Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

Marmalade Army “All Tomorrows Yesterdays”
On the followup to 2008’s “Johnny Cake and Moon Pies,” the band moves away from 60’s pastiche and leans more on its XTC’s influences. But it starts out with a surf guitar instrumental before it dazzles us with the brilliant “Persephone.” It tells the story of falling in love with an eccentric as the falsetto intones “All the children point and snicker/ but she makes my heart beat quicker.”

“Bumped My Head On The Sky” is also impressive, with a catchy melody and Andy Partridge styled bridge. “I Think You Know” has some beautiful musical ideas, and another keeper is the frantic “Myclonic Jerk.” The bouncy beat and handclaps of “Unglued” contrasts the wicked guitar solo – its my favorite here. The band has definitely improved, but could have edited the album better (tons of filler you’ll want to skip).  However, the gems are worth digging for. Fans of Pugwash and SugarPlastic will definitely want to get this one.

The Mayflowers “Plymouth Rock”
Power pop bands get plenty of respect in Japan, but rarely do they get coverage here. The Mayflowers have appeared on IPO compilations vol. 9 and 10, but the latest album Plymouth Rock really caught my attention with the excellent “Cat’s Boro Blues.” Lead vocalist and guitarist Osamu Satoyama really puts together a gem with drummer Tatsuya Nishimura.

The opener “Beat Stone” sounds a lot like Cirrone with a swirling lead amid solid harmonies. “Maybelline” starts with the same guitar jangle as The La’s “There She Goes” but adds a different melody. The Japanese accent isn’t really noticeable, until you get to the Ringo-like country song “Lodi.” Another gem is “Let Me Roll” with its hard charging guitar rhythm and sweet chorus. It finishes up with a Beatlesque tribute, and at 8 tracks not a trace of filler here. Japanese power pop is really tough to find in the USA – thankfully Jam Records has all 3 albums for sale!

At this point Adam Levy and his band The Honeydogs are preaching to the choir. This prolific alt. county band is criminally under appreciated as they’ve moved effortlessly from Gram Parsons styled rock to progressive pop, country and back. What Comes After is less ambitious than the earlier masterwork of 10,000 years, but still contains some incredible, melodic compositions. Starting with the acoustic blues riff on “Particles or Waves,” it has an easy soulful chorus, with those cool horns in the break.

Then the horns lead us to the best track here “Aubben” with its steady rhythm, undeniable hook and timely message (“Do you need more than you have?”) The Honeydogs combine influences from Bacharach to Ryan Adams on the lovely “Everything In It’s Place.”  Another favorite here, “Broke It, Buy It” has that jaunty piano riff, jazzy sax solo and quirky melody that can only come from Levy. His vocals remain as distinct as Elvis Costello on the apocalyptic ballad “Death By Boredom.” Some complex guitar work is a highlight on “Better Word” and we go full country with banjo melody on “Blood Is Blood.” Not everything here sticks, and some songs just drag along (“Devil We Do”) but there is enough here to make it a highly recommended album.

The Heartless Devils “El Diablo Sin Corazon”
The Heartless Devils blend Power Pop, Hard Rock, and Garage punk into a sound that is both aggressive and catchy in the spirit of The Ramones and Cheap Trick. The hooks are plentiful and the band doesn’t take itself too seriously in those wrestler masks. The crashing drums and loud riffs penetrate the most jaded listener on “Horror Show,” but the fun really begins with the swaggering “Bad Luck Charm,” which recalls the pop punk of The Godfathers.

The next few tracks are truly terrific, with both “Hold On” and “Blame You” gathering up even more energy and compares well with Paul Collins and The Beat. Other notable tracks include “So Bad” and “Favorite Songs,” but without any slower tunes to break things up it gets a little exhausting toward the albums end. “Larceny” provides a little mid-tempo respite to the listener, but overall a fun album that you can blast loud on the car stereo and give credit to the awesome guitar work of Scott Bittner (lead) and Blaine Horn (bass). In fact, “Blame You” is the new favorite of radio DJ Dave The Boogieman, so you know it’s great.

Matthew Matz “Fallen By The Wayside”
Pennsylvania guitarist Matthew Matz teamed up with vocalist Dean Grey to produce his debut Fallen By The Wayside. Matz has a classic rock style similar to The Gin Blossoms, as evidenced by the impressive “Run Away,” and his guitar skills are superb. The songwriting is pretty standard with some interesting lyrical narratives. “Teenage Loser” is the best example of this; a Cars-like rhythm and sing along chorus about the girl that got away. This leads to the gentle strums of “Gone” which reminds me a bit of Toad The Wet Sprocket. What doesn’t work for me was the occasional heavy handed morality in “Don’t Stray” and the misogynistic bitterness of “Bitch.”  Despite this it’s a worthy album, and even the heavier tracks like “Wilmington” which recall Collective Soul are enjoyable with Matzs fine guitar work.