"See No Evil is great 60's Power Pop with Gee on Vocals, her voice sounds like a cross between Grace Slick and Chrissie Hynde. Dear Prudence needs no introduction, but shows the variance between the male and female lead vocals in the band. Laughlin takes lead on that and it's a great cover showing the band's ease with Psych Pop and melody."

"The Cherry Bluestorms once again bring psychedelic 60’s inspired rock to life with vocal harmonies that feed your soul. (These) songs will have you fall in love with their infectious style and charismatic charm. Both will soon become regulars on your playlist!"

“The Cherry Bluestorms are back, this time with a helping of Psych/Blues for our listening pleasure. This new track may not be too far removed from The Zombies, but nonetheless they still manage to retain their own originality as always. Who else could have managed to slip “Symphonie Fantastique” into their lyrics? This is mostly down to the wistful voice of Deborah Gee, although the engaging keyboards on “See No Evil” point to a slight change of direction that works perfectly for them. Great harmonies, and Glen’s guitar work make this track possibly their finest yet. Glen takes lead vocals on “Dear Prudence,” with Deborah supplying the perfect accompaniment most of the way through. It’s not the first Beatles song they’ve covered, and this is one we’re looking forward to hearing live too.”

“The Cherry Bluestorms | “See No Evil” and “Dear Prudence” A hard-charging pop-rocker with a great hook, driven by a strong drum track and Deborah Gee’s Chrissie Hynde-timbered vocal, pairs up with a moody, psych-infused version of the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence” on a vinyl single that offers up a download card and a skewed Beatles A Hard Day’s Night/Brady Bunch-styled picture sleeve. Essential.”

“…[See No Evil is] a sleekly stylized rockin’ little number from the Bluestorms that features Deborah Gee’s sultry, powerful lead vocals and Mark White’s heavy-on-the-toms drums. The slightly restrained verses (give) ‘way to a chorus that’s super memorable, filled with Glen Laughlin’s fab guitars that jangle and bite. The flip is a chill cover of the Beatles’ tune that features some dual lead vocals from Gee and Laughlin. Grade: A-”

“Fans of the halcyon Britpop days of Blur, Oasis and Pulp as well as of those groovy psychedelic ‘60s will be pleased to meet likeminded trio The Cherry Bluestorms. The brainchild of Glen Laughlin, former longtime guitarist with bubblegum-punkers The Dickies, the group is working on its third album, following critical hosannas invoking ‘60s-era Who and Kinks for its 2013 song cycle Bad Penny Opera. Pliable vocals by Deborah Gee and inventive drumming by Mark Francis White give the band instant cred, while covers of acts like the Beatles and Donovan provide easy entry into the group’s trancelike playground.”

“Sometimes it seems the muzak has won. And when it seems like that, the answer is to switch off (all the distracting gizmos) turn on, tune in and turn up. Because Bad Penny Opera is an album that, hearing, takes you to another person and another place, like encountering an old friend returned after a long and exotic journey, comfortably new and excitingly familiar, and a pleasure to listen to again and again. The Cherry Bluestorms are Glen Laughlin, Deborah Gee and Mark Francis White. If you’re lucky you’ll find them gigging around the west coast of the USA and places further afield. They are also working on producing their latest single See No Evil on vinyl, and I can’t wait to hear Dear Prudence on the B side.”

“So what exactly is Bad Penny about? I still don’t know. I have a vague impression of the character Penny hoboing around northern California, escaping a messy relationship, ending up in England in the same kind of state. Finding trouble, discovering resolution, a sense of exploration, learning, overcoming, evoked by those hopeful 60s harmonies. You can explore the Cherry Bluestorm’s thoughts in more detail here. The point is, it doesn’t really matter. We each bring our own experience and what calls out with aching significance to one listener, is perhaps not so demanding to another. A concept album doesn’t have to be a unified narrative like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, or The Who’s Tommy, I still don’t know what exactly Sergeant Pepper’s is about, or Nick Cave’s Henry’s Dream, they are very different, but both evoke images and ideas and senses that immerse you in a time, a place, characters, a story. That’s what Bad Penny does.”

“On a first listen the album resonates with so much that is familiar, sounds and images, harmonies and echoes, without ever falling into parody, pure wonderfully crafted 60s melodic pop. Unlike say Oasis, where pastiche and parody of a 60s vibe merged with 90s big rock orchestra so you couldn’t tell if the Gallaghers were serious or taking the mickey, there’s something incredibly authentic about The Cherry Bluestorms sound, and also something raw in their story telling. As if time reversed somehow and gorgeously hopeful mind-expanding 60s pop evolved out of 80s indie and 70s punk. Which sort of makes sense because both of those branches on the tree of music represent a devolution. How can music devolve through indie and punk to create a fresh authentic 60s sound? It’s music, it can do almost anything.”

“The opening track, Bad Penny Overture, engages you with a splashy moog sound stretching between the speakers, twangy distorted guitar riffs that make you feel like Pete Townshend is warming up the crowd, it’s a sound that leaves you expecting something electrifying, and yet an echoey high-hat intones a note of introspection. This is how a journey begins, introspection, expectation, a declaration of time and place. Then the whole thing powers on with some dancing discursive lead guitar, some drama and sustain joins you to the lyrical By Your Leave, followed by A Better Place, both songs about separation as a point of beginning. Deborah Gee’s vocals have the passion of early Grace Slick & Jefferson Airplane, perhaps tempered by melancholy depth like The Pretender‘s Chrissie Hinds. A gorgeous version of Donovan’s Wear Your Love Like Heaven will leave you feeling like basking in spring sunshine and putting flowers in your hair.”

“But if we go right back to the first concept album that really engaged the notion that an album could be more than a collection of songs, but rather a complete artwork exploring a place, a time, an idea, The Beatles Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, we find something no less grand for it’s exploration of the personal, the poetry of the everyday world, rather than the epic. In the same way Sergeant Pepper’s takes you into the lives and moments and portraits of a lost Edwardian England filtered through the contemporary eyes of the fictional band, Bad Penny Opera takes you back in time, out of time. There is a sense of flower power California, and swinging 60s London, a sense of nostalgia and longing and exploration that both recalls the 60s and brings that era new, into the present.”

