I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. I'm sure you know by now that Davy Jones, the iconic member of The Monkees and beloved British entertainer, passed away recently. Though it was the band that propelled him into stardom, he had already made appearances on a number of notable TV series, including Coronation Street in its second season.

What you may not know is that The Monkees had a lot of influence in the pop and rock music in their era; Jimi Hendrix' first American tour was opening for the famed group in the summer of 1967, and Jones himself is the reason another young musician by the same name would eventually choose the moniker 'Bowie' for his own career.

Thirty years after The Monkees came to the United States, another young group of musicians released their debut album, a brilliant display of musicianship and composition; although they may not appear to have much in common with the famed pop group, timing could not have been better when Big Wreck entered the scene with their debut album, In Loving Memory Of....

Born at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Big Wreck arrived on the scene armed with impeccable technique and style in a time of power chords and made a big statement about rock music. According to frontman Ian Thornley, however, it wasn't necessarily a conscious effort to stand out among the scene... at least, not entirely.

"It's tough for me to say just what I was thinking back then, but I know that if I brought a song that had a formulaic sound or approach to the boys, I probably would've had something thrown at me," he laughed. "Then I'd say, 'But no, I've also got this riff in seven that you're going to love!'"

"I guess it started that way, we're all kind of nerdy on the musicianship side of things. But a good song is a good song, that's all you need."

On the eve of the album release last week, the band announced a Canadian tour that includes a stop at the London Music Hall on May 18. The band has been rehearsing, building a set that highlights the new material among favourites from their first two albums, however whether the band might tinker with their old songs remains to be seen.

"I've always thought of that improvisational aspect as being just as important to our band thing as the über-rehearsed 'let's not forget that change' thing," Thornley explained. "All that time spent jamming together and learning each other's instincts musically is part of the thrill for me, and I think for fans also. 'Whoa, how did they know that?' We didn't, that was an exciting moment for us, too."

"We've dug through the first two albums, and there are a couple of surprises that we're bringing out, for sure. We wanted to have as many tricks in the bag as we could."

Widely released last week, Albatross is a massive rock record that is sure to please old and new fans alike. Prior to the release, the band produced a teaser video online that showcased samples of them performing the new material together, earning thousands of views from rock fans hungry for their new music.

On the eve of the release, the lead single, "Albatross," celebrated its third week atop Canadian rock radio charts. Undoubtedly pleased, Thornley spoke of the record with a modest pride. "This record is very satisfying creatively; there was no conscious effort to steer a song away from where it wanted to go, and that's a nice feeling."

"I think in Thornley (a band Thornley started in 2002 after Big Wreck broke up — they reunited in 2010) we were going more in that direction," he continued, joking. "Like 'Fuck it, we don't need a guitar solo. Let's just hit the chorus again, do an outro and that's it — watch it climb the charts!' And then of course when that doesn't happen, you think, 'Man, I should've thrown a solo in there.'"

For more on Big Wreck, their new album and tour, visit them online at bigwreckmusic.com or interact with Thornley himself on Twitter @bigwreckmusic. Look for Albatross in stores and online, and watch for tickets to their gig in London on May 18.

And for more music news, views, album streams and more, consider following this column online via Twitter @fsu_bobbyisms or on Tumblr at bobbyisms.com. Hey, this was my 75th weekly column, what about that? I'm out of words.