The Midnight Callers and Mason Lowe

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The Midnight Callers

The Midnight Callers “Rattled Humming Heart”

The Midnight Callers are back, and after a fantastic debut, their sound overall honors the classic ’70s influences (The Raspberries, and early Cheap Trick) with a touch of Glam (Sweet, T-Rex) here, so there is no “sophomore slump.” Lots of short crunchy guitar gems, the production and musicianship here are near perfect. Opening with “New York Tramp” it buzzes through the verses and the lead even sounds a little like Robin Zander in the chorus. “Step!” and “Closer” picks up the tempo, and are great catchy tunes that really stick. The Callers have an innate sense of rock, and “Girl On The Run” from its jangling melody to the harmonies is very much like a lost Tom Petty hit. In the dramatic “Without Ya” those harmonies come to the foreground at the start and then the song morphs into a brilliant rocker, it’s my favorite tune here. Other highlights include “Little Runaround” and the love ballad “Maggie.” No filler here, but a few tunes are missing the hooks they need. However the batting average is very high for this album, so don’t miss it. Highly Recommended for sure.

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Mason Lowe

Mason Lowe “Morning People”

Seattle-based drummer Mason Lowe (Bread & Butter) opted to record an album in his basement to burn off the stress of work during a global pandemic. It boasts a nice fuzzy bedroom pop opener “Plastered” with a catchy chorus/verse combo, and it gets better from there. “Whiplash” is a bright swaggering grunge-pop tune that follows the same template.

The songs take influences from the past (The Creation, The Jam, The Sorrows) and re-configure them into original rockers, the one critique is the tempo and approach for each song don’t vary much, and it causes most songs to blend into each other. But some of the melodies stick nicely like “Stoned and Cold” and “You Took A Chance On Me”

Other tunes like “What Took You So Long” and “You’ve Got The Touch” develops nice vibes, but it could’ve used a tempo change at some point. Despite all this Lowe has lots of potential here, so check this album out.

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More June goodies: Mansfield, Poppermost, The Rubinoos, Doggy Heaven, Taxi Girls, Cameronoise

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Really enjoyed Copenhagen-based band Mansfield “Chasing After You” video and the classic pop sounds this band evokes. From the EP Come Rain or Shine, so check it out. Speaking of classic sounds, Joe Kane and his Poppermost are back with the Merseybeat madness and he manages to excite using vintage instruments. Oh, my! The Rubinoos have a new single out, “Rumble Under My Hood” and these veterans sound ageless. A new band Doggy Heaven has a clean sound and a unique theme, “Never Gonna Happen” is a good opener. Canadian rock band Taxi Girls is a dynamic trio from Montreal. The band, which consists of Jamie, Vera, and Lynn, combines the iconic Ramones sound with the fiery spirit of the Muffs and a splash of Verruca Salt. Finally, another Canadian band Cameronoise has a cool instrumental EP Freebie for you all, with a song titled “Alternative Batgirl.” How cool is that? Perfect for a sunny summer drive.




Dave Cope and the Sass and Ronnie D’Addario

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Dave Cope and the Sass

Dave Cope and the Sass “Killer Mods From Inner Space”

The follow-up to  last year’s highly rated Julee, Dave Cope and the Sass have mastered the sound of the British Invasion, and other genres (and eras) while creatively delivering original gems. The album begins with “A Good Idea At The Time,” a sweet example of 1970s vintage rock a la The Guess Who.

“She Don’t Care About That” and “More” have a terrific glammy pop vibe, and Mod-era Who/Small Faces are mined with the excellent “In Circles.” He doesn’t always hit the target, as “Butterfly Heart” didn’t really hook me, and “Start” felt like a poor man’s Stephen Sondheim musical. But it’s okay that Dave goes outside his comfort zones, and occasionally the shift in style works out, like on the smooth easy listening pop of “Season of Love.” That said, Cope has just enough goodies on tap to make this album Highly Recommended.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

Ronnie D'Addario

Ronnie D’Addario “All Gathered In One Room”

Ronnie D’Addario (Papa Twig) is back and continues to charm like last year’s Egg Yolks And Artichokes. Similar in style to Paul McCartney or Gilbert O’Sullivan, Ronnie does light rock and music hall pop throughout All Gathered In One Room. “A Shot in The Dark” is a bouncy haiku set to a catchy melody and while the scenarios spun in his tunes can get excessively sentimental, D’Addario skillfully pulls it off.

Taking a different twist, the title track “All Gathered In One Room” is a Gilbert & Sullivan-styled opera number. His Beatles-lite “Come One, Come All” and “The Journey” are meticulously produced, but merely okay. Ronnie’s creative composition really comes out on the dance hall ballad of “Belle of the Ball” and the creative process turned into a baroque waltz on “Dwight Makes Right.” The Lemon Twigs contribute instrumentally, but this is a “Papa Twig” production all the way through. Check it out.

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Please lend a hand to Jesse Malin.

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A spinal stroke has disabled musician Jesse Malin. A few months ago he suddenly experienced a scorching ache in his lower back while out to dinner in the East Village. The discomfort gradually spread to his hips, thighs, and heels. He was unable to move and fell to the restaurant floor. Malin experienced a spinal-cord infarction, which is quite rare. Jesse is currently paralyzed from the waist down and is experiencing a great deal, both physically and mentally. Although he has decent insurance, it won’t pay for many of his costs beyond acute treatment.

Your gift can alleviate him of the additional burdens brought on by the significant cost of his immediate and long-term care. Power Popaholic interviewed Jesse a few years ago and wants to spread the word and hopefully, fans like you will answer the call.

Give to the Jesse Malin Fund today.