Highlight Tracks: "La Tormenta" and "Pun Tango"
For More Info: Visit http://www.northernblues.com or http://www.james-cohen.com
Artist: SMOKING POPES
Album: The Party's Over
The Scoop: The party indeed ended for Chicago's Smoking Popes, who split up after not achieving quite the mainstream success that Capitol Records envisioned when they signed them. Their punk-influenced power-pop spawned a couple of near-hits like "Need You Around" and frontman Josh Caterer earned numerable enviable comparisons to a caffeinated Morrissey. For their final studio recording, the band decided to their own renditions of songs popularized by the likes of Patsy Cline, Rodgers and Hart and Judy Garland. Capitol blanched then balked when they heard the results, but The Party's Over plays out like the coolest school dance imaginable. Josh Caterer has the perfect vintage croon for interpretating this sort of material and the album is a pleasure to hear because it's clear the band doesn't take themselves too seriously but that they do take the songs seriously. Whether slow-dance number ("Stormy Weather") or peppy bouncer ("Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart"), The Party's Over sure is fun while it lasts.Highlight Tracks: The title track and "Seven Lonely Days"
Also Noteworthy: Also newly released is a Smoking Popes tribute album, fittingly entitled Tribute. The album includes The Red Hot Valentines and Bad Astronaut, as well as Duvall (Josh and Eli Caterer's new band) and a solo track by Popes drummer Mike Felumlee.
For More Info: Hop over to http://www.smokingpopes.net or http://www.suburbanhomerecords.com
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