1301 Highland Avenue
1995
M&M Records
(Japan Only)
For more info. and to hear sample clips, click here
Influences
My musical DNA:
The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison (solo), Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Who, Small Faces, Raspberries, Eric Carmen, Todd Rundgren, The Kinks, Queen, Badfinger, Bee Gees, 4 Seasons, Squeeze, The Move, The Idle Race, ELO, Prince, Cheap Trick, Buffalo Springfield, Rick Springfield, The Bull, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Babys, Buddy Holly, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Emitt Rhodes, David Cassidy, Slade, The Supremes, The Left Banke, Hall & Oates, KISS, The Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Television, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Free, The Zombies, Sweet, T-Rex, Utopia, 10CC, The Partridge Family, 20/20, The Records, The Rubinoos, The Hudson Brothers, Big Star, Jellyfish, The Plimsouls, Shoes, and many more...
"Sonic Crayons" is Ken Sharp's best album to date. The songs are chock full
of engaging twists and turns, clever arrangements and cool sonic surprises. If
you're a fan of Beatlesque power pop, you're sure to enjoy this CD."
- Eric Carmen
"a gift for thrilling pop towards the Raspberries side of the spectrum
....pop lovers will find plenty to like."
- USA Today
Garnering accolades from Billboard, MOJO, and the Los Angeles Times for his accomplished power pop craftsmanship, Sonic Crayons is the long awaited release from Ken Sharp on JetFighter Records.
Working with the likes of Ritchie Rubini (Caulfields), Rob Bonfiglio (Wanderlust) and Chip Z’Nuff and Donnie Vie from Enuff Z’Nuff, Sonic Crayons stakes out an edgier direction than his two critically acclaimed albums, 1301 Highland Avenue and Happy Accidents, “I was definitely in a much darker place while making this record,” Sharp admits. “Life was throwing me a bunch of curve balls and this record reflects a more downbeat and depressing time for me. I half jokingly call it my Prozac record.”
Explaining the meaning behind the album title, Sonic Crayons, Sharp relates, “I look at songwriting like a painter. Whether writing songs or recording, I create with colors in my mind, sonic colors. You have an empty canvas and then it’s up to you to create you own distinctive palette of sounds.”
From the incandescent rage of “New Attitude to the funky introspection of “Orange Cellophane”, the breezy summery soul-pop of “Rush Rush” to the swirling psychedelia of “So Simple Radio,” Sonic Crayons takes listeners on an intoxicating musical journey.
Sonic Crayons is Ken Sharp’s third CD and the inaugural release on Jetfighter. Sharp also appears on Yellow Pills-The Best Of Power Pop Volume One, Right To Chews: Bubblegum Classics Revisited, Pure Pop For Cool People, Six Years Of Power Pop! and tribute albums to Raspberries and The Beach Boys, Raspberries Preserved and In My Room. His music has also been featured in commercials for Disney and documentaries on Queen and Led Zeppelin.
Available on:
What the critics are saying about Ken Sharp:
“A delightful compendium of stylish power pop moves that happily avoids any whiff of the museum.”-Billboard
“The 'hot child in the city' voice, the reddish brown hair, the lifelong devotion to pop--you could easily replace the words 'pop rock' with 'Ken Sharp'"- L.A. Times
“A tuneful, classy collection of songs”-All Music Guide
"A sterling collection of light pop"-The Big Takeover
"Sharp creates his own pop planet, swirling and psychedelic, always tuneful"-Amplifier
“A stunning collection of power pop confections that brings to mind the likes of Squeeze, Paul McCartney, Todd Rundgren and Queen while maintaining an identity all its own”-Friday Morning Quarterback
"Sonic Crayons continues his self-appointed job as curator of an aural museum of
70's power-pop with brightly memorable hooks and sweet harmonies around every
corner. It's full of tunes that would sound amazing blasting out of a transistor
radio." - Popentertainment.com
MOJO Magazine Mat Snow
All hail the new king of power pop.
