Two for Tuesday, 2/21/12

Jeff Litman-Outside. After bursting onto the power pop scene three years ago with the excellent Postscript NYC's Jeff Litman is back, and with Outside he's crafted another top-shelf singer-songwriter disc. Litman's style is Petty/Westerberg filtered through, say, Jim Boggia, and the result is one pop gem after another. The first three tracks encapsulate his sound: "Over and Over" recalls Pete Droge and features some fine guitar work from Litman; the driving "Runaway" is a cousin of Petty's "Runnin' Down a Dream"; and the title track is a bouncy pop tune wouldn't sound out of place coming from Jon Brion. Other standouts include the rocking "Chasing My Tail" and the catchy "Girl Down I-95" which almost demands radio play (at least in the Northeast along I-95). It's nice to see there isn't a sophomore jinx at play here, and you can listen to the entire album via the Bandcamp embed below.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes



Prattle On, Rick-Songs of Our Fathers. Another returning artist to this site following up on a debut is Nashville's Prattle On, Rick. Patrick Rickelton & Co. gave us an impressive debut EP in 2010, and their latest EP is another winner. Like the debut, this is catnip for Elliott Smith lovers and anyone else who likes quality acoustic guitar-based pop. "I'll Start Again" is a deceptively simple track a la "I've Just Seen a Face" that opens the EP in fine fashion; "Song of Our Fathers" is taken to another level with its use of cello; and "If You Would Love Me Too" sounds like a lost folk-pop classic. A definite contender for Top EP of 2012.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes

Two for Tuesday, 2/14/12

Secret Powers-More Songs About Her. The men from Missoula are back with what has become an annual tradition: a new album. More Songs About Her makes five releases in five years and Shmed Manes & Co. never manage to disappoint. But there are some subtle differences here from the previous releases, although they open as usual with a killer track from Schmed: like last year's strong opener "Generation Ship", "Dragon Slide" is Secret Powers at its ELO/Jellyfish best. The differences kick in with John Brownell taking more of the lead vocal duties starting with the melodically frenetic "Impossible Girl" (complete with timpani and bells) that recalls Bryan Scary, and the Jellyfishesque "Post War". In fact, Schmed drops out for three straight tracks before re-appearing with "Drip Drop Drip", which might be the quintessential Secret Powers track with its driving melody, changing time signatures and on-its-sleeve wit. And his piano ballad "Hard to Be Someone" might be his best slower number. All in all, we see Secret Powers functioning more as a democracy this time around, and the results are just as strong. Here's looking forward to their 2013 release.

CD Baby | MySpace | iTunes

The Riffbrokers-The Green Key Will Let You In EP. While on the topic of prolific bands from the US Northwest, the Riffbrokers are back with a brand new EP on the heels of last year's Every Pilot's Blinded by the Sun. Featuring more of the Petty/Replacements-style rock we've come to know and love over the years, the EP features several strong tracks including the opener "Around Too Long" and the closing rave-up "Re-Entry". But its the contemplative middle that makes this a special release; "An Extra in a Cowboy Film" and the title track show that it's not all loud guitars and heartland rock with these guys. And the best part is that this EP, along with apparently the rest of the Riffbrokers' back catalog, is free for download at Bandcamp.

Free download of all Riffbrokers albums from Bandcamp

Two for Tuesday, 2/7/12

Minky Starshine-Womanity. Boston's Minky Starshine is back with the followup to 2009's excellent Unidentified Hit Record, and they may have topped themselves with Womanity. They've worked in the past with Ken Stringfellow and Chris Manning, and there is a Posies-meet-Jellyfish element to their classic power pop sound. The buoyant, ultra-catchy opener "Hard Times" (replete with horns) will shake you of whatever funk you happen to be in at the moment, "Cinematic Mojo" (video below) adds a Motown bass line to their power pop mix, and "Beautiful Girl" is a power ballad done right. Elsewhere, "Straight Hip" channels the aforementioned Posies and "What I Want" makes nice use of its boy-girl vocals in service of a radio-friendly tune. Another example of 2012 being off to a great power pop start, and to paraphrase the famous Hindenburg announcer, "Oh the Womanity!"

CD Baby | iTunes | Listen




The Backpeddlers-Songs of Guilt & Revenge. Back in 2007, I gave these guys a brief mention when they were known as Mark Norris & The Backpeddlers. Back then, I had alluded to them being described as "The Basement Tapes recorded with Ray Davies instead of Bob Dylan", and on the followup with Norris still in charge but no longer top-billed it's more songs in this vein, with a bit of a harder edge. Opener "Turn the Tables" is a raucous rocker that recalls Guided by Voices, "It's All True" does the Pixies-like quiet/loud thing, and the late 60s Nugget-sounding "We Know (Who We Are)" earns them the Kinks komparisons. While this might not be the sweet-sounding power pop usually featured here, those who want something a bit different and bit crunchier will want to give this one a shot.

CD Baby | Bandcamp | iTunes

Friday Roundup.

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.

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

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. It’s Happening, Vol. 2 (Shindig)**

III. 2012 Releases I’ve 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 Then…Along 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. Harper’s 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.-Life’s 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-Bradley’s Barn: Deluxe Edition (Rhino Handmade)
20. Gerry Rafferty-City To City: 2 CD Collector’s 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 O’Sullivan-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: Collector’s 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-Tomorrow’s 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 Gantry’s Velvet Opera-Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera (Repertoire)
55. Butterscotch-Don’t You Know It’s 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 (7T’s)
65. Jethro Tull-Aqualung: 40th Anniversary Special Edition (EMI)
66. 13th Floor Elevators-Bull Of The Woods: Deluxe Edition (Charly)
67. Neighb’rhood Childr’n- Neighb’rhood Childr’n (Sundazed)
68. Wadsworth Mansion-Wadsworth Mansion (Fuel)
69. The Merchants Of Dream-Strange Night Voyage (Tune In)
70. The Wombles-Remember You’re A Womble (Dramatico)
71. Suzy Quatro-Quatro (7T’s)
72. The Leaves-All The Good That’s 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-You’re A Big Boy Now/Everything Playing (Edsel)
10. The Lovin’ Spoonful-What’s 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-I’m Kiki Dee: The Fontana Years 1963-1968 (RPM)
18. The Caravelles-You Don’t Have To Be A Baby To Cry (RPM)
19. Rescue Co. No. 1-Life’s 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: Motown’s Mowest Story 1971-1973 (Light In The Attic)
8. Northern Soul’s 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: Director’s 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 Collector’s 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 isn’t actually a box set, but as it’s made up of five discs I really didn’t 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!: It’s 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.

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 (I’m 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 (It’s 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 Don’t 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 O’Clock)
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. Kelly’s 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-Bird’s 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, Sing…Repeat! (Fancy Two Tone)
92. The Skywalkers-Year One (Self-Released)*
93. Bowling For Soup-Fishing For Woos (Brando)
94. The Wind-Hear, Em Skear’em (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-Nothing’s Not Worth Knowing (Self-Released)
Kurt Baker’s “Rockin For A Living” was also released on Oglio as a 6-song EP, but it’s the 10 song full-length LP I’ve ranked here.

2012 off to a great start.

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.

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



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.

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

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.

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

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!

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


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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


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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


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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

The Well Wishers give you a head start on 2012.

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".)

EPalooza!

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



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.

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 titled 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

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

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.

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.

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



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.

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.

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



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.

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



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