Various Artists, Telegraph Hill Records Vol. 02, 2019

Track by Track

By Brian Erickson

In what I hope becomes an annual tradition, Telegraph Records releases a compilation of new music from its current and prospective artists, and I write a track-by-track review. The rules are simple: I listen to the song once, come up with a couple things to say, and wrap it up by the time the song is over. No pauses or repeats. I cheated a little bit. But with a collection this good, it's hard not to want to press "repeat."

Levy & the Oaks , "You'll Fly" -- What a way to kick things off! Levy & the Oaks continue their run with this harmony-soaked ode to self-preservation. Pitch-perfect vocals hover above white-hot guitar lines and a chugging rhythm section to produce one of Levy & the Oaks' most memorable songs; no short order considering their catalogue is fast filling up with them!

Bobby Mahoney & the Seventh Son, "Nothing for Nothing" -- Mahoney & Co produce another rafter-shaking anthem. But this time, they add a contemplative lyrical twist: "When it all falls apart / What will be left in your heart?" It's a question we could all benefit from asking ourselves once in a while and The Seventh Son wrap theirs inside an "arms-around-the-arena" sing along.

Jarod Clemons & the Late Nights, "On the Waves" -- Newcomer Jarod Clemons adds a classic rock feel to the comp with a pummeling guitar riff that sounds like the grandson of "Them Changes" by Jimi Hendrix & the Band of Gypsies. Move past the famous last name; Jarod is both his own man and his own musician. And "On the Waves" proves it right out of the gate. If he keeps this up, Little Big Man will have a big, big future.

The Foes of Fern, "Out of Out Heads Vol. 2" -- The Foes' first new music since the split of The Burns, and it's evident they haven't taken this newfound autonomy lying down. While the lyrics touch on Matt Fernicola's well-worn themes of aging, nostalgia, and relationships, the music is positively uplifting, creating a beautiful contrast of sound and feeling. Pay attention to the 2:49 mark. The song flips, adding a mantra: "There was no reason to leave." Just as Fern's voice gets desperate, powerhouse backing singer Jessie McCormick steps in to take us home…wow!

Malibu, "Never Ending May" -- Malibu sings of their "best heartbreak" over a post-punk beat and pleading lyrics. But it's the small things buried just beneath the surface that make "Never Ending May" worth spinning over again. Small orchestral flourishes in the intro and bridge and the ticking clock as the song ends feel like the band added just a dash of Hans Zimmer to their rock and roll.

Airacuda, "Pals" -- I love this comp for lots of reasons, not least of which being Airacuda gets back together for a new song. Ten years from now, we're going to end up with the most stealthily-released Airacuda full-length. "Pals" adds another highlight to the band's slowly-expanding songbook, this time including a midtempo groove and a sentimental ode to that which brought this band together in the first place -- friendship.

Leah Voysey, "Phoenix" -- If Voysey's last single, "Keep it To Yourself," chronicles a stressed and distressed breakup, the follow up is straight-up redemption. 2017's "Poison" might be Voysey's most popular song. But "Phoenix" is her best.

Keith Egan, "What's Wrong" -- Keith Egan is all about that slow swagger. Keyboards on delay, slow synth swells that evoke The Weeknd, and Egan's desperate vocal turn. The only thing wrong is that Egan doesn't make more than one song a year!

MaYay0, "Stay" -- With a minimalist's production, MaYay0 has offered up a flawless club jam. The single artwork tells you everything you need. Two tasseled ropes in a heart shape over a red background. This is "lights down low" music done really, really well! Oh…and it's pronounced "muh-YAY-oh."

Des & the Swagmatics, "This MoFo Right Here" -- This skittering, electric piano-driven call-out is a compilation highlight. Des Spinks's voice is among the most powerful in the entire New Jersey scene and "This MoFo" puts it (and her band's brilliant interplay) on full, glorious display!

Taylor Tote, "One Night" -- Tote's voice snakes its way around the song's question of "will they/won't they," with a dark, almost-sinister tone. And "One Night" rides a slow build that ends quicker than you can flip the light switch from on to off. Question answered?

Luke Dowler, "Get the Job Done" -- Overdriven guitar, and Hammond organ adorn this riff-propelled slice of apple-sweet Americana. Meanwhile, Dowler's voice is grittier than the dirt under your fingernails. And because of all this, "Get the Job Done" never feels like it's trying too hard. It just does what it's got do to -- well -- you know.

