Written by Carlos Redondo

Artist Name: Legal Tender

Album Title: Carbon McCartney

Format: CD

Official Site: http://mcmlegaltender.com

Country: United States

Whether or not Legal Tender acquired their name from the classic B-52′s song is something I have no answer for, but I can safely assume that Carbon McCartney is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the band’s uncanny likeness to the vintage Beatles sound. And, no, don’t even bring up Oasis, who actually knocked off the Rolling Stones’ swagger as much as they did the Beatles’ boyish harmonies. On “Hey Little Girl” and “Tears Away,” vocalist Eric Ross Davenport manages to echo the flawless McCartney/Lennon style without looking like a, ahem, carbon copy. I don’t think this is much a ’60s retread as it is a statement against how dull and pointlessly angry rock & roll has become since that golden age.

Davenport is obviously having a ball here, and it translates to the listener. We pick up on his happiness and enthusiasm, his love for British Invasion pop, glam rock, psychedelia, and even ’70s heavy metal. Notice how cranked up the guitars are on “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” but remains absolutely melodic. That’s how the English used to play them, kids; dig up your papa’s Mott the Hoople and Sweet records and you’ll see what world (obviously, Ziggy Stardust’s homeland) where Davenport is coming from. Engaging, life-affirming, exhilarating, fun, uplifting: If we can carbon copy more McCartneys like Legal Tender, it’d be a better world.

Written by Carlos Redondo

Artist Name: Eggshell Egoz

Album Title: Funky Poetz

Format: CD

Official Site: http://www.eggshellegoz.com

Country: United States

A group such as Eggshell Egoz could only have originated from California. This jumpy, infectiously giddy band marries the white funk of the Red Hot Chili Peppers with the singalong pop hooks of the Barenaked Ladies and the sun-baked lethargy of Sublime. Want to become an instant Egoz fan? Listen to “Slippery Slime” first on headphones; let the stainless-steel bass lines and pumping drums invade your ear space and throw a party. Then cut to “Simple Toys” with its fuzzy, grungy riffs that lean towards psychedelia. These guys are unable to contain themselves on record; you can almost sense that they are sweating from all the energy they’re burning here.

Vocalist Dave Whitton has a pleasant, soulful voice that works as a way of cooling off the hotbed of funk ‘n’ roll from his bandmates; it helps to give the songs balance and for listeners to catch their breath. When you have a tune as crazy as “Environmentalist” (echoing Fishbone’s most party-hard moments), you need an anchor to reel in the uninitiated, and Whitton provides that key. I don’t know how poetic Eggshell Egoz are, but they are funky without question.