Stars After Stars After Stars

Americana UK Review of "There's No Sound In Flutes"

Spike Priggen “There’s No Sound in Flutes” (Re-action Recordings 2006)

Three times is definitely a charm

Jarvis Cocker recently asked what the point of writing about music is; well one of them is to pass on the virus when a record like this infects you, to get the word out for artists who deserve to have a massive audience. Spike deserves to be appreciated; he makes the kind of joyous intelligent music that should be a common denominator amongst music lovers of every stripe, the kind of thing that if someone doesn’t like then you think that they can’t like music. I feel bad for not owning his previous two efforts.

Each song is a mini-symphony to love crammed full of detail; like Matthew Sweet he is able to marry the discordant and the melodious into a satisfying whole. ‘Hideaway’ has corkscrewing lead guitar sparking above a bank of strings and sounds brilliant. After the drums usher in ‘I Know Everything’ and the melody takes over, you are in pop heaven; the hits keep on coming like a fantasy jukebox - ‘Everyone Loves Me but You’ draws on 50 years of pop history to deliver a succinct treatise on the put-down song.

Just to prove he doesn’t need to travel at warp speed to be effective, throw in a ballad ‘Disappointing Everyone’ with gentle strings, cool guitar and you’re devastated - or he picks up the acoustic for ‘The Only Girl (in the World),’ adds some fiddle and slide guitar and gives it a country feel. Crank up the balladry a notch, add in some flowing strings and you have ‘I’m So Glad You Broke My Heart,’ where big is definitely beautiful. Don’t forget the jangle pop though - ‘RIP Green Eyes’ finds some ground between REM, the Feelies and Kevin Tihista and fills it with a garden of power pop where sunshine vocals, chiming blooms of guitar and breezes of orchestration provide the perfect setting for the song. I hope that my words will make a few of you investigate further. Link.

TransformOnline Review of "There's No Sound In Flutes"

Spike Priggen "There's No Sound in Flutes!"
By Tim Den

Uplifting sad songs that both rock and comfort.

"Even though there are far too few of us left, fans of standard-yet-smart guitar pop a la Jason Falkner, Jon Brion, The Kinks, etc. will be glad to know that guys such as Spike Priggen are still out there penning uplifting sad songs that both rock and comfort. Think of that crunchy Fender Twin sound with just the right touch of distortion, combined with eloquent vocals that speak in delicious, melodic lines, and throw in nooks-and-cranny lead breaks / drum fills / backup harmonies… voila! Catchy songs that are packed with sophisticated hooks, reeking of timeless relevance. Whatever happened to songs like these? Look around you: aside from Ben Folds and The Cardigans (who can’t even get a U.S. deal these days), are there any acts left who haven’t abandoned craft for gimmickry? Spike Priggen doesn’t use dance beats, wear mascara, rip off Joy Division, or rape synthesizers like useless electroclash fuckfaces: he has spent his entire life playing with giants (Jon Brion, DJ Dmitri, members of Laura Cantrell’s band, even Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos), and his material shows. There is a familiarity in his tunes because your subconscious remembers a time when “pop rock” was a compliment and not a dirty, “unhip” phrase, so embrace how absolutely enjoyable and intelligent this album is and drop the façade, will ya?" Link.

New Haven Register Brief Review & Gig Preview

"I'll review it in the Register soon, but I've been on vacation for the last couple weeks and really haven't been able to comment on former New Havenite Spike Priggen's new record, "There's No Sound In Flutes!"

If you pick up today's paper, open up Weekend and look at Making a Mix, you'll find that Spike is this week's subject. In the feature, I briefly mention how good the record is, but let me just say that this disc will more than likely make it on my best-of 2006 list at the end of the year.

It's simply power-pop goodness. The tunes go down easy and leave you feeling plump and happy, with a big belly full of power chords and piano fun.

The point of all this? Well, it'd be a shame not to check out Spike and his band (which will be full of guest stars) play at Cafe Nine Saturday. The gig brings Spike back home to celebrate the record's release, and you'll be able to buy the disc there.

