All aboard
Revisiting the Sloop John B. and other single-ular delights
THE SUCCESSFUL FAILURES - “Sloop John B.” (Bandcamp)
In one of those odd coincidences that makes you wonder about fate, Trenton’s long-lived Americana collective The Successive Failures released this tribute to the Beach Boys’ harmonic cover of “Sloop John B.” just a week before Brian Wilson passed away
Sherlock Holmes defined genius as “the infinite capacity for taking pains,” and while that certainly applies to Wilson, this cover also gets a lot of little things right, while also adding a stamp of originality. “Sloop John B.” was a pleasant Bahamian folk song that Brian Wilson turned into a work of art, and the Successful Failures - knowing they’d never top Wilson’s version - borrow little bits of his arrangement and production, supplying their own harmonies and some graceful accompaniment. If you’re feeling bad about losing one of music’s all-time greats, give this a listen and smile. Brian would like that, I think.
While we’re on the topic, here’s another cool Beach Boys cover from a few years ago.
EDDIE KAMENITZER - “Teller’s Journal” (Self-released)
North Jersey songsmith Eddie Kamenitzer is releasing this track on Father’s Day, June 15. “It's a song about the inner struggle of sharing your inner struggle,” he said. “As a father, it felt like Father's Day was a good day to release this one.”
And if Dad’s a Deadhead, even better. Kamenitzer’s mellow vocal, set to a rollicking folk-rock melody, ponders life’s mysteries and missed connections and hopes that “one day I’ll figure it out.” There’s a tapestry of picked guitars and an undercurrent of electric organ, and when the band gets to noodle between verses and in the fade out, it’s like the Dead and Allman Brothers decided to jam on the back porch, not nostalgic so much as just reminiscent of a sound and a style. I like songs that make you feel good. Feel free to enhance the experience with the pharmaceuticals of your choice.
DEADGUY - “War With Strangers” (Relapse)
There aren’t that many Jersey bands I’d unhesitatingly called “legendary” but Deadguy definitely makes the list, bridging the gap between hardcore, metal, and pure frenzied psychosis. After a mere 30-year hiatus, they’re back, looking a little worse for wear but just as unremittingly heavy as ever. “War With Strangers” is the first taste of their forthcoming album, Near-Death Travel Services, and I’m not even going to try to review it. Just buckle your seat belts and watch the video. They’ll be playing at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ on July 12 and a Rough Trade Records in NYC on July 13.