I haven’t reviewed it yet, but it sounds pretty good, even though it’s more mellow than his last one. Visit the site to hear it stream.
Wisley site | Itunes
Mike Viola is at it again! “Lurch” is streaming also on the site and it really sounds like a winner. Review coming soon I hope.
Mike Viola.com | My Space
John Borack, one of the preeminent writers/reviewers covering the power pop/pure pop musical style for more than 20 years (for publications such as Goldmine, Amplifier, and The Trouser Press Record Guide) has put together this definitive overview of the melodic, rocking musical genre we all know and love. It also comes with a CD packed with musical rarities you won’t find anywhere else. Although this book has been promoted heavily elsewhere, I wanted to give public thanks to John and Bruce at Not Lame for including Powerpopaholic.com in the blog section. There are only a limited number of copies left, and it will go out of print sooner than you think.
Buy it at Notlame.com
Dion Read is almost the textbook example of the quirky piano pop meister, with his opening track “If I was there for you.” It has echos of Ben Folds and that song from Apple’s iphone commercial by Orba Squara. It’s got a nice melody and the follow up “Unloving You” is even better, with some sweet multitracked harmony. This four track EP is an impressive debut worth a spin on the ipod. Hey, Apple can you use Dion’s song for the next tv spot?
Dion Read Homepage | My Space | CD Baby
The Nice Outfit was formed from the ashes of teen idols Menlo and The New Blind Nationals and as an off-shoot of power pop heroes Trolley and Quinn Scharber. Think an updated version of The Buzzcocks for the next generation of powerpopaholics. This combo rocks with an energy that compares well with The Plimsouls or even fellow Milwaukee band The Saltshakers. Starting with the chiming guitarplay of “Kissing Jocelyn” will appeal to lovers of that 60’s classic sound. Lead vocal Terry Hackbarth threatens to get buried by all those riffs, which flirt with the classic punk of The Replacements. The other three tracks follow the same formula with just enough melody under the surface to keep it rockin’. It’s a short EP, and would love to see the a full length soon.
CDBaby | My Space
The Jellyfish has long been considered an iconic power pop group for the ninties, and each of the groups members have met with varied degrees of success. Fans have slavishly followed the careers of Jason Falkner, Andy Strumer and Roger Manning Jr. over the years. One other member of that group was Eric Dover, guitarist during the “Split Milk” era. After joining Manning in the celebrated group Imperial Drag, Eric has performed with guitar gods: Alice Cooper, Gibly Clarke, Slim Jim Phantom, Brian May, Eddie Van Halen and many others over the years.
Well now Eric’s new persona is simply called “Sextus” and his new album “Stranger than Fiction” is poised to drop in February. The albums complex arrangements took nearly 10 years to complete, with most songs being demo’ed extensively. He has also contributed to the Jellyfish Tribute “Sensory Lullabies” with the tune “That is Why.”
So is it worth the wait? Well mostly yes. The guitar work is outstanding and is reminicent of Imperial Drag for sure. I felt the album builds up a bit too slowly, albeit dramatically. The opening intro, brings to mind heavier guitar rock of Steve Hackett or even Yngwie Malmsteen. The point being, you play this music loud. “Wild To Make You Mine” is the most Imperial Drag-like, full of intricate guitar flourishes and layered solos and vocals. This can backfire a bit on “Mystery of O” which sounds like a mashup of both Queen and The Propellerheads. It’s not bad, but so dense with sonic detail, we lose the vocals and melody at times. Mid way through the album it hits it’s stride with the awesome “On The Freak Side” and becomes a real R-rated adventure with “Tricki Tina.” The gems are sprinkled throughout with “Break of Morning” and the raunchy “Ballmi” (Yes, it’s exactly what you think it is). The lyrical wordplay here would make even Prince blush. So overall, Sextus lives up to his name (don’t play this around the kiddies) and fans of Jellyfish, or Imperial Drag will lick it up. Right now it’s only available as a vinyl, but expect wide distribution next month.