Midweek Roundup.

Now that the top 25 of 1Q08 is out and I'm on the bad side of Bryan Scary fans, it's time to get back to the business of featuring discs:

Eric Salt & The Electric City-The Hail Mary.
Quality debut disc from this Boston band, which Bruce at Not Lame compared to The Figgs. I certainly hear that comparison, as well as latter-day Replacements, especially circa Don't Tell a Soul. Standout tracks: "Pearls", the power ballad "Open Doorway", the poppy "Never Intended" and the rave-up "Corner Store". Now when it comes to Boston and "hail mary", you'll have something other than Doug Flutie to come to mind.
CD Baby | MySpace

It's Over!-That Girl. This Kansas City band has come up with a fine disc of sprightly indie pop, and should appeal to those who enjoyed the Cheeksters disc. Opener "To Be In Love" is a real highlight, melding the indie pop sound with early Beatles while "Hallelujah" reminds me a bit of early Beulah (and not because hallelujah rhymes with Beulah). Other highlights include the shuffling "Good as Gold" and "Open Up Your Heart", which you could almost hear being played in the Cavern Club.
CD Baby | MySpace

Josh Fix-Free at Last. This one's been out since last fall, but I haven't seen it get much play in the power pop community. Fix is from San Francisco, and there's quite a bit of Queen and Jellyfish influence here. Anyone who loved the recent Jackdaw4 disc will flip over opener "Don't Call Me In The Morning", the piano ballad "Rock and Roll Slut" is a standout, and "Tiger on a Treadmill" is a winner as well.

eMusic | MySpace

Top 25 of 2008 (to date).

At long last, here is the Absolute Powerpop Top 25 of 2008, First Quarter Edition. Looks like a good year for self-titled discs:

1. Clint Sutton-Clint Sutton
2. Pale Hollow-Pale Hollow
3. Adrian Bourgeois-Adrian Bourgeois
4. Scott's Garage-Scott's Garage
5. The Galaxies-Here We Go!
6. The Afternoons-Sweet Action
7. Roger Joseph Manning Jr.-Catnip Dynamite
8. Pugwash-Eleven Modern Antiquities
9. The Goldbergs-Under The Radar
10. Ted Lukas-Misled
11. The Meadows-First Nervous Breakdown
12. Mike Viola-Lurch
13. Three Hour Tour-B Side Oblivion
14. The Cheeksters-Movers and Shakers
15. In Elvis Garage-Winning by Cheating
16. Scott Murray-Vinyl Generation
17. Dave Dill-Follow The Summer
18. The General Store-Mountain Rescue
19. Kevin Bents-The Means
20. Nada Surf-Lucky
21. Codaphonic-The Battle of Codaphonic
22. Sheboygan-It's OK Say Yes
23. Ike-Where to Begin
24. The Pinder Brothers-Ordinary Man
25. Captain Wilberforce-Everybody Loves a Villain

Top EP of 2008 (to date):

The Calico Brothers-God Left Town

CD of the Day, 4/17/08: The Galaxies-Here We Go!

At the moment, I'm going through the 2008 releases I've listened to so far to prepare the top 25 of the first quarter of 2008 list I've been promising for a while now (ETA: tomorrow). And as I started compiling the list, I noticed that one of the discs that's going to end up near the top is one that I have yet to feature on the site. So to remedy that oversight, I bring you an LA band that has popped up out of nowhere to give us one of the most infectious, fun, melodic and just-plain-great releases of the year, The Galaxies, with Here We Go!

The mood is set within about 10 seconds with a great opening guitar riff and frontman Bobby Cox's yelped-out "whoo" getting sort-of-title track "Here We Go Again" underway. It's a near-perfect exemplar of power pop, a kind of cross between the driving energy of the new Ike disc and the melodicism of Eugene Edwards. "You Promised" follows with a sweeter, jangly, almost Swedish-pop sound, and "Baby I Believe" has the classic pop sound down in the manner of The Goldbergs. Other standouts include "Love Has Found Me", the poppy bossanova of "Lost and Lonely" and "We Go On". With only 9 no-filler tracks, Here We Go! proves the adage that brevity is the soul of a good power pop disc.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 4/14/08: Edward Rogers-You Haven't Been Where I've Been

NYC's Edward Rogers is back. Some of you may remember his fine 2004 disc Sunday Fables (which you can pick up for a bargain $5 at Not Lame), and the just-released You Haven't Been Where I've Been is the equally worthy followup.