"Sit in your apartment/Listen to Rod Argent," bleats the first couplet of "So
Simple Radio" in an uncanny echo of both Lennon and Bolan. It's typical Sharp--a
love song as much about love songs as love, recycling their licks in an almost
religious act of devotion with not a trick missed. Nor is it just about this
vocal harmony or that E-bow guitar. All 13 songs are catchy as heck and
handcrafted to last, Sharp originals but for a welcome resuscitation of "Melody
Hill," the B-side to The Archies bubblegum hit, "Sugar."With a little help from
his multi-skilled sidemen Rob Bonfiglio and Ritchie Rubini, this is the veteran
LA scenester's third and best album. If Jellyfish, Rundgren, Raspberries and all
the others who picked up where The Beatles and Zombies left off are your bag,
Ken Sharp is the real thing in a great tradition." 4 stars
GOLDMINE Jeff Suhs
Let’s be clear about something. Sonic Crayons, the aptly named third album from
pop artisan Ken Sharp, is the big box of Crayolas. Not that paltry 64 set
everyone had, but the full 128-piece coolest-kid-in the-neighborhood blowout.
Sonic Crayons, on the surface, is an airy al fresco exploration of the whimsical
pop landscapes once inhabited by Squeeze, Raspberries, and the fleeting
brilliance of Jellyfish. Sadly, it’s a place not often explored in these times
where sarcasm and acrimony are lyrical currency, but Sharp is having none of
that.
On its glistening, candy-coated veneer, Sonic Crayons delights in its own breezy
happiness with its floating layered vocal harmonies, and playful splashes of
production flavors (Fender Rhodes, glockspiels, cellos, E-bows and more). In
fact, if you’re not paying attention, it is as cheerful-sounding an album as
you’ve likely heard in 20 years. Tracks like “Better Every Day” with its refrain
of affirmation, its Mellotron, and butterfly imagery, are alluring bites of pop
confection, while Sharp adds a bit of dirt and edge to “Melody Hill,” his
surprisingly effective reimagining of the Archies’ 1970’s chesnut.
Yet Sharp is too clever to let the album get away with being nothing more than a
sheet of ‘orange cellophane’ (not coincidentally the title of the disc’s
strongest track), and he underscores the work with lyrics which teasingly sketch
a darker worldview without ever giving way to the tired explicit fatalism that
litters the airwaves. “Get Yourself Together,” a gritty and bluesy demand,
shuffles along with the smokey gait of a fine torch song and features some
superlative guitar work by Rob Bonfiglio (Skies Of America) fine guitar work by
Sharp, and “The Man Who Couldn’t Be Wrong,” shows he has no problem throwing
irony to center stage.
The album is a grand and unfirnomly successful celebration of the genre, and it
comes to rest perfectly at home between the likes of Revolver and Jellyfish’s
Spilt Milk. Pop music this clever, layered and infectious is a rare treat. Go
pick up the big box of Sonic Crayons. ****
AbsolutePowerPop.blogspot.com
"A strong contender for Top 10 of 2007 honors....While his previous two discs
were outstanding in a lighter, sugary manner, Sonic Crayons has a meatier,
crunchier sound. On discs this good, it almost seems unfair to pick out
individual songs lest others be slighted. Nevertheless, those more equal than
others include 'Better Every Day', 'Melody Hill' (a contender for Top 20 tracks
of 2007 honors), the rocking "New Attitude", the languid and Beatlesque 'So
Simple Radio', the catchy as-all-get-out 'Get Yourself Together' and the
beautiful ballad 'Why Girls Cry'. Joe Jackson might have admonished us once to
'look sharp'; now I'm advising you to get Sharp."- AbsolutePowerPop.blogspot.com
All Music.com
4 stars ****
Anybody who recognizes Ken Sharp's name from his work as a rock critic and music
journalist already knows that he has exquisite taste. Not only has he written
(or co-written) books on the Beatles, the Raspberries and Cheap Trick, he's done
liner notes for Partridge Family, Hall & Oates and Rick Springfield reissues,
demonstrating that he has a keen ear for all kinds of pop. His love of pure pop
is evident in his writings, but a better place to experience it is in his own
music, where he fuses all these disparate pop influences into his own sound.
