Powerpopholic

Skeleton Staff and Brenden Benson

January 10, 2023January 10, 2023 powerpopaholic

Skeleton Staff “Malapropism”

After a six-year wait, this Australian baroque-glam-pop band Skeleton Staff is back! Opening with “Investiture” it boasts a dramatic build that draws more from the brothers Mael (Sparks) as an influence. “Is This Thing Gonna Work Out?” contrasts heavy guitar with bombastic verses, but the heavy production almost threatens to bury the melody. “Harlots” is a 4-minute operetta loaded with Queen-like guitars and overlapping vocal parts, like a grand march. It’s that bombast that draws attention, but a song like “Dumb and Proud To Be” has more of a hook, and I wanted to hear more of this. But Skeleton Staff prefers a large buffet of many styles.

The band shifts to dance-pop synths mode for “She Made Me Believe In Make Believe Again” and the funky “You Look Good In Pictures.” The critique of the music industry in “A&R” takes the narrative of a label looking for a band to “just find a viral hit.” The beautiful ballads “Hand Up In The Sky” and piano-led “Bugger All” really show how talented this band is. And “You’re Gonna Fly Too” is another introspective song that does it right, without all the pretentious bits. Those bits take over a few tunes, like “Paranoia Strikes” but overall Malapropism is a very good listen. Check it out.

Amazon

<a href="https://skeletonstaff.bandcamp.com/album/malapropism">MALAPROPISM by SKELETON STAFF</a>

Brendan Benson “Low Key”

In 2020 Brendan Benson moved out of his comfort zone on Dear Life, and put a band together planning to go on the road. But COVID happened and he couldn’t, so it was back to the studio, and this is the result. He still includes light elements of modern hip-hop in the beats (a source of inspiration) in the opener “Aint No Good” and closer “Something A Little Like Home.” While these are good songs, Brendan is still a master at power-pop melody. “I Missed The Plane” is a superb piano-led tune with McCartneyesque overtones about a lost relationship.

Even deeper, “People Grow Apart” brings his signature buzzing riffs to the front and it is one of the album’s big highlights, along with the Who-inspired “Whatever’s On My Mind.” These tracks are so good, it softens the faithful cover of Gerry Rafferty’s “Right Down The Line” and the soulful introspection of “Whole Lotta Nothin.” As a follow-up to Dear Life, it’s a perfect companion album. Between the two, if he comes to your town during a tour he’s got lots of great new material — so don’t miss him. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

Anchor & Bear and Dan Israel

January 8, 2023July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic

Naturally, I miss quite a few 2022 releases. This week will feature several of them…

Anchor & Bear “No More Nights On The Roof”

Katy Pearson and Brian Bringelson the duo known as Anchor & Bear. I’ve been following Brian since his early days as Paul Starling, and it’s nice to find that Katy is a perfect match for him musically. “Earthquake On The 4th Of July” hits it right away, as Katy’s gentle harmonies and the catchy chorus make it a great start. The follow-up “Hospital Song” is so low-key, it loses some momentum, but luckily it picks up the tempo with the breezy “Red Letter Days” and playful “Cool Water” with Katy on the lead.

“Glad it’s Over” and “She’s A Robot” takes time to build momentum, but they are also fine tracks. The dynamic is very much along the lines of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac) or Carl Newman and Neko Case (New Pornographers). The bouncy “On The Deck Tonight” is another highlight, and while it sometimes feels inconsistent – it more often hits than misses. Definitely, music that deserves to be heard.

Amazon | Kool Kat Musik

<a href="https://futuremanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/no-more-nights-on-the-roof">No More Nights On The Roof by Anchor & Bear</a>

Dan Israel “Seriously”

Dan Israel has been very active these last few years. Like a mix of Elvis Costello and Tom Petty, he weaves tales of woe and emotional frustration to a solid guitar melody. Starting with the workman-like effort of “Happy For Now.” It’s all about the nature of his pessimism, with a blistering guitar break. The title track is a bit heavier, with his Dylan-like vocals asking “Should I write another song that nobody hears?” It all seems rather sour but, “I’m In New York” is a chugging melody with harmonica accompaniment offers some relief, leading seamlessly into the acoustic “Taking The Fall.”