This disc certainly has the pedigree. Roger McGuinn himself adds his trademark 12-string jangle to "Blind Man's Blue" as well as banjo to "It Took Years and Years and Years", while The Church's Marty Willson-Piper rocks out on "Graveyard Voices". Also guesting are Pete Kennedy (of the Kennedys) and Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken. Plus, the whole thing is mixed by Mitch Easter. Thankfully, the disc sounds as good as it looks on paper. While on first listen the title track sounds like a rocking statement of defiance, it takes on additional meaning and depth considering Rogers suffered the loss of a limb and nearly died a few years ago. "I'll Always Leave The Light On" is another quality jangler, and "Far Reflection" is a quality Brit-sounding ballad like the kind Ray Davies is known for. Rogers was born in England before moving to New York City, and there is definitely an Anglophilic undercurrent to the disc, not unlike the Pale Hollow disc from earlier this year.

While most of us are fortunate not to have been where Edward Rogers has been recently, it's at least gratifying to see that he's come through his personal difficulties with an outstanding disc that's worth the price of admission.

Kool Kat | MySpace

CD of the Day, 4/10/08: Adrian Bourgeois-Adrian Bourgeois

More proof that bloodlines can matter in music - on the heels of our Pinder Brothers review, here's Adrian Bourgeois, son of Brent Bourgeois of the 80s band Bourgeois Tagg, which worked quite a bit with Todd Rundgren. Adrian's his own man, though, and he's not going to need his last name to get his high-quality solo debut noticed. In fact, I am sorely tempted to break out the siren for this one.

This is a Grade A tour-de-force of pop (power and otherwise) stylings that we all know and love here at Absolute Powerpop. "Mr. Imaginary Friend" hooks you into this disc from the beginning, with its Michael Carpenter-like jangle and breezy melody. "Clown Review" follows, a stunningly beautiful track that channels both Elliott Smith and Michael Penn. "Juniper" is a Beatlesque delight in the vein of the more sublime moments of The White Album and Abbey Road ("Because" in particular). Meanwhile, the slightly bombastic "Dream On" is reminiscent of Oasis when Oasis were good; I've already mistaken the ballad "To Be (The First Man on Earth)" for David Grahame when it came up randomly on my iPod, and "Silk From Ashes" recalls the aforementioned Mr. Rundgren. And those are just the first six tracks. There's no dropoff in the second half either: "Melt In My Mind" has a bit of a Bacharachian/Brian Wilson vibe and the midtempo "My House" might be as good as anything on the album.

There's really no other conclusion to draw than to say this one just shot to the top of your "Discs to buy" list, and it's shooting right up my top 10 of 2008 list as well (to be finally unveiled next week, I promise).

CD Baby | MySpace

Monday Roundup.

A few discs to start off the work week:

Various Artists-Thank You Friends: An Almost There Records Tribute to Big Star. Typing that title is going to take me as long as it does to type the review. Unwieldy moniker aside, this is a quality tribute disc and a great way to get into Big Star's music if you haven't already. There are some artists on here that some of you may be familiar with: Joe, Marc's Brother is a natural for "You Get What You Deserve"; Grand Champeen, whose Dial T for This was a fine recent release, captures the melancholy of "Daisy Glaze" perfectly; and Moonlight Towers (whose Like You Were Never There from 2005 is a must-have) gets the honor of covering "September Gurls", one of the greatest power pop songs of all time in this reviewer's humble opinion. CD Baby

Standing Waves-Light Fuse. Lay on Ground. Run Away. The title is always good advice, especially after you've done the first thing. No need to run away from this disc, however, as this Minnesota band has offered up a first-rate collection of pop/rock that in the spirit of today's roundup has a bit of a Big Star/Teenage Fanclub influence. Highlights here include the melancholy "Astronomy", the Third/Sister Lovers-influenced "Aftercrash (5 sec)", and the near-funk of "Rocky's Butcher Shop", which wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of Alex Chilton's adventurous solo discs. Also a standout is "Einstein's Marriage", a Michael Penn-ish delight. My advice: Buy Disc. Place in CD Player. Listen.
CD Baby | MySpace

The Fools-10. This is the tenth release for this Boston band (hence the title), and somehow I managed to miss out on the first nine. I'll have my ears out for #11, though, as 10 is a winner (if not a 10 itself) - it's excellent power pop in the vein of bands like Coronet Blue, The Nines and Third of Never. The driving "Time Will Not Erase Us" works as both a defiant stand by a veteran band and an anthemic rocker that even quotes Tom Petty's "The Waiting". "No Free Love" is a fine midtempo tune, and "Time Goes Slipping By" reminds me a bit of The Meadows. A nice find of a band that's been under the radar all these years.
CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 4/3/08: Lo Fine-Not For Us Two

Lo Fine is Massachusetts' Kevin O'Rourke, and his latest, Not For Us Two, is a great find for fans of the early Pernice Brothers, Nada Surf and the new Gary Louris disc. In fact, if you can imagine Matthew Sweet fronting the Scud Mountain Boys, you'll have an excellent idea of the sound here.

Track after track on this disc reveals an understated aching beauty, and several stand out. The personal favorites here are "Words Like We", a lovely midtempo number that brings to mind Darren Jessee's Hotel Lights; the Overcome-by-Happiness-era Pernice sound of "Cemetery Road"; and the pedal steel-drenched "Remotely Together". The neighbors will never call the cops on you playing this disc, but it's the perfect soundtrack to a rainy morning or a late night wind down.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 4/2/08: Warren Pash-Plastic Rulers

Most of you may not know the name Warren Pash, but the Canadian expatriate by way of Nashville is a pro's pro in the music business who most notably co-wrote the #1 Hall & Oates hit "Private Eyes". He's also released a few solo discs over the years, and his brand new release Plastic Rulers is definitely a treat.

Pash reminds me of another Warren, Warren Zanes, with his professional pop/rock sound. There's also a hint of Tom Petty here, especially in the driving opener "Living The Dream". "Strange Recess" wouldn't have been out of place on Full Moon Fever either, with its jangly guitars and Byrds-by-way-of-Petty feel. "Take It or Leave It" adds some funk and swagger to the mix, and "Child's Play" sounds like what would happen if Michael Carpenter produced a Bob Dylan album. Meanwhile, the ballad "Love Is Gonna Come My Way" is where I'm reminded of Zanes, and the Stones-ish "U.S.A." is an enjoyable romp.

Rock 'n' roll for grownups. What a concept.

CD Baby | MySpace

EP Roundup.

Time to resume things with a look at a couple of EPs and a CD single, two of which come from familiar names:

Scot Sax-While She Was Working. Most of you know the Wanderlust and Feel frontman, and the quality LA pop he's been responsible for in both incarnations. This EP, however, is a bit of a departure. A good one, though. As Sax himself says, he felt he should have changed him name to Rodriguez after the sessions, and there is a definite Latin/urban feel (pardon the pun) to these tunes. "Bad 4 U" starts off in familiar territory then veers away; "Not Today" sounds like the work of a different but interesting artist, sort of Alejandro Escovedo meets Beck. Check out the samples. CD Baby | MySpace

Wild Bores-ReIntroducing Wild Bores. Wild Bores is Nashville-via-Chicago's John Whildin, and the sound here captures a mix of both of those cities: roots rock with a midwestern feel. The four tracks here are all outstanding in a Summerteeth-era Wilco kind of way, albeit a bit less ornately produced. A year-end EP contender, subject to being superseded by the scheduled full-length which is supposed to include these four tracks. CD Baby | MySpace

The Alice Rose-Body Offering (single). The Alice Rose burst onto the scene with their fantastic 2006 disc Photographic Memory, and they're getting to ready to release the followup. In the meantime, they've made available the first single from the disc, "Body Offering". It's a fine track, in the same Jon Brion-meets-Squeeze style that we saw on the debut. The b-side, "Wear That Cross", is no throwaway either. Get the single on iTunes.

