith’s in the world and every name I came up someone, somewhere had already thought of it and set up a Facebook page. My wife was looking at Ancestry .com one night and found this distant relative of mine, Fallon Cush. We just thought it was a great name and decided to steal it. Truth be known though I probably wish we’d come up with something a little more conventional.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

Well, there’s no going back. Maybe music fans, people who buy CDs or LPs will be like stamp or antique clock collectors or those weird dudes with model train sets in the future. You know, sitting upstairs in the attic doing stuff no-one understands other than other weird dudes sitting in their own attics with their own train sets. Maybe it’s like that already.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

Well, I don’t know that they’re the best musicians in the world but seeing this is largely a pop blog, there’s a band from Sydney, The Nature Strip who are about to release a new album, ‘Presents’ within the next month or so. They say they shamelessly raid 70’s and 80’s power pop and rock to create songs that are immediate and memorable and it’s hard to disagree. Keep an eye out for that. And it’ll be on vinyl.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mixt tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg -The Temptations

Only Love Can Break Your Heart – Neil Young

Hot Burrito #1 – The Flying Burrito Bros

Reason To Believe – Rod Stewart

I Am The Cosmos – Chris Bell

What’s up for the next couple of months?

Gigs! We recently did the first Fallon Cush full band gig which was a blast so the plan is to do a couple more of those and we also play gigs as an acoustic trio so we’ll do some more of those as well then hopefully back into the studio before the end of the year.

Check out Fallon Cush’s website

Read what Absolute Power Pop has to say about Bee in Your Bonnet.

Absolute Power Pop writes:  … Every Little Thing is … : fine melodic pop/rock that owes as much to power pop as it does to Brian Wilson-styled California pop and roots rock/Americana.

Sweet Sweet Music had a nice little chat with this Australian singer – songwriter.

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

Watching the songs take a life of its own once all the musicians involved started to add their playing and personality to it. It was beautiful to watch. And recording near the beach (Bondi Beach) with a recording studio with ample natural sunlight was a definite positive!

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

That’s a tough question to answer as each of my songs and albums are a snapshot of me as a person, at the time that the song and album was being created. If we were to look at my new album I’d say ‘Think of You” and ‘Don’t hurry baby’.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?  

The music industry changing and evolving is a given. It has to. For me it meant trying my darnest to stay on top of all the changes such as the digital age of music, whilst still not losing focus to why I write songs and love music so much. All the bullshit that comes with being a musician is often cancelled out by that one great song, melody, album from your fave artist or a great gig you just played. Technology can never take that pure musical joy away.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet?

There guys in my band, The Tempe Two. Dave Keys (Bass) and Russell Crawford (Drums). I am as biased as you can get but their playing speaks for itself. Tremendous musicians.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

John Borack writes (Goldmine Magazine) about Cracked Up: Each of the dozen tunes here is a exhilaratingly perfect example of what power pop should be – these are all short (12 songs in 33 minutes), snappy songs with melodies that draw you in on the first listen, plenty of guitars, assured lead vocals with just the right amount of attitude, some nicely placed vocal harmonies, and the secret ingredient that is too often missing in current power pop – power.

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

It was great to be making music again with the guys I started out with. We’d all kept in touch over the years (3 of us had later ended up in a band called The Pencils in the 80’s) but making the new album was finally the catalyst to bring all five of us back together again. The funniest thing was that we very quickly all reverted back to being 19 again. Like being back in the Jetz enabled us to pretend the last 35 years never happened! We coincided the release of the Cracked Up album with a show in Berlin last year, which then became the excuse to consume far too much alcohol on the day off before the show. The level of immaturity and irresponsibility that ensued would put most men of a certain age to shame.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

There’s a song on the new album called “Keith Doesn’t Do Different”. I think there’s a little bit of Keith in myself and most of my friends now over 50. The battle to accept change, remain open to new ideas and embrace new music as we get older. ‘Keith’ is happy to indulge himself in the same things he’s always enjoyed. He listens to the same music, goes to the same place for his holidays each year and has an aversion to new technology! I try and fight it but I know I’m increasingly in danger of losing the battle. I’m now at an age where most of my contemporaries have no interest whatsoever in listening to anything current. Someone I know – who shall remain nameless – is quite proud of the fact that his last two concert experiences were Kenny G and Celine Dion.

What’s the story behind the band name?

Hard to recall which of us suggested The Jetz, but we must have all thought it was ok. It was 1977 and the Punk/New Wave era was upon us. We figured ‘The Jetz’ kind of sounded right and we also thought spelling it with a ‘Z’ gave it more ‘edge’ and make it more in keeping with the times. Of course, we would often arrive for a show to see ourselves billed as “The Jets”, which would irritate us. Later, I remember a phone call with an agent who had booked the band. I was telling him “Remember now, it’s Jetz with a ‘Z’? Don’t forget to tell them, ok?? Two weeks later we arrived at the gig to find a poster which read: “Tonight – The Zets!”

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not? An awful lot has changed between the first album and the new one, I guess.

