Absolute Powerpop

Friday Roundup.

2012-01-27T13:25:00.003-05:00

Oberon Rose-Wunjo. With Wunjo, Connecticut's Tom Oberon has crated a stunning debut of melodic psych-pop that stakes out the early pole position for the best of 2012. Drawing from influences both classic (The Kinks) and modern (Elliott Smith, Wilco), Oberon cranks out one quality tune after another here. "Young Goodman Brown", the opener, sounds as if it could have been a featured song in a Wes Anderson movie, while the jangly "One Man Show of Sorrow" recalls Bill Majoros' brilliant Foreign Films album. The title track and ballad "Without Feathers" bear a heavy E.Smith presence, and the Beatlesque "Ballad of the Taller" could pass for one of Robert Harrison's slower tunes with Cotton Mather. Elsewhere, "Buried Alive" makes nice use of a slide guitar hook to go with a catchy melody, "Dance of the Bee" adds a touch of glam, and "So is the Flow" is grade-A psych pop. This is quite possibly the best album of its kind since the aforementioned Foreign Films and it's kind of disc that should find fans outside of the power pop subgenre.

CD Baby | iTunes

Bubblegum Orchestra-Out of This World. This is where David Bash's year-end lists come in handy even for someone as immersed in the power pop genre as I am - there are always a few I still miss as this 2011 ELO homage would have warranted a place in my year-end list as well had I heard it then. And when I say "ELO homage", I'm not kidding around here. Whereas Bleu's LEO project was more a subtle, Rutles-like ELO tribute, BGO here has basically taken its mission to reimagine the double-album classic Out of the Blue, right down to the double-album length, the title, the cover art and references in the songs. Sonically though, it might be more the ELO of 1981's Time as the opener "Agnes is Back" makes clear with the lyric "here is the news". I could spend all day cataloging the ELO references ("Night in Shangri-La", the interstitial "Where Are You Now, which sounds like - and quotes- OOTB's "Believe Me Now"), but I'll just leave it by saying that although it's no Alpacas Orgling, it's quite an enjoyable ride and a must for ELO fanatics.

CD Baby | iTunes | Sample at Official Site

Thursday Roundup.

2012-01-19T13:59:00.002-05:00

Two discs from 2011 that warrant a listen:

Amateur Hour-This Year's Epiphany. Missed this one when it came out last summer, but had I heard it then it would have likely grabbed a place on the top 75 list. While hailing from the DC area, Amateur Hour have a trad-rock sound that comes to the fore on the great "Goodbye Memphis", frontman Dan Perriello's tribute to Alex Chilton. Unsurprisingly there's some Big Star influence here, albeit more as filtered through The Replacements, and some other standouts include the insistent title track and the gritty midtempo rock of "Any Other Day". The album was recorded in 3 days with minimal overdubs, and it has an immediate feel that so many other albums lack. Fans of the aforementioned bands as well as The Riffbrokers, Pale Hollow and High on Stress will definitely want to give this one a spin.

CD Baby

HiFi Superstar-One Hit Wonder. I did hear this one in 2011 and it placed in the year-end list, but I never formally reviewed it. In case the band name doesn't ring a bell, that's because these guys used to be known as BrownLine Fiasco until 2009. A definite improvement on the name and also a definite improvement on the new album, which finds them refining their vintage power pop sound. With a sound that bridges modern-day power pop purveyors like Weezer and Rooney with classic bands like Cheap Trick there's something here for everyone. The driving opener "Closer" gives you a good idea of what to expect, while "Give Me a Try" delves into the meta-rock that Meyerman pulled off on their great album last year with its depiction of an aging rocker trying to stay relevant. "Love is Enough" finds them maintaining the melody while slowing things down, and "Knock on Wood" will turn your frown upside down with its buoyantly cheery melody and arrangement. A strong effort under any name.

iTunes | Kool Kat

David Bash's Other Best of 2011 Lists

2012-01-12T15:00:00.001-05:00

Here are the remainder of David Bash's lists, including best reissues, compilations, box sets, etc.:

II. Top 5 Compilations-Various Artists

1. International Pop Overthrow Vol. 14 (Pop Geek Heaven)
2. Pop Geek Heaven Presents Power Pop Prime Vol. 7 (Pop Geek Heaven)
3. Hi Fi Christmas Party Vol. 3 (Vandalay)
4. Pop Garden Radio Presents-The Rock On The Road Tour Season Two (Pop Garden Radio)
5. Its Happening, Vol. 2 (Shindig)**

III. 2012 Releases Ive Heard And Am Excited About (In Alphabetical Order)

Peter Buzzelle-Museum Of Peter Buzzelle (Self-Released)
David Myhr-Soundshine
Secret Powers-Album #5 (not actual title)
Stew & The Negro Problem-Making It
Throwback Suburbia-Shot Glass Souvenir
Uncle Green-Rycopa
The Well Wishers-Dreaming Of The West Coast

Reissue Categories

This was one helluva year for box sets!

Those marked with an * are LP-only.

I. Top 75 Proper Albums

1. The Beach Boys-The Smile Sessions (Capitol)
2. The Association-And ThenAlong Comes The Association: Deluxe Expanded Mono Edition (Now Sounds)
3. The Left Banke-Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina (Sundazed)
4. Material Issue-International Pop Overthrow: 20th Anniversary Edition (Hip-O Select)
5. The Kinks-Something Else: Deluxe Edition (Universal)
6. The Kinks-Arthur: Deluxe Edition (Universal)
7. Harpers Bizarre-Feelin Groovy: Deluxe Expanded Mono Edition (Now Sounds)
8. The Hollies-Evolution (Guerssen)*
9. The Resonars-Bright And Dark (Burger)*
10. R.E.M.-Lifes Rich Pageant: Deluxe Edition (Capitol)
11. Paul McCartney-McCartney: Deluxe Edition w/book (MPL)
12. Sandy Salisbury-Sandy (Rev-ola)*
13. The Byrds-Younger Than Yesterday: From The Original Master Tapes (Audio Fidelity)
14. The Monkees-Instant Replay: Deluxe Edition (Rhino Handmade)
15. The Association-Insight Out: Deluxe Expanded Mono Edition (Now Sounds)
16. The Supremes-More Hits By The Supremes: Expanded Edition (Hip-O Select)
17. Nick Heyward-Tangled (Cherry Red)
18. The Webstirs-Re Present: Smirk (Ginger)
19. The Beau Brummels-Bradleys Barn: Deluxe Edition (Rhino Handmade)
20. Gerry Rafferty-City To City: 2 CD Collectors Edition (EMI)
21. The Wombles-Keep On Wombling (Dramatico)
22. The Hollies-Butterfly (Guerssen)*
23. The 13th Floor Elevators-Easter Everywhere: Deluxe Edition (Charly)
24. The Kinks-Face To Face: Deluxe Edition (Universal)
25. The Mamas And The Papas-If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears (Sundazed)
26. Sugar-Copper Blue (RykoDisc)*
27. Traffic-John Barleycorn Must Die: Deluxe Edition (Universal)
28. The Hollies-Bus Stop (Sundazed)*
29. Gilbert OSullivan-Himself (Salvo)
30. Spirit-The Original Potatoland (Retro World)
31. The Kinks-The Kink Kontroversy: Deluxe Edition (Universal)
32. The Pretty Things-S. F. Sorrow: Collectors Edition (Repertoire)
33. The Hollies-Beat Group! (Sundazed)*
34. Billy Joel-Piano Man: Deluxe Edition (Columbia/Legacy)
35. The Left Banke-The Left Banke Too (Sundazed)
36. Tudor Lodge-Tudor Lodge (Esoteric)
37. Gunhill Road-Gunhill Road (Wounded Bird)
38. The Leopards-Magic Still Exists (Bomp)*
39. The Modulators-Tomorrows Coming (Kool Kat)
40. The Kinks-Kinda Kinks: Deluxe Edition (Universal)
41. The Association-Renaissance: Deluxe Expanded Mono Edition (Now Sounds)
42. Dulcimer-And I Turned As I Had As A Boy (Repertoire)
43. Donovan-Sunshine Superman: Stereo Special Edition (EMI)
44. Sleepy Hollow-Sleepy Hollow (Aurora)
45. Ike & Tina Turner-River Deep, Mountain High (Hip-O Select)
46. The Wombles-Superwombling (Dramatico)
47. July-July (Guerssen)*
48. Caravan-In The Land Of Grey And Pink: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Deram)
49. The Collage-The Collage (Now Sounds)
50. Apple-An Apple A Day (Guerssen)*
51. Tee Set-Emotion (Pseudonym)
52. Blues Magoos-Psychedelic Lollipop (Sundazed)
53. Phil Seymour-Archive Series Vol. 2 (Fuel)
54. Elmer Gantrys Velvet Opera-Elmer Gantrys Velvet Opera (Repertoire)
55. Butterscotch-Dont You Know Its Butterscotch (Angel Air)
56. The Kinks-Kinks: Deluxe Edition (Universal)
57. Abba-Super Trouper: Deluxe Edition (Polar)
58. Rainbow FFolly-Sallies Fforth (Guerssen)*
59. Wichita Fall-Life Is But A Dream (Tune In)
60. Hot Knives-Hot Knives (Grown Up Wrong)
61. Thin Lizzy-Jailbreak: Deluxe Edition (Universal)
62. Nick Heyward-The Apple Bed (Cherry Red)
63. The New Wave-Little Dreams: The Canterbury Recordings (Now Sounds)
64. Suzy Quatro-Suzy Quatro (7Ts)
65. Jethro Tull-Aqualung: 40th Anniversary Special Edition (EMI)
66. 13th Floor Elevators-Bull Of The Woods: Deluxe Edition (Charly)
67. Neighbrhood Childrn- Neighbrhood Childrn (Sundazed)
68. Wadsworth Mansion-Wadsworth Mansion (Fuel)
69. The Merchants Of Dream-Strange Night Voyage (Tune In)
70. The Wombles-Remember Youre A Womble (Dramatico)
71. Suzy Quatro-Quatro (7Ts)
72. The Leaves-All The Good Thats Happening (Grapefruit)
73. The Offhooks-Outside Looking In (State)*
74. Blues Magoos-Electric Comic Book (Sundazed)
75. The Wombles-Wombling Songs (Dramatico)

II. Top 10 Two-Fers and Three-Fers: Proper Albums

1. New Musik-From A To Be/Anywhere (Lemon)
2. The Hollies-Bus Stop/Stop, Stop, Stop (BGO)
3. Design-Design/Tomorrow Is So Far Away (RPM)
4. Al Stewart-Images: His First Three Albums (EMI)
5. Peter & Gordon-Lady Godiva/Knight In Rusty Armour/In London For Tea (BGO)
6. The Long Ryders-10-5-60/Radio Tokyo/5 By 5 (Primo)
7. The Lovin Spoonful-Do You Believe In Magic/Daydream (Edsel)
8. Design-Day Of The Fox/In Flight (RPM)
9. The Lovin Spoonful-Youre A Big Boy Now/Everything Playing (Edsel)
10. The Lovin Spoonful-Whats Up Tiger Lily?/Hums Of The Lovin Spoonful (Edsel)

III. Top 25 Compilations, Single Artist

1. R.E.M.-Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011 (Warner Brothers)
2. Roy Wood-Music Book (EMI)
3. The Zombies-Odessey & Oracle: The CBS Years 1967-1969 (Repertoire)
4. Dave Davies-Hidden Treasures (Universal)
5. Lesley Gore-Magic Colours: The Lost Album With Bonus Tracks 1967-1969 (Ace)
6. Katch 22-Major Catastrophe: The Katch 22 Story 1966-1969 (RPM)
7. Neil Diamond-The Bang Years: 1966-1968 (Legacy)
8. The Zombies-Begin Here: The Complete Decca Mono Recordings 1964-1967 (Repertoire)
9. The Critters-Awake In A Dream: The Project 3 Recordings (Now Sounds)
10. The Herd-Paradise Lost: The Complete UK Fontant Recordings (Grapefruit)
11. Nino Tempo & April Stevens-Hey, Baby! The Nino Tempo & April Stevens Anthology (Ace)
12. Jackie DeShannon-Come And Get Me: The Complete Liberty & Imperial Singles Vol. 2 (Ace)
13. The Poets-Wooden Spoon: The Singles Anthology 1964-1967 (Grapefruit)
14. Kippington Lodge-Shy Boy: The Complete Recordings 1967-1969 (RPM)
15. The Five Stairsteps-The Complete Curtis Mayfield Years (Outta Sight)
16. Kyle Vincent-C Sides: Rare & Unreleased Vol. 3 (SongTree)
17. Kiki Dee-Im Kiki Dee: The Fontana Years 1963-1968 (RPM)
18. The Caravelles-You Dont Have To Be A Baby To Cry (RPM)
19. Rescue Co. No. 1-Lifes Too Short: The Singles Anthology 1971-1975 (Angel Air)
20. The Roosters-All Of Our Days (Break A Way)
21. The Girls From Petticoat Junction-Sixties Sounds (Real Gone Music)
22. The Pleasure Seekers-What A Way To Die (Cradle Rocks)
23. Mike Stuart Span-Children Of Tomorrow (Grapefruit)
24. Sandy Denny-19 Rupert Street (Witchwood Media)
25. The Velvet Illusions-Acid Head (Tune In)

IV. Top 10 Compilations, Various Artists

1. Sugar, Sugar: The Birth Of Bubblegum Pop (Sony)
2. Fading Yellow Volume 13-Lazy Days: U.S. 60s Pop Sike & Other Delights (Flower Machine)
3. Picadilly Sunshine, Part Six: British Pop Psych And Other Flavours 1967-1970 (Particles)
4. Fading Yellow Volume 11-A Pastiche Of U.S./Canadian 60s Pop Sike & Other Delights (Flower Machine)
5. Fading Yellow Volume 12-A Lighhearted Life: Another Collection Of Euro, UK & Australian 60s/Early 70s Pop Sike And Other Delights (Flower Machine)
6. Picadilly Sunshine, Part Five: British Pop Psych And Other Flavours 1966-1969 (Past & Present)
7. Our Loves Are Shaped By What We Love: Motowns Mowest Story 1971-1973 (Light In The Attic)
8. Northern Souls Guilty Secrets (Kent)
9. Fading Yellow-Timeless Pop-Sike and Other Delights: Euro 45s 1968-1972 (Flower Machine)*
10. Where The Boys Are: The Songs Of Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield (Ace)

V. Top 20 Box Sets: Single Artist

1. The Beach Boys-The Smile Sessions Box Set (Capitol) (As If It Could Be Anything Else!)
2. The Hollies-Clarke, Hicks & Nash Years: The Complete Hollies April 1963-October 1968 (EMI)
3. The Kinks-The Kinks In Mono (Sanctuary)
4. E.L.O.-The Classic Albums Collection (Sony Music)
5. The Byrds-The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (Sony Music)
6. Elvis Presley-Young Man With The Big Beat: The Complete 56 Masters (RCA/Legacy)
7. Diana Ross & The Supremes-50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961-1969 (Hip-O Select)
8. The Who-Quadrophenia: Directors Cut Super Deluxe Ltd. Edition Box Set (Universal)
9. The Temptations-50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961-1971 (Hip-O Select)
10. Michael Mazzarella-Songwriter (Kool Kat)
11. Pink Floyd-The Dark Side Of The Moon Immersion Box Set (EMI)
12. Nivana-Nevermind: 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition (Universal/Sub Pop)
13. Barclay James Harvest-Taking Some Time On: The Parlophone/Harvest Years 1968-73 (EMI)
14. Be Bop Deluxe-Futurist Manifesto 1974-1978 (Harvest)
15, Derek And The Dominos-Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs: 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collectors Edition (Polydor)
16. The Smiths-Complete (Rhino)
17. Lindisfarne-The Charisma Years: 1970-1973 (EMI)
18. The Robbs-Before, Then, & After (Wet World)
19. Marshmallow Overcoat-The Complete Sound (Garage Nation)
20. 13th Floor Elevators-The Albums Collection (Charly)

The Michael Mazzarella collection isnt actually a box set, but as its made up of five discs I really didnt know where else it could go.

VI. Top 10 Box Sets: Various Artists

1. Circus Days: The Complete Series Volumes One-Six (Otherside)
2. Dutch Invasion-10 CD +DVD (BR Music)
3. Looking Back: 80 Mod, Freakbeat & Swinging London Nuggets (RPM)
4. Phil Spector Presents: The Philles Album Collection (Legacy)
5. Electric Sound Show-An Assortment Of Antiquities For The Psychedelic Connoisseur (Particles)
6. Titan!: Its All Pop! (Titan)*
7. Electric Psychedelic Sitar Head Swirlers Vol. 6-10 (Past & Present)
8. Electric Psychedelic Sitar Head Swirlers Vol. 1-5 (Past & Present)
9. Filling The Gap Volumes 1-5 (Psychic Circle)
10. Ember Rock (Fantastic Voyage)

David Bash's Top 100 of 2011.

2012-01-11T12:50:00.002-05:00

As has become a yearly tradition of late, I turn things over to the esteemed David Bash of International Pop Overthrow for his always-comprehensive year-end lists. Today we'll start by going right to his top 100; tomorrow, the ancillary lists. Take it away, David:

Hi Everyone,

Here are my lists of favorite albums of 2011. As is my usual custom, I've broken this down into several categories, as I'm just not comfortable ranking unlike entities on one list.

Contemporary Categories

The year 2011 marked the emergence of LP-only releases, as well as download-only releases (Im not in favor of the download-only model, but I have to acknowledge it). Those marked with an * are LPs and those marked with an ** are downloads.

