UniBoys and The Radio Field

powerpopaholic
Uni Boys

Uni Boys “Buy This Now”

Since their debut last year, the Uni-Boys have been a leader among bands that reference vintage late-70s power pop, and Buy This Now! refines their sound. The Uni Boys’ new material was recorded with Michael and Brian D’Addario, aka The Lemon Twigs, themselves masters of analog production. Despite drawing inspiration from bands like Big Star, Milk ‘N’ Cookies, and The Beat, The Uni Boys manage to strike a nice balance between solid songcraft and the raw attitude of much older rock ‘n’ roll.

Leading off is the catchy gem “Let’s Watch a Movie,” a celebration of doing nothing but chillin’ in front of the TV after a long day of work with handclaps and Beach Boys harmonies. The simple organ riff in “Down to the City” and the surf-style bass hook in “Hiding in My Home” are the pinnacle of the Uni Boys’ dedication to staying in bed and eating takeout food naked. The intermingled background harmonies and understated lead are what allow this band to level up. All the songs sound deceptively simple but are meticulously constructed. Highlights include “I Don’t Believe In Love,” “I’m Alright,” and the jangling “Intentions.” In fact, there is not a single dud here, and Buy This Now! showcases their particular style of power pop perfectly and makes my top ten list this year. Highly recommended.

Amazon


The Radio Field

The Radio Field “Don’ts and Dos”

German jangle pop band The Radio Field delivers a crisp, bright sound that is sure to warm your heart. Lead singer Lars Schmidt from indie German pop band Subterfuge had a desire to get his “indie-pop mojo” back, and he succeeded here in spades.

Starting with the lead single “Clover,” which, along with “Sick and Tired,” “Years Ago,” and “Love,” demonstrates his skillfully crafted and coiffed jangle, with smooth vocals and style reminiscent of the late 1980s. “Disorder” and “She Needs Therapy” have some dreamy fuzz guitar to keep things from getting too light. “The Version” featuring Robert Stadlober adds bright horns to the mix, and it’s one of the album’s finest moments. This style is also in the album’s closer, “Love,” with a simple country rhythm that calmly sends us out with the message, “Life is a wonderful thing.” Don’ts And Dos is a delight to listen to because of the care and precision with which it was composed and performed. Highly recommended.

Amazon

Nick Frater and Bur

powerpopaholic
Nick Frater

Nick Frater “Bivouac”

A “bivouac” is defined as a temporary shelter where one is prepared to do battle, and Nick Frater isn’t afraid to shake things up with a concept album about the downfall of post-industrial Britain under successive generations of Tory government. Nick lets his orchestral pop genie out of the bottle with several song suites.

“The Town of Opportunities” is the first suite, with five parts that fit neatly together and the catchy earworm “Hello Monday!” Some instrumental touches remind me of Pet Sounds, from the kettle drums of “Keep It Simple, Stupid” to the harmonies on “Heaven It Can Wait.”

The tempo and style shift on “Will It Be Enough,” the second multi-part song suite, ending on the ballad “Don’t Get Sentimental.” An 80s classic rock vibe is all over the impressive “Boom and Bust,” and then we are on to the next suite. Along the way, you get more great singles like “Step Into The Motorcar.” Like Glenn Tillbrook or Paul McCartney, Nick knows how to craft musical stories and give the entire album a comfortable flow. He’s also added a bevy of talent to the studio, like Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Beck/Jellyfish), Luke Smith (Ulysses), and Joe Kane (The Poppermost). Overall, highly recommended.

Amazon


Roger Joesph Manning, Jr.

“We Are Bur”

From the opening fuzz guitars on “(Bur Is) 10th Prestige Level 70,” it’s clear this Chicago band has late 90’s Elephant Six bands as their main influences here, notably The Minders. The band theme “We Are Bur” boasts gentle pop harmonies and a bouncy rhythm. “Baba Burry” has the Seinfeld reference (like the band logo) as lead singer Jeremy Kush notes “You’re Jerry to my Larry David” with frequent stops and a frantic tempo.

While the music is a pleasant diversion, some of the tunes aren’t all that memorable. “Helicopter Leaves” offers a nice melody with its easier pacing, and “Flesruoy Pleh” is a dream pop change of pace. The fuzz heads into GBV territory towards the end with “The Bur Are Sick.” Fans of this style will want to pick this one up; its music that deserves to be heard!

Kool Kat Musik| Amazon

The Legend of Dwight Twilley

powerpopaholic
Dwight Twilley, Photo by Phil Clarkin

On Wednesday, we lost Dwight Twilley, a legend in power pop. He was 72.

Born in Tulsa on June 6, 1951, Dwight Twilley was already interested in the arts before seeing the Beatles play “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964. That show, in particular, inspired him to start a middle school band called the Intruders. Dwight and friend Phil Seymour saw “A Hard Day’s Night” in 1967, and as soon as the movie was over, they went to Twilley’s place and started writing and recording songs together right away.

Twilley focused his career on creating songs with catchy melodies, lush harmonies, and jangly guitars—the prototypical elements of a successful power pop single. The debut single by the Dwight Twilley Band, which Twilley co-led with Phil Seymour, “I’m on Fire,” reached the Top 20 in 1975. Along the way, he developed a long friendship with Tom Petty, and they both played on each others records.

Despite having a second chart hit with 1984’s incessant “Girls,” Twilley ultimately spent the second half of his life in Tulsa, where he established a recording studio and a record company, releasing albums full of upbeat, catchy songs that were consistent with the creative standards he had established with Sincerely. I was honored to interview him when he was promoting the Green Blimp album in 2010. Dwight has been honored in the Power Pop Hall of Fame, and we wish him peace forevermore. You were always looking for the magic, but really, you gave the magic to us.


Spooky Singles and a bagful of treats: Descartes a Kant, Willie Dowling, Wesley Fuller, Cold Expectation, Linda Lindas, and many more!

powerpopaholic


(Spoken in your best Crypt Keeper voice) It is that time of year again when little boys and ghouls are knocking on doors for a trick or treat. Good thing all we have is treats! Let’s start with Mexico’s Descartes a Kant which is like an old video game mixed with your favorite indie post-punk band. A creative disturbing retro-futuristic concept album that really sticks with you! Willie Dowling (Dowling Poole) reheats an oldie in the production oven and it will make you “Happy?” cause it’s a freebie! In another vintage-inspired gem, we get “Alamein Line” from Wesley Fuller, dig that retro-drum-beat, new album coming soon. A little more in the spirit of things is Cold Expectation‘s “(I Live With) Ghosts” with some nice guitar work in that break between the chorus. Girl punk pop band Linda Lindas takes an old chestnut “Little Bit ‘O Soul” and makes it their own. Finally, we get to the big bag of candy, The Big Stir Records Halloween Collection! For a mere $5 you get a 20-track assortment of treats from Plasticsoul, The Armoires, Steve Stoeckel, and more. Hope these satisfy your sweet tooth (and ear)! Hee hee hee (thundercrack sound effect!)