Powerpopholic

The Pillbugs "Monclovia"

November 18, 2007April 1, 2018 powerpopaholic 1 Comment

I’ve always been aware of the Pillbugs, as a good retro band and in the past I’ve heard a few songs here and there. Shame on me that I never really gave this band a proper listen. After hearing “Monclovia” I have become an instant raving fanboy. Other than The Oohs, I can think of no other group that melds every pysch-pop influence into each song with the expertise of a gourmet chef. This album is a perfect introduction to the band, by selecting some of the best tracks from previous releases and a few new ones. Similar to Outrageous Cherry or The Resonars, The Pillbugs bring you a pristine psychedelic experience in sound. Only these guys don’t just use one set of influences from the era. They use all of them. The opener “Here’s to The End of Time” revives Beatles Magical Mystery Tour era pop. Followed by “Faceless Wonder,” a mix of classic Moody Blues and The Zombies. Gorgeous hooks are all over each song. The production techniques are absolutely flawless here as well. The Sitar lead “Good To Be Alive” blows away George Harrison’s “Within You Without You” from Sgt. Pepper. “All in Good Time” is a perfect single, like The Left Banke meets Brad Jones. The whimsical “Make Like Arthur Lee” even has a touch of Jethro Tull. “Charlie Blue Car” has a rousing Moodies meets Monkees vibe. Then “Hold Me So Near” brings us a gentle Gene Clarke meets Beau Brummels sound. Other influences include, Traffic, Cotton Mather and early Pink Floyd. I could go on forever, as this is the best retro sounding album since XTC’s “Dukes of The Stratosphere.” If you like any sixites psyche-pop, this is essential listening.

The Pillbugs Site | My Space | Emusic | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

Listen to “Spaced Out”

The Beau Brummels "Laugh Laugh"

November 17, 2007November 17, 2007 powerpopaholic

The Beau Brummels were an important the link between The Beatles and West Coast folk during the late 60s. They have a great body of work that has never fully been appreciated. And they were one of the few (only?) groups to be animated by Hanna Barbara in an episode of “The Flintstones.” I post this in memory of John Peterson, the former drummer of the Beau Brummels and Harpers Bizzare. At age 62, he died Tuesday of an apparent heart attack.

Readymade Breakup "Isn’t that what it’s for?"

November 15, 2007July 6, 2024 powerpopaholic

New Jersey bandmates, Readymade Breakup have a sharp polished sound that should propel the group to the top of indie rock stardom. Opening with “Starting to End” – it does a great job with a soaring melody and tight guitar arrangements, that sets the tone for the entire album. The sincerity and unapologetic approach to three minute indie pop and rock is evident with “Line of Sight” complete with great harmonies and catchy riffs that you can sing along to. “Without You” is a great single here, possessing both the raw energy and guitar mastery that typified bands like Tonic, Gigolo Aunts and The Tories. Even the ballads here shine, like “Invincible” which starts soft and breaks into a hard riffed chorus. “The Funeral” has a smooth hook and lead singer Paul Rosevear’s voice almost resembles Glenn Tilbrook during points. Each song seems crafted to stick as well, as they continue to encourage repeat listens. A great example of this is the power mid-tempo song “Say Yes.” Toward the end of the album, it gets a bit overdramatic on a few songs like, “Ruin” and “Note to Self,” but the songs are not at all bad. If you had to describe this band in one word it would be “intensity” and that kind of passion for music should be appreciated by power pop fans worldwide. Keep up the good work, guys.

The Band’s Site | My Space | CD Baby | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

International Pop Overthrow Volume 10

November 14, 2007April 1, 2018 powerpopaholic

The great part of International Pop Overthrow is that you learn about a ton of new bands that produce excellent music. Unlike other genres of music, power pop is overall played sincere. There are no posuers in this genre, and the talent is better than any other compilation of this kind. It’s a hearty recommendation to you to purchase “International Pop Overthrow Vol.10” CD set. The set is perfect for those powerpopaholics who like many of these bands, but don’t want to spend lots of bucks on the piles of CDs or have the time to explore the web for these gems. Dave Bash lovingly selects each artist on the set, and most of them are truly worthy of greatness.

Awesome Badfingerish tracks from disc one include: The Orchid Highway’s “Medicine Tree,” and The Strange Fruits “Little Bird.” If you prefer a more modern approach, then you can’t beat Farrah’s “Do You Ever Think of Me” or The Lanes “Scarlet Chapaeu” and this is all on one disc.

On disk two you get excellent tracks from The Dirty Royals “Cover Up The Sun” which is in the best Del Amitri/Fastball tradition of modern power pop. Included is variations on the genre, like the power pop punk/hip hop of The Issue’s “Sayin’ Things” and the pop-psyche mastery of “I Am” by The Ringles.

Disk Three is full of fun and quirky pop gems. The Shamus Twins mix the sixties style with eighties guitar rythyms and melody with “Garden of Weeds.” Sprinkled throughout the discs are also modern indie pop like “World I Left Behind” by The Rulers. And old stalwarts like Kelly’s Heels, Jeremy and Twenty Cent Crush are here and each have excellent tracks as well.

You’ll have 66 songs to wade through, and like The Whitman Sampler box the cover is modeled after, you’ve got many flavors. It’s common thread is a melodic sensability that sticks with you. Even if you have many of the artists full albums, there are plenty of unreleased and rare tracks too. It’s a goodie you don’t want to miss, as a limited number of these sets are available. Get it at Not Lame.

My Space | Not Lame

Brilliant Fanzine "Then Comes Monday"

November 13, 2007April 1, 2018 powerpopaholic

As an Australian pop band, Brilliant Fanzine has been slowly building this latest album. In 2005 the EP with the single “Change for You” was released and earned some good airplay down under. They sound a bit like Coldplay with a lingering mellowness, or lack of intensity. This year they released a full length CD “Then Comes Monday” – a laid back jangle album that some pop fans may love. “Would We Go Back” has that mid 90s feel that reminds me of The Ocean Blue or Aztec Camera. “Make it for Yourself” has a dreamy quality with engaging melodies and “One in 10,000” does a decent job of adding a bit of The Pretty Things sound to the song with a great guitar riff in the middle of the song. Much of the first half of the album produces that subtle form of lush indie pop. It doesn’t have a breakout hit single, but the song “Come up and See Me” comes close. It’s got a great little riff and memorable hook in the chorus. The second half of the album is bleak in tone and many of the songs tread over ground that has been done better by other bands. The album ends with the slow title track “Then Comes Monday,” a ballad with lots of sonic effects, but for me it falls a bit flat. Fans of jangle pop will enjoy this though.

My Space | Popboomerang

Listen to “Change for You”