Paul Collins gives a great explanation of why Power Pop is important and why you should support the artists that I review here at Power Popaholic. God Bless You, Commander Collins!
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Justin Kline and A Bit Much
Justin Kline “Triangle” EP
Nashville musician Justin Kline creates a masterful followup to his acclaimed Six Songs EP, where he recovers from the tragedy of having someone steal his master tapes. Justin toiled on these and his persistence pays off in the catchy “Baby, You’re A Mess” which is followed by the waltzing melody of “Please Go Away.” The crown jewel here is “Alison, We Cannot Be Friends” with Justin’s ernest vocals and harmonies that shine bright. I’m glad Justin put this EP out and not let anything discourage him. Fans of Jellyfish, Linus of Hollywood, and Marshall Crenshaw should get this right away. One of the best EPs I’ve heard this year.
A Bit Much “You Deserve It” EP
This Boston based band is a quirky mix of Tally Hall and Spacehog. A lot of attitude and spunk on the opener “Minimum Rhythm, Maximum Blues” takes you pretty far. But these guys also know melody and lead vocalist Degan puts showmanship into “Starvation Wage,” with a full range of emotion and a strong rhythm with backing harmony. “I Can Rock Nobody Like Nobody’s Been Rocked Before” is a boogie piano number that really stands out as well. Props also go to musician Tim Bucha (keys) and Jonathan Francis Glancy (drums) for mixing bar blues and pop so effortlessly here. So is it “a bit much”? Maybe Degan’s theatricality is, but the price for this EP isn’t. Get it at Bandcamp for whatever price you like.
The Dashing Suns and Billy Goodrum
The Dashing Suns “Really Like You”
The summer wouldn’t be complete without a band full of swaggering garage pop that makes the best use of indie lo-fi esthetic and power pop catchiness. Oakland based Dashing Suns take inspirations from many places, but the sound is a nice combination of The Buzzocks, Weezer and Apples In Stereo. The single “Sally Moore” will get your attention, full of lead jangle, blasting bass line and fast paced rhythm. But this is just the opener and the Kinksian “What I Want” is another great song, where the lead croons about a crush on the local slut, who treats him like crap. My favorite composition has to be “Future Thunder” which combines T.Rex and the Elephant Six with a massive guitar attack in the chorus between light campfire acoustic strums. “Shot Down” is a great piece of punk pop and “My Best Friend” is a perfect theme music for a”bromance.” The remaining tracks stay true to the indie pop energy that was on their debut EP. This album is a leap forward in growth without losing their soul, and making everything here even more infectious. This album is almost a guaranteed party starter.
Billy Goodrum “Weightless”
This album is a culmination of songs written by musician Billy Goodrum over an extended period, where he has primarily written for the feature films of the Farrelly Brothers. Goodrum’s originals are blessed with excellent compostion and stellar production. Starting with “I’ll Stay With You” the guitar melody shimmers and the album’s theme of love and romance rings true. “Hold On” is another sweet pop melody with a sticky chorus. Much of the lyrics aren’t that revelatory and pretty straightforward, like on the Elenor Rigby-like “Finished” where he states “a single man is incomplete, but a married man is finished.” Like Seth Swirsky, this is a gentle pop that is a very pleasant addition to your easy listening collection. Other standouts are “Everlasting” and “Nerve Up” which is the most punchy pop track on the album. Both “We Should Always Be Together” from Kingpin and “The Way” from Something About Mary are included as bonus tracks. Overall, very enjoyable.
Rusty Anderson "Born On Earth"
The latest album from Paul McCartney’s sideman, Rusty Anderson. His first album is a bona fide power pop classic, and this new one sounds headed in that direction as well. Check it out here.
This Blue Heaven "Quicksandglass"
This Blue Heaven is female-fronted power pop band and similar in spirit to Kelly Jones and Aimee Mann. The Boston based band has a vibrant bounce on it’s opener “Bliss,” where front woman MacKenzie Outlund intones “You better enjoy this.” The next song, “But As Hard as You Try” is a more adult oriented pop rich in it’s production and MacKenzie’s vocal soars here. Guitarist Stu Dietz puts his signature guitar sound on each tune, especially on the riff heavy “Any Other Way.” Aaron Rosenthal adds swirling synth and piano to the mix, with help from Mark Desrosiers (bass) and Brandon Erdos (drums). Stylistically melodic pop like “Future World” delivers hooks as strong as Aimee Mann’s best work, and this one is my favorite track. The distinctive synths and driving beat of “My Disgrace” is another winner. MacKenzie and Stu have a strong enough vocal chemistry to try a few sweet duet diversions like “That Summer” and “Insomnia.” But it’s the shimmering pop tracks like “As Ever As Always” that will win you over. The group’s latest project Spinning and Shining, a five-song EP produced by Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies), has released just recently (free single below) and is highly recommended.
My Space | Amazon | FREE Single “Nova Love” | Itunes