David Bash’s Top 125 Album list

powerpopaholic Power Pop Review, Top Ten of 2017 Candidate

It’s that time of year again! I post this list to benefit people who are not on Facebook. For the newbies here, David Bash is the CEO of IPO (International Pop Overthrow) music festival and generally a grand poobah of Power Pop opinion. So I’m proud to say we both picked the same #1 album of the year, Sitcom Neighbor’s Shag! All of my top 30 are in here, plus a ton of music I did not get to review. If you’d like to see other categories, like top re-issues – you’ll need to contact David through Facebook. And if you’d like to see another good power pop end-of-year list, check out the blogs that actively support power pop, for example, Absolute Power Pop, Power Pop Square, Power Pop Station (also, picked Shag at #1) and Power Pop News. So let’s begin.

Top 125 Albums

  1. Sitcom Neighbor-Shag (Gravity Works)
  2. Mark & The Clouds-Cumulus (Mega Dodo)
  3. The Flywheels-I’m For The Flowers (MLM)
  4. Brent Cash-The New High (Marina)
  5. Dent May-Across The Multiverse (Carpark)
  6. Wesley Fuller-Inner City Dream (1965)
  7. Derrick Anderson-A World of My Own (Omnivore)
  8. The Galileo 7-Tear Your Minds Wide Open (Damaged Goods)*
  9. The Belmondos-Good Mistakes (Self Released)
  10. Ruby Free-Shades (SodaStar)
  11. The Stanleys-The Stanleys (Pop Detective/Off The Hip/Rock Indiana)
  12. Mothboxer-The Secret Art of Saying Nothing (Self Released)
  13. Sex Clark Five-Ghost Brigade (Russia)
  14. Justin Levinson-Yes Man (Self Released)
  15. The Nines-Colour Radio (T.A.S. Gold)
  16. Cheap Trick-Cheap Trick Christmas (Big Machine)
  17. Groovy Movies-Groovy Movies (Hidden Volume)*
  18. The John Sally Ride-A New Set of Downs (Kool Kat)
  19. Sidewalk Society-Strange Roads: The Songs of Rolled Gold (Fruits De Mer)
  20. El Goodo-By Order of The Moose (Strangetown)
  21. The Sexies-The Sexies (Self Released)
  22. Chris Price-Stop Talking (Omnivore)
  23. Chris Lund-Great Event Syndrome (Self Released)
  24. Pugwash-Silver Lake (Lojinx)
  25. Eyelids-Or (Jealous Butcher)
  26. Burgess Meredith-A Dimension of Sound (Self Released)
  27. Corin Ashley-Broken Biscuits (Murray Hill)
  28. Paul Bertolino-Toy Box (No Label)
  29. Richard X. Heyman-Incognito (Turn-Up)
  30. Wiretree-Towards The Sky (Self Released)
  31. Third of Never-Austerity (Jam)
  32. Michael Roberts-Suspended In This Space (Digitalis)
  33. The Brass Buttons-Seven Seasons (Rock Indiana)
  34. Once & Future Band-Once & Future Band (Castle Face)
  35. Gail George-Bloom (Self Released)
  36. Richard Turgeon-In Between The Spaces (Kool Kat)
  37. Robyn Hitchcock-Robyn Hitchcock (Yep Roc)
  38. The New Pornographers-Whiteout Conditions (Collected Works)
  39. The Sighs-Wait On Another Day (OMAD)
  40. Balduin-Bohemian Garden (Sunstone)*
  41. Serpent Power-Electric Looneyland (Skeleton Key)
  42. Duncan Reid & The Big Heads-Bombs Away (Self Released)
  43. Brenyama-Euphoria Love (JEM)
  44. Squeeze-The Knowledge (Love)
  45. Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders-Scenery For Dreamers (Self Released)
  46. The Kik-Stad En Land (Excelsior)
  47. The Charlatans-Different Days (Self Released)
  48. Alain Pire Experience-Songs From The 13th Floor (Self-Released)
  49. Plasticsoul-Therapy (Big Stir)
  50. The Lunar Laugh-Mama’s Boy (You Are The Cosmos)
  51. Jane Bordeaux-Ma She’Hashoov (Self Released)
  52. The Virtues-Oh Dear (Zip)
  53. The Wellingtons-End of The Summer (Off The Hip)
  54. Gospelbeach-Another Summer of Love (Alive!)
  55. Nick Heyward-Woodland Echoes (Universal/Sony)
  56. Pseudonym-Pack of Lies (Kool Kat)
  57. Ride-Weather Diaries (Wichita)
  58. Greg Ieronimo-Never Leaving California (Self-Released)
  59. Liam Gallagher-As You Were (Warner )
  60. The On & Ons-Welcome Aboard (Citadel)
