Category: Power Pop Review

Quick Takes: Penny Arcade, Peter Freebairn, and Mo Troper

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Penny Arcade “Backwater Collage”

James Hoare’s (Ultimate Painting) first solo album is under the moniker Penny Arcade. Hoare took his time making this sleepy, hand-stitched record. He had to save these songs from the cutting room floor of several recording sessions. In “Don’t Cry No Tears,” James combines his soft, sad voice with Nathalia Bruno’s smooth, warm vocals. “Mr. Softie” is another winner, a lo-fi psychedelic theme that will stick with you. Get it on Amazon


Peter Freebairn “Silhouettes & Cigarettes”

Aussie crooner Peter Freebairn is special. This 8-track LP, expertly mastered by Victor Stranges, is essential. Opening with “World You Choose,” it’s top-shelf, catchy modern adult pop with Peter’s weary, but endearing vocal. The swirling guitar strums on the ballad “You and I,” have that old-school charm, and there is no filler anywhere here. The catchy rock earworm “I Got Lucky (I Got You)” interrupts a suite of soul-searching gems. Highly Recommended. Get it on Amazon

Mo Troper “Svengali”

Portland musician Mo Troper is likely the most influential power pop artist we have now. After his recent Jon Brion tribute album, Troper Sings Brion, he is back in experimental lo-fi pop mode. Svengali has a few gems tucked away in the feedback and fuzz, like the guilty pleasure “The Billy Joel Fan Club,” and the bouncy, caffeinated “Spark World.” There are plenty of great tunes here, like “Recipe for Loving,” which almost sounds like the Lemon Twigs, and the six-part instrumental potpourri of “Svengali’s Theme.” Like most Troper albums, its a buffet of riches. Get it on Amazon

 

David Woodard and Ward White

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David Woodard

David Woodard “Get It Good”

David Woodard from Nashville, Tennessee, makes a great impact with Get It Good, which shows off all of his power pop influences. With his signature sweet melodies and harmonies, this eleven-song album features some of his catchiest songs yet.

David’s lyrics aren’t obtuse, he says what’s on his mind, and you get it immediately. He launches things with the biographical jangling gem “Last of the Full Grown Men,” about a midlife crisis and picking up that guitar to take a “break from the insanity.” The mid-tempo “Get it Good” boasts a great bridge full of harmonies, and “I Can’t Make the World a Better Place” gets across the frustrations of the world today and the limits of what a musician can do.

His glorious Beatlesque side comes through on “Flower Power in the 80s” and “I Used To Be Cool.” These great catchy songs contrast with the calm tone and adult-oriented anxiety of “Riptide.” The 80’s rock riffs appear on “Grace Under Pressure” and “Coming to Life.” It finishes with the delicate “Only What Love Requires,” including a subtle piano melody and strings. There are more than enough great songs here to make this one highly recommended.

KoolKat Musik | Amazon

Ward White

Ward White “Here Come The Dowsers”

Ward White weaves together character vignettes voiced by many personas in his new album Here Come the Dowsers, which explores the disillusionment they all feel for the movie business. The concept album is a good way to tell the story from different points of view, and it also gives White a chance to add an emotional twist to each tune. There are several notable tracks here. Starting with “Continuity,” it’s an effective narrative of the life of a stuntman that soars musically. The title track “Here Come The Dowsers” equates the birth of a studio movie product with water divination in the desert of early 20th-century Hollywood. The swaying arrangement has multiple melody lines and harmonies.

“Our Town” is another grand melody about the cutthroat competition, and “Johnny Fontane” is about a producer stubbornly casting for The Godfather. The musical tone recalls Ray Davies and The Kinks’ early 1970s era in spots. “Pick Up Your Face” is a commentary on a starlet’s fleeting beauty, with a catchy keyboard chorus. Although the personalities and lyrics presented can become overly obscure (i.e., Louella Parsons), it doesn’t diminish the musical pleasure. This is an album that requires multiple listens to appreciate. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Mikayla Geier and an interesting statistic

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Now something completely different: Vancouver-born and Los Angeles-based Mikayla Geier is a singer, songwriter, and former ballet student of the controversial Kirov Academy of Ballet. With the support of friends and family, Mikayla left the academy behind and began writing music and posting on social media to journal her past experiences. “Dance of the Trees” is her debut EP. Mikayla also has another song commenting on the dangers of eating disorders called “i don’t feel safe in my body.” She will be donating/fundraising for Project HEAL which provides resources to those who are struggling.

