Various Artists - Shoe Fetish: A Tribute To Shoes

Artist: Various Artists Title: Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes Catalog#:Parasol-CD-065 Price: $12.00	Tracks on this CD:
	DM3 - Too Late
	Matthew Sweet - Karen
	Astropuppees - The Tube
	Bobby Sutliff - Turnaround (Windows Media)
	Doug Powell - She Satisfies
	Sparkle*Jets U.K. - Cruel You
	Cloud Eleven - Found A Girl
	The Lolas - I Can't Go Wrong
	Jeffrey Foskett - Your Very Eyes
	The Spongetones - Curiosity
	The Shazam - Hangin' Around With You
	Michael Carpenter - Love is Like a Bullet
	Al Chan - I Miss You
	The Masticators - Your Imagination
	Shane Faubert - I Don't Know Why
	Big Hello - Tomorrow Night
	Don Dixon & Marti Jones - Only in My Sleep
	Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings - If All I Had Was You
	LMNOP - Okay
	Matt Bruno - When Push Comes To Shove (Windows Media)
	Chewy Marble - The Things You Do
	The Tearaways with Scott McCarl - Never Had It Better

22 of today's top pure pop artists pay musical homage to legendary DIY power pop pioneers on Shoe Fetish: A Tribute to Shoes.

Artists such as Matthew Sweet, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, Scott McCarl (The Raspberries) and Jeffrey Foskett (vocalist/guitarist with Brian Wilson's current touring band) have recorded their versions of Shoetunes exclusively for this collection.

The songs covered include tracks from all phases of the Zion, Illinois-based Shoes' 25 year (!) recorded history, including nuggets from 1976's groundbreaking Black Vinyl Shoes album, as well as a generous helping of songs from the band's three Elektra Records releases.

photo: Todd Fedler

Other artists participating in the tribute---which was compiled and produced by music journalist John M. Borack---include some of the cream of the current indie pop scene: Australia's DM3 ("Too Late"), South Carolina's The Spongetones ("Curiosity"), Rubinoos bassist Al Chan ("I Miss You"), Nashville's The Shazam ("Hangin' Around With You") and Parasol recording artist Matt Bruno ("When Push Comes to Shove").

Contributors to Shoe Fetish

• DM3---Led by singer/songwriter Dom Mariani, DM3 is the preeminent Australian power pop combo.
• Matthew Sweet---Obviously, an artists who needs little or no introduction to those familiarwith indie pop, Sweet is one of the most commercially and artistically successful pop artists of the past decade.
• astroPuppees---Led by the gorgeous vocals of Kelley Ryan, the 'pups have two CD's available on Hightone Records.
• Bobby Sutliff---A founding member of '80s southern pop legends The Windbreakers, Sutliff has recently released a solo effort on Not Lame Recordings.
• Doug Powell---A former major label solo artist, Powell has most recently been heard as part of the pop supergroup Swag, which includes Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson.
• sparkle*jets u.k.---This Orange County, CA quartet is a favorite on the Los Angeles-area pop scene, where their fun, high-energy shows attract large crowds.
• Cloud Eleven---Rick Gallego and this Southern California gang of popsters sprinkle their dreamy, '60s-influenced psych-pop with a dose of new millenium guitar muscle.
• The Lolas---Emerging from the ashes of '90s punk-popsters The Shame Idols, The Lolas released their debut disc, Ballerina Breakout, in late 1999.
• Jeffrey Foskett---Whether it's serving as main vocalist in Brian Wilson's touring band or releasing his own stellar solo records (his latest, 12 x 12, features guest turns from Brian Wilson and Marshall Crenshaw), Foskett possesses one of the sweetest voices in pop.
• The Spongetones---A mainstay on the indie power pop scene since the early '80s, these southern dudes recently released Odd Fellows on Gadfly Records.
• The Shazam---A big 'ol monster of a pop/mod/glam band, The Shazam's three releases on Not Lame Recordings are legendary amongst fans of the genre, and also helped them to secure a record deal/live appearances in the UK, where they have played shows with the likes of Paul Weller.
• Michael Carpenter---One of Australia's leading pop proponents, Carpenter has released two excellent solo records and produces a variety of Aussie pop bands.
• Al Chan---A longtime member of power pop stalwarts The Rubinoos, Chan makes his solo debut on SHOE FETISH (with some backing vocal assistance from former Raspberries bassist Scott McCarl).
• The Masticators---One of the leading lights on the current Los Angeles-area pop scene, The Masticators are led by talented singer/songwriter Lisa Mychols.
• Shane Faubert---Former lead singer of NYC's The Cheepskates, Faubert has also released three excellent, low key solo albums.
• Big Hello---Mix former Elvis Brothers drummer Brad Elvis with sassy lead vocalist Chloe F.Orwell, and you have a sure recipe for pop success, which can be heard on their two full-length releases.
• Don Dixon & Marti Jones---The talented duo have a long career in the biz, including Dixon's long list of production credits and solo albums and Jones' excellent solo efforts.
• Walter Clevenger & the Dairy Kings---Hailing from Orange County, CA, Clevenger and his Kings have released two fine albums filled with cool, country-inflected pop sounds.
• LMNOP---A quirky, spunky pop aggregation from Georgia, LMNOP has been releasing thoughtful, hooky pop for nearly 20 years.
• Matt Bruno---Parasol Records recording artist Bruno topped many 2000 year-end "best of" lists with his beautiful, melodic pop masterpiece Punch & Beauty.
• Chewy Marble---Venerable L.A. popsters who are fronted by Brian Kassan (formerly of The Wondermints) and who have just released their second CD, Bowl of Surreal.
• The Tearaways with Scott McCarl---McCarl is the former bassist/vocalist with power pop legends The Raspberries. He's backed here by the Santa Barbara, CA combo The Tearaways, who have released three albums of their own on Pinch Hit Records.