“The Cherry Bluestorm’s Bad Penny Opera, like those classic concept albums, takes you back in time, out of time, to a time when an album was a thing in itself, a narrative, a work of art, an adventure, a mystery, an inner and outer journey, a piece of music in that rich classical sense. Today’s sounds by comparison are all a flimsy soundtrack, a background, drowned out by the pinging of text messages, the inane gaw-gaw chatter of YouTube clips, and the dubious applause of talent show audiences, the ersatz emotions of strained vocal exercises substituting for depth, for connection, aspiring to little more than elevators. When we think of a concept album, we remember flying pigs and marching hammers, blind messianic pinball prodigies or massive interpretations of classic literature. Profound inner journeys or world shaking mayhem and disaffected youth.”

“In an era where constant distraction has reduced attention spans to mere moments and music to a ring tone’s length sound byte of egotistical caterwauling, it’s easy to understand that the very idea of a concept album is something outmoded and anachronistic. Something that probably disappeared with The Beatles and The Who, Pink Floyd and Rick Wakeman. For one thing, it requires sitting down, listening, immersed, because the classic concept albums, indeed the best classic albums, do more than present a collection of songs; unified by an idea, a character, a story, they take you on a journey. Through highs, lows, aural scapes, refrains and denouements, neither the subjects of the song nor the listener are the same by journey’s end.”

“The Cherry Bluestorms deliver modernized 60′s vibe with their Bad Penny Opera Album I have really been enjoying the great work by The Cherry Bluestorms on their latest album, Bad Penny Opera. This concept album which tells the tale of a young girl embarking on a journey to find one’s self and start anew as she leaves behind her home set in 60′s Britain. The album brings to life their psychedelic 60′s inspired rock pop to life with vocal harmonies that feed your soul and an infectious pop rock edge. You can’t help but fall in love with the mod vibe wrapped in an uptempo rock folk tone. One thing is for sure, it is an album filled with upbeat songs that are perfect for becoming the playlist of your life. A very prominent Brit pop style shines through and you might even think you are listening to a lost Beatles album or on occasion The Small Faces as well as with a Bowie-esque edge.”

“Their psychedelic pop and heavy guitar based melodies captivate you as you get enmeshed into the story of this young girl with big dreams in her eyes. The album sets the tone with the heavy groove of Bad Penny Overture as you prepare for the unknown in the journey ahead. By Your Leave has you contemplating that fork in the road and decisions to be made as you harness the courage to set out on your own path. A Better Place picks up the pace and the vocals of Deborah Gee are passionate and truly mesmerizing as you are greeted by the splendor of the horns. It really is one of my personal favorites on the album. A True Heart Wears a Thorny Crown flows like a flirtatious skirt in the wind and once again you are captivated by Glen Laughlin’s vocals. Sunday Driving South is a lyrical treasure and Deborah’s vocal emit so much emotion, almost reminds me of one of my favorite singers from the past, Karen Carpenter.”

“There is something about Deborah’s vocals where she can transition from passionate to vulnerable and you feel it completely through her tone and delivery. The Country Man has a 60′s freestyle folk song vibe to it and is one of the catchiest tunes on the album, once again the lyrics are superb, a very fun track. World Gone Mad is one of those songs where you can really feel the 60′s British vibe, maybe a lost Beatles track?? I love the guitars in it as it fuels the psychedelic style. London Bridge has a raw vulnerable edge to it and has this great carnival style spell, very creative work. What I truly appreciate, is the excellent songwriting which emulates the emotions of the words through music with songs like A Better Place, The Country Man, To Love You is A Crime, and Bad are supreme examples of that. Start Again has a twangy guitar intro that I love, then comes in the vocals which are emotionally stirring and touching.”

“Bad Penny Opera Grade: A- One of the more talented Los Angeles-area acts currently plying their trade under the pop umbrella, the Cherry Bluestorms have fashioned a rockin’, slightly psychedelic record that doesn’t sound quite like anything else out there, but at the same time feels very comfortable. Led by vocalist Deborah Gee and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Glen Laughlin, the 13 songs on Bad Penny Opera are memorable, instrumentally varied (Laughlin’s guitar wizardry is supported by nicely placed keyboards, horns, and a touch of violin) and unique. The male/female vocal harmonies are cool, and Gee’s lead vocals manage to simultaneously exude sweetness and a sense of danger. The insistently driving “Bad” is a favorite, a spiky-yet-reverent cover of Donovan’s “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” is most welcomed, “Sunday Driving South” slips a bit of 1967 Beatles into the mix and “World Going Mad” manages to simultaneously bring to mind the Police and the Byrds. ”

“Glen Laughlin works hard on his guitar sound. Harder than he should, perhaps. He has to in order to create the type of music his band is looking for. "We're trying to come up with these iconic riffs," says Laughlin, guitarist for the Los Angeles retro-pop band The Cherry Bluestorms. In the 1960s, pop music was full of iconic riffs. Bands like the Beatles, the Byrds and the Kinks wrote guitar parts that were every bit as memorable as the song's vocal melodies. That kind of writing and playing is mostly missing from contemporary American bands, Laughlin says, though you heard it in the '80s and '90s from English groups like The Smiths, Oasis and The Stone Roses. And you'll hear it from The Cherry Bluestorms. The band, which plays Sunday night at Full Circle Brewing Company, formed as a collaboration between Laughlin and singer Deborah Gee. Gee was working as a solo artist at the time and had a development deal with A&M Records. She had songs, but no band to play them.”

“It is a very heartfelt tune that is definitely one of my favorites. The album ends with Bad and even though it brings a dark edge to the closing, it is sultry and infectious at the same time, possibly highlighting the good side of being bad! You will love this track! I really hope you get a chance to pick up the album and listen to it from start to finish as it takes you on a musical journey with ups and downs, highs and lows, melodies, harmonies and tones which will soon be the backdrop to your own journey.”

“She was introduced to Laughlin, who had just finished a stint playing guitar for punk band The Dickies, and hired him to play on her solo album. It took one track for the pair to realize they needed to form a band. Both Laughlin and Gee have a deep love for '60s power pop, and the band reflects that, with a psychedelic quality, heavy on guitar riffs and rich vocal melodies. It's a contemporary take on '60s mod music. And it's finding an audience. The band's debut album was named as one of the top 125 independent albums of 2007 by David Bash, founder of the International Pop Overthrow, a music festival dedicated to contemporary power pop. Its latest album, "Bad Penny Opera," ranked 22 on the 2013 list. It can be a challenge to make this kind of retro-pop accessible to the mass public, Laughlin says, but there will also be those who appreciate what they are trying to do.”

“After all, there's a reason bands like the Beatles are considered great. They weren't above experimenting. That led to ideas that were remarkably different than anything that came before them, Laughlin says. Some of that was the results of the dynamic social climate of the time, but that doesn't let current musicians off the hook, he says. "Not having that social climate is no excuse for making boring music. I'd rather exercise some imagination and ambition and fall on my face than make another three-chord record."”

