This Minnesota band brings us a wall of heavy fuzz guitar riffs on “The Infection” and the big standout here “Dottie. Queen of The West.” The tempo and approach remind me of Echo & The Bunnymen or The Smiths. A faster pace and steady beat on “Frozen” is another solid song with ringing guitar chords and harmonies thanks to Adam Brunner(bass guitar), Drew Fosberg (lead guitar) and Michael McCloskey (drums). “Anthem” keeps the pace and makes this a highly enjoyable EP – check it out!
These four tracks were originally cut from Michael Goodman’s upcoming release, not because of quality, mind you, but because a 16-song album seemed excessive. “Lessons Learned In Love” has a bedroom pop vaudevillian style, with a cool coda full of Beach Boys styled harmonies and old piano echo. “Telegram Girl” has a mod hook and its a real gem about breaking up, as he intones “Why should I waste my life on you?” The shuffling beat of “Movies” is another fun song with hand-claps and echoing vocal brimming with cool confidence. I really look forward to the full length after hearing this!
Yes You Are
Ex-Tilly and the Wall lead singer Kianna Alarid is part of a new band that plays an intense pop style with sing along hooks in the chorus and snyth-covered rhythms. A bit too close to mainstream pop in “Echo,” but “World Without End” is a little Annie Lenox mixed with U2. Listen for free at http://weareyesyouare.com/sound/
This year at Bar Matchless as always, I see old friends and manage to always make new ones at International Pop Overthrow. Dave Bash has not skipped a beat and continues to make International Pop Overthrow the November “must see” event in New York. I came for two nights and found the crowd has increased compared to last year. Great performances by perennial favorites The Modulators and Dave Rave bring the audience to loud cheers. And the historic reunion of John Faye and Cliff Hillis was mesmerizing as they played tunes from their solo records and IKE.
It was also great meeting new artists like singer Hallie Rose (a Dave Rave discovery) and Spain’s Jose Estragos. I was also impressed by The Pengwins and Lannie Flowers (both from Texas) and Lannie even played my favorite cover “Baby Blue” by Badfinger. I also enjoyed performances from The Reign (Feat. Joe Caravella) and Meyerman, both artists have brand new players in their bands and did a great job. Dave filmed and posted many performances on Facebook.
Obviously some of these lucky artists will be invited to play at Power Popaholic Fest 2016 coming this June. If your band would like to be considered for our summer show, please contact me before March.
This is Andy’s first solo release since 2008. This is part one in a series of EPs to be released. Relay Vol.1 is a best of breed EP starting with the slow building theme “Waves” and the California easy melody “Dreaming Of The West Coast” being a big highlight, with its strings and crisp harmonies. The echoing influences of The Beach Boys and Fleetwood Mac are evident in the rich tapestry of “Darlin, You Don’t Know.” It finishes with the finely crafted melody of “I Love A Long Goodbye” and it leaves you begging fore more. This easily is in the running for top ten EP this year. Bandcamp only.
Chris Richards and The Subtractions “3peat”
Chris Richards delivers some covers from their favorite artists. A faithful version of Elvis Costello’s “No Action” is a great start, and continues with songs by Sloan, The Kinks, Cheap Trick, The Rolling Stones and George Harrison. Best of all this is a FREE download, so get it while its hot!
Pelicans and Their Allies
This new duo of Robert Higgs (lead vocal and guitarist) and Dayana Yochim (vocal and multi-instrumentalist) make smart, quirky indie pop with an assortment of instruments from guitars to glockenspiels. Fans of Field Music and Decemberists will enjoy this, especially the bouncy pop hooks in “Just Like July” and the sunny “I Guess You Already Knew That.”
It’s that time of year in New York, the fallen leaves and chill in the air reminds me that the International Pop Overthrow is almost upon us! It’s coming back to Bar Matchless in Brooklyn starting tonight! Check out the schedule and come early and often, and show your support for new power pop.
