The Power Popaholic Top 25 albums of 2024 + More

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Like I mentioned before, last year, I heard a lot of really amazing music, though not all of it was power pop. Unfortunately, I was unable to review each one, but I did grow my main list to 75 albums this year, and each of them is a recommended listen. Coming Up Next: The top 25 EPs for 2025.

  1. The Lemon Twigs “A Dream Is All We Know”
  2. Redd Kross “Redd Kross”
  3. Extra Arms “Radar”
  4. Nick Piunti “Up and Out of It”
  5. The Yum Yums “Poppin’ Up Again”
  6. Wesley Fuller “All Fuller No Filler”
  7. Dave Cope and The Sass “Hidden From The World”
  8. Joy Buzzer “Pleased to Meet You”
  9. Valley Lodge “Shadows in Paradise”
  10. Yours & Mine “The Shadow You Cast”
  11. Mark Ward “Let’er Rip”
  12. Ward White “Here Come The Dowsers”
  13. Emperor Penguin “Gentlemen Thieves”
  14. Bloody Nora “Fun While It Lasted”
  15. The Junior League “Our Broadcast Day”
  16. The Embryos “Selling What You Want to Buy”
  17. Kate Clover “The Apocalypse Dream”
  18. The Well Wishers “Just So You Know”
  19. The Cynz “Little Miss Lost”
  20. Laughing “Because It’s True”
  21. The Reflectors “Going Out Of Fashion”
  22. Cowboy Boy “Lipstick On A Pig”
  23. 2nd Grade “Scheduled Explosions”
  24. Ed Ryan “Along for The Ride”
  25. Paul Collins “Stand Back and Take a Good Look”
  26. Dolour “Daylight Upon Magic”
  27. Ducks Ltd. “Harm’s Way”
  28. The Armoires “Octoberland”
  29. The Martial Arts “In There Like Swimwear”
  30. Young Scum “Lighter Blue” 
  31. TV Pins “Aircutter”
  32. Dan Miraldi “Ulysses”
  33. Lunchbox “Pop and Circumstance”
  34. Bruce Moody “PopCycle”
  35. Willie Dowling “The Simpleton”
  36. Lenny Kravitz “Blue Electric Light”
  37. Mothboxer “Timelines”
  38. Tamar Berk “Good Times for a Change”
  39. 8×8 “Life During Wartime”
  40. The Pearlfishers “Making Tapes for Girls”
  41. Bad Moves “Wearing Out The Refrain”
  42. The Low Sixes “The Oshawa Tree”
  43. Wishy “Triple Seven”
  44. Liquid Mike “Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot”
  45. Teenage Frames “Everything Has Led To This”
  46. Caddy “Caddy”
  47. Sour Ops “Evangeline”
  48. Steve Robinson “Window Seat”
  49. Mt. Misery “Love In Mind”
  50. The Junipers “Imaginary Friends”
  51. Polite Company “Please Go Wild”
  52. Colman Gota “Don’t stop playing guitar”
  53. Brian Ray “My Town”
  54. Vinyl Kings “Big New Life”
  55. The John Sally Ride “Melomaniacs”
  56. Silk Cut “Silk Cut”
  57. Vegas With Randolph “The Future Store”
  58. David Woodard “Get It Good”
  59. Your Academy “#2 Record”
  60. Ethan Beck & The Charlie Browns “Duck Hollow”
  61. The Real Numbers “Thank You”
  62. Drew Neely & The Heroes “Inner State”
  63. Brent Seavers “Exhibit B”
  64. Real Estate “Daniel”
  65. Kevin Robertson “The Call Of The Sea”
  66. Norm Archer “Verb”
  67. The Rills “Don’t Be A Stranger”
  68. The Campbell Apartment “Under The Influence Of Love”
  69. Rich Arithmetic “Pushbutton Romance”
  70. John Faye “The Long Game”
  71. The Cheap Cassettes “They’ll Never Forgive You For Pop”
  72. Minky Starshine “Boozers Gloom and a Pinch of Anxiety”
  73. Sharp Class “Welcome To The Matinee Show (Of The End Of The World)”
  74. Motorists “Touched By the Stuff”
  75. The Heats “The Heats”

SPECIAL MENTION: BEST COVER ALBUMS

Drumroll… It’s almost here.

powerpopaholic


Enjoy a few New Year’s celebration songs.