“I had the pleasure of first catching The Cherry Bluestorms during last years International Pop Overthrow at The Sail Inn and I was immediately hooked on their psychedelic retro sound. They harken back to the mid to late 1960s in no uncertain terms and absolutely by design, right down to their entire look and dress–each of their albums has included a cover from that era as well. This is definitely my bailiwick and I guess I’m proving this by writing about them as the first band that is not local to get a full feature here, but I love their music and their style and they will be here this Friday. The Cherry Bluestorms are from Los Angeles and they consist of three musical vets who produce a set of song out of a labor of love for the sound itself. Deborah Gee is the leading chanteuse, Glenn Laughlin (The Dickies) is the multi-instrumental genius behind guitar, vocals, bass and keyboards and Mark Francis White (The Furys) is the drummer.”

“Together they are The Cherry Bluestorms and they will be at Long Wong’s this Friday as special guests of Fairy Bones during the third installment of their FBOM residency. While it is rumored that The Cherry Bluestorms are working on their third release, their most current record is the brilliant Bad Penny Opera released on Roundhouse Recording in 2012. Upon a single listen it’s not difficult to understand why the legendary David Bash heartily recommends this band and raved about their debut Transit Of Venus. I would have to completely agree without apology. Bad Penny Opera is a concept album, a song cycle that chronicles “Penny’s” journey South in search of herself–across thirteen tracks and 52 minutes the story is told with knowing nods to all of their influences and yet the great thing is, barring a cover that they make their own, you’d be hard pressed to say that any of it was derivative or plagiaristic. They simply have a knack for taking the influences of the mod, m”

“They simply have a knack for taking the influences of the mod, mod, mod world they adore and make it their own–hell, they even step into the 70s for a few moments. For anyone that digs mod-rock, Britpop and retro angl(o)ed outfits, I have a feeling that The Cherry Bluestorms may be your new favorite jam. First of all it’s been a long, long time since I heard a band start an album with an overture. I was raised on Tommy, so I think that more albums should begin this way anyway. “Bad Penny Overture” is absolutely delightful if for no other reason than Laughlin’s brilliant groovy bassline and hypnotic guitar surrounded by swirling keyboards–rarely do you hear a song where The Who meets ELO, but here you have it. It borders a bit on prog rock honestly and here The Cherry Bluestorms are dipping their toes in the 70s swimming pool, but it builds your anticipation for what's to follow in no uncertain terms.”

“The heartbreaking duet between Gee and Laughlin “By Your Leave” really starts things off brilliantly, I’m not sure styling like this has existed since the 60s, but it feels current and authentic. “Penny” is leaving her past and her lover who stayed to long, this sets the stage for what is to follow. One thing I have to hand to them is that this is humanly realistic, because the next song “A Better Place” is about “Penny” sleeping with her former lover one last time and after it was already over, coming to peace with the division. I am certain that many can relate: “It’s alright, you spent the night, and I like to think your grace has left us in a better place.” Artfully brilliant, it’s always hard to start at the end. This also has an amazing horn section going for it as well, a great jaunty number that is the happiest tune about dissolution I have heard.”

“Last, but by no means least, at IPO Los Angeles this afternoon @ Fais Do Do are The Cherry Bluestorms, one of my fave bands in LA, or anywhere! Psychedelic pop at its finest; think that Rainbow Quartz sound, as they would fit right in! They have a brand new CD called Bad Penny Opera, which is indeed a psychedelic, conceptual opera! You will be sorely lacking in your pop music acumen if you don't hurry and check them out!”

“Donovan’s “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” was never really a “rock” song, until now and once more an amazing horn section that brilliantly highlights everything. I love everything Donovan has ever done and this cover is absolutely amazing because they make it their own–they take it like a mod rock band of the era would have and make it rock. In “Penny’s” story I imagine it is the start if her journey. “A True Heart Wears A Thorny Crown” is the first song on the album where Laughlin takes the vocal lead. It speaks of the vulnerability one places oneself in when you search for yourself in travel and experience–open to life, open to love, open to everything including a great amount of pain, hurt and the willingness to stay afloat despite such damages. Gee is back on vocals for “Sunday Driving South” and the song sounds literally like a Sunday driving South as you leave your life behind, think about all that you are shedding, both in emotional wait an the pain tha”

“If you are seeking a 60s garage sound with a modern twist to play in your car on sunny summer days this album fits the bill. In fact even if it's raining and you're stuck indoors it will help you pretend it's a balmy summer day if you let it take you on that journey. The distinctive vocals and groovy harmonies evoke the spirit of the best bits of the 60s garage band sound, but with better production. The layers of production hide subtle hooks and riffs which burrow into the psyche and attach the songs to the memory, demanding your attention in the most pleasant of ways. Things to listen out for - - The fab guitar sound on Bad Penny Overture, an instrumental track that sounds like a modern take on a classic film or TV theme that you can't quite put your finger on. - Horns adding a subtle punch in the background of A Better Place - Haunting mellotron and strings adding extra dimensions to Sunday Driving South - The harmonies on As Above So Below.”

“The Cherry Bluestorms “Bad Penny Opera” The Cherry Bluestorms are the duo of Glen Laughlin (The Dickies) and Deborah Gee, and both shared a love of 60’s guitar-based melodic rock. Its been a long time since I heard a full length rock opera concept, and this LP is epic in scope – the story is roughly about a girl leaving behind her home in 60′s Britain and trying to find a fresh start. Starting with an “Overture” past the 5 minute mark, it highlights Laughlin’s guitar mastery, evoking Pink Floyd and The Beatles simultaneously.”

“There are also beautiful references to Piper At The Gates of Dawn, “Arnold Layne”, Mr. Toad and Ken Kesey. It all ends beautifully with a kaleidoscope guitar outro that makes my heart swoon. Laughlin takes the vocal lead on “The Country Man” and it seems to me that this is where “Penny” has reached the outlands in the drive to escape her former reality, it is a world of witch drownings, abject poverty, a place where they “Yield a hearty crop of pathos and fear.” Here again The Cherry Bluestorms take an incredibly bleak topic and turn it into a downright jaunty pop tune. But that’s how they used to do it–the music wasn’t sad when it spoke of social discomfort, it was upbeat, tight and right–it used that catchy hook heavy as hell technique to deliver devastating words to their listeners. I wish that ethos would return.”