As Nike likes to say, just do it. And then let me know right here what you think.

Deal? OK, deal." By Pat Ferrucci Link

The Onion A.V. Club Review of There's No Sound In Flutes!

Veteran alt-rock scenester, bedazzled.tv blogger, and all-around pop-culture junkie Spike Priggen makes music as a way of defining and expressing his eclectic taste, and on There's No Sound In Flutes! (Volaré), he celebrates simple pop songs pumped up with kitchen-sink orchestration. A lot of Priggen's songs sound as programmatic as homages can be, but he transcends his influences occasionally, like on "Little Star," a '70s AM-ballad exercise with a winning heart-on-the- sleeve lyric, and "Everyone Loves Me But You," a nasty bit of twangy power-pop. B-
By Noel Murray

New Haven Advocate Reviews of "There's No Sound In Flutes!" and "Pop As Can Be..."

Spike Priggen , There’s No Sound in Flutes (Volare).

New Haven native Michael “Spike” Priggen’s guitar-hooked pop songs are so catchy, you’re not sure what the titles are because every single lyric is so quotable. On the opening track, the verse goes “I know everything,” while the chorus wonders “Maybe it’s wrong to be right.” “Little Star” says “You know I’m not that smart/And you know I’m not that strong/And how could I be precious/When you bought me for a song?,” a sentiment continued on “Everyone Loves Me But You,” which begins “You think that you’re so smart…” Spike’s last disc was an all-covers project, so it’s thrilling to hear 11 Priggen originals in a row, his guitar, vocals and keyboards backed by the rocking yet reverent rhythm section of Scott Yoder and Brian Doherty, with guest appearances by Cheap Trick’s Bun E. Carlos and guitar great Mark Spencer. This instant pick-me-up keeps you up by varying the arrangements from alt-rock to alt-country to power pop. The angry-dad cover cartoon by Hate ’s Peter Bagge and cryptic album title cinch its irresistibility.  —Christopher Arnott

TV Neats and the Excerpts , Pop As Can Be and Dance City All the Way (Wizzard in Vinyl).

Neat! Even more Spike Priggen! This Asian import collects 15 songs by his late-‘70s outfit TV Neats, plus one by the Excerpts (co-starring Hamden-raised popmaster Jon Brion). A bonus disc captures TV Neats live at New Haven’s ECA Arts Hall in early 1981. These peppy, propulsive pop tracks (with titles like “Dear Abby” and “I Said Oh No”) are an important document of the shaping of the local scene, as well as a snapshot of pure-pop Priggen before he deepened his sound via Hello Strangers.  —C.A. Link

Third Volume Of Power-Pop Anguish Stretches A Bit Musically

Priggen's third solo LP continues his catalog of anguished, melancholy power-pop gems. He sings with a voice that's got the sweet sadness of Matthew Sweet, chiming guitars ala Big Star, and wry twists of Cheap Trick, The Cars and others. Trick's Bun E. Carlos even pounds the skins on two of the album's tracks. Those who enjoy the Sweet's "Girlfriend" will find much to enjoy in Priggen's catalog. The addition of strings on a few tracks is a nice experiment - hanging the productions halfway between the AM pop sides of the early-70s and the guitar-rock of mid-90s college radio. The result supplements the feeling of desperation on songs like "I'm So Glad You Broke My Heart," and provides accompaniment to the giant chiming guitars of the Everly-esque "Disappointing Everyone." Priggen is expert at drawing insecure protagonists who fall apart in the face of their objects of disaffection, and sawing cellos (whether real or synthesized) add an extra dollop of gravity. Even more interesting are the atmospheric experiments with optigan and mellotron that add a subtly shifting and pulsating backing to tunes like "Til It All Falls Apart." Similarly, the swirling flute sounds and stabs of processed vocals mixed into the electric 12-string guitar pop of "R.I.P. Green Eyes" add a trippy edge in the manner of the Beatles psychedelic-era material. Priggen turns Brian Wilson with "Little Star," combining mellotron, a plucky Carole Kaye styled bass line, and dramatic drum fills. In the end though, the album's killer track is one of its most straightforward power-pop odes, "The Only Girl (in the World)." This magnificent country-pop profile of the stuck-up girl that you hate, envy and desire is perfectly accompanied by Jon Graboff's twangy guitar playing and airy puffs of Hammond B3. As per Priggen's usual methods, the closing track harbors a few bonuses, including an oft bootlegged tape of Buddy Rich cussing out his band, and two extra songs that didn't quite "fit" on the album. Priggen's put together yet another fine volume of pop song that shouldn't fly below your personal radar! [©2006 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com] Posted at Amazon.com and CD Baby.

