Category: Artist Interviews

The Power Popaholic Interview: Wanderlust

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Wanderlust

During their years together from 1992 to 1998, Wanderlust had a chart-topping single “I Walked,” opened for The Who, and were critically acclaimed by the London Sunday Times, declaring the album ‘Prize” “one of the greatest rock records of all time.

Wanderlust returned to the studio this year and recorded an 11 song album packed with gems! I talked with Rob Bonfiglio and Scot Sax, the band’s two main songwriter-musicians. We talk about the band’s history and how this new LP came about.

The Power Popaholic Interview: Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter

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Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter

Founder of Sneakers and the dB’s, Chris Stamey stands alongside Alex Chilton as the progenitor of the Southern jangle-pop sound. I get the chance to talk with him and famed producer-musician Mitch Easter (REM, Sneakers, Let’s Active) about Yesterday’s Tomorrow: Celebrating the Winston-Salem Sound, a live concert recording. Bonus news about upcoming dB’s material!

“Condition Red,” from Sneakers’ first record, was originally recorded during the bicentennial celebrations of 1976, which perhaps partially explains its insistent, fatalistic jingoism. In this live performance from 2018, we see Mitch Easter (guitar, SR), Will Rigby (drums), Chris Stamey (guitar & singing), and Robert Keely (bass). Musicologists, take note: Its lyric includes a “lift” from the inner groove message of another American group, Memphis’s Big Star: “The more you learn, the less you know.” From the new album, Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Get it on Amazon

The Power Popaholic Interview: The Rubinoos

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The Rubinoos

It was great to meet Power Pop Hall of Famers The Rubinoos. I spoke with Jon Rubin and Tommy Dunbar and we discussed the new LP “The CBS Tapes,” working with Todd Rundgren in the 80s, Meeting Chuck Prophet, Al Chan’s health, and touring again. Officially the album comes out on June 25, and much merriment is made that I got an advanced copy!

The Power Popaholic Interview: Bill Lloyd

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Bill Lloyd

I’ve been a Bill Lloyd fan for years and met him at a Lannie Flower’s concert about 2 years ago. Bill has compiled an impressive array of power pop songs over the years and now they are all in one album. It’s called “A Selection of Power Pop 1985-2020” and we talk about what power pop is and even touch on his upcoming live shows.

The Power Popaholic Interview with Eric Bazilian (The Hooters)

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Eric Bazilian (The Hooters)

It’s been almost a year since my last interview, and I figured since everyone is using zoom anyway I will adopt my future interviews with artists by talking to them on camera. I came out from behind the microphone to interview Eric Bazilian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters and for writing “One of Us,” made famous by Joan Osborne in 1995. He’s got some great new music that deserves to be heard. Check it out on Spotify: