Powerpopholic

Kelly Jones "SheBANG!"

December 2, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

I must state: This is a banner year for female power pop vocalists. Between great albums by Marykate O’Neil and Vibeke, you get a brilliant release from Kelly Jones too. So how is she different? Well, if The Bangles, Susanna Hoffs and Marshall Crenshaw had a love child it would sound just like Kelly Jones. The album is a practically flawless 28 minutes of power pop. It helps that she’s supported by Mike Viola and Ducky Carlisle (fresh from The Major Labels) and even Adam Schlesinger (Fountains Of Wayne) co-wrote a song with Kelly for the album. Kelly’s vocals are both fresh and forceful, as she glides through these songs effortlessly. It starts with the bouncy pop of “There Goes My Baby” which reminds me of The Pretenders “Don’t Get Me Wrong” a little, but it’s got all the little things right with great harmony, hand claps and Mike Viola doing the backing vocals. Possibly the best romantic pop tune about my love of power pop is “Same Song” with great lyrics to match the music (“In all the major keys, which reminds me of you when you’re not around”). Kelly has toured with Mike this past summer, and the closest comparison I can make here is Sam Phillips at her peak, with Viola playing the part of T-Bone Burnett. Every song here is a winner. Even the unusual Schlesinger penned “Crazy Talk” makes good use of the contrast in Kelly’s vocal with the low octave guitar bursts. The ballad “I Can’t Help You” is another wonderful standout, with Viola’s music and Kelly’s angelic vocal. No need to scrutinize further — just pick this one up! We are a few short weeks from the year end Top Ten of 2008 poll. This one slides in to make it an even 32 albums to choose from.

My Space | CD Baby | Not Lame

Listen to a sample of “There Goes My Baby”

Matthew Sweet Interview by Jeff Shelton

December 1, 2008April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic 2 Comments

Power pop legend Matthew Sweet has been interviewed by Jeff Shelton from the Power Pop Show on KSCU 103.3fm – Santa Clara, CA, you can get more info at www.myspace.com/powerpopshow

Just listen to the Matthew Sweet Interview

Cool stuff. They even talk “guitar geek” during the interview and about Sweet’s newest “Sunshine Lies” which is a pretty damn good major label release.

John Laprade and The Unremarkables EP

December 1, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

A few more EPs I found this weekend:

John Laprade “Blind”
John Laprade is a new voice on the scene, he scored some exposure on A&E with “Knock You Down” featuring Richard Lloyd and here is his debut EP. This song goes on sarcastically about stardom and it’s trappings, with Lloyd’s amazing guitar and Laprede’s soaring harmony. The title track, “Blind” is a terrific single, with hummable chorus and reminds me a little of Glen Tilbrook, Tommy Keene and Wilco. “Tennessee” is a little laid back country pop tune, with a bit of piano, harmonica and some nice drum work by Rich Pagano (Fab Faux). This is a prelude to John’s new LP coming soon, and it’s a good starting point.
My Space | CD Baby

The Unremarkables “21st Century Ghost”
I wasn’t too keen on this Norwich, UK group’s debut last year, but these guys keep forging onward and I am seeing improvement in both the songwriting and musical competence on this EP. The title track “21st Century Ghost” is a catchy crowd pleaser with plenty of layered guitar parts and resembles a cross between Tears for Fears, Aztec Camera and U2. “Heartache Cologne” is another highlight here with handclaps and strong guitar themes that showcase the improvements the band has made. This band deserves some attention, so guitar loving rock fans should listen up.
My Space | Itunes

Vibeke and The Blue Sky Secret EPs

November 30, 2008July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

I hope the turkey and football have satisfied all this holiday. Here are some new EP releases making waves recently:

Vibeke “From All of Me”
After a great debut from Vibeke it’s a nice follow up that arrives right on time for the holidays. “…From All Of Me” has everything you need in Christmas music, sleigh bells, choruses and melodic rock and roll, of course. “I Must Have Been So Good” is a great rockin‘ holiday theme, with a Pretenders-like guitar and vocals. “Mistletoe Kissing” is a high energy Christmas skiffle punk with rip roaring guitars and drum beat. Another highlight here is “A Christmas Carol (For The Losers In Love)” with a catchy melody and toe tapping beat. The song “Jingle Jangle Christmas” is a celebration of many Christmas themes, yet every song here is totally original. This stands along side all the great rock Christmas records, from The Kinks “Father Christmas” to Hall and Oats’ “Jingle Bell Rock” – Just like the liner notes say… “This is a proper Christmas Record!”
My Space | CD Baby

The Blue Sky Secret “What We Are”
Out of Nashville, TN comes both Ricky Free and Devin Burrell. It’s no secret here that these guys are a truest breathe of fresh air since Rick Altizer or Swirl 360. That both Ricky and Devin grew up in the heart of the contemporary Christian music scene just explains how these guys have such a gifted mastery of melodic rock. The opener “In Your Eyes” has a lot of great slickly produced melody and an angelic choral break. the follow up “11 Years,” has a simple guitar melody and a total radio play about romance. The highlight of the EP for me is “Six Feet Small” with it’s catchy chorus and layered guitars. Very much like a Jellyfish song, with Queen multi-layered guitars, it’s a real blast of greatness. Then “What Went Wrong” starts almost identical to McCartney’s “Let’em In” and then goes into another melodic gem of smooth pop with horn accents. The music isn’t overly preachy and a textbook example of how to do power pop right. It’s highly recommended here, so whens the full length LP, guys?
My Space | Itunes

Deleted Waveform Gatherings "Baby Warfare"

November 28, 2008April 4, 2018 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

Deleted Waveform Gatherings – the musical meshing of Dipsomaniacs leader, Øyvind Holm from Trondheim, Norway takes the Rainbow Quartz psyche-pop sound and updates it with modern pop slickness. Taking cues from Guided By Voices and Gripweeds, the opener “Tiger Rider” is a great single with looping guitars and harmonies sure to please any power pop fan. “All Our Futures” and “Good As Gone” take a more alternative route, similar to Robert Harrison’s Future Clouds and Radar, or even a more poppy sounding Love and Rockets. The title track “Little Baby Warfare” gets better here as Holm’s vocals are less strained, and the driving guitar melody is supported by a collage of other instrumental tracks during the break. Sometimes the experimental bend of the instruments will drown out the melodies, like on “Mental Balance Movement” – do you need the drums to go spastic on a ballad here? And “The New Rain” feels like a GBV snippet extended to six minutes. Thankfully, by mid album the songs are more accessible. “Even A Black Cat” is a classic highlight here, with a great big melodic hook. A bunch of excellent songs end the album with the more positive pop of “Melt-Down Kisses,” the bittersweet ballad “Razor Light” and the wonderful Beatlesque “Backwards To Zero.” I think some fans will like the neo-pysche pop better than I did and others may find the more traditional songs too plain. It’s a toss up, but there is definitely something here for everyone, and the quality tunes here make this an album worth getting.

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