Some new retro psych-pop goodness from The Sunchymes with “Masquerade.” Earlier this year they asked us to “Try.”
Jeff Shelton’s (The Well Wishers) evil alter-ego has come out to play. Well, this isn’t Halloween themed unless you think the band’s name is sacrilege. But if you crave heavier guitar crunch, then get Hot Nun‘s “Born To Blaze.” Sinfully good!
Caper Clowns are a band from Ferritslev, Denmark, and their sunny debut The Buca Bus came out in 2016. The band is Rick Kingo, Peter Højgaard, Christian Højgaard, Henrik Krogh and Søren Daugaard Jensen. Rick, Peter, and Henrik play multiple instruments, and the songwriting is spread out amongst everyone. The group doesn’t suffer from the sophomore slump and has been firing on all cylinders. In addition, the band has played at the IPO Festival in Liverpool at the Cavern Club these past 2 years.
The opener “The Way I Dream” is a wonderfully catchy composition, with its bouncy rhythm it sets the stage nicely. In contrast, “Lifeline” adds some darker guitar riffs but the chords change to sunshine by the end of the harmony-filled chorus. The Caper Clowns biggest strength is its diverse sound akin to The Wellingtons or Roger Joseph Manning Jr. The light acoustic guitar of “Kissing Daylight” is a winner, as well as the Squeeze-like magic of “Pretty & Underwear.” The album is both unpredictable and refreshing without a single filler track. Overall a great album that gets a top ten best nomination for 2018.
The Persian Leaps from Saint Paul, Minnesota has released this massive 18-song anthology presenting their best work over the years, remastered and remixed. The songs are full of blistering riffs and jangle-pop harmonies, selected by lead vocalist Drew Forsberg and producer Neil Weir. If you are unfamiliar, it will totally appeal to fans of Guided by Voices, The Smiths and Teenage Fanclub.
My favorites here include the very GBV-styled “Fire Starter” and “Picture My Reaction.” The catchy fuzz-guitar dominates most songs, and at times the tracks seem to blend together – but there is enough distinction on several standouts like “About The Lions,” and “Truth=Consequences.” The brand-new track “Time Slips” is a nostalgic song that Forsberg wrote in memory of his grandparents. Overall an excellent compilation that is highly recommended.
Some of the greatest power pop ever was produced in the 1990’s. Omnivore has recently released expanded editions of these classics.
The major label debut from The Posies became an instant classic and put The Posies on the map. Like a modern-day version of The Hollies, the ambitious duo took notes from their Merseybeat forefathers and combined it with a Big Star-like attention to detail wrapped up in a baroque pop package. Remastered from the original analog masters; one CD containing the original album, plus enough bonus material to fill out the rest of the CD; and an additional CD of demos and other bonus material. Nearly all of the bonus tracks on this new reissues have never been heard before!
In the early ’90s, the Seattle grunge movement took over the nation’s airwaves, pushing other genres aside. The Posies answer to this was to add their trademark melodies and smart lyrics to all the current angst. The wall of distorted guitars and thick drum beats is a direct contrast to Dear 23, but the songwriting got even better and remains the band’s highwater mark. Similar remastering set up; one CD containing the original album, plus enough bonus material to fill out the rest of the CD; and an additional CD of demos and other bonus material.
Fastball gave us an excellent example of when power pop and the nation’s musical zeitgeist intersected. The #1 hit “The Way” exploded on the radio, propelling All The Pain Money Can Buy to Gold status in only three months and Platinum another three months later. The release also received two Grammy® nominations, and the band won four Austin Chronicle awards for the album. This remastered 20th-anniversary edition contains the original 13 songs, plus 9 bonus tracks including rare B-sides, compilation tracks, and 4 previously unissued demos.
