SECRET DAKOTA RING - Cantarell

Another gem from the label that brought us Higgins, Secret Dakota Ring is a project from OK GO guitarist Andy Ross and is a striking example of how freeing these kinds of projects are for major label artists --- and whose enjoyment exceed their main band`s releases. Ross steers his project towards beautifully realized stylistic extremes of pop. Each track reveals a bevy of musical surprises. Echoes of early McCartney and Emit Rhodes can be found in here(Track #5) and Not Lame fave Willie Wisely(Track #1 and 4 below). From the multi-layered summer-of-love psychedelia of Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½Losing EyeballsÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½ to the stark strings-only arrangement of Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½They Got The Wrong GuyÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½ to the Hitsville USA pep of Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½The Fade to Black,Ã¢ï¿½ï¿½ SDR have crafted a uniquely detailed and completely individual half-hour of ultra-catchy and unpretentious pop music.

"An intentionally fragile thing that isn`t trying to be anything else -- it`s a vision of rock & roll that begins with the Left Banke and the late Zombies, with a heavy dollop of Sean O`Hagan`s string arrangements for the High Llamas and elsewhere." - AMG.

"87% out of 100. On this disc, we get a real jumble of sounds: strings-augmented orchestral pop on "They Got the Wrong Guy," Man-Made era Teenage Fanclub cloning on "I Blew Myself Up Over You," and My Bloody Valentine-esque shoegaze on "Sell Us a Spaceship." Despite the songs` impressive variety, however, Cantarell is a remarkably together album - it has its own distinct and recognizable sound, which bodes well for repeated listens. Indeed, this album begs you to come back again, with an abundance of pop gems eager to hook you. Enthralling "The Fade To Black" is the album highlight: a boppy rhythm is combined with piano and strings to create an insanely infectious pop song in the vein of The Meligrove Band."- Indieville. EXTREMELY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Song #1 - mp3

Song #2 - mp3

Song #3 - mp3

Song #4 - mp3

Song #5 - mp3