  61. The Kik-Hertaalt! (Excelsior)
  62. Dan Auerbach-Waiting On A Song (Easy Eye Sound)
  63. Dana Countrymen-The Joy of Pop (Sterling Swan)
  64. Fastball-Step Into The Light (Self Released)
  65. The Blood Rush Hour-Who Folds First (Nicola)
  66. Ameoba Teen-Selection Box Vol. 1 (Magic Circle)
  67. Cotton Mather-Wild Kingdom (Star Apple Kingdom)
  68. Simon Felton-Topsy Turvy (Pink Hedgehog)
  69. The Len Price 3-Kentish Longtails (JLM)
  70. Pop Co Op-Four State Solution (Silent Burglar)
  71. Temples-Volcano (Fat Possum)
  72. The Naturals-We Are The Naturals (Popboomerang)
  73. Real Estate-In Mind (Domino)
  74. Strangers In A Strange Land-Strangers In A Strange Land (Self Released)
  75. The Singles-Sweet Tooth (Self Released)
  76. Cait Brennan-Third (Omnivore)
  77. Smart Patrol-Overage Underachievers (Off The Hip)
  78. The Connection-Just For Fun! (Rum Bar)
  79. The Tearaways-Esq. (AMR)
  80. King Washington-Potential (The End)
  81. Neil Finn-Out of Silence (Universal)
  82. Gloria-In Excelsis Stereo (Howlin’ Banana)
  83. The Simple Carnival-Smitten (Sundrift)
  84. Propeller-Don’t Ever Let This Let You Down (Moving Wall)
  85. The Hangabouts-Kits & Cats and Saxon Wise (Futureman)
  86. The Mylars-Melody Records (Melody)
  87. Phil Angotti-Such Stories (Cavdog)
  88. Karla Kane-King’s Daughters Home For Incurables (MLM)
  89. Punch Punch Kick-Punch Punch Kick (Lollipop)
  90. The Shins-Heartworms (Columbia)
  91. Mark Crozer and The Rels-Sunny Side Down (Planting Seeds)
  92. Game Theory-Supercalifragile (KCM)
  93. Suzy & Los Quattro-Faster & Louder! (Rock Indiana)
  94. Honeychain-Crushed (Self Released)
  95. The Safes-Tasty Waves (Hidden Volume)*
  96. Celsi, Bragg & Maitland-The Road To Glasgow (Steel Derrick)
  97. Sparks-Hippopotamus (P&C)
  98. Flamin’ Groovies-Fantastic Plastic (Burger)
  99. Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos-The Last Polaroid
  100. Hornal-The Game Begins With The Lights Out (Self-Released)
  101. Todd O’Keefe-Uptown (Self Released)
  102. Freezing Hands-II (Hidden Volume)
  103. Fernando Perdomo-The Golden Hour (Forward Motion)
  104. Gentle Brent-Just Dandy (Jigsaw)
  105. Shake Some Action!-Crash Through Or Crash (Satellite)
  106. The Men-Sunburst (TMI)
  107. Stevie Moore/Jason Falkner-Make It Be (Bar None)
  108. Chris Church-Limitations of Source Tape (Spyderpop)
  109. Cheap Trick-We’re All Alright! (Big Machine)
  110. The Viewers-Universal Sky (Self Released)
  111. The Maharajas-You Can’t Beat Youth (Low Impact)*
  112. Judy Dyble/Andy Lewis-Summer Dancing (Acid Jazz)
  113. The Forty Nineteens-Good Fortune (Kool Kat)
  114. The Baron Four-Silvaticus (Get Hip)
  115. Autos Detroit-Second Best (Self Released)
  116. The Wheels-The Year of The Monkey (Warner Chapell)
  117. Leisure McCorkle-5000 Light Years Beyond The Speed of Sound (Nappystar Chocolate)
  118. Blair Packham-Unpopular Pop (Self Released)
  119. Kris Rodgers-Losing The Frequency (Rum Bar)
  120. The Deep Six-Introducing The Deep Six (Heavy Soul)
  121. Ryan Hamilton & The Traitors-The Devil’s In The Detail (Fanny Pack)
  122. Gordy Garris-Never Give Up (Self Released)
  123. The Yellow Melodies-Life (The Beautiful Music)
  124. The Clientele-Music For The Age of Miracles-Merge
  125. Magic Bus-Phillip The Egg (Back To The Garden)

Top 10 EPs

  1. Cliff Hillis-Many Happy Returns (Tallboy)
  2. Irene Pena-Trying Not To Smile (Self Released)
  3. Borgh-Stars, Bars & Vintage Guitars (Self Released)
  4. Thrift Store Halo-Pop Rocket (Hi-Beam)
  5. The Seasongs-Dias Y Noches (Clifford)*
  6. Jamie & Steve-Subtextural (Loaded Goat)
  7. E Joseph and The Sparrows-Glorygram Vol. Three (Mantaray)
  8. Dave Rave & The Governors-The Indicator (RaeBeat)
  9. Christine B Phelan-Mind Games (Self Released)
  10. The Hingles-No Matter What (HAK-P)