MySpace | iTunes

Update.

Thanks for all the get well wishes out there - I'm just about recovered from what turned out to be bronchitis. I plan to have a review up tomorrow and get back to a normal routine. And in about a week or so, I should have the best of the 1st Quarter of 2008 up.

Sick day.

Sick as a dog right now (as well as my 3 kids), which is why there haven't been any new posts since Thursday. I'm hoping to get a new review up tomorrow. In the meantime, here is Fountains of Wayne's "Sick Day", set to scenes from The Office:

Thursday free mp3: Higgins-"Yes I Know"

Higgins is a NYC power pop band that put out a pretty good disc in 2006 (Dear Higgins), and have a new album coming out later this year. From their press release: "The guitar heavy A-side "Yes I Know" will appear on the album later this year. Close your eyes and you might hear some Ray Davies, some Beach Boys, some of Zeppelin's rhythm section, some Mike Bloomfield guitar, some McCartney, some Zombies; and all kinds of good good stuff."

It is quite a good tune, and you can grab the mp3 for free here:

"Yes I Know"

CD of the Day, 3/20/08: Scott's Garage-Scott's Garage

It's always interesting to consider the various subgenres of power pop, which I tend to define pretty broadly. There are many distinctive styles within the genre, and one of them is what I call "Southern power pop". Its practitioners usually do come from the South, and the operative sound is usually a mix of jangle and roots rock. You can hear it in bands like R.E.M. (in their less atmospheric offerings), Let's Active, The Windbreakers (including Bobby Sutliff and Tim Lee solo), and my usual rule of thumb is that if it the record sounds like Mitch Easter and/or Don Dixon was involved, it's Southern power pop. And one of the better examples of Southern power pop you're going to hear all year comes courtesy of the self-titled debut of Scott's Garage, hailing from (naturally) the South, specifically Richmond, Virginia.

Scott's Garage is led by Scott Baird, the drummer and vocalist (just like fellow Southerner Terry Anderson), and the disc is one melodic delight after another. "She Means Everything" is the leadoff track, and it encapsulates the Southern power pop sound: crunchy guitars, jangle, and more hooks than a meat locker. "Girl" is another great rocking track, sounding like The Smithereens had they come from South Carolina rather than New Jersey. "Nothing Left to Say" reminds me of Girlfriend-era Matthew Sweet, and "Some Day Some Way" has a bit of an Eagles/"Already Gone" sound. The slower numbers are excellent as well, with "Fading Away" and "Tell Me Why" standing out in particular. This one may just make me top 10 of the first quarter of 2008 list I plan to unveil in the next couple of weeks.

For those who don't need the physical CD and want instant gratification, the full disc is available in mp3 format at the bargain price of $5 at the CD Baby link below.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 3/19/08: The Goldbergs-Under The Radar

About a year and a half ago, The Goldbergs truly were under the radar. Out of nowhere, Andy Goldberg's debut Hooks, Lines & Sinkers came across as one of top power pop albums of 2006. As a result, at this point The Goldbergs certainly are on the radar of any savvy power pop fan; so while the followup to Hooks, Under The Radar, may not take anyone by surprise, there's no sophomore slump in evidence here.

