Category: Top Ten of 2024 Candidate

Joy Buzzer and Willie Dowling

powerpopaholic
“Joy

Joy Buzzer “Pleased to Meet You”

The band was founded in 2021 and features Kevin Lydon on lead vocals, with Jed Becker on guitar and writing the tunes; KG Noble on guitar and vocals;  Nick DeMatteo on bass and vocals, and Mark Brotter on drums. The opener is the band’s first single “Judy Judy Judy,” with its catchy chorus and Jed Becker’s layered guitars recall 80s classic hooks, and the solo break even touched on prog/psyche rock. Kevin Lydon’s vocal perfectly fits and help give the band its signature sound.

It amps the energy up even more on “You’d Be Surprised,” a Beatlesque gem akin to The Weeklings. “Jeanette” brings us back down to earth, as a mid tempo tune with unexpected key shifts and stellar harmonies. There is something here for every power pop fan, from heavier rockers like “The Secret Word” and “You Don’t Even Know My Name” (which was voted coolest song by Stevie Van Zandt’s Underground Garage) to lighter pop gems like “Mamaroneck” and “All These Yesterdays.” The quirky and catchy come together on “Try Not To Be An Asshole,” a personal favorite of mine. While a few songs seemed formulaic, I couldn’t find a bad song here. When its all killer and no filler, it’s definitely on my top ten list for 2024. Super highly recommended!

Amazon


“Willie

Willie Dowling “The Simpleton”

Willie Dowling (Dowling Poole, Jackdaw4) goes solo here and displays his formidable melodic talents. The songs are almost prog-pop with dramatic builds on “Let Us Begin” including an operatic piano solo loaded with violins, about a slowly unfolding armageddon. The story continues “Long Drop Down” a compelling tale of a poisonous world “where the liars and the cheats prevail.” Dowling’s influences remain Roy Wood, XTC, 10cc, and a sprinkling of Sparks theatricality. Unlike his other works, most of these songs are piano led, and it sounds similar to a stage show soundtrack.

The concept album follows modern political nihilism, the title track “the Simpleton” is a bio of a TV pundit with a solid cascading melody followed by the dramatic chorus of “Sadie Goldman,” a lost soul that follows a road to illusion. “Down the Slide” continues the story of the evil corporate media; “don’t you let the truth get in your way.” It ends with the beautiful ballad “In The Ocean,” and while Willie’s musicianship is stellar, the distinctly bleak worldview might put off some. But if you are a fan of the band Skeleton Staff, you will definitely love this. Highly Reccomended.

Amazon

Nick Piunti and The Armoires

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Nick Piunti

Nick Piunti “Up and Out of It”

Likely one of the best power pop artists we have today, Nick Piunti has consistently produced excellent music for well over ten years. In his third album with his band, The Complicated Men, he continues his run of great tunes, but with more variety of tone and style without compromising his unique sound. In terms of lyrics, each and every one of his songs is deeply personal and biographical in subject matter.

The openers “Seasick” and “Bottle it” are some of Piunti’s finest ear worms, about the songwriting process. The melodies and power chords “may be something you’ve seen before,” as he sings but they are super catchy and do the job. “Mind Reader” is another gem that effortlessly clicks. Two songs were created by guitarist Joe Daksiewicz. One of them “I’m Ready” has a slower mesmerizing tempo and Nick’s vocal brings it life. Joe also does many of the solos on the album. The remaining Complicated Men are bassist Jeff Hupp, keyboardist Kevin Darnall, and drummer Ron Vensko. Like all of Nick’s work, it’s a great listen from top to bottom. Highly Recommended and definitely on this year’s top ten list.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Armoires

The Armoires “Octoberland”

Another veteran band, The Armoires are back with Octoberland, their fifth full-length album, and a great mix of eclectic rock styles wrapped in a distinct sound.”We Absolutely Mean It,” is a densely packed melody highlighted by strings and the multi-tracked verses singing “This is where we go big.”

Christina Bulbenko’s singing on “This One is For The Swedes” and “Ridley & Me After the Apocalypse” are highlights, and includes lots of interesting pop textures with the synths and guitar rhythms. Rex Broome lends his vocals on the contemplative “Here Comes the Song,” and the choral harmonies are added to his lead on “You Oughta be Cut in Half,” which lends itself to comparisons to The Cowsills. A creative narrative about Ukraine is sung on “Snake Island Thirteen,” a lovely pop confection comparing soldiers to ancient Greeks fighting monsters. The mellow “Music & Animals” is another satisfying melody, but not everything here works as well. However, there are enough good songs to make it recommended, especially if you enjoy the Armoire sound.

Big Stir Records | Amazon

Jon Flynn and The Half Cubes

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““The

Jon Flynn “Cherry Cherry”

The second solo effort by Jon Flynn, half of the power pop group Diamond Hands, “Cherry Cherry” is a great listen. The ten songs that make up the album take the listener on an adventure of discovery from Jon’s move from Los Angeles to San Francisco. “Game You’re Playing” has a sparse electronic sound, and you’ll hear a bit of early Talking Heads meets Marc Bolan. The layered synths and simple guitar rhythm are accented by strings and still catchy. “Where to Start” has a bit more swagger, as he sings “change is a monster.”