I. Top 100 Albums

1. Kurt Baker-Rockin For A Living (Stardumb)*
2. The Secret Powers-What Every Rose Grower Should Know (Self-Released)
3. Wiretree-Make Up (Cobalt Works)
4. The Nines-Polarities (TAS GOLD)
5. Groovy Uncle-Play Something We Know! (State)*
6. Cirrone-Uplands Park Road (Escape)
7. Brandon Wilde-Hearts In Stereo (Self-Released)**
8. The Story UK-Joyride On Memory Lane (Rainbow Quartz)
9. Vegas With Randolph-Above The Blue (Caged Giant)
10. Long Play 33 1/3-Being Nowhere (Self-Released)
11. Pugwash-The Olympus Sound (EMI)
12. An American Underdog-Always On The Run (Pop Factory)
13. Fountains Of Wayne-Sky Full Of Holes (Yep Roc)
14. The Galileo 7-Are We Having Fun Yet? (Teen Sound)
15. The Red Button-As Far As Yesterday Goes (Grimble)
16. The Smithereens-2011 (Eone)
17. The Wellingtons-In Transit (Zip)
18. Pyewacket-1967 (Its About Music)
19. Brandon Schott-13 Satellites (Golden State)
20. Greg Pope-Blue Ocean Sky (Self-Released)
21. Michael Oliver & The Sacred Band-Yin & Yanxiety (Self-Released)
22. Suzy & Los Quattro-Hank (B Core)
23. Supraluxe-The Super Sounds Of Supraluxe (Self-Released)
24. Ulysses-Ulysses (Self-Released)
25. The Breakdowns-The Kids Dont Wanna Bop Any More (Rock Indiana)
26. Janey And The Ravemen-Stay Away From Boys (Soundflat)
27. Phil Angotti-People And Places (Our House)
28. The Grip Weeds-Under The Influence Of Christmas (Rainbow Quartz)
29. Meyerman-Who Do You Think You Are? (Pretty Decent)
30. Dwight Twilley-Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
31. Beady Eye-Different Year, Still Speeding (Dangerbird)
32. Poplord-Poplord Vs. The Universe (Fowl Tone)
33. Jonny-Jonny (Merge)
34. Dum Dum Girls-Only In Dreams (Sub Pop)
35. Peter Berry & The Shake Set-Berry Go Round (Jansen Plateproduksjon)
36. The Liarbirds-Allegedly (Restless Wind)
37. The Turnback-Drawn In Chalk (Self-Released)
38. Daniel Wylie-Fake Your Own Death (Self-Released)
39. The Vinyl Skyway-Return Of The Dead Surfer (Self-Released)
40. The Dahlmanns-All Dahled Up (Pop Detective)
41. Trolley-Things That Shine And Glow (Easter)
42. The Pepper Pots-Train To Your Lover (Black Pepper)
43. Laurie Biagini-A Go Go Girl In A Modern World (Self-Released)
44. Meet Redondo Beat-Meet Redondo Beat (Self-Released)
45. R.E.M.-Collapse Into Now (Warner Brothers)
46. Simon Felton-Surrender Dorothy! (Pink Hedgehog)
47. Tan Sleeve-Too Big To Fail (Transparency)
48. Freddy Monday-Everything Anyhow (Self-Released)
49. Bubble Gum Orchestra-Out Of This World (Self-Released)
50.Tony Cox-On The Way (Self-Released)
51. Deleted Waverform Gatherings-Pretty Escape (Rainbow Quartz)
52. Allen Clapp & The Orchestra-Mixed Greens (Mystery Lawn)
53. Curtains For You-After Nights Without Sleep (Spark & Shine)
54. The Sugar Stems-Sweet Sounds Of The Sugar Stems (Dream On)
55. The Bad Examples-Smash Record (Waterdog)
56. The Higher State-Freakout At The Gallery (13 OClock)
57. Longplayer-Longplayer (Space Place)
58.Tommy Flake-Second Skin (Self-Released)
59. Maxi Dunn-The Neglected Gambit (Self-Released)
60. 8 x 8-The Anatomy Of An Apricot (Self-Released)**
61. Sara Lowes-Back To Creation (Self-Released)
62. The Jigsaw Seen-Winterland (Vibro-phonic)
63. Kellys Heels-Playing Into Your Hands (Warm Fuzz)
64. Brent Cash-How Strange It Seems (Marina)
65. Mumble-Happy Living (Marathon)
66. The Davenports-Why The Great Gallop? (Mother West)
67. The Anydays-Move! (Self-Released)
68. Kings Of Last Call-From Memory (Self-Released)
69. Peter Baldrachi-Tomorrow Never Knows (Prodigal Son)
70. Dropkick-Time Cuts The Ties (Sound Asleep)
71. The Ditchflowers-Birds Eye (Sunshine Drenchy)
72. The Foxes-The Foxes (Self-Released)
73. The Real People-Think Positive (Self-Released)
74. The Red Plastic Buddha-All Out Revolution (Space Cat)
75. The Color Bars-Prosopopoeia (Self-Released)
76. The Latebirds-Last Of The Good Old Days (Second Motion)
77. The Bangles-Sweetheart Of The Sun (Down Kiddie)
78. The Wags-The Wags (Self-Released)
79. The Cleaners From Venus-In Chimp World (Kool Kat)
80. The Cry-The Cry (Self-Released)
81. Fortune 500-Flavor Of The Year (Self-Released)
82. Skeleton Staff-Psychomorphism (Swizzle)
83. The Real Numbers-Welcome To The Numberhood (Self-Released)
84. 54321-What We Did With Our Days (Crazeology)
85. The Brights-A Trivial Pursuit (Lemon Pop)
86. Your Gracious Host-Sleepers Awaken (Self-Released)
87. Richard Snow & The In Laws-Am I Really That Boring? (Valley)
88. The Feeling-Together We Were Made: Double Album Edition (Universal)
89. The Handcuffs-Waiting For The Robot (OOFL)
90. Sexy Heroes-InterroBang (Pop Detective)
91. Gary Ritchie-Hum, SingRepeat! (Fancy Two Tone)
92. The Skywalkers-Year One (Self-Released)*
93. Bowling For Soup-Fishing For Woos (Brando)
94. The Wind-Hear, Em Skearem (Self-Released)
95. Richard X. Heyman-Tiers and Other Stories (Turn Up)
96. Dreaming In Stereo-2 (Forward Motion)
97. The Bye Bye Blackbirds-Fixed Hearts (Rainbow Quartz)
98. Captain Wilberforce-Ghost Written Confessions (Self-Released)
99. The Cleaners From Venus-The Stopping Train (Kool Kat)
100. China Syndrome-Nothings Not Worth Knowing (Self-Released)
Kurt Bakers Rockin For A Living was also released on Oglio as a 6-song EP, but its the 10 song full-length LP Ive ranked here.

2012 off to a great start.

2012-01-10T13:59:00.003-05:00

Two excellent new discs to kick off 2012:

Justin Levinson & The Valcours-This Side of Me, This Side of You. Boston-area piano popper Justin Levinson has been around about as long as this site, going to back to his impressive 2006 debut 1175 Boylston. Back then, he sounded like he wanted to be Ben Folds but with each subsequent release he veered into Ryan Adams territory, with mixed results. Now he's back with a backing band and seems to have found a happy medium with his strongest release since the debut. The breezy piano-and-guitar number "Water Wears the Rock" opens the proceedings in fine fashion, while "You Become a Ghost" is a Folds-type number that would have fit right in on 1175 Boylston. But the real strengths here are Levinson's forays into 70s singer-songwriter pop, including "Let You Go" (which features Will Dailey, a fine artist in his own right) and especially "Say What You're Gonna Say", a soulful number with horns that's easy like Sunday morning and my new favorite song of 2012. It's good to see Levinson back on track.

CD Baby | iTunes

Pete Donnelly-When You Come Home. If the name seems familiar, it's because Donnelly is the bassist for The Figgs, Graham Parker's occasional backing band and respected pub-rockers in their own right. In 2009 we saw frontman Mike Gent offer up a fine solo disc, and now it's Donnelly's turn to shine with his first solo release in 11 years. While there are some Figgs-sounding tracks here, Donnelly has blazed a more eclectic path here, from the gentle and melodic "Far Away Angel" to the Beatlesque piano pop of "Original Wonder" to the vaguely loungy-feel of "Can't Talk at All". Meanwhile, Figgs fans will appreciate rockers like "22nd St", "The Only One" and the title track. All in all, it's a fine solo foray from a guy who sounds like he had a lot of musical ideas just waiting to be implemented.

CD Baby | iTunes |

Last Post of 2011.

2011-12-30T12:28:00.005-05:00

We bid adieu to 2011 with a couple of quality discs:

Trolley-Things That Shine and Glow. This Milwaukee band has kicked around since 1995, playing by South by Southwest and the International Pop Overthrow. Things That Shine and Glow is their latest, and it's an excellent pastiche of 60s and 70s sounds. Most every track here is quite good, but the real highlights are "My Obsession", which sounds like a harder-rocking Grass Roots; "The Calico Cat", a frenetic psych-rock number that wouldn't sound out of place on a Future Clouds and Radar disc; and the pensive title track which features a transcendent chorus. This is really well-done and there's a hint of The Red Button in here in that it's retro but not slavishly so.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes

Things That Shine And Glow by Trolley

The Hangabouts-Illustrated Bird. Continuing today's retro theme, here's the full-length debut from Michigan band The Hangabouts. Unlike the Nuggets-inspired sound of Trolley, The Hangabouts are more Merseyside-influenced with a softer pop sound. "Love Nothing" opens in this fashion, while "Doctor Dragon" has an early-to-mid-period Beatles feel. "November" is more bright pop that will leave a smile on your face, and "She Hates You" is what Lennon writing a McCartney song might sound like. Elsewhere, the early Byrds-influenced closer "I'll Get Over It" is another standout. A fine debut and fine evocation of the lighter pop of the 60s.

CD Baby | iTunes

The Absolute Powerpop Top 10 EPs of 2011.

2011-12-23T09:30:00.002-05:00

1-Steve Robinson-The Ride of Our Lives
2-Tim Culling-Goodbye Western Son
3-Marshall Holland-Statistically I Should Say...
4-The Janglemen-5 by the Janglemen
5-Third of Never/Kurt Reil/CJ Grogan-Life Saver
6-Kurt Baker-Rockin' for a Living
7-The Great Affairs-Happy Ender
8-Ike-The Little People, Church and the Steeple
9-Justin Nault-It's Just Me
10-Craig Marshall-Six Songs to Sunday

The Absolute Powerpop Top 75 of 2011: The Top 10

2011-12-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

As I had hinted elsewhere, I'm doing something different this year at the top of the list. Because I didn't have a clear-cut, slam-dunk #1 disc of the year, I've decided not to arbitrarily designate one. So instead I'm presenting my top 10 in alphabetical order. They could each be #1, or they could each be #10. Either way I highly recommend them all and hope you already have all or most of them in your collection.

Phil Angotti-People and Places. Sweet, McCartney-esque pop from a veteran musician whom I belatedly came around to. "Me and Donnie Vie" was one of my favorite tracks of 2011.

Cirrone-Uplands Park Road. An audacious debut for this Italian band, who draw as much from Big Star and Badfinger as they do contemporary power poppers. Perhaps 2011's best "traditional" power pop album.

Marco Joachim-Hidden Symphonies. Joachim's previous rootsy, Wilbury-ish release in no way prepared me for this tour de force which I originally only mentioned on the site in passing. A bright ELO/Beatles melange, it really grew on me.

Steve LaBate-The Dead Art of Letter Writing. LaBate's Replacements-meet-The-Clash solo debut was an impressive achievement for a guy better known as a Paste Magazine writer/editor and a member of a rock-comedy act.

David Mead-Dudes. Reuniting with Adam Schlesinger, Mead got his mojo back and came up with the singer/songwwriter album of the year. "The Smile of Rachael Ray" was named NPR's Song of the Day last week and deservedly so as it might have been the most poignant thing he's written.

Meyerman-Who Do You Think You Are? A rare achievement for this New Jersey band - not only did they craft a power pop album with killer hooks and riffs, they also crafted a power pop album that's a meta-commentary on the state of power pop and being in a rock band. On whichever level you enjoy it, it's definitely a revelation.

Michael Oliver & The Sacred Band-Yin & Yanxiety. Since Cliff Hillis decided not to release an album in 2011, Michael Oliver did it for him. Like the former Ike/Starbelly pop wizard, Oliver has an effortless way with a melody and a hook, and he writes intelligent lyrics to boot. What more can you ask for?

The Red Button-As Far as Yesterday Goes. So they'll probably never top 2007's album-of-the-year-on-this-site She's About to Cross My Mind. So what? If Swirsky & Ruekberg can keep releasing discs as pop-perfect as this folowup, I won't complain. Instead of making Cross My Mind 2, they took a chance and decided to tackle the 70s singer-songwriter milieu. I'm thinking that 80s synth-pop will be a tougher nut to crack, though, should they decide to advance another decade next time.

Brandon Wilde-Hearts in Stereo. And here's the David Grahame/Emmit Rhodes/early solo McCartney album of the year. "Candy Apples" and "Ooh La" would be the near the top of my favorite tracks of 2011 list, were I to make one this year.

Miles Zuniga-These Ghosts Have Bones. At long last my favorite half of the Fastball singing/songwriting team released a proper solo album, and it's a gem. Mature, lyrical, hooky and assured, it's a nice blend of pop styles that reveals Zuniga as the songwriting pro he is.

The Absolute Powerpop Top 75 of 2011, #40-11.

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

40-Peter Baldrachi-Tomorrow Never Knows
39-The Smithereens-2011
38-Sloan-The Double Cross
37-Gabe Dixon-One Spark
36-Snowbirds-S/T
35-Tony Cox-On the Way
34-John Amadon-Seven Stars
33-Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds-S/T
32-Wilco-The Whole Love
31-The Quags-Priceless Grains of Sand
30-Mozley-S/T
29-Pugwash-The Olympus Sound
28-The Nobility-The Secret of Blennerhasset Island
27-Dustin Christensen-Highway Lines
26-John LaPrade-World Class Faker
25-An American Underdog-Always on the Run
24-Smith & Hayes-Volume II
23-Wiretree-Make Up
22-Greg Pope-Monster Suit
21-The Beagle Ranch-A Moment Away
20-Ron Sexsmith-Long Player, Late Bloomer
19-Secret Powers-What Every Rose Grower Should Know
18-Bryan Estepa-Vessels
17-Mike Viola-Electro de Perfecto
16-Hotel Lights-Girl Graffiti
15-Shout With Grass-Will of Man
14-Butch Walker & The Black Widows-The Spade
13-Greg Pope-Blue Ocean Sky
12-JoDee Purkeypile-October House
11-Shane Lamb-Better Here

The Absolute Powerpop Top 100 75 of 2011, #75-41

2011-12-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

As I pointed out last night on my Twitter feed, I had to scale back from a Top 100 to a Top 75 this year because I didn't find 100 discs that I considered "list-worthy". I came up with about 82, and rather than squeeze 18 more in, I dropped 7. Today we'll feature #75-41, tomorrow will be #40-11, and Thursday will be the top 10. The top 15 EP list will follow on Friday.

75-Mike Barnett-Bigger than This
74-Supraluxe-The Super Sounds of Supraluxe
73-Dropkick-Time Cuts the Ties
72-High Fidelity Distribution Co-Analog Style for a Digital World
71-The Geniune Fakes-S/T
70-Deleted Waveform Gatherings-Pretty Escape
69-Longplayer-S/T
68-The Damnwells-No One Listens to the Band Anymore
67-The Hope Trust-Light Can't Escape
66-Richie Reinholdt-Night & Day
65-The Longwalls-Careers in Science
64-The Phantom Six-Electric Rain
63-The Northstar Session-Late Bloomer
62-Warren Zanes-I Want to Move Out in the Daylight
61-Beady Eye-Different Gear, Still Speeding
60-Farewell Milwaukee-When it Sinks In
59-High on Stress-Living is a Dying Art
58-The Liarbirds-Allegedly
57-HiFi Superstar-One Hit Wonder
56-Vie-Noises from the Cat Room
55-Tommy Flake-Second Skin
54-Robbers on High Street-Hey There Golden Hair
53-Brian Hoffer-Into the Boulevard
52-Fountains of Wayne-Sky Full of Holes
51-DC Cardwell-Some Hope
50-Teenage Rasputin-Sorry 'Bout the Moon
49-Fallon Cush-S/T
48-John Wesley Harding-The Sound of His Own Voice
47-Popfilter-Pop This!
46-Draz-Blaring in the Stillness
45-The Ditchflowers-Bird's Eye
44-Buttonjaw-Things You Should Know
43-Gary Henson-Conspiracy
42-Far from Kansas-Rome Wasn't Burned in a Day
41-Scott Gagner-Rhapsody in Blonde

2011 Clearout!

2011-12-16T14:21:00.005-05:00

Today I'm going to quickly note several discs I've been enjoying to clear the decks for next week's Best-of-2011 lists. And the best part of all of these fine releases is that you can listen to them in full on Bandcamp, either at the artist page or through the embeds below.

Queen Electric-EP. I'm not sure how a release from power pop luminary Scot Sax went largely unnoticed this summer, but it did. Queen Electric is his new band, and it continues the trend in his sound of a more moderately funky power pop. He touches all the pop bases here, from the heavy rock of "Gonna Let You Down" to the power balladry of "As You Make Me Out to Be". Welcome back, Scot.

Kool Kat | Bandcamp

queen electric by queen electric
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The Beagle Ranch-A Moment Away. Speaking of welcome returns, we haven't heard from these Canadian janglemeisters since the middle part of the last decade. They're back with 16 tracks of their melodic, jangly rock that are easy on the ears and mostly clock in under 3 minutes. This is top-shelf stuff, and really I wanted to get this one mentioned on the site before it appears in next week's year-end list.

Bandcamp | iTunes

A Moment Away by The Beagle Ranch
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Dany Laj & The Looks-The Match EP. Staying north of the border, Laj & Co. hail from Ontario and have released an impressive EP that brings to mind Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, and The Plimsouls. The title track is classic roots-based pub rock, and despite its silly title "Alien Ate Some People" is another enjoyable track in the same vein.

Bandcamp

The Match by Dany Laj
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The Vinyl Skyway-Return of the Dead Surfer. I've enjoyed this Cambridge, Mass. band for several years now, and their latest is another masterful amalgam of indie pop and Americana. Fans of The Pernice Brothers and the Gary Louris-led poppier version of The Jayhawks will definitely want to check this out (and for free, no less). "Salvo" and "Golden Lights" are my favorites here.

FREE download from Bandcamp | iTunes

Return of the Dead Surfer by the Vinyl Skyway

The Well Wishers give you a head start on 2012.

2011-12-11T20:23:00.004-05:00

As we teased over the summer, Jeff Shelton and The Well Wishers are back with Dreaming of The West Coast, their sixth full-length release. It's not scheduled for actual release until January, but thanks to the magic of Bandcamp you can listen to the whole thing right here, right now (sorry, no Jesus Jones cover included). As usual Shelton doesn't let us down, so have a listen now and pick up the CD when it comes out.

(Also make sure you stop by their actual Bandcamp page to get a free download of leadoff track "Escape the Light".)

Dreaming of the West Coast by The Well Wishers

EPalooza!

2011-12-09T13:18:00.003-05:00

Several artists we've featured here on the site are out with new EPs, so here's a quick look at them:

Steve Robinson-The Time of Our Lives. The English expat who hails from my home region of Tampa Bay is back with his first new music since 2007's outstanding Undercurrent, and this EP continues the folky pop strengths of that disc. Getting help from labelmates The Ditchflowers, Robinson shines on all 5 tracks here, but the real standout is "Bed of Nails", which features a slow build from a mostly acoustic number to swelling choruses and full instrumentation and reminds me a lot of my favorite Undercurrent track, "Wooden Hill". Robinson is a class act, and this EP was worth the wait.

CD Baby | iTunes | Bandcamp

The Ride of Our Lives EP by Steve Robinson

Ike-The Little People, Church and the Steeple. Although the latest from these Philly rockers who put the "power" in "power pop" is nominally a full-length, I consider it to be an EP given that there are only five new tracks here (the remainder of the disc consists of acoustic versions of the five new songs & a radio edit). Still, these five new tracks continue the band's metamorphosis from a traditional power pop band when Cliff Hillis was on board to a harder-rocking sound now that John Faye is in charge. "Rock 'n' Roll Dreams" lets you know this right away with its stadium rock flourishes and Faye's take-no-prisoner lyrics. "If I Can Help It" has the 70s classic rock sound down, and "Just Like That" is vintage power pop with a driving chorus. I like Ike, and you'll like this EP too.

CD Baby | iTunes | Listen at ReverbNation

The Jellybricks-Suckers. Heading west from Ike's Philadelphia we find Pittsburgh's Jellybricks, who have been with us since the 90s. Their latest is more what we've come to know and love from the band, hard-charging power pop not unlike their statemates referenced above. "Rock and Roll Suicide" fits the definition of melodic rock to a "T", "Sold" has me sold with its rollicking beat and tuneful guitar attack, and how often do we get a track named after one of the more obscure elements on the periodic table ("Beryllium")? More good stuff, and the real suckers here will be those who miss out on this EP.

Buy at official site | MySpace | Soundcloud

Replacement Replacements.

2011-12-02T10:32:00.003-05:00

Today we feature a couple of bands that draw on The Replacements for inspiration.

Teenage Rasputin-Sorry 'Bout the Moon. This Long Island band makes no secret about their Replacements love, having title their debut EP Here Comes Irregular, a pun of a 'Mats classic. They pick up where they left off with the full-length followup, gaining momentum right off the bat with "Wishin'", a melodic rocking number that features hard-driving verses and a sweet chorus. But like Westerberg, songwriter Jim Keegan is just at home with the slower numbers as "Annabella Milbanke" (with strings) and "Three Cheers" will attest. The mid-tempo rocker "Everybody Loves You" finds the band in song noir mode, and "Carpenter's Son" is the kind of catchy, straight-ahead rocker that will have you thinking these guys are from Minneapolis or Des Moines rather than Long Island. An impressive record for the genre.

CD Baby | iTunes

High on Stress-Living is a Dying Art. High on Stress (featured before on this site) comes by their 'Mats-loving cred a little more naturally, being from Minneapolis themselves. They differ a bit from Teenage Rasputin in that they have of a more Americana-influenced sound, perhaps a little more Hootenany than Pleased to Meet Me. They also know how to open an album, and "Bite Your Tongue" is a driving rocker that recalls Westerberg's solo "Knockin' on Mine". Other highlights include the cascading riffs and waltz-like melody of "Figure Eights", the gritty and compelling "Lost My Invitation", and the beguiling country-rock of "Head", which sounds like a lost Gram Parsons tune with its violin and female harmonies. Living is a Dying Art is High on Stress's third full-length, and they're building up quite an impressive body of work.

CD Baby | iTunes

High on Stress - These Days Are Gone from Here Comes The Flood on Vimeo.

CD of the Day, 11/22/11: David Mead-Dudes

2011-11-22T12:22:00.004-05:00

Longtime readers of this site know that I'm a big David Mead fan, but his last release, 2009's Almost and Always, left me a little cold. It was an admirable effort as Mead's songwriting skills continued to shine, but musically it was a bit too subdued (no pun intended). So I was excited to hear that he enlisted the help of Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger (who produced his 2001 release Mine and Yours) for this record, hoping he'd return to a more upbeat - dare I say - power pop sound. And for the most part my hopes have been fulfilled, as Dudes may be Mead's most consistently engaging album since his audacious 1998 debut The Luxury of Time.

