Back in the swing.

Thank you to everyone who wished well in the comments to my last post, and thank you all for sticking with the site while I got through the last month. Now it's time to get back in the swing and since I have a backlog of quite a few releases that I want to cover, this post and the next one or two to follow will be in a slightly different format - I will cover many more than the usual 3 releases but only write a few sentences on each. I know the priority for most of you reading this site is discovery of new music, not my purple prose, so here goes:

Ottopilot-Life After Love and War EP. California band with a "modern rock" sheen but accomplished in power pop ("Loaded Gun") and country rock ("Count on Me"). Radio-friendly (even with today's radio) stuff.

iTunes



Richard Turgeon-In Between the Spaces. If you like your power pop with no frills, then Richard Turgeon's the man for you. Just 10, rockin', power-poppin' tracks that tackle Bigfoot, turning 30, frostbites and gravity. Uniformly hooky and tuneful. UPDATE: Now available in CD format on Kool Kat.

iTunes | Kool Kat



Shake Some Action!-Crash Through or Crash. James Hall, everyone's favorite jangle-rocker of the last 10 years, returns with his sixth album. The latest is 14 new tracks of what we've come to expect from Mr. Hall, which means no syrupy ballads, no weird electronic flourishes and no spoken-word interludes. Just guitars, guitars and more guitars. FYI: he also has just released a deluxe 10th anniversary edition of SSA's self-titled debut, chock full of bonus tracks and demos.

iTunes



Bubble Gum Orchestra-Sixthoverture. Michael Hildebrandt returns with his sixth BGO album, and this one might be his best. Here he trades in his sometimes slavish (but always enjoyable) imitation of ELO for a sound instead more ELO-informed, and the result is liberating, from the joyous "A New Kind of Love Song" to the a tribute to the band that influenced ELO the most ("The Beatles Made Me") to the fine piano ballad "Elizabeth". Only available as a download from the BGO website.

Buy and listen to here

Static in Verona-Secrets Like Shadows. Yet another vet of the AbPow pages returns with a new one as Rob Merz' Static in Verona releases its fourth full-length. If there's such a thing as "ethereal power pop", Merz has invented it as tracks like "Madeline" and "Sleeping In (Dreams)" have an atmospheric quality without sacrificing melody or drive, and some can even approach the anthemic ("The Royal We"). Available as a "name your price" download on Bandcamp.

iTunes



The Obleeks-The Obleeks. Fine debut from this Big Star-influenced Chicago band. After the opening 30-seconds of "Break Forth, O Beauteous Light", the drums and guitars kick in with "After the Sunrise" and the fab "Have You Thought About Me Lately?", making a great 1-2 (or 2-3) punch. Other standouts include "I'll Wait" and "Poisoned Well", with the latter featuring a insidious riff. Best part? All ten tracks clock in at 2:40 or less, making for a breezy listen.

Bandcamp

Weekend Roundup.

Various Artists-A Kool Kat Kristmas Vol. 2. Kool Kat's 2010 A Kool Kat Kristmas was the best power pop Christmas compilation in recent years, so Ray Gianchetti & company decided to greenlight a sequel. And while it may not be as consistently great as the original, Volume 2 is another fine collection of power poppers giving us original holiday-themed tunes. The Pencils' "Christmas is Coming Again" starts things off in majestic fashion, sounding like an outtake from Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift for You, and the Honeymoon Stallions (f/k/a The Goldbergs) follow with the suitably jaunty "Snowbirds". Other standouts include the Tor Guides wishing for "Beatles Vinyl", The Geniune Fakes with the Christmas power ballad "You Always Come Back Home", Shake Some Action's typically jangly "Christmas in the Sun", and Stephen Lawrenson's unmistakeable Jeff Lynne-influenced psych-pop sound on "Glad it's Christmas". As with the first volume, proceeds from the disc will benefit the Susan Giblin Foundation for Animal Wellness and Welfare. Good music for a good cause - you can't beat that.

Listen at Soundcloud | Kool Kat

Secret Powers-Secret Powers 6. Another early Christmas present for power poppers is the return of Secret Powers. I have to admit, I was getting a bit worried about them; after releasing an album a year from 2008 to 2012, Ryan "Schmed" Maynes & the boys from Missoula, Montana had gone dark for 2 1/2 years. But they're back, and what they lacked in imagination in naming the disc they more than made up for with the new tunes. For those joining us in that time frame, what makes Secret Powers great is their heavy ELO/Jellyfish influence and knack for the great melody. The epic ballad "Bitter Sun" serves doubly well as an album opener and a re-introduction, and that leads us into the frantic and hyper-catchy "Palarium" (the most Jellyfish-esque of tracks) and the ELO homage "Spare Parts", which is half "Mr. Blue Sky" and half "Yours Truly, 2095" in its story of an android. Elsewhere, "She's Electrical" glides along on a sweet melody with all the band's attendant bells and whistles, and the closing ballad "Ready to Get Old and Die" evokes McCartney. Great to have these guys back.