Well yes, an awful lot has changed in the 40 years since our first record Catch Me in 1977, and the music business as it is today. It’s almost unrecognisable to me. The digital age has seemingly sounded the death knell for the business as we knew it – it’s become so very easy to download music for free. That’s a real shame, but the upshot for a band like ourselves is that through the internet, people can now discover and be introduced to music they otherwise would never have heard. The record business itself buried us almost as soon as it launched us – but the internet has given us a new lease of life and introduced our music to a new audience.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet?

I’d have to say Jamie Cook, the guitarist in my current band The Overtures. He’s been playing since the age of 5 and there’s really nothing he can’t play. Makes anything look easy – which is why there are actually some people who assume everything he plays really is that easy!

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

I’d showcase 5 songs that represented qualities I figure she’d ideally seek in a partner, thus she would naturally assume that being I appreciated those particular qualities in songs I cherished, then by definition those same qualities must obviously be a reflection of me… or something like that. The lucky lady would also need to know that I’m pretty serious about my music so I’d select nothing that could be described as a ‘chart topper’ or anything too obvious. I’d also close the tape with something a little more contemporary – just so she couldn’tpossibly mistake me for an old bore who believes all the best tunes are in the distant past!

Therefore:

1)      Kinks – Picture Book (sharp sense of humour)

2)      Simon and Garfunkel – The Only Living Boy In New York (sensitive soul)

3)      Rods – Do Anything You Wanna Do (rebellious of spirit)

4)      Bob Dylan – Love Minus Zero (romantic and poetic)

5)      Fleet Foxes – He Doesn’t Know Why (contemporary)

You can plainly see I’ve thought this through carefully (although “conniving” is perhaps not the ‘quality’ I was hoping she’d most see in me).

I deliberately put Dylan in there, who is often the ‘dealbreaker’ with ladies I have known. Consequently, should Love Minus Zero fail to melt her heart , then perhaps we really should just go our separate ways and as far as I’m concerned she can go back to her old flame Nigel who works at the bank and – for all I care – can take her along next time he goes to see Kenny G and Celine Dion.

What’s up for the next couple of months?

I’m pretty busy with The Overtures (www.theovertures.com) and I’ve also begun mixing a live recording of The Jetz show in Berlin last year. It shall be the 40^th anniversary in 2017 of the recording of Catch Me so it’ll be fitting to mark the event with the release of the live album.

The Lunar Laugh is an Alternative Pop Rock band based in Oklahoma City. At the group’s core is the singer/songwriter duo of Connor Anderson and Jared Lekites. Drawing inspiration from the classic pop masterworks of the 60’s and 70’s, as well as notable contemporary artists such as Beck and Brandon Flowers, The Lunar Laugh released their debut album, Apollo, in May 2015 following a successful crowdfunding campaign.

The Lunar Laugh are currently back in the studio recording the followup to their critically praised debut. More information regarding the new album will be available by summer 2016.

What was the biggest fun during the making of the last album?

Jared: Coming up with new and interesting ideas for each part. For example, recording the drums and vocals for “Beds on Fire” in an empty racquetball court for a natural reverb/echo effect or clapping while standing on top of a bass amplifier with Graham Colton to create party sound effects for “Apollo”.

Connor: I didn’t officially join until later in the recording sessions, but for the album we’re recording now I got to throw down on some electric piano. Also, having my friend Sarah Feist come sing some background vocals on a couple of songs was a highlight for me.

If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

Jared: Anything I’ve written is good for a small glimpse into my innermost thoughts and such. I don’t think just one song will do it. I’m not that easy to pin down.

Connor: It’s hard to pick just one, but ‘Rivers and Roads’ by The Head and the Heart has been in my head a lot lately. Also, they’re performance of the song when I saw them a couple years ago was simply incredible.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not? 

Jared: Being independent, it’s all very much home grown for our music. That means we make decisions usually made by 15 people in a boardroom. The upside of that is we get more control and more satisfaction out of the final product than we might have if we were more “industry-based”. We are still pretty underground, I think. With things like Spotify and Pandora it’s becoming a bit more easier for people to hear us without having to actually buy our music, which is both a blessing and a curse.

Connor: Pretty much what Jared said, it’s nice having a home-grown feel to our music. It makes it more personal.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet?

Jared: Probably not me.

Connor: Some people might know him already, but Cody Fry is crazy talented. Look him up.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mix tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

Jared:
1. Bitch – The Rolling Stones
2. The Bitch Is Back – Elton John
3. Cold Hard Bitch – Jet
4. Go Away – Elvis Costello
5. Don’t Bother Me – The Beatles

If she can see past the charming sarcasm, she is a keeper.

Connor:
I Like You – Ben Rector
Tell Her About It – Billy Joel (hopefully she gets the hint at this point)
Forget Me Not – The Civil Wars
Stay Young, Go Dancing – Death Cab for Cutie
Sweetness – Jimmy Eat World

Nice band name, is there a story behind it?

