Powerpopholic

Serious music from some funny men.

February 3, 2009February 3, 2009 powerpopaholic

After you’ve made your mark in comedy, what do you do for an encore? Apparently make serious music. That’s the case with Christopher Guest who best known for his roles in This Is Spinal Tap, Best In Show and A Mighty Wind. NPR has a story about his serious musician chops as a member of The Beyman Bros, where he plays guitar and mandolin, mandolin cello, and even the clarinet. It’s kinda new age-y free form instrumentals that I would expect to hear at a spa or yoga class. But it’s first class stuff.

Not to be outdone is the serious musical expertise of Steve Martin. He is considered the foremost expert in bluegrass banjo playing. The NY Times article mentions “Mr. Martin is regarded as a master of a difficult five-fingered playing style known as clawhammer or frailing, in which the instrument’s strings are pushed down by fingernails, rather than pulled up with picks.” Amazon is selling his banjo music album “The Crow” and on Youtube there are plenty of examples of his skills, but I love this early example of his banjo playing.

Suinage “Shaking Hands”

February 2, 2009April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic

Italian power poppers Suinage deliver an album full of high energy rock that fans of Adam Marsland’s Cockeyed Ghost and Joe Jackson will eat right up. So listen up, kids. Band members Pilli Colombo on guitar and vocals, Ariel Dotti on bass, and Flavio Torzillo on drums take no prisoners on the opener “Toothbrush” with hyper kinetic guitar riffs throughout that are meant to played with the volume setting on “11”. This continues on the compelling “Don’t Pass Me By” with riffs and vocals that recall the early pre-poppy Smashmouth. Other standouts here are “All Eyes On Me” and “July” as Pilli dials down the roughness and gets downright melodic. The guitars jangle away in the latter track, and I consider it the best of the album. Then the remaining tracks on the album revert back to the rough edged rock, and this works better when the chord structures go beyond typical jamming, like on “Chump” and “Underneath the Leaves.” I hope to hear more from Suinage in the future, as they are currently on tour with Radio Days in Italy. Let’s hope they’re not shy and visit us here in the states soon. Buono Lavoro!

My Space | Not Lame

Any Version Of Me "Backward Forever"

February 2, 2009April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Call this one, “slipped through the cracks” – as Powerpop Station blog found this one I missed. Any Version of Me is a mystery man from Paris, France. I am not fluent in French, but his music speaks volumes. “The Good Old Days” seems to me a seamless blend of Brian Wilson and Gilbert O’Sullivan with a touch of Colin Blunstone (Zombies). The touchstone here is Pet Sounds/Abbey Road production (using vintage instruments), with “More” it also recalls a gentle late 60’s songwriting style that touches pop greatness. The vocal on the lonely ballad “Tonight” has a soaring falsetto that makes it work similar to Eric Carmen doing Ziggy Stardust. The next several tracks wander into Herman’s Hermits territory, which isn’t a bad thing, but it fails to generate the excitement of the earlier tracks. “Something’s Gonna Happen” is a fun baroque sixties throwback a la The Parade, but the next track “Take Some Time” is a well written and original Beatlesque gem. And the ending track, “All I Will Keep From You” even ends with a Beach Boys multi-part harmony fade out. Some fans may think this album too derivative (which is true) but it has enough original songwriting to carry it through to highly recommended status. The entire album is streaming below and on the Any Version Of Me web site he is giving visitors a FREE single download “Don’t Fall My Friend.” Now that’s just smart marketing.

My Space |Emusic | Itunes

The Gideons and Serena Ryder

February 1, 2009July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

The Gideons “Hymns For Hers”
The Gideons are a unique combination of garage riffs and rough harmonies that will make you either root for them, or toss them away as fluff. Tracks like “Steal That Girl” have a good melody and edge to it, and “Pockets Full of Love” has that nuggets-like sound. They are able to remind some music fans of The Velvets or Marc Bolan (“Get on the Floor”), and they are not intimidated by the material at all. They need to work on those harmonies a bit though. These guys are unsigned, and right now you’ll need to contact them directly to get a CD-R. Give emerging talent a chance to grow on you.
My Space

Serena Ryder “Is it Okay”
Born and raised in Ontario, Canada, Serena Ryder grew up listening to old Beatles and Leonard Cohen records she found in her parents’ collection. In 2004 she was signed for her first album, which earned her music cred north of the border. Now several albums later, and signed by Atlantic, Serena is ready to break out into the mainstream. USA Weekend named her among its “Faces To Watch In 2008” and Billboard declared her One of Canada’s “Most Promising.” Her vocal styling and live performances have earned her comparisons to the likes of legends Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin. Serena’s sound has many different layers, from rock to folk with hints of country and soul. Her vocal delivery however, is what sets her apart from the crowd. Serena sings with so much emotion that as a listener you’d be hard-pressed not to feel where she is coming from.
My Space | Atlantic Records

Powerpopaholic interviews Roger Joseph Manning Jr.

January 30, 2009April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic

Wow. A dream of mine since I started this blog was to interview Roger. As a founding member of power pop gods Jellyfish, Roger explains his musical process, his approach to songwriting and some of his attitude toward other musicians who are Jellyfish influenced. I made a big effort not to fawn and ask questions that fans would like to know. He also tells the story about a time touring with Beck that was unforgettable. This is a 30 minute interview, and it’s worth listening to.

Listen to The Roger Joseph Manning Jr. Interview

FYI: I bookended the interview with some of Roger’s best work, opening up with about 45 seconds of The Jellyfish track “The King Is Half Undressed” and closing with a sample of Catnip Dynamite’s “Down In Front.”

Get Catnip Dynamite at Not Lame .