“On Sunday June 23, 2013 at approximately 5:20 p.m., The Cherry Bluestorms took the stage at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Import Room in Los Angeles, California. This was a special event to premiere their first live performance of songs from their latest album Bad Penny Opera. For those not up on their indie artists, The Cherry Bluestorms were founded by singer-songwriter/guitarist Deborah Gee (lead vocals) and ex-Dickies guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Glen Laughlin (guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals). They appeared with their current drummer Mark Francis White, bassist Steve Giles, keyboardist Bobby Victor and narrator Michael McShane. Bereft of his sexy sidekick sparkling Mary Sparks and armed with only an ice cold emerald can of energy your regularly reclusive writer braved the fearsome freeways of the land of fruits and nuts once more to see this band perform live.”

““World Going Mad” is another song in that vein. With a riff that seems very reminiscent of The Police, with flower power flourishes (no one does that), talks of the madness that “Penny” encounters now on her own. Her past behind her she discovers that the world is drenched in insanity everywhere she turns. In trying to find herself, perhaps to ease her own state of mind, she discovers society is far more unstable than what she imagined. Laughlin's maudlin delivery of this sentiment is brilliant in every way. The driving rhythm and guitar of “As Above So Below” is enough to get you going and with Gee on lead, this is pure single material. Easily one of my favorite songs on the album not only musically, but lyrically as well. “Penny” seems to have gone down the rabbit hole at this point with references to magic and the lore way, visions of hanging on a cloud and understanding the difference between the self and other with a brilliant backmasked ending.”

““London Bridge” with Laughlin on lead is not the same old song that you would think it was. I’m not sure where it falls into place with the song cycle, except for a psychedelic perception that no matter where you go, you’re still there and that you can change the scenery, but the faces are the same. It’s like the the musical equivalent of saying that the only common link to all of your failed relationships is you. Brilliant. While most of the album sticks to a 60s ideology “To Love You Is A Crime” explodes with the ferocity of My Bloody Valentine and the Creation artists that surrounded them. Another Laughlin lead, there is a brilliant musical complexity here structurally and I love it. One of the fiercest tracks on the album by far and by far the furthest removed from their roots. It is a tale of loving someone that feels should not be loved and “Penny” does indeed love this new lead in her life, despite all resistance.”

“The Cherry Bluestorms - Bad Penny Opera Knowing The Cherry Bluestorms as a great live band, with first and foremost lots of Grade A psychedelic guitar at the foundation of the band, it comes as a surprising ear-opener to hear this sophomore album kicking off with a Kraftwerk like intro on the “Bad Penny Overture”. It’s not long before the inventive guitar licks of Glen Laughlin find their way in though. The acoustic “By Your Leave” sounds like it could be a long lost Nick Drake song, with Deborah’s plaintive vocal sounding as if she’s actually living the song. The album does have a concept flow about it, and this is the character of Penny leaving home in the north of England to head for pastures new, and the bright lights of the big city down south. The one cover on the album is a beautifully arranged version of Donovan’s classic “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” from “A Gift From A Flower To A Garden”. This song serves to let us know not just when we are, but w”

““Start Again” is exactly what it says it is in the realm if the concept and its probably Laughlin’s best lead on the entire album. It definitely verges on Beatles/Oasis territory, but with darker chords, and it’s that, the darkness that makes it unique, save for the chorus: “Let it all in, let it all out again, let it in your heart, then you can start to let it all in, let it in and out, never have the heart, if you have the heart to start again.” Beautiful. In a peculiar turn and a bit of striking realism in turn, the opera ends with “Bad”, a tale of regret and sorrow for having been so open. You may easily recognize the funky bass line from the overture at the start as everything comes full circle. It’s unclear that “Penny” is reminiscing about the love that drove her away in search of herself or the love she just found, but the ambiguity is wonderfully amazing and it doesn’t matter in the least, because love cycles are like that.”

“The Cherry Bluestorms – Bad Penny Opera (Roundhouse) Thirteen tracks, opening with the killer instrumental “Bad Penny Opera,” sort of a cross between Deodato, Spencer Davis, and the Who’s Tommy, Ken Russell edition. Garage/Psyche fans will love it – I can see this one going over big in certain dance clubs. The Cherry Bluestorms are Deborah Gee and Glen Laughlin (ex-the Dickies, the Furys) with five friends contributing horns, drums, strings, and organ. Both Gee and Laughlin sing lead, each with very distinct voices, well matched in their harmonies. The album paints a wide stylistic brush, from folk duo material (“By Your Leave”) to organ-tinged jangle pop (“A True Love Wears a Thorny Crown”) to epic mellotron-backed ballad (“Sunday Driving South”). The album’s single is easily “As Above So Below,” which is all chiming 12-string lead hooks and sinewy, melodic vocals.”

“If anything the song echos the echos that are repeated patterns in our lives with love and relationships. Was it the new beau or was it the old? Is there a difference? Isn’t the loss exactly the same. I don’t know if my interpretation of these songs is even remotely close to what The Cherry Bluestorms intended and I truly invite you to listen to the album and draw your own perceptions. No matter what Bad Penny Opera is an amazing album that has me mesmerized. I encourage everyone that reads this to head to Long Wong’s on Friday night to catch them in action. Hell, I want to go to pick up a copy of Venus In Transit because I can’t wait to hear their cover of The Beatles “Baby You’re A Rich Man.” That night you’ll also have Fairy Bones of course, as well as Stereoblind, Sister Lip and The Haymarket Squares! What a great fucking night! Seriously, get there early and stay late.”

“Penny for my thoughts: The Cherry Bluestorms deliver yet again Bad Penny Opera (BPO) is the second LP to be released by The Cherry Bluestorms (TCB), the 60’s Brit indie-rock driven duo consisting of Texan Deborah Gee, a truly sweet and oh so sultry songstress who perfectly complements the colourful cool composure of her TCB counterpart Glen Laughlin, who you might know from his time spent with legendary punk outfit The Dickies. Their psychedelic, accessible debut LP Transit of Venus impressed me to the point of no return and yes, I now hypocritically return and succumb to a second helping of TCB magic, which chronicles our protagonist Bad Penny’s London-bound, post-relationship search for a new life. Taking in the sights and sounds of Britain’s 60s rock scene as she goes, Bad Penny makes good as she goes!”

