The Silver Seas "The Country Life"

powerpopaholic 4 Comments

Reaching back, I found this little gem of an album. Formerly the Bees, they changed their name to “The Silver Seas” and deliver that familiar ’70s-style soft rock that combines the hazy harmonies of the Beach Boys with Jackson Browne’s running-on-empty rhythmic momentum. Lead songwriter Daniel Tashian underplays his commercial skills with a casual charm that shrugs where others might strain. He’s crafty, not contrived. The sound on the ballads like “Dream of Love” also reminds me of Sondre Lerche and James Taylor, so if you like them you’ll dig The Silver Seas. Tashian injects a healthy dose of Seals & Crofts style to his storytelling in the title track “High Society”. “The Country Life” is very similar to Van Morrison’s “Wild Night” or “Domino” in structure and beat. Some wonderful jangle and harmonies are in “Ms. November” and is one of my favorites on this album. “Imaginary Girl” is another gem that sparkles along with a wonderful piano melody. “Hard Luck Tom” is similar to the effortless pop of JT if the Wilson boys were backing him. No real filler here unless you count the instrumental “Taitville,” this is perfect for a fall day, with the leaves turning color to these elegant pop sounds. 

My Space | The Silver Seas site | Itunes

Listen to the “Imaginary Girl”

Listen to the “The Country Life”

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

Cineplexx "Picnic"

powerpopaholic

When Argentinean native Sebastian Litmanovich formed the band Cineplexx last year in Barcelona Spain, he had some help from power pop buddies Douglas Stewart (BMX Bandits) and Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub). The sound is lush and full similar to Belle and Sebastian (even a song near the albums end is named after them) with wall-of-sound arrangements and full Spanish language vocals. The opening “Espiral” has the soft vocal and light orchestral backdrop, that compares well to Elf Power or The Field Mice. Then “A Mi Lado” has a sparse synth beat with light harmonies that recall eighties synth-wave bands a bit and “Tirados” almost resembles those spacey late 60’s Moody Blues ballads with fuzzy bass and theremin. It definitely creates a dark atmosphere and this gets even more moody with “Picnic” a sullen Cure-like ballad. This musical direction seems to take over the remaining tracks, as “Droga Paliativa” (Palliative Drug) which goes on like an updated version of Sisters of Mercy with competing background melodies. It gets more and more like ambient mood music, as the only English tune “Tiger Trap” has a slight Beach Boys feel, sung by Stewart. Fans of Belle and Sebastian and Velvet Underground minimalism, will enjoy this. A fine album, even though the musical themes repeat throughout and wear thin by the end. Give it a try and you may like it better than I did.

My Space | CD Baby | Cineplexx site

Listen to “Espiral” from Cineplexx’s new album Picnic:

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

The Swimmers "Fighting Trees"

powerpopaholic

The Philadelphia-based The Swimmers put out a new release “Fighting Trees” is a tight collection of a dozen well produced tracks constructed with sparse instrumentation and satisfying Beatleseque melodies. Fans of The Shins and Spoon will enjoy the opener “It’s Time They Knew” before diving headlong into the aforementioned strummer “Heaven.” I would swear Ringo is on drums here. Then we get the Wilco meets New Pornographers pop in  tracks “We Love To Build” and “Miles From Our Fears.” The Swimmers have become a bit of an “under the radar” sensation locally, and with the synth popped ballads and the kind of dreamy harmonies, handclaps, piano runs make it easy to love. This is primarily pop music that is easy on the ear and ipod friendly. Raggedy guitars and pounding drums enliven harder-rocking songs, like “It’s Time They Knew” and “St. Cecilia”. Infectious melodies run through the entire album, although the ending ballad “Fighting Trees” gets a bit labored. Through it all lead singer Steve Yutzy-Burkey has focused on three of the great themes of pop music: lost youth, thwarted love and the fear of death. The tandem of “Your Escape” and “Goodbye” hit this spot right on. This is serious stuff, yet couched in such likeable, easily absorbed musical settings that you hardly notice the angst. And in a way, isn’t that the secret of great power pop? You’re humming along to philosophy’s most serious questions…but with a big smile on your face.

My Space | The Swimmers Streaming Website | Amazon | Itunes

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

Exclusive Interview with Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls

powerpopaholic 1 Comment

This is my exclusive interview with Robby Takac, bassist for the Goo Goo Dolls. Bobby was very gracious, despite the fact that I can’t pronounce his last name. After 20 years, the Goo Goo Dolls are considered the gold standard for melodic alternative rock and still going very strong. We talk about the new album they are recording in Buffalo, fame, stage gaffs, and the music business in the digital age.

Listen to the entire interview streaming (20 minutes)

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.

Goo Goo Dolls "Vol.2"

powerpopaholic

One thing you can say about The Goo Goo Dolls is they do not take the fans for granted. This is a follow up to it’s first Vol.1 of “Greatest Hits” but to fans who only know the hits, this is like a treasure trove of songs, B-sides and covers that aren’t heard on the radio. With over two and a half hours of music and video, it touches on the bands entire career, from the early punk roots of “Torn Apart” to the demo of the popular single “Iris.” It’s not generally known that The Goo Goos have done a ton of movie soundtrack songs, and for fans this puts a bunch of them in one disc (like “Lazy Eye” from the Batman and Robin Soundtrack). The covers are also pretty good with the highlight being The Plimsoul’s “Million Miles Away” and they make Fleetwood Mac’s “I Don’t Want To Know” their own. If you’re not a huge Goo Goo fan then this will give you a shorthand into the depth of it’s musical history beyond the hits. Otherwise stick to “Vol.1” – – By itself it’s a good collection of music, but the addition of a DVD full of 17 videos and a “Live At Red Rocks” concert makes this a real bargain. Until a Goo Goo’s retrospective box set is made, this will satisfy most. Diehards may protest at the lack of “missing” near-hits, but that will have to wait.

Goo Goo Dolls’ Site | My Space | Amazon

power pop reviews, power pop and rock and roll opinions. Power pop and even more power pop and rock and roll.