When he's at his best, Mead can seamlessly transition from a power pop gem to a brilliant ballad that sounds like a standard to what almost seems a showtune and back again. "I Can't Wait" opens the disc, and it's a fine midtempo number with a rolling melody that's reminiscent of the style found on his 2004 album Indiana. "King of the Crosswords" follows, and it's a rousing pop tune (complete with sax) about a crossword puzzle prodigy. Another standout is "Guy on Guy", which finds Mead at his lyrical best about a man who finds himself attracted to other men and features an old-time melody and a playful trombone. "Bocce Ball" is a quick 2-minute ditty with a Latin lilt that's insanely catchy (try getting its "bocce, bocce, bocce ball" chorus out of you head). The title track is another highlight; although the word "dude" begs not to be taken seriously, the song itself is a mature, melodic track and one of Mead's best.

The second half of the disc starts off in power pop mode with "Happy Birthday, Marty Ryan", probably Mead's most electric guitar-centric song in years, and also features "No One Roxx This Town No More", a R&B-inflected, ultra-catchy pop number that's of a piece with "Chatterbox" off 2006's Tangerine. And the holiday-themed "The Smile of Rachael Ray" is the kind of "instant classic"-sounding tune that seems to come second nature to him. The album closes with another winner: "Knee Jerk Reaction", a Paul Simon-like number reminiscent of "Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard". Dudes is a welcome return to form for Mead, and without a doubt one of 2011's best.

iTunes

Also, it's highly worth your while (especially if you're relatively new to David Mead) to pick up this free 25-song sampler from Noisetrade, which features many of his classic tracks, some fine unreleased material, and the title track and "I Can't Wait" from Dudes.

Two for Tuesday, 11/15/11

2011-11-15T13:45:00.004-05:00

Greg Pope-Monster Suit (Original Soundtrack). The pope of power pop (or should we just call him the "power pope"?) is back with another collection of top-drawer tracks, but this time with a twist. Not only has he taken the world of independent power pop by storm, but now his creative energies have been turned towards independent film as he's on the verge of releasing "Giant Monster Playset", a short film he wrote and directed. Monster Suit is the soundtrack to the short film, but it's not a collection of incidental music with a few songs scattered among it. Instead, it's a full-length disc that stands on its own and fits right in with his previous releases. There's a lot to like here, from the heavy, cascading guitar rock of "Modern Plaything" to the melodic pop of "Soulless Heart" to the anthemic "Hero". The acoustically-strummed "The Chance You Don't Take" harkens back to Pope's Edmund's Crown days, and "Place on the Hill" sounds like a lost classic rock gem. Pope's been on quite the creative run the last few years, and we're all enjoying the ride.

CD Baby | iTunes

The Liarbirds-Allegedly. This Greek band caught my attention in 2008 with their debut EP Second Quartet, and three years later they've emerged with an impressive full-length followup. They have an easy, melodic sound that brings Teenage Fanclub, The Byrds and Cosmic Rough Riders to mind, and opener "Chewing Gum" is an impressive statement to this end, as it merges laid-back verses with an intense power pop chorus. "Running Mind" is another breezy wonder, and "Fortune Tells May Tell You" will have you thinking you're listening to Daniel Wylie's latest. "Soul Keeper" has a retro-60s vibe, while "Disarray" finds them in good form on a slower number. An impressive record, and it's nice to see good news out of Greece for a change these days.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

New music Friday.

2011-11-04T13:48:00.004-04:00

Michael Oliver & The Sacred Band-Yin & Yanxiety. Boston's (by way of Buffalo) Michael Oliver has an interesting resume that includes time in a 90s power pop band (Buffalo's Go, Dog, Go!) and a graduate degree from Harvard. So it's no surprise that his latest effort with The Sacred Band, Yin & Yanxiety, boasts both a clever title and intelligent lyrics. But what makes it potentially one of 2011's best are the great tunes and consummate popcraft that he displays here. Oliver displays a variety of pop sounds here - the Matthew Sweet meets Tom Petty opener "Complicated", the Brian Wilson-inspired "Neverlast", and the twee indie pop of "Tell Me What You're Dreaming". But where Oliver finds his most consistent mark is when he goes with straight-up, melodic mid-tempo pop in the vein of Michael Penn, Cliff Hillis and David Grahame with tracks like "Love While it Lasted", "Little Miss Oblivious" and "Stranger from Another Planet". And the best part of all is that there isn't one clunker among the 13 tracks here. I'll close by saying that you should be yanxious to get this one added to your collection.

CD Baby | iTunes

Sam Hawksley-Somewhere in My Mind. Aussie Sam Hawksley has been a consistent purevyor of catchy folk/pop/rock for several years now, but his fifth and latest album might be his best. This may be the result of much of the album being recorded in Nashville, and at times it's reminiscent of another Aussie-gone-Nashville, Bob Evans. The bright, engaging "Thinking About You" is an excellent opener that fits Hawksley's strengths, and "Flying High in the USA" has a bit of a Jayhawks feel to it. Meanwhile, "She's Out Breakin' Hearts" is a fine Tom Petty-style rocker, "Save My Life" boasts a great guitar hook in the chorus, and "Stranger to You Now" and "I Wish" feature some excellent harmonies from Kim Richey and Hillary Lindsey. If you haven't been familiar with Hawksley's fine catalog until now, this is an excellent place to start.

CD Baby | iTunes

Friday Roundup.

2011-10-28T14:20:00.002-04:00

The Farewells-Litterbug EP. The Farewells are a Massachusetts husband/wife duo who produce some wonderful folk-infused indie pop a la The Pernice Brothers and The Autumn Defense, and they're back for the first time in nine years with the Litterbug EP. The gentle "Beehive" kicks things off with some "Because"-like harmonies, and the title track is a slow burner that will stick in your brain. But the real highlight here is "Nightlight", a buoyant pop tune that builds to an swelling chorus and has turned out to be one of my favorite tracks of 2011.

iTunes | Bandcamp

Litterbug by The Farewells

Vie-Noises from the Cat Room. Vie (not to be confused with Donnie Vie) is a California pop-rocker with a sophisticated pop sound not unlike artists such as Linus of Hollywood, Ken Sharp and Neil Traynor. "Oh Carly" is a power pop nugget with some fine guitar work, and the acoustic guitar-heavy based "Oh Christine" is another winner (he even throws in a cover of Cheap Trick's "Oh Caroline" to complete the "Oh-girl's-name-that-starts-with-C" trilogy). The Beatlesque piano ballad "My Love" shows his facility with the slower stuff, and the strings and harmony vocals give "Anyway" a melodic urgency. Vie says he's been writing these songs for 14 years, and it was worth the wait as just about every track has something to recommend it. It's overlooked gems like these that keep me looking.

CD Baby | Stream at Official Site | iTunes

Mike and Miles.

2011-10-21T14:18:00.002-04:00

Mike Viola-Electro de Perfecto. Mike Viola needs little introduction for readers of this site. From his power pop band Candy Butchers to his work with Bleu (in LEO & The Major Labels) to a budding solo career, the one constant has been great pop songs. On his latest solo effort, Viola steps back a bit to create his most assured, mature recording to date while continuing to deliver the tunes. You might not realize this from the opener, the frenetic "Columbus Day Parade", but "Get You Back" (with Semisonic's Dan Wilson on harmony and FoW's Adam Schelsinger on bass) is magical midtempo pop, and "Soundtrack of My Summer" will be the soundtrack of your autumn with its clever, easygoing melody. Elsewhere, "Inside Out" is catchy as hell, and the closer "When the Stars Against You" is a wonderfully moody take on dealing with life's adversities. You probably don't need me to tell you to buy a Mike Viola album, but if you had the slightest hesitation my advice is to just do it.

iTunes

Miles Zuniga-These Ghosts Have Bones. It's hard to believe that this is Miles Zuniga's first proper solo album (although he did release a record in 2006 with his side project The Small Stars), but at long last the guy responsible for my most of my favorite Fastball tracks ("Fire Escape", "Airstream", "Mono to Stereo") gets the stage to himself. And These Ghosts Have Bones is worth the wait as Zuniga's pure popcraft is on full display. The Lennonesque opener "Marfa Moonlight" is wonderful, one of 2011's most unforgettable tracks and its lyrics are the source of the album title. "Rock Paper Scissors" is an excellent rocker that would have easily fit in on a Fastball record, while "Feel it in Your Kiss" displays a faint 70s R&B influence. Elsewhere, "Working on a Love Song" is a catchy number filled with irony (the writer of the song finishes it just in time to find its subject left him), and "Junkie Hands" finds Zuniga in a late-period Beatles state of mind. A great solo debut from one of my favorite pop songwriters, and a strong candidate for 2011's top 10.

iTunes

Midweek Roundup.

2011-10-12T14:08:00.002-04:00

An American Underdog-Always on the Run. While you may not recognize the band name, you should recognize the man behind the band - in this case, Michigan's Andy Reed, who has followed up his excellent 2008 release Fast Forward with a backing band this time around. So while the circumstances may be different, the general sound isn't as Reed & Co. continue to mine the Jon Brion/David Grahame/Emmit Rhodes/Elliott Smith pop territory. The bright power pop of "Your Reign is Over" channels Brendan Benson, "Portland" makes nice use of keyboards in a poppy Elvis Costello-meets-Jason Falkner track, and the whimsical title track is a tour de force, sprinkling bits of McCartney, Jellyfish and Jon Brion into a pure pop confection. Reed keeps getting better with each release, and might be ready to take his place among the David Grahames and Michael Carpenters of the genre. This one's a must for my regular readers.

CD Baby | SoundCloud | iTunes

Buttonjaw-Things You Should Know. It was a pleasant surprise stumbling upon this Portland band, who have given us a fine debut disc that brings to mind The Posies and The Gin Blossoms. "Polly Nearly" is nearly a perfect album opener, a catchy, guitar-driven number with hooks to spare, "One-Track Mind" has a twisting melody and some great guitar work, and the midtempo "Breakdown" sounds like it just came off a rock-radio station from the 90s. These guys know their way around a tune, and the best part is that the proceeds from the album are going to help build a safe house in Ghana for trafficking victims. Good music and a good cause, can't argue with that.

CD Baby | iTunes

Things You Should Know by buttonjaw

Mike Barnett-Bigger Than This. Have no fear - your FDA-required minimum daily supplement of jangle is about to be filled once again by Missouri's Mike Barnett, who's back to the solo path after his excellent 2009 album with Dennis Gurley. In case you're not familiar, the touchstone for Barnett's sound is Wilbury-era George Harrison, and opener "The Love I Have for You" is a catchy, jangly gem. "Motorcycle" treads somehwere between the 60s and 70s and recalls Bobby Sutliff, and "Life's Better" sounds like a lost Roy Orbison classic. Jangleheads, this one's for you.

CD Baby | iTunes

Monday Roundup.

2011-10-03T13:03:00.002-04:00

Making up for my recent absence with 3 reviews today:

The Ditchflowers-Bird's Eye. Brian Merrill (ex-Barely Pink) and Ed Woltil are back with the followup to 2007's excellent Carried Away, and Bird's Eye is another triumphant collection of sophisticated adult pop. "Sunshine Lifetime" blasts out of the speakers with some horns and Stones-style swagger, "You Could Hurt Someone" is alternately bouncy and brooding, and the ballad "Rainout" is a melodic winner with background vocals from fellow Tampa Bay rocker Steve Robinson. Also of note is the frenetic power pop of "Pictures of You", and the shuffling "Love, The Conqueror" which features ex-Wilco drummer Ken Coomer. A magnificent record.

CD Baby | Listen at Official Site | iTunes

Bird's Eye by The Ditchflowers

Mozley-S/T. My Google skills have really been put to the test by the mysterious Mozley. As best as I can tell, he's from Arkansas and that may or may not be D.B. Cooper on the album cover. Nevertheless, you don't need his life story to enjoy his self-titled debut, and fans of The Replacements and Big Star will want to check this one out. The shambolic rocker "Never Meant to Be" has a Westerbergian edge to it, "Earthquakes" has a brooding yet melodic feel, and "Leave Tonight" recalls Ryan Adams when he's serious about classic rock while "Wake Up" is a jangly mid-tempo rocker with a Tom Petty vibe. A nice slice of Mid-South rock from out of nowhere.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

The Phantom Six-Plastic Rain. The Phantom Six is a West Virginia garage rock band led by singer-guitarist Mark Poole, and along with his bandmates (who include AbPow favorite Clint Sutton) has crafted a fun, energetic collection of late 60s-styled rock nuggets. "Corianna", full of reverb and stop-start guitars, and "ahhhhh" harmonies sets the tone, and "Inspiration" doesn't suffer from a lack of it. The piledriving "About Love" and the title track recall Dinosaur Jr., while "Lose Control" comes across as Foo Fighters with more gravitas. With one kick-ass rocker after another (even the jangly "Shades of Sunday"), Plastic Rain will appeal to fans of melodic rock, including those of us who loved the Clint Sutton disc even if his contributions here are as a sideman.

CD Baby | Listen | iTunes

CD of the Day, 9/20/11: Meyerman-Who Do You Think You Are?

2011-09-20T13:04:00.004-04:00

It's easy for me to become complacent about all the power pop (as broadly as I definite it on the site) I listen to, to the point where it can kind of fade into the background. Don't get me wrong - just about all the music I listen to and review on this site is music I really like, or even love, and is worthy of your listening time (and dollars). But a few times a year I get shaken out of my complacency when I get to hear a record that makes me say to myself "this is why I listen to power pop". Who Do You Think You Are?, the debut album from New Jersey's Meyerman, is one of those records.

This is classic Power Pop with 2 capital P's. It's also very "meta" - a power pop album which is mostly about being in a power pop band and a band's relationship with its audience. So while it has the sound of a number of power pop bands running through it like Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, Butch Walker, The Shazam, it has the looking-at-it-from-the-inside sensibility of The Replacements or Local H. Opener "Intro Tonight" basically thanks you for listening, and rewards the favor with an infectious, melodic tune that all but invites you to handclap along. They continue this "opt-in" request with "Permission to Rock You", another throat-clearer that still rocks, and finally get down to business proper with "Get to You", one killer hook and riff after another that you'll swear you heard before but sounds fresh and new.

Elsewhere, "Seconds" is a tough rocker that's wistful yet crunchy, and if "Immaculate Mansions" gives you a 60s/70s classic rock vibe, it's probably because the album was mixed by The Grip Weeds' Kurt Reil, another feather in its cap. "Tour of Japan" continues the self-referential theme with an ode to how our kind of music is more appreciated overseas than in the USA while its "teenage symphonies" line is a nod to Brian Wilson (and by extension, Velvet Crush). Meanwhile, "New Direction" is a footstomping number that explores the tension that occurs when a band offers a new sound which risks alienating its fans while trying keep from sounding stale, and "Indecision & Inertia" honors its title by being a halting, midtempo number, yet still works.

If anything, Who Do You Think You Are? could be considered the "Community" of power pop albums. Like the TV show, it's very much about itself while still delivering the goods, ironic but not sardonic. On the one hand, it rewards you for being in on the joke while on the other it's still an excellent representative of its genre if you'd rather not think too hard about it.

CD Baby | iTunes

CD Single of the Day: Peter Baldrachi-In the Dead of Night

2011-09-13T13:36:00.002-04:00

Boston's Peter Baldrachi is back with his first new material since 2007's Solid Ground, and it's a teaser 2-track single download-only release in advance of his forthcoming full-length Tomorrow Never Knows (that title sounds familiar, eh?). Normally I don't review singles, but these two tracks are so good I've made an exception. "In the Dead of the Night" is Grade-A power pop, all loud guitars, hooks and harmonies. And the non-album B-side "Picture on My Wall" is so good that it makes me wonder how there could be 9-10 better tracks that beat it out to make the upcoming album. Get these on your iPod or music player of choice right away, you won't regret it.

CD Baby | iTunes

Two for Thursday, 9/8/11

2011-09-08T13:10:00.002-04:00

Baby Scream-Secret Place. Juan Pablo Mozzolla & Co. are back again with their third full-length in three years, and Secret Place finds Baby Scream branching out from the (mostly) mellow Lennonesque pop they've become known for. There's a reggae track ("Cold Weather Reggae"), some neo-soul ("Patiently") and a T. Rex cover ("20th Century Baby") to spice things up, and the opening track "The Last Call" has a rootsy, Band-like feel. But those who come for the languid, melodic pop of the previous releases won't be disappointed either - "Hit and Run" and "London Sun" are standouts in this regard. Mozzolla continues to refine his craft, and we're the better for it.

iTunes | MySpace

Former-The Kids Deserve Cable. Since the release of 2008's And Nothing But the Truth, Former's Denny Smith has been busy with The Great Affairs, releasing 2 full-lengths and an EP. But here Smith puts his alter ego aside for another turn of hard power pop that has more in common with Butch Walker and Cheap Trick than the mellow roots pop of his other band. The frenetic "Head Light" lets you know where you stand right off the bat with a driving hard pop beat that recalls the Foo Fighters. "How Does it Feel?" steps off the accelerator a bit but still rocks out in a Steve Bertrand/Rob Bonfiglio fashion, while "Sister" has that Walker's kind of swagger. And "Lie to Me" is a flat-out classic (see video below). For those who want to emphasize the "power" in "power pop", this is your disc.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Friday Roundup.

2011-09-02T10:16:00.002-04:00

JoDee Purkeypile-October House. If the name sounds familiar to you, it's because JDP was the frontman of The Alice Rose, a Texas band who put out a pair of outstanding Jon-Brion-meets-Squeeze indie pop albums in the last 5 years. The obvious parallel here is Greg Pope; like Pope, Purkeypile plays all the instruments here, and in the same manner as when Pope left Edmund's Crown, the solo flight has allowed Purkeypile to distill the essence of the sound he first forged in the band setting. So this is more Jon Brion than Squeeze, and that's a good thing here as "Disappear from Here" is among the best songs he's written, a swirling pop gem in a minor key. "Your Days Ends as Mine Begins" is first-rate guitar pop, and the rollicking "Company Man" has a Jellyfish by way of Michael Penn vibe. Elsewhere, "Summer Sunday" is a lovely slice of mellow indie pop, and the propulsive "Autumn Mind" channels Neil Finn. I could see this one ending up in 2011's top 20.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Marshall Holland-Statistically I Should Say. San Francisco's Marshall Holland put out an overlooked gem in 2004 titled Don't Jettison the Memories, an album of first-rate power pop in the style of Brendan Benson and The Posies. He re-released it last year, and has followed that up with Statistically I Should Say, an EP of new material. Don't miss him this around, as this might be the best power pop EP of 2011. From the urgent opener "Your Lies" to the perfect power pop of "I'm OK (for Now)" - the album's best track - to the buoyant, synth-happy "Meet Me by the Blue Balloon", Holland give us a welcome return. So after you've digested this confection, make sure you go back and get Don't Jettison the Memories.

iTunes | MySpace

Two for Thursday, 8/18/11

2011-08-18T14:04:00.002-04:00

Wiretree-Make Up. The career of Kevin Peroni (a/k/a Wiretree) has coincided with the existence of this site; his debut EP was one of the first reviewed here. So it's been interesting to follow him these past 5-6 years and see how his sound has evolved. He's gone from the Tom Petty/Wilburys sound of the debut and Bouldin to more of an indie rock sound with Luck, and has completed the transition here with Make Up. The one constant has been the songwriting, and whatever the subgenre, Peroni has consistently given us fine tunes. This time around, it's the ringing guitar chords of "Make Up", the catchy heartland rock of "Broken Foot" and the rollicking "The Shore", which is reminiscent of Green Day's "Holiday". The disc even closes with the Jayhawks-like country ballad "Josephine". But there are a few remnants of the classic Wiretree sound here with "Tinyhearts" and "Tonight". Overall, it's nice to see him branch out without sacrificing the quality of the tunes, and I look forward to what comes next.

CD Baby | iTunes

Third of Never, Kurt Reil & CJ Grogan-Life Saver (Three Fifths of a Third EP). Grip Weeds alert! Fans of that longtime power pop band will want to grab this split EP, which features lead singer Kurt Reil's Third of Never side project, two tracks from Reil himself, and two others from CJ Grogan (also in Third of Never). Third of Never's title track is excellent (and leads us to hope a followup to 2007's Moodring is the offing), Reil's catchy "Gonna Find My Way" is another standout, as well as his psych-rocking "Wake Up Time". Grogan's "Tracer" is an energetic rocker, but his piano ballad closer "Margaret" meanders a bit. Still, 4 out of 5 ain't bad.

CD Baby | iTunes

New Well Wishers on the way.

2011-08-14T13:31:00.002-04:00

Jeff Shelton's at it again. Perennial site favorite The Well Wishers are due for another new album. It's called Dreaming of the West Coast (where else?), and should be out by year's end.

