Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Marty Graveyard and Kevin Bents

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Marty Graveyard “Marty Graveyard’s Summer Holiday”
Marty was the drummer of the now broken up Dutch-Power-Pop Band The Madd!, and this is his first solo album. Starting with the bouncy “Do You Really Wanna Dance?” it’s a relentlessly catchy opener, with a Rubinoos meets Beach Boys vibe. Marty’s vocal is really reminiscent of Roger Hodgson (Supertramp).

Then Julia Reinhold guest vocals on “Why,” a nostalgic pop tune in the style of Lesley Gore. The fast paced guitar riffs and high vocals will surely make “My Heart Is Set On You” a summer classic. The relentless sunshine may be too cute for some, but this is a guilty pleasure I’ll gladly give in to. Fans of The Monkees and The Three O’Clock will also love this, recommended tracks include: “Just Friends”, “Kick Me When I’m Down” and the jangle filled title track.

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Kevin Bents “The Honors”
Kevin impressed me with his melodic 2008 album The Means, here he takes a decidedly Steely Dan vibe with his keyboard on “Not The Kind.”  Kevin gives us a touch of soul on “I’ll Wait” and “On The Spot” is a catchy suite of themes with great unexpected tempo changes. The slow ballads “Somebody Got A Hold” and “Sail Down The River” remind me a bit of Peter Gabriel. And the free form rhythm and composition of “Downtown” and metallic “Constant Contact” are also highlights. This mature LP always lets the melody lead. An adventurous album that’s hard to ignore.

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Whitejacket “Hollows and Rounds”

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Chicago-based Musician Chris McDuffie has been part of Apples In Stereo since Tone Soul Evolution, but now he’s moved to Chicago and created his own band, Whitejacket (a reference to a literary influence of his, Herman Melville) that wears its Beatlesesque influences on its sleeve.

Opening with the low key “Versus Angel” its got all those vintage sounds and ghostly choruses that the Apples are famous for. White Album fans are sure to hear the cues in “The Modern” and “Easy Now.” Chris also claims more obscure influences like Margo Guryan and Billy Nicholls. “The genesis of the record came from my long-standing admiration of the baroque pop of the late sixties and seventies,” McDuffie explains. “I guess I’ve always been fascinated with the arrangement and production from that period, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to appreciate it even more.” We appreciate it too. The overall tone of the album is slow and measured, be sure to soak it all in.

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Eytan Mirsky and Astra Via

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Eytan Mirsky “Year Of The Mouse”
The perpetual optimist Mirsky is best known for the songs he contributed to the indie films “Happiness,” “American Splendor” and “The Tao of Steve.” His approach is often compared to Nick Lowe or Marshall Crenshaw, with a strumming rhythm guitar  as his constant backdrop.

The album benefits from compelling songwriting and hook filled choruses like in the opener “This Year’s Gonna Be Our Year” and the fast paced “Positive Energy.” Lots of heartbreak tunes like “Another Week Or Two” and “I’m Losing You.” Eytan throws in a ballad or two, my favorite being the inspiring “Don’t Forget.” He even gets a bit honky tonk on “A Little Heartache,” so overall a thoroughly enjoyable album.  Eytan sells his catalog on CD Baby and Amazon, but this new album is on Bandcamp only.

Astra Via “Folie a Deux” EP
Astra Via is the music of Olivia Mancini and Jarrett Nicolay. They remind me a of Abba, and you’ll hear the similarities on “Fame” with its layered instrumentals. The next few tracks are more roots oriented, with “be Where You Are” and “Lone Traveller.” I’m not sure who’s singing on “I Don’t Mind” but it’s also very pretty in a Paul Simon way. Ending with a cover of The Beatles “I’m So Tired” it makes an impressive debut. And its practically free, so get it now!

Cliff Hillis “Dream Good”

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Cliff Hillis “Dream Good”
Cliff Hillis has done what many power pop artists do after over a decade of solid output, they seamlessly transition to adult contemporary pop. Starting out with the legendary Starbelly, then transitioning to John Faye Power Trip and IKE he drew heavily on the riffs and influences of Matthew Sweet. Once his solo career started with Be Seeing You on Not Lame Records, fans knew what to expect and Cliff has remained a popular artist ever since.

On Dream Good, Hillis continues to show his melodic skills are as sharp as ever on the opener “Keep The Blue Skies” and he still surrounds himself with top notch collaborators like Scot Sax (The Feel), Danny Wilde (The Rembrandts) and Brad Jones. And he hasn’t mellowed that much, as “Ways and Means” packs lots of power into those driving blues riffs. I love the creative “Talking Tree” with its contrasting blend of strings, bass guitar and staccato picked rhythm. The next several songs are along the Fountains of Wayne or Marshall Crenshaw vibe with “When You’re Listening” and “Welcome To You.” More gems include the brilliant “Twin Sisters” and the low key “Just The Same.” Like Mike Viola, Hillis makes each story so compelling you need to listen. Each tune has a refreshing melody line and polished delivery (without filler to be found) that puts this album near my top ten list for 2012.

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