The Bye Bye Blackbirds and Sven-Erik Olsen

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The Bye Bye Blackbirds

The Bye Bye Blackbirds “Take Out The Poison”

Bradley Skaught, leader of The Bye Bye Blackbirds takes his traditional power pop band in a new direction with this album, and what you get is a combination of great melodic rock with other genre explorations. The band has several guests including KC Bowman, Brad Brooks and Khoi Huynh (Corner Laughers). “Earl Grey Kisses” is a bass-line led pop confection with a catchy chorus full of “do-do-dos.” The prominent horns added to “Let Your Hair Fall Down” make it a solid hit as well. It then takes a country pop detour with “Duet” as Bradley is joined by Lindsay Paige Garfield. The other pairings with female leads work well too, although the tunes feel like they belong on a different album.

The album’s diversity in rock stylings will appeal to fans of Robert Harrison (Cotton Mather) and Crowded House.  The best songs here are flowing with power pop energy, like “Wasted” with guitarist Brad Brooks, the brilliant “Alfred Starr Hamilton” and the Rockpile-like “Poison Love.” Overall, a welcome return for this highly recommended band.

Amazon


Sven-Erik Olsen

Sven-Erik Olsen “Sketchbook Traces”

Classically trained Sven-Erik Olsen’s debut album features acoustic-based pop that evokes a baroque style, as the opening track, “Pop Bottle Green Eyes” sounds like a lost single from The Left Banke or The Rain Parade. The title track is another harmonically inventive highlight, with influences that range from Brian Wilson to Game Theory.

The tempo slows as the album moves forward, “Lost and Losin’ It Fast” and “Distant Summer” have a sad, daydream-like quality. Fans of the latest Any Version of Me will also appreciate Sven-Erik Olsen for his echoing vocals and dense production style. The last two songs “Sunny Dream” and “Childhood Blur” are not as old school, but more of a textured ’80s style similar to Bauhaus or Joy Division with its heavy reverb jangle. Definitely, music that deserves to be heard.

Amazon

A Tribute: Bruce Brodeen

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You know, there simply would not be a Power Popaholic blog without the existence of one man. That would be Bruce Brodeen, founder of Not Lame Recordings. When Not Lame started in the 90’s, I was instantly hooked on the music they were selling. Bruce developed a devoted and rabid following, and his mail order fanzine/catalog was always read cover to cover for the latest power pop. Luckily, the genre was also going through a huge renaissance during that time. Artists like Jellyfish, The Posies, and Matthew Sweet got on the radio airwaves, but fewer heard the joyous sounds of Myracle Brah, The Shazam or Martin Luther Lennon. Not Lame along with the Audities mailing list was one of the few resources you could count on to discover “new” bands that fit the power pop genre. Much later Bruce went online with his own site, Pop Geek Heaven.

Through Not Lame, I also met up with David Bash who ran the music festival International Pop Overthrow. It was the only time I met Bruce face-to-face, along with the band Blue Cartoon in a small bar in New York City. My brother and I got to the show early and we were lucky enough to talk about the IPO artists and I tried to pry out any information on upcoming acts. After a decade of buying music, going to shows, and being a general “fanboy” of the genre I decided to blog about it. Mr. Bash inspired me to follow his footsteps with Power Popaholic Fest, but that’s another story for another day.

I write today to wish Mr. Brodeen a glorious retirement at the end of this year. He has earned it and spawned a dedicated legion of power pop evangelists. There are still so many bands Bruce knows about that I haven’t explored, his Lost Treasures and Jangle Pop gems along with other rock bands that deserve to be heard. And the power pop community he helped cultivate will never be the same without him.  Best of luck Bruce, what ever you do next I’m sure it will be super, duper, highly recommended!

Propeller and Paul Bertolino

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Propeller

Propeller “Don’t Ever Let This Let You Down”

Propeller (the duo of Greg Randall and Will Anderson) have been consistently producing an album each year since 2013. And each album gets measurably better, with Don’t Ever Let This Let You Down being the best one so far. The opening jangle and steady beat of “Summer Arrives” is matched by the duo’s understated harmonies. The compositions are influenced by Teenage Fanclub, The Replacements, REM and others. “Lose My Way” is another catchy tune with hand claps and a swaying guitar floating above the melody.

