Powerpopholic

The Rhinos "In Rhi-Fi"

December 8, 2008April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic 2 Comments

Those Swedish pop masters, The Rhinos have a new album out called “In Rhi-Fi” and if you are a Byrds fan, you will get your fill of jangling 12 string Rickenbacker here. Lasse Hindberg has 14 original songs, and unlike the debut album which sounds more like a tribute band, the Rhinos sound begins to evolve. Using more four way harmonies, the opener “Everything That She Believed” is a lot closer to The Association in style. The although the melody in “PTO” is positively gorgeous, the lyrics are more suited to a punk rant about a “media whore” who supports war and “is gonna crash” (I think it’s about Carl Rove). This is followed by the great “After The Love Is Gone” which continues the baroque harmonies, along the lines of The Left Banke. “Just Another Hour With You” attempts to be a Pet Sounds era ballad, and it almost works. The vocals on some tracks are just too understated and even though there are a few gems here (“Before I Set You Free” and “I’d Rather Be Sad” ) there are plenty of embarrassing songwriting examples (“She Presents The News” and “My Town”) that spoil it. Another good one is the very Ringo-like “Tell On You” but the band would do better to do some editing for it’s next album. McGuinn fans and retro enthusiasts will enjoy the impressive musicianship, others here can pass.

My Space | Rainbow Quartz | Not Lame

Faded Paper Figures "Dynamo"

December 8, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

While a lot of modern indie pop can be only be considered fodder for the next Apple commercial or teen drama, sometimes you will find a band that spends more effort to transcend that label. I believe Faded Paper Figures does enough to push that envelope on it’s debut “Dynamo.” Opening with “North by North” and the very best song on the album, the catchy “B Film” it pulses with clean crisp guitars and a perfect drum machine beat. The sound gets even richer on “Logos” which brings to mind Ivy. Electronic beeps wash across strategic beats, surrounded by a simple guitar ballad in “Future Self” – it begins to follow this template in “Metropolis” and “I Fell Off My Name.” Somewhere past the albums midpoint the synth effects begin to interfere with the melody (“Geneva’s Gone”) or the songs get too dull (“Red State”) but thankfully the Faded Paper Figures follow the overindulgence with more smart, precise tunes like “The Persuaded” and “Being There.” The melodic skills here are evident – much like Tim Myers debut, this mines the same sunny indie pop place. If you enjoy the Orba Squara, Postal Service, or Magnetic Fields quieter moments you are sure to enjoy this album. Again, not quiet power pop but on the indie pop spectrum it’s worth the effort for those moments of melodic brilliance.

Faded Paper Figures website | My Space | CD Baby

Friendly Foes "Born Radical"

December 6, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

A Detroit-based 3-piece that sounds like they are having a blast playing “My Body (Is a Strange Place To Live)” with it’s quick guitar riffs and Mother Hips-styled dense psyche touches. By getting down to the early 80’s DIY essence of the punk/pop movement, the Friendly Foes raging diatribes on rock and roll’s currents state of affairs are done with just enough sugar to help this medicine go down. Coming from other bands, Ryan Allen (Thunderbirds Are Now!), Brad Elliott (Satin Peaches), and Lizzie Wittman (Kiddo) hit the ground running. Opening with “Full Moon Morning” it’s a template for the best of this album, with angular guitar riffs and Ryan leading the charge. Friendly Foes’ sound best compares with The New Pornographers, but it’s not all fey pop sweetness here. Using sunny boy-girl harmonies and bouncy major chords on “Criminal Justice” it’s got a catchy swagger that is hard to ignore. This album takes no prisoners and doesn’t let up either. So if you’re looking for a ballad somewhere, you’ve got the wrong album. Wittman gets to shine on a few songs, notably “Get Ripped” which resembles The B-52’s and The Ramones combined. All this energy goes to good use as almost every song here kicks ass. Some highlights include, “Get Yr Shit Together”, “Couch Surfing”and the epic “Lil’ Tiger” all with excellent melodies and great musicianship. On “Dying To Survive” and “Breakfast Burritos” gets a bit too typical, but that is being picky here. This is like power pop with an extra shot of caffeine. Make mine a double.

My Space | CD Baby

Matt Pond PA "The Freeep" or THE FREE EP download

December 5, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

Yup, another free batch of music. Songs were recorded in a cabin in Bearsville, NY, as a simple sonic manifestation of their opinions concerning the arguable value of a waterlogged paperback. I’ve always loved Matt Pond PA and the slow soulful strum and pop hook on “Our Braided Lives” is enough for me, yet you get 9 songs here. Some are instrumental experiments, some fully fleshed out pop songs, it’s all good. Another highlight is “First Light” But don’t complain here, the price is right!

FREE EP DOWNLOAD | My Space

Steve Caraway "Hurricane Season"

December 4, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

This was an album that I’ve been meaning to listen to since the summer, and Steve recently played in NYC, so I was finally able to get a hold of “Hurricane Season.” Steve Caraway has a very eclectic approach to pop. His vocals are a great strength and this evidenced on the opener “Before You Run Away” which has a Spongetones meets Michael Carpenter vibe. The sound runs from 70s arena rocker to contemporary soul pop, if you can visualize Dave Bickler’s (Survivor) range with Frank Sinatra training – that’s about right. “When I Change Your Mind” is another great song with lots of jangle and a good hook-filled chorus. The title track, “Hurricane Season” brings to mind Adam Marsland’s style of aggressive pop. Then he shifts into soulful balladeer on “Something New” and “No Looking Back” – this is where his really vocal chops shine and carry the song. That’s not to say the jangle pop songs aren’t damn catchy though, “Rabbit” has a sticky chorus with sweet chord changes. “Gone, Gone, Gone” gets his Beatles mojo in overdrive with sitar leading the way on the song. My favorite song here though is “Sausage Factory” about the cynical and destructive music industry (“Golden handshakes/Smiles so phony”). “Scented Letter” makes good use of overdubbing and recalls The Smithereens best. The stylistic changes on some songs may be jarring at first, but you’ll be humming these song over and over. It’s most welcome on my ipod in repeat mode.

My Space | eMusic