Marc Tappan & the Dirty Shine, "Love on Trial" -- Tappan, a scene veteran, has a beautiful story that saw him come back from homelessness earlier in his life. But "Love on Trial" is no 'just happy to be here' tune. It's an impassioned, horn-drenched lover's plea that showcases all that Tappan & Co have to offer: memorable songwriting, expert performance, and a whole lot of heart.

Natalie Farrell, "Glowing" -- This is the perfect windows-down singalong! Featuring lilting strings, a tight weave of acoustic-and-electric guitar, and of course, Farrell's mighty alto, "Glowing" is both a standout on the compilation as well as in Natalie's impressive, ever-growing catalogue.

Lowlight, "NYE" -- Capturing the sweet sadness of the holiday season, Lowlight has imbued "NYE" with the insightful sentimentality that's always sat just below the band's surface. And in singing of string lights, empty glasses, and fireworks out on the lawn, Lowlight hasn't slapped together some holiday novelty, they've built themselves a stone-classic!

Ashley McKinley, "The Truth Is" -- Countrypolitan singer Ashley McKinley's voice sits front-and-center on this lonesome piano ballad. "Believe me, I tried to keep it together / Truth is that we don't belong / The truth is, we always felt wrong." As red and raw as those conversations can be, rare is the song that captures them so well. On "The Truth Is," McKinley succeeds.

Patty C, "Hey Mama" -- Patty C serves up a beer-soaked, gospel-tinged apology to yet another flamed-out relationship. The heartbreak is strong with this one and it hurts to hit the ground so hard. But goddamn it we don't just keep coming back for more!

Abbey Road All Stars, "Come Together" -- This is what happens when the scene collaborates! Members of Levy & the Oaks, The Extensions, The Viewers Like You, Des & the Swagmatics, The Foes of Fern, Dave & Tom, and Handsome Looks all took the stage on September 28, 2019 for an Asbury Park Music Foundation benefit and a tribute to the Abbey Road album. This live take on a Beatles classic is the triumphant result!

Telegraph Hill Records Vol. 02 is available to stream now.

Various Artists, Telegraph Hill Records, Vol. 1, 2018

Compilation Review

I Care and I Don’t Care

By Brian Erickson

Every opportunity gained begins with an opportunity lost. That loss came at Langosta Lounge as Matt Fernicola and Joe Pomarico's old band Airacuda called it a career. Since then, fur-coated frontman Matthew Stephen retreated from the spotlight, opting for life as a writer and producer under the name MaYay0 (more on him in a moment). Meanwhile, the aforementioned sidemen chose to form Telegraph Hill Records and take over Asbury Park like a hurricane wave breaking over the boards.

Recruiting up-and-comers like Avery Mandeville and Conor Bracken & The Mother Leeds Band, and mainstays like Lowlight, and Levy & The Oaks, "Fern" and "Pom, as they are affectionately known, have established a formidable operation. Taking a page from the Little Dickman playbook, Telegraph Hill has helped push the music scene forward, returning some of the power from stodgy promoters back to the bands, and most importantly, establishing a sense of community beyond its ranks. Today they make their first big move.

Tying themselves to the second annual What a Wonderful Year show happening tonight and tomorrow at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, Telegraph Hill has released its first of several compilations. And, in the tradition of the old Speak Into My Good Eye compilations, I decided to review each and every track for as long as the song lasted before I had to cap it and move on.

Lowlight offered up a generous five minutes. While Leah Voysey's two minute and twenty second "Poison" commanded more economy. So here we go…



Lowlight, "Burkhalter"
A campfire crackles, a synthesizer bubbles to the surface as Renee Maskin accounts a "day in the life" of this Big Lebowski character whom we know by name only. I saw them play it live, and the song absolutely kills! In a recorded setting, with a greater attention to detail, lyrics are put front-and-center as Maskin delivers her signature insight: "Finding all the little things / Between what we say / And what we mean." Smile when you know everyone's watching. Sigh when you're alone. Repeat. There's a sadness in the resignation of Lowlight's characters. But, by the end, like most everything Lowlight put their name on, "Burkhalter" proves yet another triumph.

