Molina, Tony

When Tony Molina released "Confront The Truth" in 2016 it had been three long years since his previous record (the now-classic album "Dissed And Dismissed") and anticipation was intense. Tony's crunchy Teenage Fanclub-meets-Replacements power-pop was informed sonically and spiritually by his beloved SF South Bay area DIY punk scene, but "Confront The Truth" confounded the desire for more of the same by spotlighting Tony's formidable songwriting with spare, mostly acoustic arrangements that hearken back to the circa 1967 psychedelic folk-pop of early Bee Gees, The Move, The Beatles and Tomorrow. Out-of-print for several years, we're happy to bring this record back on vinyl now, and this time as a 12" rather than 7" to give these beautiful, delicate songs more room to breathe. Truly the kind of aural tonic we all need right now.

Breathless, lightning-quick power-pop songs that feature some of the best tunes we've heard in ages. Taking his cues from Thin Lizzy, Teenage Fanclub, Big Star, Dinosaur Jr and Guided By Voices, Tony has an unerring grasp on what makes great pop work, and these twelve songs (including an ace GBV cover) could all be lost 70s radio hits, albeit ones filtered through a love of punk and hardcore. Brevity is the name of the game here - most songs run under one minute and yet don't skimp at all on melody or self-deprecating humor. Awesome.

With his brilliant new album "Kill The Lights," West Bay native Tony Molina continues his artistic evolution, steadily moving away from raging Weezer/Teenage Fanclub-style power-pop nuggets fueled by shredding guitar pyrotechnics and Tony's ironclad DIY HC roots to mostly acoustic arrangements that owe as much to "Horizontal"-era Bee Gees and the Fanclub's mellower moments as they do to Georges Harrison and Martin. From the Byrds-y opener "Nothing I Can Say" to the subtly wrenching "Wrong Town" and the gorgeous folk-picking of "Now That She's Gone" we hear Tony synthesizing his influences with great skill and intention These classic folk and pop styles are being employed in the service of stellar songs and universal lyrical truths, reflecting a dedication to craft combined with an intense commitment to self-expression that transcends simplistic genre boundaries and is totally true to Tony's DIY punk roots.