Rootstime.be Reviews

This is a review of both of my solo LP's. Now I'm not sure exactly what these say (or why a site with a Belgian domain is written in Dutch) but I got an idea from Babelfish that this guy likes 'em both. Link.

"De uit New Haven, Connecticut, komende singer-songwriter Spike Priggen heeft vooral binnen New York een sterke reputatie opgebouwd als leverancier van doorleefde muziek, stadsmuziek met gitaren als dominante factor. Buiten New York is hij niet zo bekend en misschien is zijn muziek wel te Amerikaans. Toch is het de moeite waard om naar zijn muziek te luisteren, er doen ten eerste altijd goede muzikanten op mee. Op zijn debuut album "The Very Thing That You Treasure" is dat Scott Yoder (Tandy, Star City), Jon Graboff (Amy Rigby), Joe McGinty (Psychedelic Furs), Jane Scarpantoni (R.E.M., Nathalie Merchant) en Brian Doherty (They Might Be Giants) en verder ... levert hij gewoon kwaliteit.

We horen elementen uit alt.country en roots en voor de liefhebbers van singer-songwriters is er een hoop te genieten. Priggen's zijn debuut, voor het nadrukkelijk aan de weg timmerende label Volare Records, is er een om je vingers bij af te likken. Als je tenminste van de betere power-pop houdt, zoals de nummers: "Yesterday", de ballads "The Right Thing" en "Nothing", en "I'm In Love" dat klinkt als een mix van country met rock en pop. Spike Priggen heeft een prachtplaat afgeleverd in 2001 met dit debuut, een plaat waarin hij trouwens bewijst een uitstekend singer-songwriter te zijn.

Op zijn volgende soloplaat "Stars After Stars After Stars" tapt hij uit een ander vat, niet dat de muziek zozeer verschilt. Neen, deze plaat is volledig een coverplaat. Hetgeen we eerder verwachten van reeds gevestigde artiesten, dan van iemand als Priggen die zich nog moet bewijzen. Maar goed, met de hulp van muzikanten uit bevriende bands brengt Priggen een eigen interpretatie van o.a. "How We Were Before" (Zombies), "Nighttime" (Big Star), "I"m Eightteen" (Alice Cooper), "Big Store" (Stephen Duffy), "Plain Sailing" (Tracy Thorn), allemaal songs van diverse pluimage en waarin hij volledig slaagt. Spike Priggen zijn beide albums staan voor mooie toegankelijke liedjes, bekwame muzikanten en een hele mooie stem; meer is er soms niet nodig om de luisteraar in de zevende hemel te krijgen. In de VS wordt het nummer "Every Broken Heart" uit zijn debuut gebruikt in een populaire tv-serie, dus ik voorspel nu alvast dat we in 2006 veel gaan horen van deze bijzondere rockmuzikant." Link.

