Even then I didn't know that Jordan was a musician with a band called Marvelous Toy, he was just someone I met in clubs and chatted with, as happened with many others who I later learned were in bands. Had the same experience with Matthew Teardrop and Rob Danson, who I got to know long before I'd even heard of Manhattan Murder Mystery or Death To Anders.
It was a completely new experience for me to come to a band "ass-backwards" so-to-speak and know the musicians before I'd heard a note of their music. Thank god their bands were so good I never had to avoid anyone to keep from saying "Your band sucks". (And everyone knows how hideously cynical and nasty I can be.) I remember going to Crane's Hollywood Tavern (now gone) one night to hear Marvelous Toy and the relief I felt when they turned out to be, not just good, but incredibly good.
It starts with a smack of driving rock and roll called "I Had the Match" followed by another blast in "There's a Red Light Above Me". Jordan's impassioned vocals are matched by the driving bass, anchored by the steady drumming of Franck Fiser. Ny Lee adds accents to each song via xylophone or bells or tambourine, that has always been a distinct part of the Marvelous Toy sound.
Cody Hudock's pulsating piano brings a honky tonk, music hall quality to the songs, while Jordan plays guitar, piano and harmonica with equal aplomb. When they both play piano, the effect is exhilarating. The album is beautifully recorded and conveys their stage presence with remarkable fidelity. Just want to add that one of the stand outs for me is "The Subway Driver" which has a poignancy that balances nicely with the general rock-out flavor of the other songs. Maybe it's just my connection to public transportation, but it's a sweetly sad song. It reminds me of the amazing set I remember seeing on the patio of the Echoplex at one of the "Rock and Roll Circus" shows, when Jordan stood right in front of me and sang a song with just a guitar. I don't think I'd realized how good his voice is until that moment. It might even have been this song.
Taking cues from his real life, there's an honestly in the writing that, knowing Jordan, I know comes from his heart. Anyone can relate to his yearning for travel, yet not wanting to leave, aware of the dangers of moving on, and perils of leaving promises unfulfilled. Thus the title of this Marvelous Toy album, Not Moving, which I recommend to anyone looking for some pure American, highly entertaining Indie Rock and Roll.
After a break of a few seconds, there is a final song that had me wondering, why the singer had a voice strangely reminiscent of Jordan. It clearly wasn't him but when I read Joe's interview and found out it is a recording by his father, the connection became clear. Pulling it out and augmenting it with keyboard, drums and bass, it is a lovely song and adds another dimension to the back story. There's obviously a lot on inherited talent in the Hudock family.
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