As a sneak peek, here's "Escape the Light", which I'm sure you'll agree is vintage Well Wishers:

Two for Thursday, 8/11/11

2011-08-11T14:08:00.002-04:00

Tony Cox-On the Way. After a successful and well-received debut in the power pop community with 2009's Unpublished, Tony Cox is back with On the Way, and he's topped himself in the process. As with Unpublished, Tony enlists pop utilityman Nigel Clark (who can be heard with Dodgy, The Offbeat, and his own solo disc) on vocals, and the combination is another winner. Opener "We'll Get High" is a perfect pop confection, a slice of 60s-pop with a hint of soulfulness. "Hold Me Angeline" is reminiscent of Clark's work in The Offbeat, while "The Way" evokes The Association with a Nuggets-styled sheen. And "Curse of Love" could pass for a lost Zombies classic. This could the album of the year for those who love 60s-styled sunshine pop.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Rollo Time-Victims of the Crown. It's Rollo Time again, as this Chicago-area band returns with the followup to their 2007 self-titled debut. Once again, they show a great facility for melding classic rock and power pop, and that's apparent right off the bat with "You Can Talk" and "Sick and Tired", a pair of tracks that will appeal to fans of bands like The Shazam and Superdrag. "Eyman Prison" tells the story of a frustrated prisoner (of a real Arizona prison) to a power pop beat, while the midtempo janglers "Madeline Says" and "I Can't Believe This Day" are also standouts.

CD Baby | Facebook | iTunes

Two for Thursday, 8/4/11

2011-08-04T12:48:00.004-04:00

Vegas With Randolph-Above the Blue. This Washington, DC band lets no moss grow under their feet - after they released their self-titled debut in 2009, they've issued a series of singles, and here they're collected on Above the Blue. If you missed them the first time around, the singles are really good: "The Better Part" is a punchy pop-rocker, the title track is Secret Powers-styled power pop, and "Some Time to Love" is very reminiscent of Fountains of Wayne. What they add to the singles collection is another of their "song suites", this time called "Double Play". Going from horn-based rave-up to acoustic interlude to straight-up power pop, Vegas With Randolph remain masters of the medley, and the Abbey Road-style album experience is not to be dismissed in the era of the iPod.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

The Quags-Priceless Grains of Sand. It's great to have this Oregon band back for the first time since 2005's Devil's Music. The Quags are on the Paisley Pop label and for those unfamiliar it means classic rock-infused power pop, in this case reminiscent of bands like The Kinks and The Figgs. The opening 1-2 of "Human Thing" and "Favorite Parasite" drive this comparison home, and the laidback "Beautifully Insane" is another treat. Elsewhere, "It Takes Heart" is a Rockpile-styled delight, "Going Through the Convulsions" rocks out, and "Do Yourself a Mischief" closes things on a wonderfully jangly note with a hint of The Who. Here's hoping we won't have to wait six years for the next one.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Two for Thursday, 7/28/11

2011-07-28T14:17:00.003-04:00

Honeywagen-Atomic Cafe. This Kansas City band is back from a near decade-long hibernation with Atomic Cafe, and it's a jangly delight of Midwestern power pop. "Throw it All Away" is a gem of an opener, kind of like Ray Davies fronting the Plimsouls, while "Go Someplace" sounds like a lost Byrds classic. "Lust" brings the Rutles' classic "I Must Be in Love" to mind, and "My Virginia" wouldn't be out of place of on a Gin Blossoms record. It's great to have these guys back, so janglers of the world, unite - you have nothing to lose but $14 or so. And Kool Kat is offering up a kool bonus disc - frontman Mike Penner covering A Hard Day's Night (the album) in its entirety.

Kool Kat | Official Site

Brian Hoffer-Into the Boulevard. I was pleasantly surprised to have stumbled upon this Milwaukee singer-songwriter's debut album, which has traces of Brendan Benson, AC Newman and Fountains of Wayne running through it. The upbeat, catchy "Good Day Now" is a near-perfect opener, and the clever "Psychoanalysis" reminds me of Dan Bryk and Lamar Holley. Other highlights include the raved-up "Keep Each Other Cold", the piano-and-guitar-based melody of "Superman Somehow" and the sardonic "When They Drop the Bomb". Hoffer really has a songwriter's ear for lyrics and melody here, and a nice sampling of the disc is below for your listening pleasure.

iTunes

Catcing up with some more old friends.

2011-07-20T09:12:00.000-04:00

Here's another round of artists previously featured here who have new material out:

Artist: The Great Affairs
Last Seen on AbPow: November 2010 with Ricky Took the Wheels.
New release: Happy Ender EP.
A few words: fORMER's Denny Smith is back with the third Great Affairs release in about 18 months time, and this EP is more of their laid-back, tuneful best. Happy Ender was recorded over two days in the studio and it has a loose-limbed feel, with the peppy "Bird on a Wire" the highlight. Smith also advises there's a new fORMER album in the works, always welcome news.
Links: CD Baby | iTunes | ReverbNation

Artist: Michael Gross & The Statuettes
Last Seen on AbPow: August 2010 with Telepath.
New release: Imaginary Signs EP.
A few words: Gross & Co. have been quite busy these days, and the new EP is a continuation of their heartland rock sound. The one departure here is "A Revelation", which reminds me of Bends-era Radiohead.
Links: Bandcamp | iTunes

Imaginary Signs EP by Michael Gross and The Statuettes

Artist: The Brigadier
Last Seen on AbPow: November 2010 with The Secret of No Success.
New release: Holiday Special EP.
A few words: Matt Williams returns again with a seasonally-themed EP, this one summer-related. The standout here is the leadoff track "When the Sun Comes Out", which captures summer's optimistic, carefree nature while being a damn catchy tune.
Links: CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes

Holiday Special E.P. by The Brigadier

Artist: Radio Days
Last Seen on AbPow: October 2008 with Midnight Cemetery Rendezvous.
New release: C'est La Vie.
A few words: This Italian band is back with another disc of their Paul Collins Beat (with whom they shared a 7" release)-styled power pop. The followup to their debut EP is an excellent one, from the Beatlesque "Sleep it Off" to the Teenage Fanclub-influenced "Enemies for Friends" to the jangle pop of "Sweetest Lullaby".
Links: Bandcamp (two tracks) | iTunes

C'est La Vie by Radio Days

Stream the new Matthew Sweet!

2011-07-19T23:18:00.001-04:00

Here it is, in all its glory. Haven't had a chance to listen yet myself, but note how meta Track 7 appears to be.

Two for Thursday, 7/14/11

2011-07-14T14:53:00.006-04:00

Brandon Wilde-Hearts in Stereo. I first came upon this Brooklyn singer-songwriter thanks to his fine 2006 debut Songs From the Deep Sleep, but it didn't prepare me for how brilliant his new followup is. Wilde will appeal to fans of Paul McCartney, David Grahame and a host of other melodic popsters. The moody and haunting "Dayglow" opens in the vein of post-Crowded House Neil Finn, while the frantic "Time Bomb" sounds as if it came from a Brendan Benson album. The jangly "Candy Apples" channels Grahame and Emitt Rhodes, and it's all prelude to the album's best track "Ooh La", which takes all these influences to another level, sounding not unlike Elliott Smith if he were actually a happy person. This is first-rate pop, and another that will be ranked highly upon year's end.

CD Baby | iTunes

Richie Reinholdt-Night and Day. Here's some excellent roots pop straight outta Missoula, Montana (also home to AbPow favorites Secret Powers) that will catnip to those who like Marshall Crenshaw, Walter Clevenger, Bobby Sutliff and the like. "Lucky Stars" is an absolute gem, and "Home Now" has a bit of Dylan in it. Elsewhere, "Soft Hearts" is the Everly Brothers gone rockabilly, "Opium" is a hard-edged rocker that adds some depth to the proceedings, and "Dream Noir" lives up to its title. Reinholdt's sound might be retro, but quality roots pop like this never goes out of style.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes

Night and Day by Richie Reinholdt

CD of the Day, 7/8/11: The Red Button-As Far as Yesterday Goes

2011-07-08T12:27:00.002-04:00

In 2007 Seth Swirsky & Mike Ruekberg, establish power poppers in their own right, teamed up as The Red Button to give us one of the top power pop albums of the decade with She's About to Cross My Mind. It was our #1 album of that year and came the closest to capturing both the sound - and more importantly, the spirit - of an early-to-mid period Beatles album. It wasn't a Rutles-style pastiche but rather a collection of a dozen or so extremely strong tunes that evoked the era without aping it. And what propelled it to the next level is that you had two distinct singer-songwriters bringing their songs to the table, with Ruekberg playing Lennon to Swirsky's McCartney.

So needless to say, expectations are high for the followup, and for the most part the expectations are met. There's a little bit less Beatles here, with an element of 70s-styled singer-songwriter sound in its place, but the end result is bound to please anyone who loved the first album. Things start strongly in the vein of the first album with Ruekberg's excellent and insanely catchy "Caught in the Middle", right out of the Help!-era playbook with Rickenbacker and harmonica galore. (His "I Can't Forget", which appears later in the album, is another great Beatles '65 homage.) Following is the sophisticated pop of Swirsky's title track, a moody midtempo number that compares favorably to some of the debut's standout tracks like "It's No Secret" and "Floating By". Speaking of "Floating By", the piano-based "Picture" is this album's closest cousin with its Bacharachian feel.

The passionate Ruekberg rocker "Girl, Don't" ups the jangle factor, while his lovely "Easier" evokes "Something". Swirsky meanwhile pines for a pair of ladies named "Genevieve" and "Sandreen", with the former the subject of a string-laden pop confection, and the latter a very 70s-sounding tune that's just as much breezy Stevie Wonder as breezy McCartney. Elsewhere "On a Summer Day" lives up to its title with its carefree melody and some great vocal interplay between our two principals, and the vaguely funky "You Do Something to Me" draws its inspiration from Paul Simon's early solo career. And like the debut with "It's No Secret", the album closes in strong fashion with "Running Away", a piano and guitar number that shifts the focus from the girls-of-their-dreams to an inward look that casts all that came before it in a different light, a well-played turn that grounds the album nicely.

Part of what made the debut a power pop phenomenon was that it came as a revelation; followups by definition in these cases always come without this advantage. But if it were possible to "unhear" the debut, As Far as Yesterday Goes would be just as much a jaw-dropper. and coming up with 12 near-perfect pop songs is never as easy as it sounds. For that, this album will rightfully earn its spot at or near the top of my 2011 list, and should earn an immediate spot on your music player of choice.

CD Baby | iTunes | sample at Official Site

Two for Tuesday, 6/28/11

2011-06-28T14:57:00.003-04:00

The Big Sweet-Ultraviolet Rain. It was almost a year to the date we looked at this Ohio band's debut album, Shot of Bliss, and they haven't wasted any time with the followup. Once again, these (now) 17-year-olds have produced a confident, assured mix of power pop and indie rock that belies their age. Whereas last time they covered Big Star's "September Gurls", here they assimilate their sound in "Laces" (while the skittish "In and Out of Style" recalls solo Alex Chilton). Also of note are the pop/rocker "N-O", which doesn't quite go where you expect it to, and the jangle of both "As You Wake" and "Ancient Psych". With enough winding turns and crooked alleys, Ultraviolet Rain isn't cookie-cutter power pop - but in this case, the journey is a much fun as the destination.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Justin Nault-It's Just Me. This Nashville piano popper has styled an impressive debut that should appeal to fans of Josh Fix and Ben Folds. "I Would" and "Addicted" are a killer one-two punch of upbeat melodic piano pop, and the kinetic title track ain't no slouch either. "Smile" is another standout, with its anthemic chorus, and the piano pyrotechnics of "Puppet" recalls Folds' debut as the Ben Folds Five. Have a listen for yourself:

It's Just Me by Justin Nault

CD Baby | iTunes

Two for Tuesday, 6/21/11

2011-06-21T14:21:00.002-04:00

Dropkick-Time Cuts the Ties. I've been listening to this prolific (9 full-lengths plus a handful of EPs in the last 10 years) Scottish band for several years now, had their records in my top 100 lists, but until now had not featured them on this site. I'm remedying this oversight with their latest, Time Cuts the Ties, as it's emblematic of their body of work and a damn good listen. Dropkick specialize in the melodic pop of bands like Teenage Fanclub and Daniel Wylie-era Cosmic Rough Riders with a touch of alt-country, suffused with Pernice Brothers-like harmonies. The standouts here are "Bad Line", an uptempo number augmented by piano that wouldn't have been out of place on the Pernices' Overcome by Happiness album, the stately power balladry of "Home", and the lovely, waltzing title track. Have a listen below, but set aside some time - once you introduce yourself to them, you're going to want to delve into that deep back catalog.

Official site (with lots of downloads) | iTunes

The Janglemen-5 by The Janglemen. Hey, sometimes the reviews write themselves. In this case, the band name and the title do a great job of summing things up. If you like this NYC band's full-length debut in 2007 or just like jangly power pop, this EP is for you. "Missin' Kissin' Kristen" is worth the price of admission alone, all Rickenbackers and catchy melodies. Also of note is the merseybeat of "XO XO", and the almost Knack-like "Weather Girl". Jangle on!

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

New Wiretree on the way!

2011-06-15T13:00:00.004-04:00

Kevin Peroni a/k/a Wiretree has been an AbPow favorite over the years, with 2 full-lengths and an EP placing highly on our year-end lists. So I'm glad to report that Wiretree's latest full-length, Makeup, is due to be released August 1. And as a preview, here's the leadoff track "The Shore", a tight pop song in the Wiretree style:

The Shore by Wiretree

Monday Roundup.

2011-06-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

Let's start the work week off with a couple of old friends here at AbPow.

The Riffbrokers-Every Pilot's Blinded by the Sun. Seattle's Riffbrokers are back with their fifth full-length, and it's more of the same no-nonsense power pop/classic rock that they have become masters at. Their sound is equal parts Tom Petty and The Replacements with a dash of Exile-era Stones thrown in, and the rocking "Better Angels" is the definitive proof of this amalgam. Nick Millward has just the right voice for this style of rock, and his bandmates provide a killer rhythm section. No bad tracks here, but more equal than others are the rocker "Mindset", the soulful "Calling All The Charlatans" and the catchy album closer "Thank You". No, thank you, Riffbrokers, for keeping the rock flame burning.

CD Baby | Bandcamp (free download) | iTunes

Every Pilot's Blinded By The Sun by The Riffbrokers

The Rationales-The Distance in Between. We last heard from this Boston band a few years ago with their fine EP The Going and the Gone, and here's their equally impressive full-length debut. Once again David Mirabella & Co. straddle the line between power pop and Americana, and if you like bands such as, say, I don't know...The Riffbrokers? you'll love this one. Opener "Real Life" builds from its rootsy verses to an anthemic ending, "Braedon" packs more punch in its sub-2:00 running time than most songs do in 4, and the rocker "Jaded" recalls Being There-era Wilco. And don't miss the chiming, jangly "Tongue Tied", the latest and greatest entry into the fellowship of "summer is over" songs. You won't have to rationalize picking this one up.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes

The Distance In Between by The Rationales

Bandcamping it.

2011-06-08T12:15:00.006-04:00

More and more artists are using Bandcamp, which allows for full streaming of tracks, downloads (many free or name your price), etc. Here are a few that caught my eye recently:

A free download of Plasticsoul & Brandon Schott covering Big Star? You don't have to drag me screaming to that.

Thank You Friends by Golden State Music

Chris Richards with another vault-clearing collection? Always good stuff if you recall his previous Pathetic History.

Historia Pathetic Dos by Chris Richards and the Subtractions

Daniel Person is a UK artist whose sound falls somewhere between Elliott Smith, Ryan Adams and Jesse Malin, and he's offering up "Wishing Well", the first single from his new album as a free download. It's a quality tune.

Wishing Well by Daniel Pearson

Nick Piunti of The Respectables brought Ryan Allen & His Extra Arms to my attention and I'm certainly glad he did. Some of you may know Allen from his work as frontman of The Friendly Foes, and this is crunchy power pop par excellence. Best part is that most of the songs clock in around 2:15, and the slower ones sound like Paul Westerberg:

Ryan Allen & His Extra Arms by Ryan Allen and His Extra Arms

Oh, and it's not on Bandcamp, but here's a free download of the new single from Fountains of Wayne, Richie and Ruben.

Two for Thursday, 6/2/11

2011-06-02T10:32:00.003-04:00

Phil Angotti-People and Places. In my power pop travels over the last several years, I've seen Phil Angotti's name show up here and there but I never got around to hearing his music. If his newly-released People and Places is indicative of his larger body of work, I've really been missing out. Trading in Beatlesque pop (especially the McCartney strain), Angotti has crafted a pop delight here that will appeal to fans of David Grahame and similar artists and serve as a nice complement to the recently-released Smith & Hayes album. There's quite a lot to like here, from the shuffling opener "My Ol' Records" to the jangly "You Were Right (Probably)" to the exuberant pop of "I'm Yer Man". But what sets this album apart from the typical Beatle pastiche is Angotti's facility with the slower numbers, some of the album's best: "I Guess" is one McCartney probably wishes he wrote, and "Me and Donnie Vee" is a lovely midtempo number in which Angotti reminisces about playing with his longtime friend Donnie Vie from Enuff Z'Nuff. A real treasure, and if you go to the CD Baby link below you can get his thoughts on each of the tracks.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Draz-Blaring in the Stillness. This New York band manages the feat of being indie enough to impress your hipster friends and melodic enough to appeal to power poppers. I was drawn in my opening track "When the City Burns", which seemed to find the middle ground between The Shins and Squeeze, and was happy to stick around for the rest with the standouts being 90s college radio-styled midtempo rocker "Heaven Sent", the Smiths-inspired "One of the Boys", and the fab "Love Letters". These guys know their way around a pop hook (see also the infectious "Astor Place"), and they should find their way into your mp3 or CD player.

CD Baby | Reverb Nation | iTunes

CD of the Day, 5/25/11: Shout With Grass-Will of Man

2011-05-25T14:08:00.005-04:00

If you're a big fan of Sloan you know that the Canadian band has four singer/songwriters of nearly equal ability, a key to their greatness. I've always thought they should each release solo albums (maybe simultaneously a la KISS), and among the four my favorite has been keyboardist Jay Ferguson, who seems to write the purest pop songs of the bunch. But until that day comes, the closest thing we're going to get to a Jay Ferguson solo album is the full-length debut of countryman Max Sensini, who records as Shout With Grass.

Will of Man builds on the promise of his 2009 EP And Then Again and is a pop delight. Like Ferguson (whom Sensini also resembles vocally), his songs are piano-based but not overly showy as many other piano-based poppers tend to be. "Hey Bird" opens things in a low-key Lennonesque fashion, reminiscent of "Imagine" or his solo piano version of "Free as a Bird", while "With the Queen" is a bouncy slice of pop that swings to the McCartney side. The lightly orchestrated "Think of Me" is another standout, as is "Walk the Tightrope" a carryover from the EP that earns its encore on the full-length.

The best thing I can say about this disc, though, is the uniformity of quality among its 10 tracks, and it closes as strongly as it finishes with the catchy "Woman", the dreamy "Hole in the Sky" and the majestic title track. Sensini has emerged as a real pop talent here, and if I leave this one off this year's top 20 feel free to shoot me an email reminding me to listen to it again.

CD Baby | MySpace | eMusic | iTunes

Three for Thursday, 5/19/11

2011-05-19T11:20:00.002-04:00

Since posting has been light lately, we're going with three for Thursday today instead of the usual two.

John Amadon-Seven Stars. At long last, here is the Elliott Smith album you've all been waiting for and thought you'd never get. Hailing from Smith's hometown of Portland, Oregon, Amadon channels that late singer-songwriter's XO/Figure 8 period, which means things lean to the Beatlesque side of Smith's sound than his earlier, folkier releases. And that's a good thing around here. The standout tracks here are "Let's Talk Without Talking", the soft/heavy dynamic of "All Patched Up" and the lovely "Bitter Tears". A real treat.

CD Baby | Bandcamp

Tim Culling-Goodbye Western Sun. It's hard to pigeonhole singer-songwriter Tim Culling's sound without resorting to generic categories like "adult alternative pop/rock" as he offers up a little bit of pop, a little bit of rock, a little bit of soul and a little bit of alt-country in his sound. It all adds up to a winning mixture on this 7-track EP, led by the outstanding title track, which has an insistent piano hook that will bury itself in your subconscious, "So With That Aside", its bookend, is another brilliant number with an upbeat melody, and in between the Wilco-esque "This Much I Can See" and the bluesy "I Got a Friend" are the highlights. Possibly 2011's top EP to date.

