Great song from The Tearaways, from the upcoming album ‘And Now For Our Next Trick.’ due out at the end of the month. The jangling alt. rock alter-ego of Jeff Shelton The Deadlights returns with a new single here, and I was impressed with the melodic EP by Peter Hall called About Last Night. The title track rocks, and “For Love” has some ELO overtones, but overall very very good. Keith Hale aka The Plus 4 sings about a UFO sighting I guess and the radio-ready single by Ransom and Subset is a real treasure that’s a free download. Loud punk rock from Friends of Cesar Romero all the same tempo, but I liked the “Bittersweet Nothing Symphony” best, and it’s a free download too.
Category: EPs
Support P. Hux and some EPs that deserve to be heard: Old Town Cryer, Flathead, Andy Bopp, The Photocopies, The Pozers
The great P. Hux has a new album he’s finishing up, mixing, mastering, and other details. You only have a few days left to contribute to one of the best power pop artists around. Visit the Kickstarter site. Old Town Cryer has a bluesy live performance last year at The Fallout Shelter in Norwood, MA and half the proceeds go to The Pine Street Inn, a charitable organization whose mission is to end homelessness. From Marseille, France comes Flathead, an energetic power pop band that advertises “No Synths… Only Guitars.” Another great power pop veteran, Andy Bopp is back with an EP of sweet tunes; “Roger” and “Poison Girl” which is like a mix of Bowie meets Robert Pollard. Love this! The Photocopies have a neat new release that hums along, check out the fuzzy pop “Holiday Romance” and “Like Teenage Love.” Finally, The Pozers video for “Two” comes from Crybaby Bridge. It’s my favorite song from the album. Enjoy!
End-of-January Singles, EPs and a Freebie: Ryan Allen, Luddites, Ilko Birov, Floral Portrait, Brock Pytel
After a relatively warm January, we settle in and see Ryan Allen is already following up his #7 album of 2022 with a new concept album. This is a taste, we’ll review the entire LP soon. Boston’s Luddites does a good job with old-school power pop riffs, and Bulgarian singer-songwriter Ilko Birov knocks this single “Mrs. James” out of the park. Fans of Elliott Smith and Dave Davies will enjoy this. Jason Bronson and Jacob Chisenhall bring us the warmth of Floral Portrait, a slice of sunny orchestral pop in the tradition of Brian Wilson. Fans of The Wondermints will appreciate it and it’s our freebie. On a louder note, Brock Pytel (formerly of The Doughboys, the Montreal punk band and NOT Richard X. Heyman’s band) has a new single and it’s got a catchy fatalism, akin to Bob Mould playing The Rolling Stones. Onward to Spam… I mean, February!
The Push Puppets video premiere and new music from The Genuine Fakes, Stay, The New Pornographers, Phantom Note, Strange Neighbors
Illinois band Push Puppets made a good impression on their debut with superior melodic skills courtesy of singer/guitarist Erich Specht. Bandmates Greg Essig (drums), John William Lauler (bass), and Kyle Magnusson (keyboards) keep the sound crisp and bright. Here is a brand new video from that album; “Center of the Storm” which is akin to Crowded House in spots.
At the tail-end of 2022, The Genuine Fakes gives us a power pop taste of the new year with a new EP; listen to “Two Fine Lovers,” and “The Receiver” which are great songs. I’m going through David Bash’s top 100 list and found the band Stay is already hot on a new EP, covering The Move, and generally doing a Stonesy “Get Going.” The New Pornographers also is prepping a big return with the first track “Really Really Light.” Newbie from Portland, Oregon Phantom Note gives us a freebie with some jangle and melodic strum. Check out the opener “I Should Know By Now” and “Lonely As Hell,” these guys have real talent! Another impressive newbie here is Strange Neighbors from New York City. Check out the cool riffs from “Skeleton Boy” to “Window Watching.” Not a bad start for the new year.
The Power Popaholic Top 25 EPs list of 2022 + more
The humble EP has grown into its own as a preferred method of music delivery since the economic incentive to release an album is not what it was. I loosely define an “EP” as two to ten songs. Many artists opt to release EPs rather than full-lengths where they can concentrate on a handful of songs at a time without the possibility of filler. Even Weezer released 4 EPs this year instead of a single long player. The album format isn’t dead, but you can see which way the wind is blowing…
- The Glad Machine – Hey!
- The Chords UK – All for Nothing At All
- The Black Watch – the neverland of spoken things
- Mom – Fun ‘N Games
- The Lickerish Quartet – Threesome Vol. 3
- Pete Donnelly (Figgs) – Anthem of the Time
- Christopher Peifer – Sacred & Profane
- Scott Robertson – Physical Education
- Supercrush – Melody Maker
- The Persian Leaps – Machines for Living
- Friends of Cesar Romero – Six Banger
- Movie Movie – Now Playing
- Richard Turgeon – Rough Around The Edges
- Hoover and Martinez – The 3P
- Los Andes – Backgammonesque
- The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club – Vanishing Point
- Guilty Party – Impostor Syndrome
- The Vice Rags – Midnight Ride
- Rooftop Screamers – Whispers
- Late Cambrian – Future Snacks
- Michael Simmons – Happy Traum
- Butterknife – Staring At The Ceiling
- Jay Byham – Jay Byham
- Nezok – The Human race
- The Afterglows – The Sound of The Afterglows
Special Consideration:
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ken Sharp released a 50-song juggernaut – I’ll Remember The Laughter. It was the only “box set” of its kind this year and felt too massive to be in a single album category. If you enjoy your power pop music collection with a dose of sweet honey this would be worth your time. Amazon: Part 1 | Part 2