The Spongetones "Scrambled Eggs"

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When I last left Jamie Hoover and company it was a celebratory return to form, with “Too Clever By Half”. The Spongetones are one of the few, great power pop bands from the early 80’s that have outlasted almost everyone else. This time the band jams with a terrific opener “All the Loving” and it’s full of jangle and strum that harkens back to their Beatlesque traditions. And like your favorite comfort food, it’s easy to lap up. But Jamie hasn’t lost the ability to take things in other directions, with “Inevitable You” a sweet mid-tempo ballad about longevity in a relationship (with a band mate or spouse). A more grizzled take on the band’s future comes across on “It Can’t Go On Forever” and the bouncy “Lost Weekend” continues the jangle party. Certain songs have a slightly more adult progressive feel, similar to The Pillbugs on “Where Ya Gonna Go” with it’s speedy baseline lead and the folk pop of “Propeller Flights.” Even a venture into the blues with “Tough Love” show us that it’s not all sweet pop, similar in style to the Fab Four’s “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” Even though everything here isn’t as accessible as the last album, the grand melodies of songs like “Too Unlikely Two” with it’s dual guitar solo are a joy to behold. There is plenty here for the long time ‘Tones fan, like the Monkees’ guitar rythyms of “Karma Depleted,” the hummable “Pick That Up For A Song,” and sparkling Rickenbacker on “She’ll Be Gone.”  With such an eclectic mix of styles here, you understand why they called this one “Scrambled Eggs.” As long as Jamie and the boys are cooking, I’ll order this special anytime.

My Space | CD Baby

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Happy Record Store Day!

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Saturday, April 18 marks the second annual “Record Store Day” at independent record stores throughout the US and the rest of the world, a day that retailers hope will draw loyal and new customers to celebrate the indie record store and all that it has to offer. Vendor sales are all over the place — so check them out.

Kool Kat Musik

  • 10% off our entire Power Pop/Alt Country Online Store CD catalog (Does NOT include April 20 New Releases)
  • 10% discount on vinyl, magazines, and DVDs
  • 25% off our entire “Used CD” inventory

CD Baby

The $5 Sale – Buy 3 of these, and they become $5 each. Normally these albums sell for full price if you buy them alone. But once you have at least three different “$5 specials” in your shopping cart at the same time, you will see their price drop to just $5 each. They did this so you could afford to experiment. Have fun! Get as many as you can!

Not Lame Recordings

Despite the leftover snow in Fort Collins, Colorado — there are 50+ new CDs on the site. Check it out! The favorites are on the home page, the home of power pop music distribution.

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The Honeydogs "Sunshine Committee"

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With all the bad news out there, it’s good to see some optimism from Adam Levy and his band The Honeydogs with their new mini-album, “Sunshine Committee.” While it’s not full of sugar, it does offer a less gloomy outlook than the previous effort “Amygdala.” Bassist Trent Norton contributes some great baselines to the opening title track and it works in tandem with Levy’s guitar. Add to this the rich horn section comprised of new members Matt Darling and Steven Kung that bring the group back to it’s rootsy sound. “Fiber Optic Paramour” is a cool story about how an online romance fails to fulfill happiness. The band channels Revolver-era Beatles perfectly on “Balaclava” and we get pretty funky a la Lenny Kravitz or Sly Stone on the laid back “Stash.” There are enough influences here to spread things around and Levy does a great job arranging the material with the assistance of his crew and if you want even more Levy you can check out his kids album Bunny Clogs on e-music. While not the revelation of “10,000 Years,” this album sort of falls short of a full length and is too long for an EP — either way it’s welcome news for pop fans.

My Space | Honeydogs site | Not Lame| Kool Kat Musik

Sunshine Committee – The Honey…
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Welcome Home Walker, Green Go, Styles Make Fights

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Sometimes I get e-mail from new bands who may not even have a full length or long EP out, but they are trying to get their name out. So let me introduce:

WELCOME HOME WALKER this is a cool three Piece from Portland, OR. If you dig The Rubinoos, Elvis Costello, Smokey Robinson or The Clash this band will rock your boat. They’ll also be playing the International Pop Overthrow Fest this summer. The “Don’t Let Me Go” EP is ready so give a listen. They have a swinging mix of fifties and eighties styles mashed up in the power pop blender, with energetic guitars, drums and vocals. Listen to “Don’t Let Me Go” for a jolt of pop punk excellence! Listen to them at MySpace

Canadian electro-disco-pop 5-piece GREEN GO‘s debut album ‘Borders’, a funky fret and synth driven dance with a bit of a prog flavor thrown in. This is unique stuff that will appeal to fans of Animal Collective, The Clash, and Joy Division. Listen to them at MySpace

STYLES MAKE FIGHTS is a new group from Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK and resembles an alcohol-soaked, pop band with rock and roll hearts on their sleeves, the music is full of loud guitars and pounding drums. They need more polish and a bit more production help, but they’re on the right track. These guys are unsigned so give a listen to them at MySpace

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Valley Lodge "Semester at Sea"

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Valley Lodge is the rock machine comprised of singer/guitar player, and world-class entertainer Dave Hill (Sons of Elvis, Uptown Sinclair, Cobra Verde); guitar player/singer John Kimbrough (Walt Mink), bass player/singer Phil Costello (Tragedy, Satanicide, Stynx, Children of the Unicorn), and drummer Rob Pfeiffer (Sense Field). In 2005, the debut album was one of the best power pop albums ever (in most critics top ten that year). Well the wait for a follow up is over and it kicks major butt. A sonic guitar attack worthy of Matthew Sweet opens up the album with “Break Your Heart” and the singalong chorus is instant ear candy. The album takes lots of late 70’s music cues, like “The Door” is a strutting combination of Slade, Sweet and Gary Glitter. The album gives no quarter as the sound gets smarter and the guitar work is just miles above other bands on tracks like “Baby, It’s A Shame” and “Barricade”. The energy here is similar to Sloan and Supergrass, and the Gene Simmons-like cocky attitude translates well to tracks like “If You Love Me” – where he tells his woman “if you love me come on down…” And the cover of Bob Welch’s hit “Sentimental Lady” is the only time the band slows down a bit, if you don’t count the acoustic ender “Lose Your Man” which sounds tacked on. But this does not take away from the amazing performances through most of the album. Although I’ve gushed on about Kimbrough and Hills’ guitar godliness, it’s also the strong songwriting and arrangements on every single tune that deserve equal tribute. Yes, power pop fans — this is a “must get” album.

My Space | CD Baby | Valley Lodge Music | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik

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