photo: Jason Kokal
Dave Rave's hybrid of punk and powerpop paid off in spades on his 2015 album Sweet American Music. Once again backed by The Governors his new record Radio Rave follows the same blueprint: set up shop at Sparta Sound in Minnesota for two days and end up with a dozen of songs about women, nightlife, disappointments and being a touring musician.
Dave Rave is a veteran, who has seen it all (he started out as a punk musician in Canada in the early Seventies), but in stead of getting weary or slowing down he keeps at what he does best: creating deceptively simple sounding pop songs. Whether it is the joyous glam rocker Soho - with a dirty come-hither guitar solo - the glorious vocal harmonies in Lie or UK ska meeting NOLA in Reach, Rave always comes up with smart less-is-more lyrics that are in sync with the mood of the song.
Radio Rave is an apt title for an album that is filled with six double A-side singles. All killer, no filler, and a salute to good old rock 'n' roll.
Dave Rave + The Governors:
Dave Rave: guitars, piano, vocals
Rich Mattson: guitars, piano, vocals, drums, trombone, programming, keyboards, harmonica, bass, percussion
Craig Teiken: guitars, vocals
Tom Cook: drums
David K. Loy: guitars
Chad Mittag: bass, piano
Germaine Gemberling: vocals
Radio Rave is released on RaeBeat Records. Buy it from their website.
Tracks:- Lifeline
- California
- Chemical
- Love
- Slow
- Soho
- Lie
- Fool
- Midwest
- Reach
- Montreal
- Pipes
HCTF review of Sweet American Music.