“BAD PENNY OPERA - (ROUNDHOUSE RECORDINGS) - I thought this LA duo’s debut from a few years ago was certainly solid, but they have stepped it up a notch on this sophomore effort (which is basically a rock opera of some sort). The band is essentially the duo of Deborah Gee (vocals) and Glen Laughlin (longtime Dickies member) on vocals, guitar, bass and keys with some other friends helping out. You can tell that they are influenced by a lot of the 60’s pop that came out of their hometown of Los Angeles (I hear some nods to Love) as well as Britsters like the Beatles (‘natch) and even some Pink Floyd as well as The Kinks. The record opens with the prog-ish instrumental “Bad Penny Overture” then into the folky “By Your Leave” (not my favorite song on the record) then into the supremely poppy “A Better Place” (definitely my favorite song on the record).”

“Then it transitions to acoustic guitar and the dual vocals of “By Your Leave” similar to Jefferson Airplane or Dreamboat Annie-era Heart if it was lead by Amiee Mann. “A Better Place” is a packed with horns backing up Gee’s crisp vocals. Next is a fast-paced cover of Donovan’s “Wear Your Love Like Heaven.” Gee’s vibrato sounds great on “Sunday Driving South,” a mid-tempo gem. “The Country Man” is Glen’s vocal highlight, a neo-hippy guitar anthem. Other tracks need a few more listens to appreciate, but the back half of the album drags a bit. Parts of songs are just brilliant, like the opening chords of “To Love You is A Crime,” or the chorus to “World Going Mad.” Definitely worth a place on your music playlist. 8/10”

“Arriving uncharacteristically early despite the best efforts of L.A. taxi drivers and people who precariously park one narrow two-lane one-way streets, your hero hermit quickly inquired with the imbibing establishment’s esteemed doorman regarding parking before making his way through the dark, atmospheric pub in an attempt to locate the stage. Your inquisitive insider stumbled through a seemingly locked door to find himself face-to-far away face with The Cherry Bluestorms in the midst of a late soundcheck. Soon surprised by Reuben Vigil, lead singer and guitarist for Big Shot Reub and The Reloaders, who graciously bought your rather reclusive writer an apropos beverage with which to enjoy the show. Now regular readers know that your all too often penned-up penman doesn’t provide a song-by-song analysis because he actually attempts to enjoy the rare live event rather than over-analyze them or document them in detail.”

““Sunday Driving South” is filled with a gorgeous string arrangement and a mellotron sound stolen from “Strawberry Fields Forever”. With name-checks to Arnold Layne, Purple Haze and Mr Toad, this is definitely an album high-light. Glen and Deborah’s vocals work perfectly well together, and this is especially high-lighted on “The Country Man”. Nearing the end of the album, the dreams, hopes and wishes of Penny seem to have vanished by the time we get to “Start Again”. The lyrics are matched wonderfully by Glen’s brooding guitar riff. Oh, and talking of lyrics, some of Glen’s finest are on the album’s closing number “Bad”. They portray the darkest images you could imagine. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of redemption for Penny in this tale of lost hopes and dreams, but as in a lot of great song-writing, you can take out of it whatever you want. What you DO get is the feeling of the heart and soul of the 60’s planted firmly in the 21st century”

“A master class in production touches, note how the simple addition of tambourine at 1:10 lifts an already driving song up a notch. The album also includes a nicely arranged, horn-driven version of Donovan’s “Wear Your Love Like Heaven,” but the Cherry Bluestorms excellent originals are what you’ll be returning to.”

“Now, some of the titles on BPO might afford us insight into the band’s affection for the recently resuscitated Madchester scene, but TCBs love for The Charlatans (UK) is what shines brightest herein. This eulogistic journey back to the musicianship of yesteryear is peppered with charismatic cast-members who animate and enliven this cyclic concept album at every opportunity. Opening with the ‘Up to our Hips’ era Charlatans-resounding ‘Bad Penny Overture’, this easy-going groove-driven track draws you in close and stirs little desire for sonic scrutiny as it does, until a drawn-out, solo-strong outro stands up to demand your outright attention. Soft and understated ‘By Your Leave’ offers many a Rumer-worthy flash of innocence amidst the awesome Hammond-proud sounds. Coming in at two and half minutes, the track is over almost as quickly as it began, affording listeners little chance to fully appreciate its simplistic brilliance.”

“From then on the record wavers between dark pop and darker folky “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” mixes both, and happens to be a Donovan cover while “Sunday Driving South” is pure Fab Four. If 60’s UK music is your bag then check this one out, it might not get a much props as it deserves (being self-released and all) but is certainly worthy of your attention.”

“Laughlin’s songwriting skills and Brit musical influences continue to be apparent in the upbeat songs "The Country Man" and “World Going Mad”. It’s always interesting and oft’times almost amazing to see how much music a mere trio of tunesmiths can put out on one track. There are some near Phil Spector-like moments in Laughlin’s production to be sure. “As Above so Below” is just plain groovy . . . and no doubt was meant to be. Your personable penman was privy to a preview of this piece as well and it sounds even better now as part of this particular performance. Guest musician Andy Duncan is brought in to fill out the sound with his horns. What would this work be without a mention of such a well-known site as the London Bridge? Indeed, “London Bridge” is perhaps one of Laughlin’s better works in terms of blending the old with the new. His song “To Love You Is a Crime” adds additional pre-1967 influential elements to the album.”

“(Besides, a discussion of the entire album’s audios can be found in a previously published edition of the “Track-by-track” series.) This, however, was more of a musical performance and not just a normal club gig. Before the “Bad Penny Overture” to Act I was over, there was a Standing-Room-Only audience of family and friends, hot chicks and old hens, those in jeans and those with means, one and all had gathered around, black and white, yellow and brown. (Lest we forget, the use of a live narrator, McShane, was a nice touch that added a bit of theatre to the performance. It was a Moody Blues moment with a different dialect.) While the order was different than that on the disc, the playlist was probably arranged in such a way as to more easily accommodate smooth transitions between songs without too much inconsequential chatter. The songs from the CD, such as “By Your Leave”, still seemed to fall into place as the band began their story-song about the perils of Penny.”

“The one nice surprise was Glen on vocal duties, opening with a riff reminiscent of The Police on World Going Mad, To Love You is a Crime and Start Again. I also like the organ sound on the album as well, giving it a slight retro feel. The album is great to listen to with a nice variety of sounds and pace. Although I got the impression that the album was recorded either in different times or in difference places as the recordings sound different. The songs mentioned above have the Transit of Venus sound; very polished and the harmonies are more together, as with the other songs, you can tell the vocals are more apart, although there is no difference in the vocal quality. Paul Dj Readman Radio Variety Show Review djreadmanuk@gmail.com”

“This album is without doubt a giant leap forward in putting this band in the major league. It deserves to be recognised as a classic already.”

