Bad Moves and The Low Sixes

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“Bad

Bad Moves “Wearing Out The Refrain”

Bad Moves made a solid impression with their debut in 2018 with ‘Tell No One.’ Their sophomore effort, ‘Untenable’, followed with a darker tone but retained the band’s signature energy, powered by all four members—guitarists Katie Park and David Combs, bassist Emma Cleveland, and drummer Daoud Tyler-Ameen.

Opening with “A Drowning Confession,” its loaded with dramatic synths and gripping energy. “Hallelujah,” is an infectious power-pop track that captures the harsh realities of American politics with biting wit. “Eviction Party” boasts some great overlapping harmony lines in the chorus, grappling with both harsh realities and escapism. Another highlight is “Sorry That I’m Not Better,” a combination of emotional intensity and introspection. The final three tracks showcases the band’s ability to mix heavy themes with dynamic instrumentals. “The Undertow” builds a wall of sound, while “A Lapse in the Emptiness” blends delicacy with fierce guitar work. Overall, the energy never wanes, and the music perfectly captures modern anxiety. Highly Recommended.

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““The

The Low Sixes “The Oshawa Tree”

The Low Sixes, a punk-infused power pop band from Montreal, got their start when guitarists and vocalists Jonathan Cummins and Brendan Drouillard met over drinks at the local waterhole, Barfly, after a lengthy European tour with their other project, heavy psych rock band USA Out of Vietnam. The addition of John Milchem and Jon Asencio completed the quartet. The Oshawa Tree shares its name with the city of Oshawa in Ontario, Canada, and not an intentional dig on U2.(?)

Opening with the anthemic “Turn on The Night,” it has the raw garage rock energy, but with hooks aplenty. In a world where many bands chase fleeting trends, The Low Sixties stand firm, paying homage to rock’s roots while keeping their sound fresh and relevant. “Ryan’s Favorite Song,” which was named after the album’s producer is a catchy romp akin to Redd Kross, The Buzzcocks, and Cheap Trick. “Teenage Crime Wave” is a mid-tempo about looking at teen musicians with youthful envy.  The pivotal “The Worst is Yet to Come” has epic Beatlesque sweeping verses, as they go from quiet to loud. “New Action” recalls Thin Lizzy in the chorus, and the band makes an authentic attempt to honor these influences. The short 9-tracks breaks my EP/LP rule, but each song is really good here, so crank it up loud. Highly recommended.

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Fresh sounds: Joe Dilillo, The Fatal Flaw, Lolas, The Hutchinsons, The Jaws of Brooklyn, The Candy Whips, Curling

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Joe Dilillo gives us “Who We Are Now” boasts some strong songwriting, a good “end-of-September” song. The Fatal Flaw has a classic power pop sound, and this excellent single is a freebie, so don’t be shy. Tim Boykin’s band The Lolas continue to put out great music, he’s been so good for so long I take for granted singles like “From the Start.” The Hutchinsons were a great power pop duo in the 90s, and they’re re-mastered now, so check ‘em out. The Jaws of Brooklyn are really from the other side of the country (Seattle, WA) but the soulful pop is top notch. If you crave something 80s-like, listen to The Candy Whips “TV Set” very much in the Devo-esque category. Finally Curling brings melodic noise pop with lots of depth on “Radio King.” The leaves are changing, so change your playlist to a few of these artists, OK?





Jon Flynn and The Half Cubes

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““The

Jon Flynn “Cherry Cherry”

The second solo effort by Jon Flynn, half of the power pop group Diamond Hands, “Cherry Cherry” is a great listen. The ten songs that make up the album take the listener on an adventure of discovery from Jon’s move from Los Angeles to San Francisco. “Game You’re Playing” has a sparse electronic sound, and you’ll hear a bit of early Talking Heads meets Marc Bolan. The layered synths and simple guitar rhythm are accented by strings and still catchy. “Where to Start” has a bit more swagger, as he sings “change is a monster.”

