Powerpopholic

The Power Popaholic Interview: Joe Satriani

September 27, 2010July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to interview electric guitar legend Joe Satriani and we talked about his latest solo album Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards. Since we’re both Long Island, NY locals, we discussed his early years and some of his favorite guitarists.

We also touched on his upcoming album with Chickenfoot, a group that includes Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Read the interview first on The Rock and Roll Report.

Later this week, I’ll post the unedited audio interview for your listening pleasure. You could also pre-order Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards. Official release date is Oct.5

Schnauser "The Sound Of Meat"

September 24, 2010July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Schnauser are a trio of musicians from Bristol, UK who seem to have collected a perfect blend of psychedelic, folk and baroque rock influences (The Beatles, Todd Rundgren, Syd Barrett, XTC and The Who) but ultimately it falls slightly short. Lead by the pop visionary Alan Strawbridge (The Lucky Bishops, Cheese) the best comparison I can give you is early Stackridge. The atmospherics and compositions are just beautiful, as each song blends seamlessly into one another. Opening with “Cosmic Ordering Service” it’s as compelling as anything The Pillbugs have ever done. The following “Twins of Evil” and vaudevillian “I Couldn’t F*ck A Gorilla” are both brilliant Peppery slices of mod-styled pop. The lyrics are simplistic as well as cryptic – like Zappa with writer’s block on “World of Whimsy.”

The concept of this album loosely covers the story of twins, one a rich and happy, the other a wretched soul who “freezes his ass” on the Beach Boys falsetto-laden “Homeless.” The concept really sparkles on “I Wuv You, Mommy” a Rundgrenesque masterpiece. There are so many melodies here stitched together, it takes several listens to appreciate each musical morsel. The big problem is that no single melodic theme stays around long enough to hook you. And the second you spot it, it’s gone. That lack of hooks is what takes the whole album down a notch, despite the great stuff on each track here – with the exception of the purposely off-key vocal on “You’re The Greatest Girl I’ve Ever Seen.” Overall it’s an innovative take on pysche-pop that will challenge the musically open-minded – like a musical rubik’s cube!

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Here is the band posing as Polish duo “Usmiecsh Zebiczny” singing “Quiches And Flans And Bottles And Bags.” It’s not an album track, but gives a good representation of Schnauser’s sound.

The ELO Spaceship!

September 24, 2010September 24, 2010 powerpopaholic 2 Comments

I am totally surprised no one posted this earlier. It would have been really cool to have this animation on a big stage screen while Jeff Lynne and the band played “Tightrope” live back in the day. Oh well, if Jeff ever makes a follow up to “Zoom”…

Joel Streeter and Adrienne Pierce

September 22, 2010July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic

Joel Streeter “Matador”
Bay Area singer-songwriter Joel Streeter is a true pop talent that continues his growth on the sophomore album “Matador.” The sound is similar to Chris Stamey or Paul McCartney building classic pop compositions through a dense wall-of-sound approach. He is assisted by over a dozen players including producer Jerry Becker (Train) to make this a highly polished effort. The hooks are all over the title track and the use of horns to support “Drive Away” bring to mind Squeeze. The mid-tempo songs “Baby Your Time’s Here Too” and “A Better Day” both have great Beatlesque melody and hooks in the chorus that don’t quit. Another highlight here is the piano bounce on “Man Of The Hour” where the guitar rhythm mimics “It’s Getting Better” prior to the rich chorus and the orchestral break in the songs middle. The multi-layered vocal harmonies on “Like A Bird In A Gilded Cage” recall early Crowded House. Fans of Jim Boggia, Marshall Crenshaw and the other artists mentioned will really enjoy this album. Not a bad track in the bunch, and plenty of memorable gems make it easy to recommend.

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Adrienne Pierce “Oh Deer”
Canadian Adrienne Pierce has a very distinct vocal that gets your attention. It’s a mesmerizing combination of Edie Brickell and Blossom Dearie that draws you in. She’s written music for TV (Grey’s Anatomy, Veronica Mars) and this is her third full length album. It’s safe to classify her as folk pop, and the opening “Amargosa Hotel” has the guitar twang and dreamy quality often found on Sheryl Crow’s work. The same feeling on “Black Sand” carries through, with a catchy beat to contrast her multi-tracking here. The storylike ballads like “Monsters” and “Arc De Triomphe” are soulful and effective. My favorite track though is the bouncy “Guilty of Everything” with a sweet melody and seductive confessions in the lyric. However, other tracks here seem self-indulgent (“Telescope”) or are just too sparse (“Nightswimming”), so you may want to pick and choose the keepers here.

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The Gin Blossoms and The Dandy Warhols

September 20, 2010July 7, 2024 powerpopaholic

Here is a review of few major label bands that got my attention:

Gin Blossoms “No Chocolate Cake”
The Gin Blossoms were one of the few power pop bands of the 90’s that had mainstream success with mega-hits including “Hey Jealousy” and “Til I Hear It From You.” Now the band returns after their Major Lodge Victory album, to continue their brand of easy going power pop. The band (Robin Wilson, Jesse Valenzuela, Scott Johnson and Bill Leen) assisted by Danny Wilde (The Rembrandts) on keyboards starts out with the crunchy chords of “Don’t Change For Me.” The band does a fine job here but it sounds too innocuous to be that memorable until we get to the standout track “Miss Disarray” which will remind you of those classic hits. The next song “Wave Bye Bye” is also very good with Wilson’s gentle vocal and a hook in the chorus that keeps you listening.

Another gem is found on “Somewhere Tonight” with some great guitar melodies and Danny Wilde’s influence is very strong here. Unfortunately with the entire band getting song credit on “I’m Ready” it’s so generic and bland it begs you to hit the skip button. The band redeems itself on “Goin’ To California” with a standout guitar solo and measured rhythms. Overall, No Chocolate Cake has some sweet moments that makes it worthwhile.

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The Dandy Warhols “The Capitol Years 1995-2007”
The Dandies were a band that put the “chic” in heroin chic with their druggy psychedelic pop debut. This retrospective collection of the band shows how a promising group can catch the zeitgeist of an era with the big hits, “Boys Better” and “Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth.” Lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor was a perfect mix of Bowie and Lou Reed early on with a sarcasm and trippy introspective approach that few could equal. Other songs like “Bohemian Like You” and “We Used To Be Friends” channel The Rolling Stones at their lounge lizard best. The band begins to spiral into a self indulgent mess toward the end on “Plan A” and “Holding Me Up.” I could go on for a page about the love-hate battle with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, but in the end it’s the music that remains. The Dandy Warhols legacy is secure and this is a decent introduction to newbies.

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