THE FLOWER LANE BY DUCKTAILS

The Flower Lane by Ducktails

On 2013's The Flower Lane, New Jersey's Ducktails creates one of the most ethereal—and one of the best—indie rock releases I've heard in a really long time.  It's not quite mindblowing, but it's somewhere between very good and mindblowing. Thanks to the cracky lead guitar riffs, chorus-filled rhythm guitars, buttery vocals and synths that glimmer like neon lights, I'd file The Flower Lane under "excellent."

One thing that this band does really well is creating rhythmic, kaleidescope-y passages making many tracks that are only four minutes feel like seven minute epics.  And it's always interesting.  There isn't a dull moment on this album, but Ducktails had my undivided attention during "Under Cover," "Timothy Shy," "Assistant Director" and "Letter of Intent." 

If this doesn't end up being on my Best of 2013 list, then we're in for a great summer!

The Flower Lane by Ducktails

SINGLES GOING STEADY: SOUNDTRACK OF MY SUMMER BY MIKE VIOLA

Mike Viola

If someone ever decides to remake the musical Grease and replace the old tunes with newer, original material, Mike Viola's "Soundtrack of My Summer"  would be the updated version of "Sandy."  Melodically, there are plenty of similarities and the lyrical sentiment of Viola's song has that same melancholy, broken-hearted feeling of the Grease favorite.

Mike Viola is no stranger to writing songs for movies.  He has written some hilarious pop songs, including "Furry Walls" and "African Child," the controversial hits that Russell Brand's character Aldous Snow sings in the movie Get Him To The Greek.  He's also responsible for about one half of the seriously funny soundtrack to the movie Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

But, make no mistake, Viola is no novelty songwriter.  Keep in mind, he was hired to write ridiculous tunes for those movies. The reason the producers chose him over someone else is because he is a gifted songster who seems to come up with affecting material effortlessly.

"Soundtrack of My Summer" rides that line between solid-album track and hit song.  One thing I like about Viola is that he has an ability to trick you into thinking he's going in one direction but, instead chooses to go somewhere pleasantly different.

What do I mean by that? Well, take the first verse, for example.  It begins with "A dreamer/ Who's forgotten how to dream."  Cool.  

The next line is  "a singer..."

I'm willing to bet that most listeners will anticipate the following line to be "who's forgotten how to sing." Indeed, that would be boring and predictable. But, instead Viola cries "a singer/ when no one's listening."  Much better!

Soundtrack of My Summer by Mike Viola 

Does his voice sound familiar to you? Perhaps it's because you heard him sing lead vocals on this movie hit—which, was written by Adam Schlesinger (NOT Mike Viola)! 

SINGLES GOING STEADY: "ALL I WANNA DO" BY SHERYL CROW

Hottie...I mean, Sheryl Crow

Back in 1993, I was four-years old.  Here's some things I remember about being four:

1. The man my parents listened to was named James Taylor.

2. The woman my parents listened to was named Carly Simon.

3. James Taylor and Carly Simon were married just like my mom and dad.

4. Unlike my mom and dad, James Taylor and Carly Simon decided to get a divorce.

5. Divorce is when moms and dads decide they don't want to live together anymore.

6. Divorce is scary!

7. I wished no one ever told me what divorce was. 

8. I hoped my mom and dad would never get divorced.

9. The toys in happy meals weren't anywhere near as good the toys I'd get for my birthday.

10. The Cheesecake Factory wasn't anywhere near as good as McDonalds.

11. Anyone who thought Burger King was better than Mcdonalds was dumber than Barney.

12. Very few things were dumber than Barney.   

The thing I have intentionally saved to tell you last is that I had a crush on Sheryl Crow.  It's been 20 years and I still love the song "All I Wanna Do."

Heres a series of Fun-Facts: 

Fun Fact: I once asked my mom if she could call Sheryl Crow to see if "she wanted to have fun with me."

Fun Fact: Not much has changed. I'd still like to have fun with Sheryl Crow.

Fun Fact: I wouldn't realize this until years later, but Crow's sexy, street-smart lyrics, singing and melodies made her the Rickie Lee Jones of the 90's.

Fun Fact: The so-called "Dean of American Rock Critics," Robert Christgau rated the song's corresponding album a   — aka, "it might impress with consisting craft or an arresting track or two.  Then it won't."

Fun Fact: If Robert Christgau knew jack shit about playing music or writing songs, he would be a (multi) Grammy-Award winning, multi-platinum artist like Sheryl Crow instead of a not that clever, intentional over-simplifier like Robert Chritstgau. 

Fun Fact: Since Robert Christgau has never attempted to play music—unlike some other (better) critics—he only thinks he knows what he is talking about.  

Fun Fact: An incredibly successful and largely acclaimed singer/songwriter knows more about what's good in music than someone who writes for The Village Voice—or someone who owns and operates a blog called www.jamiedoesmusic.com.

Fun Fact: I would trust Sheryl Crow's opinion about the most avant-garde, least poppy music over Robert Christgau's opinion any day.  

Fun Fact: The public said—a whopping 7.6 million times—that they loved Sheryl Crow and her debut album  Tuesday Night Music Club.  That's 7.6 million people who were impressed, Mr. Christgau.

Fun Fact: The record-buying public always knows what they're talking about, because they are listening with their ears and not their brains.  

The best parts of "All I Wanna Do" are (in chronological order):

1. When she says "Hit It."

2. When she begins playing the addicting, funky guitar riff.

3. When she sings the verse and extends it for as long as possible—Truth: This is extremely Bob Dylan-esque. 

4. When the guitar slides, introducing the pre-chorus. 

5. When she sings the chorus.

6. The drum fill before the song begins an outro (4:16)—nice work, Brian MacLeod.

7. The slower rhythm in the end combined with the heavenly 70's-style fender rhodes.

"All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow

Like I said earlier, Sheryl Crow was the "Rickie Lee Jones Of The 90's"