Not everything works, but there are clear standouts like the psychedelic reverb of “Brush Your Hair,” and the dramatic seduction of “Creature” and “Great Man.”  Jon’s persona on these dramatic moments also reminds me of Gaz Coombes (Supergrass) but many other tunes didn’t have that much of a hook. Despite this, Jon definitely sets himself apart from his former band stylistically and has a unique perspective on things. Check out this album that deserves to be heard.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

““The

The Half Cubes “Pop Treasures”

Is there a perfect covers album? By design, cover albums have a strike against them by not being originals. But Power Pop Hall-Of-Famers and Syracuse natives The Flashcubes may have found a loophole. Similar in approach to Big Stir Records label-mates Sparkle*Jets UK, they picked their favorite power pop records and recorded them with an eye on a new audience re-discovering these great songs. But what ‘Cubes vocalist-bassist Gary Frenay and drummer Tommy Allen have done is a labor of love that includes many of the original artists on these classics. They also enlisted Randy Klawon (The Choir) to get the correct guitar sound.

Great cover versions of classic songs by artists such as The Hollies, The Searchers, The Pursuit of Happiness, Cheap Trick, The Pernice Brothers, The Hudson Brothers, and more are available here. My faves include Eric Carmen’s “My Girl,” Phil Seymour’s “Precious To Me” and The Hudson Brothers “Spinning Wheel.” Hard to argue that this doesn’t belong on my 2024 top ten list. Super Highly Recommended!

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Caddy and The Toms

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“Caddy"

Caddy “Caddy”

Tomas Dahl, (The Stanleys, Yum Yums) who performs as Caddy, is back for his sixth studio album, and this self-titled LP is his hardest rocking one to date. It’s back to the late 90’s era Posies, Stone Temple Pilots, or Velvet Revolver with intense heavy riffs. In 2023, Tomas lost both parents and two close friends all within the span of five months. So those raw emotions are in each note here, but even with the emotion, he managed to keep the melodies up front.

“In A Heartbeat” has a solid catchy chorus and its soaring harmonies make it a great start. “The Darkest Corners” and “25 Ways” give detailed descriptions of the pain of loss, all with those handclaps and dense buzzing riffs. The hooks aren’t always present, and the lack of a stylistic variety tend to weigh down the album as whole. And as much as I love a great riff, sometimes less is more. For example “Smalltown Operator” has a good song buried in there, but the heavy loud rhythms drown it out. There are some worthy songs here; check out “Everblue,” “Why Worry,” and “Someone Like You.” In fact, there are enough good ones to make this highly recommended, but don’t expect any ballads.

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“The

The Toms “Rock Paper Scissors”

Tom Marolda has continued to make great music since his breakout debut from 1979 (a must-own for any respectable fan of power pop). His style has varied over the years, always experimenting, and trying new approaches. What hasn’t changed is the amazing creative approach Tom takes toward song composition and arranging.

“The Zebra” is the theme of cool slinky temptress, enticing men like predators to deceptive “prey.” The sound here is closer to his classic sound, and the wild bass line and key changes are all over the catchy “Stationary Bike.” From there it gets a little more experimental with the next few songs. I always find elements of a song I enjoy, but it might veer off into demo mode like the title track “Rock Paper Scissors” with its start-and-stop verses. Some songs require a lot of listens to stick.

There is always a power pop classic found on a Toms album, for me it was “It’s Personal” an earnest look back to a harmful relationship set to great hook. Other goodies include the excellent pop of “Desperate Measures,” with an ethereal break of Sheyla Sherif’s ghostly verses, and “Black & White” with its angular melody line and psyche-pop touches. For Toms fans this is definitely recommended, but others will definitely want to start with his debut. Definitely music that deserves to be heard.

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Sept singles and EPs: Al Jardine, Graham Gouldman, The Well Wishers, The Popravinas, John Wlaysewski, The Cheap Cassettes, Squire

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Some music veterans from the golden age are still producing, Beach Boy Al Jardine gives us a poignant “Wish” and legend Graham Gouldman (10cc) reminds us to seize the day with “We’re Alive.” Technically, Gouldman has a new album ‘I Have Notes’ and it deserves to be heard! The Well Wishers continue to deliver great music too with “Missing Person,” as The Popravinas give a us a new album including “The Girl Who Didn’t Want To Hear Any Tunes.” Sounds like someone I don’t wanna date. John Wlaysewski  (Late Cambrian) continues his journey across the pop landscape with a new EP with the help of Brendan Brown (Wheatus) and Dave Hill (Valley Lodge). It’s worth the trip, so check it out.  The Cheap Cassettes give us meat-and-potatoes rock and roll, and Squire releases focused soundscape in mono with a brilliant mix of the Big Star classic.