Category: Power Pop Review
Buzz Zeemer, Onesie and Pony in the Pancake
Buzz Zeemer “Lost and Found”
Vocalist Frank Brown, a veteran of the Philadelphia music scene, and guitarist Tom Conwell created the band Buzz Zeemer in the late 90s. Brown crafts guitar-driven melodies that are more refined than your average power pop band. After two successful albums the band vanished, but 25 years later it returns with unreleased tracks recorded between 1993 and 1997.
“Happy Hour” is a great hook-filled opener and a perfect example of how dynamic power pop was in the late 90s. We’ve got 14 tracks of goodies that go well with fans of The Lemonheads, The Replacements, and The Gigolo Aunts. Lots of highlights here, and this is a collection that deserves serious study; from the contemplative “Sometimes” to the churning grunge of “What I’ve Got.” The melodic gems “Don’t Pull Away” and “The Chosen One” were favorites of mine. Highly Recommend.
Onesie “Liminal Hiss”
The Brooklyn-based power pop band Onesie, fronted by guitarist/singer/songwriter Ben Haberland is back after 4 years. The band has always been unorthodox but repeated listens show their rich talent. The minor key riffs on “Permaspring” and “Robocall” have a slight Field Music feel to them, yet Onesie is true to itself with its own laid-back, casual style. “What You Kill” has a great catchy hook in its chorus and its driving drum beat. “Let Me Guess” is equally an earworm.
The style shifts slightly with “Morning Warren” a mix of funk rhythms and jangle is the definition of modern eclectic pop. Another good comparison is The Mommyheads, especially with “Another Day in The Experiment” and “Live Yuppie Scum.” The band’s unpredictability and mashing of styles is a feature here, not a bug, and will keep you listening. Highly Recommended.
Pony in the Pancake “In Dreams”
Pony in the Pancake is an Albany-based indie band known for their harmonies, depressing lyrics, and easygoing approach. These tracks use lo-fi guitars and garage-rock rhythms, creating soundscapes that recall traditional surf-pop with a modern twist. While not always compelling there are some highlights like “We’ll Go Walking” and “Forever.” The download is “name-your-price,” so you can check it out risk free.
Cover Me: Tribute to Ray Davies, Abbey Road, and much more
Assorted Artists “Jem Records Celebrates Ray Davies”
The fourth release in a series honoring the best songwriters in rock. Jem Records Celebrates Ray Davies is an homage to one of England’s finest rock writers and follows the success of Jem Records Celebrates John Lennon, Brian Wilson, and Pete Townshend. It features fantastic covers by The Weeklings, The Grip Weeds, Nick Piunti, The Anderson Council, and many more. Kurt Reil of The Grip Weeds (who also contributed) recorded a majority of the songs for the album’s 13 tracks at The House of Vibe Studios in New Jersey. Next to The Beatles, the Kinks are a great band to pay tribute to because of the great songwriting, and some of my favorites here include deep cuts in the catalog like “Do You Remember Walter” (The Anderson Council), “Picture Book” (The Airport 77s), and the gentle “Days” (Lisa Mychols & Super 8). All the songs here are great, so it’s definitely Highly Recommended.
Assorted Artists “Abbey Road Reimagined – A Tribute To The Beatles”
The Beatles are likely the most covered band in history, and there are hours of Beatles tributes available, so why did producer/multi-instrumentalist Fernando Perdomo release this one? Abbey Road, which The Beatles released in October 1969, quickly rose to fame. It was perfect in every respect and most would say that they were at their peak.
What makes this tribute such a standout are the diverse group of artists here, and some unique interpretations by power pop royalty, including appearances from Matthew Sweet, Roger Manning (Jellyfish), and Charles Jones (Vulfpeck). The most creative and effective cover here is “Octopus’ Garden,” reimagined as a country song by Matt Axton and Brian Auger. Another highlight is the rendition of “Because” by Rebecca Pidgeon & Patrick Moraz with a sitar giving the harmonies added depth. Not all covers have that power, but most work just fine, sticking faithfully to the arrangements. Well done!
Sparkle*Jets U.K. “Best Of Friends”
This is a different kind of cover album for the Long Beach, California trio, consisting of vocalist guitarist Susan West, bassist Jamie Knight, and singer/multi-instrumentalist Michael Simmons. In this album, they do covers of other bands from the late ’90s and early 2000s. It’s a trio of talented power-pop fans covering their favorite songs from that era. This is a perfect idea, as these songs aren’t so familiar and deserve to be re-discovered!
