IPO NYC 2024, the first 2 nights

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Joy Buzzer
Joy Buzzer, KG Noble and Kevin Lydon
Strange Neighbors
Bubble
The Midnight Callers, Chris Paine and Martin Stubbs
Wifey
Wifey
Sorry Darling
David Minchin from The Innocents
Bastards of Fine Arts

The International Pop Overthrow (IPO) Festival’s return to NYC was the start of a beautiful night at The Parkside Lounge. As expected, the roster included both well-known performers and up-and-coming artists, each of whom added a unique twist to the pop-focused event. I attended the first 2 days of the festival this year.

Opening with Bastards of Fine Arts, the duo set the mood perfectly, a jangling sound full of harmonies, then came Tasmanian David Minchin who brought a Beatlesque sense of history to his time in the early ‘80s as part of The Innocents. Next, Sorry Darling delivered an unusual set of pop compositions, followed by brothers-and-sisters-in-arms Wifey, who I was happy to introduce to the stage. These guys know how to rock! Cupid’s Nemesis all dressed like The Raspberries (circa 1974)and the raw energy was palpable and captivated fans looking for something a bit heavier. I missed The Road to Ruin, but was told they were also really good. See a sampling of all performances for Day One of IPO.

Day Two started with power pop veterans The Midnight Callers and Bubble. Both did great, and they managed to draw in newcomers with their unique mix of indie pop and classic power pop hooks. Strange Neighbors were the new kids last year, but this time the band was tighter and sounded much better. Next I was able to introduce Joybuzzer, and they have a great new album coming out — look for the review this week! Their set was polished and packed with catchy choruses that had the audience singing along. I missed the the last 2 bands, Mighty Dan Gerous and The Record Players NYC.

The first two days of IPO NYC perfectly exemplified what the festival is all about: a diverse celebration of power pop’s past, present, and future. Each band left a unique imprint on the stage, and the audience response was good. As the festival continues, it’s clear that IPO remains a vital gathering for musicians and fans alike, united by a shared love for melody-driven rock.

November singles: Ken Stringfellow, Bleu, Vanilla, Dolour, The Boathouse, Captain Wilberforce

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The melodramatic Ken Stringfellow (Posies) is a soul searching single from his new album ‘Circuit Breaker.’ He screams that last chorus, as a man who can give no more to this art. Another power pop veteran Bleu has been releasing a few singles here and there, and I really liked the duet with Carly Paige on “Where the Colors Bleed.” After 33 songs, the massive collection of ‘Pish Posh’ by Vanilla is quite the feat; “Consider It Done” is the latest one — when does this end? Our friend Shane Tutmarc (aka Dolour) has a completely new version of the album ‘New Old Friends’ and even though “October 29th” has passed, its a ballad worth keeping close. This month we have 2 freebies.  The first is a clever bit of yacht rock “The Boathouse” by a mysterious group, so help me solve who this really is. Second is Captain Wilberforce with his angular guitar jangle about a certain election, called “the Installation” and repeat after the chorus, “We don’t care, We don’t care.” Well, at least you can enjoy the music.




Power Popaholic Interview: Nick Piunti

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Nick Piunti

I interviewed with Nick last in 2020 when he just started his new band The Complicated Men, and once again he’s got a well balanced album full of great power pop song . As an update, I chat with Nick Piunti, this time about his new album “Up and Out of It” and we get into the history of the band, as well as, specifics for this album. Read the album review here. | Buy the album here: Amazon | Kool Kat Musik
Listen here:

2nd Grade and Andrew Weiss

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“2nd

2nd Grade “Scheduled Explosions”

Philadelphia musician Peter Gill (aka 2nd Grade) just has a knack for effortless melody and alt. rock fuzz that makes ‘Scheduled Explosions’ his most accessible collection of ADD power pop. With 23 songs it’s always been hit or miss, but very much like Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) Gill has a high batting average here.

“Live from Missile Command” is a great catchy start that ends just as we’re taking off. The fanboy dreams of “Uncontrollably Cool” and bounce of “Fashion Disease” are a great pair of tunes. Other favorites include the distorted love notes of “Joan on Ice,” hand-clapped “Instant Nostalgia” and mellow rockers “Made Up My Own Mind” and “Evil Things.” In between the songs are experiments with studio tape defects like “Crybaby Semiconductor,” or the muffled beautiful mess of “All About You.” Similar in technique to Mo Troper, it feels like he has a really great song at first and then goes out of his way to bury it in harsh lo-fi production. Despite this, the melodies shine through, making it repeatable and highly recommended.

Amazon


Andrew Weiss and Friends

Andrew Weiss and Friends “the world’s smallest violin.”

Andrew Weiss, a singer-songwriter, feels a kinship to the West coast rock sound from the ‘70s as he revels in confessional moments and emotional storytelling. “Summer of ’68” is a great example of speaking about the past while comparing it to today, “Why does it feel like nothing’s changing?” he asks. Some real gems make the cut here like “He Must Be High On Something,” with its great slide guitar flourishes. He also channels a little early Paul Simon on “We’re Trying To Have a Society Here!”

The biographical “Rockin’ it Since ’83” and “Emergency Contact” are neat little scenarios, but many songs have a tendency to blend into each other without much variety. While it might feel a bit self indulgent, Andrew gets some good vibes going and you may like it. Check it out.

Amazon

Halloween, here and gone! Otonoke, Shake Some Action, Barbara, 20/20, Black Flamingos

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Maybe I went a little overboard with these holiday posts. Oh well — in the spirit of cosplay, check out the video for my new favorite anime Dan Da Dan. The song by Japan’s Otonoke isn’t power pop, but it’s frantic and catchy. See how many anime characters you recognize in the video!
On a serious note, Shake Some Action! leans harder into it’s recent retro sound on the new EP Chase The Light. Solid rock and roll that’s just timeless, so check it out. Brothers John and Henry Tydeman are known as Barbara and they’ve got the grand pop harmonies down pat on Happy Days! EP, and melodies as sweet as candy corn! Another treat is the return of power pop legends 20/20; original members Steve Allen (vocals, guitar) and Ron Flynt (bass, vocals) return older and wiser on “Back to California.” Finally we actually has some real Halloween music, courtesy of Black Flamingos. What’s the Cryptkeeper’s favorite type of comedy? Deadpan humor! Have a fun night, boys and ghouls!