REVIEWS

"I remember the raves back in the late 70's. Ira Robbins in Trouser Press. Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide (reprinted in Creem, of course). A Zion, Illinois band that recorded an allegedly great LP in their living room. I had to get it. But being a carless high schooler, and with no Internet to easily bring indie music to me, it wasn't until 1981 that I snagged *Black Vinyl Shoes*. The fuzzed guitars, the haunting vocals and the great songs made me a fan for life.
If any band is particularly well suited for a tribute, it's Shoes. Although they have a unique sound, it's not like Gary Klebe, John and Jeff Murphy can be cited for their incredible vocals or virtuoso playing. Each Shoes disc is a fine listen, but when you come down to it, Shoes are a singles band - the greatest singles band to never have a hit single. Heck, I probably play *Shoes Best* more than any of their proper albums.
This tribute LP is definitive proof of Shoes' stature as one of the quintessential powerpop bands. 22 artists step up to the plate and every performance is a hit, with a number of massive home runs. At the top of my list is Matthew Sweet's "Karen" - I never had thought of Sweet as being inspired by Shoes, but this excellent version illustrates that there is a definite melodic kinship. Likewise, Michael Carpenter's "Love Is Like A Bullet" sounds like one of his own tunes - a tribute to both Shoes and Carpenter, I'd say.
Some may quibble that there aren't many radical rearrangements of the tunes; I say, why mess with perfection? The changes are subtle - like Doug Powell's use of dynamics in the last verse of "She Satisfies" (and Powell's drumming is incredible), or the gloss of new waveyness that Sparkle * Jets U.K. apply on their knock out turn at "Cruel You".
The songs also sound just fine in the hands of unique stylists. Check out how well "I Don't Know Why" fits the soft folk-pop approach of the perennially underrated Shane Faubert. And roots rock royalty Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings conquer "If All I Had Was You" just fine. Like your Shoes hickory smoked and slathered with Cheap Trick sauce and drawl? Advance to The Shazam's "Hangin' Around With You". Meanwhile, Astropuppees ("The Tube") and Big Hello ("Tomorrow Night") show that Shoes tunes are like Irish Spring - made for a man, but the ladies like 'em too.
I would not be surprised if I play this record more often than some of my Shoes records. One hallmark of Shoes albums was the incredible consistency of their sound. On this tribute you get the best of both worlds - one well-written song after the other and a variety of performance styles. This easily ranks up there with the excellent Bee Gees and Hollies tributes. Let's have a sequel!" -Mike Bennett fufkin.com