CD Baby | MySpace | eMusic

Khalid Quesada-On the Verge of Context. New Jersey's Khalid Quesada is a singer-songwriter sound who has a way with a pop hook, and he demonstrates that clearly on his debut EP. Coming in somewhere between the aforementioned Elliott Smith and Rivers Cuomo, Quesada is equally at home with both the power pop ("Radio Silence", "Proverbial Knives") and more introspective numbers ("Angel in the Dark", "World Without"). It's all melodic, and has me looking forward to his full-length debut promised for later this year.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 5/12/11: Smith & Hayes-Volume II

2011-05-12T12:59:00.000-04:00

Clay Smith and Bill Hayes burst upon the power pop scene in 2007 with Changed by a Song, a classic steeped in the sounds of The Beatles and Jeff Lynne that has to be on the short list of top power pop albums of the previous decade. Four years later, the followup is ready. And while Changed by a Song is a tough act follow, Volume II is a solid, worthy successor.

The main difference this time around is that they go for a more direct Beatlesque sound rather than the Beatles-via-Lynne style on the debut. This becomes apparent right off the bat with "Learning How to Love", which owes a debt to "Instant Karma", but doesn't slavishly imitate that track, offering a wondefully melodic chorus that's all their own. After the ballad "All the Love in the World" comes the midtempo McCartneyesque "All Your Life", which mines Macca's late 60s/early 70s sound. Also a treat is the breezy "Wake Up to Now", which fills the George Harrison change-of-pace role.

The album's standout is the uber-catchy "Turn it Up", a direct Beatle homage that starts off with the line "It was 40 years ago today", and name drops Murray The K and refers to various points in Beatle history. Other highlights include the lovely ballad "Save the Day", the Eastern sounds of "The Road to Bodhicitta", the "Honey Pie"-like "Fab", and the rocker "For a Chance" which draws on "I've Got a Feeling". And in case you were still wondering about the extent of Beatle influence, they throw in a slowed-down cover of "You Won't See Me". Once again, the sheer joy of their love for Beatlesque music shines through, making this a must-have for anyone who loved the first album.

CD Baby | Samples at official site | iTunes

Friday Roundup.

2011-04-29T12:57:00.002-04:00

Bryan Estepa-Vessels. Our favorite Aussie this side of Michael Carpenter is back with his third solo album, and Vessels is another mark of excellence for Bryan Estepa. Like his buddy and countryman Carpenter (who helped mix), Estepa has the knack of making pop songs sound easy, and he infuses them with a bit of a country-rock style. The beguiling, laid-back "Won't Let You Down" opens things nicely, and "Hard Habits" draws on The Band. But Estepa is not afraid to tackle purer pop as the bouncy beats and handclaps of "Tongue Tied" and "Alone" will attest. And the soulful ballad "Pull Ourselves Together" might be the prettiest song I've heard this year. Another first-rate effort.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Frozen Relics-Uncovered. A nice EP debut from this Minnesota duo, who feature a straight-ahead power pop sound that's heavy on the hooks. Leadoff track "Beautiful Girl" mines the classic power pop subject matter with a Fountains of Wayne/Weezer flourish, while the peppy pop of "No Second Chances" has almost a Motown-like feel to it. The anthemic "Burnin'" tackles environmental concerns without being too preachy and while giving a nod to short-term concerns. "One Step Closer" is more pleasing power pop, and "Hymn for Our Children" is a quality instrumental number and is backed by their promise to donate $1 from each full album purchase to the Children’s Miracle Network – Gillette Children’s Hospital.

CD Baby | iTunes

CD of the Day, 4/27/11: Supraluxe-The Super Sounds of Supraluxe

2011-04-27T13:03:00.004-04:00

Things always get a little sentimental at Absolute Powerpop when Supraluxe is concerned, since they were the first band reviewed on the site and had an impact on the the creation of the site as well, all of which is well-chronicled here if you want to check out the archives. More pertinent to you the reader is the fact they've released their third disc, The Super Sounds of Supraluxe. While their first album was a pop masterpiece, they made their AOR move with the followup, Wake Leave Home Sleep, which had its moments but didn't sound very much like the debut. The message here for those who loved the first album is "come on in, the water's fine" as Super Sounds marks a return to the Elliott Smith meets Brendan Benson sound we've known them for.

Things start off strongly with the gentle "Every Little Piece", which namechecks Fleetwood Mac and has a feel of solo Lindsay Buckingham, and the catchy mid-tempo rocker "Setting Sun". But they really hit their stride with "Lester Bangs", not quite a paean to the legendary rock critic but a celebration of the love of playing music that hews to his spirit. The song may be a bit meta, but it's a gem and captures that "Supraluxe sound" we all came to appreciate on the debut.

There are plenty of other quality tracks here as well: "Go Nowhere" has a loose-limbed vaguely-country vibe that makes it sound like came off Wilco's Summerteeth; "Sunday's Not So Bad", a leftover from the sessions for the debut, has that E.Smith feel, and "New York City's Not Alright" finds them in rock-noir mode. And not to be overlooked are the 70s SoCal-sound homage "Back to the Land" and the strange but lovely "Nail Biter" which runs with its title metaphor and some spry synths. All in all, a welcome return to form for this Minneapolis band and a must for those who fell for the debut.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes | eMusic

Two for Tuesday, 4/19/11

2011-04-19T13:05:00.003-04:00

Steve LaBate-The Dead Art of Letter Writing. Atlantan Steve LaBate is an interesting guy. He's a writer/editor for Paste Magazine, and is best known musically as "Christie Brinkley" in the punk-comedy band Attractive Eighties Women. He goes solo here, and it's apparent his real idol is Paul Westerberg as The Dead Art of Letter Writing might be the best Replacements record to come down the pike since Pleased to Meet Me. 'Mats fans will immediately identify with this record from the opening guitar riff of "Reckless Hearts", which comes right out of Westerberg's "Knockin' on Mine". There's also a Stones influence evident, as well as early Wilco ("Wind-Up Toy" is a cousin to tracks like "Outta Site Outta Mind" and "Monday"). Other standouts include the midtempo "Channel Surfer", the raucous, Clash-like "Cops in Alley", and the "Rocks Off" rock of "Ratskellar". This is power pop/rock 'n' roll for true believers, and LaBate speaks the truth.

CD Baby | iTunes | eMusic

The Genuine Fakes-The Genuine Fakes. The Fakes have been billed as Sweden's Fountains of Wayne, and they do share that American band's brand of effervescent power pop if not their oh-so-clever lyrics and character studies. On their Kool Kat debut (also known as "The Striped Album") they do open things with a FoW touch, a self-titled track which serves as sort of a theme song for the band. From there on out, it's one well-constructed power pop track after another, complete with hooks and melodies galore. The standouts here are "The Promise", "Something New" and "If You Then I", but all of the tracks are of a uniform high quality. The only drawback is that there is a bit of sameness from track to track (even the cover of Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" is done in their frenetic power pop fashion), making them the perfect band to put in shuffle mode with your other favorites. As always, Kool Kat is offering up an exclusive bonus disc with the regular disc purchase, so make sure you stop there for a copy.

Kool Kat | Listen at Bandcamp

"THE STRIPED ALBUM." by The Genuine Fakes

Catching up with some old friends.

2011-04-15T14:32:00.004-04:00

As Absolute Powerpop has been going for five years now, we've built up quite a list of artists that have had music reviewed on the site, and I don't always have time to do full reviews for everything they do in the future. So as a service to those who enjoyed their previous releases, here are some words about new music from some artists we've featured before.

Artist: Bob Collum.
Last Seen on AbPow: October 2009 with Twisted Lines & Mixed Up Rhymes
New release: The New Old Thing (EP).
A few words: This Englishman has always mixed pop with country, and here he leans on the country a bit more. Still quality stuff, though, and fans of his previous work will want to check this one out. The rockin' "Crawford County" is the highlight here.
Links: Buy at official site | MySpace

Artist: Shake Some Action!
Last Seen on AbPow: May 2008 with Sunny Days Ahead, although they released the decent Fire and Ice in the interim.
New release: White Lies and Bloodshot Eyes.
A few words: This is a kind of odds-and-sods collection for James Hall & Co., with a bunch of b-sides, demos, etc. But for the most part it sounds like a cohesive album, and might even be better than the previous proper release. "I Get Tongue Tied" (left off Fire and Ice) and "One Way Ticket" are two great tracks. This is a digital-only release.
Links: iTunes | eMusic | Listen at official site

Artist: Danny Echo
Last Seen on AbPow: March 2009 with his self-titled debut.
New release: Rock Bottoms Up.
A few words: The debut reminded us of Cheap Trick/Oasis, and this one goes one step further into harder rock territory. A fun disc to get your rock on, with the "whoos" of "Your Breaking Down" reminding me of Andrew W.K. and "Better You Than Me" firmly in AC/DC territory.
Links: CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Artist: Jesse Sprinkle
Last Seen on AbPow: January 2009 with Surrounded by Lights.
New release: Streamstory
A few words: This new release runs to the folkier side of Sprinkle's folk/pop but is a must for those who enjoyed his previous work. "Your Touch is Gold" and "In Loving Memory" are the highlights here.
Links: CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Two for Tuesday, 4/12/11

2011-04-12T14:51:00.002-04:00

John Laprade-World Class Faker. Brooklyn's John Laprade follows up his 2008 EP Blind with his debut full-length, and he shows all the makings of a budding pop craftsman. He masters a variety of styles, from the bright power pop of "Soul Shaker" and "Blind" (yes, he's re-worked a few tracks from the EP), the Popicana of "Last Time" and "Tennessee" (which is "right next to Arkansas"), to the expert balladry of "Anything at All" and "Infinity". Also of note is the appearance of legendary guitarist Richard Lloyd (Television, Matthew Sweet) on the rocking "Knock You Down". I've had this disc for a couple of months in advance of its release, and listening to these tracks again for this review felt like reuniting with old friends, a real indication there are some quality tunes here.

CD Baby | Listen at official site | iTunes

Eliot Bronson-Blackbirds. Bronson is one half of The Brilliant Inventions, a duo who put out one of 2009 best folk-pop albums, Have You Changed. Flying solo here, Bronson leans more to the folk than the pop, but there are a number of understated gems here and his gift for melody remains intact. Those who lean to the pop side of things will love "Everywhere I Go", a beautiful midtempo number that has the kind of chorus that will burrow its way into your brain, and the buoyant "If You Need to Be Free", which will appeal to fans of the Shane Lamb disc I recently featured. And the folkier tunes are not without their charms either: Leah Calvert's wonderful harmony work on "Old Car" and "Black-Eyed Susan" recalls the Caitlin Cary/Ryan Adams dynamic of Whiskeytown. In other words, Bronson has of the best folk-pop albums of 2011.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

CD of the Day, 4/6/11: Cirrone-Uplands Park Road

2011-04-06T19:44:00.004-04:00

In the 90s it was Oasis who took the sound of 60s and 70s rock of The Beatles, the Stones, The Who and others and brought it into the present day. In the 00s it was Jet who found success with this template. And now picking up the torch in the 10s is Italy's Cirrone (originally known as Apple Scruffs), a band of three brothers who are making the old sound new again in what's my favorite discovery of 2011 to date.

The lovely Beatlesque "Here is My Song" announces their arrival, while the title track mixes Oasis-style swagger and Big Star-like guitars and song structure. The quiet/loud dynamic of "I Still Remember" recalls Sloan, and "Let the Wind Blow" melds the McCartney of "Here, There & Everywhere" with the McCartney of "I've Got a Feeling". By about the fifth track rolls around, the Chiltonesque power poppin' "All I Know", you get the feeling these guys can do no wrong.

"Brand New Life" is another impressive piece of work, starting out as a pretty ballad that builds to a rocking 2-minute crescendo of guitar outro, something you don't hear a lot on power pop albums these days. "How Does it Feel?" is a piece of cheerful, "Good Day Sunshine"-styled pop with all the attendant bells and whistles, and "Your Eyes Are Wide Open" has that Lennon-by-way-of-Noel Gallagher feel.

The back half of the disc is no letdown, either, no mean feat in an age when so many discs peter out around this time. "Just Tell Me" is a moody, midtempo rocker that could be the best track on a lot of other albums, and the boys prove proficient at psych-pop with the trippy "You're Not Alone". "Here We Will Go" earns points for being different than the rest, an assertive rocker with some horn help, and "In the Sun" is a "Because"-styled ballad with ethereal harmonies. Again, there isn't anything here you haven't heard before in some form or another, but like the best power pop it makes it all seem fresh again. It'll be criminal if these guys don't find a wider audience like their forebears mentioned at the beginning of this review.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes } eMusic

UPLANDS PARK ROAD by cirrone

Midweek Roundup.

2011-03-30T19:38:00.002-04:00

Shane Lamb-Better Here. Nashville's Shane Lamb is back with the followup to his excellent 2009 release Disengage, and damned if he didn't come up with another roots-pop gem. There's plenty to like here, starting with the opener "Adrenaline as Medicine", which has a strong Tom Petty vibe. Speaking of Petty, the outstanding title track is reminiscent of "Yer So Bad". "Can't You See" is a driving, pulsing rocker that's still melodic, and "It's True" has a Jayhawks-like pop sheen to it. But the real highlight here is the midtempo "I See Now", in which Lamb's gift for melody and angelic voice combine for a great rootsy pop tune. An easy top ten of 2011 to date.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

The Insomniacs-Just Enjoy It! Aside from Detroit, the first place that comes to mind for garage rock is New Jersey, and this Elizabethtown band does their state's tradition proud with Just Enjoy It!. From the cover, you can get a pretty good idea where these guys are coming from, with one backbeat anthem after another. So yeah, you've got catchy rocking numbers like "Yeah Yeah Yeah", the title track, and "Good for Nothing". But they show another side on the jangly "For the Last Time" and the dreamy "Hang in the Air", proving they're not one-dimensional garage rockers. A real breath of fresh air.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Monday Roundup.

2011-03-21T18:38:00.003-04:00

Snowbirds-Snowbirds. This Wisconsin four-piece has released what is possibly my favorite debut of 2011 to date, a highly melodic and heartfelt slice of pop-flavored Americana that fans of The Jayhawks, The Autumn Defense, and last year's find Elvyn will immediately want in their music collection. "Current State" has that Big Star meets The Jayhawks sound that hits the sweet spot, and the pensive "Old Wall" is a beauty. Other standouts include the Ryan Adamsesque "First in Line", the honky-tonk rock of "Shakedown" and the Westerbergian "So Long". All in all, an early line favorite for "Popicana" album of the year.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

The Respectables-3. This Detroit-area band continues to deliver the power pop goods, following up their impressive first two-full lengths featured on this site with a 3-song mini-EP that's all killer and no filler. The real gem here is the third track "B Side", which simply - as it's put these days - owns. It's a rocking track that's truly what power pop is all about, right down to the line "I stole my hooks from a Beatles book". Check out the video below. The other two tracks ain't too shabby either: "Check Your Mind" rocks with abandon and melody, and "Wore Me Out" is a bluesy treat. But meanwhile I'll keep playing the "B Side".

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Party like it's 2006.

2011-03-10T19:01:00.002-05:00

New releases from two bands that are back with their first new music since they were reviewed on this site's early days in 2006:

Barnacle Bill-Barnacle Bill. As alluded to above, we first made our acquaintance with this NYC band some five years ago with their excellent debut Towards The Pebbled Shore. In the time that's passed, they show they haven't missed a beat on their self-titled followup. The one-two punch of Yianni Naslas and Stu Klinger alternate tracks again, and fans of Fastball and Fountains of Wayne will want to give this disc a spin. Lots to like here: the "yeah-yeah-yeahs" of "Like You're Supposed To", the midtempo "The Things I've Done", the catchy power pop of "Running Away", and the FoW-esque "nth Street Girl". Let's hope album #3 comes sooner than five years.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Onestop-Labor of Like. We head down the east coast to catch up with Onestop, whose debut Pop Shop owed a lot to the sound of Barenaked Ladies. This time around, they have more of their own pop sound and "Treats Her So Bad" is a rock-solid opener, touching all the power pop bases. "Right Beside You" is another winner that has more in common with a different Canadian band, Sloan. Other standouts include the manic "On Your Mind", the hook-heavy "Out of Touch", and the shuffling "What Went Wrong". A true leap forward from the debut, and a labor you'll like.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Two for Thursday, 3/3/11

2011-03-03T13:18:00.003-05:00

Hans Rotenberry & Brad Jones-Mountain Jack. I really fell down on the job here, as I missed this brilliant collaboration that came out last November. Especially as I've gone on record gushing over what a genius Jones is, and I'm a fan of Rotenberry's group The Shazam. Anyway, better late than never, and this is a rare case where the whole exceeds the sum of the parts when two talents get together. This isn't straight up power pop by any means, but a more rustic, laid-back affair that has an early 70s Small Faces/pastoral Kinks vibe. Lots of standout tracks, from the genial opener "Count on Me", the hands-down-best-track-on-the-disc "A Likely Lad", the sounds-like-a-Band-classic "Ain't Gonna Hunt Anyone" and the Stonesish "Greef" (get it? "grief" spelled like "Keef" Richards). There are a lot of things I'd do if I had a time machine, but one of them would be to go back and put this in the top 10 of my Best of 2010 list.

iTunes | eMusic

D.C. Cardwell-Some Hope. Melbourne's D.C. Cardwell is a singer-songwriter that should appeal to fans of Neil Finn and David Grahame, and he has the ability to excel on both the slower, acoustic numbers as well as the up-tempo pop gems. You'll only need to go a few tracks into Some Hope to realize this as the beautiful, gentle opener "I Am Still the Same" and the lovely, spare "Birthday Present" are followed by the catchy power pop of "Peace and Love". Aside from these three, there are plenty of instant classics to go around like the breezy "Way With Words", the harmonica and handclaps of "A Minute of Your Time", and the jangly "Tom is Everybody's Friend". 16 tracks in all here, so it's quality and quantity.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | Listen/Buy at Bandcamp

New single from David Myhr (ex-Merrymakers)

2011-03-02T10:15:00.003-05:00

I plan on resuming normal blogging later today, but I didn't want to wait on this one.

After years of absence from the power pop scene, David Myhr (known to most of you as one-half of legendary power poppers The Merrymakers) has released a new single in advance of his forthcoming album Soundshine titled "Got You Where He Wanted", and it's a gem, the kind of track that reminds you why you're a fan of power pop. Here it is:

Got you where he wanted (.mp3) by davidmyhr

Listen to it here, and download it at the link above.

mp3s and such.

2011-02-24T19:45:00.005-05:00

I've been quite busy with work and family obligations the last week, hence the lack of new posts (I haven't even tweeted much). To tide you over, here are a couple of mp3s available for free from longtime favorites with new albums on the way.

First off, Sloan needs no introduction, and their new album The Double Cross comes out in a couple of months. The first single, Chris Murphy's "Follow the Leader", can be downloaded here.

Aussie rockers Grand Atlantic are also set to release their third full-length soon, and they're offering up "Poison to the Vine" as a free download at their special album-centered site.

EP of the Day, 2/18/11: Derby-Madeline.

2011-02-18T13:50:00.004-05:00

Portland Oregon's Derby has been a personal favorite going back to their brilliant 2005 debut This is the New You. It was my #1 album of that year (although in retrospect I'd give the nod to Valley Lodge's debut), and made a nice splash in the power pop community. Posters Fade, the followup, didn't quite make the same impact but it still made my top 10 in 2008. Now they've released Madeline, a 4-song digital-only EP that drifts away from the indie-influenced power pop of the debut and more toward some of the darker, moodier sounds that made up Posters Fade.

"Don't Believe in You" opens with some snaky bass lines and rock guitar before frontman Nat Johnson begins a call-and-answer verse with the band. A lot of Derby's appeal apart from the songwriting is tied up in Johnson's voice, which recalls a less breathy Joe Pernice, and it lends Derby's songs extra gravitas. All in all, the track is an effective and interesting rocker, leading into the midtempo title track. This might be the most "Derbyesque" of the four tracks here, a passionate power ballad.

"Creeping Climbing" finds Dave Gulick and Johnson on vocals, and it's another moody and meandering track that will eventually get under your skin, and Gulick goes it alone on the lovely acoustic closer, "One's a Lonely One", reminiscent of Big Star's "I'm in Love With a Girl". It's a fine EP, and if you're a Derbyhead like me, a must-have. The uninitiated should start with This is the New You, however.