Jared: Graham Colton who co-produced Apollo suggested that I think up a band name for the project instead of putting it out as a solo artist, which that album pretty much started life as.
The name itself is a phrase from the psychedelic concept album, Cosmic Sounds – the Zodiac. I believe the track the name appears in is titled “The cancer Moon”. Before I started working on the album, I had heard that track and really liked the phrase as a possible future band name.
At the time, I had no idea that the studio we were working in was actually named Lunar Manor. So happy coincidence.

What’s up for the next couple of months?

Jared: A handful of good shows and more recording for our 2nd album which is about halfway completed.

Connor: Writing, recording and performing. Good times ahead.

Omdat ze zijn opgepikt door de Songpickr: 2016 Best Songs playlist op Spotify ( met Wonderful Tonight) deze repost van de Q&A met zanger Sean Williams. Jangly power folk rock pop.

 

What’s it like being a musician nowadays? It’s not just about the music, isn’t? Or maybe it never was?

I consider a musician to be an artist, and I guess art is always changing…. so to be a musician is like trying to be flexible and open to evolution? 😊

It seems like everybody has to be their own record company, marketing department, promoter etc?

Yes I have a label, it is the easiest way… who should love and want to promote the music more than oneself? 😊 Facebook is my marketer and promoter! 😊

Punk Rock/power pop and Country music don’t look a match made in heaven. But you are not the only one who is able to make this relation work perfectly. What’s the secret?

Playing music that you love, that you believe in, that you feel is true or not phony… it is art! some people sculpt and paint! Johnny Cash was a punk, Chuck Berry dabbled in Country, it’s all related!!! 😊

How easy is it for you to tour Europe? What can we expect?

I enjoy travel and Europe very much! I have some really good friends over here (I am in Holland right now)…. 😊

You can always expect me to give you my very best show! acoustic, electric, whatever… we will always try to have the MOST fun and enjoyment possible! 😊

What was the biggest fun during the making of Keepin’ the Dream Alive? Can you still remember how the songs came together?

Every day was an adventure. Unlike our previous albums we booked studio time and secured a great producer (Mark Doyle) before we even had songs written. We walked into the studio with pretty much a blank sheet of paper and started writing. The fun was in the unbridled work of creation.

Sadly, I died near the end of these sessions. Mark and Doug Moncrief wrapped it up. True story, it was a tumultuous year. Keepin’ the Dream Alive took on a whole new meaning for us. Good doctors brought me back from the land of the lost and I was able to rejoin the band.

I can’t listen to this album without reliving some of the pain of that year. But, the songs have endured and the trauma we lived through was worth the pain of birthing this album.

 If we want to know you, which song do we have to listen to? And why?

Let It Roll. Somewhere deep inside all of us who play rock lives a little Elvis. His swagger, his cool, his reverence to the blues and gospel, as well as his boyish charm and quest for fun have influenced everything that came after him.

This song is homage to my roots. You can hear the influence of Elvis, the Jordanaires, Jerry Lee Lewis, and even the Big Bopper in this track.

Somewhere between that song and Tonight, I Wanna Be Lonely is who I am.

The music industry has changed a lot (or so they say). What did it bring you? And what not?

I’m lucky. I survive by doing my art. And when I’m not doing my art, I’m helping others with theirs. We own all the masters to our music, and the publishing as well. We also own our own studio. So for us, the changes in technology and the internet have helped us reach our fans.

On the down side, all of us have noticed that there is a lot of inferior music out there. Anybody can release anything they want. Touring is harder with a lot of wannabees willing to play for nothing. If we dumb down the art, the audience gets dumber and expects free music that they don’t really care about. Music becomes background music. Young musicians should aspire to greatness, not just acceptance.

Who is the best musician in the world nobody has heard of yet? And why will this change very soon?

I teach a college course in the History of Rock n Roll. Every year I make a prediction about who will be the next big break out artist. In past years I’ve chosen, Mumford and Sons, Adele, and Zac Brown. Last year my pick was Tori Kelly. In just about every case, when I introduced these artists to my classes not one of the students had ever heard of them.

This year, I am totally baffled.

She tells you she will decide on a 5-song-mixt tape if there is going to be a second date. Which 5 would you put on?

I Love You Just the Way You Are – by Billy Joel, The Nearness of You – Sinatra’s version, We Found Love – Ed Sheeran, (I’d insert the next song I write right here. It would be titled with “Her Name”), Bolero – Ravel. If that don’t score a second date, I’d move on.

I am an old, hopeless romantic. I love my wife like crazy. I think I’ll write that next song right now. I’ll call it “Joann”.

What’s up for the next couple of months?

I am recovering from vocal strain. I haven’t performed since November. SO, what’s next is my vocal rehab tour. The first date is with my songwriting partner and bandmate, Doug Moncrief – May 6^th at the Ontario Performing Arts Center. I’m going to ease back into the full band concert dates by doing a few solo and duo shows. By July, we’ll take the monster back out on the road. I’m lucky enough to play in one of the best rock bands in the world… going on 42 years with the same guys.

New songs are in the pipeline.

Buy the re-issue of Keepin’ the Dream Alive here.