The
Rainbow Quartz roster is packed with guitar pop bands
heavy with 60’s psych influences, Rockfour and
Outrageous Cherry two of the better-known practitioners.
However, a few bands stray from the formula, my favorite
being Norway’s The Jessica Fletchers. The ‘60s
influence still colors the proceedings but it’s
more Kinks circa 1965 than Sgt. Peppers and the Summer
of Love. The band’s new disc, “Less Sophistication,” is
actually more “sophisticated” than the
band’s highly recommended U.S. debut “Whatever
Happened To…” The first track, “It
Happens Tonight” eschews The Jessica Fletchers’ prominent
Kinks-esque guitar riffs for a pounding piano reminiscent
of the Zombies early beat hits. Track three, “Get
Connected,” takes the Zombies theme further fusing
an obvious “Time of the Season” verse homage
to an all-in-one “Odessey & Oracle” chorus
and piano solo. But, just as the band seems headed
full-on toward the ‘70s, “Summer Holiday & Me” kicks
in with some rawkus Davies riffmaking. I’ve seen
this one played live and it’s all harmony backing
vocals and crashing pop melody. Labelmates The High
Dials are the current Rainbow Quartz band “most
likely to,” but if The Jessica Fletchers were
from Montreal and played a sitar live on stage, my
money would be on “Less Sophistication.”
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| |
| Past
Picks: |
| Michael |
Cardinal Self-Titled
[re-issue]
|
| Roy |
Starflyer
59 The Last Laurel EP
|
| Angie |
Maria
Taylor 11:11
|
| Jim |
Celestine
Between Bedtime And Sunrise
|
| Jim |
Frida
Hyvonen Until Death Comes |
| Angie |
Jennifer
O'Connor The Color And The Lights |
| Jim |
Moneybrother To
Die Alone |
| Michael |
Dungen Self-Titled+bonus
tracks |
| Geoff |
Various
Yellow Pills: Prefill |
| Roy |
The
Perishers Let There Be Morning |
| Shadie |
The
Antarcticans Self-Titled |
| Geoff |
The
Music Maker Label |
| Michael |
Black
Bonzo Self-Titled |
| Jim |
The
Soundtrack of Our Lives Origin Vol.
1 |
| Michael |
Mars
Volta Frances The Mute |
| Jim |
Dead
Cowboys Twin Evil Stars |
| Michael |
Antony
and the Johnsons I am a bird Now |
| Roy |
Frank
Lenz Conquest Slaughter |
| Geoff |
Teenage
Fanclub Grand Prix |
| Michael |
AK-Momo Return
To N.Y. |
| Michael |
Johan Pergola |
| Angie |
Rilo
Kiley More Adventurous |
| Jim |
Hederos & Hellberg Together
In The Darkness |
| Michael |
Melon
Galia Les Embarras Du Quotidien |
| Roy |
Dinosaur
Jr Green Mind |
| Lisa |
Union
Carbide Productions Remastered To Be Recycled |
| Geoff |
Eccentric
Soul: The Capsoul Label |
| Angie |
Tegan & Sara So
Jealous |
| Jim |
The
Gun Club The Las Vegas Story |
| Bill |
Grifters Crappin'
You Negative |
| Geoff |
Ric
Menck The Ballad of Ric Menck |
| Angie |
Concrete
Blonde Concrete Blonde |
| Bill |
Secret
Machines Now
Here Is Nowhere |
| Roy |
Isis Oceanic |
| Michael |
Marjorie
Fair Self Help Serenade |
| Bill |
Didjits Hornet
Piñata |
| Angie |
Gina
Villalobos Rock N' Roll Pony |
| Geoff |
Honcho
Overload "Singles" |
| Jim |
The
Knife "The
Knife" |
| Roy |
Seam "The
Problem With Me" |
| Michael |
The
Hellacopters "By
the Grace Of God" |
| Jared |
The
13th Floor Elevators "The
Psychedelic Sounds Of..." |
| Bill |
Bettie
Serveert "Palomine" |
| Geoff |
Mojo magazine |
| Angie |
Loretta
Lynn "Van Lear Rose" |
| Roy |
Boy's
Life "Departures & Landfalls" |
| Jim |
V/A "Accelerator" |
| Michael |
Devendra
Banhart "Rejoicing
In The Hands" |
| Jared |
Dead
Kennedys "Plastic
Surgery Disasters" |
| Jim |
KVLR "KVLR" |
| Angie |
Liquorette "When
You Work I Sleep" |
| Roy |
Buffalo
Tom "S/T" |
| Michael |
José González "Veneer" |
| Jared |
Björn
Olsson "S/T
(The Crab)" |
| Michael |
Starsailor "Silence
Is Easy" |
| Jim |
Hip
Whips "Hip
Whips" |
| Bill |
Echo & The
Bunnymen |
| Geoff |
Willie
Nelson "Crazy" |
| Jim |
Leopold "Dreaming
Is For Anyone" |
| Angie |
Easterly "S/T" |
| Jim |
The
Concretes "S/T" |
| Roy |
Ron
Sexsmith "Other
Songs" |
| Michael |
Wal
Light "Let's
Wake Up Somewhere Else" |
| Jared |
The
Cure "Kiss
Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" |
| Bill |
June & the
Exit Wounds |
| Geoff |
Langley
Schools Music Project "Innocence
and Despair" |
| Roy |
Wayne
Everett "Kingsqueens" |
| Angie |
88
Magic "Gere
Played Piano" |
| Jim |
Motorpsycho "It's
A Love Cult" |
| Roy |
Pelican "Untitled
EP" |
| Michael |
Josh
Rouse "1972" |
| Jared |
Adam & the
Ants "Kings
of the Wild Frontier" |
| Bill |
Bright "S/T" |
| Geoff |
Unbunny "Black
Strawberries" |
| Angie |
The
Fiery Furnaces "Gallowsbird's
Bark" |
| Jim |
The
Crystal Committee "Forever
Overhead" |
| Sally |
The
Aislers Set "How
I Learned To Write Backwards" |
| Roy |
The
Weakerthans "Reconstruction
Site" |
| Michael |
Sukilove "Sukilove" |
| Jared |
Kiss "Destroyer" |
| Bill |
Mars
Volta "De-Loused
In the Comatorium" |
| Geoff |
Let's
Active "Cypress/Affoot" |
| Angie |
Trembling
Blue Stars "A
Certain Evening Light" |