Washington, D.C. band Bad Moves are the tight combo of David Combs (lead guitar), Emma Cleveland (bass), Katie Park (guitar), and Daoud Tyler-Ameen (drums) exhibit an untamed pop spirit with punk tendencies. “Change Your Mind” blasts through the speakers, with the powerful bass, feedback and punked up harmonies that compel attention.
You’ll hear some ’70s and ’80s influences, like The Nerves, The Replacements, and The Cars.“One Thing” and “Cool Generator” are pensive rockers that build up to its choruses, with Emma and Katie dominating the vocals. They shout out a call to action about how those intense younger experiences can affect your adult life. The music is a fun romp loaded with catchy riffs, and without a drop of filler but it does slow slightly towards the second half. This album is a great pickup and the irony of the title is you should “tell everyone!” Highly Recommended!
Northampton, MA band Gentle Hen has a new LP that plays to its strengths but isn’t afraid to play outside the box. The band is led by Henning Ohlenbusch, with a sound that falls somewhere in between Fountains of Wayne and REM. The understated opener “We’ve Got The Goods” is a slyly catchy tune with a nice repeating riff driving the chorus. The rich harmonies of “She’s Got It Bad” recall Teenage Fanclub (as they name drop several bands) about an obsessive record collector. The band does its best to rock faster and harder on “Knock, knock, knock” and “You Can’t Take It Back.” It’s a style that fans of The Connection or Kurt Baker will appreciate.
The music also touches on folk and new wave, but Gentle Hen resonates best when a distinct storyline works with the melody, like the excellent “There’s A World In The World” which flirts with a quirkiness that TMBG would envy. Other highlights include “They Know, They Know” and the light chorus/dark ascendant chords on “Ancient Bones.” Overall a very good album that deserves to be heard.
The King is back! Paul Collins is a rare breed of musician that can rally the power pop faithful to his side with each release. And for over 40 years from The Nerves to the Beat, he’s still got the talent and energy to get his ideas across. Keeping things simple Paul gets a noticeable assist from Paul Stingo (bass and vocals) as he delivers a series of simple catchy themes intermixed with a few introspective ballads.
“In and Out of My Head” starts with a dramatic ballad that sounds akin to late-60’s era Beau Brummels or Ricky Nelson. This is followed by the short and sweet power pop nuggets “Go” and the Beatlesque “Kind of Girl” that has been Paul’s bread and butter. It’s those catchy hooks married to Paul’s genuine emotion that really stick. “Just Too Bad You’re Leaving” and “Midnight Special” follow the same template, but Paul’s grizzled vocals strain to keep up. The love ballads are wonderfully done with “Emily” and “Lost Again” as standouts. Another excellent song is “You Belong To Me” with its sing-along chorus and solid rhythm that should’ve been a huge Billboard hit (if only we had a time machine.) Collins also briefly reflects on his age and loneliness in the nuanced “Tick Tock.” Overall a Highly Recommended album.
Checkpoint Charley is the ongoing power pop muse of Kevin Packard and Jesse Anderegg. The band returns from a 10-year hiatus to craft a follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut, Songs 1-12. Their sound draws heavily on the influence of Jellyfish, Queen, and Muse. The opening 4 tunes are from their Star Wars themed EP Great Jedi Mind Trick, starting with the bombastic guitar melody of “InVader.” Next, the yearning power ballad “Misunderstood” is pure magic, as “The Ballad Of Han and Leia” is a more rocking song that you can dance to. “Mayday” has those soaring harmonies and ascending chords that reach the stars. These tracks are so good, the band was recently featured as House Band at ICC Con in Nashville, TN.
From there heavier “Young & Naive” and “She’s All Mine” are closer to Imperial Drag than Jellyfish. My favorite track is “Child’s Play,” as the band chugs along with gleeful abandon, adding toy piano to the powerful hooks. “559V” is another gem that is perfectly composed, and amazingly most of the songs are over the four-minute mark, but they don’t feel stretched out. No filler here, and absolutely better than the debut – this is super highly recommended.
Kool Kat Musik | Checkpoint Website