“Our London IPO kicked off with band four, The Cherry Bluestorms who had travelled all the way from Los Angeles to play at both Liverpool and London (and a gig in Camden Town’s Dublin Castle). The Cherry Bluestorms are a great psychedelic rock band, who look the part and sound fantastic. Deborah Gee, as the front woman glided around the stage, playing tambourine and finger cymbals whilst delivering some great vocals that blended with the psychedelic guitar. Kicking off with a Beatles number, we then heard some songs from the album we have and were also treated to some new songs which sounded superb. Glen on guitar is a major vintage gear aficionado. You get the feeling the band would step up a gear if he was let loose with his own equipment.”

“The illusion to the penny dreadfuls of the late Victorian era mix well with the idea of a girl leaving behind unhappiness in sixties Britain and trying to find a fresh start is pure Vaudeville, a marvellous hark back to theatre and yet it took a marvellous pair of musicians from across the Atlantic to put this vision into shape and in respect to The Beatles and the emotive She’s Leaving Home, a look at the other side of life in the U.K., the side that was only ever documented in black and white, something that was only just one step on from George Orwell’s look at the northern cities in The Road To Wigan Pier.”

“‘A Better Place’ comes across as something of an anthem desperate to astound, but the brass-derived highlight that comes midway in the form of a casual, carefree horn solo is all too short-lived. With lyrics being effectively repeated it serves up the first real enticer and leaves us wanting more. Covering Donovan’s ‘Wear Your Love Like Heaven’ is a bold move for anyone aiming for hip or grasping at relevance these days, so you can imagine my delight at discovering a solid, feel good rendition that screams quality, particularly with each of Gee’s vitality-fuelled vocals. ‘A True Heart Wears A Thorny Crown’ offers thinly veiled homage to ‘North Country Boy’, a Charlatans track I hold little love for, but that said, this track undoubtedly adds another ass-shakingly good classic to TCBs back-catalogue; if indie-driven delight is what you’re after… you got it!”

“But by employing a brass-fuelled music-hall feel in the vein of The Kinks' Dead End Street, it's also strangely uplifting and conducive to the belief we can go to, and leave this world, a better place. This is a Laughlin-Gee composition, and the only other track not solely written by Glen Laughlin is an energized makeover of Donovan's Wear Your Love Like Heaven, replete with horns and with Deborah on lead vocals. It works a treat. Sunday Driving South is a melotronic bittersweet beauty featuring a MacCartneynesque bass line The tension and regret of a foundered relationship eventually resolving to escapism on the road, 'Passing Mr. Toad', on a quest for those psychedelic summers of love. And so the quality continues. World Going Mad chops to and from a rock-reggae rhythm reminiscent of The Police and has a great vibraphone part. As Above So Below is a fast busy number that kicks behind and would have suited The Monkees.”

“A song with a title like “Start Again” might initially seem oddly placed here and yet in terms of the actual story it belongs nowhere else as our protagonist is near the end of her purposeful pilgrimage and is only now ready to start again. Schierbaum encores again on organ and the introduction of Brittany Cotto on violin adds a subtle something to Laughlin’s musical mix here. Not to be confused with Michael Jackson’s 1987 hit titular track, “Bad” is yet one more new composition by Laughlin. With its roots in music made decades earlier, this closing cut is yet another song that won early favour from fans. As always, much of the music on this disc is both foreign and familiar, both enticing and accessible.”

“(Album Review) The Cherry Bluestorms - Bad Penny Opera As always, Glen, Deborah and the rest of the musicians involved, deliver the goods. Opening with an instrumental, Bad Penny Opera, feels very film interlude in style. The instrumental also made me realise that the recording has a rawer sound. As Above So Below is my favourite song, which is one of the songs on the album recorded earlier than some of the other songs on the album. One element of the album I love are the harmonies that Glen and Deborah sing. They do very well and are second to none. The Cherry Bluestorms sound is American Pop Rock. The other songs that I like that were probably recorded earlier as well are A Better Place and By Your Leave, which I heard when I interviewed the duo back in 2012. There is definitely a rawer sound to the music with the vocals more prominent and the music slightly distant on many of the songs, which was not apparent on Transit of Venus.”

““Critic’s Choice” came next in the familiar form of the duo’s collaborative composition “A Better Place” which was well-received by the attentive audience. As the band broke into “A True Heart Wears A Thorny Crown” that this was drama and not background music for drunken dancing even if there were moments when those standing in the back felt the urge to groove a bit to the 1960s-influenced material. The tributary “Sunday Driving South” and classic cover of Donovan’s “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” were also included as the act came to a close. McShane’s narration opened Act II after which Gee reminded observers that she was more than a pretty (albeit mustached) face by picking up a guitar to support her partner on “The Country Man”. The group next went mad with “World Going Mad" which worked just as well without the near Spector-like studio production on the CD. It was followed by energetic presentations of the groovy, upbeat “As Above So Below” and”

“LA WEEKLY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009 Wild Cherry by Falling James THE CHERRY BLUESTORMS AT CAFE AUDREY It’s worth tracking down the Cherry Bluestorms’ 2007 CD, Transit of Venus (Roundhouse Recording), if only because the 3-D cover is a spacy variation on the psychedelic artwork to the Rolling Stones’ 1967 album, Their Satanic Majesties Request. The music inside isn’t bad, either, starting with a glittery makeover of the Beatles’ “Baby, You’re a Rich Man,” which is blown up by ex-Dickies guitarist Glen Laughlin’s crunchy, hard-bubblegum production and frosted with Deborah Gee’s sweetly reproachful vocals. The tune sounds fresh again and would probably already be in television commercials everywhere if the duo had any connections. In their best original songs, such as “Fear of Gravity,” Laughlin surrounds Gee’s desperately yearning vocals with swirling arpeggios and doomy, dramatic descending chords.”

“Even though there has been a major gap between the two albums, Bad Penny Opera relishes the challenge made by its predecessor and in the songs, A Better Place, the excellent Sunday Driving South, To Love You Is A Crime with its undertones of a time before the repeal act of 1967 and World Gone Mad, both Deborah Gee and Glen Laughlin and the assortment of players give seriously brave and wonderful performances. It can only be hoped that there isn’t another huge gap between Bad Penny Opera and the next album as the Cherry Bluestorms are a band that don’t deserve to languish in the background.”

