Rich Arithmetic and The Incurables

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Rich Arithmetic

Rich Arithmetic “Pushbutton Romance”

The follow-up to 2021’s Shiftinggears takes a big step in the right direction for Rich Arithmetic (aka Richard Horton). The catchy standout opener “When You Want Somebody (To Make Love To),” features a combination of jangling guitar and a solid chorus with a swirling psychedelic break midway through. The influences; The Knack, XTC, and Martin Newell are easy touchpoints here. While the similarities to Newell are evident in the quirkier pop moments like “Battered & Broke,” his crisp 12-string guitar, understated bass lines, and harmonies on “Moral Blight” are closer to XTC’s Colin Moulding. There are excursions into folk in “Up To You” and surf guitar in “Saving Sunset.”

The three-part suite “A Teenage Hymn” recalls Pet Sounds (especially the first part) but takes its way to get through a vintage courtship, ending in a well-executed baroque instrumental finale. Getting back to power pop, “You are Always Right” is another winner, and Rich takes a bold chance with African-themed “Thema Toh Selah (Zambia Zombie Samba),” and it works beautifully. This is a wonderfully complete album that is highly recommended!

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

The Incurables

The Incurables “Inside Out & Backwards”

Michigan quartet The Incurables are cousins Ray and Darrin Lawson on bass and drums, along with their lifelong friends Pat Kelly and Dennis Pepperack on guitars. They toiled on the local garage punk scene for years, and now Big Stir Records lets them loose. Influences here are The Ramones, The MC5, and Iggy Pop. “When I Grow Up” is like a punk slacker anthem that sticks a middle finger at that old Beach Boys chestnut with its ridiculous goals (“Never gonna happen!”)

The band plays it straight for the familiar-sounding “Far Away,” and the catchy, but repetitive “Soda Pop.” The frantic rhythms of “Back Into Eloise” have great energy and a solid hook, Additional highlights include the very Iggy-like “Funhouse” and dueling leads of “I Told Myself (Absolutely Nothing).” When they don’t take themselves seriously, it’s appreciated. It’s a record that deserves to be heard!

Big Stir Records | Amazon

Mike Viola New Song! “She’s A Blur”

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It’s been a long time since I saw and chatted with Mike Viola. But I attended a show in Roslyn, NY, and was lucky enough to say hello. Not an interview, and the sound is terrible, more of a “meet-and-greet,” and he’s got a new album follow-up to last year’s Paul McCarthy. I filmed one of the new songs, an acoustic ballad titled “She’s A Blur.” He mentioned on the next tour he would have a full rock band. I can’t wait!

Power Popaholic Interview: Flying Underground

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Flying Underground

Sometimes I find a band that I missed the year before, but it had a great album that made me take notice. Ohio-based Flying Underground is such a band. I speak to the main songwriter/guitarist, Brian Lovely, and the lead singer, Kelly McCracken. We talk about a few songs on the self-titled album and more. 🎸 Hear the album below:

March singles: Luke of Ulysses, Willie Dowling, The Amplifier Heads, Chaft, Softjaw

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New month, and new singles! ‘Car Trouble’ is the debut solo single from Luke of Ulysses (UK Psych-Glam revival pioneers Ulysses). Luke played all the instruments and sang, except for a guest spot from his wife, Lily, as a hot French alien in the video. See the Bandcamp below for more! Willie Dowling has another single (“The Cure”) from his upcoming album to share (as a freebie), and The Amplifier Heads turn up the guitars and sax as it’s more rockin’ aliens. I had never heard of Chaft before, but I will be looking into this smart pop rocker from Norfolk, Massachusetts. Each of these 3 songs hit the mark, beautifully written and mixed. Finally, a solid single from California band Softjaw. “Waiting at the End” is a meat-and-potatoes power pop song along with a second single, “Pleased With Me” completed this month. Both deserve to be heard, and I hope a full-length LP is in the works.





Paul Collins and Elephant Stone

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Paul Collins

Paul Collins “Stand Back and Take a Good Look”

Paul Collins, the “King of Power Pop,” always channeled rock and roll energy, whether he was with The Nerves in the late 1970s, with The Beat during the 1980s, or later with his solo works. Collins covers a variety of older songs from his prolific career on the new album, Stand Back and Take a Good Look. With a star-studded guest list (Dwight Twilley, Prairie Prince, Richard X Heyman, etc.), Paul sounds great at 67, and the song selection isn’t so much his “hits” as great songs that you may have missed. The songs are short, sweet, and get to the point quickly.

The title track, “Stand Back and Take a Good Look,”  the Jack Lee-penned song, is a bouncy opener about narcissism. The strong songs “I’m the Only One For You” and “In Another World” follow this. Both are excellent power pop songs. The country influences are all over the mid-tempo “Don’t Take it So Hard” and “You Can’t Go Back.” The experience of overseas touring is the subject of the jangling “Liverpool” and the folky “Under the Spanish Sun.” Collins does not disappoint, and there is no filler to be found. Kudos to the label, JEM Records, for signing him. It’s highly recommended!

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik


Elephant Stone

Elephant Stone “Back Into The Dream”

Canadian band Elephant Stone returns with their sixth album, a neo-psych pop stream of songs that swing between awareness and subconscious. You close your eyes, drift, and while listening to Back Into The Dream, which vaguely reminded me of a 21st-century version of those classic LSD-influenced Moody Blues records from the past. The band’s lead singer, Rishi Dhir, knows how to combine musical textures to create a rich aural tapestry that comes alive in technicolor melodies.

“The Spark” is a more straightforward, catchy earworm, with shimmering rhythm guitars. It gets even stronger with “Going Underground,” about the joys of listening to oldies and getting lost in the moment.  From here, it becomes even more surreal as “bae,” a trippy delight, and the epic “The Imaginary Nameless Everybody” follow their enigmatic paths amid lush harmonies and meandering sitar instrumentation. The road leads to the joyous “On Our Own,” a blissful look at adulthood. Overall, this is a wonderful listen and needs to be experienced as a full album. Highly Recommended!

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