Independents Only Review

Link
Spike Priggen "Stars After Stars After Stars"
The Volare Label

The true star of "Stars After..." is the songwriting. It's introspection at it's best and only strengthened by Spike Priggen's crisp vocals. After each listen you feel yourself getting involved in the songs and the stories told. Stories of engagements not meant to be (Be Married Song), heartfelt apologies (How We Were Before), bad memories, heartbreak and whisky (Questioningly). He approaches songwriting with heart in hand as if each moment of his life had a soundtrack. Accompanied by Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, Spike Priggen pulls off on the most well written disc in years. It's got a country pop vibe like John Doe.
R.I.Y.L.: R.I.Y.L.: John Doe, Matthew Sweet, Paul Westerberg

Outtakes Review

Si pone a cavaliere di un certo pop underground questo ragazzo di New Haven cresciuto negli umori culturali della Grande Mela, che con il suo secondo Stars After Stars After Stars rielabora talune cover ricercate a ridisegnare piuttosto la sua identità. Il suo debutto nel 2001 è con il disco The Very Thing You Treasure e ora, con questo recente album, per Spike Priggen si delinea un percorso alternativo alla sua produzione per guardare a sé stesso da un altro punto di vista. Il risultato offre all'attenzione un disco non lontano da una linea esplicitamente new-wave, che sta tra Lennon e David Bowie, a cui lo stesso Spike dice ispirarsi. Sicché lo ritroviamo immerso in quanto della metropoli newyorkese furono talune sonorità di un periodo, che ha segnato un tassello di storia del rock. Il curriculum del nostro lo vede nella sua militanza in alcune band indipendenti, nei suoi trascorsi attraverso scene sotterranee del Connecticut, fintanto che l'approdo a New York City ne costituisca quasi l'ovvia prosecuzione, nello scenario di un certo power-pop di leggendaria J&H Production - Ramones, Big Star, Alice Cooper… -. E il personaggio, a metà tra un improbabile Waits acqua e sapone e un volto lontanamente rassomigliante al giovane Patrick Swaize, compare in primo piano in ogni meandro del cd quasi ad atto d'egocentrismo, se non fosse poi che i pezzi cantati sono tutti di altri.
L'interno del booklet vi rende merito, con un collage di varia provenienza e ritagli caricaturali da Elton John ai Cheap Trick by Sabatino '75. Non resta così che l'intervento di alcuni musicisti per delle songs intagliate nella medesima vena artistica, dalla collaborazione dei chitarristi Ivan Julian, Mark Spencer o John Graboff, al basso e batteria rispettivamente di Denny Weinkauf con Scott Yoder e Brian Doherty, C.P. Roths alle tastiere. Apre una In The Inside che sembra far rimembrare Heroes di David Bowie, su di una voce quasi alla Ryan Adams, indi a seguire la terza How We Were Before i cui tratti somigliano a delle ballate alla Rem, tra chitarre e voce. Resta cupa e malinconicamente distorta la Big Store a metà del disco, prima che la settima traccia Plainsailing si scopra tra le cose migliori insieme alla più dura I'm Eighteen, Slow Soul e l'ottava Questioningly tra le ballads più classicamente all'americana, per Stars After Stars. Un insistente audio-liner note data da un lungo dialogo fantasma è infine, prima del commiato con un interessante e più grezzo senza titolo: forse un'anticipazione di un prossimo lavoro autografo? (Matteo Fratti) Link

Shindig Magazine Review

Review by Paul Kerr

SPIKE PRIGGEN
Stars After Stars After Stars (Volare; CD)
    
A covers album can be a risky proposition, but Spike Priggen has chosen his material with care and reworked it with style and panache. There are good versions of obscure tunes such as 'Be Married Song' by Ward Dotson, Spike's old buddy from his Liquor Giants days, and a Jacobites tune, 'Only Children Sleeping'. On both songs a lap steel is used to great effect and without any overtones of country. On tunes by slightly more well known artists, Spike and his band give the songs reverential and melodic makeovers. The original artists would barely recognise 'Questioningly' (The Ramones) or 'I'm 18' (Alice Cooper) but I am sure they would be pleased with the new versions. Spike has a good voice that sometimes has the breathy quality of Freedy Johnston, another power pop veteran who has yet to receive the success he deserves. At other times he reminds me of Michael Stipe; in other words the guy can really sing.
    
After years playing as a sideman in classy US indie guitar bands like The Liquor Giants and Dumptruck, Spike's released his first album in 2001. The self-penned tunes received such critical acclaim that I'd like to track down a copy, as his approach to covers shows style and flair.