The songs are highly accessible, including the energetic “Girl Gone” with a distorted rhythmic riff chorus and strong hooks. No filler here, and certain tracks opt for a heavier Westerberg styled vocal with guitar flourishes, like on “Days Collide.” Even the 4-minute closer “Something Blue” manages to enthrall. Never boring and highly recommended.

Amazon


Paul Bertolino

Paul Bertolino “Toy Box”

It’s been a few years since we heard Mr. Bertolino but he’s back to kick ass on his latest 13 track album. Paul starts with a 70’s pop framework but isn’t bound by the period, layering different instruments and sounds when building each song. “Don’t Be So Sure” and “Inaccuweather” are distinctively Paul, with minor chords and rock guitar melody that suddenly shifts to a sad jazz saxophone at the end.

The melodic pop shifts are fast and require multiple listens to appreciate, like on “Super Sam” or “Thick As Thieves.” In a rare break, Paul rocks heavier on “Typical Girl,” but mostly keeps to dramatic pop like on “Sun House In Malibu” that showcases his vocal range and some light horns. While the narratives are soulful, they don’t always have a big hook. Some highlights include “Give Rest To My Mind” and “Face Among The Proud.” Definitely, give this album a look and you will find several favorites.

Amazon

Happy Labor Day!

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May your upcoming Labor Day weekend contain no labor.

So I will be taking a few days break over this long weekend, enjoy this quick review…

 

The Pengwins “Box Set Vol.4”

The Midwest power pop legends The Pengwins have been selectively releasing 2-sided singles in a box for a few years now. The latest includes “Go Away” with a great Elvis Costello vibe and a catchy melody to make it another Pengwins gem, thanks to a rougher lead vocal from Danny Pengwin. Lannie Flowers adds his unique voice to “Just A Dream,” like John Lennon with a Texas twang.  The demo doo-wop ballad “Ladybug” is included. One of these days I’d love to see a full Pengwins album, but these singles continue to keep me wishing.

SpyderPop Records

This Is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio Volume 4 and Beach Fossils

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This Is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio Volume 4

Various Artists “This Is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio Volume 4”

Dana Bonn and Carl Cafarelli host This Is Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio with Dana & Carl (Sunday nights, 9 to Midnight Eastern, www.westcottradio.org) and occasionally they have released compilations of great power pop. And like my own Power Popaholic Fest Soundtracks, the duo selects the artists and their tracks. There are times when I read Carl Cafarelli’s blog Boppin’ (Like The Hip Folks Do) and I feel like I’m reading the thoughts of a long lost twin brother. Although I didn’t grow up in Syracuse, I was a student there in my undergrad years and we seem to have the same cultural experiences and musical preferences (although my love of The Flashcubes pales by comparison.) But I digress…

Volume 4 is chock full of 29 tracks including a few radio IDs. Exclusive tracks from Pop Co-Op (with Spongetones Steve Stoeckel), Ray Paul, Circe Link and much more. All of the tunes are great, as Dana and Carl only select the cream of the crop for their compilations. Some of my favorites include Vegas With Randolph and Lannie Flowers “The Weekend’s Coming,” Lisa Mychols “Almost Didn’t Happen,” The Smithereens “Got Me A Girl,” and The Hit Squad “Best Of Me.” It pushes all those classic nostalgic power pop buttons, so yeah this is a highly recommended compilation. Oh yeah… on Carl’s blog mentioned above, you have an exhaustive bio of each track. Pick it up exclusively at Kool Kat Musik.

Kool Kat Musik

Beach Fossils

Beach Fossils “Somersault”

Brooklyn based band directed by lead singer Dustin Payseur has a good jangling lo-fi indie pop sound. I was not familiar with the band, but its soothing opener “This Year” has elements of sunshine pop, especially with the classical strings added. The standout for me was the subtle piano pop of “Saint Ivy,” especially the smooth Beatlesque guitar coda.

Overall a nice summer album, with a relaxing slow jam “Rise” courtesy of rapper Cities Aviv in the middle. “Closer Everywhere” is another standout with its main harpsichord melody and the sleepy harmonies of “Social Jetlag” are charming. However, the lightweight songwriting makes other tracks here completely forgettable. Still, there is enough to demand your attention. Keep your eye on this band.

Amazon