Powerpopholic

The Secret Powers "Lies and Fairy Tales"

March 26, 2010July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

Ryan Maynes (aka Schmedly) and his merry band mates have returned to build on the astounding success of their previous album. Truly filled to the brim with unabashed worship of Electric Light Orchestra, Jellyfish, and The Beach Boys it’s like listening to bright sunshine. Opening with the harmonic treats on “Tangerine” complete with ELO-styled guitar goodness it transitions to the “Pet Sounds” sing-along “I’m So In Love.” Hook after hook are poured into these songs and that’s what’s so impressive here – it’s perfect power pop. Fans of Harry Nilsson will flip for “New Skin” – it sounds exactly like him and bounces along with the same style that made The Point so wonderful. The next few tracks (“Feels So Good” and “Riding The Shark”) are multi-layed with guitars, harmonies and unique instrumentations that compare well to Jellyfish albeit with Schmedly’s grizzled vocal approach. “Cows” uses the multi-tracked vocal style throughout and the mid tempo ballad “Miss Lonely” rounds out a perfect album half. Schmedly’s vocals head fully into Bryan Adams territory with the dramatic “The Lie” and the remaining album tracks are very strong, but don’t shine as bright. The group vocals and melodies on “Chemical High” and “Just Might” recall mid-western rock bands like The Allman Brothers Band or Bob Segar a bit and the Elton John-like piano chord shifts round it out on “Nothing As Nice.” As a special offer from Kool Kat Musik, you get an additional disc of bonus tracks. This album easily makes my top ten this year, keep it coming guys!

My Space | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik | CD Baby

Listen to a clip of “Tangerine”

Big album releases on the way…

March 25, 2010November 16, 2024 powerpopaholic 3 Comments

It’s been too long, but it’s on the way here. Teenage Fanclub is set to release the new album “Shadows” on May 31st.
Superdrag‘s John Davis has recorded a tune in memory of Alex Chilton called “Cerulean Blue (For Alex Chilton)“. This is a FREE download, so pick it up Power Popaholics!
Pop favorites Crowded House are making a comeback. The new studio album “Intriguer” will be out this June
Rooney’s third album “Eureka” is coming out on June 8, and the band promises it will be “their most inventive and original material to date.”
Barenaked Ladies latest disc “All In Good Time” is already out in Canada and will hit the states the end of this month.
The New Pornographers latest, featuring Neko Case and Destroyer’s Dan Bejar, in addition to bandleader and chief songwriter A.C. Newman, is called “Together” and you can download the first track FREE and expect the album out in April.

A big thanks to toopoppy.com for breaking a lot of this to me and you.

Chris Corney and Gary Hood

March 25, 2010July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

Chris Corney “Sans Everything”
The Ravines frontman Chris Corney returns with his second solo LP, a straight forward contemporary pop album that will impress fans of Crowded House and Squeeze. Those expecting raucous power pop shouldn’t expect too much, but Corney’s emphatic vocal and guitar chimes on “Best Thing That Ever Went Wrong” compares well with contemporaries Neil Finn and Glenn Tilbrook. “When Jenny Smiles” is another excellent song and the cascading keyboards work well with the song’s jangling rhythm. The rich layering of audio textures from the production generates a depth that takes time to appreciate here, and the best tracks include “High Hopes,” “Mariette” and the acoustic ballad “Which Way To Fall.” And you even get a glimpse of greatness in the guitar solo on “Red Boots.” The sins here are the few tracks that take a guitar riff and drive it into the ground (“Sweet Vines”) to the point it’s repetitive. But for the most part, it makes for highly enjoyable listening. Fans of most contemporary adult pop will find much to enjoy here.

My Space | CD Baby | Amazon

Gary Hood “Gary Hood and The Last Show Ever” EP
A good friend of Andy Goldberg (of The Goldbergs) Gary Hood is an accomplished guitarst who has worked as a roadie for many famous major label recording artists. He plays a roots based pop that really hits it out of the park on the opener “Ice Cream” which starts with a bass line similar to The Doors “Land Ho” and adds plenty of boogie and soul here. It’s just a great display of blues guitar and catchy beat, no doubt helped by Goldberg’s contributions. The remaining tracks are closer to Jeff Tweedy styled lo-fi alt. country pop, with Andy adding backing vocals on the notable “Help Is On The Way” and “Space Age Blues” which is like an updated Neil Young sound. Add this EP to the jukebox of your favorite honky-tonk bar and you won’t be sorry. An impressive debut.

My Space | Itunes

The Small Change and Palmdale

March 23, 2010July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

The Small Change “Every Line In My Head”
Seattle’s The Small Change’s third album makes a loud rowdy riff driven statement. From the fading in on the opener “From The East Coast” to the pounding drums on “The American” the band’s garage jam sound has plenty of The Replacements, Elvis Costello and The Black Crowes influence baked inside. My favorite here is gritty sound on “Droppin’ Petals On The Way Down” and the song has a brilliant guitar break and chorus in the middle. Frontman Greg Collinsworth sings his heart out on each track, and I’m sure his voice is raw after a live performance. “Downtown in a Restaurant” is another Costello-like tune that rings true. The albums middle moves from power pop to pub rock smoothly, with “Celebrate” and a borderline Jerry Lee Lewis “Can’t Dance Witcha Honey.” The lack of any ballad or slower tempo material makes sticking with the entire album exhausting. But as an incentive, the band is offering the album as a FREE download on it’s website for a limited time. If you miss that opening or want a physical CD, you can always go to CD Baby.

My Space | CD Baby | The Small Change Site

Palmdale “Get Wasted!” EP
What do you get when you combine Kay Hanley (Letters To Cleo) and Linus of Hollywood? You get the beauty that is Palmdale. Full of big sweet melodies and Kay’s incomparable vocals, it’s an early season treat from start to finish. “Her Comes The Summer” opens with a with big infectious hook and her angelic harmonies. And it’s not afraid to use angular guitars with the 90’s styled “Pick Your Poison.” Every track here is wonderful, especially the heartbreaking put down ballad “Bound For The Floor.” Linus awesome guitar work and musicianship are flawless. This EP is a digital release only, but I was told a full length album is in the works. It makes another case for more collaborations of male/female duos, along with She and Him, Volume Two

My Space | Palmdale Site | Amazon

The Riffbackers "The Curtain Shop and Alterations"

March 22, 2010July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Not to be confused with The Riffbrokers, This is the continuing efforts of Spanish popsters Fausto Martin and Nacho Garcia, after the break up of their former band The Winnerys (Rainbow Quartz USA) in February 2007. The band was born in the springtime of 2007 in Madrid, and that summer the recording sessions of their first album “The Curtain Shop And Alterations” began. The new 11-song set was written by Fausto and fans of the Winnerys are sure to love it. The Beatles/Byrds guitar imprint is on every track here with Fausto’s signature vocal leading the way. Starting with the driving “Now It’s Fine,” the band’s musical ability is sharp and those Beatle-y riffs are unmistakeable. “You’d Do Anything” has more jangle than you can shake a 12-string Rickenbacker at, and “Sometimes” has those wonderful guitar bridges and Nacho’s impressive drumwork. The songs are mostly self-referencing experiences, especially “Stupid Rock Star’s Dream” which will remind some of The Raspberries “Overnight Sensation.” Fans of Paul McCartney will enjoy the ballad “After All These Years” and it mixes all the right elements without getting tiresome. A great collection of songs by focused pop craftsmen without a dud in the bunch. Keep on Riffin’!

My Space | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik | Bebo