CD Baby | iTunes

download "Madeline" at their official site

Two for Tuesday, 2/15/11

2011-02-15T19:10:00.004-05:00

Alan Bernhoft-Beatlesque Three. Bernhoft is back with the latest installment in his "Beatlesque" series. The first two primarily mined the early Beatles sound, so he's moved on to the Sgt Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour/White Album era on this batch. The results are engaging, with the McCartney side of things represented with "Sunny Sky", which doesn't have a direct Beatles counterpart, and "Honey Love", which does recall "Honey Pie" with its old-timey opening. Lennon is given voice with "Bored", which draws on "I Am the Walrus" for inspiration, and "Say in Silence", which has a "Dear Prudence" vibe. And is "Chun Li" Bernhoft's answer to Yoko Ono? Finally, no nakedly Beatlesque effort like this is complete without a song titled "Colliding Circles", the name of a supposed long-lost Beatles track. It's all fun, in a Rutles-esque kind of way.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Poplord-Poplord vs The Universe. Also back with a new disc is California's Poplord, whom we last heard from in 2008's Full/Filled. Here they continue with their bright power pop influenced by the likes of Squeeze, XTC, and Elvis Costello. "Flower Bomb" is the kind of clever, catchy track those three artists have been known for, as is "Death", probably the happiest-sounding song to bear that name. "Save the Monkey" is possibly the best thing here, with its wisecracking lyrics, playful synths, and amusing falsetto chorus. It sounds like a lost college radio track from the 80s, back before the hipsters took over. Elsewhere, "Mr. Wesley" has the feel of a Kinks' character sketch, and "CD Closer" serves nicely as a cd closer and a meta-commentary. A fine return, and I for one welcome our new Poplord album.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

The "recently played" widget.

2011-02-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of you actually pay any attention to the last.fm "recently played" widget over to the right, but it actually has some use. It updates every few days (after I've sync my iPhone) and usually there will be several tracks from artists that I may never get around to writing about but are worth checking out. After all, if I didn't like their music in the first place, they'd never find their way into my iTunes collection so if you're on the prowl for even more new music, Google anyone who looks unfamiliar. Odds are their discs can be found at CD Baby, and if you decide to buy any of them and want to support this site, add "/from/absolutepowerpop" (without the quotes of course) to the end of the CD Baby address as I belong to their affiliate program.

And while I have the floor, Adrian Bourgeois has a new single out, "Time Can't Fly a Plane", which is just as catchy and melodic as his 2008 debut album. Hopefully this means a new full-length is in the offing.

Links: CD Baby | iTunes

Here's a live version:

Some quick takes.

2011-02-09T13:37:00.007-05:00

Brett Mitchell-Falling Apart at the Seams. Mitchell's third album is a great leap forward from his still-fine previous work, buoyed by help from fellow Michigander Andy Reed (a name that should be familiar). This is first-rate singer-songwriter power pop, from the rollicking title track to the insanely catchy "I Used to Think of Her" to the rocking "Dead End Lover" to the clever "You Could Be My Hat". CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Acquiesce-Patiently Waiting. This NYC band takes its name from an Oasis b-side and shares that band's sound as well. Patiently Waiting is their latest EP and all 5 tracks are winners, and aside from the Oasis influence there's some Superdrag and Stereophonics in here as well. CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

David G. Moore-Never the First to Jump. Debut EP from this Massachusetts singer-songwriter will appeal to fans of David Mead, Neil Finn, Jon Brion & the like; "All I Have is Time" is a pop gem, and "Alive" is a driving rocker that will stick in your head. CD Baby | iTunes

Rollo Time-"You Can Tell" and "Sick and Tired". I featured this band's self-titled debut back in 2007, and they're back with a pair of singles from their forthcoming album Victims of the Crown. If you enjoyed the debut, you'll want these, especially considering "Sick and Tired" is currently a free download at CD Baby. iTunes

RIP Gregg Swann.

2011-02-07T20:42:00.003-05:00

It's with great sadness I found out that Gregg Swann passed away last week after a four-year bout with colon cancer. A NYC musician, Gregg had my #11 album of 2006, the excellent Everybody's Got to Be Somewhere. I reviewed his album in the infancy of this site, and I remember how nice he was in corresponding with me, even sending along an extra autographed copy of the disc. We'll miss ya, Gregg.

Friday Roundup.

2011-02-04T14:07:00.004-05:00

Longplayer-Longplayer. Attention ELO fans: The self-titled debut from the Swedish band Longplayer might be the closest thing to a new ELO album since Bleu's LEO project five years ago. Like LEO, the songs here represent different styles and phases of ELO's sound: "Won't Let You Down" channels ELO's latter-day rockabilly sound a la "Hold on Tight"; "The Messenger" has a little of "Don't Bring Me Down" in it; "Silicone Sue" has their mid-period (New World Record/Out of the Blue) feel; and "Cool Cat Walk" might be a gender-reversed "Evil Woman". While not the classic that Alpacas Orgling was, this is still a lot of fun and a must for fans of Jeff Lynne & Co.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Your Gracious Host-Sleepers Awaken. Tom Curless is back with his third disc in a little over two years as Your Gracious Host, serving up more of the indie-flavored power pop we got on the first two discs. The standouts this time around are the Posies-esque "Decision Tonight", the dreamy midtempo "Episode in Contrast", "Surrender Me", which has a Well Wishers/Spinning Jennies vibe, and the Teenage Fanclub-influenced "Reach the Shore". Let's not keep this one a "sleeper".

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

CD of the Day, 1/31/11: Secret Powers-What Every Rose Grower Should Know

2011-01-31T20:43:00.003-05:00

Usually I post a review after I've listened to an album over a period of a couple of weeks. However, I was so stoked to see Secret Powers was out with a new album that I decided to experiment and live-tweet a review on Twitter while listening to it for the first time. So here are my initial reactions to their fourth album in four years (the verbatim tweets):

* Holy crap, Secret Powers is out with another album (4th in 4 yrs). First 3 were classics, and digging the first track

* It's called "Generation Ship", sounds like a demented outtake from ELO's Time. Maybe I'll just live-tweet my first listen to the album.

* Next up is "Tarantula", a rollicking 2:16 tune about being afraid of them. It's so catchy I almost want to find a tarantula to sing it to.

* "What Every Rose Grower Should Know", the title track, follows. With most bands this would be a metaphor. Not with these guys.

* Track #4 is "Candy". Straight-up power pop, melodic if unremarkable. Still might be the best song on a lot of other bands' albums.

* Next is "The Desert". I knew these Montana boys had a quasi-Morricone Western in them, complete with Jew's harp and portentous whistling.

* "Crocodile" follows. Unlike "Tarantula", this is not a literal title. Instead, it's a pleasing mid-tempo love song.

* Next track: "I'll Be Home". Solid, if unspectacular, followed by "It Should Have Been Me", a classic SP-sounding track w/fun piano backing.

* "Queen of Bizarre" not as bizarre as its title or some of their other stuff, but another quality tune.

* "In The Way" a decent track, "Blue Thing" is classic Schmed, and closer "My Idea" returns to the ELO motif a la Side 3 of Out of the Blue.

* All in all, sounds like a top 10 contender (albeit a bit front-loaded). Thanks for putting up with my first ever live-tweet album review.

Depending on how many Twitter followers I lose, I might do this again in the future for a disc I'm eagerly anticipating and/or surprised to discover. Here are the usual links:

CD Baby | Facebook | iTunes

Thursday night Link-o-Rama.

2011-01-27T19:17:00.005-05:00

I have a bunch of new releases I want to spread the word about but don't have the time or motivation to write about them at length, so I'll just briefly summarize and provide the pertinent links.

The Hard Way-Tell Me When You Can't Breathe. Remember back in 1977 when the Klaatu record came out and people thought it was the Beatles under an assumed name? Well, substitute 2011 for 1977, The Hard Way for Klaatu, and Superdrag for the Beatles and you get the picture here. CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Eric Bay-Pair Shaped. Fine debut EP from this British singer/songwriter who has a McCartneysque flair. Absolutely love the track "Cheer Up". CD Baby | Facebook | iTunes

The Test Dream-Shades of Love. Full-length debut from a band whose EP I featured a couple of years ago (did that lead them to send me a copy of the new one? No, I had to find it on my own. Hmph). Dreamy indie pop that meets the promise of the EP. CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Dan Kibler-Capsule. How ironic that I feature a disc named Capsule in a blog post consisting of capsule reviews? OK, not that ironic. Anyway, Kibler (when not making cookies with elves) is a Pennsylvania guitarist who's played with Parallax Project and has this album produced and engineered by Shoes' Jeff Murphy. And the tunes match the pedigree, so give it a listen. CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Marco Joachim-Hidden Symphonies. When we last visited Marco Joachim, he was releasing Songville at the end of 2007. That disc found Joachim channeling Wilburys-era Bob Dylan; this one finds him switching Wilburys to Jeff Lynne as he's gone for a more ornate and hooky sound. Verdict: it worked. "Those Days" has that late-period ELO sound down and "Things You Do" is bouncy Beatlesque pop. A very pleasant surprise. CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

CD of the Day, 1/24/11: Scott Gagner-Rhapsody in Blonde

2011-01-24T19:13:00.002-05:00

San Franciscan Scott Gagner is back, and if the name doesn't ring a bell it might be because he's known to readers of this page as Cartographer, who released an excellent EP right about three years ago. With other acts using the Cartographer moniker, Gagner decide to go with his own name on the full-length and it's a disc anyone would be proud to put their name on. With more room to breathe, Gagner expands his sound on Rhapsody in Blonde to encompass psychedelia, folk/rock and Americana in addition to power pop.

However, it's power pop that grabs you out of the gate here with "I Hate to Say", an effervescent number that adds a bit of that famous Motown bassline into the mix. The quality jangle-pop of "Speak & Spell" follows, and "Laura No. 1" recalls prime Marshall Crenshaw. Elsewhere, "Ride" and "Take Two" are fine rockers with a 70s sheen.

As alluded to, Gagner isn't afraid to change gears. The spare "Right Before My Eyes" is a gorgeous acoustic number, and "Love You More" is almost in Roy Orbison territory with its pedal steel and emotional falsetto chorus. "Houdini" manages the trick of bringing the Pernice Brothers to mind, and "Laura No. 2" is haunting dream-pop. "Golden Mean" is 7 minutes of psychedelia that serves well as an album closer, but Gagner decides to add a coda, a hushed acoustic cover of Guns'n'Roses' "Sweet Child O'Mine" that shows Axl Rose for the folkie he may be at heart.

Rhapsody in Blonde is the work of a real talent and although it's extremely early, Gagner is the leader in the clubhouse for top album of 2011.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

The David Bash Best of 2010 Lists, Part 4

2011-01-19T15:00:00.003-05:00

And finally here is the top half of David Bash's Top 100 of 2010:

1. Secret Powers-Lies and Fairy Tales (Self-Released
2. Agony Aunts-Greater Miranda (Big Cinnamon)
3. The Royalties-The New Royalties (Music For Records)
4. The Grip Weeds-Strange Change Machine (Rainbow Quartz)
5. Nushu-Hula (Cactus Boy)
6. Jeremy Messersmith-The Reluctant Graveyard (Self-Released)
7. The Above-The Above (Self-Released)
8. The Lovedays-House Of Cards (Self-Released
9. Taylor Locke and The Roughs-Grain & Grape (Self-Released)
10. The Uncoventionals-Flower To The People (Western Songs)
11. Bastards Of Melody-Hurry Up And Wait (FDR)
12. Seth Swirsky-Watercolor Day (Grimble)
13. Fitz and The Tantrums-Pickin Up The Pieces (Danger Bird)
14. Laurie Biagini-A Far Out Place (Self-Released)
15. The Len Price 3-Pictures (Wicked Cool)
16. The Mayflowers-Red Balloon (Rooster)
17. Ben Jones-Echobox (Self-Released)
18. Timmy Sean-Sounds From & Inspired By Noisewater (Self-Released)
19. The June-Green Fields And Rain (Rainbow Quartz)
20. Smash Palace-7 (Zip)
21. Moon Safari-Lovers End (Blomljud)
22. Radio Days-Cest La Vie (Tannen)
23. Oranjuly-Oranjuly (Self-Released)
24. POPFILTER-Pop This! (Self-Released)
25. The Genuine Fakes-The Genuine Fakes (Self-Released)
26. The Offbeat-In Love Field (Self-Released)
27. The Sunchymes-Shifting Sands (Self-Released)
28. The Passports-Is It True (Self-Released)
29. Lucky Soul-A Coming Of Age (Self-Released)
30. Duncan Maitland-Lullabies For The 21st Century (Indigoctagon)
31. Dom Mariani-Rewind and Play (Spider Music)
32. The Like-Release Me (Geffen)
33. The PondHawks-Have Landed (Self-Released)
34. The Well Wishers-Post Modern Romantic (thatwasmyskull)
35. Farrah-Farrah (Rock Indiana)
36. Maple Mars-Galaxyland (Kool Kat)
37. Bleu-4 (The Major Label)
38. The Ugly Beats-Motor! (Get Hip)
39. The Rubinoos-Automatic Toaster (Self-Released)
40. Elvyn-The Decline (Little Wagon)
41. Taylor Locke & The Roughs-Marathon (Self-Released)
42. The Scruffs-Conquest (Scruffsville)
43. Gavin Guss-Mercury Mine (Obsolete Media)
44. Garfields Birthday-More Sense Than Money (Pink Hedgehog)
45. The Shamus Twins-Garden Of Weeds (Shamussongs)
46. The Third Men-Boost (Speed!)
47. The Slingsby Hornets-Something OldSomething New (Expedition Hot Dog)
48. SMASH Fashion-Dont Pet The Sweaty Things (Electric Pudding)
49. The Posies-Blood/Candy (Ryko)
50. Deadbeat Poets-Circus Town (Pop Detective)

The David Bash Best of 2010 Lists, Part 3

2011-01-18T15:35:00.002-05:00

It's now time to get into the main list. Here's the bottom half (51-100) of David Bash's 2010 full-length list. Tomorrow we'll have the top half.

51. The Sails-A Headful Of Stars (Rainbow Quartz)
52. The Young Veins-Take A Vacation (One Haven)
53. John Lindsay-Escape From Plaza Midwood (Chocolate Lab)
54. The School-Loveless Unbeliever (Elefant)
55. Lannie Flowers-Circles (Aaron Ave.)
56. Chris Corney-Sans Everything (White Wall)
57. Huw Jacob-Higher Every Day (Self-Released)
58. Sunrise Highway-Sunrise Highway (Songheads)
59. Geoff Smith-That’s Gravity (Self-Released)
60. The Malibooz-Queen’s English (The Pier Group)
61. Slumberjet-Slumberjet (Broken Lullaby)
62. The Silver Seas-Chateau Revenge! (Self-Released)
63. The New Pornographers-Together (Matador)
64. Paul Collins-King Of Power Pop! (Alive)
65. Matt Purcell & The Blessed Curse-Matt Purcell & The Blessed Curse (Other Tongues)
66. Mark Bacino-Queens English (Dreamcrush)
67. William Duke-…Presents The Sunrise and The Night (Kool Kat)
68. Blake Jones and The Trike Shop-The Underground Garden (Whisper-Ma-Phone)
69. The 88-The 88 (Rocket Science)
70. La Fleur Fatale-Silent Revolution (Killer Cobra)
71. Spygenius-Red Lounge (Whammo)
72. The Hot Rats-Turn Ons (Fat Possum)
73. Michael Pink-Michael Pink (Self-Released)
74. Skeleton Staff-Solipsism (Swizzlestick)
75. The Contrast-God Of Malfunction (Wicked Cool)
76. Zombies Of The Stratosphere-Ordinary People (Self-Released)
77. The Brigadier-The Secret Of No Success (Self-Released)
78. Dino-Fool’s Gold (Holy Cow)
79. The High Dials-Anthems For Doomed Youth (Rainbow Quartz)
80. Teenage Fanclub-Shadows (Self-Released)
81. Buva-Not Scary! Friendly (Hi-Fi In Motion)
82. Chapa-Creation Room (Self-Released)
83. Dave Rave-Live With What You Know (Bongo Beat)
84. The Paparazzi-Rococo (Self-Released)
85. Square Root Of Margaret-WYSIWYG (Marpy Menkle)
86. Joe Adragna-Fall Back (Green Leaves)
87. Steve Barton-Projector (Self-Released)
88. Horizontal Ladies Club-Galloping Into The Western Hemisphere (Songgram)
89. The Jigsaw Seen-Bananas Foster (Vibro-Phonic)
90. Rooney-Eureka (California Dreamin’)
91. The Gurus-Closing Circles (Rainbow Quartz)
92. Neil Nathan-The Distance Calls (Pirate Vinyl)
93. Bad Love Experience-Rainy Days (Mabel)
94. Thousands Millions-Rock Days (Tannen)
95. Casey Curry-Tidal Tales From The Other Side (Self-Released)
96. The Parties-Coast Garde (Rainbow Quartz)
97. Van Duren-Resonance Road (Three Cool Cats)
98. Jen Olive-Warm Robot (Ape House)
99. The Romeo Flynns-Masque Of Anarchy (What’s Left)
100. Susan Hedges-Kiss My Attitude (Self-Released)

The David Bash Best of 2010 Lists, Part 2

2011-01-17T22:30:00.002-05:00

Before we start his main top 100 list tomorrow, here are the remainder of his various miscellaneous category lists:

Top Compilations-Single Artists

1. Why Isn’t Chris von Sneidern Famous?-Music Soundtrack From The Feature Film (Mastromonia)

Top 4 Compilations-Various Artists

1. International Pop Overthrow Vol. 13 (Not Lame)
2. Sweet Relief II-Hearts On Fire (Jam)
3. *It’s Happening: Volume 2 (Shindig!)
4. Staring At The Sun Vol. 8-A Compilation Featuring San Diego Music (Blindspot)

Top Christmas Discs

1. Kool Kat Kristmas (Kool Kat)
2. Rockin’ The Mistletoe (SideB)

Favorite Song Of 2010

*The Heath Robinson Five-Don’t Like To Say

Other Reissue Categories

Top 10 Two-Fers, Three-Fers, and Four-Fers: Proper Albums

1. The Guess Who-Wheatfield Soul/Share The Land/Canned Wheat (T-Bird)
2. Amazing Blondel-England/Blondel (BGO)
3. Walter Egan-The Collection: Fundamental Roll/Not Shy/HiFi/The Last Stroll
4. Jet-Jet/Even More Light Than Shade (RPM)
5. Middle Of The Road-Chirpy, Chirpy Cheep Cheep/Acceleration/Drive On (7T’s)
6. The Main Ingredient-Tasteful Soul/Bittersweet (SuperBird)
7. Paper Lace-And Other Bits Of Material/First Edition (7T’s)
8. Honey Cone-Take Me With You/Sweet Replies/Soulful Tapestry/Love, Peace & Soul (Edsel)
9. Clouds-Scrapbook/Up Above Our Heads/Watercolour Days (BGO)
10. The Hondells-Go Little Honda/The Hondells (T-Bird)

Top 20 Compilations, Single Artist

1. The Beatles-1967-1970 (Apple)
2. The Beatles-1962-1966 (Apple)
3. Paul Revere & The Raiders-The Complete Columbia Singles (Collector’s Choice)
4. John Lennon-Gimme Some Truth (EMI/Capitol)
5. Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin-Broken Records: The Singles (Broken)
6. The Knickerbockers-One Track Mind: The Garage Pop Sound Of The Knickerbockers (Grapefruit)
7. Sandy Denny & The Strawbs-All Our Own Work: The Complete Sessions Remastered (Witchwood Media)
8. The Jetset-Swings & Roundabouts: The Very Best Of The Jetset (Cherry Red)
9. The Mindbenders-A Groovy Kind Of Love: The Complete LPs & Singles 1966-1968 (RPM)
10. The Poppees-Pop Goes The Anthology (Bomp)
11. Tracey Ullman-More Over Darling: The Complete Stiff Recordings (Salvo)
12. The Drifters-First Loves: The Complete Drifters Singles 1972-1980 (Sony)
13. Bob Dylan-The Best Of The Original Mono Recordings (Sony Legacy)
14. Curved Air-Retrospective Anthology 1978-2008 (Repertoire)
15. Dee Long-1,2,3,5: Longevity Vol. 4 (Bullseye Songs)
16. Dave Berry-Picture Me Gone: The Decca Sessions 1966-1974 (RPM)
17. Carnival Season-Misguided Promise: Carnival Season Complete 1984-89 (Arena Rock)
18. The Chessmen-Collection 1964-1966 (Regenerator)
19. Jackie Lomax-Lost Soul: Lomax Alliance & Solo Singles & Demos 1966-1967 + Badger (RPM)
20. The Goodees-The Complete Goodees Condition Red! (Ace)

