All this downtime, staying home, collecting stimulus checks, has affected the world of music. Musicians are rehearsing, songwriters writing, and recording studios are busier than ever.

Add that to the fact that entire records can be made remotely, and the virus has generated a new golden era for original music.

Which brings us to the story of one such project/band/duo, Sandy McKnight w/Fernando Perdomo. The story of the “San Fernando” series of releases began in 2019, when artist/studio musician/performer/producer Perdomo met songwriter/musician/producer/author McKnight at a session at Reseda Ranch, Fernando’s L.A. studio.

Some months later, Sandy returned to the left coast (from his home base in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts), and booked a few hours to record one of his power pop tunes.

Then, as they worked, they suddenly realized they had a certain magic together - Perdomo on drums, guitars and keys, McKnight on bass and vocals. After that session, the virus intervened, and all travel options became temporarily, well ... not an option.

But the World Wide Web allowed for the speedy travel of bits and bytes on the information superhighway, and so the boys continued to groove long-distance.

They completed a 6-song EP, “San Fernando Beat”, and released it in the spring of 2020 and in early 2021, a second EP was born, “San Fernando Blitz”, and was also released to wide acclaim.

Which now leads us nicely to their third release, and their first full-length album, San Fernando Blast.

They took the 12 songs from the 2 EPs, added 3 new recordings of McKnight originals, and voila! A 15-song tour-de-force that may actually be even better than the sum of its parts.

1. Adrienne (2:38)
2. Pay It Any Mind (2:11)
3. Heart in Your Hands (3:52)
4. C’mon C’mon C’mon (2:23)
5. Under the Sun (2:53)
6. Chloe’s Gone (3:44)
7. Any Time of Day (2:37)
8. Single Flowers (2:55)
9. Melody Anne (2:59)
10. Why Make Promises? (2:37)
11. Got Me Where You Want Me (2:59)
12. Living On the West Side (2:23)
13. Facing the End of the World (2:36)
14. Fake (3:30)
15. Seven Words (2:35)

This dynamic duo, who can do it all, open up their musical cornucopia chest of 15 hook-filled hits with the gentle guitar rock of Adrienne and the jaunty pop rock of Pay It Any Mind and follow those up with the Beatles-eseque (circa Sgt. Pepper) Heart in Your Hands, the calming fuzz rock of C’mon C’mon C’mon, the twangingly melodic Under the Sun, and then we get the lusciously drum-led Chloe’s Gone.

The pop-tastic Any Time of Day is up next and is backed seamlessly by the bass-led, Elvis Costello-imbibed duo of Single Flowers and Melody Anne, then comes the AOR of Why Make Promises?, the rhythmically brilliant Got Me Where You Want Me, the sparklingly melodic Living On the West Side, with this album of magical musicianship, prodigious production, and immeasurable passion rounding out on the gently rambunctious Facing the End of the World, the laboring Fake, closing on the free flowing Seven Words.

In closing, Sandy McKnight and Fernando Perdomo have created a cohesive soundscape by sequencing the tunes with a fluid listening experience in mind, they may have done the impossible: made a greatest hits album that makes sense as a continuous listen.

Thus, while each song stands on its own, they are even more fun together.

Their manifesto says: “The concept was thus: create a 15-song album of power pop/pop/pop-rock recordings, each of which sound unique, yet hold together as a single work by an identifiable performer/artist. Ideally, the songs should be under 3 minutes (2 went longer), with killer hooks and simple production. I think we pulled it off!”

Official Purchase Link

ADRIENNE - SANDY MCKNIGHT W/ FERNANDO PERDOMO [Official Video]

www.sandymcknightmusic.com

www.fernandoperdomo.com

Sandy McKnight @ Facebook

Fernando Perdomo @ Facebook

Sandy McKnight @ YouTube

Fernando Perdomo @ YouTube

Sandy McKnight @ Twitter

Fernando Perdomo @ Twitter

Sandy McKnight @ Bandcamp