Ryan Allen and Butch Walker

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Ryan Allen

Ryan Allen “The Last Rock Band”

Ryan Allen has not let up since his top-ten-rated album from last year. This time Allen and his bandmates have a concept album about the rise and fall of the “last” rock band. It’s loaded with anthemic melodies, pounding percussion, and dense guitar riffs from beginning to end, starting with the title track “The Last Rock Band.” The classic approach reminded me a little of Nick Piunti, as it asks the question “is rock dead?” It goes through the timeline of the story, from the “Discovery,” of the sound that “changed my life” to the excellent “Start A Band.” Ryan hits the power pop sweet spot with almost every track.

Allen emulates the obvious in “Like The Ramones,” and shreds even harder on “Wrong Place Wrong Time” about the downfall of the last band’s excesses. The only misfire is “Bought A Computer,” a lament of Luddite musicians told through the synth rhythm. But the music is kicked up a notch with “Second Act,” and the epic “We Have Returned.” At times, Allen’s vocals get a little buried in the mix, but the hooks are so strong here it’s hard to complain. If you want a prime example of modern power pop melded with classic rock, we have it here. Super highly recommended.

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Butch Walker

Butch Walker “Butch Walker as… Glenn”

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Butch Walker has come a long, long way from his time in the power pop band The Marvelous Three. The native Georgian had a long prolific solo career and is still a sought-after producer (Green Day, Pink, Taylor Swift) but this time he changes his persona to “Glenn,” a late ’70s troubadour fashioned as a Southern version of Billy Joel with a touch of John Mellencamp when the guitars kick in. The concept album takes place in a “club” where a bar fight breaks out halfway through happy hour.

The beauty of this piano man act is that many of the songs are really good. The first song, the ballad “Leather Weather (Mr. and Ms. Understanding)” will touch that nostalgic part of your brain, and the catchy “Roll Away (Like a Stone)” recalls a long-lost Jackson Brown single. “Avalanche” and “Holy Water Hangover” are sleepers that will also stay with you after a few plays. The poignant ballad “Don’t Let It Weigh Heavy on Your Heart,” a duet with Elizabeth Cook, is a song designed to make you cry into your beer. Fans of this classic rock era will love it. Highly Recommended.

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February Singles and Freebies: The Rallies, Lisa Mychols, The Nobility, The Low Spirits, The Guts, Cliff Hillis

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The animated video is from The Dowling Poole, the track is taken from the album ‘Refuse’ which is available to buy on Bandcamp here. Really great singles this month and my faves so far; The Rallies kill it with “Must Be Love” a power pop classic in the making. The queen of power pop, Lisa Mychols also returns with The Masticators for an excellent freebie “Here’s A Boy” and Nashville band The Nobility‘s ballad “Poison Mind” recall The Bee Gees styled falsetto. If your tastes are more old-school, The Low Spirits deliver the freebie “Outta Sight” with its textbook ’66 Animals style, and Geoff Palmer’s side project The Guts has a punk pop gem with “O.F.S.C.” Finally our old friend Cliff Hillis has a sweet new EP out, but since this is a singles post, his new single is a catchy sing-along about the “coolest scuba diver we know.” He should tour kindergartens with this (is this how Raffi got started?).






Star Collector and Paul McCann

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Star Collector

Star Collector “Attack, Sustain, Decay​.​.​. Repeat”

Star Collector’s sixth album is likely the most well-rounded collection of songs by the Vancouver band. The opener “Feel It Comin’ On” stomps forward with its solid riffs, and the catchy “Beat It To Death” gives you “all that sass” as the tongue is planted firmly in cheek when it comes to pop cynicism. “Running Through The Rain” is a classic Who-meets-Bunnymen blast that sticks with you, and the hypnotic bass of “If We Can’t Take A Joke” and “Crashin” recalls Cheap Trick with a Canadian cowbell.

