Category: Power Pop Review

The Airport 77s and The Smithereens

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The Airport 77s

The Airport 77s “We Realize You Have a Choice”

After a year of teasers, videos, and singles, The Airport 77s finally released their full-length album, and I’m glad to say it was worth the wait. The trio consists of guitarist Andy Sullivan, bassist Chuck Dolan, and drummer John Kelly. From the opening riffs of “One Good Thing About Summer,” you’ll hear a compelling combination of The Who, The Cars, and even T-Rex.

The band really delivers lyrically and musically. “Birthday Girl” has a great party spirit, and “Losers Win” has a fun descriptive lyric set to a Raspberries-like riff. The band rocks out on the fast-paced “The Way She Moves,” and goes full bore 1980s with the synth-driven “Bad Together.” Stylistically it moves from the glam-styled guitars on “The Illustrated Book of Cupid” to the Rubinoos-like power pop of “All Torn Up Over Tina.” Not a note of filler here and it makes my top ten list for best power pop album of 2022. Highly recommended, so don’t miss it.

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The Smithereens

The Smithereens “The Lost Album”

It’s been nearly 5 years since the passing of Smithereens lead singer Pat Dinizio, but the band has remained a fan favorite and continues to play at venues, often in tribute to his distinct songwriting skills. Originally recorded back in 1993, after the New Jersey quartet found themselves dropped by Capitol Records, and before they signed with RCA. It’s a time capsule for the band, and surely a “lost” treasure by fans.

As an album, it does feel more like a group of clean demos. The band admits the album is “80 percent finished and rough mixed.” The trademark guitar sound that exemplifies the Smithereens is not always there, but you can imagine it there in songs like “Everyday World” and “Pretty Little Lies.” In fact, you do have plenty of potential hits here including “Out of This World,” “A World Apart,” and “Face The World With Pride.” Other tracks aren’t filler, but just don’t stick as well. Fans will surely love this, and that’s who this album is for. A great addition to the band’s catalog.

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September Singles, Freebies, and Eps: The Orion Experience, Danny Wilkerson, Canadian Invasion, Geoff Palmer, Bill DeMain, Rooftop Screamers, and more

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It’s the World Premiere of The Orion Experience‘s new single “Moving” is a loving tribute to the 80’s legend Kate Bush. A favorite artist of lead singers Orion Simprini and Linda  XO, they do a killer version with sharp riffs and harmonies. More will be coming, but for now, check out last year’s rich tapestry of danceable pop Fever Dream EP.

Danny Wilkerson (Pengwins) comes up with a sweet love tune “Strawberry Sherry,” and a new album isn’t far behind. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from the underrated Philly band Canadian Invasion, the new EP features re-mastered tracks from Songs for the Atco Ghost (2006) – it’s a FREEBIE, so pick it up. And Geoff Palmer is back with a tribute to the great Dee Dee Ramone by Standing in the Spotlight. Highlights include “Brooklyn Babe,” “Baby Doll”, and “Emergency” which are just a few gems off this fun EP.  Missing summer yet? This FREEBIE and massive treasure trove from Ice Cream Man Power Pop, Indian Summer is a perfect gift. Plus a few more singles for you; Bill DeMain sings about the “Lone Ranger” with swooning strings akin to Jeff Lynne. Finally, the Rooftop Screamers get the great Tim Smith (Jellyfish, The Lickerish Quartet) to sing about “The Great Unknown.”






Uni-Boys and No. 2

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Uni Boys

Uni Boys “Do It All Next Week”

California-based Uni-Boys channel power pop’s late 70’s and early 80’s era, and fans of The Plimsouls, 20/20, and The Jags will embrace their sound. While “You Worry About Me” and “Downtown” has the style down perfectly, it really fires things up with the hook-filled “On Your Lovin’ Mind,” where the guitars remind me of Bram Tchaikovsky. The production is mostly, clean and avoids the overly processed problems of that time period.