“Until the ante is upped further still when we arrive with Penny at London Bridge - 'falling down'. An impeccable song from its fade-in with Space Oddity strumming, to its whimsical fairground interlude, to the mocking laughter of Mr. Punch that sees it out. It might be the other side of the penny to Waterloo Sunset, but this one really holds up against its classic swinging London antecedents. But hot on its heels comes To Love You Is A Crime. A wall of sound crashes in before giving way to a rubbery bass line. Burbling keyboards and a blissed and yearning chorus filtered through Madchester make this another of the album's biggest stand outs. Then as we near the close guitar bleeds in for Start Again, recognizably an anthemic heart-stirrer to bring the curtain down; sounding like Matthew Fisher assisting The Beatles around the time of Hey Jude. Hope and melancholy vie for eternal supremacy as the song soars and finally ebbs away leaving just valedictory strings.”

“It could be the shifting drive or a meandering sense of direction that stirs uncertainty throughout ‘Sunday Driving South’. Calmness, calamity and conflict combine throughout an emotive track that keeps you guessing at the outcome. Ken Kesey references are always welcome in my house too! ‘The Country Man’ and its fresh-sounding multi-track vocals immediately reignite our appreciation levels, but it needs no studio gimmickry in order to hold its own, no sir-ee! Any track that closes with the word rhododendron is already onto a sure winner, right?! Upping the ante, ‘World Going Mad’ annoyingly escalates anticipation levels, before ambling around on its way to the end of the track… at least that’s what it wants you to think! It’s a real yet repetitive treat and realising midway that the track’s end isn’t quite as nigh is expected is a closing bonus.”

“The songs on this concept album are a potent potpourri of 1960s Brit band bits, “legendary” London and their own somewhat psychedelic signature sound make for an original yet listener-friendly, lyrical libretto and love letter to The Cherry Bluestorm's early influences that will whisk audiences to “A Better Place”. My name is Phoenix and . . . that's the bottom line.”

““To Love You Is A Crime” throws in that pre-1967 influence even in concert and Laughlin’s vocals here had a certain je ne sais quoi here that seems absent on the actual album. The show all too soon drew to a close with “Start Again” which highlights the end of our protagonist’s purposeful pilgrimage and “Bad” (which ironically provided this performance piece with a good ending). Although the team’s tuneful tale had concluded the band did take the stage again to perform an encore which included the song “Daisy Chain” which—complete with Townshend-like windmill work-- was more interesting live than on their debut disc Transit of Venus.”

“...a modern pop album with a well placed nod to the classic rock genre... (they) add a nice psyche-pop touch to a full arena rock sound. The rich production work and composition of "Here" bring to mind Chrissie Hynde and Annie Lennox. The songwriting overall is strong throughout the entire album.”

“The Cherry Bluestorms - Transit Of Venus Album Review Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * There are moments when you hear an album by a band, a solo musician, a collective of seemingly mismatched performers who somehow bring everything together to make a perfect record that you end up shedding a few tears of regret that you know you will never get to see them perform live. One such solo performer is the American musician Alexx Calisle, one such band is the sensational The Cherry Bluestorms from Los Angeles. The debut album from the band, Transit of Venus, was released in 2007 and right from the initial first beat, there is something that grabs the attention of the listener, the memory of the innocent music of the 60s wrapped in great vocals and percussion by Deborah Gee and music provided by Glen Laughlin and Ryan Brown.”

“Only it isn't quite the end as like a Bad Penny the Overture returns with a vocal reprise to complete the cycle: invective making manifest what was hinted at the very beginning. It's been a fabulous journey, an embrace and tour of musical influences and themes fated to recur again and again. Just as you will find Bad Penny Opera has a habit of returning to your music player.”

“‘As Above So Below’ stomps its way into the proceedings to lovingly set the stage for Laughlin’s licks that serve up yet another hand-clap, foot-tap and even head-nod happy track. I suspect the word infectious could be appropriate, but I’m too busy keeping myself and this LP to myself! A somewhat feeble ‘London Bridge’ serves up some sonic respite, which lets us to take a little premature breather whether we want to or not! Fear not friends, for the flames of format familiarity that brought us thus far, will soon be fanned and flaring around us once more. ONWARD! ‘To Love You Is A Crime’ comes crashing in, before subsiding into a luscious vocal-led tale of self-devaluation that mildly stirs more offbeat offerings once made by The Beatles. Here’s another track that’s over before the separate parts of its composition can be fully appreciated.”

“Overall, the event—which ended shortly before 7:00 p.m. -- was both wonderfully retro and yet new and original. What little may have been absent in terms of studio polish was more than made up for with the honest excitement of both the audience and the band members themselves. The CD fails to reveal Mclaughlin’s Brit-like live presence and cannot translate Gee’s occasional snake-like wiggles exhibited in their (ahem) vested live efforts. Simply put, The Cherry Bluestorms’ live rendition of Bad Penny Opera was all good. My name is Phoenix and . . . that's the bottom line.”

“With the comparison to the sixties era out the way quickly, there is no obligation for the listener to think that the band are harking back to a past that can never be captured in the same way, the original feel of the opening song makes it fresh and leads the listener in gently to what is about to come, a sixties mark two, American folk mixed with the presence of the psychedelic or some great and well-written tunes, either way The Cherry Bluestorms are their own unique offering. Transit of Venus is a very enjoyable way to kill an hour, to wind down too and forget the pressure of 21st century living for a while and in tracks such as the marvellous Just A Kiss Away, the exceptional quality of Her Mirror Cracked and the beauty of Awaken spell out the eminence and excellence of this debut album. Even if breaks your heart to know you will probably never see them live, at least you will have this record to enjoy.”

“Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10 The U.K. had two versions of the 1960s. The first which revolved around Swinging London, Carnaby Street, the advent of women’s liberation and the pill, short skirts, sexual freedom, relaxation of antiquated laws, The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks. This world was there for the people of the U.K. to see but very few saw that glimpse of hedonistic Britain outside of the silver screen, news items and their dreams. For others, it was the second version, the world of Rita Tushingham and A Taste of Honey, The Wednesday Afternoon Play, Cathy Come Home, Carol White, Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, social deprivation and unrest, sex scandals in Parliament, train robberies, Profumo and the threat of nuclear war between two superpowers either side of the U.K. It’s no wonder that people prefer to remember the sixties as a golden time in Britain compared to real life.”

“‘Start Again’ takes us right back to the cold stone cobbles of London just as much as any lamp-lit Liverpudlian canal. The music pleasingly upholds a Gerry and the Pacemakers sentimentality whilst a perfectly delivered, timeless and stylized vocal transports us to those former days of glory. ‘Bad’ is the beloved bastard son of our equally enthralling opening track, which impresses its incestuous similarities on the listener; it’s a great LP closer that piles on all the lyrical prowess of its predecessors, leaving behind a underpinning pining for the repeat button… it’s simply brilliant. If you’re no prouder a TCB fan after hearing this album, you owe it to yourself to give it a second chance, perhaps when your head’s elsewhere and you’ve undergone some open (your) heart surgery! Tune in, drop out and admire the lyrics as you go to get a proper handle on this lovingly crafted LP.”

