Power Popaholic Top 40 for 2018

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Top 40 albums of 2018

This year was an abundant one for power pop, as it was very difficult to sort out the top 25. And I expanded my list to 40 artists. As it has happened in the past, my #1 is the same as absolutepowerpop.com (I swear this list is compiled without looking or collusion!) Overall I heard a trend towards heavier guitars, like on Caddy, Dot Dash or The Well Wishers. I also heard more male-female harmonies like on Parks and The Grip Weeds. While the power pop genre no longer has the broad reach it did ten years ago, it has become a more prominent part of the indie/alternative rock scene.

    1. Starbelly “Four”
    2. David Myhr “Lucky Day”
    3. Sloan “12”
    4. Rob Bonfiglio “Trouble Again”
    5. Caddy “Ten Times Four”
    6. Bill Lloyd “Working the Long Game”
    7. Bird Streets “Bird Streets”
    8. Danny Wilkerson “Wilkerson”
    9. Parks “Parks”
    10. Lisa Mychols “Sugar”
    11. Linus Of Hollywood “Cabin Life”
    12. Valley Lodge “Fog Machine”
    13. The Grip Weeds “Trip Around the Sun”
    14. Nick Piunti “Temporary High”
    15. Caper Clowns “A Salty Taste To The Lake”
    16. The Genuine Fakes “Issues”
    17. Chris Richards & The Subtractions “Peaks and Valleys”
    18. Oberon Rose “Tell Me About It”
    19. Kai Danzberg “Pop-Up Radio”
    20. Greg Pope “A Few Seconds Of Fame”
    21. Chris Price “Dalmatian”
    22. Paul Collins “Out of My Head”
    23. The Supahip “The Two-Sided Face”
    24. The Innocents “Teardrop Kiss”
    25. The Beths “Future Me Hates Me”
    26. Creamer “Creamer”
    27. The Well Wishers “A View From Above”
    28. Tony Molina “Kill The Lights”
    29. Michael Simmons “First Days of Summer”
    30. Mark Lane “New Memory”
    31. The Incredible Vickers Brothers “Torch Songs for Swingers”
    32. Dot Dash “Proto Retro”
    33. Tommy Lorente “Stupefaction”
    34. Paul Steel “Carousel Kites”
    35. The Davenports “Don’t Be Mad At Me”
    36. The Connection “We Wish You Success”
    37. Everet Almond “Everet Almond”
    38. Vegas With Randolph “Legs & Luggage”
    39. Matthew Sweet “Tomorrow’s Daughter”
    40. The Magic Gang “The Magic Gang”

Top EPs of 2018

  1. Magpie “Picasso on a Log”
  2. William Duke “Quatro”
  3. Nick Frater “Goodbye Kayfabe”
  4. Jackie Daytona “She’s So Hot” 
  5. Cupid’s Carnival “Clapham Junction”

Top Compilations of 2018

  1. Various Artists “Altered Sweet: A Tribute To Matthew Sweet”
  2. Various Artists “International Pop Overthrow Vol. 21”
  3. Assorted Artists “White Lace and Promises: The Songs of Paul Williams”

My year-end of power pop of 2018 is coming soon!

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Yes, it’s that time of the year again. I will do my best to put out a comprehensive listing by the end of this week. As I sort through the finalists I am also preparing reviews for January. I always end up with a handful of artists where I ran out of time in 2018 to review their work, and they get first consideration. On top of that, some bloggers put out their lists early and I have to note who I completely missed. Thank you for your patience.

White Lace and Promises: The Songs of Paul Williams

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White Lace and Promises: The Songs of Paul Williams

Assorted Artists “White Lace and Promises: The Songs of Paul Williams”

Producer Andrew Curry, who has a soft spot for soft rock (Drink a Toast To Innocence) is back with his sites now on ’70s singer-songwriter Paul Williams. While a recognizable musical performer and actor, Williams legacy as a celebrity often overshadows his formidable songwriting talents. After all, he’s won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and several Grammys. His work includes hits for Three Dog Night, Barbra Streisand and The Carpenters – all part of this covers collection by some talented indie power pop artists.

Several songs are given new life because many are deep cuts that won’t be instantly recognizable. I enjoyed the faster tempo of The Davenports take on “Evergreen” and Zach Jones faithful version of “Someday Man.” Lisa Mychols totally nails “You and Me Against The World” and Cliff Hillis turns the Carpenters epic “Rainy Days and Mondays” into an intimate personal ballad. Minky Starshine has a wicked version of “The Hell Of It” from the Brain DePalma cult film The Phantom of The Paradise.

But the ballads are where Williams songwriting is best known, and Chris Price’s “I Won’t Last A Day” and Andy Reed’s “Rainbow Connection” infuse Paul’s hopeful emotions perfectly. The Corner Laughers do their best to imitate singing muppets on “Movin’ Right Along” and The Test Pressings (John Borack, Robbie Rist and Karen Bassett) do a cheese-filled version of “The Love Boat,” in which Williams only wrote the lyrics. A few songs don’t quite work, but overall a fun compilation with a high batting average. And that’s highly recommended.

Amazon


Many years ago Paul Bertolino covered Paul Williams beautifully. It’s a FREE download that would fit nicely with the collection above. Enjoy!

Fernando Perdomo and Cullen Omori

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Fernando Perdomo

Fernando Perdomo “Zebra Crossing”

Recorded at the legendary Abbey Road studios, Fernando Perdomo continues his quest to make music that moves the soul. Fernando’s profound opening tracks “I’m Here” and “Sometimes I Feel Like I’m Nothing At All” recall emotional themes similar to Brian Wilson and John Lennon. Most of the music is thoughtful balladry, with the exception of the bouncy “Find Love (Hold On)” performed with friends; Dr. Danny,  Ken Sharp and  Megan Zeankowski.

The standout track here is the ode to the audiophile “We Were Raised With Headphones On,” with its jazzy guitar interlude. The stream-of-consciousness guitar instrumental of “Not Meant To Be” is another slice of magic, reminding me of Mike Keneally. The lyrical sentiment on “Sunday” is musings on lost youth and the abstract definition of “Home” reaches a grand scale. Also impressive is the epic instrumental title track and a passionate cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Cullen Omori

Cullen Omori “The Diet”

Cullen Omori (Smith Westerns) channels his rock influences (George Harrison, Marc Bolan) through a much more modern pop lens full of glossy embellishments and crisp melodies that stick fast to your brain under the guidance of power pop producer Taylor Locke.

On the opener “Four Years” chiming guitar, rich self-effacing lyrics is an acknowledgment to his partner that “you do so many things, and I love you for it… but I usually forget it.” It’s a standout single that sets the tone of the album perfectly. The failures of modern life are told through subversive stories like “Borderline Friends” and “All By Yourself.” Some catchy highlights include the danceable “Happiness Reigns” with its shimmering guitar rhythm.

The riff-heavy “Quiet Girl” and plodding “Black Rainbow” recalls mid-period Oasis, but another standout is “Millennial Geishas” with its big flowing chorus and layered instrumentation. No filler here it channels Cullen’s self-loathing into a listenable indie rock statement that many will identify with. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Merry Christmas! It’s The Holiday Radio Show and more!

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Listen to the Christmas show we played last Sunday on 11L Radio NY International! And if you missed any of our Christmas posts, check them out here, here and here. I’d like to thank all the artists for making such great Christmas music and making this holiday a sweet one to listen through.

Wait! There is one last gift under the Christmas music tree for you I saved… Fernando Perdomo’s Present. A lovely LP of Christmas music as a FREE download. Enjoy!