- The Bangles - Sweetheart of the Sun (Model Music) Rating: 7 (out of 10)
Barney Hoskyns' brilliant history of L.A. pop Waiting for the Sun (Strange Days, Weird Scenes and the Sound of Los Angeles) starts way before The Bangles came on to the scene but the "all-girl group" do get mentioned as significant players in his survey of the '80s.
They were originally part of the Los Angeles Paisley Underground scene along with other bands such as Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade and Mazzy Star who were all influenced by the psychedelic rock and jangle pop of the '60s.
The Bangles were quite happy sharing bills with other bands and just hanging out on Sunset Boulevard before they hit it big with "Hero Takes a Fall" off their 1984 Columbia debut album, All Over the Place, featuring Susanna Hoffs on lead vocals. That changed everything.
Being big Beatles fans The Bangles built their sound democratically with each member getting their time in the spotlight writing songs and singing lead. Even today, decades after they first started out, Hoffs and the Peterson sisters still share the front of the stage.
Even though the band have put out few albums as a unit (and have broken up on at least one occasion) Hoffs has kept busy with other projects including solo projects and her ongoing Under the Covers releases with Matthew Sweet as Sid and Susie.
As a duo Hoffs and Sweet have honed their passion for guitar-based rock over several albums, like a West Coast version of Alex Chilton's Big Star, and that same spark is evident in Sweetheart of the Sun, which was produced by Sweet.
At their best, on tracks like "Under A Cloud" The Bangles build on L.A.'s pop legacy with no signs of slowing down.
Hoffs is reportedly also working on another solo album and Vol. 3 of Sid and Susie's Under the Cover series. Can't wait.
NEW RELEASES
Nov. 8
Cass McCombs - Humor
Risk; Sigur Ros - Inni (Live
CD/DVD); David Lynch -
Crazy Clown Time; Meshell
Ndegeocello - Weather.
Nov. 15
Drake - Take Care; Tegan & Sara - Take Care (Live CD/DVD).
Nov. 22
Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow; Rihanna - Talk That Talk; Mary J. Blige
- My Life II ... The Journey Continues (Act 1); Common
- The Dream, The Believer.
Nov. 29
Curren$y - Jet Life World Order.
Dec. 6
The Black Keys
- El Camino; The Roots
- Undun; Amy Winehouse
- Lioness: Hidden Treasures.
Feb. 7/2012
The Lemonheads - Hotel Treasures.