Picking up where its predecessor left off, Under The Radar is 11 winning tracks of power pop in the style of Marshall Crenshaw, Eugene Edwards, Badfinger and Nick Lowe. Also like its predecessor, there are no weak tracks, but some are more equal than others: opener "Please Won't You Please" with its anthemic-yet-poppy final 60 seconds or so; the Michael Carpenter-like "Fool The Sun"; the lovely sway of "Water Blue"; the Merseybeat-influenced "Better Times"; and "I'm a Hero (Waiting to Happen)", which sounds like it could have come from Edwards' My Favorite Revolution. Hearing a followup of this quality is quite gratifying - it leads me to believe Andy Goldberg has become the type of power pop artist that will reliably release quality albums every couple of years for the foreseeable future.

If you're going to (quite sensibly) pick this disc up, make sure you do so at Kool Kat, where you also get a 5-disc bonus CD with 4 outtakes from the Under The Radar sessions (better than most folks' intakes) plus a cool cover of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".

MySpace

EP of the Day, 3/18/08: Calico Brothers-God Left Town

Janglers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but $8! New Zealand's Calico Brothers are here, and they've unleashed God Left Town, a 6-song EP that's the best jangle pop I've heard around these parts in quite some time.

"Hundred and One" hooks you in from the start, touching all the aural pleasure centers, coming across as one of the best tracks George Harrison never wrote. From the opening slide guitar through the jangly 12-strings and the "aahhh" harmonies, it's 4:05 of pure bliss. The more languid title track follows, reminiscent in style of compatriot Neil Finn. "Do What You Have to Do" bounces back with more jangle and is a hooky delight, as is "Poor Little Girl". "Love You and Leave", meanwhile, is more Lennonesque (the piano-based melody reminds me of "God") than Harrisonesque, but works quite well on those terms, and the ballad "Blown Up Heart" closes things in Beatle-y fashion.

Best $8 you'll spend so far this year, and there's a early leader for 2008's top EP.

CD Baby | MySpace | SonicBids (stream all 6 tracks)

Monday Roundup.

Three discs to start the work week:

The Rollo Treadway-The Rollo Treadway. It's not every day you get an album about the kidnapping of a couple of children in what seems to be the soundtrack to some kind of film noir rock (pop) opera. But that's essentially what the self-titled debut from Brooklyn's The Rollo Treadway is about, and if you can get past the unusual subject matter, you've got a disc of beautifully realized Brian Wilson/Wondermints/60s-70s sunshine pop. Key cuts: "Kidnapped", "Dear Mr. Doe" (shades of The Association), "Charlie". Kool Kat | MySpace

Tim Morrow-Back to Delton. Back to Delton is solo debut of Californian Tim Morrow, who used to be one half of The Shamus Twins, a band that put out a fine disc in 2004 and have been featured on various Not Lame compilations. Here he offers up 22 - count 'em, 22 - tracks of Tom Petty-styled pop/rock, which also bring to mind artists like Rich McCulley and in the poppier moments, Bill Lloyd. Key tracks: "Yesteryear", "One Way Out", "You Better". CD Baby

The Squires of the Subterrain-Feel The Sun. Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and great psych-pop discs from The Squires of the Subterrain. The New York band's fifth disc is a must-get for fans of XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear, and just about any band that's appeared on a Nuggets compilation. Key tracks: The breezy "Concerning Helen White", the McCartneyesque "Mrs. Jones", and "Alexander Mannequin". CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 3/14/08: Dave Dill-Follow The Summer

With the weather beginning to warm and the daylight lasting longer (at least in most of the world), it's the perfect time for a new release from Dave Dill. His previous disc, 2005's See You In The Sunshine, was a real treat, and Follow The Summer may be his best yet. Falling somewhere between Brian Wilson/Wondermints and Jon Brion on the pop continuum, Dill has the art of sunshine pop down to an exact science.

Rather than go track by track myself, whoever wrote up the summary at his CD Baby page did a better and more thorough job than I could do, so I'm going to quote:

“Perfect There” features Dill’s innate ability to balance exemplary songwriting with highly creative instrumentation. The song features a surreal acoustic guitar blended with a rhythmic, dream-like synthesizer acting as percussion with a “time” feel that is immersive and mesmerizing. One of the most experimental sounding of all of Dill’s songs, “Perfect There” is an atmospheric jewel and features his ability to easily switch from varying musical styles with ease.