CD Baby | iTunes | Listen at Spotify

Two Four for Tuesday, 2/18/14

To make up for no new posts last week, I'll double the usual two featured discs with a quick look at four:

Shake Some Action!-Catch the Sun. James Hall is back again with another collection of top-drawer jangle-pop with Catch the Sun, his fifth full-length as Shake Some Action!. "Colors Exploding" is just as groovy as its title implies,
"Wait for the Summer" is the kind of 60s/70s power pop that Hall does best, and "Moonlight Mind" jangles so hard it would make Roger McGuinn jealous. You know what you're getting with an SSA album, and you're getting more of it this time around.

CD Baby | iTunes



The Rationales-Dream of Fire EP. Also back with new material are The Rationales, who bring us a strong 5-track EP this time around. As before, they offer up a mix of power pop and Americana with leadoff track "Drunk All the Time" a great Tom Petty-esque raver with a memorable chorus and the Replacements-styled "Last Words" the standouts here.

CD Baby | ITunes



Ryan VanDordrecht-Beast of Love. Upon the release of his debut EP in 2009 I wrote the usual "can't wait for the full length" comment, and lo and behold five years later here it is. This Portland musician specializes in tuneful pop/rock with a touch of Americana and the top tracks here are the anthemic Jayhawks/Gin Blossoms-like "Great American Life", the jangly "Wild Ones" and the 70s-styled rocker "You Got a Hold on Me". Good stuff here.

CD Baby | iTunes



Preston Cochran-Waiting for the Day. This is the third album for Virginia's Preston Cochran, but the first that caught my ear. Cochran has a slick yet tuneful adult-contemporary sound that brings the likes of Matt Nathanson and Graham Colton to mind. My favorites here are the laid-back "Shoes in the Sun", the melodic title track, and the midtempo gem "Footnotes", which reminds me of Josh Rouse. A bit more "pop" than "power pop", but definitely worth a listen.

CD Baby | iTunes

Catching up with some old friends.

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

Another freebie (and some drama) from Shake Some Action!

The day of freebies continues....

As mentioned earlier, Shake Some Action! is unveiling their new album as it's recorded, and track #3 (Fire and Ice) is now available at their blog.

But apparently frontman James Hall and Gary Miller have decided to go their separate ways from this point forward, as Hall explains:

It’s fair to say that the last song, Fire and Ice, triggered some fundamental changes in this project.

Firstly, Gary and I came to the realization our musical ideas weren’t as compatible as they once were, so SSA has reverted to a solo project again, as it was for the first record.

Secondly, it occurred to me that my contributions so far had a recurring theme of elements - Touch the Sky, Fire and Ice - that I wanted to explore further as some sort of theme throughout the record. What came to mind was exploring the idea of people’s apparent indifference to climate change - that maybe by the time everyone’s satisfied it’s actually happening it’ll be too late to do anything about it.

Maybe human civilization has come and gone many times before and on some deeper level we know that if climate change wipes us out, human life will always re-emerge through evolution. Or maybe we’re all just narcissists . . . .

How do I take those ideas and make power-pop songs out of them?

Stay tuned.

Freebie of the Day II.

The indefatigable James Hall, already with two power pop classics to his name in the space of three years as Shake Some Action!, is busy at work on his third album and he's opening up the sausage-making to us all on his new blog.

The plan is for Hall (along with bassist and power pop renaissance man Gary Miller) to set out in detail the recording of their new disc, song-by-song, as they work in the (virtual) studio. They have one finished product to their credit now, and it's an auspicious beginning: "Touch the Sky", a tune as good as anything on the first two albums.

Touch the Sky mp3

You can go in for the full details or just listen to the finished product, but either way it's a fascinating fly-on-the-wall look into the recording process.

CD of the Day, 5/27/08: Shake Some Action!-Sunny Days Ahead

Theyyyyy're back. James Hall & Co. have brought us Sunny Days Ahead, the long-awaited (OK not that long - the first one came out about 16-17 months ago) followup to Shake Some Action's eponymous debut which placed at #27 on last year's Top 100. All of the things that made the debut great are here again on Sunny Days Ahead: the retro late 70s-early 80s sound that nevertheless doesn't seem dated, the Rickenbackers, the great tunes, and of course Hall's vocals, which fit the material and the sound perfectly.