His first two albums, 1995's 1301 Highland Avenue and 2000's Happy Accidents,
were bright collections of pure pop, but 2007's Sonic Crayons is a genuine leap
forward, both in composition and conception. First of all, the title has quite a
bit of relevance to the album itself since this is a colorful album, but it
doesn't overemphasize its sonic hues: the sound isn't crisp, it's warm and
gentle, not dissimilar to the comforting coloring of crayons. It's a sound that
is an appropriate marriage for Sharp's new songs, which bear as much Beach Boys
influence as Beatles here. But where many latter-day pop albums influenced by
the Beach Boys spend far too much time in labored arrangements, Sharp taps into
Brian Wilson's sighing melodies and enveloping elegance of the group's softer
moments. He also doesn't linger too much on Wilson, either: the Beach Boys are
just one of several soft-pop allusions here, allusions that are highlighted by
the tremendous “Why Girls Cry,” a trembling ballad worthy of early Todd Rundgren.
“Why Girls Cry” also ties into the album's cohesion, as its broken heart can
also be heard elsewhere on Sonic Crayons, as Sharp turns inward and infuses this
album with a serious emotional undercurrent. But far from being a gloomy album,
Sonic Crayons is warm and welcoming - any lingering melancholy is comforting,
not alienating - which makes it a record that's easy to return to for repeat
plays. Of course, it also helps that Sharp evidences the same kind of care in
the album's sequencing as he does in the individual songs: this album is not
only tighter than his previous two, it also flows better, gliding from song to
song with grace. This careful construction, combined with his ace songs, makes
Sonic Crayons Ken Sharp's best album to date.
http://www.powerpopaholic.com/
Ken Sharp "Sonic Crayons"
What can I say about Ken Sharp that has not been said many times before? This
power pop fan/author/musician has produced a thrilling album that fans are sure
to embrace. Vocally, Ken is similar to Seth Swirsky (Red Button) and Sean Lennon
in tone and timbre. From the opening "Hello" he lets the listener know what's
coming: hook filled riffs and melodic power pop. "The Man Who Couldn't Be Wrong"
has the perfect Beatlesque choral and guitar solos, and it pulls out all the
stops, including harpsichord. A good mix of Jellyfish-styled melody with
Raspberries layered guitars is featured on "Better Every Day" and it keeps
getting better with each track. "Melody Hill" is a classic power pop tune, that
reminds me of what The Dave Clark Five might've sounded like if Phil Spector
produced them. Things get a bit funky on "Orange Cellophane" with soul-styled
organs and a bit of a Lenny Kravitz groove. "So Simple Radio" sounds like an ELO/Abbey
Road outtake (who doesn't like that?) that fades out strangely. And for power
pop fans, "Why Girls Cry" is the stuff we wished Todd Rundgren would do again.
Better than his previous albums, it's a power pop love letter, punctuated by "I
Got Lost" a very Lennonesque finale. It's Awesome stuff. With help from friends
Ritchie Rubini (Caulfields), Rob Bonfiglio (Wanderlust) and Chip Z’Nuff and
Donnie Vie from Enuff Z’Nuff, "Sonic Crayons" delivers the goods. Get it now and
miss it at your own peril for it is part of my top ten list.
