Thursday Roundup.

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

Odds and Ends.

* Longtime AbPow favorite Wiretree has a new track up on their MySpace, "Back in Town", from their forthcoming album due later this year. Check it out.

* BrownLine Fiasco is now known as HiFi Superstar. They have a new MySpace page up as well.

CD of the Day, 8/7/08: BrownLine Fiasco-Superstar

Chicago's BrownLine Fiasco is back with another disc of what they call "positive power pop", on the heels of their fine debut disc of late 2006, New Revolution. I first came across these guys on the strength of their track "Milk & Honey" on last year's IPO compilation, and I'm glad I did, as Superstar is a leap forward from the first disc and a great example of crunchy power pop a la Cheap Trick, The Knack and contemporaries such as Rooney and Weezer.

After the somewhat trippy opener "Lovely Day", the boys get down to business on the title track, which has enough power chords and riffs to keep you busy for a while and gives off a late 90s Collective Soul/Better Than Ezra vibe. "Over Our Heads" is a bit more midtempo and could pass for a Gin Blossoms tune, and "Without Love" is a real gem - a sugary confection with hooky harmonies that recalls Big Kid at their best.

Elsewhere, the midtempo "You're Not Alone" is radio-friendly, and the nearly-six minute "So Into You" takes a sonic detour, as it's a bit of a mini-suite that goes from strings to rock and back before it's over. The album concludes with "Look of Amazement", a catchy track that flirts with an R&B groove. Despite the band's name, Superstar is anything but a fiasco.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 1/24/08: Various Artists-International Pop Overthrow Vol. 10

Year in and year out, the IPO compilations are the best bang for the power pop buck going. The latest edition has been out a while, and I finally get around to it today. I always look at these comps as comprising three categories: great tracks by "known" artists (this year The Orchid Highway, Evan Hillhouse, Admiral Twin, The Afternoons, Nelson Bragg, Chris Brown, Kelly's Heels, The Well Wishers, etc.); new tracks by known artists that are teasers for their next disc (Naomi Star, The Ringles, The Pulltops, The Tearaways); and the best reason for picking up the discs: the unknown artists who hit you out of left field with a great track. Needless to say, it's the latter category that I want to concentrate on here.

A couple of months back, I touted Morton Richter as someone who caught my ear from this comp, but in the time since, there have been several more:

Brownline Fiasco. Their fine track "Milk & Honey" is on Disc 1, and their late 2006 release New Revolution is worth your listening time. They're a "christian rock" band, but don't let that put you off - the preaching is kept to a minimum and the big hooks are there with the power pop sound of bands like Cheap Trick, The Knack, etc. CD Baby | MySpace

The Dirty Royals. Their IPO entry, "Cover Up The Sun", is one of the catchiest tracks on the whole compilation. It's great jangle pop that has a bit of a Swedish feel to it. Interestingly, they're Anglo-American, and their only proper release to date, the EP Obsessed America (which doesn't have this track), has a somewhat different, more punkier sound, but is still worth checking out. Keep an eye out for what these guys do next. CD Baby | MySpace

All Day Sucker. This LA band contributes "Picture", a new track from their forthcoming disc The Big Pretend. It's catchy as hell, with a radio-ready pop sensibility. Their 2004 self-titled debut is worth a listen as well, especially the amusing "Worst Case Scenario". CD Baby | MySpace (with several additional new tracks streaming)

David Levin. The title track from his new disc Criminal is featured here, and it's a great singer/songwriter soft rock track which will appeal to fans of Neil Finn, Ben Folds, etc. CD Baby | MySpace

These four are by no means the end of discovery on the disc; I'm still checking out some of the artists that are new to me, and who knows, I might have another one of these posts. It's truly the best value in power pop.

Meanwhile, I can't let a review of IPO 10 go by without singling out the first track on Disc 2: Kelly and Kimberley's "moc.emalton". In case the title intrigues you, just read it backwards. You may never visit their site again without hearing this track in your head.

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