Des & the Swagmatics, "Back to Blue"
Des Spinks is one of the best singers in the game. She brings that full-voiced sway to this slow jam plea for trust and communication. But this isn't just the Des show. Singer and band work in perfect symmetry together as "Back to Blue" recalls the easy groove of early 90s R&B like "Hopeless" by Dionne Farris.

Keith Egan, "Belong"
Keith Egan serves up a slice of MaYay0-produced R&B-laced pop. Swaths of harmony and electronic rhythms adorn Egan's infectious chorus as the production has radio straight in the crosshairs!

MaYay0 & Taylor Tote, "Don't Need You Anymore"
MaYay0 is joined by Asbury Park pop goddess Taylor Tote for another modern confection. This time, acoustic guitars, keyboards, and Tote's considerable vocal turn make this song jump straight off the page. And that chorus, tho!

Leah Voysey, "Poison"
By the singer's own admission, "Poison" had been kicking around in a couple of different demo forms before she placed it in Telegraph Hill's capable hands. Here, the song whirrs to life on the back of a stuttering rhythm, a minor-key chorus and Voysey's dark lyrical themes. And at just 2:20, it gets in, says what it needs to, and clears right out. But that's what the repeat button is for.

Levy & the Oaks, "On the Run"
Levy Okun, the soft-spoken singer of Levy & the Oaks recently posted about his early days as a musician. He chronicled what it was like to tour the world, make records, and perform for hundreds of people every night; the types of things any aspiring musician might one day hope to accomplish. But behind that good time was addiction, divorce, and a struggle for Okun to regain his footing. But don't let the backstory fool you; this is a celebration; the announcement of Act II. And the band coats Okun's contemplative lyrics in barrelhouse piano, horns, and a joyous singalong chorus. So give it another run, Levy & the Oaks. Clearly, your best work is still ahead of you.

Bobby Mahoney & the Seventh Son, "Should Have Called You Up (Last Night)"
My favorite Garden State wunderkind's rafter-reaching voice rockets this Scott Weiland-fronts-the-E-Street-Band straight across the finish line. Whoever said rock and roll is dead clearly isn’t listening to Bobby Mahoney: author of the best choruses in the biz!

Connor Bracken & the Mother Leeds Band, "Read On You"
Connor Bracken found himself thumbing through some disparate items at a thrift store one afternoon. He opened up a box that had Thin Lizzy's swinging double backbeat in it. He paid the clerk, went home, and the Mother Leeds Band was born. Like Bobby Mahoney, Bracken & Co are working hard to keep rock and roll alive. And with fist-pumpers like "Read on You" coming off so effortlessly, I'd say Mother Leeds: 1, Haters: 0.

Natalie Farrell, "Mister Officer"
Coming off this summer's Natality EP, Farrell is on a roll! "Mister Officer" adds an unexpected twist to otherwise-timely lyrical commentary. Pair that with Matt Fernicola's blistering guitar leads, and you've got not just a compilation highlight but one of the best songs of Farrell's young career.

Airacuda, "Scorpio Clarice"
MaYay0 climbs into the chrysalis and reemerges with the tight pants and fur coat for the first new Airacuda material in nearly three years! A rock and roll strut, scintillating vocal-and-keyboard lines that recall Morrison and Manzarek, and more fine Fernicola guitar work prove Airacuda could step back in anytime they'd like and be right at home.

The Foes of Fern, "Lydia"
My favorite Foes song finally gets a proper release! At this point, with contributions to several tracks (and more to come), Fern wins this compilation's Sixth Man of the Year award. As a front man, Fern's charmingly gruff voice and earnest sense of songwriting propel this power pop gem!

The Burns, "I'll Be Back"
The nice boys that play the good rockin' tunes are back. Hot off the release of their You EP, The Burns recall "Lay Down Sally" with this bluesy Claptonian shuffle. Fern and bassist Chris Dubrow supply honey-voiced singer Joey Henderson with just the right amount of vinegar to make those backing vocals play just right. And, as always, drummer Bill McCabe keeps it all from rolling off the road. Bravo, Burns!

Avery Mandeville, "Encore (live)"
Avery Mandeville wields her quavering voice like a blunt force weapon, insisting she shouldn't have to explain herself. But self-doubt and self-reflection cohabitate like Caden and Hazel from Synecdoche, New York. It doesn’t matter if the house is on fire so long as it’s the house you built. With an EP, an album, and this great, sad, compelling, fucked up new single, Mandeville continues to build something stunning. I can’t wait to see how it all continues to burn!