“THE CHERRY BLUESTORMS - TRANSIT OF VENUS- ROUNDHOUSE - This LA trio has been at it for a few years and tho’ this record is from 2007. It's still worth reviewing in this batch of new reviews. Vocalist/percussionist Deborah Gee has strong yet sleek vocals (think Chrissy Hynde, at times) while guitarist Glen Laughlin eeks out righteous riffs that are a cool mix of rock, pop and psych. Tune in but don't drop out.”

“In this edition, we peruse The Cherry Bluestorms most recent release Bad Penny Opera. "Bad Penny Overture" is a long, rockin’ instrumental lead-in to the tuneful tale of a girl named Penny living in “the industrial North of 1960's England”. Here begins the trippy tour through the tribulations of our heroine as she ends a relationship and heads South on a journey of self-discovery and second chances. The second selection is the comparatively brief “By Your Leave”. This one, like most of the material here was written by Laughlin. It features guest musician Arlan Schierbaum on the Hammond organ and continues the story of Penny as set against music that is influenced by Brit Rock of that era. The next number is “A Better Place”. This is a collaborative cut by Laughlin and Gee. It features guest artist Lilly Aycud on horns. Your rockin’ reviewer was made privy to a preview of this piece prior to the release of this disc and this finished version is polished and prepped fo”

“On “Daisy Chain,” they get away with chanting giddy lyrics like “The moon and all the stars watch Venus dancing home to Mars” because there is real power in their power pop. The plainer lyrics in their lesser songs are generally offset by Gee’s clear, melodic singing and Laughlin’s jangly guitar curlicues. It could prove interesting to see how they fit their intergalactic pop into this small Audrey Hepburn–themed café on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Las Palmas Avenue.”

“Mixing the reality of sixties Britain with their own psychedelic twist and clever narrative, The Cherry Bluestorms release their new album Bad Penny Opera, a concept album that sweeps the listener of their feet and takes them on a long journey from somewhere in the North of England to the illusion of what London was, a vision that hasn’t changed since a certain young gentleman was told that the streets were lined with gold. Bad Penny may be the subject of the concept but without The Cherry Bluestorms infallible way of making music, the originality in which they conduct the narrative, it’s doubtful whether Bad Penny would have ever taken shape.”

“Having played and sung with punk pop legends The Dickies and the former front man of The Pop, David Swanson, guitarist/vocalist Glen Laughlin developed the non-standard tunings that are the signature of his style. As soon as he met vocalist Deborah Gee at an LA coffee house, the two discovered they had much in common musically, and immediately began working on what would become The Cherry Bluestorms. Their debut album, Transit of Venus, is a garden of unearthly delights for those who cut their teeth on the vinyl pressed between 1964 and 1970!”

“The Bad Penny Overture sees us on our way, bearing something of The Small Faces. It's an excellent start. A swirlitzer of an opening leads into a Charlatans-like heavy groove: yes, it's decidedly danceable. But there's a distinctly ominous feel to it as riffing vignettes point to the road ahead. It's clear the journey we're embarking on isn't going to be entirely smooth. Covering the bases it does, it's hard to tell from the Overture where we're immediately heading. A sign homes in to view reading By Your Leave and it transpires we're somewhere in the area of acoustic-bucolic reflection blueprinted by Nick Drake, and here resting on a rising bed of hammond organ. Glen and Deborah harmonize wistfully as lovers calling it a day. Lovely. Next up, A Better Place is ostensibly a sad song venting emotions in the aftermath of a friend passing away.”

“Also included here is a clever cover of a classic cut by Donovan titled “Wear Your Love Like Heaven”. Aycud encored on horns once more adding a little something to the musical mix. The song is both welcome and apropos and Gee’s female vocals adds something different to the golden oldie. The Donovan adaptation is followed by Laughlin’s “A True Heart Wears a Thorny Crown”. This one may already be familiar to hardcore fans as it was previously placed in a television show. Schierbaum encores on the organ further setting the musical mood to this "songstory". It’s followed by another Laughlin original titled “Sunday Driving South”. This noteworthy number is apparently already an early fan favourite and contains elements wonderfully reminiscent of The Beatles and lyrical tips of the hat to such other inspiring acts as Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix.”

“The Cherry Bluestorms are a psychedelic '60's Manchester pop influenced (group) that will undoubtedly delight any fans of the far-out, stirring flashbacks of Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable days...”

“Bad Penny Opera - A First Class Tour Round The High Roads Of British Psychedelia So here it is at last. Some six years after their well-received debut album we have the second coming of the Sunset Boulevard Branch of the Village Green Appreciation Society. A baker's dozen of postcards from the old country, Bad Penny Opera loosely follows the character of Penny, who after a broken relationship travels from the north of England to London. She acts as a sort of cipher for an American rootlessness and the quest to connect to an illusory England. It's a pilgrimage firmly rooted in the soil of melodic sixties' rock, but with timeless lyrics. Lightly psychedelic, but nothing chemically informed or any anachronistic tomfoolery.”

“After discovering their mutual love of '60s guitar based melodic rock, guitarist/vocalist Glen Laughlin (formerly of The Dickies) and vocalist Deborah Gee immediately began working on what would become The Cherry Bluestorms. Their debut album by these Los Angelions, Transit of Venus, is a garden of unearthly delights for those who cut their teeth on the vinyl pressed between 1964 and 1970! We can't wait to hear their sophomore effort, a concept album called Bad Penny Opera, which is available for pre-order through their website, and should be released very soon!”

“The overall construct, the final feel is an amalgam of somewhere between listening to Ann and Nancy Wilson in their American folk stage, the allure of Chrissie Hynds at her most provocative added and mixed thoroughly with just a dash of Portishead, the result is astonishing, a real treat for the ears. The album gives the nod to its heritage at the very start leaving the listener under no illusion to where the band is coming from. With some bands the use of a Beatles track in their arsenal can detract from the sensation, everybody knows the music and for the most part nobody covers their songs any better than the original artist, save perhaps the great Joe Cocker. However by covering one of the less played songs from their dominant days, Baby You’re A Rich Man, the group set out to surprise and enthral and the song with its changed weaving patterns is a great version.”