Top 20 Compilations, Various Artists

1. Fading Yellow Volume 10-The Better Side: A Collection Of Euro, UK & Australian ‘60s/Early ‘70s Pop/Sike and Other Delights (Flower Machine)
2. Book A Trip: The Psych-Pop Sounds Of Capitol Records (Now Sounds)
3. Piccadilly Sunshine: Part 4-British Pop-Psych and Other Flavours 1967-1969 (Past & Present)
4. Piccadilly Sunshine: Part 3-British Pop-Psych and Other Flavours 1967-1970 (Past & Present)
5. Rockin’ With The Pirates: Big Hits, Classic Tracks & Lost Gems From The Golden Era Of Off-Shore Radio (EMI)
6. A Cellarful Of Motown Volume 4 (Tamla/Motown/Universal)
7. Come And Get It: The Best Of Apple Records (Apple/EMI)
8. Fairytales Can Come True Volume 5-Steppin’ Through An Empty Time: 20 Slices Of British & European Pop-Psych Confections (Psychic Circle)
9. P.F. Sloan & Steve Barri-You Baby: Words And Music By P.F. Sloan & Steve Barri (Ace)
10. Lovers From The Sky: Pop Psych Sounds From The Apple Era 1968-1971 (RPM)
11. Mixed Up Minds: Obscure Rock and Pop From The British Isles 1970-1973 (Past & Present)
12. Hey Beach Girls!: Female Surf ‘N’ Drag 1961-1966 (Ace)
13. With Love A Pot Of Flowers: The Wild Flower Harbinger Complex Euphoria The Other Side (Big Beat)
14. Do You Dream?-UK Pop and Psychedelia 1965-1970 From The Angel Air Catalogue (Angel Air)
15. That Driving Beat-‘60s & ‘70s Northern Soul Stompers (Harmless)
16. Lee Hazlewood-Califia: The Songs Of Lee Hazlewood (Ace)
17. Bless You California: More Early Songs Of Randy Newman (Ace)
18. Open Up Your Mind-The Psych Pop World Of Rembrandt Records 1966-1967 (Cicadelic)
19. You Heard It Here First!-Volume 2 (Ace)
20. Looking Towards The Sky: Progressive, Psychedelic & Folk Rock From The Ember Vaults (Fantastic Voyage)

Top 10 Box Sets: Single Artist

1. Sandy Denny-The Complete Studio Recordings (Universal)
2. Rick Nelson-The Last Time Around 1970-1982 (Bear Family)
3. John Lennon-Signature Box (Capitol)
4. Bruce Springsteen-The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story (Columbia)
5. Caravan-The World Is Yours: The Anthology 1968-1976 (Decca)
6. Camel-Rainbow’s End: An Anthology 1973-1985 (Universal)
7. Syl Johnson-Complete Mythology (Numero Uno)
8. The Fourmyula-The Complete Fourmyula (EMI New Zealand)
9. The Who-Live At Leeds: 40th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Polydor)
10. The La’s-Callin’ All (Universal/Polydor)

Top 5 Box Sets: Various Artists

1. The Apple Records Box Set (Apple/EMI)
2. A Complete Introduction To Tamla Motown (Motown Universal)
3. A Complete Introduction To Chess (Universal)
4. Cave Of Clear Light-The Pye and Dawn Records Underground Trip 1967-1975 (Esoteric)
5. The Perfumed Garden: 82 Rare Flowerings From The British Underground 1965-73 (Past & Present)

The David Bash Best of 2010 Lists, Part 1

2011-01-14T13:40:00.002-05:00

For the third year running, Absolute Powerpop is proud to present the year-end lists of the inestimable David Bash, Mr. International Pop Overthrow. As usual, not only does David have a top 100 and top EP list, he has lists for compilations, reissues, etc. Today we'll start with the reissues and work our way to the main list proper. There's so much to check into with these lists (even on my end) that it's best not to unveil them all at once. So without further ado, here are his comprehensive Best of 2010 Reissues lists:

------------------
Reissue Categories

There are still some reissues I haven't heard which would probably make the list, but there's only so much time and $$.ok, mainly $$; I'll always somehow find the time. J

I. Top 50 Proper Albums

1. The Monkees-The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees: Deluxe Edition (Rhino Handmade)
2. Jan & Dean-Carnival Of Sound (Rhino)
3. Paul McCartney & Wings-Band On The Run: Deluxe Edition w/book (MPL)
4. The Association-Birthday: Deluxe Mono Edition (Now Sounds)
5. Badfinger-Magic Christian Music (Apple/EMI)
6. Tages-Studio (RPM)
7. The Jam-Sound Affects: Deluxe Edition (Polydor/Universal)
8. Sorrows-Bad Times, Good Times (Bomp)
9. Jammë-Jammë (Now Sounds)
10. The Monkees-Head: Deluxe Edition (Rhino Handmade)
11. The Rubettes-Where It’s ‘At (7T’s)
12. Badfinger-Straight Up (Apple/EMI)
13. Chris Rainbow-White Trails (Vivid Sound)
14. Gary Lewis-Listen! (Now Sounds)
15. Clifford T. Ward-Mantle Pieces (Cherry Red)
16. Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin-As Far As Dreams Can Go (Broken)
17. Supertramp-Breakfast In America: Deluxe Edition (A&M/Universal)
18. Tommy James & The Shondells-I Think We’re Alone Now (Collector’s Choice)
19. R.E.M.-Fables Of The Reconstruction: Deluxe Edition (Capitol)
20. The 13th Floor Elevators-The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators (Charly)
21. Katrina and The Waves-Katrina and The Waves (CGB)
22. Badfinger-No Dice (Apple/EMI)
23. Twinn Connexion-Twinn Connexion (Now Sounds)
24. Nick Heyward-North Of A Miracle: Deluxe Edition (Cherry Red)
25. The Cowsills-On My Side (Now Sounds)
26. Dexy’s Midnight Runners-Searching For The Young Soul Rebels: 30th Anniversary Special Edition (EMI)
27. Clifford T. Ward-Escalator (Cherry Red)
28. Barnaby Bye-Room To Grow (Wounded Bird)
29. Mandy More-But That Is Me (Sunbeam)
30. Squire-Get Smart! (Vivid Sound)
31. The Jackson Five-Looking Through The Windows (Motown/Universal)
32. Nervous Rex-Nervous Rex (Renaissance)
33. The Holy Mackerel-The Holy Mackerel: Deluxe Expanded Edition (Now Sounds)
34. Skip Bifferty-Skip Bifferty (Grapefruit)
35. The Jackson Five-Skywriter (Motown/Universal)
36. Aphrodite’s Child-End Of The World (Esoteric)
37. Paul Williams-Someday Man (Now Sounds)
38. John Lennon & Yoko Ono-Stripped Down (Capitol)
39. Four O’Clock Balloon-Four O’Clock Balloon (Killer Music Group)
40. The Alan Bown-The Alan Bown (Esoteric)
41. Nick Garrie-The Nightmare Of J.B. Stanislas: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Elefant)
42. Carl Wilson-Youngblood (Iconoclassic)
43. Rick Springfield-Wait For Night (Wounded Bird)
44. David Bowie-David Bowie: Deluxe Edition (Deram)
45. The Candymen-The Candymen (Darby Pop)
46. The Guess Who-Artificial Paradise (Iconoclassic)
47. Katrina and The Waves-2 (CGB)
48. Aphrodite’s Child-It’s Five O’Clock (Esoteric)
49. The Tradwinds-Excursions (Rev-ola)
50. The Pretty Things-Parachute (Snapper Music)

Two for Tuesday, 1/11/11

2011-01-11T13:06:00.000-05:00

Wild Bores-Welldone and Charred. John Whildin continues to maintain an almost Robert Pollard-like level of prolificacy with his third full-lenghth (on top of an EP) in approximately three years as Wild Bores. It's more of the fine power pop we've come to love on the previous releases, with maybe a bit more of a rock edge. In fact, the Pollard comparison applies to the music as well as "Expect Me Now" has a Guided by Voices feel to it, while "Biology" has hooks galore to go with its start/stop guitar riffage. Other standouts include the 80s-inspired "Forward is Backwards", the bright pop of "Freake" and the Matthew Sweet-like "All Fall Down". Never a Bore, Whildin has proved he's good for 10-12 fine tracks a year.

CD Baby | MySpace | Listen at official site

Marc Danzeisen-Released. LA's Marc Danzeisen has been an accomplish studio drummer for a couple of decades now, and has been at the fringes of the power pop scene in the band Powerslide and as a solo act with 2004's Absorbent. He's back now with Released, a late entry onto my 2010 top 100 list which deserves more than a mere year-end listing. Danzeisen is reminiscent most of Rob Bonfiglio as he brings a "professional" power pop sound to the proceedings. "No Me Without You" has the sheen of a classic power ballad, "See Yourself" recalls Cliff Hillis-era Ike, and "Love Till it Hurts" boasts mood and atmosphere in addition to melody. And "'68 Chevelle" is just plain fun, a rework of a Powerslide tune that captures the near-universal male lament of why one's woman can't be as reliable as his car. A pleasant surprise, and Absorbent is worth a listen as well.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Monday roundup.

2011-01-03T19:24:00.005-05:00

To kick off 2011, here are a pair of Northeast bands who aren't into soft pop or Popicana, but good old fashioned guitar-heavy rockin' power pop:

Watts-On the Dial. The boys from Boston named after the legendary Stones drummer are back with another set of kick-ass yet melodically rich tunes. Songs like the title track, "Chaperone" and "Afterburn" are begging to be turned up to 11, and the boogie-rock of "Dancehall Days & Nights" brings to mind a Northern version of Terry Anderson & The OAK Team. You're not going to find any sensitive ballads here, and the closer "Sweethearts of the Radio" is most definitely not a Byrds homage. Instead, to paraphrase their namesake's frontman, it's only rock 'n' roll, and I like it.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Readymade Breakup-Readymade Breakup. It doesn't get more rock 'n' roll than Asbury Park, New Jersey, which is from where Readymade Breakup hails. Their third album is a must for those who loved their first two, and uninitiated will want to check in here. It rocks harder, as opener "Inside All Along" proves, and "Waiting for You" might be radio-friendly enough to grab some market share from the likes of Jimmy Eat World. The kinetic "Good Things" is another standout, and "Not Through With You Yet" is a quiet, fetching ballad. And "Erased" is an excellent Stones/Crowes-type closer with depth.

Buy & Listen at Bandcamp

The first of many 2010 oversights.

2010-12-30T14:46:00.004-05:00

I'm sure I'll have many oversights from 2010 list, and here's one that comes to mind right now: Truth Is from Nick Young. Young's name may not be familiar, but the band he went solo from may be - Burning Daylight. Their 2007 Whiskey & Romances was a Popicana delight, and so is this album. I don't have time to give it a proper review, so just trust your own ears and give it a listen below:

CD Baby | iTunes

The Absolute Powerpop Top 10 EPs of 2010.

2010-12-30T11:00:00.002-05:00

As promised but a little late, here is our Top 10 EP list for 2010. Also I'm proud to announce for the third straight year, David Bash's exhaustive year-end lists will be featured on this site. Look for 'em by mid-January.

10. The Young Tremors-Very Nice, Very Nice
9. Will Reid-Promises and Failures (This year's example of someone doing the Ryan Adams sound better than Ryan Adams himself)
8. Misfit Kid-Hellway to High
7. Creighton Doane-Pilot Error
6. Baby Scream-Identity Theft
5. Jared Lekites-Looking for Diamonds
4. The 88-No One Here
3. The Foreign Films-The Foreign Films EP
2. Justin Kline-Triangle
1. Beight-B8.

My #1 came out late in the year, so I didn't have a chance to get a review in. It's the followup to 2005's File in Rhythm for Brad Senne's side project, and it's excellent indie pop that has power pop elements to it. I can still hear "Cecilia" in my head as I type this. Here's an iTunes link as well:

The Absolute Powerpop Top 100 of 2010, #50-1

2010-12-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Without further ado, here's part two:

50. The Candles-Between the Sounds
49. Orange & Atlas-Euphoria
48. Brady Harris-Year of the Pug
47. Archie Powell & The Exports-Skip Work
46. Leo London-Leo London
45. Chris Abad-No Glory
44. Marc Danzeisen-Released
43. The Moving Parts-State Lines
42. Kurt Hagardorn-Leaves
41. Ian Olvera & The Sleepwalkers-The Reckless Kind
40. Marc Clayton & The Lazy Suns-Marc Clayton & The Lazy Suns
39. Smash Palace-7
38. Butch Walker-I Liked it Better When You Had No Heart
37. Buva-Not Scary! Friendly
36. Pernice Brothers-Goodbye, Killer
35. Joel Streeter-Matador
34. Neil Nathan-The Distance Calls
33. The June Gloom-Wonderland
32. The Great Affairs-The Great Affairs
31. Brother Slade-No Relation
30. Justin Currie-The Great War
29. Gin Blossoms-No Chocolate Cake
28. Oranjuly-Oranjuly
27. Joey Sykes-Human, Being Human
26. Huw Jacob-Higher Every Day
25. Aaron Fox & The Reliables-Late Too Soon
24. Graydon-Graydon
23. Brett Harris-Man of Few Words
22. Secret Powers-Lies & Fairy Tales
21. Farrah-Farrah
20. Title Tracks-It Was Easy
19. Taylor Locke & The Roughs-Grain & Grape
18. Joe Adragna-Fall Back
17. Sunrise Highway-Sunrise Highway
16. Dino-Fool's Gold
15. Seth Swirsky-Watercolor Day
14. The June-Green Fields & Rain
13. Eric Crugnale-Carol Was Here
12. John Holk & The Sequins-If You See Her
11. Slumberjet-Slumberjet
10. The Posies-Blood/Candy
9. Joe Reyes-Worry Row
8. Lannie Flowers-Circles
7. Bastards of Melody-Hurry Up and Wait
6. Billy Goodrum-Weightless
5. Timmy Sean-Music From & Inspired By Noisewater
4. Elvyn-The Decline
3. Edward O'Connell-Our Little Secret
2. Duncan Maitland-Lullabies for the 21st Century
1. The Autumn Defense-Once Around

A few words on my choice for #1. First off, it may come as a surprise to many of you since I never actually reviewed it on the site (although those who follow my Twitter feed saw me praise it more than once). The reason for this is that The Autumn Defense, being a relatively well-known act featuring two members of Wilco, don't exactly need a review from me to get noticed. Generally I spend my time on this site bringing to light the obscure and the overlooked and the independent, DIY pop artist.

Having said that, though, I'd be remiss not to point out what I loved so much about this album. It's the ultimate distillation of their sound - they finally embraced their folk/rock leanings and combined them with the melodic, 70s soft-rock sound they've cultivated over the last decade. Previously they had leaned too fair in one direction (folk/rock 2001's The Green Hour) or the other (2003's Bread-inspired Circles) or forgot the distinctive tunes altogether (I cannot recall one song from 2007's self-titled album). Here, they start off strong with possibly my favorite song of the year, the Beatlesque "Back of My Mind", continue strong with "Tell Me What You Want", the rare song where relatively unmelodic verses strengthen the powerful, propulsive chorus, add the Pearlfishers-like "The Swallows of London Town", the mellow and inviting "Step Easy" and the perfect chamber pop of "Every Day", which favorably recalls their all-time best track "Bluebirds Fall" (from a split EP with Hem). For 11 songs, John Stirratt & Pat Sansone finally live up to their potential.

The Absolute Powerpop Top 100 of 2010, #100-51

2010-12-23T09:31:00.003-05:00

Hard to believe this is fifth year of Absolute Powerpop, and the fifth year of making this list. I've had the privilege of listening to hundreds of excellent discs, and my iTunes library sits somewhere around 38,000 tracks, about 95% of which is from these five years. For today, here is the bottom half of the list:

100. Wild Bores-We Think Alike
99. The Mike Benign Compulsion-Rollicking Musical
98. Rob Laufer-Excruciating Bliss
97. The Offbeat-In Love Field
96. Miracord-In Water
95. Mark Bacino-Queens English
94. Phil Ayoub-Arrivals & Departures
93. Joe Moralez-If I Could
92. Crowded House-Intriguer
91. Snakehips-Month of Sundays
90. Free Energy-Stuck on Nothing
89. Zombies of the Stratosphere-Ordinary People
88. Picture Day-Wild Aim
87. Miles Kurosky-The Desert of Shallow Effects
86. Magic Kids-Memphis
85. Geoff Smith-That's Gravity
84. True Love-¡Pas Net!
83. Well Wishers-Post Modern Romantic
82. The Figgs-The Man Who Fights Himself
81. The Romeo Flynns-Masque of Anarchy
80. The Bradburys-Don't Pump the Swingset
79. The Bulletproof Vests-Attack!
78. The Tangerines-In Season
77. Scott's Garage-Soul Magnet
76. The Great Affairs-Ricky Took the Wheels.
75. The Young Veins-Take a Vacation!
74. Mick Rhodes-'Til I Am Dust
73. Jackdaw4-The Eternal Struggle for Justice
72. Knit Delicate-Fulton Hill
71. Bleu-Four
70. Matthew Pop-Reinventing the Cosmos
69. The Big Sweet-Shot of Bliss
68. The Sails-A Headful of Stars
67. Eric Miller-Half of Purple
66. Tom Fuller Band-Maristar
65. Ted Lukas & The Misled-Learn How to Fall
64. Teenage Fanclub-Shadows
63. Taylor Locke & The Roughs-Marathon
62. Willie Nile-The Innocent Ones
61. Gavin Guss-Mercury Mine
60. Freedy Johnston-Rain on the City
59. The Silver Seas-Cheateau Revenge
58. Any Version of Me-Wasted Sun
57. Rich McCulley-Starting All Over Again
56. Michael Behm-Eargasm
55. Ike-Tie the Know With All You Got
54. Three Hour Tour-Looking for Tomorrow
53. The 88-The 88
52. Damien Lott-Damien Lott
51. The Passports-Is it True?

The Top 100 coming soon.

2010-12-21T08:01:00.002-05:00

Just a heads up for those looking that my Top 100 list should be up starting Thursday, probably in two chunks with 100-51 first and then 50-1 on Friday. I do reserve the right to shorten or lengthen it once I've gone back through the year's releases. The EP list will follow between Christmas and New Year's.

A note for those wondering: Greg Pope's dominance of these lists (#1 disc of 2008, #1 EP of 2009) will take a pause this year as his new disc came out just too late for 2010 purposes (last Monday) and will instead be considered for 2011.

Two for Tuesday, 12/14/10

2010-12-14T19:08:00.002-05:00

Eric Crugnale-Carol Was Here. Getting in under the wire for my 2010 year-end list (which is coming next week) is Long Island's Eric Crugnale and his excellent debut Carol Was Here. This is fully-realized mature pop in the vein of David Mead and Seth Swirsky, and the lovely, Bacharachian title track draws you in right from the start. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is smart guitar pop, and "I'm So Glad" has a soulful feel to it that recalls Scot Sax & Wanderlust. There's no doubt that the whole album sounds like something unearthed from the 1970s, and the production from Kevin Bents (whose The Means was a favorite of ours a couple of years back) is top-notch. Other highlights include the bouncy, catchy "Unreliable Friend", the McCartneyesque 1:39-in-length "Never Thought", and the gentle, inspiring "Leave Your Worries Behind", which sounds like an oft-covered standard but isn't. A mightily impressive debut that sounds more like the work of a 20-year pro.

CD Baby | Official Site | iTunes

Baby Scream-Baby Scream. Baby Scream is Argentina's Juan Pablo Mozzolla, and he's become a regular around these parts with a full-length, and EP and now another full-length in space of about 2 years. If you like the first two releases, you'll love this one, and if you missed them this is a good a place to start as any. The Teenage Fanclub-ish "Powerpop Crush" announces Mozzolla's intent, and the moody "Exile" is a treat. Additionally, the martial, staccato "Getting Better"-like beat of "Mental Case" is irresistible and the social conscience of "Watching the End of the World (on TV)" is backed up by its intelligent melody and structure. Mozzolla has been known to channel John Lennon in his vocal style, and "What About You" finds him channeling the snarling Lennon of "How Do You Sleep" to good effect. Another high-quality outing that wears its influences well.

MySpace | iTunes | CD/Vinyl (from England)

New Greg Pope album - free! (for a week)

2010-12-13T11:22:00.002-05:00

Wow - a nice holiday gift for everyone: the new Greg Pope album Blue Ocean Sky, and it's free for the downloading until December 20th. I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but unless he's now into death metal or Yoko Ono-like screeching, it should be great.

Download it at his official site.

