A veteran artist makes a thoroughly modern masterpiece, with great songwriting, arranging, and performances, almost all of it played, programmed, and sung, save for a couple of guest soloists, by Todd Rundgren himself.

I have been a fan of his music since the ’60s, his first recordings with the Nazz, and his early solo work, especially The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, one of my all-time favorites. His later work, Something, Anything, A Wizard, a True Star, and the first version of Utopia in the early ’70s, elevated his melodic songcraft with adventurous and highly musical arrangements, and fine musicianship.

Also, he always worked with great drummers, like N.D. Smart, Hunt Sales, John Guerin, John Siomos, and Kevin Ellman, who was a pioneer with monster concert tom fills in the early ’70s, and definitely inspired me in that direction, when I got my first concert toms in 1975.

Although there are no “real” drums on Liars, I eventually realized that the use of electronics was more of a production choice — the electronic instrumentation suits the songs, and the sonic atmosphere he obviously wished to create. A contemporary frame around traditional values of songcraft, careful arrangements, and passionate vocals. The lyrics are very strong, all surrounding the title concept, of “liars” in politics, religion, romance, and music.

A great record.

A newer British band, along the lines of Coldplay, with finely crafted songs, arrangements, and vocals woven into a textural mood-piece. An unusual lineup of singer, keyboard player, and drummer, the band creates a melodic and atmospheric feast, and its appeal grows with repeated listenings.

My friend Matt Scannell and I were listening to this CD one day, and agreed that the title line in “Somewhere Only We Know” is the kind of line we wish we had written — the highest compliment.

Matt introduced me to this band’s first album, Deloused in the Comatorium, which I loved. A couple of their songs appeared on the “ShowTunes” collections that I programmed as “walk-in music” at our shows on the R30 Tour. I’m just starting to listen to this one, so I won’t say too much about it — but I can already tell it’s another brave, adventurous, uncompromising, highly musical piece of work.

What’s not to like?

Mainly, it’s wonderful just to know that records like this still get made, and listened to.

Witness the groovy inclusion of “the” in those two band names.

One of Alex’s sons once had a band called The Scorch, and we thought that was a cool name. We also used to make up “alter ego” bands ourselves sometimes, to help us write different sorts of songs, and in the early ’80s we called ourselves The Fabulous Men.

This album can perhaps best be classified as “interesting.” Apparent influences include the Cure, Talking Heads, XTC, Smashing Pumpkins, and China Crisis, which is a wide-ranging, high quality place to start. Similar to some of those bands, there’s a winning quirkiness about the Arcade Fire, and the songs, the vocals, the arrangements, the playing, are all… interesting.

They are also Canadian, and that’s always nice.