Ken Sharp "Sonic Crayons"

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What can I say about Ken Sharp that has not been said many times before? This power pop fan/author/musician has produced a thrilling album that fans are sure to embrace. Vocally, Ken is similar to Seth Swirsky (Red Button) and Sean Lennon in tone and timbre. From the opening “Hello Hello” he lets the listener know what’s coming: hook filled riffs and melodic power pop. “The Man Who Couldn’t Be Wrong” has the perfect Beatlesque choral and guitar solos, and it pulls out all the stops, including harpsichord. A good mix of Jellyfish-styled melody with Raspberries layered guitars is featured on “Better Every Day” and it keeps getting better with each track. “Melody Hill” is a classic power pop tune, that reminds me of what The Dave Clark Five might’ve sounded like if Phil Spector produced them. Things get a bit funky on “Orange Cellophane” with soul-styled organs and a bit of a Lenny Kravitz groove. “So Simple Radio” sounds like an ELO/Abbey Road outtake (who doesn’t like that?) that fades out strangely. And for power pop fans, “Why Girls Cry” is the stuff we wished Todd Rundgren would do again. Better than his previous albums, it’s a power pop love letter, punctuated by “I Got Lost” a very Lennonesque finale. It’s Awesome stuff. With help from friends Ritchie Rubini (Caulfields), Rob Bonfiglio (Wanderlust) and Chip Z’Nuff and Donnie Vie from Enuff Z’Nuff, “Sonic Crayons” delivers the goods. Get it now and miss it at your own peril for it is part of my top ten list.

MySpace | Kool Kat Musik | Not Lame

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The Condors "Wait for it"

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Now here is a band that can rock with the best of them. If the Kinks and the Flamin’ Groovies met up with the DIY punk of The Godfathers, they might’ve sounded like The Condors. The songs benefit from producer Steve Refling and special friends who stopped by the studio to lend their musical and vocal talents; including Tony Fate (Bellrays), Jerry Koskie (Simpletones/Chiefs), and the ubiquitous Robbie Rist (too many bands to mention here). “She’s not the Girl for me” and “Don’t Talk about Love” are perfect bar band styled classics, and have a great Jam meets Dire Straits feel to them. “Expectations” sound similar to classic Elvis Costello circa “Armed Forces” with even more muscle. The Ray Davies comparisons are all over the classic “Something Better Coming Soon” and Pat “Pooch” DiPuccio does a great job of matching the energy and sound of those classic rock and roll riffs. The sharp Beatlesque guitar buzz on “Kiss That Girl Away” is what power pop is all about and “Spare Time” has a big Raspberries vibe with a Lou Reed-ish vocal. “Set Me On Fire” even has those great horn flourishes. Although a few of the songs didn’t win me over, this is a great album who’s time has come. This combination of old school punk and pop that makes the album a pure joy to listen to.

The Condors Website | MySpace | Amazon

The Lodger "Grown Ups"

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The Lodger are a melodic indie-pop group with a knack for throwback 80s guitar pop a la The Smiths and The Housemartins. And the album “Grown Ups” is full of jangly energetic pop nuggets. “Many Thanks for Your Honest Opinion” is the bouncy opener that groups like Belle and Sebastian would kill to have. This is followed by “Kicking Sand” a very Housemartins styled pop tune with all the proper hooks and quick riffs. If you enjoy the band Ok Go, you’ll flip for “Getting Special” which uses a great guitar dance beat. Every song here is catchy and mines the late 80s post-Smiths guitar jangle for all it’s worth. In most cases it’s loads of fun and and makes for excellent listening. “A Free Period” has a U2-styled baseline and clever chorus. The song “Simply left Behind” adds a bit of Squeeze and Zampano here, and is the winning single on this album, that elevates it above the average. Listen to this one first. It slums a bit on the last few tracks, but nothing too bad and it “The Story’s Over” would’ve been a fitting ending track here, but the ballad “Bye Bye” has a bit of Aztec Camera coolness as well. Check this microsite out to hear the entire album streaming.

The Lodger Website | MySpace | E-Music

Listen to “The Story’s Over”


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The Millions "Disrespectfully Yours"

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If you like your power pop with alot of muscle, we’re talkin’ Enuff Z’nuff and Cheap Trick, you may well enjoy The Millions. “On My Mind” starts with sweeping guitars and a killer chorus. The music is full of great guitar instrumentation that recalls Def Lepard, Zebra, Whitesnake and a tiny bit of Roger Manning’s Imperial Drag. “We’re Through” and the title track “Disrespectfully Yours” continue this sonic attack with a good melodic sense. The next track “island of You” bears a passing resemblance to The Churchills or Tories and is my favorite here. It has a great arena rock feel and the guitar work of Johnny Million and Dan “The Fox” Edwards are on par with the above mentioned bands. The album slowly begins to get heavier and the melodies are not as memorable on the second half, with “I’m So Lame” being a prime example. A lack of variety hurts here and it could have used a power ballad or two. Some of the songs here begin to feel a bit like filler at this point, but this is redeemed by the nicely done mid-tempo “Twice a Woman” and the energetic closer “Outerspace” with a fantastic guitar solo here. Make no mistake here, these guys have loads of talent and their music is also featured on the TV show “Laguna Beach”. Check out the my space page to hear some tracks.

MySpace | Millions Web Site | CD Baby

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