CD of the Day, 12/7/10: Various Artists-A Kool Kat Kristmas

2010-12-07T12:59:00.003-05:00

With Not Lame sadly out of the picture, Kool Kat continues to take the power pop ball and run with it and they've leveraged their impressive stable of artists to come up with what not is only the best power pop Christmas album you've heard, but perhaps one of the best albums of the year.

Each artist contributed an original tune, and they all play to their strengths. Maple Mars' "Christmas Time in the City" celebrates Christmas in LA, the lyrical opposite of "White Christmas"; The Smith Brothers give us their signature breezy pop with "Every Day is Like Christmas", and Mike Giblin and Parallax Project's "All I Want for Christmas is a Chance" might be one of their best tracks ever. Meanwhile, Keith LuBrant's "The Christmas Spirit" is an energetic highlight, The Strands' "The Christmas Gifts" is a Ramones-like ode to finding where your parents hid the gifts, and Frank Royster serves up his usual fine retro-pop with "Christmas is Fun".

The real standouts, though, are a couple of somewhat tongue-in-cheek tracks. The Britannicas go for some old-school country rock with "Chris Hillman Christmas", in which they'd "rather listen to Jesus than to Wilco" and they'd "rather go back to jail than to see the Eagles reform again". And closing out the disc is The Goldbergs' "Channukah Guy", in which Andy Goldberg professes his love for all the trappings of Christmas, and is catchy as anything he's done (which is saying something).

And not only does A Kool Kat Kristmas have the tunes, but its heart is in the right place:

$5 FROM EVERY CD SOLD WILL BE DONATED TO THE SUSAN GIBLIN FOUNDATION: The late wife of Mike Giblin of Parallax Project, Susan Kroah Giblin held degrees both as a Paralegal and as a Certified Veterinary Technician, a degree that she obtained after going back to school at the age of 35. As one of Central PA's greatest friends to cast-off and wayward animals, she was a 17 year volunteer at the Helen O. Krause Animal Foundation, and served as its medical coordinator for nearly a decade. She also maintained a fostering room in her home which was rarely empty, and was well-known for her compassion, empathy, and personal connection with both patients and their owners. The Susan Giblin Foundation for Animal Wellness and Welfare was formed to honor the memory and continue the work of Susan Giblin, a Certified Veterinary Technician and noted animal advocate, who passed away from leukemia at the age of 46. The Foundation's mission is to raise and dispense funds to support animal caregiving organizations, to foster awareness and education of complementary therapies, and to support the continued education of those in the animal medical field

Between the quality power pop and the great cause, this is the one power pop disc to buy this holiday season above all others.

Kool Kat | Kool Kat Kristmas MySpace Page

Latest from Kool Kat.

2010-12-03T13:52:00.002-05:00

Two new releases from Kool Kat worth checking out:

Blank Pages-Absolute Uncertainty. These Jersey power poppers graced the pages of the site almost three years ago with On My Street, and now they've jumped from one Jersey power pop label (FDR) to another with their latest. There's nothing flashy about these guys (check out the album cover) - instead, this is the kind of straight-ahead, no-frills power pop we all know and love. "Let it All Out" might just be the best unintentional ode to power pop as frontman Greg Potter sings of "A stolen verse, a clever line/a borrowed story, a silly rhyme". "Help Me" is another fun rocker, the midtempo "This Way" knows its way around a hook, and "I've Said All I Can Say" says it all. If you pick this up from Kool Kat, they'll throw in a bonus disc titled "The Early Years" that features unreleased Blank Pages tracks from the 90s.

Kool Kat | CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

The Sterling Loons-March to the Tune. Some of you may be familiar with this Seattle band from their groovy 2004 debut What to Do In Trouble, and six years later they're back with the followup. This is classic 60s Nuggets-styled pop (surprised that Rainbow Quartz didn't nab them) that mixes psychedelia, power pop and garage. Opener "Old Nick" is a good dose of Freakbeat fun, while "Morning Sunshine" channels the sound of what could be a slightly off-kilter Kinks. Elsewhere, the Loons show their variety with the somewhat C&W-sounding "Simple Life", the mod sounds of "Beauty's Eyeing the Beholder" and the Merseyside pop of "All Aboard". A 60s-inspired tour-de-force, this is one tune you'll want to march to. And yes, Kool Kat has a bonus disc for this one too with seven unreleased tracks.

Kool Kat | MySpace

Free "new" Fountains of Wayne track.

2010-12-01T12:21:00.002-05:00

For a special on NPR's All Things Considered, Fountains of Wayne took the circa-1890 poem "Song of the Passaic" and set it to their own style of music. The song is available as a free download from their official site, so go get it!

CD of the Day, 11/29/10: Joe Adragna-Fall Back

2010-11-29T20:10:00.003-05:00

If the name Joe Adragna doesn't leap right out at you, it's because he's been recording for the past few years as The Junior League, with two fine discs under his belt. Now he's decided to claim his own name, and earlier this year he released a best-of the two Junior League discs titled Parlophony. For his first Joe Adragna album proper he's taken a slightly more introspective approach from the Marshall Crenshaw-styled power pop of the League, enlisting the help of Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey, who need no introduction.

The Buck/McCaughey influence is most notably heard on the janglicious "You're Gonna Die Alone", the disc's best track. Combining Rickenbackers and the vitriol of an Elvis Costello with a catchy melody (and featuring harmony vocals from Susan Cowsill), it's almost worth the price of admission alone. Along those lines, "Leave Me Resigned" also has that early-REM/Young Fresh Fellows feel, and the shuffling "Ladders" recalls Bobby Sutliff. It's not all fun and jangle, though. The moody opener "In a Place (Looking Around)" recalls Salim Nourallah with a slight touch of electronica, the laid-back, beautiful "Like Nothing Else" feels like comfortable clothes put on after a hard workday, and "Far Away" is an outright country weeper, complete with pedal steel.

Adragna comes in for the finish with "Swezey's", a return of the jangle, the feedback-drenched "Depot Park", and the bright and breezy "Help, It's Strange", which is right in his sweet spot. The title track closes things out on a perfect note, a combination of regret, hope and those jangly guitars as it fades to a "bah-dop-bah" refrain. Adragna has really taken a leap forward here, and I can see why he chose to release this under his own name.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes

Popicana Weekend.

2010-11-27T11:22:00.005-05:00

John Holk & The Sequins-If You See Her. One of the most pleasant surprises I've come across in a while, this Detroit band with a fondness for vintage Western wear and sweet Jayhawks/Gram Parsons-styled melodies has released the twang-pop record of the year. If You See Here is one gloriously melodic track after another, from the opener "No Other Way" to the jangly title track to the wonderfully gentle "Carry the Load", a thematic cousin to "The Weight". But the top track here is "Autograph", a catchy clever number with wonderful harmonies that would make Gram & Emmylou proud. I've thrown around to phrase "year-end top 10" more than ten times this year, but this one is guaranteed a spot. If I can make an analogy, what The Red Button was to 60s Britpop, John Holk & The Sequins are to early 70s country-pop.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes

And they have good taste in covers, too. Here they are with a live version of "September Gurls":

Brother Slade-No Relation. This Tennessee band wears their hearts and lifestyle on their collective sleeve with a rockin, honky-tonkin' collection of fun, melodic tunes. So often I've compared the sound of bands like this to Tom Petty, but here they cut out the middleman by calling the opening track "Tom Petty Song", and it's one of my favorite tracks of the year, both sounding like Petty and name-dropping him of course (amusingly rhyming him with "yeti" in the process). Songs like "Girl with a Mobile Home", "Look What the Trailer Park Drug In" and "Too Hot to BBQ" are pretty self-explanatory, but they'll stick in your head as well. And "Time Well Wasted" and "You Are the Train" a pair of well-written, well-performed country-rock gems. You can say this one Slade me.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

Two for Tuesday, 11/23/10

2010-11-23T19:21:00.002-05:00

The Brigadier-The Secret of No Success. The power pop concept album about life in an office isn't exactly a novel concept as recent releases from Greg Pope's Edmund's Crown, Owen Sartori and Semion have demonstrated, but in our world the tune comes first. And Matt Williams (a/k/a The Brigadier) puts a tuneful spin on the topic with his latest opus, nowhere more evident than in the jaunty opening track "Doing the 9 to 5", which sees Williams moving away from the Brian Wilson-via-XTC sound of his previous releases into something more along the lines of Badly Drawn Boy. Other standouts include the irresistible (and rocking, as far as Williams goes) "Just a Little Kiss Miss Busy", the George Harrison-inspired title track, and the catchy "Money is the Motivator". His previous releases have been consistent, but here the highs are higher (especially the tracks mentioned here), making this the best Brigadier yet.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

Blake Jones & The Trike Shop-The Underground Garden. My only previous exposure to Blake Jones & The Trike Shop was on an IPO compilation before he sent me his latest full-length, and until now the loss has been mine. This is buoyant, just plain fun and catchy as all get-out pop that draws on everything from dance-hall English pop to the Beatles and Brian Wilson (cf. "The Five Deadly Fingers of Dr. Theremin") with a touch of Zappa thrown in. The fun-house Beatles of "Forestiere Gardens" will leave it's "oh yeah" refrain burned into your brain, the shambolic "Sing Along" will have you doing just that, and "Sun Up" starts as a rewrite of "Magical Mystery Tour" then takes its own magical mystery tour into a synth-pop break and then back again. Some tracks are just plain goofy, like "Fighting the Big Dumb Noise" and "Here Comes the Bus", while others are sublime, like "Send the Band to Liverpool" an amalgam of various styles of 60s pop. If you can get past the quirk factor, there's a lot to like here. And even if some of the tracks here might be goofs, there are 15 of them and anyone with taste in power pop should be able to come up with 10 they'll really like.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

It's a Giant Party!

2010-11-22T15:36:00.002-05:00

Kyle Vincent and Tommy Dunbar of the Rubinoos are big San Fransisco Giants fans and in honor of the Giants' World Series win earlier this month, they've recorded "It's a Giant Party". It's a pretty good tune, unless of course you're a Texas Rangers fan.

It's also available on CD Baby for download.

New David Mead on the way.

2010-11-20T18:53:00.003-05:00

David Mead was one of my favorite artists of the previous decade-plus, from brilliant albums like The Luxury of Time, Mine and Yours and Indiana, as well as one my favorite EPs of all-time in 2005's Wherever You Are. His output of late has been a little more erratic; I couldn't get into his side project Elle Macho and while Almost and Always (his last proper album from early 2009) had its moments, it was a bit too easy listening for my tastes (and that's saying something consider how much mellow stuff I like).

Anyway, he's back with a new album he's going to start recording in January titled Dudes and the most exciting aspect of it for me is that he's enlisting Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger (who produced Mine and Yours) to help out, so I'm hoping it'll be a more "traditional" David Mead album that leans somewhat to the rock/power pop side of things rather than Sinatra/Streisand territory. Mead, not unlike Bleu and Michael Carpenter before him, is offering a series of packages in order to fund the recording that get you all kinds of goodies - from $15 to get the album early to $100 to listen to demos and have input into which are selected for the album, all the way to $2500 where he comes to your house and plays a set. Here's a video telling you all about it:

Too bad Weezer beat him to putting Jorge Garcia on the cover; he would have been perfect for an album titled Dudes.

Two for Tuesday, 11/16/10

2010-11-16T14:07:00.004-05:00

The June-Green Fields and Rain. Rainbow Quartz has had a great second half of 2010, with new releases from the likes of The Volebeats, The High Dials, The Parties and The Gurus, but the cream of the crop is Green Fields and Rain, the sophomore effort from Parma, Italy's The June. This is a Grade-A mix of psychedelia and Beatles-pop not unlike some of Noel Gallagher's more poppier offerings in Oasis. The sitars and "Tomorrow Never Knows"-like opener "Feel the Sunshine" is a treat, as is the Merseyside pop of "Good News" (replete with a Beatles-like "oooo" in the chorus). "Pete on the Street" is an irresistible pop confection, and "I'm Looking Out" recalls "Strawberry Fields Forever", favorably. I'm not always the biggest fan of bands going blatantly retro, but these guys have the songs to back it up. You have my permission to swoon over The June.

MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

Lannie Flowers-Circles. A couple of years ago, Texas' Lannie Flowers released "Same Old Story" which was essentially a medley of 36 songs of about one minute each. It received a lot of love in the power pop community but didn't make my lists since it didn't lend itself to my preferred listening habits of shuffling the most recent two months of albums I come across. It was either listen to it all the way through to the exclusion of other stuff, or have one-minute out-of-context snippets pop up randomly in my playlist. It was more my problem than Lannie's, so I'm thrilled to report he's released a new album which consists of 15 proper 3-4 minute tracks. And the talent he showed in 60-second bursts has transitioned nicely to full-length songs as Circles is another year-end contender for me. The title track is killer power pop in the vein of Jason Falkner and Jim Boggia, "Turn Up Your Radio" will have you doing just that (assuming it played stuff as good as this), and "Not in Love" might just be the quintessential power pop track with its straight-up hooks and handclaps. Circle this one on your shopping list.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

A sad day in Power Pop.

2010-11-16T11:06:00.005-05:00

Not Lame is closing its doors.

It didn't come as a shock, with the less frequent updates on the site and the steady stream of "blowout" sales as well as the general malaise in the CD-selling business, but it's a sad day nonetheless.

Bruce Brodeen has probably done more for power pop than anyone over the last 10-15 years, and Not Lame will be missed. Here's a video from him explaining his decision (Note that NL's last day will actually be November 24, not the October 31 mentioned in the video)

As always, Bruce has more irons in the fire, and if you want to stay in touch with him regarding his new projects, head over to this page and give him your email address.

CD of the Day, 11/10/10: Bastards of Melody-Hurry Up and Wait

2010-11-10T13:21:00.002-05:00

Time for a shout out to the FDR label, the "other" power pop label from New Jersey (we all know and love Kool Kat). They don't release a high volume of discs, but the ones they do are usually really good, and the latest from NYC's Bastards of Melody is one of their best. The Bastards have been kicking around since the late 90s, but this is their first release since 2003 and it's a gem. This is high-energy yet highly melodic, closer to the classic definition of "power pop" than most others.

What makes Hurry Up and Wait closest to the power pop ethos is its brevity: 9 tracks spanning 30 minutes, with no filler or self-indulgent detours. The chiming, driving opener "Around You" gets down to business quickly, with its sing-a-long chorus and insistent guitar riff. "All I Want to Know" continues in this vein, with a bit of a Beatle sound thrown in (primarily in the killer bridge), and "Dream Jeannine" has a bit more retro power pop sound, recalling The Telepathic Butterflies.

The laid-back "Flunkin' Out" allows the listener to catch his breath after the powerful opening troika with its effortless midtempo sound, while "Exit 10" and its "Getting Better"-like staccato beat and chipper melody is another treat. The guitars are out in full force again on "Cut and Paste", a Lolas, Cheap Trick-styled rocker, and "Gateway Center" is straight-up jangle pop not unlike their regional counterparts Smash Palace. And the boys send you home with the frantic pop-punk of "Unproductive" just in case you were thinking the proceedings might be on the verge of mellowing out. "Power pop like the way it was meant to be" could be the Bastards' slogan, as there's nothing inglorious about this excellent disc.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic | Listen at official site

Sunday Night Roundup.

2010-11-07T19:54:00.004-05:00

Ice Cutters-Ice Cutters.The Ice Cutters hail from Wales, and their debut disc is a fine survey of British pop and British-inspired pop. Every time I hear one of their tunes, I'm reminded of someone else, be it Crowded House, Oasis, The Pearlfishers, Trashcan Sinatras, you name it. Plenty to like here from the baroque pop of "Passion and Violence", the Teenage Fanclub-like "Carry the Dream Away", and the rocking "This is a Job". They also don't shy away from the social issues, tackling immigration in "Crossing the Border" and war in "When I Was a Soldier", without coming off too strident. A pleasant surprise.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

The Moving Parts-State Lines. The Moving Parts are led by Columbus, Ohio's Keith Jenkins, who released a pretty good solo EP in 2006 with the Parts as his backing band, but now the band comes front and center on the full length in another fine release of Midwestern-styled power pop/rock. You'll think of The Replacements, Goo Goo Dolls, and early Wilco when listening to this one, especially on the stellar opener "A Few Things", one of the better examples of this style you'll hear this year. "Disappearing Act" has the same kind of driven melancholy you'll find on Westerberg solo albums, while "Heartache vs. Disaster" adds some catchy Gin Blossoms-like melodies to the mix. Also make sure you check out "After I Confess", which has kind of a "big", Foo Fighters-type sound, and the relentless "Worth the Risk". A definite keeper.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes | eMusic

EP of the Day, 11/4/10: The Foreign Films EP.

2010-11-04T15:01:00.002-04:00

Bill Majoros a/k/a The Foreign Films gave us one of the pop masterpieces of the decade with 2007's double-disc Distant Star, and his long-awaited followup is nearing the light of the day. To give us a taste, he's released a free EP on Bandcamp that's a preview of the new album due in the spring. These four new tracks will certainly whet your appetite - "Fire from Spark" has the psychedelic majesty of Distant Star, "City of Bright Lights" has a New Pornographers-like urgency to it, "Imperfect Perfection" has the feel of a James Bond theme from a parallel universe, and "A Message" compares well to Radiohead. And did I mention it was free? Enough blabber, here's the link.

Two for Tuesday, 11/2/10

2010-11-02T19:41:00.002-04:00

Buva-Not Scary! Friendly. Tom Wolfe a/k/a Buva is back with the followup to 2006's All This Humming, and Not Scary! Friendly builds on the mellow strengths of that disc and the punchier pop of his debut EP Daydream to give us his most fully realized collection to date. There's a lot to like here, from the ambling Beatlesque shuffle of "Smoke into the Sky" to the bright Dan Bryk-like power pop of "Can't Stop Thinking" to the lovely "Hide Away" to the Badfinger pop of "Funny Faces". And the one-two punch of "Too Tired to Fight" and "You" about midway through tops them all. Best of all, if you pick this up from Not Lame you'll get All This Humming thrown in as well - a Buvariffic deal!

Not Lame | MySpace |

The Great Affairs-Ricky Took the Wheels. The Great Affairs are led by Denny Smith, formerly of fORMER, whose "loud" power pop we reviewed here last year. Unlike fORMER, though, The Great Affairs have a more laid-back "Popicana" sound not unlike The Meadows, or the poppier side of Paul Westerberg. Ricky Took the Wheels is actually their second album, with their self-titled debut out late last year, and like the fine debut this has plenty to offer. "Feels Like Home" is as good as this style of pop gets, featuring jangly guitars and hooks and melodies galore, while "So Damn High" and "You're Not Funny" rock in the Tom Petty vein. Smith and crew know their way around a ballad, too, as "My Apologies" and "A Hundred Other Things" demonstrate clearly. And "Last Good Memory" closes the disc as it began, with an excellent roots rocker.

Kool Kat | MySpace | iTunes

CD of the Day, 10/29/10: Slumberjet-Slumberjet

2010-10-29T14:24:00.002-04:00

The latest entrant into the subgenre of British power pop that started with XTC and continues to this day with the likes of Pugwash, Captain Wilberforce and Duncan Maitland is Slumberjet. Although technically they're not British (they hail from Dublin), Barry O'Brien and the lads have given us an impressive debut album and yet another best-of-2010 contender. O'Brien may be familiar to a select few of you thanks to his excellent 2004 EP, Spark, and here he and his band build on Spark's promise.

"The Strangest Game" starts off the festivities, a propulsive pop tune that features some fine keyboard work from the aforementioned Mr. Maitland. "The Letter" follows, a catchy midtempo treat, and on its heels is the album's most ambitious track, the excellent ballad "Sisters in the Sky". Eric Matthews contributes the brass & strings, and Maitland's piano gives "Sisters" the feel of one of XTC's classic ballads like "Chalkhills & Children". "C Song" is a busy power pop number that has a Jason Falkner feel, and the melancholy "Cut Me Out" boasts more hooks than a coat rack.

The buoyant "Under the Waves" kicks off the second half of this disc, helped along by Matthews' horns, and "Gone" is a power pop pastiche of styles, showing off O'Brien's songwriting skill. "You Stole" is plainly the prettiest thing on the disc, another XTC-style ballad that features Matthews' fine work again (as well as his backing vocals). Closing things out, "Breakfast Time" is a punchy popper that reminds me of David Doll/Automat, "Truth" channels Pugwash (not surprising since two of his sidemen help make up Slumberjet), and "Thanks" is a trippy psychedelic tour de force with backwards guitars that sums up the album's strengths in four minutes even. It seems as though with every disc I review lately the competition for the year-end list gets fiercer and fiercer, and Slumberjet have certainly staked their claim.

CD Baby | MySpace