The band slows up for the ballad “Cross My Heart,” a heartbreaker about a broken marriage. Not everything works, as “Broken Butterflies” sounds like a mixed musical of clichés. The smooth “Nineteen Dream” seems to channel the best of the band; a minimal bass line and soulful verse that explodes into loud guitars and a bitter chorus. The band doesn’t stay in this sweet spot, but it’s pure magic when it does. Highly Recommended

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Paul McCann

Paul McCann “Alter Ego”

The death of a parent can be a deeply emotional and impactful experience for anyone, including musicians. Like Tamar Burke in 2022, Paul McCann documented his father’s unexpected passing and it inspired him to create music that reflects his feelings of loss, grief, and remembrance. He worked with a bevy of collaborators including Jason Falkner (Beck, Paul McCartney); Roger Joseph Manning Jr (Jellyfish); Charlotte Hatherley (Bat for Lashes); Gary Lucas (Jeff Buckley, Captain Beefheart), Sylvie Lewis, and others.

“World Keeps Turning Round” has strong horns over a pensive but soulful melody, and “Lost in this Moment” is a standout with a rich hopeful chorus amongst the churning guitar riffs. The early ’70s pop sheen of “All is fair (in Love and War)” channels Bacharach and The Carpenters with its sophisticated orchestration. At times McCann tries a bit too hard with rock epics (“Divide and Conquer,” “Call Off the Dogs”) but his soulful introspection on “Red River Run” and “Out of The Blue” are truly haunting. Some songs require repeat listens to catch all the details and nuance, but I just love the immediate hooks of “Something Has Changed.” Overall, very highly recommended.

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Best New Free Albums: The 143, Any Version of Me, Happy Somethings

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These albums are brilliant statements, and they are all at a “name-your-price” download. I would encourage you to support these artists, as they deliver great pop!

Jake Simmons

The 143 “Love in the Time of Robots & Aliens”

The 143 is a collective of musical artists from Brooklyn; N.A. Smolenski, Corey Newell, and lead singer Chelsea, assisted by strings (Martin Kutnar, Matej Mihaljević) and drums (Glenn Welman, Bruno Dante).

Love the positive vibes on the opener “Emily,” the jangle and harmonies lift it up. Chelsea’s lead vocals are a standout on the mid-tempos tunes “Ivy Grows” and “Wishing Well.” Talent like this deserves more exposure and with 13 tracks, it’s loaded without filler. Highly Recommended.


Any Version Of Me

Any Version Of Me “Summer After All”

French artist known as Any Version Of Me compiled a collection of past singles and some new ones into this new album. He makes sure to tell us on Bandcamp it’s “For Beach Boys fans only…” He isn’t kidding, as this borrows heavily from the Pet Sounds era. So while it is entirely derivative, it’s also an enjoyable listen. Highlights include “Away,” “Forever,” and “Going Back.”


The Happy Somethings “A Gathering of All Sorts”

An English band very much like The Free Design mixed with Velocity Girl; a kinda folk-twee pop. This collection gathers several singles over the years, and the songs are short and sweet. I appreciate the quirky “No Bother” and “I Wish You Could Sing Like Tracey Thorn.” The charm of this band is evident with the live “Sweet Little Sad Song.” Check it out!


Mothboxer and Panthervision

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Steve Stoeckel

Mothboxer “Breathe”

Dave Ody (aka Mothboxer) has been reliably producing good albums for a while now with some superb melodic rock and roll. While he has wandered into other genres from time to time, Breathe finds Ody firmly in the power pop camp.

“Free Ride” is an easygoing psychedelic-pop romp, but things really kick into gear with the piano-led “All The Things,” a mid-period Beatlesque gem about memory loss, complete with a gentle middle-eight. Each song builds on the theme of past memories, the ballad “When I Had The Time” and “Jump Back” are compelling catchy listens. “Operator” recalls 10cc with its many key shifts, and Ody’s stylistic consistency is impressive here. The rocker “Everything is Gonna Be Alright” is another standout. In fact, the quality of great melodies here makes this a better-than-average Mothboxer album.  Highly Recommended, and it makes my early list for best of 2023.

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Panthervision

Panthervision “Now in 3-D”

Bonnie Veronica (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Kirk Larsen (lead guitar, backing vocals) were formerly of the Portland, OR band Beyond Veronica for fifteen years until they re-formed as Panthervision in 2019 and soon played the International Pop Overthrow festival soon afterward.

Their sound is comparable to The Muffs, Palmyra Delran, and The Go-Gos with a touch of garage pop. The catchy “Trouble” and “Can’t Explain” will have you playing air guitar and “Mister Riley” has an 80s edge with a little jangle. The only caveat here is several tunes sound way too similar to each other. But overall, this is a fine collection of guitar-driven rockers. It definitely deserves to be heard, so check’em out.

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