The album is consistently good but the best standout tracks are reserved for the end of the album, the defiant “I Quit” and amazing “Hang Of It” make this triumphant. It did make my top 50 list (#40) last year, so do not hesitate. I would also check out his earlier album Social Media Anxiety if you are a new Dan listener. Highly Recommended.

Amazon

<a href="https://danisrael.bandcamp.com/album/seriously"><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>Seriously by Dan Israel</a>

Don’t panic! The mainstream didn’t forget power pop.

January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 powerpopaholic

In general, mainstream artists don’t always consider themselves in the power pop genre, but last year these artists made us proud. If you missed these albums check them out, my favorite mainstream albums of 2022…

Elvis Costello “The Boy Named If”

I did a full review of this album earlier in the year. It is a magnificent comeback for Elvis after years of experimentation with Jazz, Spanish translations, and other things. Each track shines and he hasn’t sounded this good in years. No highlights – listen to the entire album from beginning to end and soak it in.| Amazon

Panic! At The Disco “Viva Las Vengeance”

Ever since 2008’s Pretty. Odd. singer Brendon Urie’s charismatic, cross-pollinated brand of pop moved away from his emo roots toward something resembling power pop, as that album was Beatles-influenced. But Viva Las Vengeance, produced by power-pop fave Mike Viola, was a love letter to glam, rock, and power-pop. Highlights: “Middle Of A Breakup,” “Local God,” and ” Sugar Soaker.” Highly recommended. | Amazon

Collective Soul “Vibrating”

The band has become a rock and roll institution, 30 years after the hit single “Shine” and it continues to roll on with this new collection of music. Ed Roland and the guys have laid down another solid album. One of the rare touring bands that offer new music on par with their established hits, at least for the album’s first half. Highlights: “Cut The Cord,” “Reason,” and “All Our Pieces.” Full review here | Amazon

Weezer “SZNZ”

A new EP has been released at the dawn of each season of 2022, and it totals 28 tracks when it’s all done. Rivers Cuomo is a unique talent who is both amazing and frustrating in equal measure. A fitting coda is “Iambic Pentameter” where even though he doesn’t know what’s in his “messed-up head” it still sounds great. Like most post-Hurley Weezer, there are enough diamonds to be found once you dig deep, past the musical sketch fluff. Highlights: “Dark Enough To See Stars,” “Francesca,” “A Little Bit of Love,” and “Records” are starting points. | Amazon

The Power Popaholic Top 25 EPs list of 2022 + more

January 3, 2023July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic

The humble EP has grown into its own as a preferred method of music delivery since the economic incentive to release an album is not what it was. I loosely define an “EP” as two to ten songs. Many artists opt to release EPs rather than full-lengths where they can concentrate on a handful of songs at a time without the possibility of filler. Even Weezer released 4 EPs this year instead of a single long player. The album format isn’t dead, but you can see which way the wind is blowing…

Special Consideration:

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ken Sharp released a 50-song juggernaut – I’ll Remember The Laughter. It was the only “box set” of its kind this year and felt too massive to be in a single album category. If you enjoy your power pop music collection with a dose of sweet honey this would be worth your time. Amazon: Part 1 | Part 2

<a href="https://kensharp.bandcamp.com/album/ill-remember-the-laughter">I’ll Remember The Laughter by Ken Sharp</a>

The Power Popaholic Top 25 albums of 2022 + More

December 30, 2022December 30, 2022 powerpopaholic

This was a difficult year, as the flow of good music increased exponentially from 2021. All those COVID themes (lockdowns, isolation, etc) continued, but artists had more time to produce more material, and make it sound even better. I could’ve easily made a top 100 this year, but I’ll stop at 50 (after my traditional 25). A lot of notables came in late this year, and many others I listened to earlier in the year didn’t stick in my head as much. Note, a few of these did not get an official review but I will do a mini-review of these. In addition, I also removed a few big major label artists (i.e. Elvis Costello) that really came through because they already get plenty of promotion, and I’ll post on that very soon.