Category: Highly Recommended by Powerpopaholic

The Alice Rose from Austin, Texas has an uncanny ability to play amazingly catchy pop music. After being reviewed well by National Public Radio, local Texas media and other power pop blogs, I’ve finally gotten around to this one. The band’s sound is best defined to resemble the classic strummings of Squeeze and Crowded House. But the influences aren’t definitely not confined there. That’s why “Phonographic Memory” is such a great choice of title. Led by the talented JoDee Purkeypile, it is a major find and you should give these guys a spin on your ipod. “Lighten Up” has a McCartney meets Glen Tilbrook vibe – and would make an awesome single. “Love Me” is like an early Elton John classic. “Saints” is a perfect mid-tempo ballad with a chorus that has a rush of emotion that I haven’t heard in a long time and reminds me of classic Stevie Wonder. “Wisteria” is another great song here. A nice mix of arena soft rock guitar and melodic acrobatics that Jellyfish fans will fall in love with. I love the chord changes on this song and vocal performance – this is my favorite song on the album so far. “Stop” recalls early Wilco meets The Rembrandts and is an excellent tune as well. The production is clean and well done too. It is without a doubt, if you pick up this CD, you will not be sorry. Hear some of it on MySpace.

The Alice Rose Website | MySpace | CD Baby | Not lame

Pittsburgh, PA’s Black Tie Revue debut hit the streets and it is best described as legitimate sonic assault. The catchy “Code Fun” dares you to not enjoy yourself while you listen — it opens up with “Red Everywhere” and that’s full of heavy guitar and fast drums, not unlike Splitsville or Green Day’s early material. The best track however is the amazing “I’m so sure” a great summer punk anthem. It got the right amount of scorching riffs and profanity and I can’t stop listening to it and hitting that repeat button over and over. The group has been touring all over the country (CMJ, SXSW) and has been picking up new fans wherever the go. A local Pittsburgh newspaper declared BTR “most likely to succeed” less than two years after first playing together. “Code Fun” continues the addictive three-chord power-pop fest and I dare you to not shake your head in response to this one! “The Late Show” gradually increases the noise at the end of the track, like The Beatles’ “She so Heavy.” Every song here is hot with no filler, all killer tracks! The band’s history is one where “persistence” is a credo and it’s beginning to pay off. Get this one before your friends!

Listen to “Code Fun”

BTR Website | MySpace | Amazon | Not lame | Gearhead Records

I finally got to listen to this wonderful CD. Dolieslager’s wry lyrics and tuneful songs are perfect for a rainy day here. Fans of Michael Penn and The Rembrandts will enjoy this album immensely. This is beautifully crafted pop with just the right amount of catchiness and quirkiness as evidenced in the mid-tempo song “Anchor,” which mix it’s melody with a bit of heartache. “Like Day and Night” is a high spirited romp, if you can imagine Elliot Smith as lead singer of the Monkees here. “Carousel” is a bit more reflective and follows a music box styled tempo. Even simpler is “Between the Pages” song about romantic yearning – with a nice steel pedal guitar adding emphasis here. “Nowhere in Record Setting Time” is a little vaudevillian-styled tune that Harry Nillson fans will respect. In fact, Duane’s songwriting style is not unlike Nillson, weaving emotions and descriptive pictures together seamlessly. Not every track is stellar (“Close to the Bottom” feels like filler here) but so much is so good it will find a favorite spot in your music collection and Duane is an artist that has an amazing debut and an excellent future.

MySpace | CD Baby | Not Lame

Signal Hill Transmission`s new CD “An Empty Space” is a highly polished slice of indie rock you’ll really enjoy. The album begins with an acoustic mid-tempo “Pipe Dream” that stresses a glorious melody that is sure to please Fountain of Wayne fans. Unlike other indie bands, they are not all one note, same sounding on each song, but display a wide range as evidenced by the next track “Alright” which displays some great guitar and rhythm with lyrics that stress “I wish I grew up in the 70s when free love and rock n’ roll meant something” And this, along with “Polyvinyl Acetate” is the album’s primary theme. “No More Riders for Free” is my favorite track on here because it starts slow and the guitar just builds with the song into a blistering solo near the end that would make Jeff Tweedy envious. The song “Cherry is a Girl” has chiming guitars and tumbling vocals played with clean harmonies like a great FOW track. Most of the songs are catchy and immediate and this album is as “sticky” to the ears as anything else, until things start to slow down on “On and Off” and the moody “95 North.” The title track “An Empty Space” has a bit of the Jayhawks or Wilco feel to it with a pounding drum, guitar strum and harmonica and is also an album highlight. Visit the Signal Hill Transmission site to hear the album streaming. It’s available all over the place!

The SHT Website | MySpace | CDBaby

The Wellingtons are a fresh new power pop band from down under. This is the follow up to 2005’s brilliant Keeping Up with the Wellingtons which is also available on CD Baby. A lot like classic Tories, Jellyfish and Matthew Sweet this band knows what works and they do it exceptionally well. “Top Ten List” starts off with an infectious drumbeat and lightning quick melodies that sparkle. The group has great energy, usually reserved for a more spunky band like Green Day or Kelly’s Heels. Lead singer Zac Anthony recalls John Faye and Rivers Cuomo from Weezer in his vocal approach. “Girls in Magazines” and “Penny” are great examples of this. “Sight For Sore Eyes” is a another great tune with perfect riffs and harmonies all over it. “Singer in a cover band” has a Cheap Trick like riff and rocks the house down. “If we feel okay” is another Tories-like radio friendly potential hit single. On “The Nice One” we hear Kate Goldby join Zac with the vocals, and I feel she could have been used more on the album. Overall there is no filler on this album, although it plays the same style on all 12 tracks without a slower ballad breaking things up, it is a great summer album. Get your pop fix here and enjoy it.

The Wellingtons Website | MySpace | CDBaby