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.

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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.

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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!




Power Popaholic Interview: The Lemon Twigs

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The Lemon Twigs

Michael and Brian D’Addario aka The Lemon Twigs continue to impress with each new album, delving further into shimmering, explosive pop songs that evoke vintage power pop and rock. I was thrilled to interview these young power pop artists about the new album, A Dream Is All We Know. A review of the album is here.
🎸 Hear the album below:

Kate Clover and Ken Sharp

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Kate Clover

Kate Clover “The Apocalypse Dream”

Kate Clover is a force of nature that can not be denied. This L.A. based singer-songwriter is a solid powerpop-punk with influences ranging from Blondie and The Buzzcocks to The Runaways and Ramones, and her latest album has the makings of a smash hit because of how confidently and catchily she performs each song. She and her band get off to a flying start with the title track, but they let loose on “Like A Domino” and don’t let go of you. The big single “No More Romance” is an infectious gem loaded with jubilant guitar bombast. Her vulnerable side is evident throughout “Damage Control,” a tight guitar-rock arrangement that opens with a conventional pop vocal solo.

After that breather, it goes back to the fast-tempo rock of “Disconnected,” and “Here Comes The Love Bomb.” No duds here, and solid punk energy throughout. This is an album to play loudly with the windows down. Clover accomplishes the remarkable feat of evoking old punk and new wave in a manner that feels utterly modern. Highly Recommended!

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Ken Sharp

Ken Sharp “Welcome to Toytown”

Ken Sharp continues his exploration with short baroque pop melodies. He focused this effort on Miniatures in 2021, and he’s got a new crop of 41 songs with Welcome to Toytown. With this much, let’s concentrate on a few representative favorites, as songs are mostly under 2 minutes. “Great Big Beautiful World” is an anthemic pop confection, akin to The Free Design, with layered harmonies everywhere. “Beach Boys on My Stereo” also does the same. “Friend In You” boasts a sweet guitar part, and “I am Your Spaceman” has a lovely hook. I also liked “Listen,” “Daisy Jane,” and “Broken Down Heart.”

Some of these simple musical phrases, like “We Are Timeless,” could have been stitched to another melody to make a proper 3-minute tune, but Ken decided to leave the parts separate and see what sticks. The exception here is the 9-minute+ “Toytown Suite,” a musical fairytale about the king of Toytown, done with almost childlike eagerness. You’ll be able to pull an album’s worth of quality tracks if you are willing to do the weeding. Sharp offers a lot to take in, and there are moments when the sheer volume of music makes it hard to concentrate on a single track. Others may want less work to do, in that case so check out New Mourning. If you are familiar with Ken’s work it’s music that deserves to be heard.

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The Lemon Twigs “A Dream Is All We Know”

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Your Academy

The Lemon Twigs “A Dream Is All We Know”

The dynamic duo of Michael and Brian D’Addario continues to wow with each new album, delving further into shimmering, explosive songs that evoke vintage power pop and rock.

The opening track, “My Golden Years,” starts with a catchy, jangling melody. And then those harmonies kick in. It adds amazing depth to the entire song, but in typical Lemon Twigs fashion, there are more sonic goodies layered on top, and the vocals become more forceful to a crescendo at the song’s end. “They Don’t Know How to Fall in Place” starts with a harpsichord opening, but the verse twists and turns into another comforting chorus. Again, each song has some roots in ’60s and ’70s Baroque pop, but with a combination of key changes, instrumentation, and harmonies, it’s always a new and unique experience. There’s just too much here to simply “spot the influence” as it approaches Jellyfish levels of production complexity.

Some overt influences are easy to identify, like “In The Eyes of The Girl,” an obvious Beach Boys pastiche, but it’s not that simple. Starting like an early 1964 romantic ballad, it morphs using even more sophisticated vocal arrangements beyond that era. Another easy callout is “Rock On (Over and Over),” which is a dead ringer for The Raspberries and one of the few straight rock songs on the album.

Unlike previous efforts by The Lemon Twigs, every track here feels like a hit single, except “Ember Days,” which is a leftover from the previous album Everything Harmony. Another big standout here is “Peppermint Roses,” a Beatlesque gem with a slight Middle Eastern feel, its Rickenbacker blasting out after the 2nd chorus. Overall, this is a bonafide masterpiece that makes the top of my 2024 list. Super highly recommended.  

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