The “boys” are Noah Nash (guitar/vocals), Reza Matin (guitar/vocals), Artie Fitch (drums), and Michael Chipolletti (bass/vocals). The terrific guitars ensure most everything here works, although some tunes need stronger vocals (“Long Time No See”) or a less tinny production (“Hypocrite”). Plenty of highlights include “Up To You,” the multi-tracked strum of “Caroline Kills,” “Daily Dose,” and the Lou Reed-like strut of “I Wanna Rock You.” Highly Recommended.

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No. 2

No. 2 “First Love”

Portland’s No.2 has a compelling sound courtesy of singer/guitarist Neil Gust (Heatmiser). The opener “I’m On A Mission” has deep KISS-like riffs, about first loves, lusts, and heartbreak. While the songs are written from a queer perspective, the themes are universal. “Ravers In The Sky” is a good follow-up with a wicked guitar break. The energy level of the album eventually devolves into mid-tempo noir stories, as “A.O.R.” tells of a relationship at a college radio station.

Some nice prog-like melodies emerge with “Time’s Up,” and the rocker “You Might Be Right” is another highlight. The title track “First Love” is a slowly building tune that eventually gains momentum with some layered harmonies. However, the lack of riffs on other songs makes them forgettable. Overall a decent album that deserves to be heard.

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EP Reviews: Late Cambrian, Michael Simmons, The Glad Machine, Mom, Los Andes, The Legal Matters

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Lately, there has been so much good music in my inbox that I simply can’t put both singles and EPs together in a single post so…. here are my favorite EPs for September.

Late Cambrian have always been a unique blend of pop, dance, and experimental rock without sounding artificial. Future Snacks starts with the synth-blended “The Last Wave,” but comes up with a plenty of compelling melodies, like the bouncy “Its Always Something” and multi-tracked harmonies of “Sydney Sweeney.”

Michael Simmons, the super talent behind Sparkle*Jets U.K. has a lot on his plate. He has a massive group of covers called Singing In My Heart, but even better is his musical versions of rare Dutch power pop band Darryl-Ann’s singles. Each track of Happy Traum is a winner. Pure magic, so don’t miss it.

The Glad Machine goes full throttle on power pop, and fans of The Posies, Jellyfish, and Velvet Crush will appreciate the catchy “San Francisco” and the looser guitar on “Baby It’s You.” Not a bad track here, swirling guitar riffs of “Virginia” rule the day. One of the best EPs of the year among a crop of treasures.

UK-based Mom has been pumping out catchy 70’s inspired guitar nuggets every few months, and fans of The Ramones, The Cars, and The Rubinoos will dig this one. Highlight here is “To The Beat” and “Now Until Forever.”

Buenos Aires-based Los Andes has the formula down, and “Julie” featuring Xoel Lopez will hook you even if you don’t “hablar español”. The band also pulls the talents of legendary musicians Lukah Boo, Star Trip, and Hank Idory. No filler and gorgeous musicianship that proves power pop is much loved beyond the borders of the USA. Bravo!

Your token FREEBIE, The Legal Matters give you a Trapper Keeper stuffed with beautiful covers of their favorite tunes. Big Star’s “When My Baby’s Beside Me” and Teenage Fanclub’s “Don’t Look Back” are my faves here.

Fresh September video singles: Airport 77s, The Thirsty Curses, Ines South, Madison Cunningham, TAM

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I get a variety of different bands contributing to my inbox, and some are just too good to ignore. Firstly, a heads up on what I think will be a great album; The Airport 77s are set to release We Realize You Have A Choice on JEM Records, and the opening single simply rocks. Review coming soon, but this was too good a video to pass unpromoted. The Thirsty Curses do a puppet version of Natural Born Killers with a compelling melody. Ines South looks like she’s having fun here, and the song “Sun’s Son” is a fun single too. Another up-and-coming star is Madison Cunningham, her LP is out this week and she reminds me a little of Sheryl Crow. Finally, TAM is LA artist Tommy Mai, and he gives us a cool “mental souvenir” with its late 1970s vibe.