Top Ten of 2007 Candidate
The Phantom Tollbooth
With Sonic Crayons, Ken Sharp has fashioned a rock solid confection loaded with
layered vocals, George Harrison melodic, precise lead breaks, and hooky
wonderful songs. Face it, name dropping is easy here. Squeeze, Paul McCartney,
Badfinger, Todd Rundgren, and Queen. You will add more of your own. That said,
as impossible as it seems, this work maintains an identity all its own. Sharp
effectively has created his own pop planet here. Oh so clever, so musical, and
always tuneful. Sharp is surrounded by the talents of ex-Wanderlust and Skies of
America leader, Rob Bonfiglio, Carnie Wilson, and Chip Z'Nuff and Donnie Vie
from Enuff 'Z Nuff. A tip to Cheap Trick with opener "Hello, Hello" starts
things off with a bit of a cliched bang. Next up, "The Man Who Couldn't Be
Wrong" is a perfect example of a modern day Lennon/McCartney collaboration. A
melodic, sarcastic, twisting, turning "Hey Jude" arrangement.
"Better Every Day" steals the spotlight here. Chock full of encouraging lyrics
(release yourself to a better way/save it for another day, c'mon! you're
fantastic), phased acoustic guitars morph into Rickenbackers. A production trick
ends this one too soon.
"Why Girls Cry," a ballad in the early Todd Rundgren style, would be near
perfect if it wasn't for some annoying keyboard warbling for about 30 seconds at
the opening and over the lovely tag at the end of the song. A nice beautiful
melody and sentiment.
Some say Sharp's vocals are an acquired taste. A touch of helium in his
atmosphere, yes. A tad too cute at times, but spot on perfect and the background
vocals are gorgeous.
Sharp describes his third CD as somewhat darker than his others. Apparently he
was going through some tough times during the recording, but it doesn't seem
somber to me at all. In fact it seems redemptive from all angles. If you're a
fan of Beatlesque power pop, "Sonic Crayons" is for you.
--Bob Felberg
Power Of Pop
http://www.powerofpop.com/kensharp_soniccrayons.htm
Aptly named, Ken Sharp’s power pop manifesto is pointed and cuts through all the
bullshit hype and lays bare the beating heart of rock ‘n’ roll. Sure, Sharp
never strays too far from the power pop template but with melodies as strong as
the ones found on this pleasing collection, nothing else should matter.
Sharp handles most of the instrumentation (with much aplomb) and with the aid of
Ritchie Rubini (drums), Ron Bonfiglio (guitars), Eric Eden (keyboards), Chip
Z’nuff (bass) and even Carnie Wilson (vocals) on selected tracks, has produced
an essential power pop album for pop-rock fans of every ilk.
KEY TRACKS The Man Who Couldn’t Be Wrong,
Better Every Day, Orange Cellophane, Candy, Get Yourself Together, Rush
SOUNDS LIKE
Beatles, Raspberries, Oasis, Cheap Trick, Big Star, Jellyfish
RATING
***½
Ken Sharp Bio:
I've been playing guitar and writing songs since the late Seventies. Having played in a multitude of Pennsylvania based garage bands including Debut, me and my pal, Geoff Hanson on drums, High Tide and The Michael Paul band, I've had three CDs released, 1301 Highland Avenue, Happy Accidents and my latest, Sonic Crayons. I've also appeared on such albums as Yellow Pills: The Best Of American Power Pop Volume One, Right To Chews: Bubblegum Classics Revisited, Pure Pop For Cool People, Six Years Of Power Pop! and tribute albums for The Beach Boys and Raspberries. Also I've contributed instrumental music to documentaries on Led Zeppelin, Queen and The Knack plus a song of mine ("Underground") was used for Disney commercial. A kids commercial of all things...didn't know my target audience would be the under 5 crowd.
I even recently got a check from BMI, not a big one, but a check nonetheless for royalties accrued on two songs culled from my last CD ("Beautiful" and "Room For Two") which apparently are being spun on the radio in Finland.