Hey Indie Musicians! Some interesting facts!

  • A staggering 87% of the top 100 artists on Spotify in the US are self-taught, challenging traditional paradigms of music education.
  • Only 4% of them have a music degree. An additional 4% started a degree but didn’t finish it, meaning that the remaining 92% don’t have a music degree and didn’t even start one.

This trend points to the growing accessibility of music creation and the democratization of the music industry, empowering artists without formal training to achieve success. We’ve got a full report available here:

Self-taught musicians dominate US’s Spotify charts — here are a few remarkable examples

Aerial and The Cyrkle

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Aerial

Aerial “Activities of Daily Living”

Activities of Daily Living is the third album by the Scottish power-pop band Aerial, and it’s been 10 years since their breakout LP Why Don’t They Teach Heartbreak At School. Despite a little softening of the band’s sound over the last decade, they can still tear through gems like “Pixelated Youth,” a rocker about playing video games akin to Green Day. The band’s main musicians, Colin Cummings and Mackie Mackintosh, created most of the music during the COVID-19 pandemic. The slower, more reflective “Hollywood Ghosts” brings to mind the mid-tempo thoughts of Ryan Hamilton or Fountains of Wayne. The catchy melody and well-planned handclaps of “I Bet You Know Karate” make it stand out.

They go for the grand ballad on “Debutante” and “Silversand Beach,” but it’s back to heavier riffs for “A Encore and a Cover Song” and “Cadence,” which is closer in spirit to Weezer. The well-written and executed “Bad Tattoo” is yet another standout track. The lack of the carefree spirit that permeated the prior album is the most significant criticism. In addition, the uneven styles don’t stick as well either. Despite this, Aerial puts forth a quality album that is highly recommended.

Amazon

The Cyrkle

The Cyrkle “Revival”

The Cyrkle is one of those rare two-hit wonders back in 1966, with a Paul Simon/Bruce Woodly penned “Red Rubber Ball” and “Turn Down Day” as their claim to fame back then. The core duo of Tom Dawes and Don Dannemann had a pleasant and energetic folk/pop/rock sound. They were the only American band that the legendary Brian Epstein managed, and they went on to record two albums. They even went on a concert tour playing with The Beatles. But by 1968, it was all over… until now. 

Fast forward to 2024, Don Dannemann connected with singer-guitarist Michael Losekamp, to record their reminiscences. Don has a contagious passion for the band’s legendary past. Songs like “Center of the World” and “We Thought We Could Fly” reflect the band’s astonishment at their precarious fame. The latter track includes the late Tom Dawes vocals, added much like the recent Beatles single “Now and Then,” and it’s the best new song here. It does sound strange when Cyrkle revives their early 60’s sound on “Goin’ Steady With You,” but its sure to appeal to their senior audience. Of course, they do a good job on updated versions of their hits as well as Paul Simon’s “59th Street Bridge Song.” Listen, if Sir Paul and Ringo can record a stroll down memory lane, why can’t The Cyrkle? It’s your grandpa’s music that deserves to be heard.

Amazon | KoolKat Musik | Big Stir Records

May singles and more: The Martial Arts, Speedfossil, Goodman, Vanilla, Sad About Girls, The Fuzzy Berries

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The Martial Arts‘ new album, is due in August of this year. The Martial Arts is Paul Kelly, who for over 15 years has been a mainstay of the Scottish music scene as a member of BMX Bandits (nice pedigree). “No Victory” is the first big single. Speedfossil is also back with a cool EP, all good songs, so check out “Magic Trick.” NYC’s own Goodman also returns with a new single, “Only Testimony,” from his 7th album. Vanilla continues to grow Pish Posh, and I enjoyed the yacht rock groove of “She Loves Me Not.” Another crunchy EP is Sad About Girls, check out the Keith Moon drum rolls on the epic “As Another Minute Passes By,” Finally, Melbourne kids The Fuzzy Berries will simply charm you with those melodies. Listen to “Clarence In Wonderland.” A great start to May!