The year in review 2024

The phrase “power pop” alone makes one picture jangly guitar riffs, catchy tunes, and vibrant energy. Think Big Star, Badfinger, Cheap Trick, and The Raspberries. But where does the genre stand today?

While the classic sound still resonates with some, the genre’s boundaries have blurred significantly. Rising independent artists challenge easy classification and push artistic limits. Punk, metal, techno, and many other influences permeate the music from indie rock to alternative pop. This combining produces a vivid, always changing soundscape. Rarely do artists limit themselves to a rigid power pop template. Instead they use several techniques to create original sonic tapestries. An album might feature a driving power pop anthem alongside a brooding ballad, an experimental electronic track, or a raw, punk-infused outburst. Actually, I’ve seen more music this year than last year — along with less of that traditional power pop sound.

This eclecticism isn’t necessarily a departure from the spirit of power pop. At its core, power pop celebrates melodic songwriting and infectious energy. From the jangly guitars of the past to the cutting-edge sounds of today, these ideas can be articulated in innumerable ways.

The result is a more dynamic and exciting musical landscape. While purists might lament the loss of a “pure” power pop sound, this evolution ensures the genre remains fresh, relevant, and constantly surprising. Onward to 2025! Next post is the Top 25 of 2024.
 

December singles and looking ahead: Timmy Sean, Joe Giddings, Blend Eleven and more

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You know things are still very busy in December at Power Popaholic. We have several important releases all ready knocking on the door for 2025, notable is Joe Gidding’s new album (we have 2 singles to share), and a new Davenports album is coming too. In the holiday rush, we noted that Timmy Sean did a song about “Drones Over Jersey” and I think Adam Schlesinger fans will  enjoy it. Blend Eleven is another goodie, and this driving rock single is a great intro.

You know I can’t forget Hanukkah. Luckily I found a fresh new song by Danny Henry and Sam Kogon. Plus, as we look under the tree for gifts check out Big Stir Records and Rum Bar Records samplers from all their artists. Enjoy the free bounty of music here!





motherwest · When Everything’s Over

The last of the Christmas Music: CokeRoque, Dan Miraldi, Shake Some Action, James Clark Institute, Sunturns, Pigeon Club, The Krayolas

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Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. My top 25 of 2024 is due to post January 4, 2025, so stay tuned!






New Reviews: Dislexia, John Faye and Jukebox The Ghost

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“Dislexia"

Dislexia “Snowball” EP

This is an interesting supergroup; Coke Belda forms a union with two great Spanish power pop artists, Pepe Murgadas (Shennon and Lotton) and Roque Esteban (Inquieto Roque). The result is this sweet EP, and the opening harmonies of “Love Is Blind,” give you a Beatlesque gem that hits all the right buttons.

The guitar and vocal approach are suitably aggressive, but a few songs are just beautifully executed demos (“Mister,” “At Least”). I enjoyed the easy-going pysch-pop of “You Were Water” and “Sleeping All The Days.” Overall a very good example of pop craftsmanship, but more hooks are needed to put it over the top. Highly Reccomended.

Amazon

“John

John Faye “The Long Game”

John Faye (the Caulfields, IKE, John Faye Power Trip, John & Brittany) is back. The title track is a heartfelt ballad, but the catchy “Sell Your Soul as An NFT” would fit perfectly on any of his IKE albums, with its crunching guitars and defiant vocal. He hasn’t lost a step here, as the slowly building “Something Devine” and “Feug Shui” both have great positive energy and lots of cool sonic flourishes. His song “Epidural” is a heartfelt story of parental anguish and the subject of online reputation is the point of  “Asking for a Friend.” Faye is one of the few veteran musicians I know who always consistently delivers, and you should pick this LP up. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

“Jukebox

Jukebox The Ghost “Truth” EP

Piano pop trio Jukebox the Ghost has been returns and asks “Would you rather be happy or be right?,” and seems to be a comment on the state of “truth” in our current political reality. The band’s repertoire has always had a predilection for speculating about the end of the world, but here it’s a case of tuning out on “I Feel So Good,” a catchy theme about letting go, and reconnecting with “Friends Again.” Each song is beautifully rendered, “Save a Little Room” is another standout. No filler here, and super highly recommended. A contender for best EP of the year, too.

Amazon