Review: IKE "The Little People, Church, And The Steeple"

Rock/Powerpop
John Faye and company are back with a new record, "The Little People, Church & The Steeple”. The new release is essentially an EP of 5 new songs, but the second half consists of acoustic versions of the new tunes. For the uninitiated, we’ve been long time fans of Faye, whether in the context of his first major band, The Caulfields, IKE, or his solo projects, the most recent of which found him teamed with Brittany Rotondo (reviewed here).

We last heard from IKE with the stellar 2010 release, “Tie The Knot With All That You Got” (reviewed here). "The Little People, Church & The Steeple” continues to refine Faye’s penchant for crunchy riffs and sticky hooks, with plenty of his trademark wise-cracking lyrics. IKE roars back into action with the appropriate opener, “Rock and Roll Dreams” – an in-your-face arena-ready rocker with a tongue-in-cheek message about the music business. “Dead To Me” is vintage Faye, with its steady beat and surf guitar riff recalling the magic of his early Caulfields work. “If I Can Help It” is a majestic power ballad that allows Faye’s vocals to soar to new heights, but truly is a testament to the explosive chemistry in the IKE lineup. Perhaps my favorite tune is “Glorious Mistake”, a pleasant mid-tempo rocker that is instantly likeable. The final new tune here is “Just Like That”, which begins with its infectious chant of a chorus before slipping into its crunchy powerchord verse. These five songs are repeated with nothing but voice and guitar, giving us a glimpse into what IKE sounds like in the coffeehouse. Stripped down to their bare bones, this format reveals the simplistic beauty in IKE’s songwriting that manages to hit the right buttons every time.

IKE – Facebook

Review: John and Brittany “John and Brittany” [EP]

Rock/Powerpop
John Faye and Brittany Rotondo comprise this songwriting duo from Philadelphia, PA. John Faye is no stranger to fans of BMF - formerly of the Caulfields and current frontman of IKE, he is simply one of the finest powerpop and rock artists around these days. In 2008, Faye met Rotondo and they hit it off instantly with their mutual love of the Beatles and the Ramones. They soon found themselves writing songs together, including "Last Act", which was included on IKE's latest release, "Tie The Knot With All That You Got" (reviewed here). In addition to their duo performances, John and Brittany have also started working with a full band, featuring Jay Miraglia on drums and Mike Vivas on bass. The group released their upbeat first single "Devil's Allure" in December of 2010 and now it is included with five other tracks on their self-titled debut EP.

In case you’re wondering, Faye takes the vocal duties here and Rotondo lends expert songwriting and guitar support. Faye’s years of powerpop experience shine through on each one of these infectious tracks, beginning with the driving spirit of “Dead Dog”. As if the chorus wasn’t tempting you enough to sing along, his affable harmonies step in to take it up a notch. “Dead Dog” is vintage John Faye and will appease fans of IKE. For those who like a darker sound, be sure to check out “Land Of The Unforgiven”. “Fancy Dance” is a pleasant get up and get on with it ballad with affable backing vocals and lovely 80s-inspired lead work – I like this one a lot. Closing track “Queen Of Mean” ends things on an upbeat note with sharp lyrics and one of the most instantly likeable choruses on the EP – not to mention and outstanding vocal performance.

Fans of John Faye, particularly of his work in IKE, should love this new project. For those who haven’t acquainted themselves with Faye yet, there’s no better time than the present and this little EP with Rotondo is a great starting point.

John and Brittany – Facebook.

Interview: John Faye of IKE

My interview with John Faye of IKE is now posted at Rock and Roll Report. Check it out!

Here is the review of their new record, "Tie the Knot With All That You Got" in case you missed it.

Review: IKE “Tie The Knot With All That You Got”

John Faye and IKE break open the new decade with another winning record, “Tie The Knot With All That You Got”. This record sees a personnel change (longtime bassist Joann Schmidt has departed), but the one constant thing about IKE is that they never fail to deliver a fine collection of new pop rock gems. The 2010 version of IKE includes John Faye of course on lead vocals and guitar, Brett Talley on lead guitar and backing vocals, Tommy Kristich on drums, and Susie Steen on bass.

For those less familiar with IKE, frontman John Faye used to be in the fantastic yet grossly underrated 90s band, The Caulfields. Upon their break-up, John Faye released a solo effort (The John Faye Power Trip), with another power pop master, Cliff Hillis, on board. Incidentally, Hillis was also a member of IKE for their first two records, “Parallel Universe” and “In Real Life”. But I digress – how is “Tie The Knot With All That You Got”?

