Spindle - Long Road Home (www.sonicbids.com/spindle6)
I know I'm obsessing a little, but here's
another good reason for vinyl records making
a comeback! A "spindle," my friend,
is what a record is put on to hold it in place
on a turntable, so Spindle gets a gazillion
points for such a cool name. And, what about
the music on Long Road Home, you
ask? Another gazillion points! Each track
assumes its own sonic identity. "Summer
Should Remember" mingles a lazy, waltz
cadence with a lush psychedelic effect, much
like the way The Magic Numbers or Coldplay
can take a song and stretch into various shapes
and forms, opening up your imagination. The
easy swing of "Hope Is Gone," balances
the jittery, rockish rhythms, and solid harmonies
of the title song, "Long Road Home."
What holds these 14 songs together is Spindle's
unwavering emotional commitment. They confront
both their personal and emotional needs emerging
hopeful, getting where they need to go, despite
the detours. - Phil Rainone
Blank
Pages - On My Street (fdrlabel.com)
FDR Records seems to be one of the coolest
bastions of pop rock/punk music around! Featuring
bands like, The Dipsomaniacs, Successful Failures,
and others, the Blank Pages sound like they
took over where The Rubinoos and Bebop Deluxe
left off. This is smart, pop rock with a Cheap
Trick edge. Extremely well-wrought tunes like
"Easily Misled," and "Last
Goodbye," are very songful with melodies
and harmonies that bubble over, and are Raspberries-worthy!
We're definitely taking about a monstrous
rock & roll band here: Each track surfs
on a vast groove, over which a rhythm section
with answering guitars shimmers, pretending
like the 90's never happened. If only everyone's
world was as bitchin' as the Blank Pages.
This is rock & roll for modern pop heads!
- Phil Rainone
CD Reviews 