I have to say, this 18th volume of the IPO 3 disc set is the most diversified and stretches beyond the traditional sound of power pop with a new crop of future pop superstars. All produced by maestro David Bash, mastered by Alan Brownstein, and put out by Bruce Brodeen‘s Pop Geek Heaven Record label, making a concerted effort to keep the CD format alive in the age of ephemeral electronic files. God bless these power pop taste makers for continuing to deliver the best music value on the planet. This set is noticeably balanced in that no single disc really stands out, so lets get started onto my favorite tracks:
Disc 1: I’ve never seen so many new bands in an IPO comp, so I’m sure to find some new favorites like Ivan Mudd’s “Wake Up Call” and the DIY gem “First In Class” by newcomer Steve Rosenbaum. Sweden-based Cranbury Sauce’s “Merry-Go-Round” and Marston’s “Shabby Shakes” upholds those psychedelic guitar traditions and of course old friend Jeremy Morris leads The Jeremy Band in a rockin’ theme song for the festival with “The IPO Song.” I heard some distinct 80’s influence in Vinyl Floor’s “Colorblind” and The Pickpockets “The Ostrich Defense.” Also note even more female vocalists than ever before, at least 2 per disc.
Disc 2:Kylie Hughes (a fave from last years set) returns with the bouncy “Dream Dream Dream” and another favorite, Dave Rave comes back with some “Sweet American Music.” Some bands still clearly have that sixties pop influence here like Junebug (“She’s An Ape, Not A Monkey”) and Cloud Eleven (“A Sadness in Sorry”). More standouts include the catchy guitar rhythm on Harvest Moon’s “Wanna See You Dancin'” and Claire On A Dare’s “She Knows/Photographic Memory” channels Chrissie Hynde perfectly. Tommy Sistak delivers the requisite Beatlesque “Ordinary Words,” but you’ll find music that really pushes the pop envelope like the atmospheric “The Boy and Marlene’s Ghost” from Warm Morning Brothers.
Disc 3:Greg Ieronimo’s opener “You Love Me,” rocks as he continues to deliver impressive melodies, followed by the crisp harmonies of Coke Belda’s “I Understand.” And “The Perfect Year” by Vanilla stands out with its glossy production, as Cash For Gold’s “Out All The Time” does with its wicked glam sound. I’ve already raved about Jared Lekites“Five Separate Lives,” and Honeywagen’s “The Only One” is a classic power pop single sure to thrill listeners. I heard less garage styled power pop than past volumes, but Stacked Actors “Disinfect” is a strong example here. Listen to select tracks at the IPO website, and get this long awaited compilation. As usual, it’s the cure for the common playlist and Highly Recommended every year!
Long out of print, The Beckies makes its debut on CD. If the west coast had the sublime production and baroque pop stylings of Curt Boettcher in the early ‘70s, the east coast boasted the man who invented the genre: Michael Brown. Brown has the driving force behind The Left Banke (“Pretty Ballerina” and “Walk Away Renee”) and Stories. The Beckies was Brown’s last attempt to reach the pop audience he cultivated in the late 1960’s, and by 1976 the times had changed drastically… Read the full review on 53rd and 3rd blog. Amazon
Sneakers “Sneakers” EP
Where did the 1980’s power pop revival start? You could argue that this album was the beginning. North Carolina’s Chris Stamey and Mitch Easter began their music careers in the band Sneakers in 1976. Stamey and drummer Will Rigby moved on to The Db’s, while Easter moved on to Let’s Active and eventually produced R.E.M. With a single EP and LP, the world didn’t learn about Sneakers until a remixed and re-recorded comp “Racket” came out in 1992. Now Omnivore offers an expanded version of the band’s original EP with 11 tracks and a cover of The Grass Roots’ “Let’s Live For Today.”
For fans of the ’80s indie jangle pop this is an essential addition to their collection. It is way before the DIY lo-fi movement in music took hold and set the stage for much of what came later, with quirky pop and heavy angular guitar riffs that “Driving” shows. Compositions like “Love’s Like A Cuban Crisis” and “On The Brink” have a timeless quality and doesn’t sound dated at all. The production and mixing has that sloppy charm, and displays the fact that even though Sneakers were a cult band, they effectively bridge the gap between Big Star and R.E.M.