Here's WAX WAV's Stuff

"Generation Gap"

Lots of travel and, maybe, a lack of motivation over the last few months have resulted in a CoolDad Music inbox that is just unmanageable at this point. So, looking for some inspiration and a fresh start on Friday, I put out a request for "stuff" that I'd move to the top of the posting schedule (to the extent that there even is a schedule, which there isn't). I said I'd take the first seven responses and filled that quota in short order.

Our good friend Brian Erickson (The Paper Jets, "One More with Brian Erickson," and sometimes contributor to You Don't Know Jersey and here) forwarded not his own stuff but, instead, the latest video from Philadelphia DIY punks, WAX WAV. WAX WAV are Nick Palmer, Justin Johnson, Abe Koffenberger, Andrew Krause, and Lynna Stancato. They got together in 2016 and released their debut, EP1, late last year.

Back in February, they put out the video for single "Generation Gap."

The song is big pop punk featuring a wall of sound and guitar tones that recall WAX WAV's Philly paisanos, Beach Slang, along with all of the influences (Jawbreaker, The Replacements) that feed that sound. The Chris Johnson-directed video is a frantic live performance that's exactly what you'd hope for given the high-energy track.



You can grab EP1 over at WAX WAV's Bandcamp page. The band play goodnight/goodluck's EP release show at Philly's Boot & Saddle on May 12th along with Secret American.

Thanks, Brian.

More "stuff" later this week.

Guest Post: Brian Erickson of The Great Albums Podcast / The Paper Jets on Comebacks

...If You've Never Been Away: My Five Favorite Comeback Albums

by Brian Erickson

[CoolDad Note: Brian Erickson is co-host of the excellent Great Albums Podcast as well as frontman for the power poppy Paper Jets. He's a great student of music and an excellent conversationalist, two things that have made for some long talks in the short time we've known each other. When I put out the call for guest posts while I was on vacation, I was ecstatic when Brian stepped up. Thanks, Brian. You're welcome here anytime.]

In anticipation of the forthcoming American Football album, I've come up with a list of my five personal favorite comeback albums, in no particular order. The criteria were simple: Was the artist/band gone for a while and did it seem like they would ever come back? If the answers were, respectively, 'yes' and 'no,' then we were good to go.

My Bloody Valentine - m b v (2013 | Previous Album: 1991's Loveless) - To me, Loveless doesn't sit with contemporaries like Nevermind or Ten or even Parklife in terms of Great 90s Albums. It's more a throwback to A Love Supreme or In a Silent Way in that it challenges us to consider what an album of music even is to begin with. So when m b v dropped in 2013, ending the 22 year-long drought, expectation got replaced by reality, and that reality is both a pleasure, and a departure from what we were previously used to from this band! m b v has a warmth to it largely lacking from most early 90s productions. We even get thrown an actual, true-blue pop song in the form of appropriately-titled, "New You," something My Bloody Valentine had never been quite so outward about before. Sure, "Honey Power," and "Only Shallow" had hooks, but never before has the band presented a song with such balance between its majestic guitars and literate rhythm section. And that's what this album ends up being about: balance. Nine songs, perfectly divisible by three and separated musically as such: noisy, poppy, and driving. Let's hope that it's not another 22 years between albums for My Bloody Valentine. But if it is, at least we know it will probably be worth the wait.

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here (2010 | Previous Album: 1994's Spirits) - Nobody saw this coming. After hard drugs and questionable decisions landed him in and out of jail multiple times, Gil Scott-Heron would not have been my first candidate for the "Someone Who Will Nail Their Career's Final Act If They Can Manage To Get There" Award. Running at only 28 minutes, Scott-Heron manages to say everything he needs to. The set's most compelling line being "You've gotta pay for the things you've done wrong / I've got a big bill coming at the end of the day." He'd be dead just a year later. They say all great fighters have one last round left in them. Gil Scott-Heron won his by a knockout.

