Two for Tuesday, 2/15/11

Alan Bernhoft-Beatlesque Three. Bernhoft is back with the latest installment in his "Beatlesque" series. The first two primarily mined the early Beatles sound, so he's moved on to the Sgt Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour/White Album era on this batch. The results are engaging, with the McCartney side of things represented with "Sunny Sky", which doesn't have a direct Beatles counterpart, and "Honey Love", which does recall "Honey Pie" with its old-timey opening. Lennon is given voice with "Bored", which draws on "I Am the Walrus" for inspiration, and "Say in Silence", which has a "Dear Prudence" vibe. And is "Chun Li" Bernhoft's answer to Yoko Ono? Finally, no nakedly Beatlesque effort like this is complete without a song titled "Colliding Circles", the name of a supposed long-lost Beatles track. It's all fun, in a Rutles-esque kind of way.

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Poplord-Poplord vs The Universe. Also back with a new disc is California's Poplord, whom we last heard from in 2008's Full/Filled. Here they continue with their bright power pop influenced by the likes of Squeeze, XTC, and Elvis Costello. "Flower Bomb" is the kind of clever, catchy track those three artists have been known for, as is "Death", probably the happiest-sounding song to bear that name. "Save the Monkey" is possibly the best thing here, with its wisecracking lyrics, playful synths, and amusing falsetto chorus. It sounds like a lost college radio track from the 80s, back before the hipsters took over. Elsewhere, "Mr. Wesley" has the feel of a Kinks' character sketch, and "CD Closer" serves nicely as a cd closer and a meta-commentary. A fine return, and I for one welcome our new Poplord album.

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CD of the Day, 9/29/08: Alan Bernhoft-Beatlesque One

LA's Alan Bernhoft is a veteran music pro who's played in a punk band, written rock musicals, scored movies and released a children's album, just for starters. Along the way, he's recorded a number of tracks that are yes, Beatlesque, and he's compiled them here in Beatlesque One. So while there's no mystery as to the operative sound here, the question remains: just how good are these "Beatlesque" tracks?

Answer: Pretty darn good. Bernhoft covers most of the Beatle era in sound here, so the effect is not unlike a Rutles album. "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" is the leadoff track, and it perfectly captures the Early Beatle sound and is quite reminiscent of "Leave My Kitten Alone". "Magic Everywhere" would be at home in the mid-period of Rubber Soul and Revolver, and "Someday" and "Sunshine Girl" are dead ringers for some of McCartney's more playful moments while "Winter Ocean Mary Go Round" hints at Lennonesque psychedelia. Perhaps the standout track is "Growing Older", which has an "Eleanor Rigby"-like melody in the verses (without the strings) and then merges it with an "I've Just Seen a Face"-like chorus. The disc closes with three children's tracks, but are quite enjoyable on their own terms. As the producer of an independent movie about McCartney noted, "We couldn't afford The Beatles' music, so we got the next best thing- Alan Bernhoft", and if your tastes run more to the whimsical McCartney side of the Beatles, Beatlesque One should be Number One on your list to get.

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