Thematically, IKE describes the new release as: "Breakin' up is hard to do, but IKE breaks on through to the other side, confronting big-ticket subjects like the decline and rebirth of love, mortality, and hypocrisy". From the opening hand claps to the perfect harmonies in the final “Why?” chorus, IKE takes you for another thrilling spin on their trademark crunchy rock ride. The title track kicks things off, and is well suited to setting the stage, being one of the most infectious and energetic tracks IKE has recorded of late. The great tunes keep coming at you with “Set You In Stone” and my favorite off the record, “1-Way To Avalon”. “Latitude” is another particularly strong song, a sure-fire winning power ballad. I’d also like to call your attention to the outstanding “Where Did You Come From?“, arguably the most radio-friendly song on the record. We’re also treated to a rather rare, stripped down version of IKE on the album’s infectious closer, the acoustic-based “Aftermath”.

Yet again IKE delivers track after track of melodic rock ear candy. The band has an excellent chemistry and John Faye proves he still has some of the best pipes and songwriting instincts in the genre. It is very early in the year, but IKE has set the bar high and is the band to beat for one of the best records of 2010.

IKE will satisfy fans of Better Than Ezra to Dashboard Confessional - and any band in-between.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13

IKE on MySpace. Official site. Get it.

Don’t miss my interview with John Faye on Rock and Roll Report – click here!

Review: Cliff Hillis "The Long Now"

Some people are so full of talent that it almost seems unfair. Cliff Hillis has such a monopoly on talent: a consistently wonderful songwriter, tasteful guitarist, and smooth vocalist. "The Long Now", named after an intriguing Foundation of the same name, is Cliff's third solo release. Prior to his trio of solo records, he built his musical muscle with one of my favorite power pop bands, IKE/John Faye Power Trip.

"The Long Now" finds Cliff more serious and matured; this can be detected in the subject matter covered by the lyrics and what some would call a more "seasoned" musical feel. The tunes just ease right into the ears and the melodies impress gently on the brain. Like other records by Cliff, "The Long Now" charms quickly, with Cliff's soothing voice more hypnotic than ever. The release has a more laid back feel with a lot of mid-tempo and breezy numbers, but there are some kick ass rockers too, like "Northern Lights" and the smoldering closer, "Faded Star".

The CD features an outstanding collection of collaborators that are no strangers to pop rock. One of my songwriting heroes, Danny Wilde, co-wrote "Northern Lights" and "She Sees", both of which would have fit nicely on The Rembrandts' "Untitled" release. Kyf Brewer (Ravyns, Company of Wolves) does his thing on "All For The Sake" and "Shake Me Down". Eric Bazilian (The Hooters) joins in to solo on "All For The Sake", and Cliff's old Caulfields colleague, Ritchie Rubini is a heavy contributor.

This is an artist who strives for the best and avoids filler on his records. In the spirit of pop wizards like Paul McCartney, Glenn Tilbrook, or Danny Wilde, Cliff Hillis continues to be inviting and accessible while expanding his horizons as an artist. It did not take long at all for "The Long Now" to now be a favorite of mine.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11

Cliff Hillis on MySpace. Official Site.

Review: IKE "Where To Begin"

IKE has outdone themselves with this new release entitled, "Where To Begin." And I am very glad...I found the last release (2005's "In Real Life") to be subpar for John Faye, one of my favorite power pop singer/songwriters. On top of that, some significant personnel changes have occurred, including the departure of Cliff Hillis, who always provided excellent harmonies with John, and is an outstanding songwriter in his own right. So I was nervous about what the new version of IKE was going to sound like.

But IKE is back and then some, with the most consistently strong batch of songs I've heard on any CD in a long time. Starting with track 1, the hooks just stick right in you and don't let go. Crunchy guitars, arena rock choruses, witty lyrics, and sweet harmonies...what is there not to love? IKE's sound has been given a boost and John is singing better and more confidently than ever before.

If you have never heard of John Faye, or his older band The Caulfields, and you love power pop and rock, you've got to check out IKE. They have shared the stage with Bon Jovi, REM, Cracker, Butch Walker, Train, Better Than Ezra, Matthew Sweet and more...if you like any of those artists, you would surely dig IKE.

iPOD-worthy: 1-5, 7, 8, 13, 14

IKE at MySpace. Official site.