“Never So Beautiful” is a pop masterpiece and features soft harmonic vocals, a strikingly complex arrangement of instrumentation and a vibrant melodic energy akin to Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows”. This song best represents Dill’s perceptive production skills and features a subtle, yet sunny mandolin artfully balanced with a vintage Rhodes piano and soaring vocal choruses.

“Hide and Seek”, is one of three songs co-written and co-produced with Derek Holt, who wrote the hit classic rock ballad “I Love You”. “Hide and Seek” is a gorgeous palette of Dill’s soothing vocal style, honeyed Harrisonesque slide guitar, and prominent melodic percussion. Holt’s exceptional skills as a co-producer on this track are quite apparent, as this song is undeniably strong in its genuine emotional tone and incorporates an intriguing lyrical story line that is also evident in Holt’s beautiful, timeless track, “I Love You.”

The title track, “Follow the Summer/Pink Skies” is a beautifully orchestrated pop/rock ballad that features a melodious blend of harmonic vocals, artful instrumentation, and sensually poetic lyrics. The overall “feel” of the song is an artfully composed nature inspired lullaby, as the song seems to follow the slow, steady rhythmic motion of ocean waves.

Not mentioned here is the fine "Miss America", a highly melodic midtempo track, and the somewhat rocking "Happily Ever After".

This one's a must get for fans of sophisticated sunshine pop, and as a side note, three tracks were co-written and co-produced with Derek Holt of the Climax Blues Band. To that, I'd say this is one they certainly did get right.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 3/11/08: Michael Gabriele-A Puppet's Palace

It kind of goes without saying that we love most things Beatlesque here at Absolute Powerpop. So when Michael Gabriele's A Puppet's Palace came along, it was right up our alley. The debut CD from this Rhode Island artist is going to be music to the ears of fans of David Grahame, Emitt Rhodes, George Prentice and even reminds me in places of Neall Alcott's Rittenhouse Square from last year.

The upbeat "Party for Love" opens things, followed by the mid-period Beatle-sounding "Hi". Other higlights include the Shazam-like "A Candle Burning", the Wilburyish ballad "Inside", and the jangly "Imagine What This Girl Could Do". If any of this sounds moderately appealing to you, get on over to the links below.

CD Baby | MySpace

CD of the Day, 3/10/08: The Pinder Brothers-Ordinary Man

If the name Pinder rings a bell somewhere in the back of your mind, it's for a good reason: Mike Pinder was a founding member of The Moody Blues. Aside from his fine work in that legendary band, he also gave the world two sons, Matt and Mike, who have gone on to form The Pinder Brothers. Putting the "pop" into power pop, the brothers Pinder are back with their second disc, Ordinary Man, and fans of Mitch Linker, Jeff Larson, Kyle Vincent, The Rembrandts and other artists who place sweet melodies and harmonies paramount are going to enjoy this one quite a bit.

The Pinders are based in California and the opening track "Dear Diane" is the kind of near-perfect sunny California pop that will hook you in from the get-go. "Hold Me Tonight" almost sounds like classic Swedish pop like The Merrymakers or The Tangerines, and "Waves Crash" is a silky smooth tune. "Oh Woman" is old-school balladry not unlike early Beatles classics like "If I Fell" and "And I Love Her", while "Inside Me" is midtempo sweetness. There's really not a bad track here, and you pop sweet tooth will thank you. Now what are those Lodge and Heyward kids up to?

CD Baby | MySpace

Another video.

Ah, good ol' YouTube, the crutch for the lazy/busy blogger. Here's an overlooked power pop classic from another Canadian act, Sam Roberts. Although Roberts' 2003 debut We Worn Born In a Flame is more classic rock than power pop, he did manage to record one true power pop gem, "Don't Walk Away Eileen". Click on this, and try not to get whiplash from bobbing your head: