The Squires of The Subterrain

The Squires of The Subterrain are a DIY bubblegum powerpop psychedelic sunshine surf project lead by Christopher Earl and features many members of the Rochester music scene rustling up an alchemical explosion of sunshine melodies. Giving the Wondermints a real good run for their money, The Squires of The Subterrain are one of the best Brian Wilson/Beatles influenced sunshine bands in the USA .

Pop In A CD (Rocket Racket Records)

Their compilation CD release from 1998 Pop In A CD is a 18 track collection of 4 and 8 track recordings of tunes recorded between 1989 to 1997, which were initially released only on cassette. The CD opens with The Squires of The Subterrain's own theme tune, emulating one of the greatest pop groups of all time, The Monkees. The easy going Beatles vibe ‘Intoxicating Violet' is a pop-tastic sugar sizzler. ‘Admiral Albert's Apparition' a kinks/Beatles psychedelic guitar driven pop. The mad lo-fi Beatles/Beach Boys pop of Small Town Girl with wild vocal effects is a mad psyched melody candy fizz festival, inter cut with swirling backward instruments, adding to the swirling vibes.

The powered pop up ‘Auto Reverse' with catchy melodies galore would make The Teenage Fanclub green with envy. The surf tune ‘East Cost Surfin' is positively soaked in reverb and summer harmonies. The reverb and echo makes ‘East Coast Surfin' a mystical tribute to the surf sound, with superb vocals and harmonies. The sunshine pop of ‘Pack Up Your Boards' is Pet Sounds/Smile style experimental pop and is a superb dollop of shining melody. ‘She Fell Down' is a Beatles infused pop ballad, and trips along with a candy bounce, harmonies wash all around. ‘Hello Good Morning' is a bright upbeat pop jamboree the last just over 30seconds.

The piano led and experimental ‘Scrapbook' is another fine sunshine ballad compressed, reverbed and very far out pop. ‘Mrs Maud' is psychedelic pop that would easy sit along side the UK bombed out tunes of the late 60s that feature on the Rubble Compilations. ‘Into The Void' with blissed out organ, chugging piano and catchy melody is huge piece of apple pie, pop pop pop. ‘Leave It Up To Pam' is a wonky tune with immense stripped down melodies and banjo and dirty guitar, a totally demented tune. ‘Beneficiary Kite' is a Lennon-esque out of your brain magnificence, farrrrrrrrrrrr ouuuuuuuuut maannnnnnn, an awesome tune.

‘Stained Glass Summer' is a organ driven monster with crazed percussion, strange sounds and a whacky arrangements, a collision of bubblegum catchiness and left field experimentation, totally barmy but great. ‘View Mobile ' has more stoned sunshine smiles, as Lucy floats around in a sky of diamonds, let's get brained on weirdly delightful pop. ‘Sarah' a shamanistic pop explosion, a song that takes flight in your brain. ‘Blind date' finishes off this album of melody, harmony and a experimental arrangements, and what a way to end an album, with the sugar shaking pet sounds style wonder, take off brothers and sisters.

Big Boy Pete Treats (Rocket Racket Records)

On ‘Big Boy Pete Treats', Christopher Earl hooked up with psychedelic icon Pete Miller, a collaboration that has created some superpop gems. Pete Miller, who produces the album, has had songs since the mid-to-late '60s that never saw the light of day and with the help of Christopher Earl, these tunes have finally appeared. With the help from many of the finest musicians in Rochester New York , Pete Miller and Christopher Earl has cooked up another fine album full of ace tunes.

‘Party On Down' opens the album with a bright jangly powerpop tune full of pop, catchy. ‘There You Go' with the chunky guitar riff chomping away, this insistent psyched out guitar pop tune hits all the right melodic buttons. The paradoxically complex arrangement makes the songs seeming simplicity more appealing. ‘Down In The Street' is a more laid back summery tune with the sun shining and the river flowing. The spectre of Brian Wilson hovers helpfully on this fine sunshine pop song, with a high quality of song craft. ‘Be Yourself' is a blissed psych-out with lots of freaky FXs, floating in a tangerine cloud. ‘What's Goin' On' is a rock'n'roll tune with an easy going vibe and plenty of riffs. ‘Genius Man' is an upbeat Beatles style popper breezing along with pace. ‘Only Fools Are Sure' is a gospel inflected jangle of gently winding psychedelic pop. ‘Make Love To Me' is a cool piece of guitar pop with harmonies and melodies crashing around, sweet powerpop.

‘I Do Declare' is a sprightly bubblegum Beatles style catchy tune, a teeth tingling sugar shaker. ‘It Didn't Do Much Good' is full on psyched up pop with a driving beat and jangling guitars, a sweet tune with a strong melodies. ‘Flashbacks' is a breezy easy going Kinks inflected pop tune strong on melody and upbeat vibes. ‘It Don't Make No Difference' is a piano led harmony pop tune with plenty of cool groovy guitar licks weaving away. ‘I'd Love To Love You Again' is a dreamy reverbed out spacey candy tune, heartfelt and full of blossom, a very good song indeed. Piano led Brain Wilson style superpop on ‘Henry Nut' has a tune line that will cause a riot in your lug holes. ‘Half A Crown/Party Reprise' ends the album with a dreamy melodic flourish as the mystical power of pure song blooms. Big Boy Pete Treats is a veritable bazaar of song and melody, the sheer joy of pop.

Strawberries on Sunday (Rocket Racket Records)

2003 release by TSOTS see Chris Earl with a new clutch of great tunes again enlisting the help of Pete Miller top help co-produce the album. Opening tune ‘Minutes Before The Destruction' is a prime slice of surf powerpop, catchy as a sugar sizzling love bomb, fucking ace. Fizzing away ‘Sweet' is amazing tribute to everything sweet, a sugar shaking glam bubblegum rock'n'roll dream dessert of a top tune. ‘Falling Star' is piano led Lennon-esque ballad, with a great sunshine pop melody. ‘Kitty Cologne' is upbeat psyche pop madness, wild guitars, insistent drums rhythm and some trippy effects, a wild ride into the stratosphere with superbly daft lyrics, makes this an highlight. The complex song arrangement of piano led ‘Strawberries on Sunday' is a symphony of melodic sunshine of pure ear candy. With chunky guitars and direct melodies, ‘Ferret Girl' is a wedge of lo-fi wonky pop. ‘

Air-Guitar' is a portion of fine piano led pop. The Beatles style melodies, with Brain Wilson style arrangements, make for great listening. ‘Marisol' is with its mind boggling song arrangement is punctuated with gushes of a super-heroic super-catchy melodic chorus, superb. ‘4-Leaf Clover' is a surf-tastic upbeat rock'n'roll romp, full of bounce and smiles, flourished with intriguing guitar sounds. ‘There You Are' another fine piano led pop ballad with some ace melodic guitar riffs accompanying the melody. ‘The Lost And Found' is a spaced out a Sgt Pepper style excursion into stratospheric epic pop, open up the third eye and blossom. Final tune ‘Correspondence' suitably end the album with a Brain Wilson style sunshine pop dollop. Chris Earl is a super talented song-smith exuding sugar swirling melodies and takes pop where it belongs, to the stars. JonnyMagus

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