But there a few differences. There is a bit of a harder edge to the tunes, evident right off the bat in the Kinks-ish "Get It Together" and "Looking for Someone", the former of which has a "You Really Got Me" vibe to it. In fact, "You Don't Care", which appears about midway through the disc, rocks harder and louder than anything on the first disc. Which is not to say that all the amps are turned up to 11 - "Hurry Up" and "I Don't Want to Talk About" have a great Merseyside jangle to them, while "Draw The Line" displays a real swagger. Meanwhile, "Curtain Call" has just that sort of Nuggets-style feel to it that Green Day captures on their Foxboro Hot Tubs release.

So while Sunny Days Ahead might be a semi-ironic title for a band that hails from Seattle, it's an apt descripton for power pop fans who take the time to pick this one up.

CD Baby | MySpace

eMu-palooza!

Been a while since we sent out an eMusic update, and some interesting releases have found their way on to the site:

Deleted Waveform Gatherings-Complicated View. This is a new Rainbow Quartz release from the frontman of the Dipsomaniacs, and Bruce at Not Lame is going wild over this one: "Certainly, in the Top 5 of 2007 for my ears. Classic Rainbow Quartz-styled pop, like Cotton Mather and Myracle Brah with lots of Beatles and touches of The Who and exotic Euro psych flourishes." Haven't had a chance to listen too much to it myself, but it's going straight onto the iPod.

Shane Nicholson-Faith and Science. About a month ago, it fleetingly appeared on the site as an "advance", but disappeared almost as quickly. Hopefully, it's here to stay this time, but I'd get it while I can. If something ever happened to Neil Finn, Nicholson could step right into Crowded House and I doubt anyone would be able to tell the difference.

Shake Some Action!-Live at the Crocodile. These Seattle rockers have one of the best releases of 2007, and it might be even better performed live. You can compare and contrast since the studio disc and this live one are both on eMu.

Alex Chilton. A couple of solo Chilton releases have been added to go with the others on the site. There's some great stuff in here, but a lot of crap and weirdness. Proceed at your own risk.

Farrah-Cut Out and Keep. These UK powerpoppers sound more like their Swedish counterparts (Merrymakers anyone?), and their latest release is a must-download, unless you prefer CDs, then it's a must-buy.

Shake Some eMusic!

Well that didn't take long. Shake Some Action!, Friday's CD of the Day, is now on eMusic. 12 downloads that will be worth it regardless of which plan you have.

Also debuting is Actual Sighs, an interesting release from power pop guru Richard X. Heyman. The disc is a re-recording of his 1986 debut EP, Actual Size, along with 14 additional tracks he wrote at the time but didn't make the cut. You can read more about this release at his site.

CD of the Day, 1/12/07: Shake Some Action!-Shake Some Action!

If the phrase "Shake Some Action!" sounds familiar to the power poppers out there, it's because it's the name of the classic track by the seminal power pop band The Flamin' Groovies. Shake Some Action! is the brainchild of James Hall, born in Australia, based in Seattle, and late of The Jeunes. Aside from the obvious Flamin' Groovies influence, this is classic British-flavored late 70s/early 80s sounding power pop, sounding as if it should have been released on Stiff Records. Hall's voice is perfect for the sound, recalling Ian Dury as well as Ian Brown.

There really aren't any subpar tracks on this disc, but standouts include the opening triumvirate of "Sound of Your Mind", "Complicated" and "I Can See Where This Is Going Now", which can be best described as "punchy power pop". Other highlights include "Not Even Close" which manages to be jaunty and sneering at the same time, "Couldn't Help Yourself", which sounds like a lost La's track, and the absolutely brilliant "Someone Else's Friend", which jangles like there's no tomorrow and boasts an indelible guitar hook.

Sample and buy at the usual suspects: CD Baby, Not Lame, Kool Kat, MySpace.

SIDE NOTE: Although SSA! the album is primarily a one-man undertaking by Hall, the touring version of the band includes power pop renaissance man Gary Miller of The Scheme, who plays bass and also runs the outstanding Seattle Powerpop Blog. Hats off to Gary for being an excellent musician and blogger; by contrast, my musical ability is primarily limited to singing The Beatles' "Good Night" to my 4-year-old each evening when he goes to bed.