A sneeze starts out with “Hold On Tight” (Walter Clevenger) an excellent opener, and it doesn’t hold back. Songs by The Masticators, Andersons, Kompost, Adam Daniel, Cockeyed Ghost, The Dons, Linus of Hollywood, The Shazam, and more. Let’s just say only the most devoted Power Pop fan will recall them all. The band does a great job here, and the songs are ripe for covering that magical time prior to the 21st century. Highly Reccomended!
AmazonRIP: Smash Mouth’s big mouth Steve Harwell
On September 4, 2023, the day I am writing this, Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth passed away. He was 56 years old, and he had recently been admitted to hospice care, due to liver failure from alcohol abuse. Harwell’s determination and persistence helped Smash Mouth break through the flood of new bands in the late 90’s. Unlike Jimmy Buffet, who had an army of fans following him (and plenty of tributes) Harwell’s illness had him leave the band quietly in 2021.
I despise how frequently well-known musicians pass away these days, but whenever a power pop-related one does, I always feel compelled to publish a blog post about it. Smash Mouth reached its peak popularity in 2001 and yes, some of their songs were mainstream “power pop” in my opinion. Known best for “All-Star” and a rousing cover of The Monkees “I’m A Believer,” they felt like one-hit wonders to most, despite having charted several times. But ever since they hit the scene on Fu Yu Mang with the catchy retro hook of “Walking On The Sun,” a pop song nestled among the punk rock tunes, it proved this was the best direction for the band (much like Green Day at the time).
Harwell had a distinctive voice and much like The Smithereens Pat DiNizio – the band may continue without him, but it will never sound the same. My favorite album was 1999’s Astro Lounge, prior to The Shrek movie which really made them big concert draws. Unfortunately, the band couldn’t duplicate that turn-of-the-century zeitgeist and they faded into “uncool,” remixing covers and previous hits. The band paid tribute to him recently, and you should spin some Smash Mouth in his honor. More band history here. RIP Steve.
Scott Gagner and The Flashcubes
Scott Gagner “Reverse”
Scott Gagner’s dream of recording at the home of The Beatles came true. Reverse was made at Abbey Road, Studio 2 using the same microphone that John used to record “A Day in the Life.” The euphoric emotions come through in the opener “Friend Like You.” The bouncy pop of “My Glasses” is an early highlight here. A reasonable reaction to the chaos of a polarized society by “putting my headphones on” and tuning out the world. But the shining gem here is “Never Could See Any Other Way,” a slow, gentle Beatlesque tune with a catchy, ascending hook in the chorus, gorgeous horns, and Nick Frater on bass. The tribute “Christine McVie” pulls out several musical cues from the Fleetwood Mac songbook, but now I just want to hear “Hold Me.”
I really wanted to love this album, but it’s just too inconsistent. “There Was A House Here” uses laser synths, and he menacingly recites lyrics meant for a cheesy horror film or the next episode of Stranger Things. The slowly depressing “Jesus in Reverse,” “For Granted,” and “Her Idea” bring the mood down too. Another bright spot, “Footprints,” is a beautiful, jangling tribute to his daughter growing up. Overall, this is a good album that deserves to be heard.
The Flashcubes “Pop Masters”
The legendary Flashcubes formed in 1977 in Syracuse, New York, with Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin on guitars, Gary Frenay on bass, and Tommy Allen on drums. The Flashcubes only put out two singles during their initial run of albums from 1977 to 1980, “Christi Girl” and “Wait Til Next Week,” both of which are now considered guitar pop masterpieces. And who better to judge great power pop? The band has been teaming up with other power pop legends to play their favorite covers. Legends like Pezband, Shoes, Pilot, The Spongetones, etc. lend both music and production help, but this is a veteran ‘Cubes band that cranks the amps up on their versions.
The band’s style is glossy and densely produced. The best collaborations are where the band and the original artist find a groove together on the song, This works best with “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with Mimi Betinis (Pezband) “Get Up and Go” with Dave Paton (Pilot) and “Get The Message” with Randy Klaxon (Cyrus Erie). Not every song fits the Flashcubes treatment, as “Come Out and Play” misses the youthful exuberance of the original. The other covers are wonderfully done, Twilley’s “Alone In My Room” and The Posies “Flavor of The Month” were standouts to me. This band still has the chops, and I expect some new originals to come soon! Highly Recommended.