Not everything works, but there are clear standouts like the psychedelic reverb of “Brush Your Hair,” and the dramatic seduction of “Creature” and “Great Man.”  Jon’s persona on these dramatic moments also reminds me of Gaz Coombes (Supergrass) but many other tunes didn’t have that much of a hook. Despite this, Jon definitely sets himself apart from his former band stylistically and has a unique perspective on things. Check out this album that deserves to be heard.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

““The

The Half Cubes “Pop Treasures”

Is there a perfect covers album? By design, cover albums have a strike against them by not being originals. But Power Pop Hall-Of-Famers and Syracuse natives The Flashcubes may have found a loophole. Similar in approach to Big Stir Records label-mates Sparkle*Jets UK, they picked their favorite power pop records and recorded them with an eye on a new audience re-discovering these great songs. But what ‘Cubes vocalist-bassist Gary Frenay and drummer Tommy Allen have done is a labor of love that includes many of the original artists on these classics. They also enlisted Randy Klawon (The Choir) to get the correct guitar sound.

Great cover versions of classic songs by artists such as The Hollies, The Searchers, The Pursuit of Happiness, Cheap Trick, The Pernice Brothers, The Hudson Brothers, and more are available here. My faves include Eric Carmen’s “My Girl,” Phil Seymour’s “Precious To Me” and The Hudson Brothers “Spinning Wheel.” Hard to argue that this doesn’t belong on my 2024 top ten list. Super Highly Recommended!

Amazon | Big Stir Records

The Cle Elum and The Yum Yums

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The Cle Elum

The Cle Elum “It’s Ok If It Falls Apart”

Tennessee band The Cle Elum is the duo of Sarah Sargent Pepper and Ian Lee. Stylistically, it is all over the place, but it’s got some great songs here. The opener, “Handclaps & Harmonies” is a perfect rocker for fans who don’t trust the singer and “don’t care what the words mean.” The style and tone change to Elvis Costello for “…Remember When,” and then 80s-styled rock on the memorable “I am a Robot” with singer Matthew Caws.

“Old Folks” is another quality tune that gives great advice with a hook. It does best with the layered arrangements and synth melody on “Did I Get High” and the Tom Petty-esque “I Wanted To Sleep.” While not every song here maintains the quality, there are enough worthy songs to rate this album highly recommended.

Bandcamp


The Yum Yums

The Yum Yums “Poppin’ Up Again”

Norwegian band The Yum Yums is likely one of the most underrated power pop bands playing today. Next to Japan’s Shonen Knife, I can’t think of another band that does buzzy, Ramones-derived pop better. But more than applying the hook-filled three-chord aesthetic, the Yum Yums approach their music with a dynamite sense of melody, harmonies, and bubblegum sweetness those boys in black leather never had.

Poppin’ Up Again continues a great run of albums since 1993, led by Morten Henriksen. The first three songs stick closest to the Ramones template; “Vitamin U,” “Got Me Good,” and “Do You Like Me” are brilliant high-energy pop. The band adds Beach Boy-styled harmonies on “Baby Doll,” and many tunes have an old-fashioned innocence (like “Dance,” “Candy”) with a sincere sentiment, and buzzing guitars. It’s hard to find a single bad track here, although “Foxy” sounds a little too much like Rum Bar Records labelmate Brad Marino. But despite that, this album is highly recommended and added to my Top Ten list for 2024.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Redd Kross and Sparkle*jets UK

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The Black Watch

Redd Kross “Redd Kross”

Jeff and Steve McDonald have been doing their brand of power pop for over 45 years, and have transformed themselves from snot-nosed young punks to elder statesmen who can rock and roll all night (and party every day!) This new album carries on from 2019’s Beyond the Door and raises the ante. It’s a massive 18 tracks of their most intense and captivating music to date. Pulsating with vitality, crackling with intensity, and chiming with sweet harmonies, it shows a conspicuous dedication to songcraft.

On glam rockers like “Candy Coated Catastrophe” and “Stunt Queen,” the brothers strive for a heavy stadium sound that is on par with their best songs. On poppier numbers, their Beatlesque influences pop through, like “Good Times Propaganda Band” with its swirling bass line. There are simply too many highlights to list, and the band does vent about rockstar life in “What’s in it for you?,” “Way Too Happy,” and “Terrible Band,” which are both catchy and lyrically interesting. However, the band doesn’t slow down the tempo or tone much. Even power ballads like “The Main Attraction” build up quickly to loud harmonies. Still, this remains a triumph and gets a nod for inclusion in my year-end top ten list. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Sparklejets UK

Sparkle*Jets UK “Box of Letters”

Sometimes the stars align with a power pop band that hasn’t been heard from in a while. After 2002’s Bamboo Lounge, it looked like the band was done. Even though the album was planned and recorded in 2006, bad luck prevented it from getting finished. But the band got back together for last year’s cover collection, Best of Friends, proving that magic was still there. The core lineup of singer-guitarist Susan West, multi-instrumentalist Michael Simmons, and bassist James Knight are joined by Joel Valder (drums) and Tisha Boonyawatana (keys, vocals). They all sound like they’re having fun here.

Opening with a cover of The Zombies’ “This Will Be Our Year,” it’s a richly layered tune with many impressive sonic details. “Goodbye X3” and “Love Burn” showcase Susan’s vocal personality perfectly, and then we get the Jellyfish-like “Princess Needy” with its bouncy chorus and the disco break midway through. More highlights include “I Can’t Wait for Summer,” a beautiful Beach Boys pastiche, and the title track “Box of Letters, ” a grower that builds on sweet nostalgia and is so catchy. Plenty of gems are sprinkled here, and other than the ‘80s lounge pop of “Where’s The Moment,” it’s all killer, no filler, and highly recommended!

Big Stir Records | Amazon