Rose County Fair, John Pedigo's post-Slick 57 band, has dropped the rockabilly influence of his previous group but kept the contrasting elements of vintage punk and Americana. "Falcones," from 2007's The Overture (and available on its MySpace site), is a good example of the band's catchy pop leanings, with Pedigo's vocals high in the mix over fuzzed-up garage rock guitar. On the other hand, the mostly instrumental "The Overture" shows the band's ambitious side, beginning with barroom piano that gives way to muted trumpets, kazoo and about 47 different hooks. The one time I saw them live, they cranked up the guitars and rocked out a lot more than either song would indicate.
Folly Fandango's songs, meanwhile, seem to start out as fairly straightforward rootsy pop songs. But they end up with so many odd keyboard sounds piled on top that they sometimes sound like two different songs played at once.
This is a good lineup for those who like country-influenced Americana or roots rock with just a little bit of a twist.