Dinosaur Jr - Beyond (2007 | Previous Album: 1997's Hand it Over | Last album with core lineup: 1988's Bug) - Coming 10 years after the band's last album, and 19 years after its founding lineup dissolved, Beyond is everything you want when a beloved band comes back. The tried-and-true power trio format translates well in the mid-aughts, even when electronic music continued its rise to the top of Indie Rock's ranks. J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph don't just sound happy to be back together, they sound downright vital. And what makes this comeback one of the best of all-time isn't just the one fantastic first album they made. It's the three (and counting?) that this still-active band has produced in the decade since. There isn't a bad one in the bunch and if this year's sprightly Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not is any indication, Dinosaur Jr is showing no signs of slowing down.

The Wrens - The Meadowlands (2003 | Previous Album: 1998's Secaucus) - This album came to me in relatively real time. I got to it around 2005(ish). My younger sister was a Long Island scene kid who would routinely sneak into The Downtown in Farmingdale, NY to see local bands like Brand New, Glassjaw, or Taking Back Sunday. She made an emo playlist that I supposedly just had to hear. I remember nothing from it but "Happy" by The Wrens, the seven-minute, Pixies-courting opener to their masterful Meadowlands album. I literally jumped up from the computer, got in the car and bought the album upon arriving at the local Borders Books. When I got home, I immediately started learning everything about The Wrens; how they had been railroaded by their major label (Wind-Up Records, home to Creed and Evanescence), and bounced around a bit, marching toward a markedly uncertain future. Seven years went by until The Meadowlands finally dropped. And with it also came hope for everybody approaching (or just north of) 30 years old who still loved playing in a band; who still weren't quite ready to give it up. Gone were the sun-soaked guitar spikes of 1996's Secaucus. Replacing them were...questions. Questions about age, vitality, usefulness, and the value of relationships. Even though The Wrens didn't break up, record labels have been known to hold bands hostage, making them unable to perform or record lest they do their bidding. The Wrens stood their ground patiently as the years continued to melt off the calendar. Their 20s gave way to their 30s and band obligations gave way to day jobs and families. But when they finally saw their opening, The Wrens hit music's equivalent of a walk-off home run making The Meadowlands not just one of the great comeback albums of all time, but perhaps one of the greatest albums the 21st Century may yet produce.

George Harrison - Brainwashed (2002 | Previous Album: 1987's Cloud Nine) - Perhaps inspired by the fruitful Beatles Anthology sessions, or the creative rebirth that his two former band mates had experienced (1992's Time Takes Time for Ringo, 1997's Flaming Pie for Paul), George felt the need to put music to tape again; something he hadn't done as a solo act since 1987. So he started setting songs aside in the pseudo-tradition of his 1970 masterpiece, All Things Must Pass. It had become a bit of a joke that because Harrison had only ever contributed two or three songs to each Beatles album, that - All Things aside - that was all he was really good for on his solo records, as well. He planned a low-key comeback. No deadline or release date. The album would just...happen. He began recording in earnest with help from his son Dhani and his longtime producer Jeff Lynne. What wasn't planned was Harrison's untimely passing in 2001. But his two collaborators carried on in his stead and with songs of light and optimism such as "Any Road," or the wistful "Rising Sun," Brainwashed would have been a comeback triumphant in every way, completely revitalizing Harrison's solo career. But what we get instead is a a beautiful celebration of the life of the man known as The Quiet Beatle, and the best solo album by a member of the Fab Four in nearly three decades.

Honorable Mentions:

David Bowie - The Next Day (2013 | Previous Album: 2003's Reality) - The Starman returns following a decade of retirement and recovery from an on-stage heart attack. While this album is very good, his singular vision would be solidified on 2016's career-capping Blackstar.

D'Angelo & the Vanguard - Black Messiah (2014 | Previous Album: 2000's Voodoo) - If he was waiting until he had something to say, the dawn of the #BlackLivesMatter movement was a good time for D'Angelo to finally say it.

Television - Television (1992 | Previous Album: 1978's Adventure) - Jazzing up the sound of Marquee Moon by slowing the tempo and making brilliant use of space, Television's self-titled album turns out to be a minor masterpiece.

Dr. Dre - Compton (2015 | Previous Album: 1999's 2001) - Inspired by his own past, Dre is still not beyond challenging authority when others might suggest he fall in line. "Why the fuck are they after me?" he asks. Because even after a 16 year hiatus, Dre sounds downright dangerous.

The Who - Endless Wire (2006 | Previous Album: 1982's It's Hard) - The Who turns in a quietly-dignified, remarkably cohesive album, and easily their most inspired since Quadrophenia.