I'm also a music writer who contributes articles to a variety of music magazines, contribute liner notes for various releases on everyone from Raspberries to Cheap Trick, Hall & Oates to KISS, Rick Springfield to The Partridge Family. I've also authored/co-authored over 10 music books including a book about Elvis Presley called Writing For The King, Overnight Sensation: The Story Of The Raspberries, KISS: Behind The Mask, Raspberries: TONIGHT!, Reputation Is A Fragile Thing: The Story Of Cheap Trick, Power Pop!, Meet The Beatles...Again, Quite Naturally: Small Faces and Eric Carmen: Marathon Man. Recently, I did all new interviews with David Cassidy and others for his new autobiography, Could It Be Forever.
If you're into power pop tunes like Jellyfish, Superdrag, Weezer, etc... you can download the Six Songs EP for FREE or PAY WHAT YOU WANT by visiting my MySpace page. Thanks!
Ken, Thank you for adding my new author page. I will have a few songs from the soundtrack on the player soon, but will link my music page for more songs. My fiction novel with a CD soundtrack is due out in a few weeks. It will be at CD Baby, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc. Keep in touch. Wishing you a great musical week, a happy holiday season, and a prosperous new year. Hope all your projects are on track.
Peace and respect, Joy Miller www.myspace.com/joymillermusic
Hey there, Here's one from left field... Ever wondered what to do in the event of a nuclear threat? A while back I came across some very disturbing information, which inspired me to make this video: Living Under the Shadow of the Nuclear Umbrella www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaIim3Rj7L4 Both artistic (ensure you've good enough sound to enjoy the background music!) and educational, it primarily comprises official British government civil defence advice. Though the source materials are somewhat aged, the fundamentals remain relevant today. I encourage all to visit the YouTube web page above to learn more (Show your support! Rate! Comment!) and responsibly re-post and circulate as widely as possible. Help to raise awareness. Say have you checked out my web site (www.faberoptime.com) recently? Take care and keep in touch. Best, Faber. "Just a guy trying to make the world a better place."
Ken, Thank you for adding me to your list of friends. I really appreciate it. My current project is a fiction novel with CD soundtrack due out soon. Wishing you continued success and a wonderful musical and happy weekend.
Peace and respect, Joy Joy Miller Author profile page at myspace coming soon. I hope you will join me there too.
Thanks for the add! Good to have you as a friend! So great to see the internet in action this way, shortening distances between people. :) I hope all's well with you and that you enjoy checking out my web site at www.faberoptime.com some time. For occasional, new, refreshing, insightful and (possibly?!) valuable content, I encourage you to sign up for my free newsfeed/email newsletter (using the form on site at page right - high quality, low quantity, no spam!). Oh and you might like to take a look at some of my vids on my YouTube channel too! www.youtube.com/faberoptime Take care and keep in touch. Best, Faber. "Just a guy trying to make the world a better place."
Good news! The brand new powerpopcompilation "Souvenirs" is being released this week! It contains 21 great North American powerpop tracks from 1975-95. You can hear three of the songs that just have been uploaded on our Myspage page. The CD also contains a previously unreleased song by the great Canadian band Pointed Sticks recorded in the late 70..s. It is availabe from Not Lame Records and Kool Kat Musik, and it will very soon be available from CD Baby.
Yo Ken! Just A Heads UP! ShockPop! plays your music - SUNDAY July 12th, NOON-3PM EST on ScrubRadio.com! Tune IN and Join US! See you in the Chat Room!!
Hey Ken, it was random and cool meeting you and Sue last weekend at the farmer's market!!! I ordered "Crayons" and eagerly await your twist on this yummy genre we call "pop".
http://www.youtube.com/v/oLP9GvNkVNc<br /><br />While sitting around on hiatus one day I got this idea to run out to the woods and make a video. So, I borrowed a camcorder, picked up my director buddy, Guy Bee, along the way, and spent a day strumming up in Topanga and Bell Canyon. Here's what we shot. <br />*Be sure to select "HQ" at the bottom-right of the screen to watch in high quality! Enjoy! Rick Hromadka
